Apart from a famous Wallabies victory, the other big storyline to come from Johannesburg was the return of James O’Connor.
Seventeen years on from his international debut, there was O’Connor leading his nation in the No.10 at 35 years old.
The victory was the first time the Wallabies had won at Ellis Park in 62 years and represented what O’Connor described as a third or fourth lifetime for him in the green and gold.
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James O’Connor and Quade Cooper of the Wallabies on Hong Kong Harbour in 2008. Getty
Post-match, in the heat of the moment, O’Connor described it as his “favourite win”.
But 15 hours after the event, was O’Connor feeling the same?
“It’s so hard to put. I feel like I’ve had three or four different lifetimes in rugby,” he told media on Sunday night (AEST).
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James O’Connor of the Wallabies. Corbis via Getty Images
“So from each sort of generation I feel like I’ve got a favourite game but that one in particular was special because even I doubted myself.
“I’m not going to lie, I came into camp and I was like, wow, have I bitten off more than I can chew here? Like the boys are training at an intensity and a speed that I’m not up to yet.
“I’ve just slowly gone about my work, slowly built, and to be honest as well, I’ve spent every game on the bench this year, finishing games off, and that’s sort of the role I’d almost created, not for myself, but with I guess the other coaches.
“So when Joe gave me the role, I’m not going to lie, I was bloody excited and I’m always up for it. I want it. I want it bad, but at the same time, there is that little voice in the back of your head that’s like, ‘hmm, you reckon you can take the Springboks on? You reckon you can live up to the words you’ve spoken out there?’.
“So from my point of view this one was so special because first 15 minutes, the building into that game, I didn’t build into it perfectly at all, but I’m a competitor and if I see a picture, I’m going to play, I’m going to take it on.”
O’Connor admitted it wasn’t beautiful rugby or the perfect game but to win at Ellis Park was an incredible feeling, but wasn’t going to call it a fairytale just yet.
That’s because there’s a new task awaiting at Cape Town.
“I know what’s coming next week,” he said with a laugh.
Such is the enormity of the task, O’Connor had already done his review when speaking to media.
“I can’t sleep until I’ve watched it,” he said. Will Skelton is the same.
But that doesn’t mean the side didn’t enjoy the moment.
“A couple of beverages,” Skelton commented sitting besides O’Connor.
However, the No.10 is now squarely focused on the next task.
“That’s the thing about rugby it’s sort of already on to next week,” he said.
“I know my mind went there and I thought straight away, what are they going to be coming with? 6-2 bench, back to basics, bomb squad, aerial contest.
“You’re going to meet us in the trenches there, so I’m already thinking about what’s coming and then just focusing on recovery, but we did enjoy each other’s company a little bit.”
The Wallabies will have to head to Cape Town without two stars in Dylan Pietsch and James Slipper with both men heading back home after a fractured jaw and concussion.
Skelton spoke about a squad mentality when asked about the injuries and interestingly, O’Connor interjected after the answer to deliver a strong message.
“I think on Joe as well, we’ll be going after it,” he said before Skelton delivered a strong “yeah, we always go after it”.
Tom Wright. Stan
“You can’t not go after it I think as well for our group, like, this is the beautiful thing about international rugby, like we’re about to verse the world champs again after they’ve been wounded,” O’Connor continued.
“They’re going to put on a display, it’s going to be brutal out there, it’s going to be a contest, and we want to see where we’re at.
“There’s talk, there’s a lot of things in the peripheral, but as a group, we’ll galvanize and whatever the 15 and 23 is, we’ll make a plan and stick to it as best as we can and get after it.”