South African rugby has arguably never been in a better place than right now. And with the Super 14 title assured, 2010 could consolidate an era of further dominance on the world stage.

The Boks are already reigning world and Tri-Nations champions, but it's the ruthless efficiency and the collection of records that suggests South Africa is in a golden period.

The two greatest modern All Blacks, Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, have now been on the losing side against a team containing Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez and Morné Steyn on seven consecutive occasions.

The Crusaders have lost their last three matches against the Bulls while the All Blacks have lost their last three Tests against the Springboks, and they also lost to the Barbarians containing those three great Boks.

"I wasn't aware of that statistic, but Fourie is up to speed with stats, and he mentioned it to me after the semifinal on Saturday," Matfield told The Times.

"At this stage South African rugby has many great players, and if you had to pick a world 15, there would be a lot of Springboks in it."

A few years ago South Africans shuddered at the mention of McCaw and Carter, now they smile. The two distinguished New Zealanders are still great players, but their aura, along with that of the Crusaders and the All Blacks, has cracked.

The Bulls and the Stormers highlight the best traits of South African rugby, but in different ways.

Steyn has become a points machine. On Saturday he surpassed Carter's scoring record for a single Super 14 season, moving to 243 points so far in the campaign with the final still to come.

Waratahs skipper Phil Waugh pointed out that Super 14 success doesn't automatically translate into Test domination.

On Saturday South Africa will claim a third Super 14 title in four years - a period that has overlapped with a World Cup triumph, a Lions Series win and a Tri-Nations title. Super 14 success is clearly related to international success for the Boks.

An Australian journalist, here to witness the Waratahs 25-6 Super 14 semi loss to the Stormers, shook his head in disbelief after the match: "I can't see an end in sight for South African rugby domination," he said.

Respected New Zealand writer Marc Hinton wrote on his blog yesterday: "It's hard to think of a position where South Africa doesn't have at least a couple of world-class options at their disposal at the moment, and this will be vital as they build towards the World Cup."

Bok coach Peter de Villiers sent further tremors through the rugby world by naming six overseas-based players in his first Test side of the year - five of them World Cup winners and another, Joe van Niekerk, a 50-Test veteran.

Challenges lie ahead, especially when player retirements take their toll after the 2011 World Cup. But solid foundations have been laid for a glorious era in South African rugby.