History did a roaring trade in repeating itself as the Springboks saved the skin of yet another embattled coach with a backs-to-the wall win over England here yesterday.

Four years ago, it was Jake White who needed a win to convince the suits at the SA Rugby Union that he was the man to take the Boks to what turned out to be their second World Cup win.

Yesterday, his successor, Peter de Villiers, took his place in the hot seat to witness his men deliver a Bok-lash performance. It has probably earned him the right to coach his side to defend White’s 2007 World Cup win.

To realise how much rode on this performance, consider that some presumably proud South Africans were hoping the Boks would lose to the old enemy just so the coaching staff would be sacked.

As tempting as it is to describe this as a dominant performance, it was more a nervy effort that grew in confidence as England wilted under the sheer pressure of basic Test rugby.

In essence, the contest involved a team (England) intent on living up to its billing as the new sexy rugby side against a team desperate for a win (South Africa).

In the end, the desperate Boks — led by their pack of forwards — taught the young and exciting hosts something about Test rugby.

The Bok pack shut out England’s young tyros in nearly all aspects of forward play, starting with a scrum that was as clever as it was steady.

Having won two free kicks in their first two scrums, the Boks steadily built to the extent that they were able to get a tighthead — which ultimately led to their first try of the match — against one of the more feared packs in the world.

Bok captain Victor Matfield — who played with a broken rib for three-quarters of the match after a massive prang with England winger Chris Ashton — ran the lineout like clockwork against a side that was better than the Scots who beat them last week.

What the Boks did particularly well was dominate the physical exchanges. England talked up the Boks’ physicality all week, yet when it came, one got the impression they were taken aback by it.

Bok hooker Bismarck du Plessis was the man who came slinging heat for the visitors at the contact points.

“Bissy” was simply massive, from his scrummaging, his throwing in at the lineouts, and the selfless manner in which he threw himself about.

Two moments marked out a workaholic day for him.

He was the one to snaffle the loose ball after England’s attack had been repelled for some 15 phases, and to be involved in a long-distance chase of a kick that saw him bundle lock Courtney Lawes out into touch just two minutes after winning that crucial turnover.

For all that forward dominance, too many chances were left untaken by the backs, who were a bit blunt in the first half despite Ruan Pienaar being incisive and up for it at scrumhalf.

When their first try came it was by a forward, Willem Alberts, in the 59th minute, after a successive number of bruisers had taken it up.

Incredibly, the try was Alberts’ third in his first three matches for the Boks.

As awesome as the Bok forwards and the defence were, the Poms also did their bit to help them out.

There is such a thing as playing too much rugby, and England were guilty of doing that as they appeared to be seduced by their own sexiness in trying to run the ball from all areas of the field. This led to a slew of handling errors from the new kings of this ball-in-hand stuff.

There was also a tactical masterstroke by the Bok coaches, who sent Adrian Jacobs on for the injured Zane Kirchner to add some sharpness out wide.

The backs were much more threatening after that, which ultimately led to Lwazi Mvovo getting his first try as a Bok.

If there was anything to be learnt from this game it was that the Boks still have the forwards to best anyone. Seeing that games start and end there, they’re not in as bad a shape as everyone thinks they are.

SCORERS

England (11) — Try: Ben Foden. Penalties: Toby Flood (2).

South Africa (21) — Tries: Willem Alberts, Lwazi Mvovo. Conversion: Morne Steyn.

Penalties: Steyn (3).