The Springboks’ arrival in Italy happened with considerably less swagger than their fans had hoped for.
On the back foot after defeats to Ireland in Dublin and France in Marseille, the Springboks are now with their backs to the wall ahead of a Test they cannot afford to lose.
There is of course no disgrace being beaten by the world's two top-ranked teams, but the Boks developed a less than healthy habit of losing matches they could have won. They played themselves into positions of real promise against Wales in Bloemfontein, Australia in Adelaide, Ireland and France, only to falter at the death. One is tempted to add the Ellis Park defeat to the All Blacks, but they were the inferior side on the day.
Their failure to see out matches has now contributed to an unflattering win percentage of 58 since Jacques Nienaber took the coaching reins.
Defeat to Italy in Genoa on Saturday is simply not an option for the World Champions. They have to win by any means possible, even if they dip into their dark side.
The last time they played Italy they were also in must-win territory, and on that occasion there was more at stake. The Boks were on the back foot and were left with no margin for error after losing their opening game at the 2019 Rugby World Cup (RWC) to New Zealand. No team had ever lost a pool match and gone on to win the World Cup, but the Boks set about that task with alacrity.
Their starting pack, or advance army, battered Italy, while the cavalry off the bench bruised the men in blue even more. It was to set the benchmark for the rest of the World Cup as the Springboks went from strength to strength.
After the Kiwis, Italy were considered their next strongest opponent in their pool, and the South Africans approached the match with all guns blazing. They exacted a huge physical toll on the Azzurri and ruthlessly crushed them 49-3. They pulverised Italy with a performance of power and precision and all but secured their place in the next round of the competition.
In that match they deployed their now-famous Bomb Squad, which saw six forwards and only two backs designated for the bench. In war parlance it was shock and awe.
Their starting pack, or advance army, battered Italy, while the cavalry off the bench bruised the men in blue even more. It was to set the benchmark for the rest of the World Cup as the Springboks went from strength to strength.
If their fear of the exit sign spurred them on in Shizuoka, they need to galvanise around the fact that defeat in Italy will be a savage blow to morale less than a year ahead of the next RWC.
Defeat in Genoa opens the possibility of them returning home from their end-of-year tour without a win. It is a prospect too ghastly to contemplate, but when you consider they play their last match on tour at Twickenham, a venue they have not won at in, the fear is real.
However, in selecting a team that again features six forwards and two backs on the bench, it would appear the Boks are treating Saturday’s game with the necessary urgency. They will be desperate to invoke the spirit that carried them to such a chastening victory in Shizuoka.
The unbridled physicality they unleashed in Japan will likely be served up again against an Italian side that appears to have turned the corner under Kiwi coach Kieran Crowley.
They beat Samoa before edging the Wallabies in a thriller at the weekend.
The Boks will leave nothing to chance against the Azzurri. They will go into the clash fired up.
Anyone who has watched the documentary Chasing the Sun will anticipate Erasmus dropping a few F-bombs as he fires up his troops.
It all makes for a Test match that should really come with parental guidance, if not an age restriction.
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