The Springboks have one hand on the Rugby Championship trophy

The Springboks are sitting pretty in the box seat to claim the Rugby Championship title for the first time in four years after the split-squad strategy paid dividends in Pretoria.

The performance at Loftus Versfeld was completely dominant, with the Wallabies’ defence at sixes and sevens trying to predict how the Bok maul would be played.

The Australians could not decide which side of the maul to defend as the Boks used peels and well-timed short side raids to run riot as the threat of the rolling maul was ever present.

Mannie Libbok ran past an isolated debutant Tom Hooper out of this own 22, left out to dry by his teammates who switched sides moments earlier, highlighted the issues with the defence and gave the Boks the green light to call more plays off the maul platform.

They had a short side try later through Kurt-Lee Arendse compiling more misery on the visitors. He went on to grab a third, and had a fourth on offer taken away by a professional foul.

Andre Esterhuizen was a changed player on his international return, charging into the line with unrestrained power and showing his recall was deserved.

The scary thought is that most of the players involved in the demolition job will not be starting in Auckland, with only five in the XV lining up again, with six others named on the bench.

The Springbok bench has the rugby world falling victim to green-eyed jealousy, unable to suppress the painful thought of players such as Malcolm Marx, Duane Vermuelen and former World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit coming into the game late.

To think that Arendse, Esterhuizen and Marco van Staden have been deemed surplus to requirements after starring roles against the Wallabies is hard to fathom.

Tier one talent is overflowing out of this squad, an unrivalled beast with the ability to play two ‘A’ teams with different players.

The All Blacks do not have the same luxury, with all but two players travelling to Argentina and back.

This round trip will be hitting Foster’s men hard, even those who sat back and were merely observers in Mendoza.

This source of strength has given the Springboks a grasp on the Rugby Championship trophy already.

The jet lagged All Blacks have to try to muster the courage to fight the ungodly riches of South African rugby whilst fighting through the fog with impaired cognitive function.

On paper some would say it is an impossible task.

The stars have aligned for South Africa’s rested crew to do what they have done in recent years, which is get results in New Zealand.

They know how to handle the All Blacks at home having claimed a 36-34 win in Wellington in 2018 as the home side couldn’t figure out how to take a drop goal in the dying stages.

In 2019 at the same venue they produced a final play for the ages to claim a late 16-all draw which proved pivotal when the All Blacks fell to the Wallabies in Perth.

The stage is set for the Springboks to knock off the All Blacks at a rugby league ground, away from the spiritual home at Eden Park where the record can’t offer the home side sanctuary.

There couldn’t be a more advantageous position to be in after getting the opening round result and preserving the experienced core of All Black killers.

Like a special ops team dropping in the dark cover of night, Rassie’s special squadron were here early for the operation.

This is not a drill. The Springboks have one hand on the Rugby Championship trophy.