The Springboks clung on for an hour after losing lock Lood de Jager to a red card in the first half, and then dominated France in the final 20 minutes to claim the empathic win and inflict a rare defeat on the French at the Stade de France.
In fact, the last team to do so was South Africa in their epic 29-28 Rugby World Cup quarter-final in 2023.
The loss of De Jager meant a reshuffle in the team, and captain Siya Kolisi, earning his 100th cap, was taken off at halftime so that hybrid player Andre Esterhuizen could enter the fray and play as both a flanker and centre depending on who had possession.
Despite the milestone match, Erasmus says Kolisi accepted taking one for the team.
“I want to say thank you to our captain, who was taken off because Andre can play loose forward and centre, which was a tough call. But when I told him, he just took it on the chin and understood,” Erasmus said.
“(Prop) Boan (Venter) also came off early in the match because he has to get used to the intensity of these matches, although I thought he went really well.
“I think the guys who started probably softened up the opposition, and then the bench could go and finish it. Even when (fly-half) Manie (Libbok) came on and Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu) went to fullback, I thought everybody had a good impact.
“That comes from the players understanding that it's a 23-man effort, and the coaches made good plans, which made it easier for the players who came on from the bench.”
France dominated much of the first half though South Africa only trailed 14-13 at the break. The Springboks then repelled wave after wave of French attacks in the first 20 minutes of the second period, before turning the screw against their wilting opponents.
“I can take very little credit for what was said at halftime because all the coaches of the different departments did most of the talking and made plans,” Erasmus said.
“A lot of people said the (Springbok) players are getting older, but they are wiser. We desperately wanted to win this game.
“Playing here (in France) is tough, but fortunately, we experienced it in 2022 and 2023, so the experience of the players, and both the team and the assistant coaches made plans.”
Kolisi said he was most proud of the team and the decisions the coaching staff made, taking emotion out of the equation.
“A lot of my family were here and people who've helped me along the way, and I’m very grateful for that,” Kolisi said. “That said, my focus was on the game because we knew how much they wanted to win this match.
“I must give credit to the team, they really played well, and I’m proud of them and our coaching staff for making plans and not panicking. That’s what makes this team special.
“On a day like today, having to leave the field was a fitting example of putting the team first. When coach Rassie came to ask me, it was a case of putting the emotion aside because the team comes first, and I applaud them for the way they fought.”
Kolisi had praise for Erasmus, who also reached a milestone.
“Today was his 50th game as head coach, and he never made it about him this week. It was all about the team. So, thank you, Coach, for all that you do for us. You have no idea what you've done, not just in rugby terms, but in the mindset in which we see each other and our country.
“When you speak, we take so much from you, so thank you for all that you do. We really appreciate it.”