'We never doubted ourselves' - Springboks reflect on their heroic 14-man win over France

Supersport commentator Matt Pearce caught up with the boys on the pitch immediately after the final whistle and to hear the Boks in their own words, it becomes clear how they were able to overcome so much adversity during the match.

Reduced to 14 men after Lood de Jager's red card midway through the contest, the Boks had to do it the hard way. They were thrust into a pressure cooker in front of a roaring Stade de France crowd, but never stopped believing in themselves. 

Not only had Rassie Erasmus prepared them for exactly that scenario, he also came up with clever half-time adjustments to help the team cope with De Jagerâ™s absence.

Meanwhile, the players were determined not to let captain Siya Kolisi down in his 100th Test - particularly after his selfless gesture in accepting being replaced at half-time as part of their plans to deal with De Jager's red.

Kolisi revealed that Erasmus had actually prepared them for potential red or yellow cards, given the anticipated intensity of the contest.

"Coach Rassie prepared us. He said something like this might happen. And we weren't shocked and we just said, 'boys, let's just keep going.' And then when we got in the changing room [at half-time] he said 'listen, we're gonna make plans.'"

Eben Etzebeth paid tribute to his good friend and "brother" Siya for once again putting the team first.

"I always wished I could play rugby with my brother, my older brother, but that never happened. But Siya is like a brother to me and I'm so proud of him. What a man. The way he leads even after Lood got a red card and Rassie told him 'listen, you must come off' and he was happy to accept it. He's just a team man. Leads from the front and such an unbelievable guy."

Jesse Kriel also had some special words for his captain.

"I don't think we can explain how much he means to this team, how much he means to South Africa and at half-time we just said 'boys, we're going to go out there and give it our all for Siya and for Lood and and for South Africa', and I think the guys showed it in every single action."

Manie Libbok pointed out how the belief and unity in the team never wavered after the red card.

"When we went down to 14 men, we never lost hope, we never doubted ourselves. We just pulled tighter. That's why I'm so proud of the boys. This is one that I will definitely remember for a long, long time."

Rassie's new hybrid weapon Andre Esterhuizen, who made a pivotal dual contribution in the second half, doubling as both a forward and back, may have summed it up best.

"Yeah, I mean, Siya's done so much for the country and everyone as players, as coaches. It's just so good that we could give something back to him, and it is definitely a team that can always come up with plans, make plans, and stick together when things get tough."

READ MORE: Louw praises Boks composure, salutes Kolisi and Erasmus milestones