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Cape Town - When Allister Coetzee took over as Springbok coach in April this year, the national side were still reeling from their shock Rugby World Cup loss to Japan.
Turns out those were the glory days!
Brighton, September 19, 2015 will forever live in Springbok fans' memories as the darkest ever day - at that stage - as the mighty Boks crashed to a 34-32 defeat against an Eddie Jones-coached Japan side.
To their credit the Boks bounced back to beat Samoa (46-6), Scotland (34-16), USA (64-0) and Wales (23-19), before losing by two points (20-18) in the semi-finals to eventual champions New Zealand.
The Boks then pulled themselves together to beat Argentina 24-13 in the third/fourth playoff match in what would prove to be coach Heyneke Meyer's final match in charge.
Enter Allister Coetzee.
Eleven Tests later and the Boks are once again the laughing stock of world rugby - and social media in particular.
Except this time around it isn't one of shock and horror at a one-off defeat, it's more a case of anger and disbelief at the depths to which the side has plummeted after no fewer than seven defeats this calendar year.
125 years of proud Springbok tradition have been made a mockery of in the past five months, while records books have been rewritten - for all the wrong reasons.
Consider the following "records" Coetzee now holds.
- First ever defeat to Ireland in South Africa - since first match in 1961 (lost 26-20 at Newlands to an Ireland side reduced to 14 men for 58 minutes)
- First ever defeat to Argentina in Argentina (since first match in 1993)
- Biggest margin of defeat (42 points - 57-15) to New Zealand in 95 years (as well as the biggest ever defeat in South Africa)
- First defeat to England in a decade (37-21)
- First ever defeat to Italy in their 13th Test (20-18)
That's some damage to the Springbok annals.
Little wonder past players are either turning in their graves or expressing disgust at the current crop of would-be Springboks...
