The fickle nature of South Africa's sporting press was in evidence this weekend following the Springboks well earned win against the Wallabies on Saturday.

After being lambasted last week following a dire 3-12 loss to New Zealand in which neither side really coped well with the conditions, this week the headline writers were looking for their bumper book of superlatives.

As usual, though, all the praise was tempered by questions about why the side could not muster the same sort of passion and performance in recent Tests leaving enough latitude for further full blown assaults should they be needed this Tri-Nations series.

"A defiant Springbok team turned the established order upside down with a pugnacious performance against the world champions," trumpeted the Sunday Times said.

"Driven by a heroic set of forwards, South Africa out-muscled and outplayed the Australians to the point where their ambitions were almost completely stifled.

"Helped in no small measure by the elegant place-kicking of Braam van Straaten, the Boks established a solid lead and then hung on grimly as the Australians fought back."

The Times then went on to make this comparison between the win and the recent Lions series win: "They dropped miles from the high of the Lions series: the Tri-Nations is played so frequently it cannot compare in status or import to a top-level series."

The Sunday Independent believes that it was the underdog tag that helped the home team beat the odds.

"There is little more dangerous in world rugby than an underrated Bok. They are sneaky animals, saving their best for the mission impossible.

"The Springboks, with magician Harry Viljoen pulling the invisible strings, sucked the magic out of Australia and blew it back in their faces like magic dust.

"Conrad Jantjes, the fullback he kept under such careful wraps these past months, took to Tri-Nations rugby as if he had been at it for all of his young life."

It was left to the Africaans language Rapport to sounds the more downbeat note: "While the fans were celebrating there was also a nagging question in their minds: why was the team seemingly incapable of playing the same sort of game in recent weeks.

"Why was Braam van Straaten not called up weeks ago. Can the Springboks only play well when they are written off. Perhaps South Africans are at their best when dismissed as being useless."