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Heyneke Meyer may not have gotten the wet weather conditions he craved to test his players in, but he nevertheless got the poorest bogs to play on.
From the Millennium Stadium, to Murrayfield and finally Stade Francais, it is unlikely that his charges will ever again experience three pitches in worse condition.
One would argue that on the whole it was mission accomplished for the Springboks, played three, won three and certainly more convincing than their unbeaten run in 2012 where England could count themselves unfortunate not to have won.
The big improvement this year has been the clinical attack of South Africa. During their European tour in 2012 South Africa managed to score four tries and conceded only one. This year, as it was throughout the year, they doubled the number of tries scored, and still managed to concede only a solitary try.
To he fair, they never really looked in danger of losing a match this November, their control of territory ensured that they were never under any real pressure, in fact since the 10th minute of their match against Wales at the Millennium stadium, they never trailed again.
The Good
Willie le Roux has overtaken both Patrick Lambie and Zane Kirchner in the race to become the first choice fullback. His spacial awareness, ability to eye the gaps, his burst of pace into the gaps and his cheeky little kicks combined with his ability to put his support runners in possession with smart little offloads has had a definite impact on the attacking nous of South Africa.
Bryan Habana deserves special mention for what seems a new lease on rugby, from his outstanding tries against New Zealand, his hunger to look for work, to his defence, Habana has shown that he is still one of the best wings in world rugby.
Jean de Villiers has run into the form of his life, able to break the gainline almost at will, he has been the catalyst for a number of clinical finishes for South Africa.
Eben Etzebeth has matured, at a young age he has now racked up more than 20 caps and apart from his superb work rate in general play has become the leading line out taker for South Africa.
The back row combination of Francois Louw, Willem Alberts and Duane Vermeulen under the tutelage of Richie Gray are now a formidable force at the breakdown.
The speed of execution on attack has become a trade mark of Springbok rugby, something not seen since 1998 when Nick Mallet’s charges ran amok in Europe.
An overall win percentage of 83% with only two losses to those pesky New Zealanders the only blight on an otherwise satisfactory season.
The Bad
Ruan Pienaar may be the quintessential halfback for Ulster, but for South Africa he is a mere speedbump, the puddle of mud that slows you down. His pedantic play may suit the static game of the Rabo or Heineken Cup for Ulster, but certainly not South Africa in their new found positive attitude.
The fact that Heyneke Meyer has not provided opportunity for the younger generation of Scrum Halves in South Africa is a grave concern. There is only two years left and less than 20 tests for the Springboks to find a replacement for Ruan Pienaar, and time is fast running out.
Sadly injuries to Pieter Steph du Toit, Johan Goosen and Arno Botha meant that they didn’t get much opportunity to gain exposure and experience this season. Hopefully an injury free season in 2014 will provide them with the opportunity to prove their worth.
Francois Steyn, Francois Hougaard and Schalk Burger also impacted on selections for South Africa.
The All Blacks will be the Target next year, Heyneke Meyer will hope to achieve his first win against New Zealand next year, but he should feel satisfied that his team has beaten all other challengers this year.
Just don’t forget about those Aussies, they seem to be making an about turn on a pretty poor start to the season.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.