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The Springbok camp is once again a happy place to be, following their comprehensive series victory over France this month, though perhaps the players enjoyed their time together a little bit more than is customary. "Normally after about three or four weeks you start to miss home, but I feel like staying behind for another week to be with the coach and the players," big lock Eben Etzebeth joked after the third and final Test at Ellis Park in Johannesburg this weekend. This is in stark contrast to November last year, when the Springboks limped out of the 2016 season with only four wins in 12 Test matches -- the worst-ever year for the South African rugby team. There was a lot of negativity around coach Allister Coetzee and his team during his first year in charge, but the Boks seem to have learned from their mistakes, taking the criticism on the chin and worked hard on their shortcomings. The team's camp in Plettenberg Bay ahead of the series against the unpredictable French has been identified as a massive factor in uniting the Boks, who won each of the Tests against Les Bleus by about 20 points.  There was a lot of reflection and honesty during that week on the South African east coast, while the new blood -- players such as Andries Coetzee, Jean-Luc du Preez, and Courtnall Skosan -- refreshed the team. "I'm really glad that we had the opportunity to spend some time together before the series and plan accordingly. We've also had the chance to get a strong team culture going, and it has made the difference," Coetzee said after the whitewash. "You can't create a team environment week before a match. You can't, not at Test match level. They are all playing for different teams, so how do I get a culture going if I don't spend time with them?" The Boks were jeered off the field on several occasions last year, including after their record defeat against the All Blacks in Durban. But the Boks clinched the series against the French at that same venue, and a week later secured a 3-0 series win at Ellis Park, in front of about 21 000 more fans than turned up for the first Test at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. "We were hurting last year, and we wanted to set the record straight. South Africa has got good players. It was just about pride. The motivation came from inside the players," Coetzee said. "It was great to see how we have turned things around. We've learned a lot since last year and there's a lot of belief in the side now. "It wasn't an easy seven months from last year November until now. I'm just happy that everyone chipped in to make sure the belief is back in the Springbok jersey again."  Nothing encapsulates the spirit of a team more than how they defend; how they put their bodies on the line for their mate next to them. Last year the Springboks leaked tries because of a weak and seemingly disorganised defence. They were disjointed. However, this year the players look like they would tackle a train for each other. Consultant and former Bok Brendan Venter, together with Coetzee and his other coaches, have solidified the Bok defence. Suddenly, they are tackling with the ruthless intensity that South African teams are known for. "The defence is not perfect yet. There were still some mistakes and a few missed tackles," Coetzee said. "The big thing about the defence is that it is something you can't coach -- to get back up on their feet and chase and keep tackling again. That is what we see in this team, which is really, really exciting."
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