The Springboks’ 2007 World Cup winning coach, Jake White, wrote a recent column in which his optimism over South Africa’s series at home to England was clear. He concluded: “Now the braai talk is: ‘Why didn’t Adriaan Strauss get picked?’ which is a big change from: ‘Why did we pick Adriaan Strauss!?’”

It may seem a touch a harsh on Strauss, who captained South Africa during their lowest ebb in 2016 with considerable dignity before retiring from international rugby, such was the strain of the job. But White’s point is that with Rassie Erasmus shaking things up in his first few months in charge, the Springboks no longer appear to be at rock bottom – far from it.

White also credits the South African Rugby Union for finally giving Erasmus the backing and support he needs and believes the former coach Allister Coetzee too has significantly contributed, citing his leaked letter in which he was scathing of Saru and how it jolted the governing body into action. Erasmus has, in turn, had somewhat of a free hand with his squad selection.

Back come five overseas-based players to bolster the ranks – Duane Vermeulen, Faf de Klerk and Willie le Roux among them – while Erasmus’s appointment of Siya Kolisi as South Africa’s first black captain has been met with universal approval. When making the announcement, Erasmus was asked if the appointment had anything to do with “recent events”, no doubt a reference to Ashwin Willemse walking out of a live SuperSport broadcast, accusing two fellow former Springboks of undermining him.

Erasmus was clear in his response but the incident involving Willemse and its fallout served only to highlight how complex and divisive an issue race remains in South Africa.

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“Before I was appointed‚ I have always understood all the transformation issues and that they are part of the way we are heading, and I have bought into that,” Erasmus said. “We are trying to fix all the wrong things that were done in the past. The recent things that happened did not have a bearing on this decision because my contract was signed long before. The players we have in this squad deserve to be here and I am not trying to fabricate things.”

Like England, South Africa are not without their injury problems – Warren Whiteley, Malcolm Marx, Lood de Jager and Eben Etzebeth in particular will be missed – and Erasmus could probably have done without Saturday’s match against Wales in Washington DC. But a strong-looking squad and the Super Rugby form of the Lions and the Bulls is engendering the aforementioned optimism.

As ever with South Africa, a sense of identity is key and the makeup of Erasmus’s squad – and its warm reception – is undoubtedly a good start. How that translates on the pitch is less certain and Erasmus is faced with the age-old debate. Does he stick to South Africa’s traditional strengths or look to introduce an attacking style?

“I think that is a question that is always asked and I think the answer coaches always give is that we want to find the balance,” Erasmus said. “I’m not going to try and use the old cliche that we want to find the balance. I think it would be great if we could keep the traditional things that people talk about us, and where people used to fear us. If we could keep that it would be great and people know what that is. Our physicality has always been something that we have prided ourselves on – we have to maintain that and we have to bring smartness into our game because at that level physicality won’t just win Test matches.”

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That may be right but it seems clear that Erasmus, just like Eddie Jones when at the start of his England tenure, is intent on restoring his side’s traditional strengths first and foremost. England and Jones already have a fair idea of what to expect this month, stopping it is another matter entirely.