Of all the significant home wins England have enjoyed in recent years this will rank among the most satisfying. Others can celebrate World Cup anniversaries, pour scorn on the lacklustre South Africans or caution against getting carried away by one result but here was evidence of a revitalised new England no longer trapped beneath the weight of former glories.
Beating the Springboks for a record sixth successive time, forged by a remarkable display by a reshuffled pack and sealed with 27 points from the outhalf Charlie Hodgson, was certainly not a case of England casually maintaining the status quo.
Their opponents were Tri-Nations champions just three months ago yet were dismantled without the help of Lawrence Dallaglio, Martin Johnson, Richard Hill, Neil Back and Jonny Wilkinson.
The captain Jason Robinson may have kept his counsel last week but his side have delivered a ringing statement which will reverberate across both hemispheres.
The impact on the careers of perceived fringe candidates such as Martin Corry, Julian White, Joe Worsley, Steve Borthwick and Hodgson could well be profound, their performances put into sharper perspective if, for the sake of argument, their predecessors were still around to face Australia this Saturday. Would Dallaglio get in ahead of Corry, or Hill in front of Worsley, or Phil Vickery ahead of White? The answer, in every case, would be in the negative, heresy only days ago.
As reinventions go, it has been a swift metamorphosis, with Andy Robinson and his coaching team dusting down Clive Woodward's template, striving to create a more enjoyable working environment and easing off the tactical safety catch. The upshot was a victory which will undermine South African morale almost as much as their 53-3 thrashing here two years ago.
On that occasion the Boks were simply not good enough but here good players were made to look second-rate, not least up front where Os du Randt was a victim of White's supremacy and the visiting back row made little impression. As Graham Rowntree revealed later, England made a deliberate effort to attack the South African scrummage and never looked back after splintering the visiting front row at the first scrum.
"We wanted to stamp our mark on the game. As Afrikaners that's all they understand," said the Leicester loosehead, among those who felt the seeds of success were sown at a forwards meeting in the team's Surrey hotel on Friday.
"Julian and I want to dominate opposition and we've got the rest of the guys thinking the same way. Sat around that room were a lot of guys who have had disappointments. We had a point to prove."
Corry's effort was extraordinary for a player who has never been as appreciated by England as he is in Leicester, while Steve Thompson and his jumpers also combined to win 17 out of 20 lineouts, allowing the backs to prosper.
The only flicker of post-match annoyance came when Andy Robinson was asked whether Hodgson was threatening Wilkinson's place - "Jonny's not fit so it's not a dilemma" - but the Sale outhalf once again left a seriously good impression, his attacking abilities underlined by the way he dummied past Percy Montgomery to score after 16 minutes.
It was also Hodgson's quick thinking which resulted in Henry Paul's crossfield chip to Mark Cueto, who gathered and scored his third try in two Tests. A perfect kicking haul for Hodgson of five penalties, two conversions and a drop goal also equalled Wilkinson's best against these opponents.
The visitors' late try by Bryan Habana was little more than a minor irritation and England can barely wait for this Saturday to come. "All this can be forgotten about if we stuff up next weekend," said Corry. If the Wallabies were scenting revenge a year on, the bush tucker trail has now gone worryingly cold.
Andy Robinson, whose team will start as favourites against the injury-hit Wallabies, paid tribute to the likes of Corry for their resilience.
"These guys would have been frustrated over the last three or four years not to have had the opportunity," said the coach.
"This was their opportunity, and they owed it to themselves to take it. Sometimes the opportunities don't come around again.
"From numbers one to 15, one to 22, every player has bought into it, led tremendously well by Jason Robinson. Martin Corry had a fabulous game, based on the work of the front-five. It was a tremendous performance from the forwards, but what led the performance was our defensive work.
"We didn't allow South Africa any momentum. We got in their faces and knocked them over, which was hugely important. We made big tackles that forced turnovers, and we really knocked the stuffing out of the South Africans."
Jake White watched his side's emphatic defeat and declared: "Now we know why they (England) are world champions.
"We were a lot more disappointed by last week's defeat by Ireland. The message from today was now we know why England are world champions," he said.
"Physically we were dominated in every part of the match - the scrum, rucks, mauls, lineouts. It was like a schoolboy side playing against men."
ENGLAND: J Robinson (Sale, capt); M Cueto (Sale), M Tindall (Bath), H Paul (Gloucester); W Greenwood (Harlequins, 71), J Lewsey (Wasps); C Hodgson (Sale), A Gomarsall (Gloucester); H Ellis (Leicester, 66); G Rowntree (Leicester), S Thompson (Northampton), J White (Leicester), D Grewcock (Bath), S Borthwick (Bath); B Kay (Leicester, 71), J Worsley (Wasps); A Hazell (Gloucester 71), L Moody (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester).
SOUTH AFRICA: P Montgomery (Dragons); B Paulse (W Province) J Fourie (Lions, 78), M Joubert (W Province), D W Barry (W Province), P De Villiers (W Province); B Habana (Lions, 71); J van der Westhuyzen (NEC), F du Preez (Blue Bulls); O du Randt (Cheetahs), J Smit (Natal, capt), E Andrews (W Province); C J Van der Linde (Cheetahs, 44), B Botha (Blue Bulls), V Matfield (Blue Bulls), S Burger (W Province), A J Venter (Natal); D Rossouw (Blue Bulls, 55), J van Niekerk (W Province).
Referee: A Rolland (Ireland).
Guardian Service
