PARIS, France -- And you thought Saturday night was good. What on earth did we do to deserve another all-time World Cup classic 24 hours later? And what have we done to be without Ireland and France for another week?
That is the curse of this wretched Rugby World Cup draw after the hosts joined the Emerald Isle in exiting the tournament on Sunday night. Their exhilarating 29-28 loss to the Springboks was every bit as good a game as the All Blacks' four-point win over Ireland 24 hours earlier, rounding out the most extraordinary of weekends in the French capital.
Sadly, it's hard to see that being repeated again this time next week.
The Boks made it three from four for the southern hemisphere on a weekend that was predicted to be all about the north -- and the SANZAAR bosses will be a happy lot this week as a result.
The defending champions had Handre Pollard to thank for a 52-metre penalty that took them out to a four-point lead with 11 minutes to play, and while France threw everything at the Springboks' defence, just like Ireland they were unable to find a way through after Thomas Ramos had narrowed the gap back to just one point.
Again, the fact that this game had to have a loser, was a shame. But that is sport, and France, just like Ireland, will take some solace from the fact that they played their part in one of the World Cup's all-time great fixtures.
But it will sting, and sting hard. Along with Ireland, France had been the dominant team of this four-year cycle, bringing together a squad capable of going all the way. But it was the Springboks' mix of smart attacking kicking, their pacey backs and the man who will be public enemy No. 1 from here on out, Eben Etzebeth, that got them over the line.
"I'm thinking of our supporters, families, people who believe in us daily, who were around us, who put in all the work. The players, of course, our France group which tonight has to be brave," France coach Fabien Galthie reflected.
"There are so many key moments. When you're leading 7-0 and (Eben) Etzebeth cut off the ball. That was a strong moment for us and we weren't able to finish off. Soon afterwards it was 7-7. Those are key moments...which add up. So many things went on."
South Africa were deserved winners, just as France would have been had they found a way to set up for a drop goal after the final siren, only to have the ball ripped away by Faf de Klerk and then booted into the stands to the delirium of those wearing green.
This game was that close, as the final scoreline suggested.
"Yeah, I think a lot of questions were asked of us as group by the French team," Springboks skipper Siya Kolisi said. "The character of the boys stood out. We had a clear plan what to do, especially in the breakdowns. We knew how hard they were going to be.
"They were tough to stop with 15 men, imagine how hard it was with 14. We had to fight for each other for that period and I am really proud of the character and discipline we showed."
This was a different kind of game to the All Blacks' pulsating win over Ireland. While there were six tries in total on Saturday, there were six in the first half alone in what was an at times helter-skelter half of footy that you simply just couldn't take your eyes off for fear of missing a thing.
It started almost immediately as two probing kicks from Antoine Dupont set France deep inside South Africa territory. The first was regathered by Matthieu Jalibert, the second just cleaned up in the nick of time by Kurt-Lee Arendse in the left-hand corner.
It was a breathtaking opening, but merely a sign of things to come.
France did get their try and the dream start just a few minutes later as they destroyed the Springboks pack with a thunderous rolling maul, before coming back short side to big prop Cyril Baille for the first of his two tries.
Then came the first hit of controversy. Only a few minutes later as France again exploded into the Boks' 22, Etzebeth threw out his right hand to shut down an overlap. It looked for all money that Etzebeth would be heading to the bin for a deliberate knockdown, but referee Ben O'Keeffe ruled the ball had actually travelled backwards, to the overwhelming fury of the parochial home crowd.
That anger was only compounded when the Boks soon went to the air, as they did many times successfully throughout the first half, and then had Arendse on a sprint to the corner after Gael Fickou had been unable to catch the towering kick.
That would be the first of three South African tries that came about via the boot, the second scored by Damian de Allende who scooped up a woeful Cameron Woki attempted catch, the centre charging to within three metres of the line before he was brought down by some desperate French cover. But de Allende was soon back to his feet and taking a short pass from Cobus Reinach to score.
The Boks' third five-pointer came from a French turnover, de Allende's midfield partner Jesse Kriel dropping a delightful grubber kick in behind for Cheslin Kolbe to scoop up in stride and outsprint Damien Penaud to the line.
In between those scores, it was Dupont doing the scheming for France, and Jonathan Danty, Charles Ollivon and Peato Mauvaka providing the power carries. Mauvaka, in particular was outstanding; he moves more like a centre than a hooker, with speed any back would be proud of; he set up France's third try when he rolled around the back of the lineout to within a metre of the line, leaving it to Baille to grab his second a couple of phases later.
Dupont had earlier been responsible for France's second five-pointer as he took a quick tap from a penalty only metres from the Boks' line and spun a sweeping pass out to his hooker who scored in the corner.
There may have been the slightest bit of justice in the final play of the first half. Much to the delight of the home fans, Etzebeth at last saw yellow after the TMO intervened having spotted a head-on-head clash with Uini Antonio. The two men shared a hug before Etzebeth headed for the sideline, while Thomas' Ramos first penalty of the match made the score 22-19 at the break.
It had been an exhilarating first stanza, and we haven't even mentioned Kolbe's charge-down of Ramos' second conversion attempt.
The second was slightly more tempered as fatigue came into the game and balls hit the deck, but that often meant passages that appeared destined for nothing suddenly sprang to life.
There was Kolbe opening up the French on the counter; Ollivon and Alldritt finding space through the middle, and Penaud a seemingly perennial threat out wide.
France could manage only three penalties in the second 40, whereas it was Etzebeth who secured the defining score. His team down by six, Etzebeth tucked the ball under his arm on 67 minutes and charged into three French defenders, powering his way over just to the right of the uprights.
The opportunity had come from some quick thinking from de Allende as he toed through a kick that Dupont cleaned up, only for the little No. 9 to be swamped by chasing Springboks players and O'Keeffe left with little choice but to award a penalty.
When Pollard slotted the 52-metre special by the barest of margins, it was the French who had to find a way back. Not for a lack of endeavour, nor want, they finished a point short. French hearts were broken, Boks' fans' buoyed by the fact their team will be around at least another week.
And it is going to take something magnificent from England next Sunday to deny the South Africans the chance to defend their title back at the same stadium six days after that.
For France, Mauvaka, Ollivon, Alldritt, Baille and Mathieu Jalibert were all superb, while Dupont could not have tried anything more to get is team over the line. Fabien Galthie's side created far more opportunities than their opponents, but the Springboks' scrambling defence and ability to assert breakdown pressure when France looked like they might be about to build something was telling.
Les Bleus finished with 12 clean breaks against five, but only three tries compared with South Africa's four, and that was the difference.
Was Etzebeth fortunate to avoid a penalty and the bin early in the first half? Potentially, and that play will be one of several that fans from both sides will pick apart into the wee hours of Monday morning and on through the week. De Klerk's attempt to milk a penalty when passing back to Pollard for a drop goal will be another such call, though O'Keeffe got that one dead right.
But there is no denying just what an engine Etzebeth is for his team, and just how important he will be again next week.
Having lost only once in the past two years before Sunday night, this will be particularly brutal loss for France -- one only amplified by the fact that this was their home World Cup, and that they have gone out a week earlier than the last time they held the tournament in 2007.
When the frustration and disappointment subsides and they pick themselves up for next year's Six Nations, they will quickly realise that they are well set for the future and can head to Australia in four years' time with another chance to end their Webb Ellis duck.
Dupont, however, certainly felt as though France hadn't got the rub of the green from O'Keeffe.
"What did you think from the outside? It's hard to talk about it because we're disappointed and frustrated, but I think there were some clear and obvious things that weren't whistled. When you have a 60-metre penalty and you're going forward in the rucks, it's pretty clear. I'm not sure the refereeing was up to the challenge.
"This doesn't take anything away from the South Africans' great game, they dominated us at the breakdown. They played a great match."
That is no issue for the Boks now -- they are right on course for a fourth crown. Barring an implosion against England or one of the all-time great turnarounds in form from Steve Borthwick's side, South Africa seem destined for a date with their great southern rivals the week after.
That potential clash with the All Blacks could well top what we saw in Paris the past 48 hours -- we've just got to get through next weekend first.