Looking at France's complaints about referee Ben O'Keeffe after the epic quarter-final against the Boks, it was hard not to conclude each side reaped what they sowed when it came to the officiating, writes Simnikiwe Xabanisa.
In a game in which the victors won the fight almost more than they won the match, understanding the rules of engagement was always going to be critical.
The Springboks - behind the eight ball on practically every statistic besides the final score in their squeaky bum quarter-final encounter against France - seemed to understand the assignment, as the kids say.