Two soft tries in the last quarter dealt the killer blows to the Springboks but the narrow 25-24 win scored by the perennial Castle Lager Rugby Championship leaders from New Zealand in a great test match was a case of order being restored in the history of titanic battles between these nations.
A better bounce of the ball here or there and some kinder luck could have seen them pull off one of the most astounding turn-arounds in international rugby history following the 57-0 thumping they received in New Zealand three weeks ago.
In the end the Boks, as tends to be the case against the Kiwis, will lament the small errors made that eventually cost them, such as the attempted tap pass when they were pressing for the line as the game reached the hour mark that was intercepted for a length of the field try for All Black winger Rieko Ioane.
The Boks had been ahead 10-8 at the time and meant a considerable change in momentum.
The Boks struck back with a great try that was sparked by a break from replacement flyhalf Handre Pollard, before the ball was carried on by the immense presence of Malcolm Marx before Jean-Luc du Preez was put in near the posts.
That was after 65 minutes, and the Pollard conversion meant the Boks were back in front.
It might sound unkind on All Black fullback Damian McKenzie to suggest his run off a cross field move from replacement David Havili was a soft try, but in reality the Boks should not have allowed it to happen.
McKenzie scythed past first one defender and then another and the next thing he was scoring in the corner.
Lima Sopoaga was on for the injured Beauden Barrett and his angled conversion from the right was a significant moment when the flags went up as it meant the Boks had to score a converted try to win.
Only it became more than that when with less than five minutes remaining Damian de Allende, on as a replacement, was guilty of a reckless late tackle in which he used the elbow after Sopoaga had tried to slot a drop-goal from in front of the posts.
De Allende was red carded and Sopoaga kicked the three points he was seeking from the drop attempt from the tee instead.
With the Boks down to 14 men, the determined hosts fought back to score a driving maul try rounded off by Marx, and suddenly it was a one point game again.
The Boks kept possession for the final minute and made a gallant attempt to break through but eventually the All Black defence stood firm and they were able to extend their winning sequence against the Boks to six games since the last South African win over the black jerseys in Johannesburg in 2014.
Scorers:
New Zealand 25 – Tries: Ryan Crotty, Rieko Ioane and Damian McKenzie; Conversions: Lima Sopoaga 2; Penalties: Beauden Barrett and Lima Sopoaga.
South Africa 24 – Tries: Ross Cronje, Jean-Luc du Preez and Malcolm Marx; Conversions: Elton Jantjies 2 and Handre Pollard; Penalty: Elton Jantjies.- African News Agency (ANA)/sarugby.co.za, Editing by Michael Sherman
