Boks finally topple the All Blacks

It cannot get better than this – it simply cannot. No.1 played No.2 – and they were clearly No.1 and No.2, as they have been for a long, long time in rugby football. And they played with all the respect of great opponents – opponents, not enemies.

Rugby football cannot get better than this.

None of those 62 000 people in the great ground will ever forget where they were on 4 October 2014. That their side won will certainly make the day more joyous and memorable but they were also privileged to see a great match, played by the best players in the world.

What a match! What a privilege to be alive to see it!

Till the last siren sounded and the last penalty was awarded and the last kick sent the ball high into the stand and the last whistle blew, this game was in doubt. It was an agony of tension, regardless of what side you were supporting.

And when it was over, the 46 players shook hands and the two magnificent captains made you prouder than ever of rugby football as they were generous in victory and defeat.

Rugby football cannot ever be better than this.

Trying to record the game seems such a niggardly thing to do, for the game was simply a whole, one long roller coaster, not a cooked fowl to be picked apart. But that is what we must do in the aftermath of a great match on a great ground in perfect spring weather on the Highveld.

It started with a series of separate incidents in the preamble – Joost trying to walk between his little children, Richie McCaw leading his team out, the most capped All Black ever, beating the iconic hero Colin Meads, there were introductions to politicians and the singing of the anthems and the Kapa O Pango  haka, the All Blacks' special-occasion haka.

Then Handré Pollard kicked off for the Springboks who had won the toss. Win the toss and choose the kick-off is a sign of early intent. And the Springboks piled in enjoying a half of dominance that ended with them leading 21-13 after enjoying 63% of possession. It was certainly their better half and the lead left the proud All Blacks with the task of playing catch-up. But in the second half the Springboks seemed to give up their plan to run and replace it with the sterile kicking of the past. When Willie le Roux kicks, you know what the plan is. It nearly backfired.

From the kick-off the All Blacks ran from inside their 22. Bryan Habana won a turnover and the Springboks attacked.

There were five penalties in the first six minutes as the referee dominated and tried to get the tackle sorted into a fair contest. A tackle penalty gave Pollard a chance to open the scoring but he missed the easy kick. A tackle penalty against Willie le Roux gave Beauden Barrett a chance to open the scoring and he did so. 3-0 after 8 minutes.

The All Blacks won a South African line-out, as they did three times in the match, and they attacked but the Springboks got the ball deep in their own 22 and they ran. Pollard broke six metres from his goal-line. The ball went right to Jean de Villiers, who grubbered ahead. Cornal Hendricks grabbed the bouncing ball and gave to Jan Serfontein who burst downfield till Aaron Smith tackled him, but behind Serfontein was Francois Hougaard who took the pass popped to him, ran away from McCaw and into empty acres for a try at the posts, which Pollard converted. 7-3 after 11 minutes. That is one of the great Test tries.

From the kick-off Conrad Smith got possession and ran down the left but Hougaard tackled him into touch.

Oupa Mohoje won a turnover for the Springboks and they were running again. Duane Vermeulen was close, the All Blacks were penalised and Habana tapped to run. The Springboks bashed at the line with Serfontein nearly over but Jannie du Plessis was penalised.

Back came the Springboks with many phases and lots of quick passing, but a penalty gave the All Blacks a line-out and then Marcell Coetzee was penalised at a tackle and Barrett goaled. 7-6 after 23 minutes.

From a line-out on the Springbok 10-metre line, Le Roux came into the line and gave Habana an overlap. He swerved past Israel Dagg and beat Barrett. Habana was tackled on the Springbok left, the Springboks went right and Pollard ran between Joe Moody and Sam Whitelock and inside Dagg to score under the posts, 14-6 after 28 minutes with the Springboks dominating.

Near their own 22, the All Blacks scrambled the ball back from a retreating scrum. Aaron Smith got the ball to Julian Savea who chipped, chased and gathered. Pollard tackled him but the All Blacks got quick ball, the Springbok defence was ragged and Malakai Fekitoa cut through for a try under the posts. 14-13 after 34 minutes.

A penalty gave the All Blacks an attacking line-out and they had Savea bursting down the right but Bismarck du Plessis intercepted an inside pass and gave to Hougaard not far from the Springbok line. Hougaard hoofed the ball downfield and Hendricks chased. Fekitoa saved but conceded a five-metre scrum. The Springboks won the scrum and Pollard beat Aaron Smith, broke inside Barrett and scored in McCaw's tackle. His conversion made the score 21-13.

The second half was a different kettle of fish as the All Blacks took over and came so close to winning.

The Springboks scored first in the half when Jerome Kaino was penalised for a deliberate knock-on. 24-13 after 47 minutes.

When Adriaan Strauss was penalised at a tackle slap in front of the Springbok posts, the All Blacks opted for a scrum. But Hougaard and Le Roux combined to take Savea into touch. From the line-out the Springboks fed Coetzee but the All Blacks slammed into him and drove him back for a five-metre scrum but the Springboks scrummed well and Schalk Burger forced Kieran Read into a knock-on.

Le Roux intercepted when the All Blacks seemed about to score. The All Blacks used a penalty on an attacking line-out on the left. Conrad Smith broke past Serfontein and floated a pass to Ben Smith who scored. 24-20 with 15 minutes to play.

The Springboks lost their own line-out and the All Blacks attacked. They went wide right and then wide left where Charlie Faumuina gave to Read who gave to unmarked Dane Coles who dived over in the left corner. Barrett missed the conversion, which turned out to be vital. 25-24 with 10 minutes to play.

10 agonising minutes.

The Springboks spent those 10 minutes in desperate attack but the New Zealand defence was tigerishly unyielding. Patrick Lambie tried a drop which was not far off target.

The Springboks attacked as Cobus Reinach broke. Then Liam Messam banged into Schalk Burger, his shoulder leading the way to Burger's head. The referee and the TMO examined the incident and then the referee penalised Messam – 55 metres from the New Zealand line but straight in front. Lambie lined up the kick and it just did not look like missing as it soared over.

27-25 with a minute and a half to play.

McCaw, noble warrior, won the kick-off and the All Blacks had possession but the Springboks were unyielding. The final siren sounded and then Faumuina was penalised for holding on as Vermeulen leant over him. The Springboks gleefully kicked the ball into the stand for a narrow victory.

Man of the Match: Handré Pollard was a candidate with his two tries, his calm under pressure and his tough defence but he did not play the whole match. Duane Vermeulen, sore ribs and all, played the whole match – a massive presence with ball in hand, a hard man on defence, a soaring man in the line-outs. He is our Man of the Match.

Moment of the Match: Francois Hougaard's try. It was in itself one of the great tries but more than that it signalled the new Springboks resolve to play creative rugby.

Villain of the Match: None – not one of these 46 gentlemen of the game.