The Springboks beat the All Blacks for the second consecutive week as they took Saturdays Tri Nations match 31-19 in Durban. Morne Steyn once again stepped up as he scored all of the home sides points.
On a day when Jean De Villiers and Bryan Habana both notched up their 50th Test cap, it was John Smit who probably had the most memorable experience, as he broke the record for the most capped Test captain ever.
He overtook George Gregan and Will Carling with his record 60th cap as captain.
Flyhalf on the day Steyn put in another quality performance as he kicked sublimely to help clinch another team milestone, this time the first time since 1976 that a South African side have beaten the All Blacks in a series.
He scored a try, kicked the conversion, and then kicked 8 penalties, missing his ninth attempt on fulltime. The 31 points were the most points ever by a player against the All Blacks. He also got the record for the most points in a Tri Nations match, eclipsing the 29 set by Andrew Mehrtens.
He was humble post match when asked about the performance.
“We were ready for the rain and expected the win to blow, so that wasnt really a problem. I was a bit disappointed to miss that last kick but happy with the rest of them,” he said.
“A lot of credit has to go to the forwards, though. Any No 10 would love to be in a side like this.”
New Zealand showed flashes of brilliance at times with their incredible counter-attacking prowess, but their error rate was high and they lacked precision and composure, which cost them dearly.
South Africa now sit firmly on top of the table, with another home match to come, before travelling overseas. They face the Wallabies in Cape Town next week.
Time:
06:44
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