The Springboks found something to do in boring Hamilton – celebrate a rare Tri Nations triumph as they completed a season clean-sweep over the All Blacks to underline their status as the best team in world rugby.

And in the end there could be no argument about either the result or the immediate implications – the Boks, with their fabulously one-dimensional game of kick-and-chase pressure, have the wood on the All Blacks two years out from the next World Cup. Whether that means anything come 2011, well, only those with a fully functional crystal ball could tell us.

But for now the South Africans own the All Blacks. They’ve won all three matches between rugby’s fiercest enemies in 2009 and, significantly, they’ve now also won their last two tests on New Zealand soil. They also captured just their third Tri Nations title after they held off a furious New Zealand finish to prevail in a thrilling test match.

But what will the All Blacks take from a scintillating final half-hour that saw them roar back from 17 points down and go within a fingertip’s distance of stealing a sensational victory?

The Boks had looked to be cruising at 32-22 as the match ticked into its final few minutes, but a Richie McCaw try via a Dan Carter crosskick with less than two minutes left, and a sublime, and speedy, sideline conversion from the superboot reduced the margin to three points with 90 seconds left.

Remarkably the All Blacks managed to go 80 metres from the kickoff reception and when Carter once again went to the crosskick option the ball just sailed tantalisingly over the fingertips of Isaac Ross who was positioned on the far touchline. At that the referee blew for time and the Boks raised their arms to celebrate not just a wonderful victory, but a superb season that ended with just the single blemish in Brisbane.

You could not argue with the final result, but the ticker and the tenacity shown by the All Blackks at the end at least sent the 31,000 fans out into the night with something positive to think about.

But for all the final flourish, the Springboks again taught the All Blacks another lesson in kick-and-chase rugby, and left their hosts, who took just too long to clean up their game, with just too much to do over the run home.

It was close to a horror first 40 minutes by the All Blacks. Their lineout was a shambles, their discipline also short of the mark and they were punished ruthlessly by a Boks side back to its predatory best. To be trailing 12-22 at the break of a game they not only had to win, but win well, left them with a massive task in the second 40.

There was an early lesson for the All Blacks on the discipline front, with Boks fullback Frans Steyn nailing two monstrous penalties inside the first 10 minutes. The first was from 60 metres and the second just a couple of metres shy of that, as the sweet-striking No 15 struck them both superbly.

Either side of those two air-mailed three-pointers, Carter slotted a pair from much closer for the New Zealanders to have the match locked at 6-6 after the first quarter of an hour.

A further lesson was to come for the home side soon after Morne Steyn had coolly slotted a 17th-minute dropped goal to put the Boks back in front. And it was to be a decisive moment as the match ticked over its first quarter.

It started when the All Blacks lost one of four lineouts on their own throw in the opening spell, allowing the Boks to launch one of those attacking high balls they love to throw the flying squad at.

In this case it was Fourie du Preez who hoisted the towering tester, the halfback who got up to challenge Joe Rokocoko in the air and force him to grass the reception and then the same No 9 who finished things off – after Bakkies Botha had had the first dab – with a dummy-and-dab to put his side out to 16-6.

In a match this tight, where the All Blacks didn’t even threaten a clean line-break through the entire first 40, it was a massive score.

Carter landed two more penalties before the half was out, but the only problem was they only answered another Steyn long-distance special (this one from 52m, which was like throwing it over for him) and a shorter three-pointer from Morne Steyn to leave the Boks well and truly in the driver’s seat.

The contest was effectively sealed just 10 minutes or so into the second half when intercept king Jean de Villiers struck with a seven-pointer that took the Boks out to 29-12. It was Carter who was guilty of popping a gift-wrapped pass and the midfielder slipped in front of a crowded midfield gathering and dashed nearly 50 metres for the score. Steyn’s conversion raised his half-century of points against New Zealand in just three tests.

The New Zealanders finally found a way through the dogged Boks defence just after the quarter-hour mark, Sitiveni Sivivatu crossing for just their third try against the South Africans this season.

It came from a tapped penalty, with replacement back Isaia Toeava at last breaching wide on the left. He then did splendidly to put his wing in for a relatively clear run to the line. Carter’s wide conversion reduced the deficit to 10, with plenty of time left.

That’s when it got interesting. Really interesting. Carter got it back to seven, Morne Steyn restored the margin to double-figures. Then McCaw plucked Carter’s kick out of the air to raise a flicker of a hope with just that smidgeon of time left.

But it wasn’t to be. The All Blacks in the end paid for that lineout inefficiency and more handling errors through the first 50 or 60 minutes. They did make a major correction, but it was not quite in the nick of time. And so the Boks, with their fabulous defence, their fantastic lineout and their furious pressure game, take the honours for 2009.

It was some way to find something to do in Hamilton.

South Africa 32 (Fourie du Preez, Jean de Villiers tries; Francois Steyn 3 pen, Morne Steyn 2 pen, dropped goal, 2 con) New Zealand 29 (Sitiveni Sivivatu, Richie McCaw tries; Daniel Carter 5 pen, 2 con).
Halftime: 22-12.

Marc Hinton at Waikato Stadium

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