Skipper Richie McCaw marked his 140th appearance for New Zealand with a smart try six minutes from time that delivered a 27-20 victory over arch-foes South Africa on Saturday.
The All Blacks flanker won a line-out close to the Springboks line in a planned manouevre and brushed off the challenge of scrum-half Ruan Pienaar to score in a Rugby Championship Test at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
Debutant fly-half Lima Sopoaga converted and kicked a last-minute penalty to seal a sixth New Zealand triumph in their last seven clashes with South Africa.
For the Springboks, the game was a carbon copy of the loss last weekend in Australia as they once again led for most of the 80 minutes only to concede a late try.
South Africa were left ruing a 10-minute second-half spell when they had a numerical advantage after replacement lock Sam Whitelock was sin-binned, but failed to score.
An absorbing clash between the world number one-ranked All Blacks and second-ranked Springboks indicated why they are among the favourites to win the Rugby World Cup in England from mid-September.
New Zealand are famed for scoring late in the opening half and they did it again to leave the teams level at 10-10 after 40 exciting, fast-paced minutes on a chilly evening.
TRY Ben Smith! Great stuff from the @AllBlacks on the stroke of halftime 10-8 #RSAvNZL pic.twitter.com/FkI3hiBZvG
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) July 25, 2015
A turnover, a clever inside pass from centre Ma’a Nonu, and a break by Sopoaga set up right winger Ben Smith to score after 40 minutes.
Sopoaga, who opened the scoring with a close-range third-minute penalty awarded for a Springbok going off his feet at a ruck, converted.
The first-half highlight for South Africa came on 10 minutes when a turnover triggered a try by full-back Willie le Roux.
Hooker Bismarck du Plessis caught slow-reacting All Blacks No. 8 Kieran Read in possession, South Africa stole the ball and an inside pass from centre Jesse Kriel allowed Le Roux to dot down.
Fly-half Handre Pollard converted for a four-point advantage that stretched to seven when he slotted a penalty after New Zealand flanker Liam Messam high-tackled Kriel.
Both teams had cause for satisfaction after the first half, with the Springboks solid in the scrums, combative at the breakdowns and strong in defence.
#RSAvNZL pic.twitter.com/OVg40klnHV
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) July 25, 2015
New Zealand took the lone first-half line-out steal and the world champions always threatened with the ball in hand.
South Africa regained the lead seven minutes into the second half as Kriel burst between vastly-experienced centres Nonu and Conrad Smith to score a try that Pollard converted.
But the lead lasted just three minutes before New Zealand hooker Dane.Coles scored a similar try, displaying the power of a forward and pace of a back to go over and Sopoaga converted.
Another Pollard penalty restored the lead for South Africa, and they stayed 20-17 ahead until McCaw struck the decisive blow before a sell-out 63,000 crowd.
Title-holders New Zealand top the Championship table with nine points, Australia have four, South Africa two and Argentina are pointless.
Argentina host Australia late Saturday in Mendoza.
