Peter Bills: Pride, skill, courage and GBH with attitude

In the land where raw meat is revered by man and beast and blood runs free, this was a full-blown test of brutal proportions. It gripped Newlands in its intensity, like a man held by the throat. By the end, you felt exhausted, shattered just sitting in the grandstand.

If you took your eyes off it for a minute, whack, Jerry Collins and Schalk Burger smashed each other and the earth shook. Lose concentration for a moment and crash, Victor Matfield hammered Byron Kelleher, forcing him off after only nine minutes. This was what rugby used to be like. Thank God you can still see the proper thing, the authentic product.

At the end of it all, as the bruises began to swell, the battered eyes turned black and the aches kicked in, New Zealand were left to reflect on the sheer willpower and defensive courage shown by South Africa that ultimately won them this test.

It wasn't just the barbecues that had sizzled from the start. Not only did South Africa snatch an astonishing 13-point lead in the first nine minutes, but they set out a marker for the physical contest that was to come. It proved shudderingly accurate and, in the end, was too much for the All Blacks. Frankly, I thought they looked under-cooked, under-done, a legacy of their four week lay-off since the Lions tour ended.

At one stage, a dazed Kelleher walked uneasily around the pitch, and both Chris Jack and Aaron Mauger were also on their knees after huge Springbok tackles. This was legalised violence, GBH with attitude.

The terrier-like Ricky Januarie took on anyone around the fringes. There wasn't a single All Black too big for him, nor Burger, who bravely and courageously sacrificed his body for the cause. New Zealand's inability to create serious holes around the fringes, despite plenty of possession, was one of the areas that let them down. The lineout was another.

But this test had just about everything because it was so much more than just a glorified physical fight. The wonderful invention and creativity in the New Zealand game was in a class of its own, hard as the Springboks tried to shut them down. They operated at pace and under the severest pressure, yet still they found space. Players spun, twisted and forced their way out of tackles and, joy of joys, the New Zealanders subscribed to that oldest of traditional values, namely, making the ball do the work. It was a delight to see. So, too, was their willingness to open up and attack even from their own line. Such a philosophy will serve them nobly in future.

It was the quintessential contest because South Africa fought with such pride and guts that even so technically accomplished a New Zealand side could not quell their fire and fervour.

At times, the Springbok defence creaked like a barn door on rusty hinges. But it held, for the most part, through a combination of clever reading of the game and sheer bravery.

As the prize neared and the hearts pounded even harder, so the South Africans raised their effort still further. They played in the All Blacks faces, forcing even the calm, composed Daniel Carter to spill a simple ball in his own 22. And technical indiscipline proved costly as Percy Montgomery calmly slotted the goals. But to see world-class players making elementary errors was testimony to the awesome physical pressure applied by the Boks.

For the All Blacks, there was an overriding sense of frustration. The obvious promise within their game was not fulfilled on the day. Manifestly, though, there will be plenty of days when it is. As Springbok coach Jake White said afterwards: "Gee, those guys can play, can't they ? They've got it all, and they pushed us the whole way. I thought it was a fantastic test match."

But the Tri-Nations is still within reach for the All Blacks after this bonus point. And of one thing we can be certain: this New Zealand side remains a formidable outfit. There was evidence of that all over Newlands on Saturday, whatever the result.

* Peter Bills is a rugby writer for Independent News and Media