Milestones continue to fall for South Africa. This victory, courtesy of 31 points by Morne Steyn, a Tri Nations record, secures them their first series win over New Zealand in 30 years, and they are now clear at the top of the table with two wins out of two, both against the All Blacks. As they continue what is fast turning into a lap of honour round their homeland – their fifth Test match in a row in the Republic, with another to come next week against Australia in Cape Town – they are presumably feeling good about themselves.

The truth is, though, their dominance is as much a reflection of the weakness of the field in world rugby union these days. They have now won a World Cup, beaten the Lions, spent plenty of time as world number one and put down this early claim on the Tri Nations title by doing little more than be aggressive and wait for the opposition to make mistakes.

And, boy, did the All Blacks make mistakes. On a wet night in Durban, they continued their policy of running mindlessly every precious morsel of possession they manage to secure. When it came off, which it did once or twice, it was spectacular, most obviously when Isaac Ross rounded off a sweeping move for the game's first try in the 10th minute. But for the most part it gifted the ball back to the opposition in treacherous positions.

Before that try, New Zealand had survived a typical siege by the Springboks, who exploded into the game like men possessed. But more than that is needed to break a half-decent defence at this level. Without their most dangerous play-maker, Ruan Pienaar, the Springboks went with the more traditional Steyn at fly-half. And he was just the kind of guy the All Blacks did not need to see on a day like this, when they were coughing up penalties right, left and centre. Steyn is a lethal marksmen – of 10 shots at goal he missed just one, a token long-range effort awarded with seconds to go.

Indeed, Steyn scored all his side's points. Thanks to that early try in a first half that was at least helter skelter, if low on method, the All Blacks held the lead for much of the first half-hour. Then JP Pietersen and Isaac Ross saw yellow in quick succession to make it 14-a-side, and it was the Springboks who benefitted, scoring 13 points without reply to secure a 22-13 lead at the break. Steyn's try came in that spell. The All Blacks could not control their own ball at a scrum deep in their 22, and it was whipped away to Steyn, who had an easy run-in. A typical Springbok score, then, but there is no side in the world better at plundering points, which is not a bad knack to have.

So, a tour de force from Steyn, but he was aided by Heinrich Brussow, who forced a good few of those umpteen penalties the All Blacks conceded. The smallest man on the field he might be, but he rules the breakdown and outshone even the illustrious Richie McCaw opposite him.

McCaw was no worse than disappointing, which made him a cut above most of his team-mates, most glaringly Joe Rokocoko and Stephen Donald, who had terrible matches. That the best side in the world could beat them by only 12 points in so scratchy a match told its own story.