While New Zealand's rugby appears to be unravelling off the field, the part that has only ever really mattered to their supporters goes from strength to strength. This victory was the All Blacks' ninth consecutive win since the former England assistant coach John Mitchell took over nine months ago, and came with some of the most convincing form they have shown in that run.
Led by their outstanding No8 Scott Robertson they overcame a 13-6 deficit at the quarter mark to score five tries in wildly blustery conditions and extend their post-isolation domination of the Springboks.
It was the visitors' first defeat in five matches under their coach Rudolf Straeuli and although his new young side produced some compelling passages of play they were ultimately too callow in difficult conditions to sustain their good start.
Their new half-backs Johannes Conradie, aged 23, and Andre Pretorius, 25, lifted the pace of the Springbok game while the 22-year-old flanker Joe van Niekerk was their best player. But more than youthful exuberance is needed to beat the All Blacks on their windswept patch and with Andrew Mehrtens reading the wind better than anybody, New Zealand always had the tactical upper hand.
The victory briefly deflected attention away from tomorrow's publication of the Eichelbaum report into New Zealand's careless loss of sub-hosting rights to next year's World Cup and a controversy about alleged racial bias in Mitchell's selection policy.
New Zealand: Cullen; Howlett (Lomu, 61), M Robinson (Umaga, 30), Mauger, Ralph; Mehrtens (Kelleher, 75), Marshall; Hewett, Hammett (Willis, 49), Somerville, Maling (Willis, 71), Jack, Thorne (capt), McCaw (Broomhall, 75), S Robertson.
Tries: Howlett, Hammett, Marshall, Thorne, S Robertson. Cons: Mehrtens 2. Pens: Mehrtens 3. Drop goal: Mehrtens.
South Africa: Greeff; Terblanche, Joubert, Barry (Jacobs, 71), Hall; Pretorius, Conradie (De Kock, 70); Sephaka (Le Roux, 28), Dalton, Meyer (Rautenbach, 64), Labuschagne, Matfield (A J Venter, 64), Krige (capt), Van Niekerk, Skinstad.
Tries: Greeff, Joubert. Cons: Pretorius 2. Pens: Pretorius. Drop goal: Greeff.
Referee: S Dickinson (Australia).
