The All Blacks got their noses and heads well in front in that first quarter and were able to withstand a steadily improving Springbok performance – powered by the bench – to claim a 24-17 victory (halftime 14-3) in a Castle Lager Rugby Championship match.

The Springboks ‘won’ the last hour 17-10 but left themselves too much to do after suffering the worst possible start as the All Blacks took a 14-0 lead after striking twice from lineout possession – having profited from turnover possession in their own half.

It was a bitter result for the Springboks, but they were in their own worst enemies in the opening quarter with dropped passes and a misfiring lineout and although they increasingly found their intensity and power their slow start was too much of a handicap.

A dropped pass in the Bok midfield as they attacked in the All Black half in the first minute led to a lineout on the left for the All Blacks. Flyhalf Beauden Barrett’s cross field kick to the right isolated wing Emoni Narawa on fullback Willie le Roux.

Narawa dived forward to catch the ball and, in the act, slid under Le Roux’s would-be tackle and was able to regain his feet and dart in untouched from 20 metres.

Jordie Barrett converted and 15 minutes later replacement Damian McKenzie was adding a second conversion (having come on as a replacement for Narawa) after another well-worked lineout move.

Lood de Jager on the charge.

The throw was over the top to Wallace Sititi running off the back of the lineout and he turned a pass on his inside shoulder for fullback Will Jordan (who had been moved to wing by this time) to come surging on to the ball and brushed through the tackle of Malcolm Marx to score to the right of the poles.

Handre Pollard landed one of two penalties from long range – close to 50 metres – to get the Springboks on the scoreboard as they tried to claw their back into the game but a misfiring lineout and knock ons in wet and rainy conditions.

The only consistent bright spot was a dominant scrum which twice forced penalties, but the Boks were unable to put together consistent phases to make that advantage tell.

Prop Ox Niche was held up over the line within a minute of the restart after the Springboks disrupted an All Black lineout on their own five-metre line. A score then would have changed the momentum but it was the home side that took first points.

Pieter-Steph du Toit was penalised for playing the scrumhalf just outside the 22, just to the left for a formality three points for the home side.

The Springboks began to clear their bench and crank up the pressure with their best period coming in the third quarter culminating in a try for Marx after a monstrous scrum had driven the All Blacks off their own scrum ball.

Canan Moodie tries to evade the All Black defence.

Kwagga Smith – on at No 8 – drove off the back to close to the line and Marx was on hand to pick-and-drive-over from close range to close the gap to seven points at 17-10.

But that was the high point for the Boks.

They were penalised at the restart, the All Blacks took a penalty to the corner and although the maul was repelled as well as a succession of drives, Smith was yellow-carded for cynical play.

With the one-man advantage replacement Quinn Tupea took advantage of an over-extended defence to score close to the poles for a simple conversion to re-open the lead to 14 points with only 13 minutes remaining.

The Springboks were not done and a try by replacement scrumhalf Cobus Reinach with seven minutes remaining threw the game into the melting pot once more.

The Boks had field position to threaten the All Black line but twice the home side forced turnovers at the ruck to seal another victory at Fortress Eden Park.

Scorers:

New Zealand 24 (14) – Tries: Emoni Narawa, Will Jordan, Quinn Tupaea. Conversions: Jordie Barrett, Damian McKenzie (2). Penalty goal: McKenzie.

Springboks 17 (3) – Tries: Malcolm Marx, Cobus Reinach. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2). Penalty goal: Handre Pollard.