Wallaby wing Stirling Mortlock landed a penalty goal ten minutes into additional time to give Australia a thrilling 19-18 victory over South Africa, as well as the Tri-Nations crown for the first time in their proud history.
Only minutes previously, South Africa stand-off Braam van Straaten had slotted a monstrous 52-metre penalty that set up the almost unbearable tension at Durban's Kings Park.
However, while there may have been tension, there was very little evidence of flair and excitement.
When both the Australian and South African camps warned that this Tri-Nations would not be as spectacular as last week, they certainly weren't kidding. No one realistically expected another dazzling 10-try bonanza, but neither were they prepared for the grim slog that followed.
In stark contrast to the Ellis Park game a week before, this was a game dominated by myriad mistakes and turnovers, some pretty mindless kicking and an extraordinary high number of scrums and set pieces.
Amidst all that, the Springboks had a wonderful opportunity to finally win against Australia this week. They pinched three lineouts from the mighty Wallaby locks and had the advantage of playing a man to the good when Australian replacement Matt Cockbain was sin binned for a bit of thuggery.
He had been on the field for less than 60 seconds during the second half when he was sent to the sin bin for unleashing a flurry of punches at the fallen Rassie Erasmus. However, whereas last week against New Zealand when fate smiled on the struggling Springboks, they found the going substantially tougher today against a solid and uncompromising Australia.
For South Africa, the clever overhead kicks bounced awry, the grubbers ended up in Wallaby hands and the gaps that Robbie Fleck and Co. had surged through in Johannesburg were just no longer there. They were discovering that Australia were a far tougher proposition that New Zealand.
Unlike the fireworks at Ellis Park, the opening half of this Tri-Nations was a dour affair. South Africa were awarded a penalty as early as the third minute when the Wallabies went off-side, and Braam van Straaten converted. The Boks, though, were lucky to get the three points after an official failed to notice Fleck's ridiculously late challenge on Joe Roff after the whistle had gone.
From the kick-off, the 'Boks were penalised and Stirling Mortlock levelled the score. He put Australia in the lead minutes later when Werner Swanepoel and Thinus Delport made a hash of clearing the ball in their own 22.
Matters could have been even worse for the home side were it not for desperate tackling and the clever footwork of Breyton Paulse in his own in-goal area. On the other wing though, Chester Williams' senses temporarily took leave of him.
Having won a penalty, Williams took a quick-tap and tried to run out of his own half. Alas, he succeeded only in knocking on. In the mad-rush to defend, the Boks went off-side, but Mortlock somehow construed to hook the penalty left of the poles from virtually point blank range.
To add to the home woes, Charl Marais' lineout throwing went AWOL again, squandering vital attacking opportunities.
The tide almost turned though when Rassie Erasmus pounced on a stray George Gregan pass and surged towards the line in a tangle of bodies. TV ref Jonathon Kaplan, however, decided against a try and instead the action moved to the Bok side of the field.
Then just before half-time as Wallaby eplacement hooker Jeremy Paul took a quick tap, rumbled forward and put fullback Chris Latham away in the left corner for what would turn out to be the only try of the corner. Although Van Straaten pulled a penalty back, South Africa trailed 13-6 going into the break.
The Springbok stand-off slotted another penalty immediately after the break and then the Boks achieved the unheard of; they won a lineout on Wallaby ball.
So upset was Cockbain, who had been on the field for an entire minute, that he decided to vent his frustrations on Rassie Erasmus' face. Erasmus had taken over the captaincy when Andre Vos failed to emerge from the tunnel after the break, and he in turn had to hand it over to Corne Krige in order to have his face cleaned up.
Cockbain received a yellow card for his efforts, but the Boks showed that they were not adverse to the rough stuff straight after the kick-off following Van Straaten's penalty.
When the maul cleared, Jim Williams was prone on the turf, and Mortlock extended the lead to four points once more.
It was back to one point when Van Straaten slotted an effort from 45 metres out, before lining up the monster penalty that almost denied Australia their victory.
However, Stirling Mortlock who has been such a points scoring machine all season, stepped up, held his nerve and slotted a kick over from a tricky angle to hand Australia the win and the title.
Man of the match: A close-call between Rassie Erasmus and Mortlock, but the Aussie gets the nod -- not only because Australia won, but mainly because it took enormous nerve to slot that penalty in front of a baying Kings Park grandstand.
Moment of the match: That penalty from Mortlock. At last the Wallabies proved that they could win a test in South Africa.
Villain of the match: Probably Matt Cockbain who did his reputation, in South Africa at least, no good by indulging in the rough stuff. His attack on Erasmus could have cost the Aussies the Test and could arguably resulted in a red card instead of the yellow.
The teams:
Australia: 1 Richard Harry, 2 Michael Foley, 3 Fletcher Dyson, 4 John Eales (c), 5 David Giffin, 6 Mark Connors, 7 David Wilson, 8 Jim Williams, 9 George Gregan, 10 Steve Larkham, 11 Stirling Mortlock, 12 Dan Herbert, 13 Jason Little, 14 Joe Roff, 15 Chris Latham
Reserves: Matt Cockbain, Rod Kafer, Toutai Kefu, Jeremy Paul, Glenn Panoho, Ben Tune
Unused: Sam Cordingley
South Africa: 1 Robbie Kempson, 2 Charl Marais, 3 Cobus Visagie, 4 Mark Andrews, 5 Andre Venter, 6 Johan Erasmus, 7 Corne Krige, 8 Andre Vos (c), 9 Werner Swanepoel, 10 Braam Van Straaten, 11 Breyton Paulse, 12 Grant Esterhuizen, 13 Robbie Fleck, 14 Chester Williams, 15 Thinus Delport
Reserves: John Smit, Warren Brosnihan, Ollie Le Roux, Albert Van Den Bergh
Unused: Jaco Van Der Westhuizen, Percy Montgomery, Joost Van Der Westhuizen
Referee: Honiss p.
Points Scorers:
Australia
Tries: Latham C.E. 1
Conv: Mortlock S.A. 1
Pen K.: Mortlock S.A. 4
South Africa
Pen K.: Van Straaten A.J.J. 6
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