Brutal as this confrontation was, it was the subtle and cerebral touch of the All Blacks' collective boots which separated them from South Africa.
This was test rugby in its most pure form. A brutal contest of physicality from the moment Springbok No 8 Duane Vermeulen levelled All Black captain Richie McCaw in the opening minutes.
It was a shame there had to be winner, but such is sport.
On a night when a determined South Africa, led by Vermeulen's shoulder, were akin to the Great Wall of China, the All Blacks were always going to have to find less direct ways of crossing the line.
Victor Matfield said during the week the All Blacks kicking game was setting them apart from the pack. They were prophetic words.
The kicking statistics were telling and so was the moment that turned a tight test.
It came early in the second half, the All Blacks pressing in attack against an undermanned Springbok defence missing injured loose forward Francois Louw, who was on one knee in back play.
Most teams in world rugby would have chased the overlap, probed for the missing defender. Not the All Blacks. First five-eighth Aaron Cruden saw Kieran Read lurking near the touchline and kicked across to his No 8.
Read soared high, took a two handed catch, then fed Richie McCaw who dived over in the corner for an 11-7 lead, one the All Blacks would hold until the finish.
It wasn't how many times the teams were kicking rather than how they were doing it. The All Blacks kicked the ball from hand 14 times in the first half to South Africa's 15.
Where they differed was the home side kicked it six times while in the opposition's half to South Africa's none. They also recovered possession three times from kicks where South Africa failed to do so once.
In the second half the All Blacks again looked for space via their boots, kicking five times when in the opposition half to South Africa's none. It wasn't always perfect, but Cruden's vision decided the test.
When South Africa did kick it was lacking in effect and purpose. Halfback Francois Hougaard's second half pop over the top was a prime example, a waste of rare possession after a Bryan Habana break.
The Springboks had barely seen the ball in the second half when Habana haired into space with 15 minutes to play and one point in the match.
The kicking games were just one of many intriguing aspects to this test.
Another was Ben Smith's move into second five eighth after halftime.
Steve Hansen had gambled in replacing Malakai Fekitoa with Cory Jane on his reserves bench meaning there was no specialist midfield cover.
So when Ma'a Nonu didn't emerge after halftime there would have been some furrowed brows in the coaches box.
Smith had played at 12 in training, but never on such a big stage.
He threw himself into his work, moving into first receiver to help out Cruden straight after the break and ran with purpose and confidence. It again highlighted how prepared this All Black side is.
And let's also give a nod to referee Jerome Garces. After a week of fretting about rugby's struggling officials, the Frenchman was nearly invisible.
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Scrums functioned without falter, the breakdown was fierce, but fair. There was niggle, but no overzealous waving of flags.
The officials let the battle rage and the result was a cracking test that will be talked about for the rugby and little else.
- Stuff
