BEFORE Saturday the All Blacks had never won a game in Durban, but even after scoring three tries to one to finally break the jinx and beat South Africa 23-19, your might have mistaken the New Zealanders' changing room at King's Park for that of the losing team. No celebration, no jubilation, simply a kind of awed hush as they seemed to realise the enormity of the task which still awaits them.

Two victories in two weeks against South Africa might be cause for satisfaction, but there are still two more weeks and two more Tests to go, and as Saturday's pulsating encounter showed, anything can happen.

"The All Blacks at home are quite awesome, but we will only get, judged if we win the Test series outright," said the New Zealand coach, John Hart. "We had no doubts about how tough it would be, and I have never seen a team as tired as the All Blacks are tonight in the changing room."

As befits an encounter between the world's two best teams, this was a contest gladiatorial in intensity. New Zealand looked as though a record score was in the offing after their second try took the score to 15-6 after 23 minutes, but the Springboks refused to fold and came storming back to spend the tension filled last quarter only four points adrift.

As in last week's game in Cape Town, instances of foul play were virtually non existent, but the staggering degree of physical commitment from both sides left no energy for anything else, and in the end it was the Kiwis' superior ball handling and finishing which enabled them to win.

Their three tries, each involving the glittering talents of number eight Zinzan Brooke, were all superbly executed, showing their ability to keep the ball in hand and capitalise on the slightest lapse in concentration from the Springboks.

Despite seven changes from the previous line up and a disruptive and disquieting week's build up South Africa was equally impressive in the way they created multi phase possession, and took the game to the All Blacks. If World Cup golden boy Joe Stransky had not missed with four easily kickable penalties they might have won.

"If those kicks had gone over we would have been ahead at half time, and the whole game would have changed," said coach Andre Markgraafl, who ended the day on a positive note. "We didn't play badly I think the All Blacks just played extremely well today, and if we can limit our mistakes I am sure we can beat them. I know we can beat them. We must beat them."

Although this game was nothing short of a feast for any rugby lover, there must be some officials of the International Rugby Board (IRB) who are choking on South Africa's blatant flaunting of the laws governing replacement for injury. For the second week in a row, the South Africans unashamedly resorted to a tactical substitution, bringing on Joost van der Westhuizen for Johan Roux in the 76th minute.

"Roux is very, very injured. I think he has a broken knee or something," responded the cynical Mark Graaff, before snapping. "But we are not here to talk about tactical substitutions, you must ask the match officials about that."

Although a reform is in the offing, South Africa have clearly decided to pre-empt the world's governing body.