New Zealand scored two tries in as many minutes late in the game to turn around a half-time deficit and down South Africa 26-21 in the Tri-Nations.
Captain Richie McCaw and flying winger Joe Rokocoko scored converted tries in the 70th and 72nd minutes to edge the All Blacks ahead in front of a capacity 50,000 crowd.
The home side led 11-6 at the change-over after a promising start by the Springboks, but as was the case a week ago, the hosts were unable to make the most of their early opportunities.
Jake White's men also gave away far too much possession with silly tactical kicking, which invariably landed in the hands of a hungry All Blacks backline who counter attacked from deep in their own half putting the Boks under tremendous pressure.
The hosts, so solid in the defensive department in the opening stanza, also slipped far too many tackles to be a competitive unit in the late stages of the contest.
It must be said though, the New Zealanders played a superb tactical game, raising the tempo as the match progressed, while they also fed off the mistakes by the South Africans.
The home side enjoyed the majority of possession early on thanks to their superiority in the lineouts where new captain Victor Matfield and his second row partner Bakkies Botha won plenty of ball for their team.
It allowed the Boks to move into a 6-0 lead after 20 minutes thanks to penalty goals by Percy Montgomery and Ruan Pienaar.
The All Blacks, whose game is very much dependent on rhythm and having space to run in, were shut out in the opening exchanges by a South Africa defence that played perilously close to the offside line and not even fly-half Dan Carter was able to punish the Boks when referee Allain Rolland caught them offside.
While he knocked over two penalties in the first half, he also missed two easy shots at goal.
The Boks went into the half-time break 11-6 up after Schalk Burger broke through the New Zealand defence from the lineout where Matfield had won good ball, but that gap was closed to just two points straight after the restart when Aaron Mauger put over a well-struck drop-goal.
The South Africans though opened up a nine-point lead on the visitors in the 45th minute when Butch James intercepted a dodgy pass by Mauger on the New Zealand 10m line and ran in to score under the posts.
Carter and Montgomery exchanged penalties midway through the second period before McCaw and Rokocoko scored tries to turn the game in New Zealand's favour. The All Blacks face Australia next weekend.
