With one bound Springbok rugby appears to be free. Nine months ago, when the All Blacks handed South Africa an eighth successive lesson in how to play winning rugby at the World Cup, this kind of reversal of fortunes would have been unthinkable.

Dumb, dumber and dumberer summed up the rugby style and pop psychology applied by the then coach Rudi Straeuli who had prepared his players for the 2003 World Cup at the controversial military-style Kamp Staaldraad (Camp Barbed Wire).

But now it is the All Blacks who have the problems, and they will have to stew until their winter tour of Europe on whether these stem from a tactical blunder or run far deeper.

The Springboks are a very different animal this year and if they beat Australia in Durban in the final match of the series on Saturday, they will also win the Tri-Nations title for the first time since 1998.

Their hero in Johannesburg was the outside centre Marius Joubert, who strode in for only the third hat-trick conceded by the All Blacks - he also made a fourth for the wing Jean de Villiers.

If Percy Montgomery had not missed 13 points with the boot this would have been New Zealand's heaviest defeat.

South Africa: Montgomery; Paulse, Joubert, Barry, De Villiers; Van der Westhuyzen, Conradie (Du Preez, 44); Du Randt (Van der Linde, 70), Smit (capt), Andrews (Hanyani Shimange, 80), Botha (Venter, 61), Matfield, Burger, Britz, Van Niekerk (J Cronje, 67).

Tries: Joubert 3, De Villiers, Paulse. Cons: Montgomery 3. Pens: Montgomery 3.

New Zealand: Muliaina; Howlett, Umaga (capt), Tuitupou (A Mauger, 75), Rokocoko; Mehrtens, Marshall (Kelleher, 72); Meeuws (Somerville, 62), Mealamu, Hayman, Jack, Maling, Gibbes, Holah (Newby, 59), Rush (Tuiali'i, 62).

Tries: Muliaina, Rokocoko. Cons: Mehrtens 2. Pens: Mehrtens 4.

Referee: N Williams (Wales; D Courtenay, Ireland, 11min). Att: 62,837