Heartbreak. Absolute heartbreak.
Never has a side deserved to win a test more than the Springboks did at Newlands yesterday, yet somehow they came out on the wrong end of the result because they were up against the most ruthless team in the history of the sport.
The Springboks showed the response South Africans wanted to see after being mauled by the All Blacks in Albany three weeks ago, but it wasn't enough as they went down 25-24 in a match that will sit alongside the greatest in the 95 between the nations.
Two critical mistakes - a charged down kick and an intercept - led to tries for All Blacks centre Ryan Crotty and wing Rieko Ioane. Those were the difference.
Both sides scored three tries but a penalty against the Boks after Damian de Allende's red card for a late hit with an elbow on flyhalf Lima Sopoaga gave the visitors an eight-point cushion with three minutes left.
The Boks response was to score a try from a rolling maul through the immense Malcolm Marx, but they didn't have enough time to score again as the All Blacks left Newlands with a seventh win in a 10th visit.
The first half ran overtime for nearly nine minutes in a breathless period of play that saw possession change hands about five times. The Boks were not happy to end the half without something more for their efforts and the All Blacks refused to budge.
It was a thunderous period that could serve as a vignette of the entire match.
Once again the Boks fashioned chances and failed to take them while the All Blacks also made several uncharacteristic mistakes in the face of relentless Bok pressure.
Singling out individuals seems unfair but there were some standouts.
Hooker Marx was colossal in the loose, stealing two balls in the first half. Captain Eben Etzebeth and flank Pieter-Steph du Toit were also excellent in getting the home team over the advantage line and loosehead Steven Kitshoff was simply spectacular.
All Black fullback Damian McKenzie was a constant threat from deep and wing Nehe Milner-Skudder was hard to corral before a shoulder injury ended his match.
The difference on the day was marginal and came down to a couple of errors and the All Blacks' composure under pressure.
Boks flyhalf Elton Jantjies' charged down kick by Beauden Barrett on the halfway line, which ended in a scrappy try for centre Ryan Crotty, separated the teams at half time.
The Boks hit the front almost immediately after halftime through a try from scrumhalf Ross Cronje after a great build-up that started with Marx bursting down the touchline from a short lineout. There was much more patience in the build-up.
Ioane got an intercept after the ball came off Courtnall Skosan in the 59th minute and McKenzie added a wonderful solo try when he carved a hole through the Bok defence.
