The Greatest Rivalry Series, a title fast becoming an understatement, if last week's opening chapter is anything to go by, is deliciously poised and, with their backs to the wall, the Springboks are expected to win and level the series in Cape Town on Saturday (Sunday 4 a.m).
The bookmakers have them as 3-1 favourites, rain is expected, the Springboks are wounded and at their most dangerous.
To make matters worse, the All Black scrum was rag dolled by the beasts of the high veldt and a week is little time to see improvement enough.
But something happened in the 55th minute of the Ellis Park test and it was significant in the context of the test but also in the context of the upward curve that is the trajectory of the new All Blacks under coach Dave Rennie.
So what happened that was so consequential? Basically, Dave Rennie cracked a beautiful, almost shy, modest, chuffed to bits, smile.
