The Springboks produced a commanding first half performance and withstood a spirited All Black fightback to earn a thrilling 32-29 win in Hamilton and secure a third Tri-Nations crown.

The Boks bounced back from their Brisbane brain-freeze and went back to their successful home leg recipe of kick-and-chase pressure in Hamilton.

It worked a charm in the first half, where the All Blacks faulted under the Springbok bombardment. The Steyns kicked everything within (and even out of) range, Matfield and co. piled on the pressure at the lineout and the front-row more than held their own in the scrums.

Frans Steyn and Jean de Villiers left us with trademark parting shots of what South Africa will miss in their absence, and John Smit lead his troops with a performance that will have a catalogue of critics eating their words.

The Boks were guilty of getting sucked into the frenzy as a desperate New Zealand flung the ball dangerously in the final quarter, but the Boks held on for the win to cap off their most dominant Tri-Nations campaign to date and confirm themselves as the pre-eminent force in world rugby.

Tim Human rates the Springbok players?

15 Frans Steyn:
Good under the high ball and great on defence, but that 60 metre monster penalty will be the lasting memory of his game, and indeed his entire first stint with the Springboks. A wonderful send off for the youngster; we await the return of the finished article in a few years time. 8/10

14 Odwa Ndungane:
Solid under the high ball, but soft on defence and missed a few tackles . A bit of a weak link in this formidable side. 5/10

13 Jaque Fourie:
Strangely innocuous on attack, but did his usual sterling defensive work. 6/10

12 Jean de Villiers:
He had very few opportunities, but he just had to leave us with a trademark intercept didn't he? What a way to end a brilliant Springbok career. 7/10

11 Bryan Habana:
The Boks were back to their original gameplan, so very little ball went Habana's way. His cover defence and kick-chasing was characteristically superb. 7/10

10 Morne Steyn:
His performance, particularly in the first half, was his best in a Springbok jersey. Pin-point kicking of all varieties is expected from him, but today his control was especially impressive. 8/10

9 Fourie Du Preez:
Made a few uncharacteristic errors, but his marshalling of the game was spot-on. If he plays well the Boks play well, and he was outstanding. 8/10

8 Pierre Spies:
Good work-rate and defence, but he made some silly errors and didn't control the ball well at the back of the scrum. 6/10

7 Schalk Burger:
He complimented Brussow well and flew into the rucks with vigour. His support play was good and did some disciplined work around the breakdown. 7/10

6 Heinrich Brussow:
A few great turnovers and showed strength that belies his small frame. Smith's late injury may have unearthed an exciting new loose forward combination. 7/10

5 Victor Matfield:
Exerted massive pressure with his 'sixth sense' on opposition lineouts. The Boks struggled with some of their own ball though. 7/10

4 Bakkies Botha:
Forceful around the park and made some great hits. A lot of the credit should go to him for the improvement in the scrums. 7/10

3 John Smit (captain):
Two of the biggest moments in the game came from the skipper. The massive hit on Thorn, and the even bigger shove in the All Black scrum in front of the Boks' poles. The perfect way to silence his critics and a tremendous individual display to lead his team to Tri-Nations glory. 8.5/10

2 Bismarck du Plessis:
Accurate throwing and typically robust play in the loose. 7/10

1 Tendai Mtawarira:
Technically sound at scrum-time and a magnificent cover tackle as part of respectable defensive effort. 7/10

Replacements:

16 Chiliboy Ralepelle:
Not enough time to be rated

17 Jannie du Plessis: (On in the closing minutes)
Not enough time to be rated

18 Danie Rossouw:
Not enough time to be rated

19 Ryan Kankowski: (On for Burger on 67 minutes)
Not enough time to be rated

20 Ricky Januarie:
Not enough time to be rated

21 Adi Jacobs: (On near the end)
Not enough time to be rated

22 Ruan Pienaar:
Not enough time to be rated

What do you think? Do you agree? Let us know...