Before all the Tri-nations games this season, I'll be taking a look at classic All Blacks Tests of the past and hoping to jog a few memories in the process.

The All Blacks headed to Newlands for the last match of the 1996 Tri-nations having already secured the title after earlier wins against Australia (43-6 in Wellington and 32-25 in Brisbane) and South Africa (15-11 in Christchurch).

But this wasn't the final time the All Blacks would face the Springboks in 1996 - immediately after this Test the two arch-enemies faced off in a three-Test series which New Zealand took out 2-1. But those memories are for another day.

The Test may only have been 13 years ago, but it seems almost a lifetime away - the scrums were set quickly and without fuss, the line-outs barely delayed the play, and the teams stayed on the park at half-time.

And with the pairing of Scotland's legendary commentator Bill McLaren and ex-All Black Murray Mexted, the television audience were treated to not only a classic game but a classic experience.

If we needed any reminding of how good McLaren's calls were, his description of great All Black full-back Christian Cullen - 'he runs around like a mad Tsetse fly at times' - should make any rugby fan yearn for those days again.

So on to the game itself, which the All Blacks finally won 29-18:

The poor under-foot conditions played a part early with Zinzan Brooke slipping as he kicked to touch and putting it out on the full, giving the Sprinboks early possession.

The Springboks opened the scoring in just the fourth minute through a Joel Stransky penalty after Irish referee David McHugh mystifyingly penalised the All Blacks deep in their own territory.

Andrew Mehrtens drew the All Blacks level in the ninth minute after the South Africans were pinged for pushing in the lineout, but the game was settling into a kicking contest for territory.

After another kick out on the full, this time from half-back Justin Marshall, the Sprinboks opened the try-count.

Joel Stansky kicked high and the ball was knocked back on the South African side for centre Japie Mulder to pick-up. He ghosted past All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick as he broke down the left and fed lock Mark Andrews on the crash.

Mehrtens stopped the rampage, but with the New Zealand defence scrambling quick ball came from the ruck from Joost van de Westhiuzen.

He fed Stransky who drew a tackle and fed the man who started it off, Mulder, who scored behind the posts. Stransky converted.

After Stransky missed a penalty a charge down of the resultant 22-drop out led to the second Springboks try.

South African lock Steve Atherton took the ball from a line-out just a metre out, and a perfect maul allowed Os du Rant to touch down with a little help from Andrews. Stransky missed the conversion but wtih 30 minutes gone the All Blacks were 15-3 down and struggling.

The All Blacks might have scored a try as the first-half came to an end, but a brilliant last-gasp tackle on Christian Cullen stopped the black machine. But with the South Africans killing the ball, the All Blacks got the penalty through Mehrtens to end the scoring in the first half.

Stansky scored the Springboks' final points in just the sixth minute of the second half after the visitors were pinged for an infringement at the breakdown.

But the All Blacks were still struggling to break down the South Africans in the face of a massive defensive effort, as they went close to four minutes of recycling and resetting in South Africa territory without ever looking like getting the try.

But the South Africans suffered a huge blow in the 13th minute of the second half when they lost the inspirational Francois Pienaar to injury, the World Cup winning captain stretchered off after a head knock - and that may have turned the game.

After another intense period of All Black pressure, a penalty for playing the ball on the ground gave the All Blacks another three points from Mehrtens boot and then another penalty just a few minutes later cut the deficit further.

And then came the try that led to New Zealand taking the lead for the first time, and a brilliant try it was from winger Glen Osborne.

The Brooke brothers combined at the lineout to give New Zealand go-forward ball and after a brilliant wrap-around from Mehrtens and second-half replacement Alama Ieremia, Christian Cullen split the Springboks midfield for the first time.

He made for the left corner, pulling the defence with him, and Osborne came in on the cut to score his seventh try in just 11 games for the All Blacks. Mehrtens converted and with only nine minutes left the Springboks were suddenly up against it.

The home-side then pushed deep into all Blacks territory to try and snatch the win, but poor discipline - and a dodgy looking stumble from Fitzpatrick - gave New Zealand a penalty and a chance to clear.

But the All Blacks weren't to be beaten and secured the win with just two minutes left in the Test.

The dancing Frank Bunce took the ball into the South African defence and prop Craig Dowd picked the ball up at the back of the ruck, shook off an Andrews tackle and dotted down for his second try in Black with van der Westhuized still hanging on to his legs.

Mehrtens converted and then landed an injury time penalty to finish the scoring as the All Blacks celebrated a fantastic come-back win, setting themselves up for an epic series in the process.

South Africa

2. John Allan
3. Marius Hurter
4. Steve Atherton
5. Mark Andrews
6. Francois Pienaar
7. Ruben Kruger
8. Gary Teichman
9. Joost van der Westhuizen
10. Joel Stransky
11. Pieter Hendriks
12. Hennie le Roux
13. Japie Mulder
14. Justin Swart
15. James Small

Coach: Andre Markgraaff

All Blacks

1. Craig Dowd
2. Sean Fitzpatrick
3. Olo Brown
4. Ian Jones
5. Robin Brooke
6. Michael Jones
7. Josh Kronfeld
8. Zinzan Brooke
9. Justin Marshall
10. Andrew Mehrtens
11. Glen Osborne
12. Walter Little
13. Frank Bunce
14. Jeff Wilson
15. Christian Cullen

Coach: John Hart

10th August 1996
Norwich Park, Newlands

Referee: David McHugh

South Africa (Tries: Japie Mulder, Os du Rant Penalties: Joel Stansky (2) Conversion: Stransky)
New Zealand (Tries: Glen Osborne, Craig Down Penalties: Andrew Mehrtens (5) Conversions: Andrew Mehrtens (2))

H/T: 15-6