PRETORIA -- Many South Africans feared the worst when the clash between the All Blacks and the Springboks reached the hour mark.
It's normally the time when the New Zealanders change gears, and their powerful bench comes on to make a massive difference. That last 20 minutes seem to last forever for opposition teams, as the All Blacks lift the tempo to breakneck speed.
The Springboks know all about the All Blacks' dominance in the last quarter, as they have been victims of their rivals' ruthless attitude during that time. It was mainly due to the world champions' ability to slice up defences, but also because of the Boks' fitness and conditioning, which has been an issue for many years.
Nobody would have been surprised had the Boks' wheels come off at the Wespac Stadium, after they tackled themselves silly against the All Blacks and making the most of the 25-percent ball they enjoyed on the night.
But Siya Kolisi's Springboks refused to go quietly into the Wellington night, and tackled and pressurised the All Blacks some more. In the end they made close to 240 tackles, many of them big, physical hits. It looked like the All Blacks started to tire, panicking with each tasty hit by the men bleeding red in the green and gold.
The Springboks are definitely the fittest they have been in a long time, which is a key component as far as their defensive tactics are concerned. You just can't make so many big hits with good line speed if your conditioning isn't up to standard.
The new fitness and conditioning coach, Welshman Aled Walters, has been a great signing for the Boks, as they are training with unbelievable intensity, while their recovery plan is also a lot better than it has been over the last 10 years.
The key thing has been the mental shift the players have had to make in terms of their preparation, but outside centre Jesse Kriel says that has been easy to do.
"I think it is definitely a mental shift that we have taken to embrace the new system, but also conditioning-wise; Aled has come in and made a big difference with his emphasis on us training above the game level. The guys are definitely a lot fitter and able to go for 80 minutes," Kriel said this week.
"Then we've also got guys coming off the bench and making a huge difference. We like to call them finishers with the way they are making an impact, and then we also have great decision-makers at 9, 10 and 15 who are taking control. So now we are just working hard to ensure we make the most of our opportunities and execute better."
The biggest test of the Boks' fitness and their resolve will come this weekend at Loftus Versfeld, as the match will be played at high altitude and in about 28 degrees on a fast and hard pitch. This comes a week after another brutal encounter with the Wallabies. The Boks had the week off after Wellington before playing Australia in Port Elizabeth.
If South Africa want to win the World Cup next year, they will have to play three matches in as many weeks. This match against the All Blacks will be a great indication if they can bring that same intensity and physicality for 80 minutes two weeks in a row.