The Cape of Good Hope is the legendary home of the ship The Flying Dutchman. According to the legend, crewed by tormented and damned ghostly sailors, it is doomed forever to beat its way through the adjacent waters without ever succeeding in rounding the headland.

The Springboks must have felt a bit like that after last weekends 33-16 pummelling at the hands of the All Blacks.

Yesterday forty odd miles north of those choppy waters a severe ‘Boklash’ was expected at Cape Town Stadium, and it arrived like a gathering storm.

Coach Rassie Erasmus has shuffled more cards this week than a member of the magic circle after announcing the Springbok team last Monday.

Fly-half Handre Pollard was fit and then apparently suffered injury Cheslin Kolbe was not selected due to injury and then named on the wing.

Erasmus then switched around his whole front row just before kick-off, with the starting trio and the bench front row swapping roles.

That South African onslaught came from the kick-off with centre Jesse Kriel crashing over after just two minutes Kolbe added the conversion.

‘D-Mac’- Damian McKenzie was always a threat for the All Blacks, although maybe needed some longer studs in his boots having lost his footing several times in promising positions.

Cam Roigard responded with a try for New Zealand converted by Love before De Allende replied in mind for the men in green.

D-Mac found his feet on the half hour mark to touch down to make the score 17-14 to the Springboks.

The killer blow came in the 38th minute when Captain Kolisi took the ball five metres out to crash over near the posts the immaculate boot of Cheslin Kolbe gave South Africa a 24-14 half-time lead.

New Zealand desperately needed to score the first points of the second half, but they gave away two penalties in the opening 11 minutes to give the Springboks a 16 point cushion 

However, in the final half hour All Blacks backs with the magnificent scrum-half Roigard leading the way battled back scoring two tries through Leroy Carter on the left wing and captain Ardie Savea getting a 77th minute touchdown.

With just two minutes remaining it was a one score game, but the Springboks held on, despite lock Lood de Jager being sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle.

So the series is level at one victory each after two wonderful test matches.

We go again next week when part three at FNB stadium, Johannesburg and I, for one, can’t wait.