Replacement fly-half Morne Steyn kicked a late penalty to clinch a series victory for South Africa over the British and Irish Lions with a 28-25 success in a pulsating second Test in Pretoria.
Steyn's kick from inside his own half, awarded after Ronan O'Gara needlessly took out Fourie du Preez, avenged the world champions' defeat by the Lions on their last visit to Africa in 1997.
It was cruel on the Lions, who led for much of the game and were blunted in the second half by a catalogue of injuries before a crucial try by Bryan Habana swung the momentum of the game.
After the Lions scrum dominated the first half, prop forwards Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones were forced off soon after the break, and were soon followed by centres Brian O'Driscoll and Jamie Roberts.
The Lions started just as they finished in Durban a week ago, although they were given a large helping hand by South Africa's Schalk Burger.
The Springboks flanker, recalled for the second Test in place of Heinrich Brussow, was sent to the sin bin with just a minute on the clock for making contact with the eyes of Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald.
Stephen Jones kicked the resulting penalty and was then instrumental in creating the first try of the match after just seven minutes. The Welshman's offload found the outstanding Rob Kearney who surged through to cross the line. Jones then converted to put the Lions into a 10-0 lead.
It didn't take long for South Africa to respond, with JP Pietersen picking a superb line and collecting a du Preez pass to make it 10-5. However, Ruan Pienaar missed the conversion.
If Lions fans feared that this would prove the launch pad for South Africa to come roaring back, their nerves were steadied a few minutes later when the Lions dominated a scrum five metres from their own line and forced a penalty from the same South African pack that had been untouchable a week ago.
Jones added a second penalty and then a drop-goal for the Lions, before Francois Steyn hauled the score back to 16-8 with a long-distance penalty with the last kick of the first half.
As the Lions' injury problems began to bite in the second half, South Africa went on the front foot - but they were unable to get any points on the board, with fly-half Pienaar missing two straightforward penalties. And when captain John Smit was penalised for hands in the ruck, Stephen Jones stepped forward to make it 19-8.
South Africa responded by bringing on Morne Steyn for the misfiring Pienaar, and two minutes later, Habana burst through to score the Springboks' second try of the match, successfully converted by Steyn.
With the patched-up Lions side beginning to creak badly, Jaque Fourie finished brilliantly in the corner on 74 minutes, having brushed off O'Gara on his way to the line, to give South Africa the lead for the first time.
But again the Lions responded, Jones slotting another penalty with just two minutes left on the clock to make it 25-25.
Just as it seemed the series would go down to the third and final Test in Johannesburg next Saturday, O'Gara was penalised for a senseless challenge on Du Preez after the Munsterman's high kick and Steyn stepped up to break Lions hearts.
