South Africa 22 - 29 New Zealand : All Blacks clinch Tri-Nations title as last-minute Dagg try spoils Smit's party

The All Blacks trailed with two minutes remaining until captain Richie McCaw and then Dagg touched down to clinch their tenth Tri-Nations crown in 15 seasons and break South African hearts.

The result spoiled a big day for captain John Smit, who became the second South African to play 100 tests, in front of the biggest crowd for a Springboks home test in 55 years, attending the first-ever rugby international in Soweto.

"I'm proud of our boys," McCaw said. "We kept believing in what we were doing. We got some pressure on in that second half and perhaps their weary legs gave us a few opportunities that we managed to take.

"I'm happy we won but I feel sorry for John. For a guy like that, he probably deserved better but that's the way rugby goes. It's a cruel game."

New Zealand coach Graham Henry said: "I just felt so proud of what they've achieved. The character, backed by their guts and togetherness, was superb."

The All Blacks needed only a bonus point in FNB Stadium to secure the Tri-Nations, but ended up with a fifth win in five matches, and a game to spare.

McCaw squeezed over in the right corner under three defenders in the 78th minute, and the try was eventually awarded after a long deliberation by the television match official. Flyhalf Dan Carter was wide with the potential match-winning conversion, his third miss at goal in the match. With the scores locked at 22-22, and with just seconds remaining, the All Blacks rucked the Boks off the ball and centre Ma'a Nonu then broke through the South African backline and passed to replacement wing Dagg, who ran in a brilliant winning try.

It was the first time the All Blacks had led since Carter's sixth-minute penalty put them 3-0 up.

South Africa grabbed the first try through flanker Schalk Burger and flyhalf Morne Steyn added five penalties and a conversion to put the Springboks on course to end a three-match losing streak in the competition. Man-of-the-match Burger muscled his way over in the 23rd minute but New Zealand hit back late in the first half with a try from prop Tony Woodcock.

Despite trailing for much of the second half, the competition's inform team launched attack after attack against a tiring South Africa in the final 20 minutes. McCaw forced his way over in the right corner in the 78th, before an agonizing wait from the television official to see if he had grounded the ball before his right leg skidded out of play. He had.

And then Dagg, who scored against the Springboks earlier in the competition, sealed victory in dramatic fashion.

Scorers: South Africa: Tries: Burger. Cons: M. Steyn. Pens: M. Steyn 5. New Zealand: Tries: Woodcock, McCaw, Dagg. Cons: Carter. Pens: Carter 4.

South Africa: G Aplon; JP Pietersen, J de Jongh, J de Villiers, B Habana; M Steyn, F Hougaard (E Januarie 75); G Steenkamp, J Smit, J du Plessis (CJ van der Linde 61), F van der Merwe (D Rossouw 24-40, 69), V Matfield, S Burger, Smith (F Louw 59), P Spies.

New Zealand: M Muliaina; C Jane, C Smith, M Nonu, J Rokocoko (I Dagg 57); D Carter, J Cowan (P Weepu 42); T Woodcock, K Mealamu, B Franks (J Afoa 61), B Thorn, T Donnelly (S Whitelock 49), J Kaino (V Vito 69), R McCaw, K Read.