South Africa came out of this series on 95.09 rating points — the highest any team has ever recorded, in 23 years of world rankings. Higher than any of their three World Cup wins.

And yet across four Tests the All Blacks scored more tries than they did.

43-28 in Baltimore, ten tries in a series decider, and a record American crowd of 68,173. Andrew Mehrtens — 70 Tests and 967 points for the All Blacks, and a man who played in a World Cup final against the Springboks — joins George Gregan and John Smit.

We get into the pattern everyone missed: one Springbok try in the first Test, three in the second, four in the third, six in the fourth. Same opponent, four weeks, better every time. Plus the All Blacks shape that finally cracked the blitz, and the try that turned the match and is still being argued about.