Siya Kolisi charged on to the pitch with arms out wide, desperate for someone, anyone, to hug. Bongi Mbonambi was the first brought into his embrace, South Africa’s hooker having begun this game limping off with a knee injury now in cavorts, cock-a-hoop with the Springboks champions again.
Kolisi broke away in search of Cheslin Kolbe, finding the wing down on one knee in prayer. Kolbe had been able to watch the final moments, burying his head in his shirt like a child beneath a duvet, fearing his deliberate knock-on might cost Springboks back-to-back victories. His captain offered an arm on the shoulder before wrapping Kolbe up in a celebratory cuddle. After a night of madcap magnificence, South Africa had clung on.
