However, Wales had led 3-0 and were level at eight points apiece with just over an hour gone on the clock. Bobby Skinstad and his side were forced to dig deep and produce a late burst to clinch a keenly-fought Test match.

Wales captain Colin Charvis and his pack never took a backward step and Coach Steve Hansen can have a genuine cause for believing he now has the nucleus of a pack capable of competing with some of the best teams in the world.

In the line-out Steve Williams and Gareth Llewellyn, along with the young Michael Owen winning his second cap, comfortably held their own and the Welsh scrum gave fly half Stephen Jones a stable platform to use his boot with telling effect. However, safety first tactics had to be used as the general order of the day due to the difficult conditions.

Speedsters Craig Morgan and Rhys Williams proved that they can do some damage, though it was skipper Charvis who claimed the Wales try.

Wales were beginning to get into potential winning positions but failing to get across the finishing line, lacking the crucial killer instinct and unable to relinquish the self doubt at vital times.

It took the Springboks until the final 12 minutes when they scored 11 points and thereby wrapped up the series as Andre Pretorius finished with three penalty goals and the try-count was 2-1 in favour of South Africa.

Wales, who lost the first Test by 34-19 in Bloemfontein a week earlier, again drew first blood in a scrappy first half dominated by rain and neither side was able to fully master the conditions while the forward battle saw tempers frequently threatening to boil over.

South African prop Willie Meyer was shown the yellow card after an incident with Robin McBryde in the 24th minute, just after Jones had kicked Wales into the lead with a penalty goal after No.8 AJ Venter was caught offside.

The Springboks drew level with Pretorius landing his first penalty goal before they went ahead in the final minute of the half; dangerous fullback Brent Russell sliced through for the only try of the half to gain his country the advantage.

Wales had suffered an early blow with the loss of scrum half Dwayne Peel with an ankle injury after just 11 minutes. Yet they equalised from a slickly-worked forwards try as Steve Williams won clean possession and when Wales laid it back quickly Charvis powered his way over the line.

It stayed at 8-8 until Pretorius kicked two more penalties and replacement scrum half Craig Davidson snapped up a try by charging down an attempted Charvis clearance. Replacement hooker Mefin Davies gained his first cap for Wales in the dying seconds.