For a side that prides itself on scrum dominance, the Vodacom Bulls could hardly have asked for a better opening 12 minutes against the All Blacks on Saturday.
They had repelled a threatening All Blacks lineout maul on their own line, marched play the length of the field and then thought they had struck first through a powerful maul of their own. Although the TMO ruled the try out, the momentum was firmly with the home side.
The decision sent the teams back for a five-metre scrum, and few inside the stadium would have expected anything other than another Bulls assault. The All Blacks were under pressure, the score remained locked at 0-0 and the Bulls appeared to have found a route to the line that New Zealand could not stop.
Instead, the match swung on a single shove. The All Blacks pack exploded through the engagement, driving the Bulls backwards and off their own ball before earning a relieving penalty. It was a statement that echoed far beyond the resulting whistle. In one devastating moment, the visitors stripped the Bulls of the platform on which they had built their early dominance.
That scrum did more than deny a scoring opportunity. It changed the emotional direction of the contest. From that point the All Blacks took control, turning what had briefly looked like a potential upset into one-way traffic.
It also serves as a reminder for the Springboks. Against the very best New Zealand sides, a game plan built around set piece supremacy works only as long as that supremacy remains unquestioned. The All Blacks challenged it here and the entire match shifted as a result.