Second-half tries by Morne Steyn and new captain Jean de Villiers broke open an attritional match to give South Africa a 22-17 win over England in the first Test at Kings Park on Saturday.
Steyn squeezed over early in the second half to put the Springboks ahead 11-6, their first lead of the match.
De Villiers finished an overlap in the same right corner 12 minutes later to send South Africa to victory in its opening test under coach Heyneke Meyer.
England led 3-0 and 6-3 early on in Durban, but South Africa’s powerful ball-carriers wore down a brave defence in the second for Stuart Lancaster’s second defeat in six tests in charge.
England wing Ben Foden scored in the final act of the game, but South Africa’s dominance for most of the second 40 was decisive.