You’re dreaming:

Richie Mo’unga reckoned he hadn’t missed an All Blacks’ test match since he was two.

So the fledgling All Blacks first five-eighth knew full well what was at stake as he lined up a winning conversion attempt at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria yesterday.

From 23-6 down, and with time up on the clock and the scores level at 30-30, the 24-year-old had a chance to turn a lifetime of role playing and practice into reality.

‘‘I was saying to myself ‘get through the ball and kick it’,’’ Mo’unga said afterwards. ‘‘It’s the greatest moment of my short career. It’s a dream.’’

The successful conversion was a surprise to Ardie Savea, whose try had levelled the scores.

‘‘For a minute I thought Richie missed it, because the crowd went wild. But it was awesome to see the flags go up and the final whistle blowing,’’ Savea said.

South Africa had played the better rugby and dominated proceedings for long periods. New Zealand, though, found a way to win at the end and avenge their 36-34 defeat to the Springboks in Wellington on September 15.

It capped off a composed finale from the All Blacks, who had looked well beaten at one point. But the second-half substitution of wing Waisake Naholo saw Ben Smith go to the flank, Beauden Barrett move from first-five to fullback and Mo’unga take over at 10.

His instructions from the coaching staff had been to get the team playing more directly; he hadn’t planned on doing any goalkicking. Barrett has kicked six-from-six since missing four conversions against the Springboks at Westpac Stadium,

‘‘It’s the greatest moment of my short career. It’s a dream.’’ Richie Mo’unga on his matchwinning conversion

but he soon told the young bloke in just his fourth test that he was taking over.

‘‘I didn’t think it would come down to a kick to win the game,’’ Mo’unga said.

Not that he minded. It is ‘‘every kid’s dream to be in that position’’.

Having come close to winning in Wellington, there was a greater sense of inevitability about the All Blacks’ comeback this time. There was no panic at the death, with Savea calmly plunging over after a series of phases on the Springboks line.

‘‘It was just instinct. You’ve just got to back yourself and fortunately enough I’m just grateful I crossed the line and put the ball down,’’ Savea said.

Mo’unga was just as thankful that Savea even had a chance to. He’d kicked a penalty into the corner that could’ve gone anywhere after it landed in the field of play.

‘‘I was a bit nervous [it wouldn’t go out] . . . I was leaning and leaning. I think I heard Beaudy and TJ [Perenara] say ‘get left’. It was like watching Tiger Woods tee off.’’

At a glance

New Zealand 32 (Aaron Smith, Rieko Ioane, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea tries; Beauden Barrett 2 pen, Richie Mo’unga 2 con) South Africa 30 (Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe tries; Handre Pollard 3 pen, 3 con). HT: 6-6.