After 55 minutes of an enthralling evening, the team which had given England so much trouble in Perth last week were down to 14 men and leading by just 13 points against opponents who nearly did not arrive at the competition at all because their lack of funds was so acute.

Georgia were guaranteed the backing of the crowd long before the game started. By the time it finished, they were afforded a richly-deserved standing ovation and a lap of honour as the Springboks slunk off in shame.

If coach Rudi Straeuli hoped the 13 changes he made to his side after the England defeat would see a significant number pressing for places in his first choice XV, he was badly mistaken.

So rattled were they by the end that they had descended to the rough-house tactics Straeuli had vowed they would leave behind.

In fact, had it not been for a three-try burst in eight minutes midway through the first half the outcome could well have been one of the biggest upsets ever seen in the entire sporting world.

As it was, brave Georgia were denied by two scores from flanker Danie Rossouw, plus touchdowns for fly-half Derick Hougaard, number eight Joe van Niekerk, centre Jaque Fourie, lock Bakkies Botha and replacement Schalk Burger who crossed for the final score in the last minute.

All of them are just names on a scoresheet, though, because the real heroes came from the opposition ranks.

Fly-half Paliko Jimsheladze will be able to reflect on a 100% record from his five kicks at goal, while hooker David Dadunashvili will forever be able to boast that he scored a try against the mighty Springboks.

It was not a particularly spectacular effort, as he peeled off a ruck and plunged over from close range moments after Hendro Scholtz had been sin-binned.

But without any question it will go down in Georgian and rugby folklore. For these men at least, there will probably never be another night like it.