Wallabies fly-half James O'Connor has ranked his side's incredible comeback 38-22 victory over the Springboks at Ellis Park as the sweetest in his 17-year international career following his shock recall into the Australia setup.
Pulling on the gold jersey for the first time in three years, the fly-half suffered a shaky opening 20 minutes as the Springboks raced ahead to a 22-point lead, bashing their way through the Wallabies' defensive line and punishing any slip up from the men in gold.
O'Connor attempted to exploit the space on the edge on multiple occasions in the opening period but failed to execute, often opening the door for the Springboks to counter, but the game plan soon paid off, Australia slipping through gaps and scoring 38 unanswered points in the process.
"Look, I'm not going to lie that first 15 I possibly didn't pick the right opportunities at the start," O'Connor told journalists from camp. "But from my point of view, I knew how we had to play to beat the Boks, especially in these conditions, so I possibly pushed a little bit too much, but we built into the game and regathered and then started to create well.
"From my point of view, I knew if we played an expansive sort of style, and we kept the ball in play, I felt like the speed of Super Rugby this year was something I hadn't felt before, even in Test footy, so I felt like the boys would be prepped to be able to play that sort of right into the end of the 80.
"I'm not going to lie; we got lucky a few times when they made breaks and fumbled it and then we had some individual brilliance from some of our players."
Basking in the glow of the shock victory, O'Connor told Stan Sport post-match that the victory ranked as one of the most memorable, before he doubled down on Sunday as he looked back on his incredible return to the Wallabies setup and the self-doubt he's had to overcome in the process.
"It's so hard to put [which win is the most memorable]. I feel like I've had three or four different lifetimes in rugby, so from each sort of almost generation, I feel like I've got a favourite game."
"But that one in particular was special because even I doubted myself, like I'm not gonna lie, I came into camp and I was like, 'wow, have I bitten off more than I can chew here' like the boys are training at an intensity and a speed that I'm not up to yet.
"I've just slowly gone about my work, slowly built, slowly built and to be honest as well, I've spent every game on the bench this year, finishing games off and that's sort of the role I almost created, not for myself, but with, I guess, the other coaches and stuff, so when Joe gave me the nod, I'm not gonna lie like man, I was bloody excited.
"I'm always up for it, I want it, I want it bad, but at the same time there is that little voice in the back of your head that's like, 'do you reckon you can take the Springboks on? You reckon you can live up to the words you've spoken out there?'
"From my point of view this one was so special because the first 15 minutes like the building into that game, I didn't build it perfectly at all, but I'm a competitor and if I see a picture I'm going to play, I'm going to take it on, so I feel proud and humbled and grateful because eventually we all synced up, we got on the same page and things just started working.
"It wasn't beautiful rugby at times, and it wasn't the perfect game. There was a lot of to and fro, back and forth, but we just stayed in the fight, and we stayed hungry, and we stayed working for each other and eventually it paid off.
"Again to win at Ellis Park it is not so much like a fairy tale, but it is for me, it's incredible like I'm a very grateful man right now, but at the same time, I know what's coming next week."
Australia fought back from a 22-nil deficit after 18 minutes in one of the most stunning displays the Wallabies have ever put together, sounding a warning to not just their Rugby Championship opponents, but world rugby as a whole.
There were standout performances across the park with captain Harry Wilson leading the fightback with a two-try performance, while his back-row partner Fraser McReight was named man of the match. Angus Bell, Tom Wright, Max Jorgensen and Len Ikitau all enjoyed scintillating outings to slice the Springboks' defence to shreds in the final 20 minutes.
But it was 35-year-old O'Connor, the latest playmaker to be parachuted into the Wallabies setup, who steered Australia's ship with aplomb and proved experience counts for everything on the international stage.
Asked whether the win has him dreaming of a third Rugby World Cup appearance, the playmaker didn't rule out the possibility. For now, though, he know needs to be just as good against a wounded Springboks next week.
"It is important [to have experience in the squad]. I feel that it's good to have sort of seniors around the group who've sort of been there and been amongst it," O'Connor said.
"At the same time, you always have the devil and the angel, part of me I feel like it's week to week, but the other part of me would love to be a part of it and it's like, why not? I'd love to. I need a goal.
"If I don't have something to sink my teeth into, then I won't keep playing. So if I have a goal then I can keep working and I can keep striving and getting up and I'm trying to improve myself and grow on my game, whereas if the finish line's right there, it'll come pretty quickly.
"I'm not really in a place to talk about that right now. I've played one game and even then it was scratchy, so let's wait after a couple more."