The All Blacks survived a huge scare at Ellis Park on Tuesday night, producing a stunning second-half comeback to defeat the Lions 41-35 and maintain their unbeaten tour of South Africa.

New Zealand looked in serious trouble after the Lions raced into a commanding 35-17 lead shortly after halftime. But just when an historic upset appeared possible, the All Blacks found another gear, scoring 24 unanswered points during a breathtaking final half-hour.

Rieko Ioane and Ethan Blackadder were central to the revival, with both players scoring twice, while Emoni Narawa also crossed twice. Narawa’s late try finally ended the Lions’ hopes of a famous victory.

The result completed a clean sweep of the All Blacks’ four provincial matches and extended their winning run ahead of Saturday’s second Test against the Springboks in Cape Town.