Hadden was left stunned by a minute-long sequence midway through the second half which effectively handed the glory to the Boks.

Chris Paterson's breakaway try was chalked off by referee Tony Spreadbury for a knock-on by Scots defender Simon Webster and straight from the scrum, South Africa pounced for their crucial only try.

Hadden added: ''We played well enough to win - but they had all the luck that was going.

''Last weekend, they bullied us in Durban, but this time our forwards were up for the fight.

''I had asked the guys to produce something special by becoming the first Scotland team to win in South Africa. They failed to do that - but they did produce a remarkable effort which was hugely courageous and brave.

''But at the end of the day, the Springboks had every bounce of the ball.''

Hadden was echoed by Scotland skipper Jason White, who said: ''We fronted up physically, but the important decisions seemed to go against us.

''Chris was convinced he had scored - and so was Simon at the end of the first half when a knock-on was ruled immediately before he touched down.

''We didn't win - but the performance certainly bodes well for the future.''