When Dennis John, who was then Wales's caretaker coach, sat in the Loftus Versfeld media room after his side had been thrashed 96-13 by South Africa in Pretoria a year ago today and suggested that Wales would have the beating of the Springboks by the World Cup, it was not only the local journalists who guffawed.

However on Saturday John's words came true as Wales marked their first appearance at the Millennium Stadium with their first victory over South Africa in 93 years.

John's contention was that the difference between Wales and South Africa last year had little to do with ability but was rooted in the superior conditioning and preparation of the South Africans in a country where the national side came first.

John applied for the job Henry eventually took but he said in Pretoria that only a foreigner would be able to press through the changes needed to Wales's domestic game to make them an international force again. Where, a year ago, Welsh rugby was beset by conflict, power struggles and a blurred vision of the future, Henry's refusal to leave politics to administrators has encouraged an end to hostilities and an acceptance that the national side is the shop window. Wales should have beaten South Africa at Wembley last November, Henry's first match in charge, but lacked poise and confidence in the decisive final 10 minutes.

South Africa were virtually at full strength then whereas on Saturday they were missing players such as Joost van der Westhuizen, Bobby Skinstad, Henry Honiball and Os du Randt, but that does not take away from an accomplished Welsh performance.

Wales scored a crucial try from the final move of the opening half to open up a commanding 19-6 lead when the centre Mark Taylor, whose solid midfield tackling made light of Scott Gibbs's absence, burst through a surprised defence and he had the pace to make the line.

South Africa dominated the third quarter but Wales's character was shown immediately after conceding a first try on 48 minutes.

The Springboks were in the ascendant and van Straaten made his one telling break of the match. A try looked certain as he entered Wales's 22, but the Wales hooker Garin Jenkins somehow hauled down the out-half and South Africa gave away another penalty.

After soaking up 20 minutes of constant pressure, Wales moved into the South African 22 for the first time in the second half after a Gaffie du Toit penalty had reduced the Springboks' deficit to five points. South Africa tried to run out Neil Jenkins's long restart but were called back, much to their disgust, for a forward pass.

Scott Quinnell picked up and drove from the resulting scrum, Howley and Jenkins combining to send in the wing Gareth Thomas for the crucial score. There was no coming back for South Africa whose late second try was a mere consolation.

The superlatives gushed afterwards as did the cliches: feet were still on the ground, no one was getting carried away, the World Cup was too far away to think about, but it was a fitting way to open the partially completed new stadium.

Henry had described the match as "ludicrous", saying it was a fixture too many and that his players were whacked. He gave his side no chance of winning. "That was just for you guys," he said at the press conference. "I told the players I expected them to win, but the way they did so exceeded my wildest dreams. The day after Pretoria I was interviewed by the Welsh Rugby Union and my friends told me I would be mad to go to Wales. I'm glad I did not listen to them."

"Graham loves playing mind games," said Howley. "His ploy is working and we have now won six games in a row. I was in the stand at Pretoria and the memory of 40,000 South Africans baying for a century of points has never left me. For so long, the only records we set were negative ones but all that is changing."

As Dennis John predicted it would. He was not playing mind games that night in Pretoria, merely uttering a plaintive plea that his countrymen sort themselves out before there was nothing left to fight over. It took a New Zealander to make his words come true, but John at least had the last laugh.

Wales: Howarth; Thomas, Taylor, Bateman, James; N Jenkins, Howley (capt); Rogers, (Lewis 80), G Jenkins, (Humphreys 80), Young, C Quinnell, (Voyle 18), Wyatt, Charvis, Sinkinson, S Quinnell.

South Afri Muller, Mulder, Rossouw; van Straaten, (du Toit 58), Swanepoel; (von Hosselin 58); Kempson, (le Roux 51), Drotske, Visagie, Boome, (Venter 51), Otto, Krige, Erasmus, Teichmann (capt).

Referee: E Morrison (England).