Carter has now scored 406 points in 27 Tests for New Zealand

South Africa scored a try on 17 seconds after Carter's clearance was charged down but he recovered to kick 25 points and create two tries.

"I thought I was in for a long day but I managed to pull through," he said.

"It was tough to score tries and it was pretty vital we kept the points ticking over with those penalties."

Although New Zealand's win extended their lead at the top of the Tri-Nations table, the All Blacks were guilty of wasting a host of possession.

"We're not happy with the way we played, but the game was won," said New Zealand coach Graham Henry.

"We were down by seven points early on and we had to claw our way back. We showed a lot of composure and came out quite a long way ahead at the finish."

I don't think 35-17 was a fair reflection of the game we watched South Africa coach Jake White

Henry was also unhappy with the number of injury breaks as he felt they disrupted the flow of the match.

His comments came in the wake of criticism of South Africa's Super 14 sides by the New Zealand media, who claimed players called on medical staff only to recover immediately.

"The thing that frustrates me is the amount of times people went down with injury," said Henry.

"I think it is being slowed down. It's been happening in the Super 14 and if you look a the stats you will find that some countries slow the game down more than others and that is frustrating."

South Africa produced a far more aggressive display than against Australia last week but in their desperation to control the breakdown, they conceded a host of penalties.

"It was never going to be pretty. After last week it was always difficult to get the players back into confidence," said under-fire coach Jake White.

"We missed crucial kicks at important times. Percy Montgomery missed a kick just before half-time and instead of 12-10 we were 19-7 down.

"In terms of the points, All Black Tests are never easy but to be fair I don't think 35-17 was a fair reflection of the game we watched."