A late Malcolm Marx try saw reigning world champions South Africa complete a second-half comeback to beat Wales 23-18 for their first win in Cardiff since 2013.
The two sides last came face-to-face in the semi-finals of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which ended in a 19-16 victory for the Springboks as they went on to clinch the title.
History suggested this would be a tight encounter and so it proved as Biggar and Handre Pollard traded penalties in the first 20 minutes to leave the score locked at 6-6.
Two more penalties from Biggar, the second after Ox Nche was shown a yellow card, extended Wales’ advantage to 12-6 before Pollard cut the gap again on the cusp of half-time.
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Biggar restored Wales’ six-point lead upon the restart but a monster penalty from Frans Steyn and another from Pollard levelled the scores again before Biggar struck again on 65 minutes.
Makazole Mapimpi then had a try ruled out before Marx crossed to give the visitors the lead for the first time, with Elton Jantjies sealing the victory with a penalty in the final minute.
Wayne Pivac made six changes to the team that slipped to a 54-16 defeat to the All Blacks last weekend, with Alun Wyn Jones and Ross Moriarty ruled out through injury.
Cardiff Rugby’s Ellis Jenkins came in for Moriarty in the back row, making his long-awaited return to international injury after suffering a knee injury against South Africa in 2018.
Pivac was also able to call on his English-based talent, with Dan Biggar and Louis Rees-Zammit returning to the team and almost linking up in the second minute with a kick and chase.
Rees-Zammit, who toured South Africa with the Lions in the summer, then almost crossed the whitewash five minutes later, stepping Siya Kolisi before being bundled into touch.
Wales’ bright start resulted in the first points of the game on ten minutes, with Biggar kicking a penalty after the world champions were penalised for a ruck infringement.
The Springboks took no time at all to respond, hitting back straight away with a Pollard penalty before another near miss for Rees-Zammit resulted in another three points for Biggar.
Pollard levelled the scores again on 17 minutes and just as South Africa looked to strike again by piling pressure on Wales, Jenkins marked his return with a magnificent turnover.
Wales seized on that momentum to retake the lead just before the half hour mark, with Biggar slotting a third successful penalty after Damian de Allende was penalised for not releasing.
Jacques Nienaber’s side suffered another blow on 31 minutes as Nche saw yellow for his side’s repeated infringements, allowing Biggar to extend Wales’ lead to six.
Despite being a man down, South Africa continued to look a threat as De Allende signalled his intent with a storming run before Wales prop Rhys Carre joined Nche in the bin.
And on the cusp of half-time, the Springboks closed the gap to three with a third Pollard penalty following trademark work from their skipper Kolisi at the breakdown.
12 of the last 14 meetings between Wales and South Africa had been decided by single figure margins, with 10 of those decided by six points or fewer at the final whistle.
And with just three points separating the sides at the break, the stage was set for another enthralling finish as the visitors started the second half by piling the pressure on.
Wales produced a huge defensive shift however, withstanding wave after wave of South African phase play before clearing the ball and securing turnover ball just inside the visitors’ half.
Instead of conceding what looked for all the world like seven points to the Boks, Wales emerged with another three points of their own as Biggar cooly slotted from 40m out.
South Africa are not world champions for nothing though and they responded in style on 54 minutes, with Steyn landing a gigantic 54m penalty to cut the gap to three again.
More ill-discipline from Wales handed the Springboks another opportunity on the hour, with Pollard levelling up the scores once more to set up a blockbuster final quarter.
The momentum continued to swing back and forth as Biggar kicked his side back ahead five minutes later before Mapimpi had a try ruled out by the TMO on 67 minutes.
Wales’ resistance was eventually broken on 74 minutes, with South Africa’s Bomb Squad helping drive Marx over from a patient driving maul to give them the lead for the first time.
The hosts pushed for a winner in the closing minutes but despite their best efforts, the Springboks held out before clinching a memorable victory with a Jantjies penalty in the dying seconds.
