Aussies claim credit for All Whites' success

First the pavlova, then Phar Lap, then Russell Crowe and now, those shameless Aussies are even claiming the All Whites.

Cringing from the still raw memory of their own team's hiding at the hands of Germany, the Sydney Morning Herald today ran a story on the All Whites' 1-1 draw with Slovakia under the headline 'Australasia 1 - Slovakia 1'.

That's right - apparently New Zealand has ceased to exist and is now part of a country called 'Australasia'.

The paper reported that Aussie fans were bristling at the prospect of being upstaged by their trans-Tasman neighbours.

"Even those hardcore Fanatics, camped out at Tent City in Durban, were becoming toey yesterday at the prospect of being upstaged by the Kiwis at the greatest game on turf," said the Sydney Morning Herald.

"As if we didn't have enough to worry about, we're going to have the bloody Kiwis climbing into our faces," Australian Luke Williamson was quoted as saying.

Scott Kittelty contacted nzherald.co.nz to register his disgust at the Aussies' "blatant attempt at salvaging some remote pride for the Socceroos' dismal performance".

"How dare the Aussies take credit for our win," he wrote. "That we had a fantastic moment of glory for them to piggy-back off is unacceptable."

- NZ Herald staff