In the first quarter of the match the Kangaroos dominated possession and territory, won the penalty count and forced two line drop outs. The Kiwis were under heavy pressure but only buckled once, with Sam Thaiday's 13 minute try.
It was a similar scenario in the first 20 minutes of the second half; the Kiwis constantly defending their line as they barely got into the Kangaroos half. If Australia had scored a couple of converted tries at that stage and with the subsequent momentum, who knows?
But the Kiwis held firm, defending their line with incredible determination, despite having to make almost 50 more tackles in the half.
"Our defence was huge", said Shaun Johnson. "That's what this win was built on, guys kept turning up for each other. The Kangaroos sent a lot of traffic our way but we handled it."
Read more:
• Taupau hits Oz hard to turn game way of NZ
• Three in a row! Kiwis down Kangaroos again
• As it happened: Kiwis v Kangaroos
2. Bench Impact
Martin Taupau made a strong impact off the bench for the Kiwis. Photo / Getty
Just as we saw in the 2014 Four Nations, the Kiwis' interchange players had a huge impact on the game on Sunday evening. Martin Taupau was immense, running for 135m (more than any other New Zealand forward) with three tackle breaks and three offloads.
But beyond the number, it was his intimidation and aggression that the Kangaroos couldn't match. Sam Moa (85m) and Greg Eastwood also made positive contributions and Thomas Leuluai (43m, 24 tackles) slotted in seamlessly for Issac Luke when the Rabbitohs hooker was off the field.
"That's what we need from our bench and they gave us that again," said coach Stephen Kearney. "They gave us a lift when we needed it."
Read more: Taupau hits Kangaroos hard to turn game way of Kiwis
3. Forward muscle
Jesse Bromwich was superb for Stephen Kearney's side. Photo / Getty
The Kiwis have had some great forwards over the years - from Mark Graham and Hugh McGahan to Ruben Wiki and Jeremy Smith - but have they ever had a better all round pack? Jesse Bromwich and Ben Matulino were superb, with the Melbourne Storm forward enhancing his reputation as the best prop in the game (121m, 45 tackles). Kevin Proctor (39 tackles) and Tohu Harris (35 tackles) provided outstanding shields on either edge of the ruck and Harris also stood out with his running game.
Simon Mannering had "another 10/10 game" according to Kearney and his tackle on a flying Greg Inglis quickly followed by a stop of James Tamou (which jolted the ball free) are lasting memories.
"It's great playing behind these boys," said Johnson. "They create some much momentum and then we can do our job. But it all starts with the guys in the middle."
4. Backline bonus
Shauin Johnson sparkled again. Photo / Getty
According to some Australian critics, the Kiwi back division was meant to be the achilles heel of this team. Sure, the New Zealand pack was fearsome, but the backs didn't quite match up to their highly rated counterparts in the green and gold. Or so they thought.
Instead the Kiwis backline were quite superb. Shaun Kenny Dowall has one of his best international matches, prominent on attack and shutting down Michael Jennings out wide.
Peta Hiku did well in a makeshift centre role and wingers Manu Vatuvei and Jason Nightingale both carried for more than 100m. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (20 runs, 181m) lived up to the hype and Shaun Johnson sparkled again, with plays reminiscent of his Golden Boot winning form.
