Australian newspapers were crowing yesterday after the All Blacks fell in Saturday's Bledisloe Cup opener.
In the aftermath of Robbie Deans' Wallabies 34-19 win over an error-ridden All Blacks in Sydney, Kiwis and Bulldogs league star Sonny Bill Williams' shock departure to France vied for back page spacein Australia's Sunday papers but there was still plenty of room for celebration.
"GOTCHA - our Kiwi gets one-up on the All Blacks," said the Sunday Telegraph's lead headline. Inside it was more of the same. "Deans advances Australia's flair - we are still perfect as Blacks take pounding."
In the Sun-Herald, Williams stole the back page but inside, rugby writer Greg Growden hailed Deans' side.
"Round one to Robbie Deans. The Wallabies proved they are no longer hoodwinked by the All Blacks' aura when they out-enthused, out-played and out-everythinged," he wrote.
In England, Sunday Times writer Stephen Jones said the winning margin could have been even higher. "New Zealand were once again revealed as possessing ... very little in terms of true world class. They were shown to be a one-trick pony, as all they had was a game of endless passing and movement without reference points."
