KEY POINTS:
With so much certainty crystallising itself in solid black in the Cardiff air this morning (NZ time), it was perhaps strange to find one giant question on the lips of everyone leaving this humbled stadium: why didn't New Zealand do the haka?
The answer was they did -
in the dressing room, lined up in front of two petrified stewards who, as legend already has it, immediately handed their bibs back in and were last seen legging it up St Mary's Street.
So before the merry dance came the angry dance and if anything the inquest into the reasons for it was even more intense than that of Wales's dramatic destruction.
After all, the thumping was quite foreseeable after this northern hemisphere autumn of awful realisation; the fact that they would not be performing the haka for the first time in decades was palpably not.
And all because of some petty bureaucratic row.
In short, Haka-gate came to pass because Wales wanted to sing their national anthem after the haka and New Zealand insisted they did it, like they believe their tradition to have it, before .
Incredibly, the argument began six weeks ago and lasted so far up to kick-off that the Wales players were actually on the pitch waiting for the usual grunts, leaps and thigh slaps to be enacted out in front of them.
Even Dave Pearson, the referee, went to ask what was going on before coming back and getting proceedings under way to a resounding boo.
In normal events that is a sound that should never be heard around a rugby pitch, but not this time.
It was perfectly understandable.
They felt shortchanged, like a fan who goes to see Tom Jones and he neglects to do "Delilah".
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Inevitably, the recriminations came thick and fast.
The Welsh Rugby Union pointed the finger at the New Zealand management and the stabbing digit then came back with interest.
At least the Welsh were first to do something here yesterday and their statement was a classic piece of PR gibberish that even Alastair Campbell, that glorious exponent of oval-ball spin, would have blushed at.
Among other things, they claimed to have spoken to a Maori chief in the midst of the debate and "were assured that the haka was performed to invite a response, an invite from the opposing team".
The WRU got a response all right - although it was perhaps not the one they were expecting.
It was less "Ka Mate" and more "ta-ta mate".
In fairness, to the much-maligned governing body they had believed they had created a precedent last year by scheduling the singing of the anthem after the war jig.
This, they said at the time, was because it was the centenary of the first international between the countries and it was exactly what happened in 1905.
The All Black hierachy were reported not to be too happy about it, but decided to let it lie.
Until the cheeky Welsh deemed to try it on again, that is.
So when was the last time that New Zealand kicked off without their favourite boogie? Well not as far back as most first expected.
Record books were dusted down, historians consulted, but it was the memory of a legend which pointed out that until the 70s the haka was not a regular sight at all.
Barry John was on hand to declare that in all the times he lined up against the All Blacks he could not remember them doing it once.
"Barry, that's because it's hard to dance when you're on knees and bowing," said one wag.
For the Welsh there wasn't much else to smile about here.
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