Turns out the Wallabies are pretty good after all. Michael Cheika has made his mark and Australia, for the first time since 2011, beat the All Blacks and they beat them well.
Herald rugby writers Gregor Paul and Patrick McKendry answer three key questions following the All Blacks' 27-19 loss to the Wallabies last night.
Was this a bad night or indicative of deeperproblems for the All Blacks?
Patrick McKendry: Bad night. The All Blacks couldn't retain the ball for long enough in order to put the acid on the Wallabies. They couldn't cope with the Aussie line speed which put the forwards in the backline - who provide that linking role - under a lot of pressure.
Gregor Paul: The former...probably. But they do have to take a look at how they are trying to play. They aren't exerting enough control and pressure when they have the ball in hand and perhaps they are fixated with playing at pace and finding pace at the expense of being more direct and ruthless. They have 80 minutes to make their presence felt - they don't need to be frantic from the first minute.
Dan Carter and Aaron Smith of the All Blacks look dejected after defeat in the Bledisloe Cup
Which individuals will have done little to bolster their World Cup chances?
Patrick McKendry: Sonny Bill Williams had an ordinary night by his standards and there might be a question mark around Owen Franks in terms of his scrummaging and work around the field. Nepo Laulala is hot on his heels. There is also a suspicion that Franks could give away a crucial penalty in a World Cup game.
Gregor Paul: Clearly Owen Franks is going to go to the World Cup but he was poor last night. The scrum was off and he added nothing around the park. Luke Romano was well down on where he was against the Pumas and Sonny Bill Williams was just not there. He took a good blow early in the game which is presumably why he opted to twice kick the ball - badly - rather than fire into contact.
Can the All Blacks turn things around at Eden Park?
Patrick McKendry: Yes. The question is will they? And that's a yes too. Look for a fired-up performance from the All Black pack. Their ball runners were contained too easily by the Wallabies and that gave David Pocock and Michael Hooper a free reign.
Gregor Paul: No question of that. They haven't become a bad side over night. Defeat will sit badly with them and give them an intensity of focus and desire to be ruthless and tighter in Auckland. If they up their physicality, are more patient with their rugby - more direct and accurate - then they should be good enough to get the win they need to keep the Bledisloe Cup.
