All Blacks arch rivals Australia were pumped by Ireland in an 80-minute display of grit few in the southern hemisphere predicted.
New Zealand media has made a meal of it, packing in all the Rolf Harris references they could fit on newspaper pages, questioning Robbie Deans's future and going to Quade Cooper's nanna for expert opinion.
"Australia were gutless to the point that Robbie Deans' future as the Wallabies' coach will become untenable if there is a repeat or no dramatic turnaround," columnist Chris Rattue wrote in the New Zealand Herald today.
"Shhh ... Can you hear it? That's the sound of quiet Australians. Eerie isn't it," Bevan Rapson wrote in the same paper.
"Our neighbours arrived here noisily cock-a-hoop, of course, and had their self-belief boosted even further by a comfortable win over Italy and the form of their brilliant playmakers Will Genia, Quade Cooper and Kurtley Beale.
"Their pundits have wallowed in the Wallabies' growing favouritism and, as usual, taken delight in winding up the angst-ridden locals."
Millie Cooper, the grandmother of star flyhalf Cooper, claimed Australia's loss came because the team failed to "gel".
"I just felt that our boys didn't gel well that night - that's what it was," Mrs Cooper told the NZ Herald.
Rapson, under the headline "Emerald Isle knows how to tie the kangaroo down, sport", encouraged readers to engage in match analysis, "ideally within hearing of your favourite Australian cousin".
He credited the Wallabies back line with a proud performance, but laid into the teams "anatomically dubious" scrum.
"As expected 'Boofhead' Cooper - hey, if you're given a name by Wallabies great Nick Farr-Jones, it deserves to stick - showed touches of genius. His electric combination with spivvy-looking Beale is enough to give defensive coaches nightmares," Rapson wrote.
"But once again Australia's scrum proved an anatomically dubious combination of soft underbelly and Achilles heel. Perhaps it didn't sled backwards quite as spectacularly as Japan's did on Friday but it creaked, twisted and fractured, depriving Australia's game of a solid foundation and Genia, in particular, of the chance to dictate the game."
Rattue suggested Australians turn on Deans and look instead to Queensland Reds coach Ewen McKenzie.
"Deans looked shattered and confused, afterwards," he said of Saturday night's aftermath.
"He is heading towards the same situation, but on the other side of the fence, as four years ago when overlooked by Steve Tew's NZRU for the All Black coaching job.
"If the Woeful Wallies flop again, Deans should do the right thing and seriously consider resigning. He has a contract extension, but contracts are made to be broken and Ewen McKenzie is a high-class rival..and Australian."
The good old Minister for Bad Manners controversy was trotted out again but this time the Kiwis threw it right back across the ditch.
"The Australians will get their voices back, naturally. Normal transmission of yap and bluster will resume shortly," Rapson wrote.
"But on the rugby field, something's gone missing. Never mind our Minister of Bad Manners, can Australia find a Minister of Mojo?"
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