KEY POINTS:
World champions - and what a great performance. The turning point came when Darren Lockyer's try was disallowed. That would have got the Aussies out to 16-0 and things could have come crashing down around the Kiwis' ears.
But the Kiwis hitched up their trousers and went to
work and put real pressure on the Aussies; on players who had not been put under pressure in this competition - players like Johnathan Thurston who cracked a bit and we are not used to seeing that.
David Fa'alogo targeted Thurston all night and the Australians' composure and efficiency slipped.
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But I have to say Jeremy Smith was my player of the night. What a match. Outstanding. He's not an overly big man but he's hard and he has an engine that never stops. He was into everything and his commitment showed with that desperate ankle-tap on Thurston when he looked as though he had broken through the line and was setting up an Australian comeback.
There might be some Australian complaints about the referee but I thought he had a good game. For a change, the Australians didn't get the bounce of the ball and they committed some silly errors - like the try Billy Slater gifted and the cynical foul by winger Joel Monaghan on Lance Hohaia which led to the penalty try; the first confirmed sign the Australians were on their way out as world champs.
I've always had big raps on Hohaia and he showed why last night. All right, he dropped a couple of balls but he was outstanding. He cleans up well, he defends well - and that stop of a try by Israel Folau was also important in the context of this match - and he knows where the tryline is.
Benji Marshall had a first half where he tried to do too much and it didn't work out and the Australians were picking things off.
It went better when he got wider and had more people running off him - that's when he's at his best and, of course, he was Johnny on the spot when Slater threw that terrible pass.
I can't quite believe it - it's like when the Warriors beat the Storm in the NRL finals. No one thought they'd do it and we didn't really think the Kiwis would do it either.
There is only one question to be asked after all this - can we build on this result? The result was fantastic but we have to build consistency and belief.
If you look at the talent available to us, we have size and speed to match any player in the Australian camp except in a couple of key areas and it is not hard to distinguish these.
The halfback combination has been our Achilles heel for a number of seasons and will be until a class halfback is found. Marshall will be the standoff for years to come but will need to show consistency at all levels if our other strengths are to be used effectively.
But the question arises as to who is next in line if or when Benji is struck down with injury again? Too many players have been tried in the halfback role with little success and it has become an embarrassment that since 1995 we have only one halfback that has justifiably owned that spot, Stacey Jones.
Halfback is our major concern and our most recent applicant, Thomas Leuluai, has now found his new role in the hooker/dummy half position. It is not his favoured role but the one that best suits his attributes. With that position clarified and all others having no real concern, it is clear to see that talent is not an issue for New Zealand.
Desire is never a problem and we will continue to always want to beat the Aussies. So it's down to our belief and whether we can consistently grow the confidence in our ability to compete with an Australian team.
Sure, there is always going to be a good feeling within the camp as camaraderie builds solidarity, but I believe we have consistently lacked a quality playmaker to match the Australian duo of Thurston and Darren Lockyer.
Everyone on the street and even the purists will acknowledge this so building belief is our remedy.
We have to capitalise on that improvement so last night's result repeats itself on a consistent basis.
Otherwise, eternal 'hope' will be our destiny.