It doesn't happen often, such is their professionalism, but New Zealand's determination to niggle the Wallabies off the ball was as much to blame for their Bledisloe defeat as the mammoth boot of Australia's Reece Hodge.
The Wallabies triumphed 23-18 in a brutally-enthralling Test at Suncorp Stadium, played in front of 45,105 fans, but only after they were forced to fend off one final attacking raid from an All Blacks side that never quite overcame the omissions of Beauden Barrett and Brodie Retallick.
Replacement fly-half Lima Sopoaga never commanded the Test before he was replaced in the second half; the Highlanders No.10 throwing a woeful intercept that gifted Reece Hodge the game's opening try, the second straight Bledisloe encounter where first points came in that fashion. The All Blacks' forwards were, for the first time in a long while, also outplayed in a Bledisloe encounter.
In Dunedin, it was Israel Folau who plucked the intercept and sprinted 70 metres for a five-pointer, and the code-hopper was again a key component of this drought-breaking Wallabies win. Folau was at his best in the tough conditions, scoring a crucial try on halftime and then providing the final pass for Marika Koroibete's second-half effort.
Up front, the tireless work of the Wallabies' back-row finally saw them better their All Blacks opposites. Skipper Michael Hooper, departing back-rower Sean McMahon and rising blindside - and man of the match - Jack Dempsey, each enjoyed stellar games in both attack and defence. Adam Coleman was also prevalent, tearing into the All Blacks' defensive line, while replacement Lukhan Tui is certain to earn a start on the spring tour given his shift off the bench.
Again, it looked like Bernard Foley's wayward kicking would cost the Wallabies a win. But up stepped Hodge, firstly from just inside the sideline 40 metres out, and then from a mammoth 55 metres; the kick sailing over to give Australia the extra breathing space they needed to snap the seven-match Bledisloe losing streak.
Away from the absence of Barrett and Retallick - World Rugby Players of the Year in 2016 & 2018 respectively - the All Blacks let themselves down. And badly. Whether it was the fact they had the Bledisloe wrapped up, or some sort of play to get inside Kurtley Beale's head - Dane Coles in particular - on what was a special occasion of the Wallabies' Indigenous jersey, the All Blacks lost their way.
A series of silly penalties, while in possession, for cleaning out Wallabies off the ball, reflected their curious attitude. So too a penalty for a bump when the Australians were chasing through a kick inside the final few minutes. .
Wallabies fans hugged themselves in the stands after the All Blacks knocked on amid the sound of the final hooter; the pain of a frustrating and inaccurate Wallabies side at last put on hold. The challenge now will be to build on their Brisbane effort as they head off on a four-match tour of Japan and Great Britain, which comes after next week's non-Test fixture against Alan Jones' Barbarians side.
As for the All Blacks? Perhaps it was the result of a brutal Test season, including a drawn series against the British & Irish Lions, followed by yet another rugged Rugby Championship that has left the world champions a tad weary and a reason as to why they seemed more focused on niggling the Wallabies out of the game, rather than actually pursuing the result themselves.
What everyone in New Zealand will be in little doubt about is the importance of Barrett and Retallick. Scott Barrett did a solid job deputising for Retallick, but in just his second run-on start, it was Sopoaga whose reputation will suffer.
The All Blacks will regroup however and, in all likelihood, negotiate an unbeaten spring tour of their own. But for one night at least, the two-time reigning world champions looked beatable and mentally off their game.
