The three promoted to start in the 25-20 victory – Anthony Faingaa, Radike Samo and Dan Vickerman – all had outstanding games and were vital to lifting the prestigious trophy for the first time since 2001.

And enigmatic fly-half Quade Cooper is now in doubt for the opening matches of the tournament, after he was summoned to face a SANZAR judicial hearing at 2pm on Sunday for making contact with Kiwi captain Richie McCaw’s head with his knee.

Faingaa, who was elevated to start at inside centre to accommodate James O’Connor’s one-match ban, slotted in to the backline seamlessly, and seemed to be reading from the All Blacks play book in defence.

Dan Vickerman threw himself at the breakdown with the vigorous, barely-controlled aggression that Robbie Deans had demanded and his lineout jumping was entirely satisfactory.

And 35-year-old number eight Radike Samo, starting his first Test since 2004, was the feel-good story of the night, defying his age with a rampant, physical performance, which will best be remembered for his sensational 60-metre solo effort in the first half.

“Things happen when Radike’s involved. The blokes enjoy playing with him for that reason, because they know that and that tends to spread the excitement,” said Deans.

“He was a point of difference player for us tonight, in attack and defence.

“(Fainga’a) make a difference. His combination with Patty (McCabe) was great, and they didn’t allow the All Blacks to get any flow.

“They’re good (selection) problems to have.”

For his part, Cooper, who was a solid performer despite having his creative flair dampened by conditions, looked to play down his running battle with McCaw and said the knee-to-head contact was merely an incidental part of playing contact sport.

“I can’t remember any incident. But that’s rugby, it’s a contact sport. Our bodies are colliding left, right and centre, and there’s a lot of niggle going on out there on the field,” he said.

“That’s why these matches are so good to watch. Australia versus New Zealand are the matches that go down in history.

“To have a player like Richie McCaw, a living legend, to play against, all the boys love it. And we love these games against New Zealand, because they bring out the best in us.”

O’Connor will almost certainly re-enter the starting line-up, and if Cooper is not hit with a suspension, he will likely take up his position on the wing, with Adam Ashley-Cooper moving back into the centres at the expense of either Faingaa or the reliable Pat McCabe.

Meanwhile, veteran lock Nathan Sharpe and star Waratahs backs Drew Mitchell and Berrick Barnes were able to press their claims earlier in the weekend with eye-catching performances for the Barbarians in a comfortable win over Canada.

Deans said that Saturday night’s win over the defending Tri Nations champions would be cherished and well celebrated, but he made clear his side would not be allowing the win to go to spark complacency.

“It’s a significant result for us. We haven’t done that since 2001, so that’s a biggie,” said Deans.

“In terms of the World Cup, it’s irrelevant. And if anything, we’ve probably just put the bar up.

“(But) we’ll take some real value out of it, there’s no doubt about that.”