It was the first time that the All Blacks had been beaten at home since June 14, 2003, when they lost to an England team building irrepressible momentum towards their maiden World Cup triumph. It was the first time this century that the Springboks – surely the All Blacks greatest foe – had defeated New Zealand in their own backyard.

Finally, it was only the 35th time New Zealand had lost at home in approximately 104 years of Test match rugby – and in the process it ended a world-record 30-game winning streak.

To sum up the feelings of the world champions, South Africa Rugby Union president Regan Hoskins says he was tempted to describe his nation’s first win over the All Blacks in New Zealand for a decade as "better than the Rugby World Cup".

This returned the IRB’s official ranking as the world’s No.1 team to the Springboks – who, with their world championship, hold the accolades that would rank them as the world’s premier playing team.  Only the All Blacks, the current Tri-Nations champions, and the only team with a positive winning ratio against the South Africans, can challenge this ledger.

However, as impressive as the All Blacks were in their opening Test win in Wellington, and as redoubtable as they were going down by two points in Dunedin, how convincingly can they lay claim to this title, especially when they are a far different team than they were last year? They are also a significantly weaker side than the awesome All Black team of 2005/6 that conquered all before them.

For the sake of pure rugby arguments, the real basis of this question will be proved on August 16 when the world champions host the All Blacks at Newlands in Cape Town.  Assuming (somewhat unfairly) that the Wallabies only play a bit part in this current championship, this match will no doubt decide the winner of the Tri-Nations tournament.

Newlands is a happy hunting ground for the All Blacks, with five wins from eight matches played there. Captain Richie McCaw will be available for this game after injury, and his presence will be crucial if the All Blacks are to emerge post-World Cup with a favourable ledger against the world champions. It must be remembered that this is a new and inexperienced All Black team, while the Springboks have lost only Os du Randt since their World Cup success.

On paper, it is fair to say that the Springboks look slightly stronger than the All Blacks, but for them to win the current Tri-Nations championship, a lot rests on the shoulders of coach Peter de Villiers. Question marks still remain over some of his selections – but the big question mark over his regime appears to have been answered in favour of the Springboks.

He was desperately keen to ensure that the World Cup holders moved away from the pragmatic approach of Jake White and exhibit a more attacking mindset – and this appears at this early stage to have succeeded.

Equally, South Africa’s success against the Wallabies will be crucial. This Tri-Nations is no World Cup – with soft opponents missing. If the Springboks do not win against Australia in Perth this weekend, despite the breakthrough win in Dunedin, they will return home with two losses on tour. 

For what the Dunedin victory did cover up is the massive expectation that now lies on the shoulders of the Springbok team. Failure to win the Tri-Nations will not go down well with the South African public, who can be as harsh as the fickle New Zealand faithful.

Take the scalp of the All Blacks in Newlands, and win the Tri-Nations, and the argument that the Springboks are in fact the world’s best team will be too compelling to ignore. Further intrigue awaits in a fascinating tournament.

De Villiers’ men will also host the Pumas before embarking on their Northern tour, an area where the Springboks have traditionally struggled. But even if they taste success in the next couple of months, this end-of-year tour will be crucial – as this will build the momentum for the arrival of the British ad Irish Lions in 2009…

Upcoming matches: July 19 - Australia v South Africa (Subiaco Oval); August 9 – South Africa v Argentina (Ellis Park); August 16 – South Africa v New Zealand August 23 – (Kings Park); South Africa v Australia (Newlands); August 30 – South Africa v Australia (Ellis Park). Northern tour: November 8 – Wales v South Africa (Millennium Stadium); November 15 – Scotland v South Africa (Murrayfield); November 22 – England v South Africa (Twickenham).