The cricketing world has been privileged to watch one of the great Test series of recent years, with the South African team creating history by beating the Aussies in a Test series for the first time on Australian soil. And the way they went about it was something truly incredible to witness.

This series was always going to be testing for the Aussies, who have looked a shadow of their former selves recently. And although they had opportunities to win in both of the first two Tests, they let those opportunities slip by them - although South Africa still had to do a hell of a lot of work to do to win the first two.

The first Test in Perth was one of the best Tests we've witnessed for some time, with South Africa chasing down a massive 414 runs to win - the second highest ever run chase in Test cricket history. Australia had a chance to put the game beyond doubt, but were bundled out for 319 in their second innings thanks to a good all-round bowling effort by the Proteas. Going into the massive task set by the Aussies, the South African batsmen put on the perfect chase, hunting down the total in spectacular fashion. Graham Smith and AB de Villiers both scored centuries, while Amla, Kallis and JP Duminy (on debut) all chipped in with 50s. It was the perfect start to the tour of Australia, and most importantly it put the Proteas in the box seat.

The second Test continued in much the same way, with Australia looking in control by scoring 394 runs in their first innings. They then had South Africa on the ropes - seven wickets down for 198 runs. What happened on the second day was nothing short of amazing - JP Duminy and Darryl Steyn put on over 150 runs for the 9th wicket, which gave South African a first innings lead. From that moment on, South Africa were back in control, and Australia were fighting to stay in the game. Steyn ripped through the Australian batting lineup, and South Africa were left to chase down 183 - a task they would do with some ease, losing only Smith for 75.

South Africa had the opportunity to move to the top of the Test rankings by beating the Aussies in the third Test, but Australia had a lot of pride on the line, and played as if there was a million dollar prize. Their batting looked a lot sharper, and despite having two rookie bowlers on debut, their bowling looked the best it's been all series. What was amazing about this Test was the run chase in the fourth innings. South Africa were already without Smith, injured in the first innings, and when Steyn was given out late in the day, everyone at the ground (including the players) thought the game was over.

Not so - Smith walked down from the pavilion, suffering from a broken finger on one hand and a damaged elbow on his other arm, to try and help save the Test. It was a valiant effort from the captain, who alongside Ntini brought the game within 7 deliveries of being a draw. Mitchell Johnson finally ended the game, bowling Smith for three, and giving Australia something to smile about after a pretty tough Test series.

The three Tests had so many twists and turns, we were kept on the edge of our seats the entire time - which gave us a nice break from the ho-hum series between New Zealand and the West Indies (the Black Caps won the third ODI, by the way...).

The South Africans have shown the world once again that they are a force to be reckoned with in all forms of the game, and have uncovered some exciting talent. JP Duminy looks to be an exciting prospect in the middle of the order, and will give the selectors a few headaches once Prince is available for selection. Steyn has also shown us that he is fastly becoming (if he's not already there) the best bowler in the game today, and after what he's shown us with the bat, who knows - maybe he could become more of an all rounder...

Australia are in somewhat of a crisis now. Hayden is having trouble scoring any runs, and many people are calling for his retirement. At this point he shows no sign of quitting the game, though, although he's been dropped from the ODI squad - so his days in the coloured uniform may well be over. Bowling wise (other than Mithchell Johnson) none of the bowlers have looked to really threaten consistently. What is apparent is that they are no longer the only heavyweights of the cricketing world, and despite what the rankings say, it appears that India and South Africa are pulling away at the top of the cricketing world.

The beauty in all of this is that these two teams will go head to head in a couple of months, this time on the lethal pitches of South Africa. This could be the opportunity for South Africa to slam an explanation point on this heated rivalry.

We can't wait!

The All Blacks are gearing up for their one off Test in South Africa, as they look to continue that good form they rediscovered in Auckland.

The same team has been named to take on the Springboks, which speaks volumes for the way they played in the second Bledisloe Cup match.

The only change comes on the bench, where Anthony Tuitavake has been replaced by Isaia Toeava - and that gives cover to fullback and the centers. Toeava has had a mixed bag in his short All Black career so far, with some real moments of skill being overshadowed by some less-than-impressive displays. Hopefully his time away from the black jersey has given him time to find the maturity needed for the top level.

The All Blacks will need to produce a similar performance to that in Auckland if they want to beat the Boks on their home soil. They do have a good record in Cape Town, though, winning five of their last eight there.

The Springboks have made a few changes due to injury, after playing against the Argentinians last weekend. Bakkies Botha and Jaque Fourie will both miss the Test, which is great news for the All Blacks.

Veteran fullback Percy Montgomery will play in his 100th Test for the Springboks. Montgomery has been a fantastic asset for the Boks over the past decade, and rates among their best players ever. Congratulations Percy, but unfortunately we hope it's not a successful 100th Test.

Here are the teams:

All Blacks: Mils Muliaina, Richard Kahui, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Sitivini Sivivatu, Dan Carter, Jimmy Cowan, Rodney So'oialo, Richie McCaw (c), Jerome Kaino, Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Greg Somerville, Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock.

Reserves: John Afoa, Kevin Mealamu, Anthony Boric, Adam Thomson, Piri Weepu, Stephen Donald, Isaia Toeava.

South Africa: Percy Montgomery, JP Pietersen, Jean de Villiers, Adrian Jacobs, Bryan Habana, Butch James, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield (c), Andries Bekker, CJ Van de Linde, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira.

Reserves: Adriaan Strauss, Brian Mujati, Danie Rossouw, Luke Watson, Ricky Januarie, Frans Steyn, Conrad Jantjes.

A word of warning to anyone who dares count out the Wallabies - they will stun you when you least expect it.

Here in the Attic, we honestly gave the Aussies no chance of beating the Springboks, who were fresh off their win over the All Blacks. But, much to our surprise, the Wallabies came away with a 16-9 win over the World Champs.

It was by no means a convincing display by either team, but, as the old cliche goes, a win's a win - and the Wallabies have proven that they can still match up against the best in the world.

The first half was scrappy, as both sides looked to open up and play attacking rugby. The problem was, both sides had trouble sticking their passes, which made the game look kind of sloppy.

Francois Steyn opened up the scoring with a penalty early on, but a try to Lote Tuqiri in the 35th minute gave the Wallabies a 5-3 lead going into the break.

Just after half time, Stirling Mortlock scored again for the Wallabies, taking the lead to 10-3. Matt Giteau was unsuccessful with both conversion attempts.

The rest of the half played out much like the first, with both sides looking to attack, but struggling to get any momentum going.

The Springboks were once again tough on defence, and punished the Wallabies across the paddock. But they also resorted to some cheap shots, one which saw Mortlock leave the field injured.

Bakkes Botha has to be rated one of the dirtiest players in the game today - his shot on Mortlock was disgusting, and he should receive a ban for a few weeks.

The game failed to live up to the hype of the first two Tri Nations clashes between New Zealand and South Africa, but it has shown us that the Wallabies aren't there to make up the numbers - they are there to win.

This weekend's Bledisloe Cup clash just got interesting...

The Springboks have bounced back from their defeat last week, beating the All Blacks in a 30-28 thriller in Dunedin.

Both sides were fairly even throughout the game, until a piece a magic from Ricky Janurie in the dying stages of the game gave the Bok's the lead - which they held on to until full time.

Losing is never fun, but the Springboks are a tough side - and they thoroughly deserve their win.

The first half was plagued by Matt Goddard's whistle, which meant both sides struggled to get any momentum going. Goddard was awarding penalties left right and center, and by half time the Bok's led 17-15, with JP Peterson scoring the only try after a woeful All Blacks lineout gave South Africa a five meter scrum.

Dan Carter kept the All Blacks in the hunt, though, with five penalties.

Losing Ali Williams in the 29th minute hurt the All Blacks badly - Anthony Boric and Kevin O'Neill played well, but we really missed the experience Williams brings to the table.

The All Blacks stepped up in the second half, but just couldn't hold on in the last ten minutes, even with Victor Matfield in the bin for a high shot - which, to be fair, was a terrible call, and just one of the many rubbish calls from Goddard.

Sione Luaki scored the All Black's only try of the night, and had a strong game when he replaced (the very quiet) Jerome Kaino.

The Springboks really muscled up, and even managed to make a go of it in the scrums this week - a far cry better than their display last week.

They now head to Perth, where they will face the Wallabies on Saturday night. If they can pick up the win there, they'll head back to South Africa well pleased with their efforts down under.

It's not panic stations for the All Blacks - they just need to tighten up their defence around the ruck, and work on getting good quick ball to the backs (we're talking to you Ellis), and they'll bounce back.

We would also like to see Carter look to kick down field a lot more, too, rather than these high midfield bombs we keep seeing - they're really just giving the opposition the ball in prime territory. Carter is capable of kicking deep, and really should look to do so.

A big positive for the All Blacks was - once again - the center combo of Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith, who continue to grow each week. They're creating some real havoc for the opposition defence - keep up the good work, fellas.

While the loss isn't exactly great (from our narrow-minded, biased perspective), it does makes for an interesting Tri Nations, and will keep the All Blacks grounded.

They still have a lot of work to do, but at least their heading in the right direction.

Well done, South Africa - you deserved this one.

The All Blacks have taken first blood in this years Tri Nations, grinding out a hard fought 19-8 win over the Springboks in Wellington.

Once again Wellington turned on the wet conditions, which meant a greasy surface and plenty of handling errors by both sides.

Despite the slippery ball, both sides tried to play an open game, with a lot of tactical kicking.

Even Ali Williams joined in on it.

Dan Carter put the All Blacks ahead with three penalties, before Bryan Habana scored in the corner, narrowing the margin to 9-8 going into half time. The Springboks were giving the All Blacks a run for their money...

John Smit was an early casualty for the Springboks, leaving the field in the first half with a groin strain, after being dumped by Brad Thorn in an off-the-ball incident. Thorn has been given a one week ban for the tackle, and will miss the Carisbrook Test next Saturday.

Jerome Kaino scored the All Blacks first (and only) try to give them a handy eight point lead, and when Carter slotted a penalty later in the half the All Blacks took a 19-8 lead, which they kept to the final whistle.

Kaino was very unlucky not to be given a second try after chasing a Carter kick, but Stu Dickenson deemed him off side, which was a completely rubbish call. Why the video ref couldn't have had a look we don't know, but it should have been referred.

Kaino had a fantastic game, and looks to be maturing as an All Black, as does Ma'a Nonu.

Other standouts for the All Blacks were Ali Williams, who had a great game in his fiftieth Test, and Conrad Smith, who continues to silence his critics with great attacking and defending abilities.

The lineouts were very successful (until late in the second half), as was the scrum, where we dominated the Springboks throughout the game.

Our only real concern at the moment is Andy Ellis at halfback. We know he's young and relatively new to the All Blacks, but we need a halfback who can pass the ball quickly. Ellis seems to be permanently stuck in slow motion.

We'd like to see Cowan get a start this weekend, just to let Ellis know he has some competition for the number nine jersey. Maybe that way he'll up his game a bit more...

All in all it was a very tough and physical Test, which is exactly what the All Blacks needed. The Springboks showed us that they are a real threat, and could give us more of a run for our money in the upcoming Tests.

We can't wait for round two this Saturday in Dunedin - we just hope the snow has melted by then.

This Saturday's Test between the All Blacks and the current World Champs, South Africa, is one you don't want to miss.

The Springboks are in great form (have been since the World Cup, actually) and are bolstered by the return of John Smit, who has been playing in Europe.

Normally, the All Blacks would be heavy favourites, especially in New Zealand - the Springboks don't usually travel well - but it's hard to see them dominating this match against the highly improved South African side.

We're definitely not saying we won't win - we just see it being a lot closer than years gone by...

South Africa are experiencing a revival in form, and are developing some great talent - think, Ryan Kankowski, who was destructive in this years Super 14.

They also have a lot of experience in John Smit and Victor Matfield, and they will not be beaten easily.

This, though, will be their toughest Test of the year - Wales only put up a fight in the second Test, and - well - no one expected much out of Italy.

The All Blacks have yet to be tested either, but they have shown some good form against England - especially in the backs. The forwards will have to step up against the Bok's forward pack, especially without McCaw, but they have shown they are capable of winning without him.

The biggest thing in the All Blacks favour is the return of the new rules (ELV's), which means a faster game with less stoppage time. The Springboks will really be tested in the later stages of the Test, where the All Blacks fitness will give them an advantage.

We don't expect a walk-over, but we're confident the All Blacks can come away with the win - we are tough to beat at home.

This promises to be a great Tri Nations competition - possibly the closest to date - but we just wouldn't be New Zealanders if we didn't think the All Blacks could win it.

Which, of course, they will.