There were a lot of talking points over the weekend when it came to the Rugby World Cup - but all Kiwis really care about is how it all affects the All Blacks and their chances of getting to the final.
The weekend's rugby was a religious experience for believers and infidels alike - David smashed Goliath. Then Goliath smashed David, Wales parting the Yellow Sea, smiting the Wallabies for the first time in a World Cup since 1987.
- Rugby World Cup 2019: Wales edge Australia in RWC thriller
- Rugby World Cup 2019: Japan upset throws All Blacks quarter-final wide open
- The Cup 19 podcast: Who do NZ punters see as All Blacks' biggest threat?
The referees faced the wrath of fans, breaking the unspoken commandment, "Thou shalt not penalise the ball carrier for a head-high shot".
After the Japan versus Ireland upset, New Zealanders are unsure who the All Blacks will face in the quarter-final. Rugby World Cup correspondent John Day checked in with The Project on Monday from Beppu to explain how the recent results might affect New Zealand.
Keep an eye on Japan
Firstly, Day says Kiwis should not underestimate Japan.
"Japan just beat Ireland, and Ireland have beaten us two out of the last three times we've played them. I think Japan is a very different beast than they were a few years ago," he said.
"You could think it's going to be easy, but the All Blacks definitely won't."
It could be straight-forward, it could be 'up in the air'
However, Day says the All Blacks' upcoming games against Namibia, Canada and Italy should be "fairly straight-forward".
"At this point, we've got no idea who we're going to face in the quarter-finals - if it's Ireland, that will be tough. Japan could be tough, it could even be Scotland or Samoa, so it's all up in the air."
But never fear - the All Blacks are well-prepared
Day says the All Blacks won't release their full arsenal during the lead-up to the quarter-final.
"They'll keep a few things up their sleeves, a few things they will be told not to do. I think we'll see them make the games hard for themselves.
"When the All Blacks play each other at training, that's probably one of the hardest test matches they get during the week - and we don't get to see that, unfortunately. It would be great if they televised that."
Newshub.
