The Nude Blacks emerged with their pride intact following a hair-raising encounter against a spirited invitational Australian outfit in Dunedin this afternoon.
More than 2000 vocal supporters lined the North ground, with both teams earning equal gasps of approval and disdain when they took to the field.
The Australians, which included some on-loan New Zealand female rugby players, decided to soak up the Nude Blacks' mana, by advancing Australian fair on a spirited haka.
Exquisite handling saw the Nude Blacks gain early ascendancy, and which included some new moves including the debut of the ''Tony Woodcock'' line-out call.
However, their momentum was disrupted by some dubious referring decisions courtesy of commentator turned guest referee Scotty Stevenson.
An aggressive kick/chase game by the Australians almost led to them drawing the game with the last play of the game before it was disallowed for an earlier infringement.
And the score? Nude Blacks 5, Australian Invitational 4. However, nude rugby was the winner on the day.
