The bitter taste of dissatisfaction will linger long after the final whistle.
The All Blacks ran on to the field in the so-called ‘dead rubber' on Saturday hoping to extend their 16 game winning streak and mark Keven Mealamu's 100th test with their 100th victory over the injury-stricken Wallabies.
They left the field after the third Bledisloe test with an 18-18 draw, a result no one will be celebrating.
The week leading up to the match was a tough one for both the All Blacks and the Wallabies.
The men in black had the weight of public expectations to deal with, and they also had to deal with the absence of Coach Steve Hansen, who was away from the team for most of the week due to the death of his father.
Although he travelled with the team to Brisbane, he could be forgiven if his mind was elsewhere.
For their part, the Wallabies had to deal with having many top players unavailable due to injury, and intensified speculation about coach Robbie Deans' future as Wallabies coach following news Australian Rugby Union chairman John O'Neill was stepping down.
O'Neill has helped protect Deans despite the Wallabies string of poor results under his stewardship.
Those distractions affected the performance of both sides.
The Australians applied pressure to the All Black defence early, and a frustrated All Black side, unable to gain any momentum, retaliated.
Ill-discipline at the breakdown was their downfall and, after numerous infringements, referee Craig Joubert sent Tony Woodcock to the sin bin for ten minutes late in the first half.
A similar fate befell the Wallabies in the second half, and their lacks of discipline saw Joubert reach into his pocket again, sending Michael Hooper to the side-line to reduce the Wallabies to 14 men.
With a full strength and experienced side, the All Blacks would normally have made good use of this advantage.
But Scott Higginbotham resorted to a strategy which has worked for the Australians in the past - upsetting Richie McCaw.
He was cited for his head-butt on the All Blacks captain and he will most likely face further disciplinary action, but it served its purpose; McCaw was distracted from the task at hand.
Although some would suggest the Wallabies would have been happy with the score line, the players and Deans would have held a different view.
The Australians still have a lot of work ahead of them as they try to rebuild their game.
The All Blacks have to pick up and learn from their mistakes in Brisbane, but every cloud has a silver lining.
The New Zealand team seldom suffers setbacks outside a World Cup; this will become a good learning experience for Hansen's men in their bid to defend their world title in England in three years.
