Stuart Barnes looks at surprise wins for the Springboks and Pumas, discusses Beauden Barrett's kicking flaws and whether the game really has gone soft.
1. There's only one place to begin - Wellington and a major shock as South Africa beat the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time in nine years.
There is much to digest but first a few broad brush strokes. It was an epic encounter. Maybe not technically quite as good as the 2013 clash between these two countries at Ellis Park but certainly the game of the calendar year to date.
Some 34,000 fans were treated to raw drama and eleven tries. Last week, it was seventy points in Nelson, on Saturday the same staggering tally was totted up.
2. Ahead of the game, Rassie Erasmus concurred that the Springboks might need to win the game to ensure he retains his post after a couple of sloppy losses.
I don't believe that for a second but it's an irrelevance now. It sounds bizarre but the defence of the South African side - a primary weakness in recent years - was far more impressive, even though they conceded six tries.
That's just how it is against New Zealand. The line speed was much improved, wingers didn't jump out of the line and when it mattered in those final moments they defended with the same grit we have come to expect from the great Springbok teams over the years.
3. It was an outstanding evening for Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, who set the tone for every second he was on the field.
In a country where expectations are savage and patience limited, he needed this win just to remind a few people why he is captain of his country.
Australia will be a different sort of test of his leadership. There was no shortage of adrenaline against the world's best team. Australia at home is another matter.
4. What was Lukhan Tui thinking? It's impossible to know without having been there. I don't like making snap judgements, especially in such emotionally volatile circumstances.
If it was true that an inebriated supporter pushed his sister over, there is no surprise in how he reacted. Initial reactions suggested he was considering quitting the game post the incident. Latter comments indicate he will not play for the Wallabies again this year.
Let's hope the Australian Union can come up with a sensible answer. Players should never react but inebriated people have no divine right to abuse sportsmen, or anyone for that matter. But let's get all the facts before we judge this particular case.
5. What was Israel Folau thinking? Bernard Foley was in space, almost within diving distance of the try line and a match-winning score against Argentina.
Folau took it upon himself to knock the Argentine lock, Tomos Lavanini, out of his path. The athletic second rower had other thoughts as Argentina won only their second game in Australia.
Michael Cheika made a good point about the incident. No, he didn't blame the full-back even though, yes, the try would have been scored but the point was the performance and it wasn't good enough for 79 minutes and 59 seconds.
I like Cheika. He's honest, intelligent, articulate and under fire. The feeble crowd on the Gold Coast is a worry for the immediate future of the Wallabies and the Test game in general which cannot afford to lose one of its few big guns.
6. As Australia (who Mario Ledesma coached) fall, Argentina rise.
Two wins and a cracking performance against New Zealand. The Pumas are purring towards Japan. There will even be dreams ahead of the impending All Black visit after the aura of invincibility was blown away by the Springboks.
Ledesma has his team playing some sublime stuff. If they find a way to fuel the scrum they are going to be a major force.
As it is, they are back as a force. I think of men like Ramiro Herrara of Stade Francais and Saracens' Juan Figallo. Throw Fecundo Isa into the melting pot and that World Cup pool of England, France, Argentina, USA and Tonga is looking tougher by the day.
7. Well, at some stage, Beauden Barrett's name had to crop up. Did he run away from the drop goal or did New Zealand honestly think a try was the easiest way to score?
Then there are the four misses from six, a few of them easy for a player of this stature. The goal-kicking cost the All Blacks against the Lions and it hurt them Saturday but if the All Blacks score 36 points a game it'll take the next blue moon before they lose again.
I'll be interested to see whether Steve Hansen slows them down from constant overdrive to a mix of top gear and driving in third. Trying to play at Saturday's pace cost them 17 points courtesy of hurried and horrible decision making. There's no doubt South Africa's win has upset the international apple cart.
8. At club level, Will Spencer's red card is all the rage in the chattering classes. Georden Murphy thinks the game has gone PC, a lot of critics think Murphy has got it wrong.
Our social obsession with safety has leaked onto the rugby fields, to the extent where red cards are flourished for technically flawed tackles as opposed to dirty play. The biggest issue is the inability of professional rugby players to tackle in the horizontal position any more. George Smith's challenge was far redder than Spencer's but Smith is something of a cult hero in the game. I wouldn't recommend the Tiger turns up to his hearing with a ball and attitude.
9. Toulon big man Mathieu Bastareaud was sent off for an act of stupid aggression against Castres. What thoughts trickled through his mind in the stands of the Jean Bouin Sunday afternoon as his team capitulated against an extremely well organised Stade Francais. Patricio Collazzo is struggling, as are Toulon. It appears that the age of Toulon is coming to its end.
10. Craig Willis is not the biggest of names mentioned, I'll admit. But the former Newcastle fly-half turned Ealing Trailfinders No 10 is a reminder just how many excellent rugby players are floating around.
I saw him steer Newcastle to victory against Bath at the Recreation Ground last season and was surprised my old mate, Dean Richards, let him go. On the evidence of his performance against Yorkshire Carnegie on Saturday I still can't see why he had so little Falcons game time. There's a lot of talent out there, folks.