Any summation of New Zealand's rugby year has to be dominated by the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup success.
The Holy Grail has had an unhealthy hold on the game in the country for too long and victory, if nothing else, should allow for some respite from the intensity of passion and the depth of vindictiveness that all too easily overtook the country when anything of concern occurred in the game.
There is no escaping the fact that rugby is now wound up in a four-year cycle based upon success at the World Cup.
Yet, as the 8-7 win in the final showed, form in the years between finals was not necessarily the prerequisite to success at that level.
How could France be a near World Cup winner with the background of its game in the years between?
And, if the truth be known, how could New Zealand win a World Cup in the style required at Eden Park on October 23? How could it win when down to its fourth first five-eighths? How could it win without its star playmaker and goal-kicker Dan Carter and with its talismanic captain Richie McCaw hobbling around on one foot during the quarters, semi and final?
What was demonstrated was the point that all lessons in the four years, and in New Zealand's case beyond, are elements of a World Cup campaign.
New Zealand's depth, resolve and experience got it over the finish line ahead of everyone else in the tournament.
Nothing was going to deny McCaw his moment and his feat will probably never be appreciated until he decides to pen an autobiography which will lay bear the pain he endured to get through.
But while New Zealand dazzled the rugby world, again, in the years between Cups, the rugby required to win it was a totally different style. That should be the lesson for future Cup campaigns.
It is about being ready on the day. What New Zealand came up with was an effort from the depths of All Blacks history – a return to basic forward dominance up front and defensive intensity in the rear.
The lineout which produced a try for prop Tony Woodcock was no fluke. It was a beautifully executed piece of subterfuge which caught the French well and truly napping.
It was something that had no doubt been practised, practised and practised again in the knowledge that it would only be unleashed when the opposition, at the highest level, least expected it.
This wasn't something that could be tried in a Test before a final. There's too much video analysis nowadays for teams not to have been prepared to counter such a move.
Sure there are ways around trying variants in a Test, but disclosure of the ploy had to be sealed from exposure as securely as protecting Fort Knox.
There had been warning signs the All Blacks were capable of handling the intensity. Their 2010 victory over South Africa at Eden Park was evidence of that. So too, the win over Australia in 2011.
But the ultimate test was always going to be the three matches over three weekends that would deliver the trophy. New Zealand's depth of resource was tested but was not wanting.
The side's default level of play was still higher than any side could manage. In other words, the All Blacks level of consistency far surpassed the