New Zealand coach John Hart admits his feared All Blacks will have to clean up their act in one of the key areas of the game if they are to escape the wrath of World Cup referees in October-November.
New Zealand are still everyone's favourites to replace South Africa as world champions but after watching his side penalised by Scottish referee Jim Fleming on Saturday night, Hart admitted he had some hard thinking to do.
Australian full-back Matthew Burke kicked seven penalties - all for infringements at the breakdown where New Zealand had looked unbeatable in their five earlier wins this season - as the Wallabies won 28-7.
Fleming's refusal to apply the advantage rule saw him blow up for 30 penalties in 80 minutes.
But Hart refused to criticise the Scottish official whose interpretation of the rules will probably be followed by referees at the World Cup.
"I think he was consistent," Hart said. "Players got isolated on the ball quite often and held on and that's not in the rules.
"The refereeing in the World Cup is going to be pretty rigid at the breakdown."
But Hart said the result would have no effect on his World Cup selection which will be announced today.
"But it will have an effect on the makeup of the minds. It was a huge wake-up call," he added.
The next time these two sides meet could be in the World Cup final in Cardiff in November.
Bulldog hooker Garin Jenkins has played down Wales' epic run of eight straight victories this year and said: "We're still not in the world's top five."
Robust Swansea player Jenkins led by example up front as Wales secured a second victory over France this year, winning 34-23 at their own Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
It cemented Wales' new-found dominance over a French team they beat 34-33 in dramatic circumstances at the Stade France last March.
That run is put on the line again tomorrow when Wales take on the United States in a non-cap international at the Millennium Stadium.
England captain Martin Johnson allowed his short fuse to blow again in the friendly Test against Canada, but his yellow card was glossed over by coach Clive Woodward.
Johnson was carded for the third time in seven Tests when he lived up to his gun-slinger image after Danny Grewcock and Richard Hill were attacked.
Johnson justified himself and Woodward called for the sin-bin to be introduced in the World Cup for technical offences.
But privately England must start worrying about the prospect of losing their leader to a red card at a match-deciding moment in the knock-out stages of the World Cup.
Johnson was carded twice in the Five Nations last season.
Scotland tough-guy Gordon Simpson has urged coach Jim Telfer to forget the evidence of the victory over Romania when he sits down to select his World Cup 30.
Telfer and the rest of the Scottish selectors will meet up at Murrayfield this evening to finalise their party - with at least three of his players awaiting a telephone call from hell.
The 60-19 win over Romania was the last chance for Scotland to shine and Simpson took his opportunity magnificently.
Coming in for Stuart Reid at number eight, the Auckland-born star was one of the few home players who maintained their poise throughout an 80 minutes where Scotland only occasionally shone.
Seven legitimate tries, plus a penalty score which they didn't really need, ensured a handsome - and record - win over the Eastern Europeans. There were some encouraging displays, notably from prop Tom Smith, who now seems fully recovered from the broken leg he suffered against Ireland last season.
Romanian scrum-half Petre Mitu collected all his side's points in a performance which did little to suggest that group opponents Australia and Ireland had anything significant to worry about.
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