A World Cup winner believes Wales would have watched New Zealand v South Africa last weekend and thought they've never had a better chance of global glory in Japan.
The All Blacks remain short-priced favourites to make it three World Cup final wins on the trot while the Springboks' 16-16 draw with the Kiwis in Wellington has seen their odds slashed on sealing a hat-trick of Webb Ellis trophies.
Six Nations champions Wales and All Black slayers Ireland are the best of the rest behind second-favourites England to win a first World Cup.
But Brendan Venter, who helped seal the Springboks' iconic 1995 World Cup win in his homeland, thinks the rugby served up in the Westpac Stadium stalemate gave the northern hemisphere nations renewed belief in their own hopes of being big in Japan.
The former Springboks assistant coach wrote in his column for Stuff.Co.Nz: "The All Blacks are a great team but the likes of England, Ireland and Wales will be looking at this game thinking that they will be in with a chance at the Rugby World Cup.
"The All Blacks looked rusty in the first half but, in the second stanza, you saw a typical All Blacks team, as they lifted their intensity and tempo.
"The All Blacks will still be World Cup favourites but there will be four or five teams that will believe they can beat New Zealand.
"When I watched the All Blacks on Saturday, my main takeaway was how average their work ethic was.
"When the ball was kicked into the air, I noticed how they didn't work to get back and often left Beauden Barrett on his own at the back to sort out the problems.
"It just didn't look like the same energetic All Blacks who have traditionally done all the little things better than everybody else.
"Their defence was OK, as was their kick-chase and the way they got back. However, everything has become like most other teams and, when that's the case, you then become beatable."
The major talking point from the Rugby Championship clash surrounded Beauden Barrett and the furore the golden boy of the All Blacks whipped up when kicking a crucial penalty in the second period.
A big social media debate surrounding Barrett was initiated when an eagle-eyed Springboks fan spotted the All Blacks star stealing metres behind the referee's back prior to his one successful penalty.
All Blacks skipper Kieran Read told Barrett to take a shot at goal when referee Nic Berry awarded his team a kick near the 22metre line in the 48th minute.
But a video on Twitter, showed Barrett roll the ball approximately four metres closer to the posts when Berry's back was turned.
It has led to one New Zealand-based media organisation believing rugby referees should be armed with vanishing foam, like in football, to stop goal-kickers pinching metres when taking a shot at the posts.
But Venter, who was one of the early driving forces behind turning Saracens into English and European kingpins, believes New Zealand Rugby should take a stand against Barrett's gamesmanship.
"I do have an issue with what Barrett did by stealing yards for his penalty - by kicking the ball forward three metres when the referee's back was turned.
"To offer an analogy, if you're a professional golfer and you throw the ball two yards closer to the pin, you would be banned for life if caught.
"But it seems that if you're a professional rugby player and you get away with it then it's fine.
"What Barrett did was wrong and New Zealand Rugby should have come out, taken a stand and said we actually disagree with what he did. Barrett is a good guy, and by definition he is not a cheat, but what he did was wrong and we need to draw the line."
