At the outset of yesterday's World Rugby Classic final, organiser John Kane let it slip that he would be presenting New Zealand captain Andy Haden with the championship trophy around 6.30 p.m.

Kane had done precisely that the last four years.

But not this time.

A hungry band of hustlers known as the Classic Barbarians, an all-star squad made up of players from Wales, Scotland and Ireland, pulled off the biggest upset in Classic history when they defeated the All Blacks 10-5 in a spell-binding final.

And what made the victory even more impressive for the Barbarians was the fact that many of the players who helped catapult them to the final left Bermuda on the eve of it.

Even more stunningly, the Barbarians chose to go with only the players who were left, adding a couple of spare parts -- Mike Harrison of England and Alan Gorbutt of Bermuda.

This was the same group that on Friday night after winning top skit -- with their clothes on -- at the Number One Shed party lamented how they were going to provide "a full side'' for next year's final. Even they appeared to smell certain defeat at the hands of the All Blacks.

However, with vintage performances from players like Jeremy Pugh, Bill Cuthbertson, Adrian Varney, Alan Edmunds, Ewen Kennedy, Phillip Rainey, Colin Wilkinson and captain Allan Martin, they shut down the All Blacks during most of the game. Everyone appeared to make big plays.

"Anything can happen against the All Blacks,'' said Martin afterwards. "They can pull the game out of the fire, they're always very dangerous. But we're very, very happy.'' It was the lowest-scoring final ever, surpassing the one in 1991, which featured a mere 16 points. That game (New Zealand 12, England 4) also produced the lowest total by an All Black team and yesterday came within a whisker of the lowest point total by any team in the final.

Despite the low-scoring game, the squinting crowd of 1,200 on an achingly bright day were clearly delighted.

Barbarians drew first blood 25 minutes into the contest after a spirited spurt fuelled by Irish centre Phillip Rainey on a pinpoint pass from Harrison to make the score 5-0. Four minutes later, Welsh flanker Darryl Price raced beyond the line to give the Barbarians a 10-0 lead as the crowd let out a deafening roar.

This game, however, was far from over.

The All Blacks scored in the second half when a patented run from Allan Whetton sliced the lead to 10-5.

From that moment on it was a nail-puller with the All Blacks absorbing a physical pounding from Barbarian tacklers like Jeremy Pugh and Kennedy.

The All Blacks valiantly tried to erase the Barbarians' lead, but at key junctures had trouble keeping their offence fluid.

New Zealand were unable to restrain the plucky Barbarians line-up. Even the crowd, which was completely behind them, tried to rattle the Kiwis, who were thought to be wiser to Classic ways.

The All Blacks, who have travelled down many roads in their quixotic quest for a fifth straight title, played as if the stakes were higher than they had ever been.

"It was an effort that belied their years,'' an unshaven Haden declared later. "You wouldn't have believed some of them were 33 years old.

"But as I said from the beginning, that's the way it goes. That's the name of the game. We've got no regrets. The guys played well, it's just that they (Barbarians) got a good start and we weren't able to knock them off in the second half.

"We couldn't extract ourselves from a hole. That's the way some games go.'' Victory was sweetest for Barbarians' trumpet-lunged captain Allan Martin, who was a member of the Wales squad in 1988, the only other team to win a Classic title.

"I think this one is more special,'' said Martin, when asked which title meant more. "It's always good to beat the All Blacks no matter at what level.

I mean they're a great side and I admire them greatly. They were very difficult, very organised, but today we did well.

"Everybody played their part. The tackling was magnificent and the boys ran well. It's just a very pleasing performance. We're just a very happy side.'' While Martin was so critical to the Barbarians' success in the tournament, so were a couple of guys named Wilkinson and Edmunds, who prowled the National Sports Club pitch like restless hyenas.

"I've never beaten the All Blacks,'' said Edmunds, with half his blue uniform torn off. "So this is fantastic. It's going to be a great night.'' Said Haden: "We had a lot more quality players against us this time.

"It was just another final, but we don't want to make a habit of losing.'' BARBARIAN ON THE MOVE -- Bill Cuthbertson of Barbarians, left, is prevented from lunging towards the ball just as Bruce Middleton of New Zealand attempts to slap it away with his hand.