VILNIUS: Mighty minnows Lithuania paid tribute on Monday to the Wallabies for halting the All Blacks' unbeaten run, which threatened to end the Baltic nation's oddball record for the longest series of victories in the sport.

The Lithuanian Rugby Federation's general secretary Irmantas Kukulskis told AFP they had been waiting with bated breath as the All Blacks edged ever closer to their 18-match record, recognised by the International Rugby Board.

New Zealand's 16-match run ended when the Wallabies held them 18-18 in the Bledisloe Cup in Brisbane on Saturday.

"We were waiting for this moment and today we can only thank the Australian national team for helping us to keep this record," Kukulskis told AFP.

"Rugby is not very popular in Lithuania. We're amateurs and the federation's run by enthusiasts," he said.