What was the final score 20-6?  So the All Black Second XV are still much too good for whatever the Spaghetti's can throw at us, and their forward pack threw everything at us, that is for sure.  Just a pity they didn't have a backline as such.

The All Blacks, well, they certainly looked like they had been cobbled together and never played together before, which was the case for many.  It's always shard top judge how good a player is when they are all playing with other newbie's and second stringers.  If you threw in just one new boy among the established test line-up, then you can see what they are worth in a much better light I reckon.  Mike Dealany with Nonu outside him and Cowan inside him would be a different kettle of fish.  Ellison with Nonu, any one player dropped into the genuine test XV shows their true colours.  Big Tom Donnelly did when called in from the cold for his first test.

But I digress, mainly though because the test was dire!  Good points, um, Corey Flynn didn't get injured, and I thought he played pretty well.  The defence was huge as the Eyeties smashed out scrum to pieces over the last 8 minutes, and as they tried to maul us to death.  The maul is defendable, as was proven.  You just have to put more numbers in, and push harder than the opposition.  It is not rocket science, and never has been.  I do hate through when the ball carrier has just one hand on the maul, that is not bound, and he should be fair game for the defence.  OK, so those are the good points, that was exhausting!

Top games from, um, well, Corey Flynn I thought.  The two locks, good tradesman like displays from Donnelly and Boric.  The loose forwards, well, I think So'oilao has done his dash at the top level - at this stage anyway.  A big Super 14 might clean his pipes out, but he is not the player he was 18 months ago.  Messam, I just don't think he is a test level player, and Latimer, tried hard, but is no McCaw (but then, is anyone)?  Of the three, I would like to see Latimer in the top XV the most, as I think that while he is no McCaw, he is still 'second best', and deserves a crack.  Messam, just too flaky, too much sevens ingrained into his rugby soul, and not enough fifteens!

Bad games from, well, our old favourite - Andy Ellis.  When was the last time you have seen an All Black halfback be caught by an opposing prop forward?  Well, probably the last time Ellis played behind the All Black pack...  He is a ditherer, plain and simple, and just not All Black quality.  Bring back a half fit Weepu! 

The new boys - Delany, Ellison and Ben Smith, again, give them a crack in the top XV to see what they are really like.  They all looked OK, but were part of a second string outfit, so to truly measure them, as mentioned above, give them a  chance with the big boys!

All in all, a test that I struggled to stay awake during, about as inspiring as watching paint dry on growing grass.  Bring on the Pom's this weekend.