Now that was a test match eh?  Tension, drama, stand up comics, rain, lightning, and props scoring the first and last tries in the match – what odds that at the TAB I wonder…

Anyway, the match, won 26-12 by the good guys (men in Black, in case there is a reader or two from Australia here), after a stuttering first half.

But a pressure match, and no choking, and a win – two cups on the line here.  So if we didn’t choke, than we must have peaked too early!

Lets skip the match report type thing, you all watched the match, and if not, will read what the well paid, and sometimes well written scribes have to say about it.

Instead lets have a look at what we have learned from this match though, good points and bad points, and just some general thoughts, and who’ll go on the World Cup ‘journey’…!!

Is having Oliver starting, for the ‘advantage’, real of perceived, of his stronger scrimmaging worth having Mealmau on the bench, for his impact later in the game?  Perhaps Mealamu impact from minute one would have got the All Black pack working better, sooner??  Both have throwing yips now and then, but Mealamu about the park now leaves Oliver for dead.  The ‘go forward’ ball runner versus the scrummager.  I vote for the go forward man, and would probably go for Hore on the bench…

That first half performance though, I think, can be aimed again, at one person pretty much, and he had a shocker, and he did in the last game against the Aussies too.  Stand up please Mr B Kelleher.  Put your porn mags away, and start taking some interest in rugby and rugby skills and playing the damn game.  Four more years Grogan whispered in your shell like ears, well, you’ll be lucky to be playing if you keep putting in inept performances like this one.

Leonard when he came on looked a class above, and while he did make a mistake or two, he also tried to do stuff while on the field, and made some positive contributions to the game, unlike Kelleher, who used all the experience of his 50+ tests for, um, nothing…

Reuben Thorne versus Troy Flavell.  I think this selection is going to come down to not who is more dangerous to the opposition, but who is more dangerous to the All Blacks.  Neither player is going to win the RWC for New Zealand with a piece of individual brilliance, such as a Rokocoko or a Sivivatu could, but one of them could lose it.  A brain explosion at the wrong time, and three points, and match lost.  Meaning Flavell will be able to get his pre season Super 14 training in sooner rather than later!

The midfield.  I think, after what was it, 26 tests or so, that the Cartel have finally placed their line in the sand.  Toeava will be playing 13 come the knockout stages at the RWC, barring injury that is.  His partner will be either Mauger or McAlister.  McAlister having the inside running at the moment.  This test though, neither really did much, one McAlister skip pass past Toeava being a glaring mistake when draw and pass might have put Rokocoko away for a try.

Speaking of World Cup selections, Doug Howlett cemented his place too.  Anyone out there think Rico Gear would have done as well as Sideshow Doug under the blitz of bombs that he received?  I don’t.

The longer the match went on the more Dan Carter looked at home too – spot on kicking display, and starting to take the line on again, he looked pretty good.  When was that though – when he started to get decent service from his new halfback…

Sooo, the squad for the RWC, assuming a 16-14 split…

Forwards:
Anton Oliver, Kevin Mealamu, Andrew Hore.

Greg Somverville, Tony Woodcock, Carl Hayman, Neemia Tialata.

Ali Williams, Chris Jack, Keith Robinson.
Richie McCaw, Chris Masoe, Jerry Collins, Rodney So’oilao, Reuben Thorne, Sione Lauaki.

Backs:
Brendon Leonard, Byron Kelleher, Piri Weepu.

Dan Carter, Nick Evans.

Luke McAlister, Aaron Mauger, Isaia Toeava, Conrad Smith.

Sitiveni Sivivatu, Joe Rokocoko, Doug Howlett.

Mils Muliaina, Leon MacDonald.

Unlucky not to make it – no one really.

Weaknesses – no genuine openside backup should McCaw get broken.  But if that was to happen I am sure that there would be time to wing in the likes of Marty Holah or Tanerau Latimer…