Perhaps the best thing about the All Black haka is the fact that opposition teams think that they need to diffuse it, and spend half their week thinking up cunning plans for Haka Diffusion, instead of thinking of plans on how to score tries against the All Blacks.  That is something that the Irish, Welsh and Scots have all failed to do in the last three weeks.  So time spent on backline moves and scrum moves would be time better spent.

Anyway, so the pre match kicked off with the Welsh standing their ground staring at the All Blacks once the Haka had finished.  The All Blacks stared back,  and so did the Welsh, as did the All Blacks, as did the Welsh.  Perhaps this was the Gatland master stroke, not actually play any rugby, and just have a stare-off for 80 minutes, and claim a draw... 

Anyways, the match finally did start, and the Welsh tore into it like Welshmen do - like berserkers.  They rattled the All Blacks too, the men in black were missing tackles, not accurate at breakdowns, and in general were out passioned by the men in red.  However, passion does not win matches, it can help you along, it can give you an edge in a close game, but this game, despite the Taff's being in front at halftime, was not a close game.  It was a game where it was only a matter of time before the All Blacks came through.  You could see it in the eyes of the Welsh not long before the halftime break.  They had fired every shot they had at the All Blacks, and their only reward a 9-3 lead, which was chopped to 9-6 at the half.  Twenty three un-answered points in the second half told the story, and was a fair indication of the gulf between the two sides that remains, no matter how rosy a picture the Welsh try and paint.

Not to belittle the Welsh, they did put in a huge first 40, they just lacked the last little bit of polish needed to score the points - unlike the All Blacks in the second spell, who played like the Welsh in the first spell, but racked up the points for the comfy win. 

Basically, the Welsh exerted pressure, the All Blacks held, the All Blacks exerted pressure, the Welsh cracked like a half boiled egg...  Something like that eh Gats?

Anyway, enough left handed compliments and brickbats for Gats and the Men in Red.  How did the battles go in the match...??

The Forwards:

A good old fashioned 'Fitzy' match - a game of two halves.  In the first half the Welsh were into everything at ruck and maul, dominating things here nicely, thanks to Kaplan deciding that anything in a black jersey was off side or off their feet - being colour blind and missing the Welshmen that looked to be landing like 747s also.  A genuine mess rucks and mauls, a penalty waiting to happen on every occasion, just a lottery - but I digress.  The lotteries however, in the first spell were won by the Taffs, in the second by the All Blacks.

The set pieces though, were won hands down by the All Blacks.  Lineouts, I believe we won every pill this time out.  Two or three very ugly tap backs, but no black marks for Mealamu or the jumpers.  The Welsh were disrupted and their ball not tidy at all here, all in all, another most un All Black like lineout performance!

The scrums were the only place that the All Black dominance was showing though in the first 40, the fat hair bear (who to be fair, looked less like a pear than in the past), having trouble handling Woodcock.  On the other side, Neemia Tialata had little trouble with 2005 lion Gethin Jenkins, which surprised me, as I thought Jenkins was a better prop than that.

Huge again from the All Black loose trio, So'oilao leading the way, with Kaino and McCaw his support acts this time out.  They were up against a decent Welsh trio too - Williams at 7, Powell, an outstanding prospect at 8, and Jones the captain at 6.  The two number eights probably the outstanding forwards on the paddock - followed closely by the two sevens!

The backs:

Again, Fitzy.  The Welsh looked more dangerous in the first half than in the second, but in neither half did they look as dangerous as the All Blacks.  The Taffs made some nice busts in the first half though, a couple of times being a pass or two away from five pointers.  That was about all though, they were well contained otherwise.  Best of the Welsh blouses the fullback Byrne, who looks like a star in the making, and the midget Shane Williams on the wing! 

The All Black backs, more so in the second than in the first, looked dangerous from 15 thought to 9 - yes, even Jimmy Cowan, who again did not have the flashest of tests made a few early dabs and looked dangerous.  Not as dangerous as his crooked scrum feeds though - two free kicks for not straight into the scrum - muppet!  Anyway, Sivivatu and Muliaina were most dangerous of the back three, and Nonu once again demanded the full attention of the defenders.  He is getting better and better.  Aaron who?  Luke who??

The Opposition:

OK, to be fair, and taking off my 'Gats is a wanker' glasses, top effort from the Welsh, at the end of the day though, just not good enough.  They threw it all at the All Blacks, but could not crack them, and like in most other matches this year, got rolled over by the All Blacks as the match went on.

Top games from number 8 Powell and Williams on the flank, along with the fullback Bryne - three players that must be touring with the Lions to South Africa next season if they hold their form. 

As mentioned above, good to see that fatty prop Jones looking like a rugby player now, not a retired rugby player who has had one too many beers on one too many Saturdays. 

Shane Williams, good winger, but once again, did not set the world on fire against the All Blacks, was a handful at times though, his tiny little feet stepping him through some gaps that others would not get through.  I have to admit though, I did not see his play in last seasons 6N, where by all accounts he was setting the world on fire, but on this game, good, but not great!

The Officials:

Not too bad I thought.  Kaplan at one stage telling a touchy to sod off, or words to that effect when he had come onto the field.  The usual mess at rucks and mauls - but I think he generally got it right there, the side that was infringing the most getting pinged!  You can't ask much more than that.

Man of the Match:

The usual suspects for the All Blacks from this tour.  Brad Thorn again immense.  Nonu with another try and busy, busy game.  Mils Muliaina showing that he is clearly the best 15 in the world today.  Kaino standing up and being counted again, making the memory of Jerry Collins just a fond thought of the past - like Mark Shaw and Alan Whetton.  But this week, Rodney So'oilao gets my nod for man of the match.  He was close last week, but this week, clearly to me, the best All Black on the field.  As the Welsh forwards were attacking in wave after wave, it was the dreaded head of Rodders that was leading the defence.  Also strong off the back of the scrum again - thank goodness the Kaino as 8 experiment was shelved!

Final score 29-9 (Half time 6-9)
Nonu, Kaino tries; Carter 5 penalties, 2 conversions.

What do you reckon?  Leave your thought on the forum?