Wasn't Charlene Theron truly dreadful?

Unfortunately it's not a good draw for football in the wider NZ media, because Italy apart, there are no 'hooks' for easy coverage: Paraguay and…

In fact, I've already done the draw and it's: NZ, Italy, Slovakia, Ivory Coast.

Two out of three ain't bad.

Draw prediction update: I'm sensing some blue in a flag. Or possibly red.

You'll be fucked if they pick Nigeria :)

Draw prediction update: I'm sensing some blue in a flag. Or possibly red.

Try and have you locked up maybe...

World Cup draw live on TV One, tomorrow morning. Hoop-la starts 6 a.m., business time around 6.45 a.m.

All Whites can't play Australia, or anyone else from "Asia". In fact, I've already done the draw and it's: NZ, Italy, Slovakia, Ivory Coast. A tough group.

If I'm…

Having said that, if the French were deliberately avoiding Nonu and Sivivatu, they won't make that mistake again. Conrad rules.

Attacking teams tend to plug the centres, particularly off lineout ball. But quickly going through the English, Welsh and Wallabies Tokyo tests, Smith is either above or just below Nonu…

Tracey Nelson's stats are up and have Smith as the no. 2 tackler...

Of course, Tracey's stats have been known to support a Mr R. Thorne in comparison to a Mr. J. Collins. I think it was Richard Swain who topped the NRL tackle count for a couple of seasons,…

I missed the bit where I was supposed to be going to a test (what day?)

Well, i'll be there tomorrow. Weather permitting.

15.5 Postponement of an International Match

15.5.1 After full consultation with the visiting Union, the visited Union shall have the sole right and discretion to determine whether or not an
International Match shall be postponed on account of adverse weather
conditions or the state…

At least three (3) months prior to the commencement of an International Tour Unions shall exchange Team kit colours and agree if there is any clash of Team kits. If a clash exists between the proposed Team kits, the CEO of the IRB or his nominee…

WTF was going on with the TV coverage?

Not to mention the part where we took a quick lineout and had to watch a replay for 5 or 6 seconds as play continued in the background.

It's been bad the whole tour, not just that game – it happened against…

HG probably knows what we all look like, so he can be Chief Introductions Officer. A day of test cricket will do him good too.

I missed the bit where I was supposed to be going to a test (what day?)

But this must've changed recently.

Yes, I believed it changed recently. I think in Cardiff at 2007 against France we were the home team, so had to change. Now the rule is reversed.

loudly bemoaning Shane Bond's brokenness

...with perfect diction.

A day of test cricket will do him good too.

I reckon. Failing that, look for a girl with curly hair, loudly bemoaning Shane Bond's brokenness.

LB... I'll try to recognise you based on the arm action.

Either that or I’ll be on crutches...

HG probably knows what we all look like, so he can be Chief Introductions Officer. A day of test cricket will do him good too.

@Megan. You bet.

And McCaw. What a freak.

So it wasn't just that they let us play.

Thank you Russell. There were some brilliant individual performances in that match, and it was really fun to watch. I'm going to stop complaining now until next season.

And is this the first time we've ever…

It's the turf scientists, acting on instructions (a guaranteed 5 day test... TV etc) that are ruining not only test cricket but also the shorter versions.

Absolutely. The series against India, while entertaining solely for the sheer talent of the tourists, was also oddly depressing in that the pitches offered…

It's the turf scientists, acting on instructions (a guaranteed 5 day test... TV etc) that are ruining not only test cricket but also the shorter versions.

IMO that was a great test.

We got to the final session of the last day, and the team ahead by at least…

I can't understand how everyone is talking up this win as showing how rugby should be played. I would have thought the lesson every coach in…

Actually, a swap of Elliot for Franklin or Tuffey would've been enough- having Tuffey there may have even provided a…

The victory was satisfying, but should have happened a lot more comfortably than that – Im just getting tired of the second-innings capitulations our top order seem to specialise in.

Im also…

So I'm going to be disingenuous and talk about the test match. Christ, it was a beauty, the only…

It would be nice to see Brendan Leonard stay fit long enough to properly challenge for his position

In the Waikato Times tonight he is talking about perfecting his dive pass from the base of the scrum as he reckons it gives a split-second…

I think C. Jane isn't getting the plaudits he deserves. He is truly truly world class. That Hutt Fend he's got is brutal and he's quick, awesome under the high-ball and can tackle well.

I think his balance is extraordinary. That was the key to his try, for sure.

It would be nice to see Brendan Leonard stay fit long enough to properly challenge for his position,

I might just be a parochial Wellingtonian but I'd pick a fit Piri as my starting halfback.
Give me a backline of Piri, Carter, Sivi, Nonu, Smith, Jane, Mils and you've got…

Obviously I mean slow as in, only compared to other All Blacks... skinny, I definitely mean next to me.

... and have Smith as the no. 2 tackler, ...

But for some reason, he almost never appears in the missed/slipped tackles column ! He is an awesome player.

Sorry to butt in on your specialist subject, but NZ has always played in white at home v Scotland. Unlike football, rugby has made the home side wear the alternate strip. But this must've changed recently.

@RB,

Leonard is no better than Cowan in the 2-step-pass department.

France flirted with a game plan of how to beat the All Blacks.

They won’t make that mistake again, and neither will the other teams looking on.

I fear you're right.

But ... look back at the game again and you'll see superb games from the likes of Hore and…

The home team chooses the colour they play in

OK then; when did that change?

Never, as far as I'm aware they have always done it. It's just now some teams have different strips they want to show off.

WTF was going on with the TV coverage?

Yeah, the French and their super slow-mo glory shots. My favourite bit was when we lost a line-out and they decided to show a slow-mo replay of one we won from about 15 minutes earlier.

We may bitch and moan about Nisbo…

I meant up north. When we lose it's easy to complain, complaining when we win takes skill

Seems to me it's what you're doing! :-)

But you might be right, perhaps the French saw the writing on the wall early and folded. Still, it was a good game, thoroughly enjoyed…

The home team chooses the colour they play in

OK then; when did that change?

Why did the All Blacks (away) change jersies last weekend yet a couple of weekends ago it was England (home) who changed when playing their friends Argentina?

The home team chooses the colour they play in and England had those pretty purple uniforms to wear.

So you're fine with the…

WTF was going on with the TV coverage? We may bitch and moan about Nisbo and Mexted, but technically, our camera work is awesome.

Or maybe I just think about it too much.

The All Blacks weren't losing

Dude, they lost a bunch of tests this year, including one at home against the French.

I meant up north. When we lose it's easy to complain, complaining when we win takes skill

Why did the All Blacks (away) change jersies last weekend yet a couple of weekends ago it was England (home) who changed when playing their friends Argentina?

Personally, the Wellington test against Aus was better. The forwards were more dominant, the midfield exploited the rush D – if Sivi, Jane and Mils had broken the…

They won’t make that mistake again, and neither will the other teams looking on.

The All Blacks weren't losing

Dude, they lost a bunch of tests this year, including one at home against the French.

The thing that gets me, though, is that we were playing this run-it-from-anywhere game all year and the pundits were all "we need to play a kicking game, like South Africa".

Ok, the execution was a bit shit, but still, it was the same game…

Is it possible that we don't actually like rugby? Probably not. I think we're just annoyed that the game plan we'd like our team to employ is also easily thwarted. And this weekend it wasn't.

I think there's a wider valid point which McCaw commented upon when the English suddenly…