The Silver Fern

Just made the 11 hour return drive to Toronto yesterday after watching the game with the wife and kids.

Weather was fantastic. Around 20 degrees, which was unseasonably warm. Two years ago at the AB v USA game it was around 3 degrees (but mercifully sunny at least – the day before that there had been wind, snow and rain).

We were near the front in row 7 right behind the goal posts at the Northern end. Great view of the action when the players were down near that end. But sod’s law they were up the other end for most of the game and when in the far end 22 it was easier to see happenings on the big screen, which we had a perfect end on view of. Overall I preferred the seats we had two years ago that were quite near the back but not too far off the half way line (although being that high up the first 5 metres from the sideline were obscured with the stadium being designed for the narrower American football fields).

Crowd was well behaved and seemed to be about 50/50 black v green jerseys however the green fans were way more vocal. I can’t talk here as I am the worst ABs supporter myself, quiet as a mouse giving them bugger all support. I just can’t get the noise out and spend most of the game with a glum look and my stomach in knots (this game and the game v Bokke at Twickers last year, both way too close for me).

Filing out of the stadium afterwards was strangely sombre. The Irish fans were not as jubilant as I thought they might be. I think most of them were still in shock at the enormity of the win. We didn’t stay out that late with the kids and the long drive back to do the following day but by 9pm with more beer flowing and the singing ramping up things were finally starting to get rocking down town when we called it an evening.

I found the thought of losing to Ireland was worse than the reality when it actually happened. My son though (10) was in bits. He has very little experience of the ABs losing and when they did lose it even after they (as confidently predicted) staged their come back from 8-30 to 29-33, the need to cheer him up after the loss gave me the distraction I needed from my own woes. It also somehow felt a bit better sharing the loss with thousands of others there than at home cursing away at the TV.

We were staying down town and the day before there had been (reportedly, and exaggerated probably) 5 million people watching the cubs celebration parade. It was a lot of people and impossible for us, and I’m sure the All Blacks as well, not to get caught up in. It was a real sea of humanity and we struggled just to get from point A to B even with all the roads closed. I felt this was a big reason the ABs were flat and could not get up for the game (that and Ireland showed great compassion and belief at the same time). 108 years waiting for the cubs and 111 for Ireland. There was a sense for me that the ABs, even if subconsciously, felt that a loss to Ireland given the context and history of what had just happened in the city that week might somehow be more forgivable than otherwise. The parade went right past the All Blacks’ hotel and they were out there soaking it up with the fans. In short, their game the following day was always going to be the anticlimax of the weekend whatever the result. History game them permission to lose this one. Anyway that is my wacky theory.

On a more practical level, I think they lost mainly because this is the first time since (when???) that neither BBBR nor S Whitelock took the field, and they really got out muscled badly in the tight exchanges in the first half, which was aggravated by the binning of Moody and losing Crotty, all of which they never really got over.

As for the haka: why didn’t Smith lead it? FFS hasn’t he been punished enough already? My Mrs thinks he will never be the same player again. Hope she’s wrong about that.

Ground announcement was that it was a record for a game of rugby in the United States. 62,700.

It was a (relatively) private space and clearly his team mates and management had no idea or he would have flown back from Argentina rather than flying on to SA. So he was dobbed in to his employer, the public and the prime minister for cheating on his partner.

It wasn't for having sex in a disabled toilet as they sat on the video for several days while the pervert husband googled Smith to confirm it was not his partner. They were not going to do anything up to that point and if they were, well the husband (or wife) could have walked up to Smith tapped him on the shoulder and said mate can i have quiet word - we saw that back there, you need to pull yr head in. And if they did not have the marbles to do that, then it probably wasn't a world-altering problem to begin with.

Instead we get the passive aggressive don't confront the actual person but instead invade their privacy by telling everybody else in the world.

The wife thinks young kids should not have to deal with their stars on weetbix packets being naughty. Her solution is to broadcast the naughtiness to all kids, when they would have had no idea otherwise.

At least I live in a country where this is not news so I don't need to discuss this with my kids. We watched the test yesterday and my 10 year old son just assumed Aaron Smith is injured. Yes son he's injured (penis injury).

on Fekitoa i think some of the criticism is a wee bit harsh. to say he is a short term solution, maybe he is or isn't and i would agree if his current play was the best he can offer then he maybe keeping the seat warm. but i think he can play better than he is and is a bit down on confidence. i reckon he is a couple of line breaks and broken tackles away from breaking the shackles and regaining his fizz.

he is still very busy around the rucks and a committed tackler and player so not really a liability for the team. if the all blacks were losing and in desperate need for a midfield fix then situ would be different however they are winning easily and so the selectors at the moment can afford to allow the time for him to (hopefully) work out.

the comparisons with Nonu also a bit unfair as it's comparing a relatively inexperienced player with one who retired as arguably one of NZ's greatest ever mid fielders. Nonu took several years to establish himself let alone be considered a great player (not that I am suggesting Feks can or should be persevered with for that long).

I think Buckman chose a bad year to miss a season thru injury and might have had an opportunity in the AB environment this year if he'd played as well as he did last year and with the way things have gone. hope he comes back roaring next year and looking forward to seeing him back in action in the super comp.

@Bones Interesting, and notice that this is not being reported on Stuff and all the Aaron Smith articles seems to have miraculously disappeared. Who can sue though because if it's only Smith (or his partner) they will just be wanting to put this all behind them now.

I'm just glad the terrible stuff I got up to when I was his age was pre internet and before anyone had the ability to record things. Imagine anyone on here how it would feel to have your prime minister condemn you.

this is making my blood boil now and if he pisses off overseas I'll be ropeable but won't blame him.

Being called out by a pony tail puller because a pious person says your're special because your face is on a weetbix packet. makes no sense.

@Rancid-Schnitzel Nope. Those early misses by Barrett might have been really costly in different circumstances. You sad potential, fair enough. Barrett's speed is unreal and vision with ball in hand fantastic (as was Carter in his pomp), Carter's defence, placekicking, passing and running game (in his prime) second to none. World points scoring record and clutch droppie in WC final. Carter is the greatest of all time.

@Nepia I think It's a great thing. Can't think of many (any) major comps that suspend themselves for a month. Just as it was gaining momentum, it stops for a three test thumping of Wales, then the ABs stop while SR starts up again, then it ends and ABs start again. Will be a lot better having an uninterrupted SR comp not to mention an uninterrupted AB campaign. Some people i know did like the break though as found the SR going on that long too fatiguing??? -- so i guess no matter what they do with the scheduling there will always be someone who will find a way to get annoyed about it.

I may not even bother watching and quite frankly I haven't been this confident before an AB test since the 2003 WC semi.