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Aisle Be Back: Bledisloe Two

Representative Rugby | 31 August 2016 | Kevin McCarthy

Aisle Be Back: Bledisloe Two

I can't remember a test in recent history which has generated quite so much hot air - and not a lot of light.

Take the whirling hands of Owen Franks. Why were they there in the first place? None of it looked terribly clever right in view of the ref.

Just why did Australia not report the incident to match officials given they were so worked up about it at the post-presser?

And why doesn't someone come out with these other supposed angles. I've seen two and to me it looks dangerous play. Or flirting very close to it.

I guess we'll  never know why something that looks like foul play isn't that at all.  Which actually as a fan I find frustrating. Because it just feeds the conspiracy theorists and leaves me wondering what exact criteria are being applied here or will be in future.

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We sit near the players tunnel, good seats but for the myopic like me, the end on view of the play at the other end of the park is a bit of a challenge.

RLM

But it was ideal in the second half to appreciate the All Blacks speed of hand and thought. Watching those big Barrett passes is a revelation, and the ball is fizzing through the line at light speed.

It must be a nightmare to defend against and for all the Wallaby woes, that they didn't ship more tries was at least to their credit. Although strictly it was only a one-try improvement in the differential over the two tests.

Honestly, having sat through some average All Blacks sides down the years, this lot are shaping up to be something special.

And that's post-Richie. How is that even possible.

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So do you think Savea, J, is coming back? I think he is, but he isn't there yet.

That try was a cracker bit of finishing on Saturday and one he probably would have duffed a month ago. I saw one scribe sniffily describe it is as nothing special, so I suspect Julian is going to be battling the sceptics for a while yet.

As for Savea, A, what was the coach doing on Saturday leaving him riding the pine. Sam Cane played damn well but come on, this was Wellington. Hometown hero and all that.

I did fleetingly wonder if it was a little bit of payback for the Ardie chant in the Wales test. But of course, it couldn't be!

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I'm looking forward to seeing the Lions at home on Saturday afternoon. It's a 5.35 kickoff so it almost counts as a day-night match, and I'm surprised they don't wheel out a pink ball.

I am not sure I understand the new breakdown rules. I'm not sure anything is actually broken at the breakdown.

Either way, the Lions need to bounce back from the Otago drubbing and put a pile of points on Harbour. 

And if you want to cram in a REAL rugby game before then, the Mighty Wairarapa-Bush are playing Horowhenua-Kapiti  as the curtain raiser. 

Should be the main game if you ask me, but then I was born in Masterton. 

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