Aisle be back: The First Test

Only one test into the season and can everybody just shut up.

Well, shut up if you insist on talking endlessly and tediously about the first test like it shed huge new light or any light at all on the history of All Black thuggery, All Black cheating, the weak mental state of international referees, and the subconscious bias of anyone reffing NZ.

Of course, if you can put up more than straw men – let’s say, some facts - on these topics, then talk as much as you like. Like Paul Cully in an excellent Stuff article earlier this week on the growing All Black indiscipline since McCaw’s captaincy.

Or you might even like to talk about the footie, rather than the hype cycle that is so prevalent these days.

Personally, I am not sure that much happened except that the ref made a wrong yellow call hastily, and at a stage when the game was still in the balance.

Bad timing for the French because they then imploded. Most international teams should be able to avoid imploding when they go a man down for 10 because they practice for it. Some even manage to score.

Easier said than done when the opposition are the All Blacks, the most ruthless at exploiting any weak points.

But seriously, would it not probably have unfolded that way anyway, a bit later in the match. The French becoming the latest example of visitors playing gallantly until the 60 or 70-minute mark and then running out of gas.

So to the French. Sorry you got stiffed by that call. Let’s see if you can repeat the endeavour, channel your under-20s, and give the All Blacks a sterner test at the Cake Tin this Saturday.

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The other world cup starts this week, just as they announced the 2026 event that will feature 48 teams not 36, goes to Team NAFTA.

No wonder FIFA can only contemplate giving the event to ultra-wealthy nations (oh, okay, the US, Mexico and Canada, otherwise known as best friends forever).

48 teams doesn’t make much sense, and creates an even huger logistical demand on the host nations.

How long is it before the wise folk at World Rugby decide that they could do with bloating up the RWC.

Makes sense if you are into maximizing profits.

But you could kiss goodbye to the tournament ever making it down here again. That’s probably a longshot anyway, given the last time we probably squeaked through on heritage rather than economics.

Oo I am damned glad I forked out the bucks to see as much as possible of 2011.

Kevin is a lifetime Hurricanes fan. He and his partner are on a two-year Volunteer Service Abroad posting to Vanuatu's Espiritu Santo island. He's working on a project to build a South Pacific World War 2 museum on the site of an enormous Allied base on the island. Check it out at www.southpacificwwiimuseum.com