It was the crowd singing 'God Defend New Zealand" in English that won the All Blacks the game.

Yes, it's 1.09am, and I've just finished watching the deferred telecast on Prime. Absolutely superb game, and gutsy performance by the AB's. Brilliant way to take out the Bledisloe, and the Tri-Nations.

Now, about doing this in the next World Cup please ...

(The Highland Park single malt through the second half wasn't bad either.)

All Blacks KASSless in the first half. Wallabies resurgent after their humiliation by the Boks. All Blacks KASS in the second half. Wallabies refusing to lie down and die. Another two minutes and they'd have won. But they lost. Hahahaha! Thrilling!

Carter: magnificent! Cowan: has answered his critics—Babs-types, please note!! McCaw: in the vernacular, awesome!

Wallabies names one dreads to hear in the commentary: Cordingley, Ashley-Cooper, Giteau, Ryan Cross, Mortlock ...

And kudos to the commentary team of Nisbo, Mexted and Ian Smith. Outstanding.

All in all, the total passion for the total height. It's real, it's possible, it exists, it's yours!

... made tea and Marmite toast, and were not disappointed ~ treated to an amazing historical achievement. In the 76th minute when the Yaps were threatening the half ton, Camille cheered, "This must be the first time we're actually backing the Boks, Dad!"

KASS incarnate.

I missed this but must try to find the replay.

Robbie Deans might be feeling a bit squeamish about now.

Just realised the whole bloody ball game is over for now..Just when I started enjoying it.

I admit that reason is a small and feeble flame, a flickering torch by stumblers carried in the starless night, -- blown and flared by passion's storm, -- and yet, it is the only light. Extinguish that, and nought remains.- - Robert Green Ingersoll

Redemption for both the Bokke and the Blacks...can't wait for some titan clashes between these two resurrected colossi..

I wonder if the Aussies are going to be able to pull themselves towards themselves for their next engagement with the All Blacks.

Now this game is starting to spark

I admit that reason is a small and feeble flame, a flickering torch by stumblers carried in the starless night, -- blown and flared by passion's storm, -- and yet, it is the only light. Extinguish that, and nought remains.- - Robert Green Ingersoll

I didn't watch the game live, but am watching a replay now. 46-8 currently at 72 minutes. The bawks are beck eenndeeeeed.

Edited to add — and another try at 78 minutes. 53-8. Outstanding!

Brace yourselves

I admit that reason is a small and feeble flame, a flickering torch by stumblers carried in the starless night, -- blown and flared by passion's storm, -- and yet, it is the only light. Extinguish that, and nought remains.- - Robert Green Ingersoll

Yes, good game. Although I was too tired to stay up and watch it last night, and while flicking between the Olympic highlights to watch Vili and the Test this morning, both sets of commentators managed to comment on the result of the other spectacle during their own commentaries, so about ten minutes into each, I had learned the result of the other.

Lesson: watch stuff live.

Was too buggered to watch the game after tending to the needs of 35 x 7-year-old terrors at my sons birthday party yesterday....but I knew it was coming.

Just read the eulogy and based on the rundown I have to concede that you guys are back, whereas with the boks it more a case of 
Abiit, excessit, evasit, erupit 

 Congrats...

Absum!

I admit that reason is a small and feeble flame, a flickering torch by stumblers carried in the starless night, -- blown and flared by passion's storm, -- and yet, it is the only light. Extinguish that, and nought remains.- - Robert Green Ingersoll

A staunch defence that would have made the heroes at Rorke's Drift proud!

Well done ABs, Captain McCaw, Conrad, Coach Henry and Dan "Who Can" for restoring the luster!

Where are da sowd effricans tonight then?!

Where are da sowd effricans tonight then?!

They played like warrior-kings tonight....total redemption.

I admit that reason is a small and feeble flame, a flickering torch by stumblers carried in the starless night, -- blown and flared by passion's storm, -- and yet, it is the only light. Extinguish that, and nought remains.- - Robert Green Ingersoll

Impressive reply by the ABs. Totally dominated. Yes, real KASS.

was good I thought. He awarded our late try with a smile when I think it was not grounded.

... definitely made a difference, but the stand-out stars were Ali Williams (again) & Dead-Eye Dan (again).

McCaw and Cowan. Much better.

Well at least I was the only one around here with a little faith.

That was arguably the best All Black performance against Australia all millennia: 8 lineout steals, 1000+ metres kicked keeping them on the back foot throughout the entire match, and only 3 handling errors; a pleasure to watch and a relief to cheer once more.

Five smileys good.

Deans 1
Henry 1

Tim Beveridge did the anthem unaccompanied. I would like to have heard that choir, but the NZRFU are too stupid. Fortunately it didn't affect the outcome.

I was "busy" with Shandra while the game was on. What a pity - not really!

Newstalk zb today with Willie at 1700 hours had a discussion about the All Blacks and their sub standard playing of last weeks game. The majority of callers called out for more Passion and commitment from the players and a resignation from Mr Henry.
A man by the name of Allan called in who stated : it was disgusting that the New Zealand graduate choir be called off like an old toe rag, so close to the game and that he didn't understand the thinking of the administration. The New Zealand graduate choir was summond by the New Zealand Rugby Union to sing the national anthem. Allan demanded to know who had made the final decision.
A letter sent into the studio by a Year 13 dean and head of sports, former manager of the New Zealand Graduate choir. She said the following: "Recently the NZ graduate choir had been approached to sing the NZ and Aussie national anthem for the Mt Eden game 2nd August 2008. The anthems were practiced several times to perfection and then the choir was meant to be present to sing with their recording at the game.

NZRU informed the choir last Friday that their reasons for not using their services were that they felt that the NZ public would not be able to sing along to such a "quality" sound.

I am aghast at the mediocrity which is now the standard of delivery and representation to the NZ public. If they can't sing along then let them shut up and listen to something beautiful!

39/10!! More like it!!

KASS makes all the difference.

I was unaware of the score....but was just having a cigarette outside...(and chatting up my cute teenage neighbour, the lovely Ethan)...and heard the enormous roar of the crowd...so yes, must be going well for the All Black chaps.

http://nzcapitalist.blogspot.com/

I'm not sure I can watch the second half. 21/10 to the All Blacks and still anyone's game. But what a difference a Cowan makes. And a captain. And the recovery of KASS.

I live just down the street (more or less) from Eden Park...and it is CHAOS..eeeekkkkkk....outside at the moment...gosh...and has been since about 4 o'clock....I almost wish the All Blacks would lose to teach them a lesson for the trouble they are causing for local residents!

http://nzcapitalist.blogspot.com/

They're in bad form, they're mentally disabled, they're coached by a soft cock, but they'll get it up tonight.

But they'll still lose the next World Cup.

and Warriors to win this weekend.

I'm Australian. We're better than you at everything.

Good coach those Wallabies have mind you.

... you're quite correct, you horrible little Australian!

Editorial in today's Dom-Post has it sussed. The All Blacks are fundamentally fucked.

" ... But the sad truth is that, even if the coaches get it all right tonight, there is no guarantee the All Blacks will win. In the past, All Blacks coaches have had the luxury of being able to make mistakes and still win matches. It often didn't matter if they picked the wrong players. Those on the field were still good enough to overcome most opposition. But that is no longer the case."

Wallabies to win by 13+ points.

Riots, looting, effigy burning in downtown Auckland.

Here's what needs happen. Henry says to the players:

"I've fkd-ed up. I should have fallen on my sword after the Cup loss. I did my best to win it, but failed. It's time for me to stand aside. And I'm going to effective Sunday. We have a test to play Saturday. I want you boys to win for yr pride's sake. I'll see you through this test & then I'm gone. I regret my decision to take the job again, but here we are. It's a big ask for you guys to take Oz this weekend. You can do it. Thanks for yr support & loyalty, but the decisions were mine. Yr ABs. You know
what's expected & what to do."

That, or another 18 months slow drain on the spirit of the players & the earned AB aura.

The most significant aspect of that debacle was the fact that Henry sent out Hansen to face the interviewer. I haven't seen such cowardice since Helen Clark last sent out Deputy Cullen to take the heat.

Sam Pierson made the point on the night that this might very well be the first time in Bledisloe Cup history that there were kiwis rooting for the Australians.

The All Blacks? More like the All Greys.

 by absolute fluke I had the misfortune to catch this game while in Bangkok for the weekend.

Seems to me the game sort of summed up the main difference between the 2 nations; Australians tend to the positive, New Zealanders to the negative.

So when the game tightened up, the Australians looked like they thought, "Hell, we can win this," while the All Blacks looked like they thought, "Hell, we could lose this." 

"The ultimate result of shielding men from folly is to fill the world with fools."

-Herbert Spencer 

Yes regarding Deans/Henry - you only had to look at how relaxed and 'happy' Dean's looked whenever the camera went to the box, to see the one on top of his game at the moment. And tactically Australia played a classic Crusaders game - Henry should have known that was coming, yet when the pressure went on, the Blacks had no answers at all. Just flummoxed their embarrassing way around the field getting into a righteous, but counter-productive flap, at the referee.

Meanwhile, most of the All Black problems are demonstrated ably by simply listening to their bromides when interviewed after the game. And in this team there are only two minds actually thinking about the game on the field, McCaw and Carter: take one brain off the field ...

philosophical chickens coming home to roost"

Years ago, was it 1991, John Hart coaching, when the ABs got put down at the World Cup?

Linz wrote how it was the players' personal counsellors and the management mollycoddling leading to the losses. Where's that article now? That's a while back. Would that have been in the FreeRad?

... that what the Ozzies were gloating about beforehand, the ABs' having lost their aura of invincibility, has moved from mind-game rhetoric to reality. The ABs looked like bumbling amateurs. The Wallabies were magnificent: tight, focussed, surefooted (and handed) and ferociously KASS! I can't see a reversal of fortune this Saturday, or ever, at this rate. I suppose it underscores that the decision re Henry/Deans was the wrong one.