Absolutely amazing - something I will treasure for the rest of my days.

The BEST sporting event I have witnessed in my life bar none!!!

Football's second coming in New Zealand. Let's roll...

I have always seen soccer as a bit wimpy but I watched the game and enjoyed it.

But can someone tell me why it was necessary for Tim Brown (?) to be carried off on a stretcher for what looked like a pretty pathetic injury, then 5 seconds later he was fine to go and run up and jump all over people?

And what was with Rory Fallon on the news saying "rugby needed to take a back seat". Where did that comment come from and was it necessary?? NZ is a rugby country plain and simple. Enjoy the win and be proud but don't be a knob Rory.

Overall, great while I watched it, but the man-love moments, lame comments and fake injuries only confirmed my "wimpy" beliefs.

I'd say its something do to with FIFA policy or something, because Brown tried to walk off, but they made him sit on the stretcher. As soon as he got off the field he walked under his own power back to the subs bench.

So maybe if you come off for an injury you must be stretchered off or something stupid.

@ Cant Tell - I see more man love moments in a game of rugby. Scrums and lying all over each other is pretty weird. And yes rugby does have to take a back seat. Look at the state of it. Rugby's got so boring I would sooner watch paint dry!

So you enjoyed the game but you still write a few paragraphs of whinging about 'wimpy' players? Right.

They take players off in a stretcher as the game doesn't continue when injured players are down. This allows play to continue quickly once stopped.

What a night. Absolutely brilliant.

I've been lucky enough to attend some of the biggest stadiums in the world for the biggest football matches possible, and over a couple of quiet reflective ones yesterday, put Saturday night in 4th place of all the games I've been to. Ahead of World Cup quarter-finals. The only three that get ahead in my list is the unbeatable 2005 European Cup Final, the 2007 European Cup semi-final at Anfield and the 2008 European Cup quarter-final at Anfield. European nights at Anfield are famous.

But Saturday, was unexpected. European nights at Anfield are well drilled events. Been there before, know what to do. We had 35,000 people in on Saturday, and most of them didn't know what to do or what to expect. So the way it took off was outstanding. And all of the credit needs to go to White Noise (aka Yellow Fever). Outstanding effort fella's. You can be real proud of what we showed the globe on Saturday night. And I mean globe - I received text messages from UK, Switzerland and Tanzania.

I was in the Backbencher before the match, and the signing in there was akin to the pubs around Anfield. It was brilliant - shame it couldn't have been replicated in the stadium, but the atmosphere was brilliant.

I was proud to be a Kiwi in our own country properly supporting our national team in a way I never thought possible. I will remember it forever.

It's so good, we have defensive and jealous rugby fans joining the blog!!!

See you guys in South Africa!!!

Was amazing, absolutely amazing!!! Like a lot of people who write on these blogs i've been to some great stadia and some great games but none meant this much, i still have no voice! i hope we do get a chance to have a few friendlies here before we jet off to the world cup, playing the Socceroos at the RoF would be awesome.

"who put the ball in the Bahrain net Fallon, Fallon"

What an ignorant opinion. You obviously have no idea. Fallon is correct. In 7 months New Zealand will paticipate in the world's biggest sporting event. Are you arguing that Super 14 should not take a back seat to a football world cup? You are obviously feeling so threatened that soccer has managed to create a sporting following in this country that rugby simply cannot. Lastly, you are clearly very uncomfortable with yourself. The effort that went in to portraying yourself as the pinnacle of masculinity is alarming.

Warmly, Thomas