tim#26

crowd was so big...cos tkts were 10 euro(ie.2 cups of coffee in europe). cheap equals novelty value, not great awesome team.

the all blacks are being pimped around like 2nd class cheap hookers.

marc you've obviously been living in nz way too long...wake up and smell the roses. The rugby union would have you believe the all blacks are well known worldwide...and you will pander to them to get the interview.

FACT: no one in the world apart from nz cares or gives a toss about the ABs.

But nzers will continue to live in their little myopic world with their blinkers on. Now i know all the rugby supporters will try to prove me wrong with all matter of misinformation about how great rugby and the ABs are...but i prefer to live in the real world , not some fantasyland.

@Ash#22 Love the Kiwis ...if they loose you can't shut them up....bunch of whingers

Hey All Weather!! Do you actually have a point to your post? as you agree with everything in mine .....

Your continued detailed articulation of pin prodding into your WayneBarnes voodo doll sadly only serves to demonstrate how bitter and twisted some fans can become. For reasons why we lost that 1/4 final look closer to home around aspects like .... Too busy thinking about the next game? Too sure of themselves? Bad communications from the sideline? Poor on-field leadership OVERALL All Weather the loss must end up at the feet of whoever was responsible for preparing them for the game and that person is not Mr Barnes aye All Weather?

Hey Marc, walk down any street of Italy. Forget about the stage events that the media are invited to, or outside the stadium where expat, poms, kiwis, Australians, Irish, and scots will be, but just a pick a street and ask a local if they can name you one all black.

Do you think they could.

Rugby Journos do know that next week, not one Italian would be talking about rugby union at all?

Do you guys believe your own PR???

Joseph, yes I do still think Henry is a great coach. Thanks for asking. He's pounded Deans into submission, and also beaten Gatland a couple of times now. His other competition for the job was............? Oh that's right, nobody. Therefore he's the best coach in the country.

South Africa will be the acid test for the lineout next year. But even the Aussies used to destroy our lineout and now we are dominating theirs. So yes, it's not a problem anymore.

As for the 'aura', this is a ridiculous concept made up by Gatland due to his enduring bitterness about never getting a Test start. The truth is that certain teams are known around the world and will always pull a crowd and their support trancends national borders: New York Yankees, Manchester United, LA Lakers, Brazil (soccer), Ferrari (F1), All Blacks. No doubt some bitter fools like EABF will say the ABs don't belong in that catagory, but they do. In fact you'd almost claim they lead the catagory. Which of those teams can claim to have won 3/4 of all their matches over the last 100-odd years (major ones at least. I guess the ABs record is even better when old mid-week games are counted)? To have only been beaten by 5 other nations?

Call it aura, mana, respect, whatever. But their are not many teams that can sellout an 80,000 seater in a country where their sport is nowhere near number 1. Even in the UK, Aus and SA don't always sellout their games v the 'home' unions but the ABs always do. Just goes to prove that history and reputation must count for more than number of world cups won!

The All Blacks could potentially attract 80,000 people to a rugby match in a soccer made city/nation. I don't think any other international side could pull that many to a "friendly" game.

Say what you like, but I think that deserves some type of title if not "Aura".

#13 Joseph

What a sad post in the same bunny boiler category as EABF.

1) Wayne Barnes - There has been nothing before or after that compares to his Cardiff display of incompetence. Also, Graham didn't go on about it. I'm sure he would have liked to have said something like - "What sort of pistonwristedgibbon misses 17 plus penalty offences in addition to a forward pass that the whole stadium saw? Who was the moron who appointed a boy to a mans job?".

2) Whiner Gatland conveniently ignored the penalties Wales were giving away whenever the ABs were in the Welsh 22. Watch the replay. Millenium stadium roof "accidentially" left open due to "fault" the day before the game when it hosed down with rain. Sure...... wonder which team that would benefit the most?

3) PdV - Suspect it is his assistants that are doing the coaching.

4) Bok Squad vs AB Squads - Currently this is like comparing natjies to apples. The Springbok squad still has a fair few of their players from 2007. The AB squad lost half of them to NH money making schemes, retirement and another load this year to injury. It's SAs turn in the sun at the moment hopefully doing what the ABs do - peaking between world cups.

You want AURA, Dora? Aura that's made of real angora? Aura that's so full-on four-on-the-floora that you want some mora? The Springboks have aura.