All Blacks 36 v England 3

We love test week in Dunedin. We love sharing all the hype, excitement and atmosphere with visitors to our fine southern city. Boy did we do some sharing over the four days of the New Zealand Backpacker Festival.

Key highlights were :-
*Carisbrook tour - all the way to the lofty heights of the media box
*Speights tour - say no more. Good on ya mate
*Cadbury World - what more chocolate!
*Natures Wonders - even pulled out a Maori kappa haka group for us. Great wildlife tour
*Scarfies movie - with fish and chips delivered to our laps!
*University tour - egging students, porridge wrestling and chilli eating. Yep student town at it's best
*Colin Meads at Dunedin Rugby Club - the great man offered us many words of wisdom and an insight to Martin Johnson's (remember him - the English captain when they used to win!) time in the King Country province when he played for the Junior All Blacks
*Gardies / Outback Inn - great student pubs turning it on for us
*Nude Rugby - my God this is not a joke! NZ 15, England 0. A sign of things to come...
*All Blacks 36 - England 3. Thanks for coming

The English came but could not conquer. We knew this was not the top English team but we did not know the All Blacks would come out all guns blazing under new coach Graham Henry and smack the poms (meant affectionately of course) all over the park.

With the forwards meeting every English challenge and the backs dazzling them with three great first half tries this was a classic test for us All Black supporters but one many English would like to forget.

On the scoreboard anyway.
All Blacks 36
C Spencer, J Rokocoko, D Howlett tries.
D Carter 3 conversions 5 penalties

England 3
C Hodgson penalty

Halftime 30-3

Prize winners

First try-scorers - a bundle of you had the 'Los - Carlos Spencer as first try scorer and have won a t-shirt
Rebecca Ingram, Kay McArdle, Penelope Cross, Aaron, Lecroy, Tom Bradley, Gillian Allsop, Katrin von Quadt

Pick the score - Matt Brambley picked up the All Black jersey for his 34-15 pick. Not that close but close enough

Men of the match for me were forwards Xavier Rush and local lad Carl Hayman. The whole AB forward pack contributed big time to this win.

Well another test week over in Dunedin and already looking forward to 2005 - Lions v Otago and All Blacks v South Africa at the House of Pain.

See you then