Tonight we saw the beginning of a new era...

... half the team gone since last year to retirement, another team in NZ, or overseas.
... playing like shit all season
... three serious injuries in the first half
... down 13-3 at half time.

As a sword is crafted through the heat of the forge, so was a new, magnificent Auckland team created tonight in the heat and fire of their match against BOP. To come back from 13-3 to win 25-20, with the injuries they had sustained, was magnificent.

This is not necessarily a team that will win this year; but it is a team that will win in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, equally previous four-peats.

Tololima-Auva'a showed why he has been compared to Michael Jones. Jay Williams ruled the lineouts. Moa was a tower of strength. Benson Stanley and Ben Atiga showed the touches of class that separate them from the hoi polloi.

They haven't won anything yet = they suck.

I'm sorry vads, but the get out of jail card was used last week against Southland.

Next week the shield comes home. Get your last cuddle in mate.

? They won last year, didn't they?

I don't think Auckland have what it takes to win it this year. But I agree with Vadz in terms of next year. They will be strong.

What an odd game last night. Inconsistant refereeing meant that Auckland were (rightfully) punished until the sin-binning then the ref basically decided he had done enough and he just gave up and let Auckland get away with absolute murder at the breakdown in the second half.

The newbie Aucklanders played out of their skins in the second half, using their physical superiority to play classic coconut rugby to overcome BOP.

BOP seemed to thing they had the game won with fifty minutes to go and they lost intensity and shape. Either that or they ran out of gas after thirty minutes and couldn't keep up after that, especially when Auckland's youngsters started playing with more desperation.

And that broken arm was just awful, I hade to watch the replays through my fingers. Poor bugger.

Almost chucked. My flatmate, watching it at full speed, said "Shit, something's wrong with Lachie's arm." I said "nah, surely?" then watched the reply and almost chucked. Something about limp arms...

Home?

Ak will get up for this shield defence.

doctor vadinho gets queasy from the sight of te mangled arm? Odd


I conclude its a symptom of a lifetime of viewing the utterly disgusting sight of Muli plying his trade on the world cricketing stage


Mate if it hinders your career at all you should sue the ICC

Beautiful Vadinho very heart filled stuff

Incidentally, if there is a winger faster over 10m than David Smith, I don't know who it is...
... however if there is a winger slower over 40m then David Smith, I don't know who it is...

Umm..

I just heard you lived in Wellington now Vadinho?!



...

Yeah shouldn't you support Wellington now, to support Auckland is hypocritical.

Cue boring post about cities not being countries blah blah

Why he's abandoning his local government, who supported him through his years in education, and now he just ups and leaves to wellington and takes his auckland gained skills with him.

Local governments don't pay for education. It's all centrally funded, genius.

And if people don't understand that a country, being sovereign, is entirely different to a city, province, region, or district, then they're an idiot, and I suggest they read some political philosophy. Starting with a translation of the Treaty of Westphalia.

I never said they supported you directly I completely eluded to that.

They provided you with a heap of public services through your education. And you spend Auckland's investment in you building up wellington businesses and making fat cats rich in Wellington.

This is as valid an argument as moving to another country in terms of your original argument :p

Err, no it isn't.

Auckland has not invested in me. Education is funded from the Consolidated Fund, which comes from all over the country. Not only that, but whether I pay tax here or in Auckland, a sizeable chunk of that goes back to Auckland education!

Like a quark, a country is indivisible.

If you can't understand that and continue to try to equate a sovereign entity with a sub-national region, you're thick.

So you have never used Auckland Roads and Footpaths...

Never anywhere have I said that you get money from EDIT*local* government for your education.