All Blacks 32 - Wallabies 19 - Tokyo

Tonight the All Blacks won against the Wallabies for the fourth time this year (although the tally does flatter the winners as the Wallabies took the AB's to the line on at least two occasions, and looked very much on par with the New Zealanders).

However, in the end with Dan Carter's boot and two beautiful tries (the first, the best I've seen from the All Blacks all year), the New Zealanders brought this game home.

The first half was incredibly even. I've always said - sagely since the mid 80s - never get the Aussies into your own twenty two as they'll pull one out of the bag. And Peter Hynes did just that, in the corner brushing off four desperate All Blacks, just before the second time whistle.

The try was awarded dubiously by the TMO after what it seemed like ten minutes of soul searching. To be fair, I would have awarded it too. (One must always give the attacking team the benefit of the doubt - even if it was grounded before it touched the chalk and then lost forward after).

The ABs weren't helped in the five minutes previous by the brainless and inept (ok, he finished with a try, but he's still inept) Sivivatu who pulled an illegal in-the-air tackle against Adam Ashley Cooper that looked distinctly malicious. Of course he was sent to the sin bin for a well deserved ten thereafter. (Why the AB coaches persist with this nutbar who can't tackle and can't catch a basic up-and-under is beyond me).

But at half time, the All Blacks got the 'talking to' and came out firing. Conrad 'runs a good straight line' Smith scored a 'good running at the line' in a straight pattern try, and then it was up to Dan and Giteau to exchange penalties for the next half hour.

Roll on the AIs.

Why do the All Black coaches persist with Sivivatu?

So Graham Henry has announced the All Black team to face Ireland with a good thing being that Joe Rokocoko makes a return to the wing. However, I’m not so thrilled about the reselection of Sitiveni Sivivatu on the other. I mean, Why? The guy can’t defend for peanuts (several tries against the All Blacks this year have been directly related to him and his shoddy defence).

And if that wasn’t bad enough, has he scored any tries for the All Blacks for the whole of 2008? I mean, he’s meant to be a winger for one of the best backlines in the world for Pete’s sake. Declan Kidney’s Irish will be licking their lips I’m sure and no doubt there will be plenty of punts on the fact that several Irish bombs will be heading Sivivatu’s way come the weekend.

I’m not the only one that’s frustrated – here’s a very succinct letter to the editor in the DomPost in June from an equally exasperated fan, summing up Sivivatu’s capabilities quite well: “Hopelessly out of position in most of the games and his handling is dreadful. Apart from his burst of speed and the compromising photos he has of the selectors, there is not much there. C at best verging on D.”

Amen to that brother.

But for handling errors, bad defence, lack of positional nouse, not to mention poor sportsmanship, the main reason why he shouldn’t be in the team is more clear cut. He has a record in the courts of domestic violence. Ok – only once that we know of, and everyone deserves a chance of redemption right? No. Not when it comes to the All Blacks. His membership should have been stripped as soon as word came out that he had hit his wife. For a country that is drowning in the blood of its many domestic violence scandals, there should be no room for a person to represent the national team in what is supposedly the national sport.

He can seek his redemption out of the public eye as far as I’m concerned. Mud sticks