Flickering friendships forged outside the park

From the infectious bonhomie you'd think they were old mates, but they had only known each other for an hour and will probably never meet again.

"It's been a pleasure drinking with you, mate. Your team is rubbish but you're a top bloody bugger."

"You have a great night. Our team might be rubbish, but we'll still be singing anyway."

Then with a firm handshake, manhug, and parting slap on the back, Dean from St Heliers and Simon from Ealing wobbled their separate ways to Eden Park.

Yep, Dominion Rd was no place for thoughts of terrorism on Saturday night. Love was all around us.

Everyone just crammed into the gridlock of rugbyheads, where Lions fans shone like tail-lights among the black-clad All Blacks supporters. You just ended up yakking to whoever you were standing next to. Odd conversations though. At any moment the person talking to you might lean back mid-sentence and yell "Lions" or "All Blacks". In the middle of the bedlam, the manager of the Clare Inn was lapping up the busiest week he'd ever seen.

"It's been great," said Noel Quinlivan, "I just wish they'd come back every year."

Not sure any of his bar staff would agree. A few were wilting and kick-off was still two hours away.

Just up the road, Tammy Humphreys and Anna Bishop were also doing their bit to lighten a few wallets. They had a bin full of snarlers and were hoping to make some money from the passing throng before packing up the barbecue at 6.30pm to get to a party before the game started.

It was quite possible that the only truly sober folk within a kilometre of the park were evangelist Christians at the Valley Rd intersection who spent the evening trying to invite the beer-swilling horde back to their community church.

If they had installed a bar they might have been in with a shout.