We won because they were just so bad

The people have spoken.
An internet sports site is asking readers the question, have the All Blacks answered their critics with the thumping of the Wallabies at the Cake Tin.
Last time I looked 45 per cent of respondents believed Graeme Henry and company had finally found a winning combination but 55 per cent were of the view little notice should be taken of the result because it was a meaningless match and the Australians were awful.
For me the majority view says it all. The Wallabies played like they just didn't want to be there. There was absolutely no "mongrel" in the forward effort and a backline touted for their inventiveness seemed devoid of attacking ideas.
Much had been made of the glaring deficiencies in the AB's lineout play before this particular test so why on earth did the Aussies consistently fail to compete for ball on the opposition throw?
It just didn't make sense and, quite frankly, made those of us who still feel Robbie Deans should have got Henry's job after the last World Cup wonder whether we were barking up the wrong tree.
From an AB's perspective I can't make out why the sudden love affair the media have with Hurricanes winger Cory Jane just because he happened to score a try which was a case of dreadful Wallaby defence more than anything else.
Yes, Jane did leap high and yes he did make a good catch after an initial juggle but he should have been stopped in his tracks before he got to the goal-line.
To suggest Jane has suddenly become a world class winger because of one act of athleticism is a nonsense.
 
 
New Zealand's most valuable player in any ball sport in the last decade is set to play her 100th test for the Silver Ferns when they complete a frustrating five-test series against the Australians in Auckland tonight.
Irene van Dyk would be a very rich woman had netball ever had the same player payments as our best in rugby have received ever since it went professional and probably even beforehand.
The 1.90m goal shoot - or goal attack - has played a leading role in more Silver Fern victories than probably anyone can remember and the thought of them taking the court without her formidable presence at the shooting end of the court actually doesn't bear thinking about.
Lately, of course, there has been criticism of van Dyk because her stats have suggested age is catching up with her, and at 37 there probably is some truth in that sentiment.
It's by no means the main reason though. Purely and simply the Silver Ferns have struggled right through the court to cope with the crash and bash tactics of their Aussie counterparts, and the service provided van Dyk has suffered majorly as a consequence.
Many netball folk have been openly critical of how what was once a no-contact sport has become more like rugby played on boards and they have a good point but it's the old story, if you don't go with the flow you will be left behind.
Tonight is a royal opportunity for the Silver Ferns to don the boxing gloves and fight fire with fire. May the best women win!.
 
 
Have you heard the rumour, football is about to become an 88-minute game.
Wouldn't Wellington Phoenix fans rejoice if that was the case.
Just how many times have they threatened to win an A-League match only to cough up a vital goal in the closing stages.
It's got to the point, in fact, when you have to wonder whether it all comes down to state of mind.
Has the expectation of a late goal being scored against them become so entrenched in the players' mental state that for a brief period of time all sense of composure is lost.
I know that sounds rather outlandish but, hey, at least it's better than proferring the thought they are a bunch of average wannabees who simply get what they deserve.
 
 
Why all the fuss about a New Zealand fours team possibly - and I stress that word - deliberately dropping a game at the last Asia Pacific championships so they would have an easier road to the final.
Bad sportsmanship be damned.
International sport is all about dog eat dog and when major placings are at stake you use every means possible to attain them, even if they are a little on the "dodgy" side. It goes with the territory.
The fact Gary Lawson was skip of the New Zealand team involved might have something to do why Bowls New Zealand are holding an official inquiry into the match concerned.
It is no secret in bowls circles that Lawson has little time for some of those who are closely involved with the national body, and likewise those for him.
How pathetic though if a clash of personalities sees decisions made which impact badly on the sport when the whole thing could have been treated for what it is, a storm in a teacup.
A final thought though, Has anybody given any consideration to the idea the Aussies might have played so badly at the Cake Tin because they wanted to lure the ABs into a false sense of security leading into the 2011 World Cup? Maybe that grin on Robbie's face in the after-match interviews wasn't forced after all!