48 Hours: Here endeth a lesson for Henry and co

The irony is that the All Blacks probably found out more about themselves in the third test at Eden Park than they did during their infinitely superior performances at Christchurch and Wellington.

It might not have been pretty, and for the first time in the series the bounce of the ball did not run in their favour, but the All Blacks' stuttering performance should have at least contained some valuable lessons for Messrs Henry, Smith and Hansen.

We say "should have" because there is still a nagging doubt that Henry really does believe he picked his strongest possible team for Eden Park, as opposed to simply offering a vote of faith in his first and second test squads.

Only time will tell on that one.

But of immediate interest was the manner in which the All Blacks were sometimes exposed during a game in which they were tested by a combination of factors, not least a cluster of half-witted calls from linesman Stuart Dickinson.

Dickinson might be an able judge of day-to-day matters such as not touching a hot stove, the correct method of tying one's shoes, and the proper consistency of vanilla custard.

However, when it comes to the complicated business of running a touchline he seems to have less feel for the game than your average household cat. You'd have to wonder if he could run a cake stall. And this criticism is not made lightly.

New Zealanders have been forced to put up with Paul Honiss and Steve Walsh for years now, and before that there was Steve Walsh (senior) and Colin Hawke.

We know a nonsense official when we see one.

So we speak with some experience when we say that Dickinson's efforts on Saturday night when he made two appalling calls - first against Jerry Collins and then Rodney So'oialo - that went a long way towards confirming him as one of the worst whistlers still drawing breath.

The wonder was, if his eyesight was truly that bad, that he could get up and down the Eden Park touchline without losing his way and ending up in the carpark.

But enough of that. New Zealand also struggled with so many players being chosen out of position, the fact that they played 20 minutes with just 14 men, the knowledge that the series was won, and a hefty penalty count.

It meant, for the first time this series, that Henry was able to see areas of vulnerability within his squad that will no doubt be tested when his team comes up against the far greater threats of South Africa and Australia.

For a start, he would have hopefully noted that, while So'oialo might provide cover for Richie McCaw in a squad situation, the next best specialist No 7 in the country is Marty Holah.

There will also be prayers that Tana Umaga will be shifted quickly back to centre, and that Luke McAlister will be primed to cover the second five-eighths position, rather than run the show at pivot.

It was fascinating to watch McAlister in action on Saturday night.

As a first five he appeared to have all the gifts, but at times looked like an eerie apparition of Carlos Spencer, complete with unforced errors and banana kick.

Former All Black David Kirk expressed a thought-provoking view of McAlister's performance in yesterday's Sunday Telegraph, saying the young talent now stood at the crossroads after an accomplished debut.

"One path leads to Carlos Spencer - mercurial, athletic, brilliant, inconsistent," he wrote. "The other leads to Daniel Carter - measured, athletic, brilliant, consistent."

After Saturday night's effort, you couldn't help thinking the same about the team. 
Highs: The Lions' third test performance. The visitors were far more focused, more strategically attuned and far more efficient. They were guilty of over-emotion in Wellington but they tried to play rugby at Eden Park - and they looked far better for it.


Lows: The departure of the Lions fans. Friendly, convivial, non-adversarial, and the best advertisement for Britain and Ireland there's been in years. Please come back, we could do with more of you.