The Wallabies face the haka during the New Zealand All Blacks v Australia. Photo / phtosport.nz
Apparently, last night's third Bledisloe Cup test was a dead duck.
A waste of space. An unnecessary addition to what is already a congested international calendar.
Let's play the blame game, shall we? Multiple choice everyone.
A: The ARU and NZRU are responsible, for negotiating the extra fixture to line their pockets.
B: The All Blacks. How dare they dominate Australian rugby so selfishly since 2003?
C: The Wallabies, before the Brisbane test at least, a team of misfits that have been woeful in recent years.
Congratulations if you selected answer C.
Those who say last night was just a money-making venture, are quick to forget recent history. The reason the NZRU and ARU went back to a three-match format in 2012 was simple-to placate the cries of disdain that a two-match series was weighted too heavily in favour of the team holding the Bledisloe Cup.
Don't the Wallabies have an obligation to make the"decider"exactly that?
Had they finished the job in those final four minutes in Dunedin, no one would've questioned the relevance of last night's clash.
It would've been game on-Australia's chance to drink out of the cup for the first time in 15 years.
How often do we hear Kiwi cricket fans fire up over touring sides playing only two tests? Yet, we have our rugby bosses showing due respect to the value the All Blacks continue to place on the rivalry-and it's still "wrong".
They are quite possibly the three letters that incite more debate, more vitriol than anyothers in the recent history of New Zealand sport.
S. B. W.
Clickbait heaven for our major news outlets - mention the name Sonny Bill Williams on talkback radio and online and the "haters" crawl out from their basements and take to their devices with a mix of joy and disdain.
Frankly, I find the whole thing boring.
And before you take aim at me for being a Sonny Bill sycophant, consider this - there's more chance of me getting Donald Trump on my radio show than securing an interview with the code-hopping superstar, such has been our "philosophical disagreements" over the years.
But if you really believe he has some special clause in his contract that guarantees him All Blacks selection, you must still believe the moon landing was a hoax.
Or that Elvis is very much alive, running a fish and chips joint somewhere in Otago.
Sonny Bill has not had a barnstorming year and yes, he spilled five passes on the trot in Dunedin.
But, are we really suggesting the straight-shooting Steve Hansen, who famously dropped an out-of-form Sam Whitelock and an over weight Charlie Faumuina, is persisting with a bloke purely for the sake of keeping New Zealand Rugby's bean counters happy?
I am far from convinced SBW will be our starting 12 at the World Cup in 18 months. But, as this side builds much-needed experience and continuity, show me a better option.
The debate over ticket pricing this week for the All Whites v Peru was as frustrating as it was flawed.
Many took to my Facebook page citing what they paid for Bahrain at the same venue, almost eight year sago.
Last time I checked, there was a thing called inflation and supply and demand and to expect New Zealand Football to price this match below $30 for an adult is ludicrous.
Critics insisted the NZF had killed the event and that the yellow seats of Westpac Stadium would be a damning indictment on the game in this country.
Instead, 26,000 tickets sold on Tuesday alone - that's 12,000 more than the day-one sales for the playoff against Mexico four yearsago.
This has the potential to be one of the truly great sporting events New Zealand has hosted.
Besides, people are prepared to spend upwards of $150 to see US pop star Pink at a concert.
$59 for a seat at this World Cup qualifier?
That's value for money in my book.
The latest action from Turin, Italy, for All Blacks last match of Northern Tour.