I had mixed emotions watching the test between the French and the All Blacks at the weekend.
Seeing Carisbrook with the scarfies in the mosh pit of fun and frivolity brought a smile to my dial.
Oh, what memories I have of that place - where my love of watching and eventually playing rugby developed and flourished.
It seems that I won't have a place to relive those memories soon with speculation that Carisbrook has been sold to the Dunedin City Council for $7 million.
What will become of the House of Pain? On my next visit to Dunedin, I may need to pay my respects to this hallowed turf where my rugby teeth were cut and my sprigs were sharpened.
It was with melancholy in my heart that I watched the All Blacks play a lacklustre game against the French.
From the couch, the French seemed to want it more, had more flair and were more committed to rucks and mauls.
This observation was supported by the recent debate in the media that perhaps the southern hemisphere plays with less skill in defence, line-outs, rucks and mauls than the northern hemisphere does.
Has Super 14 ruined New Zealand rugby?
The All Black coaches don't seem to think so and consider the style of rugby played in the southern hemisphere different but not inferior to northern hemisphere rugby.
This difference comes about due to the variance in weather and rules.
There also seemed to be a call for New Zealanders to be patient because the transition from Super 14 to international rugby takes time.
Hasn't there always been a transitional period for any player/team going from one level to the next? When has this been a good enough reason to accept a less than best performance from our national teams?Other teams in New Zealand appear to manage the transition.
The junior men's rugby team have made the semifinals along with England, Australia and South Africa, so all is not lost for southern hemisphere sides, who are overrepresented at this level.
The Junior Black Sticks are doing well.
And despite the Black Caps bowing out of the world twenty/20 competition with a loss to Sri Lanka, their female counterparts, the White Ferns, are doing exceptionally well, making the semifinals after wins against the West Indies, Australia and South Africa.
Perhaps the Junior Black Sticks women can gain inspiration from these performances to be competitive at their world championships in Boston in August.
We seem to do well as juniors but struggle as seniors or in the open grade.
Does that mean we are early developers, or does it imply that our age-grade competitions and school competitions create champions but we are unable to sustain that advantage in the professional arena of adult team sport? I suggest it is the latter.
We have excellent school competitions, and we have a lifestyle that encourages fitness, activity and healthy competition among our youthful population.
New Zealanders box above their weight at this level because we haven't experienced self-doubt or failure yet.
At that age, who doesn't think they are six feet tall and bullet proof and able to take on the world?I know I felt invincible at that age when I was in my rugby prime at Carisbrook.
I remember this while rubbing my arthritic knees, trying to play the guitar with fingers bent out of shape from trying to get my hands on the oval-shaped ball at the bottom of a ruck.
And you know what? I wouldn't give it all up for anything.
I will remember the House of Pain even if it doesn't exist any more, and our junior sports people will remember their world championship experiences with fondness as well.
The All Blacks lost to the French and the Black Caps are out of the world twenty/20 tournament but life goes on, and the next generation is champing at the bit to take over the reins.
