Comment: It was as predictable as night follows day.
As expected as the words mistake and Dunedin cycleway being in the same sentence.
The All Blacks play their first test of the year and yes, of course, believe it or not, they're rusty.
It was totally expected - and why should it not be?The team has not played together for more than six months, there were some new faces around and the Welsh were willing opponents.
As results showed in other parts of the globe, the home teams do not exactly have everything in their favour in these mid-year tests.
They may be playing at home but at the end of the day it is just a ground.
The touring teams are coming to the end of a long season and the bodies may be creaking a bit but they have some polished combinations and know they just have to get up for these two or three games and the season is at an end.
Being on tour means being away from distractions such as club physios and coaches.
They are hassle-free from family matters, so it is just easy to concentrate solely on what is happening out on the field.
The Welsh went close but fell away in the second half, thanks to the impact of the All Blacks reserves.
One wonders if Beauden Barrett is happy being the magic man off the bench.
He may sing from the "team first'' song sheet when the super sub issue is raised, but surely he must want to start a game and stamp his mark on it.
England football winger John Barnes came on in a knockout game against Argentina at the World Cup in 1986 and proceeded to have a breathtaking half an hour.
One can still remember those amazing crosses.
But magnificent as it was, that cameo plagued him for the rest of his international career.
If England was ever in trouble - and it nearly always was - the coach would throw on Barnes and expect him to perform just like he did against Diego Maradona and Co.
A lot of the time, it never happened.
Barrett is perhaps going the same way.
He is an electric player who can open things up and spark up those around him.
Gaps seem to appear around him as defences get weary and become tired.
Barrett, with his dazzling pace and speed of thought, is at home like a pig in muck in the last 30 minutes of the game.
But unfortunately his Midas touch coming off the bench is fast robbing him of being able to get a starting spot.
Aaron Cruden is probably going to start the next game and then Lima Sopoaga may get a run on his home track.
Barrett may just have to be content with grabbing his cape and getting some minutes when he can.
Question: Cannot everyone get over Wayne Barnes?
He may walk with a carrot stuck up his lower regions and he has that sort of English aristocracy voice that is easy to hate, but he is not a bad referee.
His call to scrub out a try to TJ Perenara was probably a line call but rugby is an inexact game.
If you want precise and perfect, go do a math problem.
It is 3173 days since Barnes and his howler in Cardiff.
Time to move on, one thinks.
