Australia 9 New Zealand 13

A single try from wing Joe Rokocoko decided the Bledisloe Cup on Saturday morning in Brisbane.  Thus the All Blacks took what may well be a decisive hold on this year's tournament, keeping a 100 per cent record with what many will view as their toughest match out of the way.  A valiant late effort by Australia was dashed on the rocks of poor handling, and those of us praying for New Zealand to come unstuck must resume our wait for at least another fortnight.

As the score suggests, the game was tight, tense and hard-fought.  Richie McCaw was singled out for praise after the match by Graham Henry and Aussie wing Mark Gerrard, and deservedly so for he put in a magnificent flanker's display.  In defence, as Gerrard remarked, it was often as if there were four or five of the All Black skipper running around out there.  The nature of Rokocoko's try, a blinding solo run that came from nothing, was entirely in fitting with the nature of the game - so evenly matched were the teams and so tight was the match that it was going to require something out of the ordinary for a try to be scored.  To Sydney, then, for the rematch between Wallabies and Springboks, with a determined Boks side hungry for revenge from the 49-0 hammering of two weeks ago.  It's already looking like a silver medal match, though.