The All Blacks have capped of their Grand Slam Tour in style, beating England 32-6 in what was another game of two different halves. The win gives them their third Grand Slam title, and ends the year in the best possible fashion.

England came out strong, just as Scotland, Ireland and Wales did, and just like those three England kept in the hunt in what was a first half of penalties. England's only downfall was their discipline, which proved costly - four players spent time in the sin bin during the game. That's a total of forty minutes without a player on the field - and at one point they were down to thirteen men. They were constantly infringing at the ruck, which left referee Alain Rolland with little option but to go to the yellow card.

The first half was dominated by penalties, and the game never really got into third gear - but with the All Black's recent efforts in the second half, you just got the feeling they would blow England off the park in that part of the game. And that's exactly what they did, running in three impressive trys, and most importantly keeping England from crossing the line.

The only consolation for England is that they were the only team to score against the All Blacks in the second fourty - although it was only one measly penalty.

The All Blacks looked as sharp as they have all year, and the second try to Mils Muliaina was something truly special. Dan Carter put in a little kick across the field, straight into the arms of Muliaina who ran away to score his second of the night. Ma'a Nonu scored the last try, which really caps off a fantastic year for him - he's fought back well to secure his spot in the team, after struggling to cement his place in recent years.

Aside from Carter's shots at goal, which were unusually bad, this was the best possible finish to the year. The All Blacks have won thirteen out of their fifteen games, and only dropped Tests to South Africa and Australia.

Australia, on the other hand, have not finished in the same impressive style, going down 21-18 to Wales - who managed to hold off a late run by the Wallabies. After all the talk about how Robbie Deans was going to be the saviour of Australian rugby, it's going to be interesting to see how they react to their year under Deans - which has been unspectacular, to say the least.

We said earlier in the year that it would take some time for Deans to start improving the Wallabies given their lack of depth in key positions, but the Australians have never been the most patient bunch when it comes to unsuccessful teams - and we can't wait to see what transpires over the next few months. We think he'll be safe for now, but he'll have to start showing some forward momentum next year or Deans may find himself on the growing pile of scraped Aussie coaches.

It's unfortunate that this is the end of the rugby year for us here in New Zealand - although it's not too long a wait for the Super 14 to begin next February. Stay tuned for our review of the 'year that was' for New Zealand rugby in the days to come.

For now, though, we can bask in the success of the All Blacks - and turn on the cricket.

This weekend sees the Rugby League World Cup kick off, with England taking on PNG in Townsville on Saturday. The Kangaroos then take on the Kiwis, in what could easily be an early look at the final - these are the two sides considered favourites to win, although England might have something to say about that.

This will be the first World Cup in eight years, which just goes to show how insignificant international rugby league is at the moment. Really, only Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain offer any real competition at the highest level.

When you consider the amount of talented Pacific Island boys who play in the NRL and Super League, it's a shame that Samoa and Tonga don't play more regular Test matches. It's going to be interesting to see how they go in the World Cup - we've already seen Tonga play the Kiwis, and it wasn't the best performance we've seen.

Still - the fact that they get to represent their country on the grand stage is important for the growth of the game in the Pacific Islands, and if they can get a few more games under their belt they can definitely start improving. It's important that they can hold onto their star players like Feleti Mateo, rather than having them play in the World Cup and then go off to play for Australia or New Zealand.

We don't have a problem with them playing for Australia or New Zealand if that's who they want to play for, but they can't choose to play for one team and then another - it's just not healthy for the growth of international rugby league.

The rules need to be made clear - you make your choice who you want to play for, and that's final.

The World Cup should be very exciting, and it gives us a great opportunity to see some other countries that we don't get to watch - for the simple fact that they don't play enough league at this level.

Make the most of it, league fans, because rugby league World Cups don't come around very often. Besides, this is the last lot of rugby league action for the year, so absorb as much of it as you can!

We're sure you wont be disappointed.

Saying that supporting the Black Caps is like riding a roller-coaster would be a huge understatement. It's actually more like riding an out-of-control rocket.

Sure, they can come alarmingly close to crashing down to earth - but they head for the stars at times, too.

And to the stars they went last night, with their 3-1 ODI series victory over England. Heading into game two of the ODI leg, it would be another understatement to say that New Zealand were on the back foot. They got a whipping in the Test series, were soundly beaten in the 20/20, and then got absolutely hammered in the first One Dayer.

Momentum was with England and, whilst New Zealand were always a chance, the series was there for the taking.

But this is where New Zealand are comfortable - down-and-out, complete underdogs given no chance of victory. And woe-betide the team that underestimates them in that situation.

Which, of course, is exactly what England did. And woe did betide them.

The rain disrupted much of the flow of Game Two but, whilst the game was still well up in the air, New Zealand stole back a lot of the momentum England had amassed during the rest of the tour. We weren't in the majority camp that decided New Zealand would have won given one more over of play, but we do agree that New Zealand were well in it. And that's more than we could say for the 20/20 and first ODI - momentum had definitely swung back towards being even.

Game Three, and New Zealand surprised us. Given the time differences between England and New Zealand, live coverage starts here in New Zealand at about 9:30pm. So, when the lights go off here in the Attic, the games are generally one innings old.

So when the Attic wrapped things up in the 3rd ODI, New Zealand had been bowled out for 182 and the momentum we had wrestled back looked to be gone. Come the morning news, however, and we were wrong - New Zealand (via young Southee) had bowled England out for 160, and had levelled the series 1-1.

Game Four was almost ruined by controversy, with Grant Elliot being (in our humble opinion) ridiculously given out after being injured in a mid-pitch collision with Ryan Sidebottom. Collingwood was given every chance to offer Elliot his wicket back, and chose not to.

Who knows? Maybe justice will come back to haunt him, and he'll get suspended for 4 games due to a pathetically slow over rate. Ha ha.

So Collingwood went, and Game Five came - with Pietersen at the helm. New Zealand scored 266, which was solid but not stunning. England should have backed themselves to chase it, but they didn't even get close. Starts from Bell, Cook and Bopara weren't cashed in on, and Shah couldn't quite turn his solid innings into an excellent one. Skipper Pietersen managed only 6, and in doing so lost Ian Botham a considerable sum of money. We're not actually sure how much he lost - in fact, he may not have lost anything at all. But he might have.

You didn't really think he'd top score with that added pressure did you, Beefy?

England fell for 215, and New Zealand finished their tour with a comfortable 51-run win, and the ODI series trophy.

What an amazing, underdog-style turnaround victory for New Zealand.

But in such a typical manner. At the end of the Test Series, we said that an ODI series victory would not be enough - and we stand by that. We're done with winning One Dayer's, but not being able to transfer those skills to Tests. We're done with the excuse of lacking 'experience' levels. And we're done with finishing the series on a high, but looking back at the Test's with red faces.

What should have happened in this series? Well, the Black Caps should have capitalised on the strong positions they constantly gained in the Tests, and should have won that leg of the tour. They should have won the 20/20, too.

Had they done that, England would have been demolished in the One Dayers, and New Zealand would be flying home with a complete series victory - something that's far to foreign to New Zealand Cricket historians and record keepers.

We love the Black Caps, and we love winning from an underdog position. But New Zealand are not underdogs anymore, and we shouldn't be treated as such. We should be seen as the third or fourth best side in the world, and if we're beaten by teams below that ranking - well, then we've failed. New Zealand's Test ranking has to come up to where they sit on the ODI table - or at least close to that. 7th is well below par, and for a team that consistently has the goods for 50 overs...

It's time for a new coach. There's no other explanation, and we believe that until Bracewell goes, this one-sided, unbalanced trend will continue.

Damn good turn-around though, lads. Damn good.

The All Blacks have moved to 3-0 for the year, as they once again demolished the English defence on their way to a convincing 44-12 win.

It was a much stronger effort than the week before, and while there are still a few things to work on, they're at least moving in the right direction with the Tri Nations opener only two weeks away.

But the win didn't come without a heavy price. Both Richie McCaw and Ali Williams left the field early in the first half, both with what appear to be ankle injuries. The full extent is not known yet (we'll update you as soon as we find out), but they early prognosis is that Richie may miss 6 weeks - which is terrible news for the All Blacks.

The All Blacks continued to improve their attacking game, and made the English backs pay for some weak defence for the second week running.

Richard Kahui had an outstanding debut, both on attack and on defence, and scored the game's opening try. It really was a great effort from Kahui, and now puts a lot of pressure on Conrad Smith for the center position - although we expect to see Smith back in the #13 jersey for South Africa Test.

Still, nothing like a bit of healthy competition...

Dan Carter continued his fine form, and was a real handful on attack. What is often overlooked with Carter, though, is his defence - which is absolutely fantastic for a first five. He's everywhere, and makes tackles all over the field. And, he's not afraid to mix it with some of the bigger forwards.

He scored a try (through some terrible defence, admittedly) and finished the night with 22 points - and a perfect 7/7 with the boot.

The other notable mention goes to Adam Thomson, who made a big impact around the ruck, especially with McCaw off injured. Thomson got himself involved wherever he could, and was unlucky not to be awarded a try late in the game - he's has been a great find for the All Blacks.

Brad Thorn had another great night, and was outstanding in the lineouts - which were greatly improved on from last week. That's good news heading into the games against the Springboks, who are lineout masters.

Anthony Boric also got some game time with Williams leaving the field, which will do his confidence the world of good.

England had their moments, but were ultimately let down by poor defence and discipline in the rucks. For the second week running Mike Tindall found himself in the sin bin, which cost his team a try late in the second half.

Their only standout player (to us, anyway...) was half back Danny Care, who should some real pace around the field - especially his quick taps, which kept the All Blacks back peddling.

In the end New Zealand ran away with game, and showed a much better performance from last week.

South Africa will almost certainly provide a much tougher opponent in two weeks, though, so there'll be no relaxing yet.

Hopefully Williams (and McCaw, but that's sounding extremely unlikely...) will get over his injury in quick time, because he'll be sorely missed if he can't take the field.

Game Summary:

All Blacks 44
(Kahui, Carter, Nonu, Luaki, Cowan - trys)
(Carter (3 pen, 4 con), Donald (1 con)).
England 12
(Care, Varndell - trys)
(Barkley (1 con)).

New Zealand got smashed in the first One Day International against England, and were robbed through pathetic old-school regulations in the second.

But so what?

It's a 5-match series, and New Zealand are down 1-0 with 3 to play. In a situation like that, what would Australia be saying?

If you think they'd be talking about being robbed, you're wrong. They'd move on very quickly. Given 3 games left, they'd be focusing on winning the series - and probably would win. They'd be looking forward, not back.

New Zealand cricket have an attitude problem, and we're sure it stems from Bracewell. We've said it time and again, but we have some spectacularly talented players in this current Black Caps side, and the team as a whole has serious potential. We should not have to complain about being robbed - we should be winning anyway.

England's One Day side is, after years of complete 'averageness', starting to perform again. But New Zealand is 3rd in the world at ODI's - and for good reason. They should not be losing to this England side, and should not have to moan when they 'come close'

Which, of course, is rubbish anyway. Close? Needing 7 off 1 over in gloomy, damp conditions? Close? Being a single wicket, potentially 1 ball, away from losing? We'd hardly call that close. What we'd call that is balanced - it could have gone either way.

Sure, New Zealand had a good chance of winning the match. But so did England - where were their complaints of not going 2-up in the series?

Strauss has been called in to cover the struggling Cook, and will be rubbing his hands together having clocked up some serious runs against this New Zealand side - first in New Zealand, and he now continues that in this series in England. Sidebottom is still struggling, and may well miss his second game in a row.

Oram is out again for New Zealand - a huge blow to the balance of the side, and yet another missed match for the big all rounder. You're a fantastic player, Jake, but you're not much use to us in the changing sheds...

Mark Gillespie will replace Mason, who will probably be relieved to not have to bowl against young Luke Wright again. Gillespie has always been an interesting prospect for New Zealand - he can be terribly, terribly wayward, but he has an extra yard of pace than the other New Zealand bowlers, and offers a different dimension to the attack.

And he'll need it, too - Bristol is an historically high scoring ground, and if Wright can get away at the top of the order...New Zealand had better hold their breath. The bowling in this series has been average at best, and if England's openers can lay the platform for guys like Pietersen, Bopara, Shah, Mascarenhas and Broad...

McCullum, though, always keeps New Zealand in it. He batted well in the last game, and is the biggest threat to England's chances of taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

So, sports fans - who's going to take this out? In the past, we'd have backed New Zealand 100%. The lack-lustre performances with both bat and ball in recent times, though, have got us wondering - how much will our rankings drop between now and when Bracewell leaves?

Come on, New Zealand - please prove us wrong.

After the All Black's had to grind out a tough win against the Irish in atrocious playing conditions, it was great to see them fire a few shots against the English on Saturday night. While the performance was by no means perfect (they pretty much went to sleep in the last twenty minutes...) it's a good confidence booster for the team as they look towards the Tri Nations next month.

England came out firing on all cylinders, and looked to out muscle the All Black forwards - which they actually did for the first ten minutes. But after that initial burst, the momentum began to swing in New Zealand's favour, and they punished some poor English defence and discipline.

The All Black backline was outstanding on attack, and made the English defence look average - at best. Ma'a Nonu was on top of his game against the weak defence, and his distributing skills showed us that he's developing into a very good second-five. In the past, he'd have tried to do everything himself - but he showed us on Saturday that he's working hard on his game. His combination with Conrad Smith is strong, and they are looking like our best midfield pair.

Conrad Smith, Sitivini Sivivatu, Mils Muliaina and Dan Carter all scored for the All Blacks, while Carter had a great night with the boot, kicking 7/7.

Topsy Ojo scored England's two tries, both of which were opportunistic (but well taken, nonetheless...). Speaking of Topsy Ojo - have you voted on his name, yet?

The All Black forwards were not at their best, and really struggled in the lineouts - both Andrew Hore and Kevin Mealamu have some work to do on their throwing skills. The English were far from their best, too, giving away a lot of penalties in the ruck, and Andy Sheridan was sin-binned late in the first half.

Anthony Boric and Stephen Donald both made their debuts off the bench, but didn't really get the time to show us much. Sione Luaki didn't have the best night when he came on - his ball carrying was poor, and he made some pretty basic errors in the short time he was on the field.

The ref was average (again...) and made some bizarre calls against both sides. Why can't the Northern hemisphere ref's call open-style games? We'd rather see Stu Dickinson ref than another Brit - what does that tell you?

It was a good 60 minute performance by the All Blacks, but they'll need to work hard on staying in the game for the full 80 - especially when it comes to Australia and South Africa, who you can't afford to go to sleep against, even for a minute.

If they'd stayed awake for this game...well, the The All Black's could have put fifty points on the English.

In the end, the 37-20 score line was impressive, but we'll be expecting to see a better, complete 80 minute performance in Christchurch on Saturday night.

For the past few years, All Black fans have been subjected to the controversial rotation policy of Graham Henry. It was a rare sight to see the same team play consecutive Tests, and at times it was hard to gauge what Henry was thinking.

Just when a combination seemed to be working, it was changed - leaving the fans (and, no doubt, the players...) wondering just what was going on.

The rotation system didn't work - the World Cup is testament to that.

So, as the All Black's prepare to face-off against England on Saturday, it's great to see the same starting fifteen for the second week in a row. The only change has been forced - John Afoa's knee injury means Greg Somerville replaces him, and Sione Luaki comes onto the bench in place of Adam Thomson.

The conditions in Wellington halted any open play, and forced the All Blacks to play a tight forward game. The backs had limited opportunities in the wet conditions, and were unable to get out of second gear. It's fantastic news that Henry has kept the same combinations, as it will give us a chance to see them progress - rather than see a completely different lineup start from scratch.

And would we have been surprised? Hmmm...

The All Blacks jersey is for the elite of New Zealand rugby, and therefore should go to the best player available - especially against the top tier sides. The time to blood new players is against sides like Samoa, Italy, Tonga and Canada (we're not saying these sides aren't good - we're just saying they're not rated among the best...).

It's early days yet, but it seems as though Henry has moved on from his rotation policy, and is looking to build a top-15 to play week-in week-out. The other lads in the squad should be trying to get a spot on the bench - if their chance to play arises, they'll be able to take full advantage.

England have selected a strong side to face the All Blacks, which is a rare thing these days. We've become accustomed to them sending a 2nd (or even 3rd) rate squad to New Zealand, but it seems this time we're going to get a decent Test Match. The All Blacks won't be able to take this game lightly - if they do, England might just surprise them...

England's side looks like this:

1. Andy Sheridan
2. Lee Mears
3. Matthew Stevens
4. Tom Palmer
5. Steve Borthwick (c)
6. James Haskill
7. Tom Rees
8. Luke Narraway
9. Richard Wigglesworth
10. Charlie Hodgson
11. David Strettle
12. Olly Barkley
13. Mike Tindall
14. Topsy Ojo (we've said this before, but...the best name in sports ever?)
15. Mike Brown

Reserves: David Paice, Tim Payne, Ben Kay, Joe Worsley, Danny Care, Jaime Noon, Matt Tait

When I got out of bed this morning, I tuned in to Breakfast to find out the state of the England vs. New Zealand cricket Test that's currently being played at Old Trafford.

Live television coverage starts here in New Zealand at 10pm, and the day's play wraps up at about 5am. Call me uncommitted, but I headed to bed just after midnight. England had gone to lunch sitting in a comfortable position, with Strauss and Vaughan batting nicely, but still along way off what would have been a very unlikely (and record breaking, for the ground) win.

I watched the sports news, heard the result, turned the TV off, and went back to bed. It was funny, really - I'd obviously been sleep-walking, and having a nightmare at the same time, because the news had told me that England had won by 6 wickets, with a day up their sleeve.

Half an hour of trembling under the sheets later, I got out of bed and accepted that I hadn't been dreaming, and that England had actually won.

And I was late to work, too.

We here in the Attic aren't sure what happened in that Test. New Zealand had a 179-run first innings lead, and England had a ton of pressure sitting squarely on their shoulders. Yet England's bowlers stood up, and rolled the sorry-looking Black Caps for a paltry, pathetic, useless, miserable (OK, we'll stop...) 114. Terrible from New Zealand, and a spirited fightback from an English side that was staring down the barrell of a heavy loss.

Still, New Zealand were well in the drivers seat. Thanks to their first innings total, England had 294 to chase down to win the game - and they'd have to set a new highest run-chase at Old Trafford to do it, too. England might have shifted some momentum their way, but the prospect of Vettori on a crumbling pitch kept the favourites tag with New Zealand.

And maybe that's what did it. There was no underdog status to overturn. Instead, there was an expectation to fulfill - and that's something the New Zealand Test side is not at all used to.

Maybe, too, it was the heavy roller that Vaughan decided to use before play began. It certainly seemed to extinguish the Vettori-flame - he finished with the unflattering (and unhelpful, from New Zealand's perspective) figures of 1-111 from 35 overs.

The closer England got to victory, and the more solid Strauss looked on the way to his match-winning 106, the more the pressure got to New Zealand. O'Brien should have had both Collingwood and Bell, but fumbled two fairly straight-forward return catches.

And that sums up New Zealand's day...should have.

O'Brien should have taken both catches. But he wouldn't have needed to had his batsmen performed better, and set England at least 370 to win. And England should have had to score that many. Even then, New Zealand's bowlers should have been able to bowl England out for less than 294. They really, really should have.

But they didn't - England did bowl New Zealand out cheaply, they did chase down the record score, they did win, and they do take an unasailable 1-0 lead with one match remaining.

And I'm going back to bed.

Heading into the second Test, England and New Zealand were level-pegging. New Zealand, perhaps, had their noses in front - but only slightly. Either team had the opportunity to do apply pressure on day one at Old Trafford, and New Zealand was the team to do it.

At the end of the first day, shortened because of bad light, New Zealanded walked off looking comfortable on 202/4, with Ross Taylor sitting pretty on 67. And there was more to come. He pushed on in day two, and brought his second international hundred up off 130 deliveries.

He and Mills, batting at 9, combined for a demoralising 7th wicket partnership, with Mills scoring his maiden Test 50. Mills was dismissed for 57, off just 85 deliveries, and Taylor ended the innings unbeaten on 154 from 176 deliveries - a strike rate of 87.50, and an excellent innings.

New Zealand finished on 381, and then made serious inroads into the English top order. O'Brien removed both the openers, and Vettori served up 19 overs of pure pressure - and was rewarded with two wickets. Given what we saw from Vettori on a less-than-two-day-old pitch, how much of a handful will he be if this game goes the full length?

Day two ended with England on 152/4 - although one of those wickets was the night watchman, Sidebottom.

It's precarious for England. They've got a fair amount of work to do to score another 229 runs, and the momentum is definitely with New Zealand. Vettori is on top of the game, from both the perspective of the captaincy and as a bowler.

Before this series started, there was a lot of talk about playing 'exciting' and 'positive' cricket from the English camp. Funny, really - England's 152 runs so far in this match have come at a rate of 2.57 runs per over. Sure, there's been some tight bowling from New Zealand - but can we pick it up just a bit, please?

In the first match, too, England's run-rate was poor. 319 runs, at 2.86 runs an over, is hardly 'exciting'.

Compare that run-rate to the one New Zealand achieved during their 381 in the first innings - 4.2 runs per over. Compare, too, the top score (so far) from each team. With so much of the game to go, the totals (Taylor - 154, and Strauss - 60) are not entirely relevant. But the strike rates - oh boy...

Taylor scored his 154 off 176 balls, a strike rate of 87.5. Strauss's 60 came off 140 balls, at a rate of 42.85. Not exactly blistering.

Taylor faced only 36 extra deliveries in his innings than Strauss - and scored 94 more runs.

And should we even bother to look at Vaughan's strike rate of 22.55 over a period of 172 minutes? Best not to, we think.

These statistic's are astonishing. For a team to tout themselves as 'positive', and then come out and be this sluggish with their batting...

It would be understandable (almost...) against a rampant Australian attack. But England are facing, essentially, a re-built, second-string bowling attack from New Zealand. O'Brien is only in the side because Southee isn't playing - and even he is a rookie. Mills is solid, and Oram is generally reliable, but there's no real superstar amongst the seamers. Shane Bond has been lost to the cash-cow of Indian cricket, and New Zealand are yet to find a replacement that is up to his class - and will probably struggle to do so for some time.

Vettori, admittedly, is world-class, but he doesn't open the bowling. If there's ever a time to take the attack to New Zealand, it's before the slower bowlers come on. Yet, at the 31 over mark, England were 76/1, and crawling along at 2.5 runs an over. No top order collapse is needed to slow England down - they seem happy to dig in and do it themselves.

Cricket fans are used to this from England - they've never really had a flamboyant batting line-up, and slow-and-steady has generally been how they've played the game. And that would be fine...

But the fact that England started their summer with promises of positive intent - well, it's left us (and many, many English fans, we're sure) scratching our heads, and wondering -

When will the foot go down, England?

The second cricket Test between New Zealand and England starts tomorrow night (New Zealand time), and an interesting situation presents itself.

Neither team goes into the second Test with the upper hand, and neither team brings any real momentum from the first Test. Both teams had a century maker with the bat (Oram and Vaughan), and both teams had a stand-out bowler (Vettori and Sidebottom).

It was a fairly straight-forward draw for both England and New Zealand, and neither team was under any real pressure at any stage. Whilst it was a good game of Test cricket (other than the rain), we can essentially look back on it as a warm-up - because it's a two-match series now.

And so we turn to Old Trafford, and it's (traditionally) fast and bouncy pitch. The nerves of fronting up at Lords (and it's [overwhelming] Honours Board) will be gone, and it's time for both teams to get serious.

Both teams have a lot to work on. New Zealand's top order is still a concern (give us strength...), and England's middle order showed signs of vulnerability in the first Test that should worry them. Both teams had solid bowling performances, but there's no doubt that both teams could improve here.

Southee's been hit by a virus and is in doubt for the second Test, and Hoggard (broken thumb - cheers, Harmy) has been replaced in the squad by Chris Tremlett. Tremlett would be an interesting prospect on the bouncy Old Trafford pitch, but it'll be hard for England to change the team that performed so solidly at Lords.

Iain O'Brien and Michael Mason will fight for Southee's position if he's unavailable, and whilst he didn't set the world on fire at Lord's, it would be a huge blow to New Zealand if he can't play. Southee is young and inexperienced, but he has real all-round potential. He gets good pace and bounce with the ball, and with the bat...well, 77 off 40 deliveries on debut says it all, really. The Black Cap's coaching staff will want to develop and progress that talent as soon as possible...

...so you'll just have to get better, Tim.

Win this Test, and you can't lose the series - that'll be the message to both teams, and with such a solid start to the series both England and New Zealand will be looking to take things to the next level.

And that, sports fans, can only be good for us.

...because it really has ruined what would have turned out to be an absorbing first cricket Test between England and New Zealand at Lords. Like any good International Test the match has swung both ways and, had London been spared the rain, an entrallining final day would have been on the cards. As it stands, however (world-record heroics from either side withstanding), the final day (rain or not) looks to be a write-off. New Zealand are sitting at a comfortable 40/0, just 2 runs behind England's first innings total of 319, and will look to bat for as much of the day as possible. With a result an extremely unlikely outcome, it's time to look at the individual performances from the match so far, and look forward to the rest of the [rain-uninteruppted, please] series.

New Zealand's first innings batting was - well - not good. It could potentially have been worse, but the real test for New Zealand was always going to be how the new-look top order held up.

And it didn't.

Redmond was perhaps (who are we kidding - he was) overwhelmed by the occasion, and a 5-ball duck ensued. New Zealand's other opener, How, managed only 7 runs, and a familiar tale then followed for New Zealands top order. Marshall scratched out 24, and Taylor's innings of 19 can only be described with a wry smile, and as 'interesting'.

Cue another familar tale from New Zealand - a middle-lower order wag. McCullum, fresh from the shores of India and the excitement of the IPL, played 'within himself' to score a gutsy 97 from 97 balls. Yes - we said 'within himself'. Oram and Vettori both contributed, with Vettori falling 2 short of another Test 50.

Statistically, there's yet more familiarity for New Zealand - the top 4 batsmen managed just 50 runs (an average of 12.5) between them, with the next 4 batsmen scoring 182 (averaging 45.5 each). A fantastic statistic from the perspective of the middle order, but when you consider that extra's contributed 34 runs (16 short of New Zealand's top 4) - it's a real worry.

James Anderson began the rot, and finished with 3-66. Sidebottom, though, finished off the pesky New Zealand tail and ended with the excellent, excellent figures of 4-55 - at an economy rate of 1.94. Justifiably Englands Player of the Year for 2007? We think so.

Interestingly - very interestingly - England's scorecard reads almost the opposite to New Zealand's.

England's top 4 - 233 runs between them at an average of 58.25. Compare that to New Zealand's top 4 total of 50 runs, and the New Zealand players involved have some personal examination ahead.

England's next 4, however - a total of just 47. That's an average of just 11.75 runs per wicket for England's middle order, with Bell, Collingwood and Ambrose all failing to put anything meaningful on the board.

It's funny, really - as much of a problem New Zealand has with their top order, we here in the Attic think England's problem is worse. New Zealand usually don't get themselves into a position of dominance with the bat, and so when the middle-lower order fire it's an encouraging fightback - it ends the innings on a positive note for New Zealand, and an innings like McCullum's (and, to a lesser extent, Vettori's) does a good job of demoralising an opposing team who probably feel like they're making speedy inroads.

Woe betide the English fan, however, who see's 230 runs put on by the top 3, only to see the other 8 batsmen score 66 between them. All that expectation - dashed. That fantatsic postion that effectively had New Zealand on the ropes - lost. England were in a position to score in excess of 400, and put themselves at least 150 runs ahead of New Zealand - and lump a whole lot of pressure on them, too. At this stage, with New Zealand at 40/0 - well, they'd still be over 100 runs off Englands first innings total, and there'd actually be pressure on them going into the last day. Instead, the two sides are effectively starting day 5 from scratch, with a draw the only real result possible. Sure, with the amount of rain that has fallen on Lord's in the past few days, a draw was probably the only likely result anyway. But that's the point we're making - when you're short on time in a match, pressure is everything. And England have failed to capitalise on a potentially pressurising position.

Top marks to Vaughan, though - a fantastic century under real pressure. Not from a match perspective - his opening pair made sure his position was a comfortable one. But from a career perspective - Vaughan has silenced (if only temporarily) those critics who have been calling for an end to his reign. There were glimpses of the Vaughan that any cricket fan would pay to watch, and those glimpses are extremely encouraging signs for the England side - especially with a series against South Africa to come this year.

Strauss and Cook, too, deserve a mention. Both scored in the 60's, and laid the foundation for their captain to play his dominant hand. Strauss is another one who is under real career-pressure, and he continues his surge back towards his best.

New Zealand's bowling - Daniel Vettori, take your hat off. After an innings of 48 that steadied the batting ship, he took 5-69 in the second phase of his captain's hand - his best bowling figures against England and, along with Vaughan, he writes himself onto the Lord's Honours Board.

Martin and the young Tim Southee bowled well, and provided Vettori the pressure he didn't necessarily need, but certainly used. Oram, too, bowled well - that nagging, undriveable length bagging him 2-45.

And finally - Stuart Broad. What a talent England have uncovered, and what an exciting prospect for the future of cricket. He showed glimpses of real class with the bat and ball and, with some experience and maturity, is sure to become a fantastic allrounder for England in the coming years.

So, all freak-occurences aside on the final day - we now cast our eyes towards the second Test, starting on May 23rd.

Some serious questions need to be asked - by both teams - before that match gets underway. Can New Zealand find a way to solidify their top order, and provide a proper platform for their powerful and effective middle order to launch from? Can England make the most of their in-form top order, and push on towards a big score, rather than a solid one?

What are your thoughts, sports fans??

The Super 14 Round Robin wraps up this weekend, and we're still not sure who the final two semi-finalists will be. The Crusaders and Hurricanes are flying high, though, and will be looking to gather maximum momentum moving into the semi's.

Fighting for third and fourth are the Blues, Warratahs, Stormers, Sharks, Chiefs and the Western Force. Six teams, and a hell of a weekend of rugby ahead.

Wellington's happy - Jerry Collins comes back to replace Scott Waldrom at blindside, and his hard-man attitude will be invaluable against the Blues pack. Tialata will sit this week out after being handed a one week suspension for a tackle that would have looked more at home in a wrestling ring. I guess it's nice to know you have a career in the WWE if rugby doesn't work out...

Jimmy Cowan - what were you thinking? Or, more to the point, why weren't you thinking? Jimmy finds himself in Court this week after an altercation following the Higlanders loss against the Blues last weekend, and this, along with Mulipola being charged for driving while disqualified recently, puts a real blot on an already terrible season for the Highlanders.

The Basement Jaxx song, 'Where's Your Head At', springs to mind. Come on boys - lets get the focus back, shall we?

To make matters worse for the Highlanders, they have an almost impossible task this weekend as they take on the unstoppable Crusaders. In Canterbury, no less. The Highlanders should be playing for pride, but I doubt they can even muster that. Go easy, Crusaders - keep the score under 100.

Here's how your teams match up for the weekend:

Blues vs Hurricanes
Force vs Brumbies
Crusaders vs Highlanders
Reds vs Warratahs
Lions vs Stormers
Cheetahs vs Bulls
Sharks vs Chiefs

In International rugby news, the English tour to New Zealand could be in jeopardy after a dispute has developed over player payments. It is understood that the RFU wants to enforce a flat-rate payment with win bonuses for England's International squad. Players who receive 9000 pounds (NZ $23,225) per game are concerned that this would lead to a less-than-secure financial position.

So they don't think they have what it takes to win consistently - is that what these players are saying? It's simple, really - win and get paid more. Lose and miss out.

It's great to see that money isn't getting in the way of sport.

The English squad includes 6 new comers, including Dylan Hartley, Topsy Ojo (yep - we didn't make that up, either), Danny Care, Jason Hobson, David Paice and Nick Kennedy.

We know, we know - we can hear you - "Johnny, what about Johnny?". Well, suprise suprise - Mr Wilkinson has injured himself and will not be touring. Again. That news is almost as suprising as money complicating a sporting tour.

Steve Borthwick - congrats on the captaincy.

Former Scottish coach, Ian McGeechan, has been named coach of the Britsh Lions for next years tour of South Africa. Good news for the Lions - last time McGeechan was at the helm (in 1997) he led them to an historical 2-1 victory over the Springboks. If he can replicate the '97 result, he'll help erase the pitiful (strong word - but it fits nicely) efforts of the 2005 Lions against the All Blacks, who were utterly relentless in their 3-0 series win over Clive Woodward's boys.

Final push to the business end of the Super 14 this weekend, sports fans - enjoy!

As we look forward (and I mean, really look forward) to the first cricket Test between England and New Zealand at Lords, pause for a moment and spare a thought for two players - Aaron Redmond and James Marshall.


28 year old Redmond makes his International Test debut tonight (New Zealand time) on the biggest stage in cricket - a Test Match against England at Lords. Not only has he been handed the job of solidifying the long-term weakness of New Zealand's top-order batting (thanks, John) - he has to do it against an English team rearing to go at the start of their summer. And did we mention that it's at Lords?

And Marshall, too - spare him a thought. He'll be thrust into the number 3 position, another major on-going weakness for New Zealand - although his job might be made easier by the water-tight technique of Redmond.

Daniel Flynn, the hard-hitting Northern Districts rookie, also makes his Test debut - although coming in down the order will mean less initial pressure on him. He'll be hoping New Zealand have finally found an answer to their top order woes - with a solid foundation, Flynn has the potential to have an exciting impact coming in at 6. Throw into that middle order the returning Oram and, of course, the explosive McCullum, and we could have some exciting Test cricket ahead.

If the top order can manage to get to double figures, that is.

England, whilst missing the services of Flintoff, will field a very strong side - and New Zealand should be concerned.

Sidebottom was nothing short of spectacular during the tour to New Zealand, and with the confidence of 'England Player of the Year 2007' behind him, he's sure to make life very difficult for the New Zealand batsmen.

England's top order batting looks more-than-solid. With Strauss, Cook, Vaughan, Pietersen, Bell and Collingwood forming a nice blend of attack and defense in the top 6, it's hard to see how New Zealand's bowling attack is going to make significant in-roads.

And, if they do, they've learned the hard way that England's middle-lower order is no longer the fragile, splintered tail that it was.

Mentally, this match will be both tough but exciting for New Zealand. They've won 8 (yes, 8) out of the 91 Tests thay've played against England, but one of those, possibly New Zealand's greatest Test victory ever, came at Lord's in 1999. Could that be the motivation New Zealand need to turn true underdog status into their 9th Test win against England?

Chris Martin won't need any extra motivation, though - his young bowling partner, Tim Southee, has scored more runs than him in a single Test innings. Come on, Chris - it's time to get that avearge above 3.

He's one to watch, is Martin - if he decides he does want that average up, things could get very, very explosive.