International matches/Barbarians - 19 New Zealand - 47: Not since Australia beat South Africa in the 1999 World Cup semi-finals has there been such a Southern Hemisphere takeover of this stadium and the All Blacks took the opportunity to throw down a gauntlet to next year's Lions.
It was a game where no kicker attempted to convert a penalty but otherwise the old amateur spirit of a Barbarians jolly was pretty much absent. The All Blacks were determined not to end their tour with defeat to a scratch side led by a scrumhalf they had chosen to leave at home and there was an edge to the match just as there was in 1973 when they lost for the only time in half a century of this fixture in the Cardiff classic.
Bob Dwyer, the Australian coach of the Barbarians, dryly referred to the amount of "blood flying" during the match and his own team were no shrinking violets.
The All Black career prospects of the Barbarians captain Justin Marshall may not have been enhanced by some pretty vigorous rucking of a prostrate Ma'a Nonu, one of the brightest of their new generation.
Similarly Marshall's opposite number at scrumhalf, Jimmy Cowan, was allowed to escape with an outrageous high tackle on Mat Rogers, an offence ignored by the South African referee Andy Turner.
This was followed by a 50th-minute try from the impressive Casey Laulala that was roundly booed from all corners of the ground and which ended the game as a contest.
Nonu, Laulala and their fellow three-quarter Rico Gear all impressed and the man of the match was another unheralded player, the 21-year-old Jerome Kaino, an American Samoan, who is the latest in a seemingly inexhaustible seam of great All Black flankers.
Their coach Graham Henry acknowledged the success of this autumn tour. "We're delighted with the young players and we've shown we have real depth. The Lions tour will be huge and there's enormous expectation back home."
Dwyer, though, urged caution about building up the All Blacks. "They were lucky against Wales and, although they were superlative against France, I wouldn't get too excited just yet," he said.
Dwyer's players earned some £7,000 each and the New Zealand Union is around £750,000 better off after Saturday's fixture. The All Black players have two months off to rest before the Super 12, not a luxury Clive Woodward's Lions will have next spring.
BARBARIANS: Rogers (Australia); Latham (Australia; Tuilevo, Fiji, h-t), Tuqiri (Australia), Turinui (Australia; G Bobo, South Africa), S Bobo (Fiji); Giteau (Australia; Greef, South Africa, h-t), Marshall (capt; New Zealand); Young (Australia; Lo Cicero, Italy, h-t), Cannon (Australia; Botha, South Africa, h-t), Rautenbach (South Africa), Vickerman (Australia; Van den Berg, South Africa, 61 mins), Van den Berg (South Africa; A J Venter, South Africa, h-t), Burger (South Africa), Waugh (Australia; Samo, Australia, 52 mins), Rush (New Zealand; Waugh, 65 mins). Tries: Rush, Lo Cicero, Van den Berg. Cons: Giteau, Rogers.
NEW ZEALAND: Muliaina; Howlett, Laulala, Nonu, Gear; Mauger (capt; Carter, 64), Cowan (Weepu, 64 mins); Taumoepeau (Hayman, 57 mins), Mealamu (Oliver, 69 mins), Somerville, Thorne (Jack, 54 mins), Williams, Kaino ( Thorne, 71), Holah, Bates (Tuiali'i, 54). Tries: Holah, Gear 2, Nonu, Laulala, Kaino, Weepu. Cons: Mauger 5, Weepu.
Referee: A Turner (Australia).
