Comment
When did Wales lose this series?
It was not in Auckland, not in Wellington.
Actually, it started just after 1953 and there is no sign of improvement.
Dunedin just confirmed what we all know.
The Welsh are the latest in a long line of teams from the north who come to the land of the long white cloud with an attitude which goes a long way towards a series defeat.
Last time the All Blacks played a test in Dunedin they comprehensively beat England.
Yet its coach, Stuart Lancaster, was singing the positives after the game.
That is part of the problem with these touring sides - they are coming off the back foot straight away.
The questions are always about how can you beat the All Blacks, how big is the mountain you climb, what do you expect to lose by, how tired are you?
The mindset is like the pessimistic gold miner who goes up river on the hunt for the odd nugget or two.
He never sets out with the goal of finding a fistful of gold, along with the lady in distress.
It's like we could win, we might win, but we really won't.
The focus is on scratching out a performance and putting in a decent effort.
There is little talk of winning and dominating the All Blacks.
The northerners are the little boy who has been invited to the party but never talks to the birthday boy.
The Welsh are the latest to land on these shores lacking belief.
And it shows in everything they do - from the moment they get off the plane.
Maybe that is why England has done well in Australia.
Its rather abrasive and cocky coach, Eddie Jones, gives it belief it can win so it has gone out and won a series, though that has more to do with a blunt Australian attack than any English confidence.
One wonders, though, if the English would have been that abrasive and cocky if they had crossed the Tasman.
What it does do is make one wonder how good and how competitive the British and Irish Lions will be when they arrive here next year.
The All Blacks are more than a metre faster in mind and in body and the Welsh were simply clinging on for most of the test.
Mind you, who is going to be up for a game when the Welsh players are into their 54th week of the season?
No-one can keep going at the same intensity for that length of time.
The game is not played by robots.
We all know the playing calendar is set by the broadcasters who pay the players' wages and they want product.
As long as people keep watching, and judging by this series where every game was sold out and plenty of people were watching from the comfort of the lounge, there is no end to the ridiculously long season.
Question: Is there a better stadium in world rugby than the one in little old Dunedin?
How good was the atmosphere on Saturday night?
