Dan Carter try-bound against Wales. Credit:NZPA / Ross Setford.
Otago Daily Times sports editor Hayden Meikle provided continuous rolling updates as the All Blacks took on Wales in their final test match at Carisbrook.Ā Ā 

9.32pm: All right, folks, I am done for the night. And I need some sleep before tomorrow night's long haul with the football.

Thanks for staying with us.

Make sure you buy Monday's ODT for all the analysis of the test and the best photos.

And don't go out andĀ start a riot outside Gardies tonight. Go out in style, just like the 'Brook.Ā 

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9.29pm: Forgot to highlight the fact the All Blacks didn't concede a try. Quite significantĀ considering they copped some criticism for conceding four last week.Ā 

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9.28pm:Ā Bagpiper blowing his lungs out on the Railway Stand. Nice.Ā 

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9.24pm: Well, that's it. The end of 102 yearsĀ of All Black rugby at Carisbrook.

My assessment of the test.-

BEST ALL BLACK: Has to be Dan Carter. Right back to his running best.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Kieran Read was all over the place, Anthony Boric muscled up, Cory Jane always looked likely.

BEST WELSHIE: Barry John. No, wait, er, that halfback Phillips was quite useful.

MATCH RATING: Seven and a-half leeks out of 10.

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9.21pm: I knew it. They've cut a bit of turf out of theĀ middle of Carisbrook. It will no doubt be included in the turf at the new stadium.

In comes a helicopter. And it's . . .

. . . it's . . .

. . . three unknown people dressed in black. Weird. But apparently Goldie handed them the turf.Ā 

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9.18pm: And so it ends.

Richie McCaw gets "interviewed" by Ian Smith. Good old Smithy never actually asks a question, and he doesn't disappoint tonight.

Looks like the crowd has stayed put. And the commentators have mentioned the atmosphere has been great.

I'd forgotten there's another test against Wales next week. In Hamilton?

All Blacks doing a lap of honour. Appropriate and deserved.Ā 

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GAME OVER: ALL BLACKSĀ 42, WALES 9

And I swear to God, I have a tear in my eye. Farewell Carisbrook.

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9.13pm: Still counting down.

Foxy and I just had exactly the same thought - Victor Vito has been quietly excellent tonight.Ā 

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9.12pm: Counting down the clock now.Ā 

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9.10pm: Thank goodness the All Blacks areĀ sending CarisbrookĀ off in style.

Now the big interest will be how the ground is farewelled.Ā We know there will be fireworks after the game, but we have also been told there is a "secret" ceremony or something similar to "pass the baton" to the new stadium.

I reckon the great Jeff Wilson is going to be involved somehow. Will keep you posted.Ā 

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9.07pm: Carter off, the world's smallest professional rugby player on.Ā 

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9.06pm: All Blacks 42, Wales 9.

One-way traffic now, as predicted by me.

Sloppy Welsh defence, and New Zealand's sexiest rugby player Richard Kahui streaks in for a try in his comeback game. Carter converts.

The boys from Wales look tired.Ā 

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9.04pm: Popular substitution. Adam Thomson on for KieranĀ Read.

Could this be Thommo's last appearance on Carisbrook as a Highlanders/Otago player? Hope not.

Read deserves a break. He's been immense.Ā 

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9.02pm: All Blacks 35, Wales 9.

ANOTHER GREAT TRY.

As Keith Quinn would say: Oh . . . oh . . .ohhhhhhhh.

All Blacks snatch a turnover and ball gets to Dan Carter inside the halfway line. He glides, he swerves, he goes all ChristianĀ Cullen on the Welsh and scores a beautiful try. DC is back, ladies and gentlemen.

I never doubted him!

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8.58pm: Did the golfĀ fans out there pick up the news on Cambo from the US Open?

Shot 83 at Pebble Beach today, just 12-over-par. So 19-over-par through two rounds and missed the cut by a thousand.

Poor sod. Deserves to be remembered as our second-greatest golfer, and perhaps one of our top 25 sportsmen of all time.

But every missed cut, every score of 80-plus, puts a dent in thatĀ legacy. I seriously wish he would retire.Ā 

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8.55pm: All Blacks 28, Wales 9.

Carter strokes over another penalty. He is still the second-leading scorer against Wales inĀ test history.Ā 

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8.53pm: Funniest text from the boss so far.-

"Aaron Cruden looks like a mascot on the bench"

Piri Weepu on for Jimmy Cowan.Ā 

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8.50pm: Double Welsh substitution, with Stephen Jones and Adam Jones leaving the field. Only eight Joneses left.

Sam Whitelock on for Anthony Boric, who has blood after a head clash with a team-mate.

This kid Whitelock looks an exciting prospect. But let's just hope he's not another Isaac Ross.Ā 

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8.47pm: Hang on, Joe Rokocoko started this test didn't he?

So it's Richard Kahui who has come on for Dagg. I think.

Nice kid, Kahui. Got to know him when he played for the Highlanders a few years back. And a fine player when he is fit. Which isĀ only three or four times a year, unfortunately.Ā 

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8.45pm: All Blacks 25, Wales 9.

GREAT TRY.

All Blacks go 95m in 95 seconds. Initial break by Rokocoko. Then some lovely interplay between Carter and Jane leads to a Carter try. He adds the conversion.

I've questioned Carter's record in crunch games before - hey, until he dominates a World Cup, he can't have the immortal status some believe he has already earned - but what a lovely player.

This test is over, folks.

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8.43pm: All Blacks 18, Wales 9.

Carter kicks aĀ penalty goal. And in a useless piece of trivia for the night, we are informed he is the second-leading scorer against Wales in history. Wow.Ā 

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8.40pm: Welsh scrum leads to an All Black penalty. What didĀ I just say before?

A little stoush followed but nothing too serious, much to Jimmy Cowan's disappointment.Ā 

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8.39pm: Really exciting passage of play. All Blacks chargedĀ down a kick, andĀ there was aĀ nice run from Anthony Boric - a player I have really warmed to.

WelshĀ grabbed a turnover but clearing kickĀ did not find touch. Rokocoko had a burst, then ball went wide toĀ Vito. He broke the line but could not connect a miracle pass with a team-mate.

Sounds like the crowd is getting into it.Ā 

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8.36pm:Ā Joe Rokocoko is on for the All Blacks. Looks like Dagg is off - injury of some sort - and Jane has gone to fullback.

Then 3min into the second half, Ben Franks comes out of the front row and is replaced by Tony Woodcock, the least quotable All Black of all time.Ā 

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8.34pm: The key stats fromĀ the first half: Possession, Wales 58%-42%. Territory, Wales 61%-39%. So yeah, it's a bit strange the All Blacks are leading.

GoodĀ comments at the break from Grant Fox - the most astute of the telly pundits - who says the All Blacks need to lift their intensity.Ā 

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8.31pm: And . . . we're back. That halftime break seemed very small. Must be used to World Cup football halftimes, which seem to stretch to 20min.

Speaking of the World Cup, good luck to the All Whites on Monday morning. And Dunedin ODT readers, you will (hopefully) be in for aĀ treat, as there will be coverage of the game against Italy inĀ your Monday papers, mere hours after the final whistle. Guess which sports editor gets to be in at the office at 2am all ready to write?

And what a god-awful game between England and Algeria this morning. England were RUBBISH. Saw the hilarious clip on the evening news of Wayne Rooney slagging the fans.Ā 

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HALFTIME: ALL BLACKS 15, WALES 9

OK folks, time for me and the two teams to take a break.

Slightly strange half in that the Welsh had all the statistics on their side but never really looked like scoring a try.

The All Blacks played reasonably well, got a couple of sniffs of the line and took them both.

Not exactly a cracking test but it's been all right. I expect the Welsh to have another good crack in the first 15 minutes of the second half, then the All Blacks toĀ grab 2-3 tries in the last quarter.

Back in 10.Ā 

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8.20pm: Another Welsh drop goal attempt. More booing from the crowd. No lecture from Smithy this time.Ā 

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8.19pm: Jones boy misses a penalty. All Blacks still up by six with half a minute to halftime.Ā 

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8.18pm: Ah, the scrum.Ā One of rugby's greatest assets, and one of its biggest liabilities.Ā It's a rare scrum these days that is not re-set or does not lead to a penalty.Ā 

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8.15pm: Commentators just used Benson Stanley's name for the first time. Is that a good thing?Ā 

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8.13pm: All Blacks 15, Wales 9.

The Welsh fire back immediately with a Jones (probably Stephen) penalty.

Nearly halftime. Wales have played reasonably well but should have more to show for the ball they have had.Ā 

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8.11pm: All Blacks 15, Wales 6.

The Welsh turned the ball over and Ā All Black winger Cory Jane scampered 60m-plus to score. Thought he would have the pace to go untouched but he slowed up and stepped inside two defenders.

For someone with a girly name, Jane is a hell of a player.

The Welsh looked stunned but that try was their own fault. No blindside defence at all.Ā Ā 

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8.07pm: Bit of blood on the face of one of the Franks boys. I'm sure he's not too bothered.

Opportune time to encourage you to check out the results of the day's games in both the premier club competition and the Highlanders First XV competition.

Pirates beat Dunedin 21-9 (outstanding), Varsity A pipped Kaikorai 21-18, and Taieri beat Super Coach's Southern 31-18.

A brawl ruined the Kings-McGlashan game apparently. And my beloved Waitaki somehow lost to Verdon.Ā 

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8.04pm: Nisbo just referred to the Welsh halfback's height! ODT Online, leading the way as usual.Ā 

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8.02pm: All Blacks 10, Wales 6.

Carter a simple penalty goal. As many commentators say (always after the kick has gone over): he doesn't miss those ones.Ā 

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8.01pm:Ā I've been wondering who this lanky Welsh forwardĀ is who keeps handlingĀ the ball.Ā It's actually the halfback, Mike Phillips, who is a MONSTER. He's got to be as tall as most locks. Extraordinary. How the hell does someone like that end up playing halfback?Ā 

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7.56pm: All Blacks 7, Wales 6.

Smart decision by Highlanders halfback Jimmy Cowan to take a quick tap. Close to the line, Keven Mealamu scoots across for a clear try. Carter adds the conversion.

FirstĀ real atttacking opportunity and the All Blacks get a try. Good sign.

And those who remember the great test against the Springboks at Carisbrook in 2005 will recall it was Mealamu who scored the dramatic late try.Ā 

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7.55pm: Ref is going to the TMO!Ā Possible All Black try.

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7.53pm: Wales 6, All Blacks 0.

Leigh Halfpenny,Ā obviously the long-range kicker, lands a lovely penalty from about 85m out. Or at least 53m.

Time to panic?Ā 

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7.51pm: All Blacks finally get some decent possession but can't make much progress. Welsh just seemĀ very well organised on defence.

Another random thought: is red jersey-white shorts-green socks the ugliest colour combination in world rugby?Ā 

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7.49pm: Carter pushes a penalty attempt left. Welsh still lead 3-0, 13 minutes gone.Ā 

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7.48pm: Another hairy moment for the All Blacks. Stephen Jones put in a towering kick and a team-mate, possibly Halfpenny, snatched it in front of Dagg. Had a wee break but then turned over.

I wouldn't say this is a shock but the Welsh certainly look way more aggressive and accurate than theĀ hopeless Irish last week.Ā 

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7.46pm: Welsh just blew a try. HadĀ a 5-on-1 overlap on the left at the Hillside end and butchered it.

But the Dragons are breathing fire (groan) and have retained the ball nicely.Ā 

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7.44pm:Ā Early scrum and it looks fairly even.

Israel Dagg into lovely position again but then chip-kicks out on the full.

FYI there will be 47 complimentary references to Israel Dagg tonight. The kid isĀ a superstar. And please God let him stay with the Highlanders.Ā 

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7.41pm: Wales 3, All Blacks 0.

Stephen Jones kicks a dropped goal from well out.

The crowd boosĀ lustily, earning a rebuke from grumpy commentator Ian Smith: "That's just professional rugby."Ā 

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7.40pm:Ā Oooh,Ā  Dan Carter just had a kick charged down by a gigantic Welshman. But Dagg cleaned up.Ā 

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7.39pm: Just a couple of minutes into the test and already four players called Jones have handled the ball.

Not much to report. Ball hasĀ not gone dead yet.Ā 

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7.35pm: Silence for the haka.Ā Piri Weepu leading it.

And . . . newĀ haka! They've dragged out Kapa o Pango to honour Carisbrook and that's a nice touch.

Great haka. As it should be performed - by the All Blacks, not a bunch of swimmers and Dave Currie.

Let's get ready to rrrruuuuuuummmmbbbblllle.Ā 

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7.33pm: Now Jud Arthur with the New Zealand anthem and the big man is FANTASTIC. Way better thanĀ Mayor Peter Chin.

All Blacks look fairly relaxed. And some of them are singing!

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7.32pm: Into the anthems and first up is Deborah Wai Kapohe with the Welsh. Llllanfachgklarfcghwayes or something like that.

Nice anthem but she's a bit high-pitched for me. And is that a sheep she's wearing around her shoulders?Ā 

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7.30pm: Right, prediction time.

Wales will be competitive but I just don't think they have the talent toĀ pull off an upset.

All Blacks 38, Wales 16.

Remember last year I correctly tipped France to beat the All Blacks at Carisbrook. Get to the TAB right now.Ā 

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7.28pm: Nisbo is in the chair! Thank goodness for that.

He just said Carisbrook is full to its 29,000 capacity. It's gone back up!Ā 

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7.26pm: Thoughts on the haka, anyone?

There is some thought the All Blacks may do Kapa o Pango,Ā given the significance of this test and the fact the new haka was first performed in Dunedin five years ago. Seems like they haven't done the throat-slitter for ages.

Whatever the case, hopefully thereĀ are noĀ ridiculous scenes like when the Welsh refused to turn and walk away in Cardiff. Grow up everyone.Ā 

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7.20pm: SoĀ far on TV we've had Ian Jones, John Preston, Ma'a Nonu andĀ ScottyĀ "Sumo" Stevenson in action. Not exactly the dream team.

My wife and I were out this morning - everyone in Dunedin goes to Mitre 10 Mega on Saturdays, don't you know - when I saw a man who appeared to be nine feet tall running across the road. "Isn't he a rugby player?" the wife enquired. No, but he used to be. It was Kamo. Just FREAKISHLY tall.

Ma'a Nonu appears to wear less make-up on TV than he does on the rugby field. Weird.Ā 

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7.16pm:Ā For those of you checking in from out of town, it's been a beautiful day in Dunedin. Yes, should have been an afternoon test etc.

The nude rugby - again, disappointingly, featuring mainly men - attracted a big crowd to Logan Park this afternoon, and I am told the open day at Forsyth Barr Stadium was also popular.

It's a calm, crisp night, at least where I live.Ā And in about 19 minutes, 28,500 people willĀ rise at Carisbrook for the last All Black test at the greatest run-down ground in the world.

First random thought of the night: when did Carisbrook shrink? Seriously, it seems like the capacity has dropped every year. It went from about 40,000 to 37,000, then down to 35,000, then right down to 30,000. Now it's 28,500? What gives?Ā 

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7.11pm: So I really should be honest straight away - I am not actually at Carisbrook. Long story, oneĀ I alluded to in my back page today. I am in the La-Z-Boy, laptop on . . . my lap. My view is limited to what the good folks at Sky TV want to show me. My opinions may be altered by the astute observations of the fine men behind the microphones.

I'm a bit sad at missing the occasion but them's the breaks. Might actually make it easier to do this blog.

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7.06pm: Good evening, all. Welcome to the ODT Online coverage of the historic test between the All Blacks and Wales at Carisbrook. It's PROBABLY the last international to be played at the great old ground. It's DEFINITELY the last time the All Blacks will play there.

Stay with me over the next two hours as I offer updates and observations on the test.

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