Well what can I say after a scintillating opening try, the match developed into a boring spectacle that was continually thwarted by both the refing and playing departments on both sides.

Latham’s opening try was the best that I have seen scored this year. It was quick, well executed, involved the old wrap around to create the extra man and was scored in the corner just beating the defence.

Then the game developed into a penalty shoot out and set piece tussle that the wallabies performed poorly at. The commentators, if I can use that term loosely, were crapping on about how the French now have discipline and wank wank wank.... So I was expecting to see the old garlic flair with their backline players running the ball out of their own 22 and storming up the line doing their best to score a try. Like I did when I watched the Aus v France 'A' game. While for a change watching the French forwards pop out of a breakdown without having eyeballs and mountain oysters hanging from their fingertips. In other words I was looking for a fast flowing game that would be entertaining.

Boy was I ever wrong. It was a stop start affair that made me wonder if I should start mixing my antibiotics with alcohol just to get a buzz.

Look, to the French players, well done at all the set pieces as you showed up the weaknesses in the Wallabies yet again. You dominated the scrums, breakdowns and won your share of lineouts but stop dropping the barbiturates into your coffee and get some mongrel back as then you are far more exciting to watch especially in your back play.

However, they were not helped out by the kiwi touchie who had a thing for the no. 6. I would have thought that the borderline hit on Larkham would have been applauded by a kiwi and not penalised.

For the Wallabies with the amount of possession you had and you failed to do anything with was abysmal and the fact that you only put 6 points on the board after halftime was criminal. Larkham’s try before halftime should be applauded. He must have been trying to convince me that he is as good as Flatley.

In my opinion the game went something like this: get the ball, go close to losing the ball in the breakdown, have a kick, re-set the scrum, waste some more time, and continue to suffer listening to the bullshit merchants. Penalty and someone have a shot. There were so few phases strung together that I thought I was watching league.

I know individuals played well like Herbert crashing through the defence but with no support, Mortlock showing that he is the outside centre, Burke's perfect kicking for the night, Kefu doing a power of work, Cannon providing the evidence to prove that he wasn’t the only factor to blame for the NSW lineout problems, Sailor showing that he has at least potential and Rogers highlighting the benefits of speed and agility. But it was a scrappy game that left you feeling exasperated rather than the good old rugby utopia buzz that a good game can provide.

Go Aussie ‘A’ on Tues night to provide me with a game to crow about for a bit. Go Crofty the Wallabies need you to provide them with some impetus, as Lyons is not a no.7 and should be playing in 6.