Greg Growden of Rugby Heaven looks forward to next year's World Cup in New Zealand.
"Remember the classic ship scene from the Marx Brothers' A Night at the Opera when everyone pours into Otis B Driftwood's stateroom?
As the three Marx Brothers are surrounded by manicurists, ship engineers and finally waiters carrying plates of food, Groucho exclaims: ''Is it my imagination, or is it getting crowded in here?''
"That moment was re-enacted on Saturday night in Christchurch. But this time it wasn't funny. All week we'd been hearing about how the Christchurch Test was being used as a guinea pig for next year's World Cup tournament to see whether the local facilities could cope with a major international event. The Wallabies travelled via Auckland to check if the Customs facilities would be efficient enough for the visiting teams.
"Good to hear, as the Auckland arrivals area can be a debacle. Sure, New Zealanders are proud they are a wool nation, but it doesn't mean tourists have to be herded into a sheep pen. If you can get through the baggage area in less than half an hour, think yourself lucky. And then you have to confront the nightmare of travelling into Auckland where a highway suddenly dissolves into a one-lane suburban street, prompting delays and further frustration.
"Can't wait for World Cup finals time in Auckland, especially as the locals are already whingeing that getting to and from Eden Park is as easy as escaping Alcatraz."
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