All Blacks v Ireland: Cake Tin debate always sure to rise with Wellington's sports fans - Jason Pine

Wellington's 'Cake Tin' has hosted a mixed bag of rugby results for the All Blacks since opening in 2000. Photo / Photosport

Ahead of the biggest game the All Blacks have played since the 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final, much has been made of their poor recent record in Wellington. They haven't won any of the last three tests in the capital and have just one victory in their last five at Sky Stadium.

When you think of great sporting moments at the venue, you're more likely to be drawn to Rory Fallon's towering header for the All Whites against Bahrain in 2009 or Martin Guptill smashing an unbeaten 237 against the West Indies in the 2015 Cricket World Cup quarter-final.

Of course, there was Daniel Carter's masterclass against the British and Irish Lions in 2005, but rugby memories tend to be sour, rather than sweet.

John Eales' last-minute penalty to win the first ever test at the arena in 2000. England's 15-13 win in 2003, despite the fact they only had 13 men at one stage. Sonny-Bill Williams' red card and the All Blacks defeat by the Lions five years ago.

John Eales lifts the Bledisloe Cup trophy at Sky Stadium in 2000. Photo / Photosport

The stadium itself gets a fair bit of flack too for various reasons. If they had their time over, there are three things the designers would probably do differently; make it rectangular, stick a roof on it and paint the seats a different colour.

The fact it's circular quickly spawned its widely used nickname – the Cake Tin – which in itself causes a bit of angst around Wellington. In fact, there's a big group of locals who take an astonishing level of offence to the use of this term.

Personally, I don't call it The Cake Tin. To me, it's Sky Stadium, but I'm totally comfortable with others calling it the Cake Tin. But you'd be amazed – or maybe you wouldn't – at the outpouring of stern disapproval when the term is used in the capital.

I could say "Cake Tin" on the radio and know it'll be about 45 seconds before I receive a phone call, email or text of complaint, and I really can't work out why.

It would be understandable if the nickname was a negative one, but typically, good things come out of cake tins. Cakes, for starters. Cake tins produce delicious treats and mouth-watering aromas. They conjure positive images. It would be different if it was nicknamed The Rubbish Bin or The Waste Disposal Unit.

Wellington's 'Cake Tin' has hosted a mixed bag of rugby results for the All Blacks since opening in 2000. Photo / Photosport

It's also an accurate comparison. It actually does look like a cake tin. If you tell a foreign visitor to Wellington that the Stadium has this nickname, they nod in agreement and can instantly see why.

It doesn't actually matter what the displeased and vocal name-haters do, say or think. They can wail and gnash their teeth all they like, but people have called it The Cake Tin for ages, and they always will.

Hopefully good things happen there on Saturday night.