King Carlos conquers all with style

By ALAN PERROTT

It took only two words to light up the most composed poker face at Auckland's Viaduct Harbour yesterday: Carlos Spencer.

The magic words even drew celebratory recreations of the first-five's impish, no-look pass between the legs during the dying moments of their 29-9 quarter-final victory from three happy women outside the Food & Wine Festival.

"We're feeling good about life at the moment," said Jo Dunn from Whangaparaoa.

"The game was superb, I just hope they can keep it up."

For these women, it wasn't so much the result against the Springboks, as the style in which it was achieved. And that style had King Carlos written all over it.

Even the negatives had their bright sides said Susie Pudney. "It wasn't Dougie's best game at all, but he still looked great," she gushed.

The sun may have been beating down, but yesterday was the perfect chance for Mike Smith to come to town dressed in black from head to toe.

The 43-year-old from Mt Albert said it was a great day to be an All Black fan.

On the surface, it was a normal harbourside Sunday atmosphere: small groups lazing around outdoor tables.

But it was pure bedlam on Saturday night according to the bar staff.

The Loaded Hog apparently went off like a happy batch of cheap skyrockets and Float Bar managed to attract noise complaints from inner-city residents who couldn't hear their televisions for all the delighted post-try screaming.

A crush of early fans meant Float had to close its doors at 8pm, but staff member Beck McLeod said they were almost blown off their hinges during the national anthem.

"There must have been 1000 people in here. It was a great atmosphere, really tense before the game, but once we won there was just this huge happy buzz. I was thinking, 'Oh my God, if that's what it's like for a quarter-final, what will it be like if we get to the final'."

She said the ruckus became so loud, no one noticed when two panes of glass shattered.

Ms McLeod did have one complaint. "[The bar staff] didn't get to see any of the game at all, but no one had to tell us when we scored."

It was a good night for the TAB as well with a cash haul of $825,000 on the game, easily their best take of the cup to date and more than any of this year's Tri-nations matches.

New Zealand gamblers either suffered a mass outbreak of the wobbles or there has been a recent invasion of South Africans because for every bet on the All Blacks another three went on the Boks. But they obviously didn't have their hearts in it, said TAB spokesman Pete Young, as all the big money swung in behind the All Blacks.

He said the dominant nature of their performance dropped the odds on the All Blacks claiming the Webb Ellis Cup through the floor to $2.

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