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The sun shone on the Super 14 at Eden Park, but mostly it shone on South African rugby.
The Sharks' victory over the Blues in the evening light involved another tense finish, a strength of the Super 14 this season.
Even the bizarre victory of the Highlanders, by 6-0 over
the Crusaders, at least involved a nail-biting conclusion as the Crusaders pressed for victory. This was a scoreline from the very old days, and who might ever have envisaged the once mighty Crusaders scoring a winterless nought.
South Africa is shining in the summer rugby so far.
The Bulls and the Sharks are established as the title favourites. The Sharks in particular are flying with two victories in New Zealand and are close to dead certainties already for the semifinals.
Auckland's multiculturalism gets one of its most interesting days out when a South African team comes in.
The numerous and recent South African immigrants to this city, and maybe the old ones as well, happily back their teams with flags and enthusiasm. It is an endearing sight.
The South African teams, and especially the Sharks, look happy away from home.
This has certainly not always been the case in the Super 14.
Long stretches in the Super competition have seen South African teams treat their passports as ticking time bombs.
The ability of New Zealand teams - although not all of them - to keep their composure and faith on the road has been pivotal to their success in the Sanzar era.
But this season it seems the tables have been turned.
The Sharks were strong and composed at Eden Park, a hallmark long embodied by their magnificent frontrower, John Smit, the Springbok captain. This composure was typical of the Crusaders and the Blues in their best days, but it is a mojo under threat in New Zealand rugby.
The concern for New Zealand should be that it takes only the loss of a few players for this vital ingredient to dry up - players such as Dan Carter and Aaron Mauger, plus the freshly injured Richie McCaw and Mils Muliaina, for helter-skelter and kicking to dominate.
Not only are great inside back combinations in short supply, it's hard to see great individuals out there. Established No 8s who can set the tone are also absent. Sensible dying for the cause is dead, and maybe we can see now why the Crusaders fans used to sing Reuben Thorne songs.
Robbie Deans' Crusaders were a thick and polished veneer over the true state of the New Zealand game. It's not all bad, because there are skilful players about, but real class is lacking.
In the final moments at Carisbrook, it was the great new hope Kieran Read who lost the ball in a tackle. With injuries taking a toll on McCaw's career, Read's influence will become pivotal in red and black country.
Some of our world-class talent is also mad headed. At Eden Park, New Zealand's greatest lock Ali Williams marked his return by looking out for a distracting scuffle. It remains to be seen if those celebrating the return of prodigal son Luke McAlister will still preach the gospel of Luke so enthusiastically in a year's time.
Saturday's match was a decent game at Eden Park, and it is lovely to see rugby played in the sunlight, whether at the ground or on television.
This is supposed to be a new day for the Blues, but it felt like a lot of their not-so-old ones.
If you want to blame a refereeing decision, feel free, but such decisions tend to balance themselves out over a season. Coaches are quick to imply that poor calls caused defeats but seldom mention them as the reason for victories. Their importance in defeat is overly magnified.
When a bad call rubbed out a Joe Rokocoko opportunity in the final stages, the Blues were trailing and, had a converted try been scored at that point, would still have trailed.
Yet it is easy to turn this into a fantasy scenario, by which a Rokocoko try launches the Blues to victory without considering how the impressive Sharks would have responded to the new situation.
The Sharks thoroughly deserved their win at what was once the most-feared park to visit in the competition.
Eden Park is under reconstruction, and there is a lot of highly visible scaffolding around the Blues as well.
