Although last night's Bledisloe Cup draw set the stage for an epic blowout next week at Eden Park, the trans-Tasman rivalry was put on hold last night, with All Black skipper Sam Cane honouring one of the Wallabies' Test veterans during their post-match drinks.
Last night's tense 16-16 draw marked the 100th test appearance for Wallabies veteran Michael Hooper and in a touching gesture of mutual respect between the two sides, Cane presented the Australian skipper with a bottle of New Zealand wine on behalf of the All Blacks to recognise the milestone.
"Just on behalf of us, we just want to congratulate you on your hundy, and we've got some of New Zealand's best red wine. Not sure where it's from," Cane said in front of both squads in the All Blacks changing room.
Upon recieving the gift, Hooper commended the All Blacks on following through with the post-match tradition of inviting the visiting side into the changing rooms.
He also praised the intensity and quality of rugby that is played when the two rivals meet.
"Every time we play you blokes, it's on. It's on from the word go, and thank you for inviting us in. It's the other stuff of rugby that's quite special, too," Hooper said.
"See you next week in Auckland," he added.
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