GOOD
Top of the list, and no surprises here, goes to the All Blacks for making their fifth RWC final with a 44–6 demolition of Los Pumas. Also good, the big dance will be against our greatest foes, South Africa, who made their fourth decider in contrasting fashion with a 78th-minute long-range penalty.
The Silver Ferns bouncing back to beat the Aussies in two thrilling internationals was a brilliant way to cap an indifferent year for our star netballers. Top quality international sport played by two passionate teams who never gave an inch, and it was played at an awesome time [4pm Monday] to sit down and relax after a busy day in the garden [fully clothed – Nude Gardening Day was Saturday and that would have indeed ended up in the ‘ugly’ category].
If you want proof of what the NPC means to provincial rugby unions, look no further than Saturday’s final, won 22–19 by Taranaki over Hawke’s Bay. A thriller played in front of a chocker Yarrow Stadium, and the crowd invading the ground on the final whistle brought back memories of scenes from years gone by.
Daryl Mitchell’s rapid-fire 130 was not enough to get the Black Caps over the line against Cricket World Cup hosts India, but the Kiwis are still looking good for the semifinals with four games to play, although none of Australia, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be pushovers.
Don’t you love an underdog? Afghanistan again showed they’re a real force in India, with an eight-wicket towelling of Pakistan,
to stay in the semifinal race.
Not a lot happening locally, but it was good that club cricket got underway, and on grass, too. There were some good signs for the representative side who open their Furlong Cup season this weekend against Taranaki, with former Black Cap Seth Rance getting some overs in and Jeremy Anderson scoring a gutsy 52. A double of 66 and 4–12 to Ethan Childs was the individual highlight, but it came with not-so-good news – for more info, see the next category.
BAD
The loss of seam bowling spearhead and middle order batter Ethan Childs, with a shoulder injury suffered while playing a cover drive. The injury will keep the talented all-rounder out of the Post Office Hotel Wairarapa team to travel to New Plymouth this weekend.
Lansdowne’s first innings effort of 40 all out only avoids being ugly due to their second innings fightback of 160–9.
Dumb, dumb, dumb – Scott Barrett’s yellow card against the Pumas was mindless. Need I say anything more about the only All Black to have been red-carded twice in tests and with a penchant for doing the dumbest of dumb in the heat of battle? On a sad note, the passing of England and Manchester United football great Sir Bobby Charlton, who was influential in England’s only World Cup win in 1966, and the Red Devils’ 1968 European Cup victory, the first by an English club.
UGLY
If you needed further evidence of the mentality [or lack of it] of some English football fans, the disgusting chants by a small sector of Manchester City fans after the death of Charlton. Man City have apologised to their cross-town rivals and promised to weed out the culprits and apply a suitable punishment, probably a lengthy suspension, but I reckon a stint in the stocks while dressed in Man U gear might be more appropriate.
The second RWC semifinal would win no prizes in a beauty pageant. The only excitement about the stodge dished up by South Africa and England was the closeness of the score. Not even Kiwi ref Ben O’Keeffe’s attempts to keep the game flowing by continually telling players to hurry up and threatening to penalise the endless flow of assistant coaches disguised as water carriers who took the field at every stoppage in play.
Allegations of a racial slur by Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi directed at England flanker Tom Curry have blighted the South Africans’ brave win. World Rugby are formally reviewing the allegations, and if found to be true and Mbonambi is banned, that would leave the Boks without a specialist hooker for the final, with converted loose forwards Deon Fourie and Marco van Staden to fill the number two role. But then again, there is no place for racism in sports, in any shape or form, and if Mbonambi said what was alleged, he should be on the first plane home.
