A Pick ‘N’ Mix Anyone?
After another busy
week of sporting action, I’ve decided to go down a slightly different path this
week. There are a few things I
need to get off my chest and a few points of interest that have come about, both
in Europe and where the important stuff happens, down in the Southern
Hemisphere.
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| Derek Chisora & David Haye acting like a pair of tw@s |
But firstly, and it
has taken me some time to get to, but Boxing! I’m not sure about the future of this sport for a number of
reasons, and I’m pretty sure that the fiasco that took place a week or two back
between David Haye and Derek Chisora, two English Heavyweight Boxers, well
former in David Haye’s case, hasn’t boosted it’s appeal in anyone’s eyes. The brawl that these two clowns got
into during Derek Chisora’s press conference, after he lost to Vitali Klitchko,
was embarrassing to put it mildly.
The sport already has basically zero credibility (look no further than
the SBW circus for confirmation of that) and this only adds to the shambles
that is boxing. The fact that
Chisora has received an indefinite ban from the WBA is a start, but he has a
hearing coming up and can actually overturn this sentence, something which I
suspect will actually happen. If
that is the case the WBA are now endorsing Haye and Chisora’s thug like
behaviour. How many mum’s and
dad’s are watching that and thinking, “You know what, I really want our son to
get into boxing.” With the sports
fighting market becoming ever more popular and crowded I can’t see the future
of boxing continuing to be the force that it has in the past. Muay Thai, K1, UFC and the list goes
on, the question is will boxing be on that list in another 20 years time? I’m
not so sure.
To the Black Caps we
go and what a disaster they are proving to be. Take out a few good players, expose the next level of
players to quality opposition and tumble like a house of cards. Not that anybody expected much more did
they? The only interesting part
that remains of this series is to see just badly beaten they get in the Test
matches. If they can manage a draw
I’ll be impressed based on what we have seen so far from them. Enough said.
The 6 Nations has been
an interesting tournament so far, especially given the England coaching setup
at the moment, and add to that the fact that they have now extended their
deadline as a way to entice Wayne Smith to apply. Now I’ve never had much time for England, in anything
really. Let’s be honest no one
wants to see them win anything.
Against Aussie a draw is perfect and that’s about as positive as we want
to be for them isn’t it? That
being the case I couldn’t have been happier when Wales recorded just their
third victory at Twickenham in the last 25 years. Surely now Wales will go on to claim the 6 Nations as their
game is so much more dynamic than that of any of their competitors. Australia will have to be very careful
come June when they play a two Test Series. Wales will win at least one of those Test Matches and could
well win both if they continue to grow and develop over the next three months
or so.
Football, I must be
honest I’m no expert when it comes to this sport, however I have on occasion
enjoyed the odd game here and there. Two games struck me during the mid-week ‘friendlies’
that took place last week. England
again, bless them, when down in a screaming heap in front of a packed Wembley
Stadium. The Dutch went up 2 nil
after 60 minutes only for the ‘Poms’ to level it up just before the end. However Robben had different ideas and
right at the end of stoppage time send the English into stunned silence, their
first loss in 10 matches. Although
it was an experimental line-up this is not the way they want to be heading into
Euro 2012. On that note, Italy
will be fuming after their poor display against that football powerhouse the
USA. 1-0 and Italy looked devoid
of any strike power whatsoever.
Again with the Euro Championship coming up in just three months, there
is a lot of polishing to be done to get these teams to where they need to be
for what is effectively the 2nd biggest stage that football has to
offer.
Finally today we will
finish back with rugby and a quick wrap of the weekends Super Rugby
action. The Hurricanes managed to
get the business done, albeit thanks to some poor discipline from the
Lions. John Mitchell must be
rueing the fact that his team gave away 6 kickable penalties which kept the
Hurricanes scoreboard ticking over and eventually got them home in the 79th
minute. Against better opposition
I fear the Hurricanes will need more than a few penalties to help them out
though. The Blues crashed and
burned against a Chiefs side that recovered well after being outmuscled by the
Highlanders last week. The Blues
job only gets harder as they prepare to take on the Bulls this weekend, who
just happened to pump a rather toothless Cheetahs side 51-19 over the weekend. See what I did there again? It seems there might just be an endless
supply of punch lines when it comes to the Cheetahs. After that they also take on the Stormers, also on the road
in SA who happened to pip the Sharks by three in a match that was Test Match
like at times. The Blues could
well be on the plane back to NZ without a win from their first four
matches. Not the start that a
potential title contender wants to consider. Pat Lam needs to turn things around quickly! Last but not least the Highlanders and
the Crusaders battled it out in the first Super Rugby match to be played
indoors, in Dunedin’s new Forsyth Barr Stadium, and what a game it was! The Highlanders getting out to an early
lead, only for the Crusaders to fight their way back, then the Highlanders go
ahead with a try that looks to have sealed them the match only for the ground
clock to say that time was up when there was still three minutes to play. The Highlanders, twice kicked backwards
for touch to finish the game only to be told by the referee that in fact there
was still time remaining. The
Crusaders then set themselves up for a droppie in good field position only for
Tyler Bleyendaal to push it to the right.
If it had cost the Highlanders the game it would have been a tragedy,
however atop the NZ Conference they now sit with two wins on the trot and a
truckload of momentum and confidence, going into this weekends home clash with
the Waratahs they must be favoured to win the biscuits.
There we have guys and
gals, a bit of an assortment of this an that but let’s hope this week in sport
throws up as much as the last.
Til then Balls to the
wall as usual team.
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