ODT Rugby Chat: Semi Finals Time
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Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Father-son duo part of champion Taieri side
Family matters at the Taieri Bowling Club. The club had a father-son duo in their team that won the New Zealand champion of champions men's fours title in Dunedin at the weekend. Andy McLean and father Grant were joined by Otago bowls great and national coach Mike Kernaghan and Geoff Griffiths. The Taieri four swept through unbeaten at the tournament, which attracted the champion club fours teams from all the Bowls New Zealand districts. They faced a significant challenge in the final from the Elmwood Park club four of Gary Lawson, Nathan Glasson, Liam Eathorne and Ricky Cook. After Elmwood grabbed a shot on the first end, Taieri won three on the second and two on the third to leap to a 5-1 advantage. Taieri banked four shots on the eighth end to take a commanding 12-4 lead, but Elmwood chipped away, and when the Christchurch bowlers claimed four shots on the 13th end, Taieri's lead was slashed to 13-12. The Taieri quartet held their nerve to claim three shots on the 14th end and held on to win 16-13. Taieri had smashed the Martinborough team 19-4 in the semifinals, and thumped Fitzroy 16-3 in the quarterfinals. They had wins in the early rounds by scores of 18-11, 18-8, 21-11 and 17-4. The Dunedin Bowls Stadium will now host the New Zealand champion of champions women's fours this weekend. • Dunedin bowler Keanu Darby has been named in the Blackjacks squad for the World Cup in Kuala Lumpur in November. Darby, who made his New Zealand debut in the transtasman series in February and played at the world indoor championships, will compete in both the singles and the pairs. The Forbury Park bowler is joined by fellow youngster Finbar McGuigan at the new event, which will be played on portable indoor rinks and uses the sets-play format, and is seen as a prelude for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Seasoned Blackjacks Shannon McIlroy and Ali Forsyth will be strong contenders for Glasgow but the selectors have decided to give the younger brigade a chance. "We know what Shannon and Ali are capable of — they're world-class," New Zealand coach Mike Kernaghan said. "But we agreed that it was time to be brave and give newer Blackjacks the opportunity to gain experience at this level." Similarly, selectors faced a tough decision in selecting the women's squad for a world cup that has only singles and pairs competition. They went for the established pairing of Katelyn Inch and Selina Goddard, meaning world singles champion Tayla Bruce misses out. "This was a really tough decision," Kernaghan said. "How often do you leave the world singles champion out of your team? "Ideally, we would have preferred the team composition to mirror what we expect for Glasgow — three men, three women, two para men, two para women, and a vision-impaired mixed pair — but World Bowls has determined the format, and we have to select accordingly. "With Glasgow in mind, we needed to take a close look at our pairs combinations, and this selection reflects that priority." World champion para women's player Teri Blackbourn will skip transtasman partner Kurt Smith in the para mixed pairs.
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- NZ Herald
British and Irish Lions clincher over Australia the best test of season: Phil Gifford
Tick them off. A huge crowd? How does 90,307 sound? Some brilliant old-school attacking rugby from both teams? Yes. Telecast in 130 countries, it was a game to debunk the idea that rugby has lost its appeal to all but an increasingly shrinking group of aged diehards. And to round it off, there was a refereeing controversy that will run for as long as Wallabies fans can still watch television replays and hear the cries of disbelief from commentator Morgan Turinui. Good on you, Sir Clive After losing the first test in Brisbane 27-19, the Australian team copped it from all quarters. Their own media and public were bitterly disappointed, and before the second test, there was a cutting comment from former Lions and England coach Sir Clive Woodward. He suggested the Wallabies were 'boys playing against men'. Few would have dreamed the same Aussie players were about to rock the Lions. Suddenly, the September test with South Africa at Eden Park is not the only major All Blacks showdown Auckland fans should look forward to this year. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt carried the brunt of criticism after Brisbane, which was a harsh call considering the relatively average performance of Australian sides in Super Rugby. Given the likeable almost ego-free person Schmidt is, it was a pleasure to watch his team respond with such an outstanding performance. The Wallabies revival started in the forwards, with a scrum that was potent and lineouts that operated with impressive expertise. Add in the physicality of giant lock Will Skelton and captain Harry Wilson, and the base was rock solid. Rob Valetini was as dynamic as he has been all season for the Brumbies. He may well be the best blindside flanker currently playing test rugby. When even Schmidt is outraged Schmidt is virtually the anti-Eddie Jones when it comes to stoking controversy. But the Kiwi obviously felt so strongly about a decision in the 77th minute by Italian referee Andrea Piardi and his assistants, he didn't hold back after the game. The officials had taken no action about what Schmidt felt was head-to-neck contact between replacement Lions flanker Jac Morgan and Aussie forward Carlo Tizzano. Had Morgan been penalised, there would not have been time for Lions wing Hugo Keenan to score the 80th-minute match and series-winning try. Because it was Schmidt who made the comment Australia had been let down by the referee, you have to take it seriously. But having watched the chain of events involving Morgan and Tizzano numerous times, it does feel like a hairline decision that could have gone either way. A more picky referee or TMO might have called a penalty. It was Australia's bad luck that nobody in the officiating team in Melbourne was in a nit-picking mood. Man of the match As impressive as so many of the men in gold jerseys in front of him were, my man of the match was Australian halfback Jake Gordon. The 32-year-old veteran and Waratahs captain has a flinty edge to him that's matched by his ability to read the game. Typical of his vision was his try in the 29th minute, when he dummied past bewildered defenders to give his team an 18-5 lead (with Tom Lynagh's conversion) which looked like the basis for a victory. The match-up between Gordon and All Black Cam Roigard will be fascinating when they face off in the Rugby Championship. Jake Gordon of Australia dives to score a try during the second test between the Wallabies and the British and Irish Lions. Photo / Photosport A brilliant idea still working It's one of sport's ironies that despite rugby being an upper-class sport in England from its earliest days, tours by combined British Isles teams began in 1888, with a privately funded trip to Australia and New Zealand that had no official connection to fiercely amateur rugby unions in Britain. Over the centuries, the Lions have become one of the most successful and profitable inventions in sport, to the point where every player on the Australian tour will receive a payout of $210,000. Like most good ideas, the concept of having the best players from four international rugby sides combine to tour the other side of the world seems obvious once it has succeeded. The Lions are powerful enough to be a yardstick for any international team. They also give rugby fans in the Southern Hemisphere the chance to watch superstars from the Six Nations, whose home countries tour Downunder so rarely. Phil Gifford is a Contributing Sports Writer for NZME. He is one of the most-respected voices in New Zealand sports journalism.
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Pogacar claims fourth Tour de France title
Tadej Pogacar claimed his fourth Tour de France title this morning, cementing his status as the most dominant rider of his generation and moving alongside Britain's Chris Froome on the all-time winners' list. The 26-year-old Slovenian, who triumphed in 2020, 2021 and 2024, delivered a near-flawless performance, even coming close to prevailing on a spectacular final stage on the Champs Elysees after an epic duel with Belgian Wout van Aert. "Just speechless to win a fourth Tour de France. Six years in a row on the podium and this one feels especially amazing, and I'm super proud that I can wear this yellow jersey," Pogacar, who was second in 2022 and 2023, said. Pogacar attacked relentlessly in the ascents of the Butte Montmartre but eventually suffered a brutal counterpunch from Van Aert, who went solo to win the last stage. The competitive element was largely neutralised today after organisers decided to freeze the times with about 50km left due to hazardous road conditions in driving rain. It did not prevent Pogacar from going for it, however, but Van Aert proved to be the best on the day, beating Italian Davide Ballerini and third-placed Matej Mohoric with Pogacar taking fourth place. The world champion effectively sealed his victory in the Pyrenees, with a brutal attack on the climb to Hautacam and a commanding victory in the uphill individual time trial, leaving chief rival Jonas Vingegaard more than four minutes behind. Twice champion Vingegaard of Denmark ended up 4:24 off the pace in Paris. LIPOWITZ THIRD German Florian Lipowitz finished third, 11:00 behind Pogacar, on his Tour debut and won the white jersey for the best Under-25 rider. "This was one of the hardest Tours I've ever been in," Pogacar said. The celebrations turned tense when the final stage featured three climbs up Montmartre. Times had been neutralised some 50km from the finish due to slippery roads, but a fierce fight for the stage win still unfolded. Pogacar equalled Froome (2013, 2015–17) and now only trails cycling greats Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Indurain, who share the record with five titles. Pogacar also secured the polka-dot jersey for the mountains classification, underlining his all-round dominance, while Italy's Jonathan Milan clinched the green jersey for the points competition. For Ineos Grenadiers, the once all-conquering team that ruled the 2010s with victories by Bradley Wiggins, Froome and Geraint Thomas, there was little to celebrate beyond two stage wins by Thymen Arensman. Thomas, a former champion, rode his last Tour in virtual anonymity, as the British team continues to face questions amid doping allegations reported in recent weeks. As tradition dictates, riders entered Paris in celebratory mood, but the finale proved anything but routine with the Montmartre climbs spicing up the closing laps.
