Can this golden generation of cricketers produce another upset victory? Photo / Photosport
Can this golden generation of cricketers produce another upset victory? Photo / Photosport
Chris Rattue analyses the best sport to watch this weekend.
5) NPC final: Canterbury v Wellington, Saturday, 7.05pm - Sky
The rugby day kicks off with South Canterbury playing Whanganui in the Meads Cup final (Sky/Prime, 2.05pm), the Black Ferns will almost certainly beat Scotland (Spark, 4.45pm) in their lastWorld Cup group game, before Wellington try to upset Canterbury in Christchurch.
Canterbury's title history is sensational while Wellington's is awful, a trend that is unlikely to be broken here.
And so, another NPC season comes to an underwhelming end.
The sparsely populated stadiums and general lack of interest raise inevitable questions about the viability of the NPC in a country where other domestic sports competitions have collapsed.
The NPC is still essential to the health of rugby, the trouble being it's just not essential viewing anymore.
Something's got to give - that's the feeling the competition puts out.
Silver Lake's money and fading memories of the glory days prop it up, but for how long?
4) Lochore Cup final: Ngāti Porou East Coast v Mid Canterbury, Sunday, 1.05pm - Sky/Prime
It's hard to believe that just over 20 years ago East Coast - the country's smallest rugby union - were on a magical ride that had them talked about as a division one prospect.
Big brother had other ideas, just, in the second division final.
Hawke's Bay beat their quite-near neighbours to end the dream in Napier on an extraordinary day in which the Joe McClutchie-coached East Coast - fired by the spirit of a tiny, close-knit community - dominated the opposition's ground and scored more tries than the hosts.
It was a never-to-be-forgotten occasion, a final nod of sorts to what provincial rugby had meant to the country over the years.
With just 500 players, and only 250 covered seats at its home ground, East Coast resisted amalgamating with Poverty Bay in the late 1990s as McClutchie set about driving a new team culture around Ngāti Porou history and attracting some fine players back to the union.
"It has a lot to do with almost all the guys being related," captain Wirihana Raihania told me, when I visited Ruatoria to write about the team's rise.
"When blood comes into it, it is different. When you see your auntie shouting for you, or look over and see your grandfather..."
Realists suspected this fairytale story was coming to an end, one way or other. A promotion relegation game would have stood in East Coast's way, and they didn't meet some first division requirements anyway.
Ngāti Porou East Coast have gone back to more humble rugby encounters, and in hindsight were better off avoiding the inevitable drubbings awaiting in the top flight.
They won the Meads Cup 10 years ago, but there have been very hard times since which makes their appearance in this final – the secondary second-division Cup for teams who did not make the top four - at Ruatoria so much more satisfying.
If earlier results go a certain way this weekend, it will be up to East Coast to take on another heavyweight assignment of sorts, denying Canterbury a clean sweep of the three provincial titles.
And that wonderful 2001 season will never be forgotten for anyone who had the privilege of experiencing it.
3) Silver Ferns v Diamonds, Sunday, 9.30pm – Sky
Brilliant. It's all on the line on the Gold Coast, a winner-takes-all finale to the latest transtasman netball series.
The physical Diamonds won by so much in Melbourne they wiped out the goal difference advantage the impressive Silver Ferns built in the first two wins.
In hindsight, I would argue Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua has erred in pre-selecting a different squad to cross the Tasman.
The omission of creative wing attack Peta Toeava, who starred in the first two games, must be seen as a factor in the heavy third game loss.
These cut-throat games in Australia would also have been a great chance to fast-track the 28-year-old's international experience. She shapes as an exciting difference maker for the Ferns over the next few years.
Courtney Bruce of Australia (left) fights for the ball with Grace Nweke of New Zealand during the Constellation Cup netball match. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
2) Fifa World Cup draw, Saturday, 7.30pm – Sky/Prime
New Zealand Football Ferns link for the anthem against Japan. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
Another Fifa spectacular as the world descends on our humble Aotea Centre in preparation for the 2023 tournament, to be co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.
The outcome of the draw will influence the sort of buzz around the games in New Zealand next year.
Fifa draws have a strange buzz of their own.
They tend to look like a cross between a Lotto draw and a Star Trek set, with an evangelical atmosphere thrown in. You can almost see applause signs.
The draw itself involves some legitimate engineering.
As co-hosts, New Zealand and Australia will automatically avoid being parked in a group alongside one of the top nations.
In other words, New Zealand won't be drawn against the likes of the USA, France and England.
With a bit of luck however, some of those glamour teams will end up among the four groups based in this country.
A reported 800 attendees will gather on tomorrow night for the glitziest piece of admin you are likely to see in a while.
That makes three lotteries in one night: the World Cup draw, the Lotto draw and the Twenty20 cricket.
1) T20 World Cup: New Zealand v Australia, Saturday, 8pm - Sky
The main part of the World Cup opens with a repeat of the 2021 final, as New Zealand take on the Aussies in Sydney.
First, the bad news: Playing Australia in Australia is usually the kiss of death for our cricketers. Even playing them in New Zealand doesn't often go well.
And while the Black Caps are the world test champs, they haven't been able to nail a tournament win, despite getting very close.
On to the good news…
New Zealand has wowed the sports world with its giant-killer act, cleverly working a central contract system to produce a team that punches above its weight.
This is a golden generation of Kiwi cricketers, operating under Kane Williamson's calm leadership. They don't always succeed, but they are always in with a chance.
Unfortunately, the numbers aren't so encouraging for the opening encounter.
The Kiwis have only played 15 T20 games against the Aussies, losing 10, including all three in Australia and that 2021 world final in Dubai.
Michael Bracewell of the Black Caps during the T20 Tri-Series cricket match, Black Caps Vs Bangladesh at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
But the two countries have shared the six games played over the past two years. Each side has a bright new potential star.
Batsman Finn Allen is the rising Kiwi firebrand. Australia have the giant Tim David, a big basher who has made his way into the national team from outside the regular system.
T20 is a crazy animal so I won't bother trying to predict a winner.
But if the Black Caps did happen to win the trophy, the country would go crazy for the team. And the thought of playing a big final at the amazing MCG sends shivers up the spine.
And if the Black Caps bomb, general sports fans won't be all that bothered because T20 is that kind of game for New Zealanders.
Which means tomorrow night should be a lot of fun, however it turns out.
