All Blacks first five-eighth Richie Mo'unga. Photosport
All Blacks first five-eighth Richie Mo'unga. Photosport
Chris Rattue ranks the top sporting events to watch over the next few days including the Rugby World Cup final.
6) Kiwis v Kangaroos, Saturday 10.10pm – SKY
New Zealand have lost a touch over three-quarters of their test matches against the mighty Aussies, and most disappointingly the massiverise of Kiwis-eligible players in the NRL hasn’t even changed that.
The Aussies have made things a little easier for the visitors in Melbourne by resting the runaway train Payne Haas.
That’s because the same teams will also meet in next week’s Pacific Championship final in Hamilton where the battle between Haas and outstanding James Fisher-Harris – the new Kiwis captain – will be among the highlights.
The Raecene McGregor-led Kiwi Ferns play the Jillaroos at 8pm.
5) Manchester United v Manchester City, Monday 4.30am – SKY
My favourite EPL derby by far, since City turned the tables on the United dynasty.
And if you’ve got the stamina, Kiwi striker Chris Wood – fresh from a two-goal performance – visits glamour club Liverpool with his Nottingham Forest side in an earlier game (3am SKY).
4) San Antonio Spurs v Los Angeles Clippers, Monday 2pm – SKY
World sport is on the cusp of welcoming a new global basketball superstar.
Basketball observers believe the French rookie will cause a seismic shift in the sport, a la the way three-point shooter Steph Curry did with the golden State Warriors dynasty.
There’s a big difference of course. Kids can work on their three-point shooting all day long, but there’s no way of practising being 2.23 metres tall (that’s nearly 7 foot 4 inches in the old money).
The extremely agile Wembanyama is a defensive sensation who could prove beyond taming for the finest NBA shooters.
San Antonio Spurs centre Victor Wembanyama. Photo / AP
It will force them to change the geometry their techniques have been built on, such is his ability to protect the rim. It will be fascinating to see how opposing coaches deal with his presence.
Wembanyama is just as dangerous at the other end of the court, with great movement and instincts. And he has athleticism and fluidity in transition.
NBA pundits say they’ve never seen anything like him before.
Check Wembanyama out in the Spurs’ third game of the season, in downtown Los Angeles.
The Clippers are the oldest team in the NBA – old dogs like Russell Westbrook may have to come up with some new tricks.
3) Baseball World Series Game One – Saturday 1.03pm – SKY
Enter the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks, two teams who were rubbish just a couple of years ago.
The regular season goes on forever, and in relative obscurity, before baseball comes alive for the floating sports voter at this time of year.
And with that comes a strange phenomenon, of top regular season performers losing their way and others who suddenly find the magic when it counts the most.
The big problem is finding the time to watch it all, but if you can then there is nothing quite like the World Series with its evolving drama and themes.
And this one might take a lot of time, with many pundits predicting it will take all available seven games to find the champion.
2) Cricket: New Zealand v Australia, Saturday 6pm – SKY
This pivotal World Cup clash in India is due to finish around 2am, which leaves just enough time for some kip before rugby’s World Cup final.
The ODI world tournament is a strange beast, in which an all-in group stage means important early matches don’t feel important enough.
The moment of truth is close at hand though for the contenders.
New Zealand’s impressive run in world tournaments makes them a cricket darling, as plucky outsiders who can upset the heavyweights. Daryl Mitchell is a runs machine, while spinner Mitch Santner is the key to slowing the Australian batting down.
Australia are hitting their straps after a slow start. This includes Glenn Maxwell going on a stunning batting rampage against Netherlands.
The winner will take a big step towards a semifinal place.
Devon Conway plays a shot against Bangladesh. Photo / Getty Images
1): RWC final: All Blacks v Springboks, Sunday 8am – SKY/SKY Open
Go on, predict a winner. I can’t.
The game between teams who always play each other twice a year should be very close.
Here are a few predictions.
All hell will break loose afterward over an incident or two, possibly involving referee Wayne Barnes.
Players will be left with memories great and not so great over a missed kick, a scrum penalty, or a disputed turnover call.
South Africa will revert to stereotype and slow the game down because few teams can match the All Blacks when they get some flow.
And if the All Blacks win, this will become an Ian Foster/Sam Cane redemption story.
Strap in, and try to enjoy the drama, or at least revel in the tension.
