Latest from Best of Sport Analysis

Dana Johannsen: Busy schedules hard on players

It's time commercially focused leaders tackled the issue of growing their sport without flogging the talent.

Chris Rattue: Kearney has to go

The Kiwis rolled back the years in the World Cup final, evoking depressing days past as they failed to fire a shot and were chewed up by the Aussies, writes Chris Rattue.

Andrew Alderson: Charge left Irish kicking themselves

Richard Loe: Gap closing in world of rugby

Mark Richardson: Big call to install Sodhi for test

It's a risk but I like it. I've been crying out for a wrist spinner and Ish Sodhi has got my hopes up. More importantly, he appears to have the trust of the selectors.

Paul Lewis: When the black dog bites

Scotty Stevenson: A 'perfect' season punctuated by loss

Richie Barnett: Johnson pivotal for Kiwis in final

Shaun Johnson looms as the most important player for the Kiwis in Sunday morning's World Cup final, writes Richie Barnett.

Chris Rattue: League could be in for a bumpy Christmas

Aussie league's errant players have an amazing sense of irony, starting with the poster boys who come unstuck, writes Chris Rattue. Christmas Day is a sitter for an incident.

Paul Lewis: Boxing clever is do or die

McKinnon's retirement came courtesy of that bloodied, bruising bout with Berridge, marketed as a grudge match and having every appearance of being so.

Richie Barnett: Failure? Forget it - Kiwis are going to win

Defeat at this stage of the tournament would mean a failed campaign, but I'm confident the Kiwis will beat England in their World Cup semifinal.

Chris Rattue: Global rugby season the biggest sports con job

Here's a phrase most of us could quite happily never hear again: Global Rugby Season.

Michael Burgess: Herbert's timing unusual

Wynne Gray: All Blacks pick-axe past English glacial slide

Ditch the talk about justice for the All Blacks, enterprise against intimidation or revenge for last year's stumble at Twickenham, writes Wynne Gray.

Fabulous test at great venue

The All Blacks stand on the verge of making history - an unbeaten season - and yet it was England rising to receive the applause, write Chris Rattue.

Sean Fitzpatrick: All Blacks managing player transitions much better now

Mark Richardson: Versatility is the key ingredient

When I was a kid things were so much easier: Wright, Edgar, Reid, Crowe M, Crowe J, Coney, Hadlee, Smith, Cairns, Bracewell, Chatfield ... that was the NZ cricket team.

Paul Lewis: No sense to calls to dump Carter