Gary Lemke looks back at a jam-packed sporting weekend as the Hollywoodbets Sharks had the last say in the Currie Cup final, while John Stones came off the bench to save the day for Manchester City against Arsenal.
REARGUARD DISPLAY AUGURS WELL FOR ARSENAL
Another example OF how stats lie: Man City had 33 shots to Arsenal’s 5, dominated possession 78%-22%, played with 11 men against 10 for 55 minutes, had 699 passes to the Gunners’ 202, 8 corners to 2 … and the list goes on.
However, the only stat that counts is the score and it took until the 98th minute for John Stones to rescue a point in City’s 2-2 draw against their English Premier League rivals at the Etihad.
Arsenal played with all 10 men behind the ball for the entire second half and came within a minute of winning. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective, despite the late equaliser. As much as attacks win titles, so too does defences. Arsenal fans can feel extremely upbeat today.
NORRIS PLAYS IT SAFE AND WINS AGAIN
While Lando Norris was cutting Max Verstappen’s Formula One drivers championship lead to 51 points, leading the Dutchman home in the Singapore GP to win for the third time this season, there was a driver sitting with his feet up for the eight successive race.
That driver was that of the safety car, which was not called into action yet again, a record. Also, the longest a Singapore GP, around teh city streets at night, has gone without a safety car is 35 laps. This was the first time in 15 grands prix at the circuit there hasn’t been one deployed.
There were a couple of brushes with the wall, but no real drama for the entire 62 laps. Norris came home lonely, 21 seconds clear, taking eight more points out of Verstappen. There are six races left and the McLaren is showing no signs of slowing down.
PUMAS HAVE BEEN A RUGBY REVELATION
The Springboks have been on the right end of so many one-point results that it was inevitable they would at some stage be on the receiving end. And so it proved when Argentina kept alive the Rugby Championship with a character-filled 29-28 win.
Predictably, there had to be a “fans” scapegoat and that man was Manie Libbok who missed a straightforward late penalty. The neutrals will love the fact that Argentina have beaten the All Blacks, Australia and now the Springboks and have a shot at winning the Rugby Championship next weekend.
The odds will favour the Springboks though. Back on home turf and with their biggest stars back on the field – there were 10 starting XV changes from the win over the All Blacks to the defeat to the Pumas – they will be expected to get the job done.
The battle in Santiago del Estero ebbed and flowed as can be seen by the scoring: 0-17, 7-17, 14-17, 19-17, 26-17, 26-22, 26-28, 29-28.
SOCIAL MEDIA OPINION PROVES PREMATURE
In-game following of New Zealand and Australia on social media gave the impression it was all heading towards a 100-nil pummelling to the All Blacks and that this was the worst Australian side of all time.
There were calls, from “knowledgeable” accounts, that the Wallabies (after their record loss to Argentina) had “given up on rugby union”. Others said they were “an embarrassment to their country”.
New Zealand scored four tries in the first 25 minutes, had led 21-0 and then 31-14. So imagine the surprise when one switched off and saw that the final result was 31-28 and the Kiwis were hanging on for dear life at the end.
SHARKS CHARACTER WINS THE CURRIE CUP
We need to salute the Hollywoodbets Sharks and while there are many who feel the Currie Cup has become devalued in the professional era, it remains the provincial trophy every player wants to raise after a final.
The Sharks lost their first three matches of the campaign, but proved it’s not how you start but how you finish. Their 40-40 draw (and win on more tries) in the semi-final against the Bulls at Loftus a week earlier was epic.
But, how much left did they have for the final against favourites the Lions? The answer came in the final moment when Jordan Hendrikse slotted a long-range penalty for the visitors to win 16-14.
In three successive weekends they’d twice beaten the Lions and got through against the Bulls. That’s what champions are made of.
DUBOIS PRODUCES STUNNING UPSET
Not many saw it coming and especially not Anthony Joshua. In front of 90,000 fans at Wembley in London, Daniel Dubois jumped to the front of the heavyweight queue when he knocked out Joshua, the heavy favourite.
Dubois, who has now won 21 times by KO in 24 fights (including over Kevin Lerena), floored Joshua four times before finishing it in the fifth round.
The Brit, who himself has twice been counted out, has put himself in the picture for some big money spinoffs with Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. Usykl stoppe Dubois in nine rounds in Poland last August.
ALSO WORTH A MENTION…
LIV Golf Team Championship. West Ham fan Billy Horshel won the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship when he emerged victorious from a three-man playoff with Rory McIlroy and Thriston Lawrence at Wentworth.
The all-Australian Rippers team won the LIV Team Championship. The Proteas beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in their last ODI in Sharjah, but that doesn’t mask the cracks as they lost the series 2-1.
Things went awry for Brad Binder when he finished at the back of the field in the Emilia Romagna MotoGP, but stays fifth in the standings.
