Gary Lemke looks ahead to a bumper sporting weekend where South Africa gear up to face England in the semis of the RWC, Everton take on Liverpool as the Premier League returns and more!
BOKS AND ALL BLACKS HARD TO OPPOSE
If you’re reading this on Saturday then you’ll already know whether or not the All Blacks are in another Rugby World Cup final. It would be a shock of seismic proportions if they didn’ get past Argentina in their semi-final, with the oddsmakers putting the spread at around 17 points. In fact, predictions suggested that both the All Blacks and the Springboks would win by double-figure margins, with the Boks looking to continue their dominance over the English.
The rugby neutral – if there is anything such as that at this stage of the competition – will be hoping that at least one of the matches can reach the intensity of the quarter-finals featuring these two traditional powerhouses. The other is probably a more forlorn wish: that the post-match discussions and social media interaction isn’t dominated by talk about the referee.
The Springboks have named an unchanged side ahead of their #RWC2023 semifinal clash against England.
— Motshidisi E. Mohono (@MotshidisiM) October 19, 2023
I thought we’d see one or two changes, but I suppose continuity at this stage of the tournament is key. It’s going to be a cracker! pic.twitter.com/5G4WS1iqoR
PROTEAS NEED TO BLOOM AGAIN
England versus South Africa in the Cricket World Cup, England versus South Africa in the Rugby World Cup. Double headers don’t come too much bigger than this. As we enter the weekend, there are three countries who can still win both World Cups – these two and New Zealand. While The Boks have looked all-conquering, having taken down France in an absolute classic, the Proteas have again shown their Jekyll ’n Hyde nature.
Fresh from an impressive win over Australia, they then put in a limp display – particularly in the bowling department – and lost in a big upset to the Netherlands. Defeat to England wouldn’t mean the end of the journey at all, but it would start to pile the pressure on the Proteas to get back on a winning streak, with the top four teams on the 10-country log going through to the semi-finals.
Proteas ‘ready to hit the ground running’ in massive battle against Englandhttps://t.co/PFfYjFM167
— IOL Sport (@IOLsport) October 20, 2023
MIXED BAG FOR SA URC SIDES
The United Rugby Championship season gets started this weekend with eight matches, including the four South African sides in the competition. The Stormers have the best recent record of the SA representation – runners-up last season and champions the season before – and they start with a short trip to Johannesburg to play the Lions. The Bulls have the comfort of a home start and should blow over the Welsh Scarlets, but the Hollywoodbets Sharks have it all to do, with the odds stacked against them on an away trip to champions Munster.
Joburg, here's your Match 23 for Saturday's local @URCOfficial_RSA derby against the DHL Stormers. Let's get behind our team.#LionsPride🦁 pic.twitter.com/jJfmx2kVlU
— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) October 20, 2023
ARE USMAN’S DAYS NUMBERED?
There’s a stacked card at UFC 294 which is staged at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night. The main event, a lightweight title bout between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski, is a rematch of THEIR gripping fight in February, in which Makhachev won by points decision. It was a competitive fight, but the bigger man was the deserved winner. What’s that they say? A good big ‘un will always beat a good little ‘un.
That should be the case again as featherweight champion Volkanovski goes up a division to try become a champion in two weight classes at the same time. The co-main event sees former middleweight champion Kamara Usman (20-3-0) take on Khamzat Chimaev (12-0-0). I fear that we are at the end of Usman’s glittering career and a defeat to the younger and bigger Chimaev could well see him calling time on his days in the octagon.
2 more sleeps 👊🏿🫶🏿🇳🇬 #UFC294 pic.twitter.com/6PQ0pvOUvw
— KAMARU USMAN (@USMAN84kg) October 19, 2023
NO LOVE LOST IN MERSEYSIDE DERBY
The English Premier League resumes after the International break with a full weekend of 10 fixtures. The main one is the London derby, where realistic title challengers Arsenal travel from north to west to take on Chelsea. The Gunners are deserved favourites to add to the Blues’ recent woes, in front of a Stamford Bridge crowd that won’t be bouncing out the bars and heading to the stadium with a spring in their step. They will be happy with a draw, you can be sure of that.
There’s also the Merseyside derby, this time the Saturday lunchtime kick-off which often throws the upset, between Liverpool and Everton. A little-known fact is that Everton were founded in 1878 and actually played at Anfield until there was a dispute over rent. They moved out, across the Mersey river and started playing at Goodison Park. Liverpool formed as a breakaway in 1892 and moved into Anfield. And that’s where all love was lost between the two. The other derby this weekend is also in London – Tottenham versus Fulham – but it’s very much third choice.
'It's a proper derby, the biggest one I know.' 🔵
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 19, 2023
Sean Dyche speaks ahead of Liverpool vs Everton ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/eB9iM6iSEk
