Double delight for South Africa against England, Verstappen wins again, Gunners come back from the dead and more! Gary Lemke looks back at the weekend that was!
BOKS AGAIN REFUSE TO ACCEPT DEFEAT
What do we make of the Rugby World Cup semi-finals then? The Springboks never led until Handre Pollard’s 78th-minute penalty to score a 16-15 win, which up until the minutes from time had looked unlikely.
However, the best teams find a way to win ugly and at the elite level of sport belief, aura and a refusal to lie down, makes the difference. I happen to think the Boks are the third-best team at this Rugby World Cup – France being the best, followed by Ireland – but all that counts is lifting the Webb Ellis Cup.
Against both France and England, the world champions were stretched to the limit and no one would have complained had they been beaten by a marginally better team on the night. But came through though with the “W” in a spectacular show that speaks volumes for the brotherhood in this camp.
They’re doing it for South Africa, as Bongi Mbonambi says. Just the one game to go then, and Hollywoodbets have the Boks 9/10 favourites, with New Zealand at 1/1.
Bottle.#ENGvRSA | #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/GO1KjR11js
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 22, 2023
PROTEAS HIT HEIGHTS AGAINST ENGLAND
Only hours before the Boks took to the field at a wet Stade de France, the Proteas dished up an absolute hammering to defending champions England at the Cricket World Cup.
It was a complete all-round performance from the South Africans, who rattled up 399 in their 50 overs and then had England 100-8 before bowling them out for 170. It’s unfathomable how erratic the Proteas were in the space of a few days.
They lost to the Netherlands and then consigned England to a record World Cup defeat. Next up? Struggling Bangladesh …
🇿🇦 RAISE YOUR FLAG
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) October 21, 2023
A statement win for the Proteas as they a notch 229 victory over England 🏏
One down on to you @Springboks🇿🇦 we are fully behind YOU 🫂 #CWC23 #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/P2WYANYfwo
DRICUS HAS NO FEAR OF CHIMAEV
The two favourites in the co-main events at UFC204 in Abu Dhabi duly won their bouts, but that doesn’t tell the story. Former welterweight champion Kumara Usman and the unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev both moved up to middleweight and neither looked too good at the higher weight.
Usman, now 36, acquitted himself well against a man touted as the next big thing in the middleweight division, didn’t suffer any significant damage in dropping a points verdict. Our own Dricus du Plessis was less than impressed.
He tweeted, “I’ll make it look easy” in reference to Chimaev. In the other co-main event, lightweight champion Alexander Volkanovski went up a weight class to take on Islam Makhachev. This time there was no need for the judges, as was the case in February.
Makhachev (25-1-0) ended the fight at 3min 06sec of the first round when he caught Volkanovski with a concussive left leg kick to the temple, jumped on his opponent and hammer-fisted him until the referee jumped in. It reinforced that adage, “a good big ‘un will always beat a good little ’un.”
I’ll make it look easy #UFC294
— Dricus Du Plessis (@dricusduplessis) October 21, 2023
TAIL OF THE COMET GLOWS
It is quite possible that we saw the Cape Guineas winner in action at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday. Tail Of The Comet certainly stood out as a horse who has something special about him when he cruised home in the Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m.
Trained in Gauteng by Sean Tarry, he arrived in the Cape with a big reputation and was sent off odds-on to win. The time of the race was nearly two second faster than the three-year-old fillies race over the distance, but slower than that which the older Wecangoallnight in winning the Cape Stakes.
I wouldn’t start calling him Charles Dickens just yet but he does seem to be the most impressive three-year-old we’ve seen in the Cape so far this season. In his post-race interview, jockey Richard Fourie described Tail Of The Comet as “an interesting horse”. Which in itself, is an interesting comment.
TAIL OF THE COMET storms home to claim victory in the Cape Racing Sales Ready To Run Stakes! Congratulations to owners ASSM Racing Syndicate (Nom: Mr A Chadha), Messrs G K Harvett, G L O'Brien & Sean Tarry Racing (Pty) Ltd and breeder Nadeson Park Stud. pic.twitter.com/U8Mhme5X2d
— Sean Tarry Racing (@seantarryracing) October 22, 2023
GUNNERS COME BACK FROM THE DEAD
Tottenham have a chance to go top of the Premier League should they beat Fulham in their match on Monday night. Arsenal had the opportunity to do so when they travelled to Chelsea, but dropped two points in a 2-2 draw.
Actually, Chelsea were 2-0 up with 13 minutes remaining, so for the rebuilding Blues the draw will feel like a defeat. For Arsenal though, that comeback will have had them feeling the better of the two sides heading off into the night.
There were routine wins for Liverpool and Aston Villa to keep the pressure on Man City, but damaging defeats for Burnley, Bournemouth and Sheffield United. The latter are already four points from safety after nine matches, after which they’re also still searching for a first clean sheet.
Bossard 💪 pic.twitter.com/gHx1l4twqN
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 22, 2023
MAGICAL MAX MAKES IN 15 FROM 18
For the petrol heads, there was the United States F1 Grand Prix and the Australian MotoGP, neither of which were ideal for South Africans setting their clocks to watch them.
Brad Binder acquitted himself well Down Under, finishing fourth to remain fourth on the overall standings, while on four-wheels Max Verstappen, already crowned world champion for the season, took the checkered flag for the 15th time this season in 18 races.
Behind him Lewis Hamilton was DQ’d four hours after finishing second. His Mercedes was deemed to have an “illegal floor plank”, as did Charl Leclerc’s Ferrari.
Given his and the Red Bull’s superiority, Verstappen could well stop for a quick lunch and selfies with fans during a race and still be on the podium. OK, so maybe that’s an exaggeration. Maybe fourth place then.
Clinical from Verstappen as he swoops past Norris and takes the lead 👏#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/AgCnLKqyCt
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 22, 2023
