Summary
So a massive night of sport, once again, headlined by that pulsating last few minutes to Showdown 44 - from which Port Adelaide has emerged victorious after threatening to clutch defeat from the gaping maw of victory.
We started with a remarkable result in the Super Rugby, where the Waratahs threatened to become the first Australian team to win on New Zealand soil since around 319BC, as they leapt to a 29-0 lead over the Crusaders. But they haven’t won seven straight games for nothing, the eight-time and defending champions, and they produced a remarkable turnaround to edge it 31-29 at the death.
A big shock in the NRL too where the once high-flying, now stuttering, Warriors have returned the favour with a stunning capitulation to trans-Tasman neighbours of their own, copping a shellacking: 32-0 at home in the rain to the Roosters.
A terrific first win of the season for long-suffering Carlton fans, an important win for not-as-long suffering Sea Eagles fans, and some absolute nail-biting finishes in the Super Netball, including a ‘shades of Commonwealth Games’ last few minutes for Sunshine Coast Lightning’s goal shooter and Diamonds captain Caitlin Bassett.
Thanks for your company, on a night when all the sport, all the time, is never enough. Bonne nuit!
Full-time: Bulldogs 16.11 (107) beat Lions 14.9 (93)
And a good win in the end for the Bulldogs. They’ve not started the season too brightly, but on a night when a fellow struggler, Essendon has succumbed to a 0-7 team, they will consider this a good game to have safely navigated.
The Lions showing some fair fight, in spite of their own 0-7, now 0-8, place on the ladder. Dayne Zorko with 4.0 and Charlie Cameron 3.0 to give Brisbane some hope down the track. They’ll need to get moving soon though, lest it already begin to feel like another year written off.
They need something here to lift, the Lions, it would be a very special win if they got up from here. But the Bulldogs are ‘game managing’ this very well, and it’s Matthew Suckling who sends the first quasi-nail in this comeback-coffin.
100-81. 19 points the difference. Nope. Not with five to play. And an update to the earlier post - Jack Macrae now with 44 disposals. Massive effort from the 23-year-old.
And a spot of interest back at the AFL where, I’ll be honest, I kind of presumed the Lions were going to fade given their 0-7 start to the season and, well, generally being the Lions.
We’re in the last quarter, and having started it with four majors to one, the Lions with fifteen to play, have dragged themselves to within seven points of their hosts, the Western Bulldogs!
A nerves-settler from Bontempelli and it’s back to 13 the gap. A tense few minutes of midfield contestation. We’ve got ten to play!
Updated
Full-time: Sea Eagles 38-24 Brisbane Broncos
And confirmation of that earlier NRL game - it’s a morale-boosting win for a team, that frankly, has been under siege in recent weeks.
Wayne “I don’t usually smile, but I’m certainly not now” Bennett won’t be too happy with the defensive display from his chargers. They did have their own moments of magic the Broncos, but it’s a night to savour for his opposite number Trent Barrett.
Just a third win of the season for the Sea Eagles.
Full-time: Brumbies 24-27 Rebels
And he’s strikes it, and it bends - is it enough? It’s just inside the post!
They’ve done it, the Rebels, two minutes to play!
The Brumbies get one last chance, ball in hand, about 25 seconds before the siren. But the line of blue/purple remains resolute. What a big result that is for the Australian conference standings!
The Brumbies were about to leapfrog the Reds into third, but now it’s the Rebels, who capitalise on the Waratah’s remarkable capitulation against the Crusaders, to go second by just one point on the competition ladder!
Updated
We’re about five to play here in the Super Rugby, and it’s the Rebels making the late running.
Reece Hodge with a booming 60m drop-kick from a restart to gain valuable field position, Christian Lealiifano returns with a chipped kick, but the Rebels send Marika Koroibete steaming down the left touchline and it’s the visitors who could grab it late!
They’re about 10m out, and.. penalty to the Rebels!
They play the video, it’s a high headshot, a bit tough on the Brumbies with the Rebels player almost slipping/ducking a bit into the contact.
And it’s Hodge. He of the mixed kicking tonight - with the chance to win it!
Updated
Allo, allo! Have we spoken too soon?
Trailing 24-10 the Rebels have enjoyed four mad minutes, crossing twice with Reece Hodge belatedly finding the kicking boots to convert both - the latter a terrific curling effort after youngster Semisi Tupou was put over in the corner for his first ever Super Rugby try.
24-24, we’re all locked up with ten to play!
And in the Hunger Games derby down in Canberra, it’s the Brumbies presently leading the Rebels 21-10, three tries to two, but it’s the goalkicking that’s exacerbated the lead. 3/3 plays 0/2.
Win this and they jump above the Queensland Reds, do the Brumbies. So officially confirming about the worst weekend in Qld Rugby for a while, as they return to Australia with the word ‘Sunwolves’ and the number ‘63’ looming large in their nightmare banks.
Oooh. And here’s a thing. We’re ten minutes into the second half of Manly v Brisbane in the NRL, and you probably wouldn’t credit it, but it’s the Sea Eagles calling the shots!
Akuila Uate’s just crossed, but those kill-joys in the Bunker don’t care for it. An infringement in the air from Daly Cherry-Evans’ kick and it’s rubbed out. Still, they lead 26-14, having at one stage trailed 6-14.
What a shot in the arm this could be for Trent Barrett’s beleaguered squad.
And an update from Melbourne, where the AFL literally never sleeps.
It’s Western Bulldogs in a strong position at half-time in their clash with the Brisbane Lions. It’s 9.5 (59) plays 6.5 (41) with Jack Macrae racking up a remarkable 26 disposals already, with Marcus Bontempelli and Billy Gowers both firing 2.1 a-piece.
We’ve also got the late fixture kicking off in the West, where Fremantle lead St Kilda 3.2 (20) to 1.2 (8) with a quarter gone.
And for our F1 fans crying out for more considered analysis ahead of the Barcelona Grand Prix, sheesh, enough already. Read this:
And to the other Gilbert.
We’re back on court in Melbourne with Sharni Layton’s Collingwood Magpies in the Super Netball as they take on the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
A decent start for the home team; they’ve led both quarters to start with Caitlin Thwaites bombing them in from all of the town (read: from inside the allocated space she’s allowed to shoot within). 32-27 the half-time score. They’re 0-3 the Thunderbirds and will need something pretty tidy to come home here. Still, it’s not unheard of.
Okay, and from the Sherrin to the Gilbert, and also the Steeden.
We’ve got an all-Australian affair in the Super Rugby as the Brumbies host the Rebels in the Hunger Games derby to see which franchise will be folded at the end of this season. Wait, this means an Australian team could win, right?!
(Ed: no, they’ll probably draw).
And over in the NRL, we’ve got the already-struggling Sea Eagles tacking on Wayne “Granite Face” Bennett’s Broncos.
Nothing to choose from so far, it’s Brumbies by two, and Broncos by two with about a quarter gone.
Full-time: Port Adelaide 14.11 (95) beats Adelaide Crows 14.6 (90)
What a finish! There are some overhyped derbies out there, but gee whiz. How bout The Showdown! That was an absolutely blockbuster installment of this fierce rivalry - and would you believe, Showdown 44 finishes with the two Adelaide sides boasting 22 wins a piece!
Adelaide with 19 unanswered points in pulsating last six minutes, but a late Steven Motlop goal - with 22 seconds to play, has proved the winner! Wowee.
51,000 Adelaide-ians go home enthralled. What a game of footy.
Updated
McGovern with another crucial mark; surely it’s not the Crows again - they can’t bang three straight with only minutes to play?!
And McGovern - he lines it up, he must have ice in the veins - and would you believe this, 100 seconds to go and Adelaide hit the lead by 1!
Some nerves among Port fans - they can’t throw this away, after that third quarter; surely!
It breaks in midfield, Port stab towards the fifty. Three players throw themselves at it, but the two Crow defenders only succeed in crashing into each other! It falls to Motlop - he stabs it, it flies straight - and it’s Port Adelaide back in front!!
Back to The Showdown - we’ve about six to play, and after a 14 minute scoreless arm-wrestle, up pops Eddie Betts again! We’re back to 11 points the difference.
And look who’s back out there - it’s Tex ‘one-hamstring’ Walker and he’s taken one heck of a mark, with about three minutes to play. He’s 50+m out. Surely the skipper’s not going to bomb one from here?
He lines it up - he hits it sweet - it sails, it sails - they jump on the line, but they can’t touch it! Big hugs from his teammates, and what a blockbuster we have here! Port by 5 points. But it’s the Crows who are steaming back into it!!
Updated
Oh dear, and we mentioned earlier that terrific crowd of 40K+ that watched a seven-game winless Carlton finally get on the winners list. It’s been a different story on the Gold Coast where only around 6,000 have turned out to watch the Suns get drubbed by the Demons - and apparently a lot of those were Melbourne supporters.
It hadn’t been looking too bad for the hosts, but an eight-goal final term has seen them obliterated, by 69 points as the Dees finished with 20+ majors.
A Commonwealth Games hangover up on the Gold Coast? Or were they all at the netball instead?
Right, back to The Showdown, where it is #allhappening in Adelaide.
Paddy Ryder continued that remarkable run of goals for Port, as he kicked the first of the final quarter, but who else than Eddie Betts with a miraculous effort from an acute angle in the pocket to give the Crows a lift! Twelve the margin after that.
The disposals have all been with Port but - 145 to 86 since half-time - and it’s youngster Sam Powell-Pepper who’s fired Port back to an 18-point margin.
We’ve ten to play in this one. Surely the Crows can’t lift? They’ve been well and truly second best for the last forty, no?
Updated
Full-time: Highlanders 39-27 Lions
And no last ten heroics for the Lions, as the Highlands keep on the coattails of the Hurricanes and the Crusaders with another important win.
They drew within just six points with seven minutes to play, but late ill-discipline was their undoing as Lima Sopoaga slotted consecutive penalties to restore some breathing room for the hosts.
Updated
Full-time: Melbourne Storm 28-14 Titans
Of course they have, Cam Smith and his trusted charioteer Billy Slater have turned this one around after a mid first-half scare from the Titans.
That run of injuries that saw them stripped of interchange options ultimately undoing the Titans. And it’s 6-4 now on the table for the Storm, as they consign their stuttering start to 2018 to the dustbin with their third-straight win.
Huge turnaround in the AFL! We flagged there might have been something lurking for Port Adelaide, but they’ve absolutely blown away the Crows in the final minutes of the third quarter!
Five unanswered majors, seven consecutive scoring shots - and it’s turned into the Robbie Gray show, with five goals in a quarter!
Having trailed since the 14th minute, Port take a twelve point lead into the final change!
An update from Super Rugby, where the Lions have threatened another big comeback. With 34 gone they were down 19-3 and it was beginning to look a bit goodnight nurse. But a try in the 38th, and then a big driving maul in first-half added-time saw the Lions pull it back to 19-17.
The Highlanders regathering in the second half, to score two tries to one. We’ve got about 10 to play here, but they’ll need two converted tries to nab it, will the South African conference leaders muster a late charge?
Full-time: West Coast Fever 56-55 Sunshine Coast Lightning
Wow! What a finish to this one! No wonder they call it Super Netball.
Having traded blows, 14-15, 15-14, 14-15 across three quarters, it’s been another tight tussle in the fourth, but it’s the Fever that have emerged victorious!
90 seconds left to play and Nat Medhurst lands a clutch goal for West Coast to tie it all up. We go up the other end, C-Bass with 62 seconds to go; and she misses!! The Fever work through midfield sharply to find Medhurst open, once again - and with 30 seconds left the veteran Diamonds goal attack finishes cleanly!
High drama on the Sunshine Coast, to condemn the innaugural champions to a 0-3 opening start to their title defence!
Updated
Here we go, here we go, is the Port recovery about to start in The Showdown? (Or Showdown 44, whatever floats your boat.)
Consecutive goals to Robbie Gray - one just before the half-time break, and now two back-to-back in the third quarter and we’re back to an eight-point game!
The crowd have come to life, this is bubbling very nicely.
And we’re all locked up in the NRL, where a try to Felise Kaufusi, subsequently converted by Cam Smith, has drawn the Storm back to 14-14.
The Titans in all-sorts here - they’ve had THREE players leave with head-knocks, and now one with a fractured wrist. They officially have nobody on the bench! Can they play the last 26 without any interchanges?? I guess they’ll have to.
Phwaor! And if you thought Aiken-Kumwenda was a battle of the goal shooters for the ages (see earlier), have we got a ding-dong royale on our hands now in the Super Netball!
It’s three quarter-time and it’s goal shooting royalty Caitlin “C-Bass” Bassett and Jhaniele Fowler slugging goal for goal as the Sunshine Coast Lightning lead the West Coast Fever by just 1!
15-14, 14-15, 15-14 the quarter scores thus far. What a big final stanza we have in store.
Half-time: Port Adelaide 4.6 (30) trail Adelaide Crows 8.3 (51)
As you’d expect with Showdown clashes, it tough as hobnail boots (or Cameron Smith) in this first half.
Crows marginally ahead, but looking slightly sharper across the paddock so far. Eight individual different goalscorers for the Crows showing they can strike from anywhere.
Still waiting on further updates on Tex Walker’s hamstring. Apparently that’s hanging from his pelvis like a tangled strip of sinew from Cam Smith’s gruel. We’ll await to see if he takes any further involvement in tonight’s grudge match.
Incidentally, it’s still the Dees with a 3-4 goal buffer over the Suns midway through the third. Consecutive majors to Jack Martin and Nick Holman has the Suns knocking at the door though. A good day it seems for four-letter-first-name, six-letter-last-name Suns players with Alex Sexton also grabbing one for Gold Coast. #funfacts
Over to the NRL where it’s the Titans that lead the Storm 14-8 with a few minutes in the first half to play.
Curtis Scott crossing the stripe for the Storm inside 100 seconds as the home side pushed to an early 8-0 lead. Tries to Brenko Lee and Dale Copley have seen it swing back Titans-way.
I won’t be calling this one yet though, with wiley old warhouse Cameron Smith still strutting about like a grizzled Roman centurion on his fifth tour of Gaul. And it looks like they’ve only been feeding him thin gruel. Nasty.
Back to Super Rugby where it’s been a bright start for the Highlanders, to the delight of wine-growers, possum-trappers and forestry workers across Central Otago.
Ben Smith has been denied a frankly jammy try involving a sensational falcon by one of the Lions players and some opportunism/quick thinking from the fullback. But the whistlemen and their videoscreen friends say “No”.
Highlanders lead 14-3 with 25 minutes played.
An update on Tex Walker’s hamstring!
And the Adelaide captain has apparently wandered off the pitch and up the sheds for some deep-glute work. Uhoh, what a massive blow that could be.
I blame losing the ‘tache. No tache, no functioning hamstrings. Is this a case of ‘Sampson’s moustache’?
Okay, back to the AFL. As promised, it’s Suns v Demons, and we’ve also go the Adelaide derby underway!
Heading up to half-time it’s not looking too pretty for home fans as the Dees have kicked three straight to open up a 22-point lead. Still, plenty of time to make amends for that.
Tom McDonald leading the way with four goals for the Demons so far. James Harmes with 21 disposals and six marks as he gets through a power of work for the visitors.
And in Adelaide, it’s first blood to the Crows, who lead by 16. Four goals unanswered before Port responded, but with four consecutive behinds.
We’ll keep a keen ear on this one, one suspects a fair few twists and turns yet to come in a fixture that rarely fails to deliver.
Full-time: Warriors 0-32 Roosters
Uhoh. Is it over? Is the fabled revival on the skids?
After daring to make their fans believe this year could finally be the ‘Year of the Warriors’, is this the wobble that starts the Wobble?
If you thought the 50-10 against the Storm a few weeks back wasn’t pretty reading, than look away now, Warriors fans.
Remarkably, 31 minutes in this one was still locked up 0-0. But from there the Warriors have done a Waratahs (or did the Waratahs do a Warriors earlier on?) and the Roosters have rolled all over them here.
A superior kicking game and some huge metres from James Tedesco the standouts from the Roosters, with Latrell Mitchell slotting 6/7 in wet conditions in Auckland. Ouch.
Ps a fun fact from that earlier win for Carlton in the AFL.
44,669 in attendance to watch a side that’s 0 from 7. Remarkable.
And congratulations to them all - I love nothing more than long-suffering fans who get to see their side finally come good. Unless of course they were all Bombers fans, in which case suffer in your jocks.
Full-time: Melbourne Vixens 55-59 Queensland Firebirds
Ooh, big result! Trailing by one with three quarters played it’s the Firebirds who have come storming home to snatch this one.
The damage done in four mad minutes as Romelda Aiken and Gretel Tippett ran riot - scoring seven goals to one, including five unanswered.
A first lose of the season for the Vixens, while the Firebirds grab the win and three bonus points for three quarters won, to race up to second; but the Giants still have a game to play.
So a very tough pill to swallow for the Australian/Japanese conference leaders, who now top their table with an impressive 50% win rate.
In fairness focusing on how the Waratahs contrived to throw that away does a disservice to both how impressive the Crusaders were in coming over the top (including 19 points in nine minutes at one stage) but also how strongly the New South Wales side performed in the first thirty minutes to open up such a commanding lead in the first place.
We wait now to see how the third-placed NZ side, the Highlanders will respond, as the Crusaders leap to the top of their conference, albeit with an extra game played over the Hurricanes. Kick-off to come shortly, as Highlanders take on the South Africans, the Lions.
Updated
Full-time: Crusaders 31-29 Waratahs
Aand. That’s that.
I know in junior rugby they’ve introduced weight limits to level out natural advantages, is it time to also bring in skill limits? Can New Zealand sides play with 14? Or should every NZ Super Rugby side be forced to play with three Australians on the pitch?
What’s your solution? Send your entries to: “I’ve fixed it. I’ve fixed Australian Rugby. Please stop it, I cannot take any more of this.”
Full-time: Carlton 14.7 (91) defeat Essendon 10.18 (78)
Ooh, boyee! Now to another group of long-suffering supporters, where this time it’s a happy ending!
0-7 no longer, it’s sayonara Brisbane Lions and the cold, motherless bottom of the ladder - the Blues have won their first of the season!
Some absolutely wayward stuff from the Bombers at the end, who finished with three consecutive behinds (albeit one was rushed).
They kicked the first two majors of the fourth quarter, did Essendon to take a 67-68 lead; but that was as good as it got as the Blues went three on the trot to pull away.
5.3 for players called Curnow, what a morale raiser for Blues fans!
Oh my. Who likes a giggle? No seriously.
Let’s head back to Christchurch where, you guessed it - the Crusaders have just hit the lead. 31-29 the score, after the Tahs wracked up back-to-back sin bins, after Taqele Naiyaravoro followed Nick Phipps to the sideline.
A penalty try for the hosts after Foley misses a penalty from nearly almost in front.
Honestly. Australian sides couldn’t catch chlamydia in a koala hospital these days.
Full-time: Giants 8.13 (61) lose to Eagles 12.14 (86)
And it’s a big early season statement from the West Coast Eagles, as they reiterate their credentials downing one of the solid sides of the first eight rounds.
Jack Darling led the way for the Eagles kicking 4.3 with Elliot Yeo wracking up eight tackles and 28 disposals in an all-action performance.
A quiet day for Giants tall Jeremy Cameron who was well-marshalled at the back, just 2.0 and the only Giant to score multiple majors.
And if you hadn’t had enough of Australia Rugby sad stories recently, here’s AAP’s match report from the earliest fixture from Japan:
Reds’ Super season hits new low in Tokyo
The pumped-up Sunwolves have won their first Super Rugby match of the season and delivered a huge blow to the Queensland Reds with a 63-28 hammering in Tokyo.
Kiwi-born five-eighth Hayden Parker did much of the damage for the Sunwolves, scoring 24 of their 29 first-half points at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, but the Reds did themselves no favours.
Through lazy play, they handed sharp-shooter Parker five opportunities to kick penalty goals in the opening 40 minutes and he finished with a team record personal tally of 36 points including 12 goals from 12 attempts.
Sunwolves winger Hosea Saumaki also had a day out, finishing with a hat-trick of tries.
Their attack also lacked creativity, unable to capitalise on dominant field position and possession, while their kicking game was below par as well.
12 from 12 kick attempts? Crikey. What’s the record on this front, anyone know? I reckon somebody somewhere in Super Rugby has kicked 15/15 - email or tweet at me at the addresses above if you know the answer!
Okay, let’s whizz round the grounds.
In the AFL, we’ve got three games currently underway or on the way, we’re in the fourth quarter in Sydney for Giants v Eagles, where it’s the Western Australians currently leading by 20 with about ten to play. Near enough for a comeback, but five of the last six scoring shots have gone with the Eagles.
In Melbourne, there’s a doozy unfolding in Carlton v Essendon, we’ve only just started the fourth quarter there but it’s presently a one point game! Keep an eye on this one, you might be able to tell your grandkids that you were there the day the Blues won a game.
And in Queensland, it’s Suns hosting Demons, and we’re not too far away from first ball up in that one.
One game underway in the NRL, where, oh dear, look away Warriors fans - the false dawn is having a(nother) wobble. Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland is playing host to the Roosters, but it’s the Warriors looking like feather dusters. 24-0 the score there with just over 20 to play. Ouch.
And finally in the Super Netball, we’ve got live action from Melbourne as well, where’s is nicely poised between the giant goalshooters - Vixens lead the Firebirds by one with a quarter to play as Mwai Kumwenda and Romelda Aiken go head-to-head (in the sense that they’re at opposite ends of the court and won’t ever actually contest a possession, but, you know..)
Half-time: Crusaders 19-29 Waratahs
As an Australian living in New Zealand nothing swells my heart with pride more than the state of Australian Rugby, so at first glance this would look a pretty promising scoreline given recent trends.
Leaving aside 15 consecutive Bledisloe Cup wins (not bad for a two-nation tournament), and last year’s record of what, 27-0 wins for New Zealand teams on home soil - you could be forgiven for thinking here’s a positive change.
Except that the Tahs were leading 29-0, scoring at almost a point-a-minute before the Crusaders flicked the switch to come storming back.
We’ve just restarted at AMI Stadium in Christchurch, where the Waratahs also have a man in the bin. Big opening ten minutes here!
Welcome
G’day! The A-League might have finished for season 2017/18 but wowee, have we still got some sport in store for you guys tonight.
Five games of Super Rugby, three games of NRL, three matches of Super Netball and six games of AFL. And The Guardian will be there inside every stadium to give you every detail, ever.*
So sit back, strap in. We’re in for a bumpy ride.
*ish
Updated
