Is there more to life than sport?

The weekend began in fine fashion on Friday night with Wellington taking on Otago for the Log o Wood.  My support was firmly on the side of the North Islanders as (a) they are further away from Canterbury and (b) Mighty, Mighty Auckland was locked in as the next challenge if the Lions could hang on for the win.  The lads came through late in the game after Otago looked promising early on.  Fate was always going to come through on the night and, as planned, M.M.A. will be returning to Auckland with this most glorious trophy sometime in the morning of 23 August.

The rest of my night was spent having a giggle at the D.F.C. ‘Straaalyns falling apart at Birmingham – there are few things in the world of sport more enjoyable than an Australian batting collapse.

The key game of the round was clearly the top of the table matchup at Ian Smith Stadium in Napier where M.M.A. took on the ‘Pies and I awoke at the wee small hour of 1400 to assume the position once again.  Unfortunately the ‘Pies somehow managed to just squeeze out the win - pipping us at the post by a mere 34 points in a closely fought match. 

I managed to overcome the shock by heating up the last of the 5 frozen Mighty Murph pies that my better half bought to help me avoid starvation during her 48 hour sabbatical.

NOWETO played host to the 1730 kickoff between Haaarrr…Booouuurrr and Dirty Filthy Peoples Republic of Canterbury.  Dan Carter’s return to footy was a little disappointing but he was solid and helped by the fact that clearly a memo had been sent by Graham Henry threatening to end the career of any Harbour player that tackled him.  On the bright side D.F.C.P.R. Canterbury were absolutely destroyed by Craig “Right Hand of the Father” Dowd’s outfit as Harbour absolutely smashed them by three full points.

With no food left in the freezer and therefore no reason to get off the couch I waited for kickoff in the Southland v Waikato game from Shadbolt Stadium.  This wasn’t one of the better games of the weekend but in the second upset of the weekend (after the M.M.A. game) the boys from the Antarctic bored their way to the win and showed why Liam Messam was not in South Africa.

After feedback on comments I have made previously about the Warriors I made the effort to watch my first game of the season and for a while there was wondering what everyone was complaining about.  For 60 minutes the Warriors were clearly better at hitting the ball up five times and then kicking than their Penrith opposition but, true to previous form, they somehow managed to find a new and inventive way of cocking it up once again and had to make do with the draw.  Stacey Jones now joins George Foreman & Evander Holyfield in the ranks of sportsmen that retired one too many times.

The M.M.A.Bs were next up in the weekends sporting smorgasbord and it’s fair to say that we were not at our best. 

The Dirty Filthy Cheating ‘Bukkks put huge pressure on us and we - once again - failed to get the basics right.  There were few positives for the M.M.A.Bs – Nonu had clearly sobered up and Sivi was busy all game – but against probably the best ‘Bukkks team in the post apartheid era and probably the worst referee in the post Wayne Barnes era we looked pretty average.

I have come to the conclusion that the M.M.A.Bs are now the second best team in the world and therefore any win against the D.F.C. ‘Bukkks is a bonus.

My biggest fear is knowing I have to listen to the usual rubbish from the usual suspects in the media blaspheming Lord Sir Graham - without offering any alternatives or giving any kudos to the “Bukkks.  If we lose we demand our coaches head – but I am yet to hear anyone praise Peter de Villiers as the greatest coach in rugby.  Anyone that is except de Villiers himself  "I'm a God-given talent, I'm the best I can ever be"

With yet another de Villiers victory speech ringing in my ears I retired to bed satisfied that D.F.C.P.R. Canterbury had lost but in expectation of a long Air New Zealand Cup Season for M.M.A ahead.  I was angry, tired, exasperated and really, really hungry but strangely - and perhaps blindly - optimistic about both the M.M.A.Bs and M.M.A.

There is possibly more to life than watching sport – but I hope not.