Another week has just flown past, and it only feels like yesterday that I last wrote one of these articles. While time has flown, there has been so much sport packed into that period, and once again we are back to break down our top three moments from it all.
We’ll kick things off with the Sunday evening night cap, where we were treated to a special comeback from the Kiwis, closing the chapter on what was an outstanding month of the Pacific Championship.
The Kiwis Storm Back To Win The Pacific Championship
As mentioned, we have seen some spectacular rugby league over the past month or so, with the Pacific Championship taking centre stage on everyone’s TV screens from 6pm on a Sunday evening. The two best teams in New Zealand and Samoa were set to face off in the final after the sides clashed in a barnstorming opening round matchup.
The final was no different, as the underdog Samoa side flew out to a 12-0 lead, quickly breaking the game wide open. The Kiwis responded, but it wasn’t made easy by Samoa, who showed serious determination, holding out wave after wave of the Kiwis attack.
It took a couple of their super subs, Erin Clark and Naufahu Whyte, to combine and put the Kiwis on the board, halving Samoa’s lead. However, the reprieve didn’t last long, as Samoa, on the stroke of half-time, kicked a penalty to take a two score lead into the break.
A response was needed from the Kiwis, and out of half-time they got just that, led by their experienced halves pairing and the same duo we saw dominate off the bench in the first period. After tying the scores with a kick from Jermaine Isaako, the Kiwis ran rampant, scoring four more tries and kicking another penalty goal to win the Pacific Championship final 36-14, scoring 30 unanswered points in the second half.
Pep Guardiola Sets The Pecking Order Straight
Sadly we are now headed into one of those pesky international breaks and if you are a fan of European football or more likely the Premier League we have a lot of spare time on our hands for the next two weeks. However, before we embark on this club-football-less fortnight we were treated to quite the show from Manchester City, who put the transfer-window winners and Premier League favourites Liverpool to the sword.
In what was a matchup between two blue-chip sides, Man City were the only team to show up on the day, resulting in a commanding 3-0 victory for the Sky Blues. Their dominance was evident from whistle to whistle, opening the scoring with none other than their goal-scoring robot Erling Haaland who bounced back quickly after missing a penalty earlier in the match.
Just before the stroke of half-time young midfielder Nico doubled the lead for Pep Guardiola’s men, giving them a commanding grip on the game in the first 45 minutes.
City carried that domination into the second half as Jeremy Doku put the game to bed around the 60-minute mark, with his side once again picking Liverpool apart and making the most of the chances provided.
The win takes Pep Guardiola and his side to second in the league heading into the November international break, while Arne Slot and his team endured their fifth loss in six matches.
Jacob Duffy Pulls The Curtain On A Stunning Comeback Attempt
The Blackcaps took the all important third match in the T20 series against the West Indies, securing a last-over victory at Saxton Oval in Nelson. To start the game, the home side set a respectable 177 for the visitors to chase, with Devon Conway getting back into the runs for the Blackcaps.
The visitors then endured a middle-order collapse that many would have expected to end the chase before it had really got going. However, a superb 78-run eighth-wicket partnership off just 39 balls gave the West Indies a phenomenal chance to secure victory, needing just 12 runs off 7 deliveries and with two set batsmen at the crease.
The man who stepped up was New Zealand’s best white-ball bowler of the past 12 months, Jacob Duffy, who somehow got his mitts on a powerful straight pull from Shamar Springer in what could only be described as a sharp caught and bowl chance.
The catch swung momentum all the way back to the home side, who were now defending 12 runs off the last over and only needed a wicket to win. With the ball in Kyle Jamieson’s hands, he did exactly what was required, conceding only 2 runs and taking the final wicket with a ball to spare.
