Useful weekend to keep me sane...
AFL: 2-2 (50%)
NRL: 4-2 (66.67%)
INT RUGBY: 1-0 (100%)
OVERALL: 7-4 (63.64%)
Breaking down ...
AFL: Took a punt on the doggies this weekend as I believe the AFL has a greater tendency than most comps to turn up surprise SU winners. Having said that, there is still obviously a huge gulf between certain teams.
Made a nice start with Richmond bouncing back to hammer Melbourne and then St Kilda made the kind of start I expected from a club in turmoil before the a$$ fell out in the second half and the class of the Bulldogs told.
Today, shared the results again as the Swans again showed why Rodney Eade has plenty to be proud of but the Weagles disappeared in the second half v Geelong in a bad wager.
Some outstanding displays this weekend in certain games - Hawks drubbing the Pies after a shonky first-quarter and then the Bombers' comeback triumph.
NRL: A pleasing result - sides went 2-1, as did totals, which seems to be the case with how I'm running of late.
The Eels continued their outstanding season with an annihilation of the Storm, who have hit the wall after a promising mid-season surge. The Eels make totals hard to play of late - they are the best defensive side in the comp but are constantly running in big tallies at the other end.
The Sharks are the other truly red-hot side and cruised home v the troubled Eagles to get us both legs of the hedge
but the Roosters were as bad as recent efforts suggested as the Panthers won their first SU in 7 matches - guess it was unlikely they would go to 4-16 huh
$1 each way in today's totals as we saw NRL defence at its best
in the Knights' 37-30 win over the Warriors but the hook made it a profitable weekend as the Tigers scored a 28-22
victory over the Raiders.
INT RUGBY: Not often you see a try-less test in this era as the ABs snuck home 12-3. The Boks dominated posession and field position but a couple of points we aluded to prior to the match came out nicely in our favour. The awful backplay of the unimaginitive home side was to the fore and the absence of a top-drawer goalkicker also hurt them horribly.
As is often the case in greasy conditions, having a surfeit of ball isn't always a great thing as the Boks regularly lost control v the ABs tremendous defence. However, the winners will have to front up better in the set-pieces v the Aussies next up.
Apologies again about the late call on this play but I wanted to get the best possible info I could on all the factors.
At approx 11pm I managed to make touch with our New Zealand Press Agency reporter covering the game in Cape Town who was able to tell me the park was in remarkably good conditions given the week's awful weather and that they may miss most of the day's rain. He also added there was a steely, quiet determination among the ABs to take advantage of a turbulent period in SA rugby. Sometimes it's nice to have good info.
Note: Thanks to those who said kind words re my "prose", ie "Proseline" etc
I know many of our North American/Northern Hemisphere friends who keep an eye out here may want to know as much as possible as to why they should commit their hard-earned wedge to a play so I try and provide as much of the homework/reasoning I've done to help in that area.
So thanks for all your feedback. Let's keep winning.
------------------
Together we
laid down the gauntlet
and there are takers
even at this late date
still to be
found
as the fire sings
through the
trees
AFL: 2-2 (50%)
NRL: 4-2 (66.67%)
INT RUGBY: 1-0 (100%)
OVERALL: 7-4 (63.64%)
Breaking down ...
AFL: Took a punt on the doggies this weekend as I believe the AFL has a greater tendency than most comps to turn up surprise SU winners. Having said that, there is still obviously a huge gulf between certain teams.
Made a nice start with Richmond bouncing back to hammer Melbourne and then St Kilda made the kind of start I expected from a club in turmoil before the a$$ fell out in the second half and the class of the Bulldogs told.
Today, shared the results again as the Swans again showed why Rodney Eade has plenty to be proud of but the Weagles disappeared in the second half v Geelong in a bad wager.
Some outstanding displays this weekend in certain games - Hawks drubbing the Pies after a shonky first-quarter and then the Bombers' comeback triumph.
NRL: A pleasing result - sides went 2-1, as did totals, which seems to be the case with how I'm running of late.
The Eels continued their outstanding season with an annihilation of the Storm, who have hit the wall after a promising mid-season surge. The Eels make totals hard to play of late - they are the best defensive side in the comp but are constantly running in big tallies at the other end.
The Sharks are the other truly red-hot side and cruised home v the troubled Eagles to get us both legs of the hedge
$1 each way in today's totals as we saw NRL defence at its best
INT RUGBY: Not often you see a try-less test in this era as the ABs snuck home 12-3. The Boks dominated posession and field position but a couple of points we aluded to prior to the match came out nicely in our favour. The awful backplay of the unimaginitive home side was to the fore and the absence of a top-drawer goalkicker also hurt them horribly.
As is often the case in greasy conditions, having a surfeit of ball isn't always a great thing as the Boks regularly lost control v the ABs tremendous defence. However, the winners will have to front up better in the set-pieces v the Aussies next up.
Apologies again about the late call on this play but I wanted to get the best possible info I could on all the factors.
At approx 11pm I managed to make touch with our New Zealand Press Agency reporter covering the game in Cape Town who was able to tell me the park was in remarkably good conditions given the week's awful weather and that they may miss most of the day's rain. He also added there was a steely, quiet determination among the ABs to take advantage of a turbulent period in SA rugby. Sometimes it's nice to have good info.
Note: Thanks to those who said kind words re my "prose", ie "Proseline" etc
I know many of our North American/Northern Hemisphere friends who keep an eye out here may want to know as much as possible as to why they should commit their hard-earned wedge to a play so I try and provide as much of the homework/reasoning I've done to help in that area.
So thanks for all your feedback. Let's keep winning.
------------------
Together we
laid down the gauntlet
and there are takers
even at this late date
still to be
found
as the fire sings
through the
trees
