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Martin Devlin: Black Caps need better opponents

Author
Martin Devlin,
Publish Date
Mon, 29 Mar 2021, 2:54PM

Martin Devlin: Black Caps need better opponents

Author
Martin Devlin,
Publish Date
Mon, 29 Mar 2021, 2:54PM

What we learned from another weekend of sport:

The Warriors can attack and score tries! After last week where the effort was lauded but the inventiveness lacked, Saturday’s win over Canberra is rightly being called one of the club’s best ever.

An emotional rollercoaster of a game won in the last seconds by an amazing match-saving tackle from skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Yes, it’s only one game of an intensely competitive comp but the greatest points comeback in the team’s history will have the Warriors faithful smiling all week!

SRA is now a race for second place. We all expect the Crusaders to win their fifth title in a row but who they’ll play in the final isn’t nearly as obvious with the other four teams now all looking capable of upsetting each other.

Saturday night’s match in Hamilton proved it doesn’t have to be a great game to be a great spectacle, the thrilling finish more than making up for an awful error-ridden first half. And repeat this next bit out loud: The Chiefs are on a winning streak! It’s true. Last time that happened it was called Super18.

The Black Caps need better opponents. As the summer of cricket fizzles out playing a totally underwhelming Bangladesh side, fans can’t help but be left wondering why we aren’t playing the real big boys. Our team is excellent right now and the players need their overlords at NZC to put together a much more competitive schedule for next summer and beyond. Pakistan, WI & Bangladesh have been easy beats. Bring on England, SA, India and the Australians because that’s the level the Black Caps belong at.

Finally, I hope the NRL delivers on their plan to strip Jarryd Hayne of his Dally M medals. They should go even further and permanently erase his name from the game.

Hayne, who is appealing his conviction for serious sexual assault, is both a predator and a coward. Even now he refuses to own up to his vile crimes. But rather than waste another breath on his callousness and cowardice I’d rather acknowledge the bravery and courage of the woman who fought to take him to court. His conviction and impending jail time hopefully at least give her some feeling of justice earned.

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