Off Topic Other Sport

Suppose I will listen to the first few overs on the wireless.

 

Day 11. Hoping like heck that Hakuho can keep this unbeaten run going. I'm still amazed that I'm watching one of the all time greats in action. If he can keep it together, he'll have done it twice as many times as anyone else in the history of the sport. And here's me with the privilege of watching him.

 

Day 12. They begin to fall by the wayside.

 

England beat Tonga 20-18 in the semi final of the World Cup and set up a final with Australia next week. What a game, Tongo down 20-0 with less then 6 minutes on the clock, run in 3 converted tries. Then with seconds to play, a sensational finish. Tonga storm the line, the ball is knocked free by England, Tonga regain and go in. Ref rules lost ball. Replay shown a strip with Tonga regaining ball. Was it a loose carry or strip? Either way ref refuses to go to replay. What a cruel way to lose. Lots of chat about the decision.

Either way, the Australia-England final will be a cracker. For 74 minutes, England were brilliant. Well done boys.

 

Day 13. It looks to now be a race in three with just the 3 days to go. The Grand Master, Hakuho leads by 1.

 

Day 14 of the Emperor's Cup. Grand Champion Hakuho goes in search of his 40th title.

 

Day 15, the final day of the Kyushu Basho. I suppose Sumo might be a bit of an acquired taste as a sport, but I personally loved every day of the Emperor's Cup. And to see one of the all time greats in action was a real pleasure.

 

All England should be rejoicing at the World Cup draw.

Belgium.
Panama.
Tunisia.
England.

 

I am!

 

Not exactly for me, Cyc, as they cannot expect to beat Belgium (my fancy to win the whole damn thing, actually - finished 4th in Brazil, I think). England must win the other two games to be more-or-less sure of going into the knockout stage. Other than that, I do agree, not a bad draw at all, could have been worse for sure. Belgium seems to be an unpopular international side with some members, why I just cannot understand. The country has many world-class footballers, and is a huge danger to the more-fancied squads, and that includes the holders, Germany, who I don't think will retain the title. France and Brazil would be my second and third fancies at the moment.

 

You’d struggle to argue that on paper Belgium probably have the most talented pool of players of any national side but for some reason it never seems to quite click for them at the top level. Whether it’s having too many good individuals or what o don’t know but they seem a bit like Spain were for years until it finally all clicked. The only way the draw could have been better for me is if the number 1 seed we had in our group was Poland or Russia. Belgium would have been next if I was choosing

 

You can forget France Swanny. They've drawn us and we'll have no problem banging in 4 or 5 against them.

 

That's fair enough, Smokey, but i don't think I would have chosen Belgium. Have to admit, however, as I have been a QPR supporter since I was about 10-years-old (and that is one hell of a long time) I almost certainly do not know what the **** I'm talking about at the moment on football. A thoroughly depressing game! .....................

 

For England cricket fans a crumb of comfort as transmitted on TMS this morning during my drive to work. That little nugget is that every time England have had a 65+ partnership for the 8th wicket against the Aussies they've gone on to win the series. Bravo to Woakes and Overton for securing the urn . My thoughts are that the Aussies already have too big a lead at 56/4 and 215 in front on first innings. But then I am a miserable bastard.

 

A young boy, Blake Tickell, lost his life doing what he loved best, water skiing. After taking out the under 13 New South Wales Titles in 2016 and 2017, he was crowned the Australian under 13 champion. Last Saturday, while competing in another high speed contest at Cowra, he fell, suffering terrible injuries. He passed away yesterday. R.I.P.

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The 202 Winter Olympics saw Steven Bradbury go into the 1000m short course final as a complete outsider. By his own admission, he'd been lucky to even make the gold medal race. Knowing that the other four skaters were classes above him, he decided his only hope of a medal would come if he dropped out the back and and waited on others hitting the deck. A bloody genius.

 

I don't reckon there would be too many people on a UK racing board who'd know the name Tom Raudonikis. For the uninitiated, Tommy was a champion rugby league half back who represented Australia for about six years. On the field, he was a fiery little ****. His exploits are the stuff of legend. He was as hard as nails.

Below is a lovely piece published in The Sydney Morning Herald. It gives a small insight into Tommy and his fight with cancer.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...r-fresh-cancer-diagnosis-20171221-h091sa.html

 

While some of us are quite content to stay inside and bung on the heater during the colder times, others use the miserable conditions to live life to it's fullest, even if it does involve a fair bit of pain. Irish athlete Paul Robinson recently claimed a mile record holder to be proud of. He's now officially the quickest man to run a mile in Antarctica. The 26 year old stopped the clock in 4:17:9 for the GPS measured course. It was torture.

At minus 15F and in snow an inch deep, he wondered why he was there as he passed the half way mark. "I was like, Holy ****, I don’t know how I’m going to get to the end,” he said. “My legs were going to jelly, and I had this drone following me. I was like, I can’t hit the deck; I have to finish because I’m not doing this again.”

“It was like stepping on the moon,” he said. “There was snow everywhere. It was absolutely freezing, and the wind feels like it’ll take you a mile down the road if you jump."

“There were crevasses all around, and if you go down one of those,” he said, “you’re not coming back.”