Well, this is part 3 of my year in review so here's another of those best blogs with the most views of the month from the May - June period beginning with Rules Of The Game Of Thrones 2019 edition (My 1st blog of May 2019):
Well, it has been 7 years since I 1st started blogging but both Pops & Carole have returned from their holiday in both Hawaii & San Diego but I was glad to see Pops again after I missed him so much (And Mum (Who still lives in Paraparaumu) took good care of me while Pops was away).
And in Super Rugby news the match between the Crusaders & the Sharks ended in a draw (Although the Crusaders almost lost that game because they were on the jaws of defeat) at Christchurch Stadium in Christchurch then the Hurricanes had a good win against the Rebels at Westpac Stadium in Wellington despite a tremendous fightback from the Rebels but another match was drawn between the Highlanders & the Chiefs at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin (The Highlanders were on the verge of victory until the Chiefs denied the Highlanders a certain win, saving themselves from the jaws of defeat just like the Crusaders (And even one of the Chiefs players made an impact in the form of former New Zealand under 20s captain, Luke Jacobson) & the Blues miss out on a victory against the Brumbies in Canberra.
And the 2nd one is taken from Super Rugby round 13 wrap (+ My highly controversial thoughts on the Israel Folau situation):
Well, for the 4th week in a row, the Blues have been inconsistent, this time, against the Hurricanes in which they lost by 10 points at Eden Park (AKA The garden of Eden) in Auckland before the Crusaders have thrashed the Bulls in the republic at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria to remain on top of the Super Rugby standings (They have had a loss against the Waratahs (Who used to have Israel Folau because he's no longer a rugby player now & he had sent some nasty posts on social media like that (He did it last year (He had been warned once for some nasty posts on social media which I cannot comment now) but now he's done it again this year because he's finally been booted or kicked out of rugby (Well, his contract with Australia rugby had been let go & torn up after that highly controversial saga but I can't believe it right now that Folau doesn't play rugby anymore (He was a good player (He was once the king of the high ball (His main skill in the game) but now his social media posts felt like it was intimidating the spirit of the game (And I just can't believe that he had just done that but now he'll have to pay his own penalty of course (Although he won't be playing in the Rugby World Cup this year just because he is missing out) & a draw against the Sharks (Although both Crusaders captain Sam Whitelock & star first five Richie Mo'unga had to rest) then the Highlanders managed to hold on & beat the Jaguares in an entertaining contest at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin & finally, the Chiefs have defeated the Sharks 29 - 23 at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton after coming from behind to win that game (And the Crusaders of European rugby, Saracens have won the European Rugby Champions cup title, beating defending champions Leinster in the final at St James Park in Newcastle upon Tyne).
And finally here are the rest of the results from round 13 of the 2019 Super Rugby season:
Rebels 30 - 24 Reds
Lions 29 - 28 Waratahs
& Brumbies 33 - 0 Sunwolves
And finally in the European soccer news department, it's Liverpool who will face Spurs of Tottenham in the 2019 UEFA Champions League final at the Estadio Metropolitano (Home of Atletico Madrid) in Madrid, Spain after Liverpool (Who were without key men Mo Salah & Roberto Firmino) produced a comeback win against Lionel Messi & co of FC Barcelona at Anfield (Well they trashed them 4 - 0 to overturn a 0 - 3 deficit on aggregate) in Liverpool dubbed as the miracle on Merseyside then Spurs (Who were without injured star talisman Harry Kane) did the unthinkable (Although they did a Liverpool type of comeback) by beating the surprise package of the tournament, Ajax (Who had beaten the likes of Real Madrid in the round of 16 & Juventus in the quarterfinal) 3 - 2 at the Johan Cryuff Arena in Amsterdam but had to advance on away goals rule as a result to face Liverpool (Who are in the final yet again (Last year they lost to Real Madrid) & have won it 5 times (Their last win was in 2005 in which they won on penalties against AC Milan) in an all English final (Well, Chelsea was the last English club to win the Champions league way back in 2012).
P.S. The 2019 Cricket World Cup should begin in a fortnight when hosts England (Led by Irish born player Eoin Morgan) face South Africa (Featuring both wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock (Who plays for the Rohit Sharma led Mumbai Indians in the IPL in which they won the title for the 4th time in their history in the final against the MS Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings) & captain Faf du Plessis (Chennai Super Kings) as one of their players playing for South Africa who have never reached the final of the Cricket World Cup (They came so close against England (Featuring Ian 'Beefy' Botham) in 1992 but rain had ruined the South Africans day of reaching the final (They needed 22 runs off 13 balls before rain came then both teams entered on the pitch after the rain had stopped meaning that South Africa only needed 22 off 1 but that was bitterly disappointing stuff for South Africa) then in 1999 when legendary paceman Allan Donald got run out for the South Africans as the Australians (Led by the legendary Steve Waugh) marched on to the final despite the match had been tied then in 2007 when the Ricky Ponting led Australia fought South Africa again in the semifinal in which the Aussies dominated & finally in 2015 in a semifinal game in which South African born Black Caps player Grant Elliott hit the match winning six with 2 balls to spare which broke South African hearts (Including that the South African selectors got it all wrong when they chose the semi fit Vernon Philander instead of the in form bowler of Kyle Abbott who impressed them for South Africa during the 2015 tournament) & therefore missed out on the chance to advance through to the final) in the opener at The Oval located in London but New Zealand's 1st game of the Cricket World Cup is against Sri Lanka (Featuring Lasith Malinga (One of Quinton de Kock's teammates playing for the Mumbai Indians) on the very 1st day of June at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales.
And it is only 4 months until the 2019 Rugby World Cup when hosts Japan (Who had won 4 matches at a Rugby World Cup including that famous upset win against South Africa at Brighton 4 years ago (And Pops told me in 2015 that the Japanese men in the crowd were getting emotional about the victory) take to the field to take on Russia (Who only made their 2nd appearance at a Rugby World Cup (They made their debut in 2011 in New Zealand) in the opener at Tokyo Stadium in the Chofu region in Tokyo but New Zealand's 1st game of the Rugby World Cup is against the Springboks (Who will try to snap the All Blacks 14 game winning streak at a Rugby World Cup (The AB's) but their 1st meeting at a Rugby World Cup was in 1995 in the final in which Springbok 1st five-eighth Joel Stransky scored that match winning drop goal that broke our hearts for the hosts to lift their 1st of their 2nd Rugby World Cup titles although both teams would play in the 3rd place playoff in 1999 in which the Boks won to claim 3rd then in 2003 in the quarterfinal in which New Zealand sent South Africa packing (Although their coach Rudolf Straeuli had to be sacked due to their highly controversial training boot camp prior to the 2003 tournament, dubbed as 'Kamp Staaldraad' (Afrikaans word for camp barbed wire) but their most recent meeting at a Rugby World Cup was way back in 2015 in a semifinal where the All Blacks had won by 2 points to go through to the final against Australia in which they triumphed for their 3rd Rugby World Cup title (Well, we finally managed to complete our successful Rugby World Cup title defence (Compared to Manchester City who have managed to successfully defend the Premier League title after taking victory away from home against Brighton & Hove Albion) on the 21st of September at International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama.
And finally I have got both Super Rugby games to watch both tomorrow (Hurricanes Vs Jaguares) & Saturday (Part 2 of the battle of the Bombays between the Blues Vs Chiefs) & I've got that Star Wars movie to watch on Sunday morning which is Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (I read The Listener about it that the Star Wars movie that I'm watching on Sunday only has 2 stars because it is the worst Star Wars movie ever made (Compared to the 1st Star Wars film which is arguably the best) although the 2015 movie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, only gave a 3 & half star rating but Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (I've only seen that movie once in 2016) is better than The Force Awakens because of the 4 star rating).
And 3rd one is taken from Super Rugby round 18 wrap & 2019 Cricket World Cup round up part 3:
Well, with the final round of Super Rugby played, the Highlanders completely thrashed the Waratahs at Rugby Park in Invercargill followed by the Chiefs who completely disintegrate & troll the Rebels by completely thrashing them at AAMI Park in Melbourne then the Hurricanes produce a comeback win against the Blues at Westpac Stadium in Wellington after trailing at halftime.
So here is the confirmed list for the quarterfinal games being played in the 2019 Super Rugby season (+ some of my predictions):
Crusaders Vs Highlanders (My money is on the Highlanders winning this one)
Jaguares Vs Chiefs (Well, the Chiefs should quite frankly win this one)
Hurricanes Vs Bulls (So too is my beloved Hurricanes franchise)
& Brumbies Vs Sharks (I don't know, I would probably go for the Sharks)
And finally in the 2019 Cricket World Cup news desk, the match between India & New Zealand at Trent Bridge has been abandoned without a single ball being bowled then an unbeaten century from Joe Root helped the hosts & tournament favourites England defeat the West Indies at Hampshire Bowl while a ton from Aaron Finch set Australia up for victory against Sri Lanka at The Oval in London then South Africa get their 1st win at the 2019 Cricket World Cup against Afghanistan after their dominant display of bowling came after the rain break at Cardiff Wales Stadium while India continue their dominance against Pakistan (They won 7 in a row against their greatest rivals) at the Cricket World Cup at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground with another century by Rohit Sharma then a unbeaten ton from Shakib Al Hasan has helped Bangladesh beat the West Indies at County Ground Taunton followed by England who tamed Afghanistan in a record breaking World Cup game especially for Irish born English captain Eoin Morgan who got a century for his adopted country & then something happened as a unbeaten Kane Williamson ton has secured New Zealand a certain victory (That's 5 consecutive victories against South Africa at a Cricket World Cup (Their 1st meeting was in 1992 in which New Zealand won before losing 2 straight in 1996 & 1999 then winning 5 in a row in 2003, 2007 in the super sixes, 2011 in the quarterfinals, 2015 in the semifinals & now in 2019) against the struggling South Africa at Edgbaston (And wow! What a great match).
And finally the 4th one is taken from Super Rugby quarterfinal wrap & 2019 Cricket World Cup round up part 4:
Well, the quarterfinals of the 2019 Super Rugby season is under starters orders as the Crusaders (Although star first-five eighth Richie Mo'unga was in fine form, scoring both tries as well as he nailed 5 conversions & a penalty) advanced through to the semifinal by continuing their dominance against the discipline ridden Highlanders (Including that yellow card by Liam Squire for a no arms tackle may have hurt the Highlanders chances of victory) at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch then the Chiefs season has ended because they were inconsistent against the Jaguares at the Estadio Jose Amalfitani in Buenos Aires therefore missing out on a chance of a semifinal place before the Hurricanes (Who had welcomed back brothers Beauden & Jordie Barrett as well as Ngani Laumape but one of their players, Salesi Rayasi scored both tries on that occasion just like Mo'unga did against the Highlanders despite a yellow card for a deliberate knock down resulting in a penalty try) marched on after a good win against the Bulls (Although the Hurricanes held on until the end) to go through to the semifinals to take on the Crusaders while the Brumbies capitalized against the Sharks at GIO Stadium in Canberra to go through to the semifinals against the Jaguares.
So here is the confirmed list for the semifinal games being played in the 2019 Super Rugby season (+ some of my predictions):
Crusaders Vs Hurricanes (If I was John Plumtree & play for that team, I would say pedal to the metal at this point for my beloved Hurricanes to win)
& Jaguares Vs Brumbies (And no wonder the Brumbies will get thrashed against the Jaguares)
And finally in the 2019 Cricket World Cup news desk, a century from David Warner has helped Australia beat Bangladesh at Trent Bridge while Sri Lanka have knocked over hosts England (Their batting was terrible during their run chase) at Headingley before India had another win with a hat-trick from paceman Mohammed Shami against Afghanistan at Hampshire Bowl then another Kane Williamson ton has helped New Zealand to another win against the West Indies (Who were on the verge of victory with a century from big hitting Windies batsman Carlos Brathwaite until Trent Boult caught the ball off the bowling of Jimmy Neesham therefore missing out on a chance of a win) at Old Trafford then Pakistan defeat the struggling South Africa who are now out of the Cricket World Cup at Lord's in London (And it looks like Pakistan have sent a message to New Zealand) before Bangladesh beat minnows Afghanistan thanks to a 5 wicket haul from the best all rounder in the world, Shakib Al Hasan at Hampshire Bowl while hosts England (Well, where to from here for England because they need to win the next 2 games against both India & New Zealand to go through to the semifinals) lose another game against Australia (Who also may have sent a message to New Zealand as well) who had become the 1st team in the 2019 Cricket World Cup to advance through to the semifinals at a packed Lord's in London while Pakistan become the 1st team to beat New Zealand (Who were down & out but I was like when Pops told Carole yesterday morning ''Oh that cost New Zealand a great deal...It may have cost us the match'') at Edgbaston but this is like 1992 all over again (Pakistan dominated New Zealand in the semifinal at Eden Park) but our semifinal chances would have to wait because their next game is against Australia (It's a hard task) & if we win, we are through to the semis then India are still unbeaten in the tournament after they defeated the West Indies (Who were also out of the World Cup along with South Africa) last night by 125 runs at Old Trafford.
And it's been a few weeks passed since I printed off both the cricket & rugby commentary lines that I did on Microsoft word & a day after my birthday, Dad gave me something which is chromecast to plug it onto the TV so that me & Pops can watch Spark Sport during the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
And finally here are the English language commentators & co-drivers list of the games that I've got on the PS4:
Rugby Challenge 3: Grant Nisbett (Sky Sport rugby commentator) & Justin Marshall (Ex All Black, Crusaders & Canterbury rugby player)
F1 2016, F1 2017, F1 2018 & F1 2019: David Croft (Voice of Formula 1) & Anthony Davidson (Former F1 driver) + Alex Jacques (Voice of Formula 2) & Davide Valsecchi (Ex GP2 Champion) *1
Dirt 4: Nicky Grist (Former co driver of Juha Kankkunen & Colin McRae) or Jen Horsey (Rally & rallycross driver as well as a automotive journalist & television personality)
Rugby League Live 4: Andrew Voss (Fox Sports rugby league commentator) & Eddie Hemmings (Voice of Super League)
FIFA 18 & FIFA 19: Martin Tyler (English soccer commentator) & Alan Smith (Ex Arsenal player) + Clive Tyldesley & Andy Townsend *2, Derek Rae (Scottish soccer commentator) & Lee Dixon (Former England & Arsenal player) *3
Gran Turismo Sport: None
Ashes Cricket & Cricket 19: Michael Slater (Ex test & ODI player for Australia), Mel Jones (Former women's test & ODI player for Australia) & James Taylor (Ex test & ODI player for England)
AO Tennis: None
Dirt Rally 2.0: Phil Mills (Former co driver of Petter Solberg)
*1: F1 2019 Formula 2 commentary only
*2: Career mode only
*3: FIFA 19 UEFA Champions League mode commentary only
So that is my 337th blog of the year 2019 (MMXIX) & my 77th of this year (And it is only at least 11 days til Christmas).
P.S. And we have just heard that Ian Foster has replaced Steve Hansen to become the newly christened All Blacks coach (Just several weeks after former Chiefs coach Dave Rennie had been confirmed as the brand new Wallabies coach to replace the embattled Michael Chieka) but the AB's are now in a rebuilding phase after that tragic Rugby World Cup semifinal flop against England (Who had to lose to the Siya Kolisi led Springboks (Who had to win their 3rd RWC crown) in the final in Japan) which just happened nearly 2 months ago (But their next test is a Rugby World Cup 3rd & 4th place playoff rematch against Wales at Eden Park in Auckland in July next year just a month after the 2020 Super Rugby season is complete).
And news just come in as 3 time Olympic gold medalist Peter Snell has just passed away so RIP (Rest in peace) to New Zealand's true Olympic legend in the making (Well, all thoughts & condolences go to the family of Peter Snell) because Pops told me about it today.
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