Blister In The Sun/Smooth: The year in review (Part 4 + My thoughts of Star Wars: The Last Jedi movie)

Well, this is part 4 of my year in review so here's another of those best blogs with the most views of the month from the July - August period beginning with Fat Lip/Miserable/My Own Worst Enemy: Barrett 21 Lions 24 (A quick & short, brief cameo blog + 1st blog of July):

Well, unfortunately, the result last night says it all (I thought I was going to take a break from blogging indefinitely today but now I did tonight + I have broken the record for most blogs in a year at 41, incredible) especially the red card given to All Black second five-eighth Sonny Bill Williams (He was the 1st All Black to be sent off since Colin Meads against Scotland 50 years ago) for a shoulder charge to the head on Lions winger Anthony Watson:

Beauden Barrett 21

British & Irish Lions 24

And the 2nd one is taken from Beverly Hills/El Scorcho: Pops 70th birthday today (Happy 4th of July in America):

We went to Cafe 141 to have breakfast there to have the master on Pops 70th birthday (It's Independence Day in the USA so we had a dinner (Such as cheeseburgers & hot dogs with salads) & dessert on Sunday), done that so I went with my pet dog Buck for a walk, then read & wrote some emails & had a single sandwich for lunch because Pops was going to a funeral, went for a walk again with Buck once Pops got back & had a smoothie because I was thirsty so I had a totally awesome day with Pops (And we're going to Caroline's for a birthday dinner tonight).

And the 3rd one is taken from Higher Ground/Suck My Kiss: Another wonderful night at Caroline's & British GP preview:

Well...Me, Pops & Sherry went to Caroline's on Wednesday night because I had something light such as the chicken nachos & I had Eaton mess for dessert (I had pasta for lunch & had one again this time with chili beans yesterday for lunch while dinner was tomato soup with pizza) & I saw a waitress named Tessa who looks like my biological aunty Cathey Middelplaats's daughter (And the sister of Nico & Luca), Paige Williams (Well she is only 23 because she was born on the 5th of April in 1994).

And finally we are halfway through the 2017 Formula 1 season as the F1 circus heads to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone (Although they are in doubt of hosting the event in 2019) which will host the 10th round of the championship (And we are halfway through the season) because it is not only Lewis Hamilton's home race or should I say homecoming because he had won the last 3 races over the past 3 years in front of his adoring home fans but he is 20 points behind Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel (Germany) in the championship so here is the circuit guide anyway:

''Rightly called 'The Home of British Motor Racing', Silverstone's title could extend globally since this is the track where the very first round of the Formula 1 World Championship was held in 1950. The former wartime aerodrome has changed beyond recognition as the British Grand Prix continues to be one of the most respected on the F1 calendar.''

And finally the 4th one is taken from California/Movies/Smooth Criminal: Back to back Black Magic:

Well, in light of success of Emirates Team New Zealand's America's Cup campaign in Bermuda 2 months ago against Oracle Team USA, I have decided to do a blog about the back to back Black Magic book which is about Team New Zealand defending the Auld Mug against Luna Rossa of Prada way back in 2000:

That auld black magic

2 sleek racing machines circle each other in the aquatic version of a bullfight. They're teasing, prodding, intimidating in the water dance that constitutes the pre-start in match-race yachting.

One boat, the favourite in most people's estimation, stands out with it's striking black, almost sinister, hull.

The other, with sentimental support, has an understated, almost bland, grey hull which dosen't seem to fit with the copious amounts of money behind it.

This isn't the prelude to just another boat race. It's February 20th, 2000 - after a day's delay, its the 1st race at last in a best-of-9 series to determine the holder of yachting's most coveted & discussed prize, the America's Cup.

More than that, it's the 1st time in the cup's 149-year history that the 'America' has effectively been taken right out of an America's Cup defence. The 1st time Uncle Sam can do nothing about deciding where its own cup will rest for the next 4 years. Instead, Americans are forced to watch as America's Cup whipper-snappers New Zealand & Italy take care of business. And taking care of business in this race, & in the others to follow, underlines the magnitude of what has happened. That the cycle - America's tangible link with the trophy - has been well & truly broken.

America's historic hold was 1st weakened by John Bertrand & his men on Australia II in 1983. Losing the cup for the 1st time wasn't all palatable; it never could have been after owning it for 132 years. But at least that wrong was recitified when, at the very 1st chance 4 years later, the Americans regained the Auld Mug as the belligerent Dennis Conner swept aside Kookaburra III's timid Australian defence. He'd disgraced himself as the 1st American to lose it - but he was also celebrated as the 1st man to win it back.

Trouble was Dirty Den then ensured himself greater notoriety in 1995 by writing a new chapter in this famous event's history as the 1st man to lose the America's Cup twice. Twice the South Pacfic's upstarts - 1st Australia & then New Zealand - had taken the wind out of Conner's & America's sails. For 132 years, it had been an American obsession to keep the cup; now it will become a mega obsession for someone, anyone, to put it back in American hands...whenever that might be.

All of which brings the focus back to the start line for race 1 in America's Cup 2000. While Australia had failed to defend the prize when it had the cup, there's nervous optimism Team New Zealand will change that this time.

Nervous because this is the Kiwis' 1st race against an enemy, the 1st time they'll really find out how their boat measures up against a syndicate that's already been out on the race track 48 times in the Louis Vuitton challenger series.

Skipper Russell Coutts & his men have the desire to keep the cup in Auckland, the city that is so definitively the City of Sails. And they also know there's a calling from an entire country for them to succeed in their mission. It was there to see & hear as NZL60 was towed out of the Viaduct Basin just on 10 a.m. on February 19th, around 3 hours before the scheduled start of race 1. Tens of thousands thronged to Auckland's waterfront for a view as boats in the super, & not so super, categories blasted horns & made as much din as they could in giving the Black Boat an extraordinary send-off. Overhead, there was a thrilling fly-past & aerobatic display from New Zealand Air Force Aermacchis (Which are actually Italian planes!). And, on television sets throughout the land, hundreds of thousands watched it live. For any person with even the slightest interest in the event, it was 'lump on the throat' time.

The 16 Kiwi sailors carrying the nation's hopes also seemed to be moved, which probably wasn't part of the plan. Their intention was to focus on what they'd been waiting for since 1995, to shut out the trimmings around them, switch on to racing mode & head out to the race course stony-faced & unsmiling. In reality they couldn't. Many of them waved as they digested the all too clear evidence that the big day out had arrived - this was the magic of defending the America's Cup in their own waters & realising what it meant to them & their nation.

As it turned out, it was a false start; there wasn't enough wind for what's known as 'The Match' to start. So, here they are going through the whole routine again. The farewell was just as rapturous, the public's passion for the event no less intense than it had been 24 hours earlier.

New Zealanders in their hundreds of thousands have turned on & tuned in to this marathon regatta that started 202 races & 4 months ago with the 1st round-robin phase of the challenger series. That in itself is remarkable because those 202 races encapsulated the deeds & dramas of a competition that didn't involve New Zealand (Apart from numerous Kiwi sailors spread among the 11 foreign syndicates from the United States, Italy, Japan, France, Switzerland, Spain & Australia). Yet, by the time the best-of-nine-races Louis Vuitton final arrived, there was a voracious appetite, especially when Prada locked up the contest up 4-4 & took it into a sudden-death decider. Those cynics who doubted the event's magnetism were left incredulous when TV One's audience peaked around a million during the last race that gave the Italians a 5-4 win over AmericaOne.

Little wonder then that the Kiwis have lifted interest to another league now Team New Zealand is counting down to this moment of truth for this 1st race. Red socks were the lucky fashion statement in 1995; now they're back in vogue. The Kiwi sailors are wearing them & so, too, New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden during the one-day cricket international against Australia the previous day.

The level of enthusiasm & zeal isn't so surprising. After all, Auckland & sailing have always been a perfect fit. For the not-so-adventurous & those in smaller craft, the Waitemata Harbour is an ideal playground. For those wanting a more exacting challenge, the often glistening but sometimes unpredictable Hauraki Gulf has more to offer.

And it's on the Hauraki Gulf where all the America's Cup action is centred. It's there that the Louis Vuitton series was run on often unforgiving days that left a costly trail of damage of many of the syndicates. It's a venue like no other used in the America's Cup before. It's certainly not a case of towing boats out to som unspectacular stretch of water with few or no refrence points. Out on those courses, landmarks are everywhere. Auckland's East Coast Bays on one side, a cluster of Hauraki Gulf islands like Tiritiri, Rakino, Motutapuu & the resplendent Rangitoto bordering the northern & eastern sides as well as a southern backdrop of Auckland city marked by the easily identifiable Sky Tower.

And it's in this racing enviroment that Team New Zealand's NZL60 (Or Black Magic) & Prada's Luna Rossa (Or Red Moon) are making the America's Cup sing like it never has before.

There's no Conner, no Cayard, nothing American. The air's rich with Kiwi & Italian accents, expletives muttered or shouted as the 2 amazingly manoeuvrable monsters joust for the preferred end of the start line. And while the sailors aren't thinking about it, there's the realisation that this contest assures the America's Cup of another history-making chapter. If Team New Zealand triumphs, it'll be the 1st time the cup has been successfully defended outside the United States; if Prada wins, the America's Cup will be headed for a defence in Europe for the 1st time.

But New Zealanders care for only 1 scenario, & that's keeping it in a city that's given the America's Cup a sharp facelift. It's there to see in the Cup Village, a fantastic all-purpose facility taht's given Auckland a soul & provided the event with a clearly defined home.

That it has all come to this is still like a dream for many. For Team New Zealand head Sir Peter Blake the dream has come true. He had a vision that this was how it would be; now he craves the right result.

The scene is stunning on a superb Auckland day. The gulf is shimmering under the sun although, once again, the wind isn't filling in to Team New Zealand's liking. Keeping their distance are perhaps 2,000 boats & yachts. forming an incredible grandstand as Coutts tries to outwit Prada's Francesco de Angelis in the pre-start.

The fact the talented Coutts is back at the helm with so many familiar faces - Brad Butterworth, Tom Schnackenberg, Andrew Taylor, Simon Daubney & others - makes it impossible not to reflect on New Zealand's part in America's Cup folklore.

How, in 1986-87, an ambitious Michael Fay fired up the 1st tilt in  the plastic fantastic KZ7, or Kiwi Magic as it was known, How Chris Dickson & his crew shocked the big boys off Fremantle, only to lose out through inexeperience as much as anything else.

How Sir Michael, as he became, tried & failed again with his ill-fated Big Boat project in 1988 & then his 1992 campaign dogged by the bowsprit controversy.

How Peter Blake & Alan Sefton took over where Fay had failed & mounted the 1995 challenge, when no one could touch the Kiwis & the fabulous NZL32, the 1st of the Black Magic breed. How the Kiwis swept Australia aside 5-1 in the Louis Vuitton final & then faced the ultimate enemy - Dennis Conner - & ambushed him as well in a boat (Young America) that wasn't even his.

And the 5-0 walkover was greeted with Peter Montgomery's commentary: 'The America's Cup is now New Zealand's cup!' A line that has certainly repeated on air more than often than any other in New Zealand's history.

Now, seconds out from taking the gun in race one of America's Cup 2000, the goal is singular - to ensure 'New Zealand's Cup' stays exactly that way for at least another 4 years.

Village people, village life

New Zealand's monuments as a major global player usually arrive too rarely then disappear to quickly. But the final stages of the 20th century offered a relative surfeit of chances to educate the rest of the world about a wee corner of the planet Bill Clinton has labelled a 'jewel'.

In less than 4 months, APEC, the America's Cup regatta & the dawning of the new millennium ensured New Zealand varying degrees of international exposure. Bill Clinton certainly saved New Zealand tourism strategists a lot of trouble when he was here for APEC, his sales pitch shamelessly endorsing almost everything he saw. New Zealanders didn't mind that one little bit. Their overriding sentiment was: 'Don't stop now, Mr President.'

But not everyone was as seemingly enamoured of things Kiwi as Mr Clinton. During APEC. one Australian journalist decided it was better to offend than to commend. In a column ridiculing Auckland, he rated its waterfront 'boring'.

Just what his observation was based on remains a total mystery. The Cup Village was up & running by then, and it made the Auckland waterfront many things - but 'boring' wasn't one of them.

Indeed, the village evolved into a genuine jewel after starting out as nothing better than a derelict & neglected part of the city's harbour landscape. It gaind unanimous acclaim as an all-round facility of unrivalled quality. At least that's the way many visiting America's Cup syndicates rated it.

The challengers & Team New Zealand were housed in well-designed & appointed compunds at one end of the village while around 70 moorings were developed for a breathtaking array of visiting super yachts & boats.

And all of this was supplemented by apartments, cafes, restaurants, bars, clubs & a performance stage to generate an atmosphere that had some overseas visitors claiming it was up there with Monte Carlo.

Auckland's waterfront with its Cup Village was the place to be throughout the 1999-2000 America's Cup regatta.

Louis Vuitton - the race is on

Winning the America's Cup was the easy part for Team New Zealand 5 years ago. Defending it in 2000 always promised to be another matter altogether.

The fact was the Kiwis & their rocket ship NZL32 were on easy street in San Diego in 1995. To call the Louis Vuitton Cup a challenger series then was rather a contradiction in terms.

There were only 7 challengers & the other 6 provided no threat at all to Team New Zealand. In fact, the New Zealand camp even decided not to complete the semifinals. Assured of a place in the final, it argued that training between its 2 boats was far more valuable than racing against modest opposition.

And, if the semifinals were meaningless, then the final wasn't much of an improvement as Black Magic demolished oneAustralia's bid 5-1.

Switch to Auckland, & the challengers always knew they'd have a better deal...

While there were early hopes that as many as 15 or 16 syndicates would be looking for space in the Cup Village, the end result was a still impressive list of 11 challengers. Not bad at all compared with the 13 that Fremantle had in 1986-87.

The 11 syndicates represented 7 countries ranging from huge money operations like Patrizio Bertelli's Prada (Which reportedly spent more than $100 million mounting its bid) to Syd Fischer's Young Australia, a basement budget effort if ever there was one. The Australians, with James Spithill as skipper, certainly delivered on the 'young' part in a challenge that was built around surviving as cheaply as possible.

While the Francesco de Angelis-skippered Prada & Young Australia represented the top end & bottom end of the spectrum, there was plenty of interest of the other 9 syndicates sandwiched in between.

The United States provided 5 of them. There was Paul Cayard's AmericaOne. Dennis Conner & his familiar Stars & Stripes brand, the New York Yacht Club's Ed Baird-skippered Young America, Dawn Riley's America True & Hawaii's Aloha Racing, skippered by John Kolius.

Of the other 4, 3 were from Europe - Bertrand Pace skippering Le Defi Bouygues, Switzerland's Fast 2000 with Frenchman Marc Pajot as skipper & the Spanish Challenge (Pedro Campos). Rounding out was Japan's Nippon Challenge, Australian Peter Gilmour the skipper.

The 3 shakedown, round-robin phases soon sorted out the haves & have-nots - but being a have-not didn't necessarily mean that it was all a alost cause this time. That's because the challengers reached agreement, although not universally accepted, to allow 6 boats in the January semifinal series.

Young Australia, the Spanish Challenge, Fast 2000 & Aloha Racing soon realized their prospects were limited. Equally so, Prada, AmericaOne & Nippon were usually travelling smoothly enough while Team Dennis Conner, Le Defi, America True & Young America scrapped over the other 3 semifinal spots.

There was however, no sympathy from the other syndicates when Young America missed the cut for the top 6. After all, it figured in the most dramatic mishap in a series that had a demolition derby mentality about it.

The proud New York Yacht Club was indeed humiliated the day Young America broke up, bending like a banana.

But Ed Baird wasn't on his own in suffering such embarrassment. Nippon lost its rig one blustery day, the Swiss had similar troubles & spinnakers were blowing out all over the place, especially the lime green ones on Cayard's AmericaOne. Nippon's disasters also included a broken boom plus a crewman being belted senseless when struck by spinnaker pole. And Stars & Stripes had the fairly frightening experience of its transom splitting & lifting alarmingly just before the start of a race.

Always the racing was spectacular in conditions which wavered wildly between the slow, the sublime & often the plain scary. No one was spared

So it proved in the semifinals involving 10 races for each boat (All each other racing twice). Prada was in poor shape early on, left with just win from 3 starts after ITA45's mast broke in light breeze while racing AmericaOne. And the Italians were no better off when their 2nd clash with Cayard turned into an absolute dog fight, the sea air rich with all manner of accusations before the Americans squeezed home.

That helped Cayard assume a position of strength as the 1st boat to reach the final. As for the other spot, Conner's men were staging a dramatic recovery after losing a point in the protest room for breaching protocol (They had a rudder manufactured in Australia). All the time it was a grim battle for Prada to stay in contact for that 2nd spot.

In the end, it all came down to just one race - the very last one. Team Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes, having been granted a postponement earlier in the series, had a held-over race against America True. All Conner needed from his sailing crew was a win & it would mean a sail-off against Prada to find the 2nd finalist.

All around the place people wandered how there could be anything other than a Stars & Stripes win. For her part, Dawn Riley was adamant she wasn't about to give Stars & Stripes a soft passage to the final, not after losing out to Conner in dramatic & embarrassing circumstances in San Diego 5 years earlier.

Well, she wasn't kidding. America True picked a big shift early & left Conner's campaign out the back. End of story. End of glory. End of Conner. Jubilation, though for Prada in knowing that its millions & millions of dollars still had earning power. Yet, if the Louis Vuitton had already been unbelievably dramatic, controversial & thrilling, there was even more astonishing fare ahead.

Of helmsmen...

They Came from Europe & America, Asia & Australia - 11 syndicates going head to head for the right to challenge Team New Zealand for the greatest yachting prize of all.

Italy (Prada): Francesco de Angelis

Japan (Nippon): Peter Gilmour (Australia)

Spain (Bravo Espana): Pedro Campos

France (Le Defi Bouygues): Bertrand Pace

Switzerland (Fast 2000): Jochen Schumann (Germany)

Australia (Young Australia): James 'Jimmy' Spithill

Hawaii (Aloha Racing): John Kolius

AmericaOne: Paul Cayard

America True: John Cutler (New Zealand)

Team Dennis Conner: Ken Read

Young America: Ed Baird

America chokes on pasta fantasta

The verdict was unanimous. This was as good as it gets. Whether it was the skippers & sailors themselves, commentators, journalists or the yachting public, everyone agreed - the Louis Vuitton Cup final produced match racing of matchless equality.
Nippon skipper Peter Gilmour was adamant he hadn't seen anything like it before. He was far from alone as Paul Cayard's AmericaOne & Prada's Francesco de Angelis-skippered Luna Rossa delivered an absolutely exceptional contest.
New Zealand wasn't involved at all. but the event still captivated Kiwis just the same. So much so that close to a million viewers were drawn to TV One's live coverage at the business end of the decider. Oddly enough, too, New Zealanders had made it clear they had a favourite, & it wasn't the American boat. That sounds & scenes at the Cup Village, comments on talkback radio & anecdotal evidence had long since established the Italians as the syndicate Kiwis wanted to see challenging for the ultimate prize. But, if that was to happen, Prada had to negotiate the most demanding waters yet seen in Louis Vuitton decider. It unfolded like this race by race...

Race 1: Prada's comeback (January 26)

Prada cops a pre-start penalty but wins the favoured left side of the course. De Angelis builds a big lead on the 2nd beat as AmericaOne fails to cover. Prada has enough time to complete its penalty turn & still lead by 25 seconds around the 3rd mark. Cayard closes on the run to the finish but not soon enough to stop the Italians.

Margins

Start: AmericaOne (2 Seconds)
Mark 1: Prada (25 seconds)
Mark 2: Prada (33 seconds)
Mark 3: Prada (25 seconds)
Mark 4: Prada (34 seconds)
Mark 5: Prada (28 seconds)
Finish: Prada (24 seconds)

Prada 1
AmericaOne 0

Race 2: Big turnaround (January 27)

Shifty light breeze. Prada reads it right for huge 1 minute 49 second lead at the 1st mark. Lead trimmed on the 1st run then Prada was caught among spectator boats. Cayard closes it up only to blow a spinnaker but recovers brilliantly to lead by 1 minute 27 seconds around 4th mark. Prada couldn't make any impression on AmericaOne after that.

Margins

Start: AmericaOne (8 Seconds)
Mark 1: Prada (1 minute 49 seconds)
Mark 2: Prada (1 minute 4 seconds)
Mark 3: Prada (18 seconds)
Mark 4: AmericaOne (1 minute 27 seconds)
Mark 5: AmericaOne (1 minute 35 seconds)
Finish: AmericaOne (1 minute 33 seconds)

Prada 1
AmericaOne 1

Race 3: Mayhem on the gulf (January 29)

Conditions at the limit gusting to 25 knots. Cayard works to an early lead but is penalised on a port starboard incident. On the next downhill slide, AmericaOne loses its 7th spinnaker in 43 races, as well as a headsail. Cayard hears a cracking, splintering noise up the mast. He pulls out of race fearing more serious damage. Prada sails solo for the win.

Margins

Start: AmericaOne (1 Second)
Mark 1: AmericaOne (14 seconds)
Mark 2: Prada (23 seconds)
Mark 3: Prada (45 seconds)
Mark 4: Prada (51 seconds)
Mark 5: Prada (AmericaOne withdrawn)
Finish: Prada

Prada 2
AmericaOne 1

Race 4: Cayard Brawls (January 30)

Tight tussle upwind but on the 1st run, Cayard sees another spinnaker blow (The eighth of the campaign). Keeps control brilliantly though. AmericaOne still leads by 41 seconds at final mark but Prada closes. Cayard incurs a windward-leeward penalty close to finish line. Crosses line 1st without taking the penalty so incident-packed race awarded to Prada.

Margins

Start: AmericaOne (4 Seconds)
Mark 1: AmericaOne (18 seconds)
Mark 2: AmericaOne (39 seconds)
Mark 3: AmericaOne (54 seconds)
Mark 4: AmericaOne (47 seconds)
Mark 5: AmericaOne (41 seconds)
Finish: Prada (2 minutes 32 seconds, AmericaOne failed to complete penalty)

Prada 3
AmericaOne 1

Race 5: Staying alive (February 1)

A must-win day for AmericaOne. They can't afford to go 4-1 down. Another sensational race unfolds. Cayard's early lead was cut to only 10 seconds after 1st run. There were more spinnaker fears when a small tear appeared near the head of the sail. Luna Rossa closes only to be thrown by Cayard's dummy gybe & broaches - an embarrassing error that costs Prada the race.

Margins

Start: AmericaOne (7 Seconds)
Mark 1: AmericaOne (32 seconds)
Mark 2: AmericaOne (10 seconds)
Mark 3: AmericaOne (18 seconds)
Mark 4: AmericaOne (26 seconds)
Mark 5: AmericaOne (42 seconds)
Finish: AmericaOne (34 seconds)

Prada 3
AmericaOne 2

Race 6: All tied up (February 2)

More dazzling sailing. AmericaOne has tennis great Steffi Graff as 17th 'man'. Prada has the advantage over the 1st 2 legs. Disaster strikes as sloppy crew work sees Prada's spinnaker dragging in water. Part of it catches around the rudder & a man is dangled over the side to free it. Cayard cruises by but is chased all the way before winning with little to spare.

Margins

Start: Even
Mark 1: Prada (20 seconds)
Mark 2: Prada (17 seconds)
Mark 3: AmericaOne (16 seconds)
Mark 4: AmericaOne (7 seconds)
Mark 5: AmericaOne (7 seconds)
Finish: AmericaOne (9 seconds)

Prada 3
AmericaOne 3

Race 7: Match point Cayard (February 4)

Down 3-1 just 5 days earlier, Cayard is on the verge of being all but there. He seems to have Prada on the run after winning 2 straight. Pressure tells on Prada's afterguard as it makes some ill-judged calls. Cayard able to take control from the outset to lead by 2 minutes 31 seconds at the 3rd mark. Prada trimmed margin but AmericaOne had match point.

Margins

Start: Even
Mark 1: Prada (20 seconds)
Mark 2: Prada (17 seconds)
Mark 3: AmericaOne (16 seconds)
Mark 4: AmericaOne (7 seconds)
Mark 5: AmericaOne (7 seconds)
Finish: AmericaOne (9 seconds)

Prada 3
AmericaOne 4

Race 8: All square again (February 5)

AmericaOne knew what desperation was all about - now it was Prada's turn. Lose today & it would be all over. Coming back from 3 straight defeats would be difficult but the Italians found the formula, helped by a penalty against AmericaOne had to make a penalty turn near finish line.

Margins

Start: Prada (2 seconds)
Mark 1: Prada (20 seconds)
Mark 2: Prada (19 seconds)
Mark 3: Prada (30 seconds)
Mark 4: Prada (17 seconds)
Mark 5: Prada (16 seconds)
Finish: Prada (37 seconds)

Prada 4
AmericaOne 4

Race 9: Prada KOs Cayard (February 6)

The tension was unbelievable as the start was delayed almost an hour. More than 1,200 spectator boats are on the water as Prada makes all the right moves - no errors this time. They are in control at 1st mark & from then on. Italy takes glory on New Zealand's national day in fantastic final series. For the 1st time in 149 years, America won't be in the America's Cup!

Margins

Start: Prada (2 seconds)
Mark 1: Prada (20 seconds)
Mark 2: Prada (19 seconds)
Mark 3: Prada (30 seconds)
Mark 4: Prada (17 seconds)
Mark 5: Prada (16 seconds)
Finish: Prada (37 seconds)

Prada 5
AmericaOne 4

Graphically speaking

New Zealand always had the big picture in mind as it revolutionized the America's Cup - & it's scarcely an exaggeration to suggest a small nation has indeed revolutionised a big event.
That same small nation has also had an equally remarkable impact on a much smaller picture - the one we use to watch the drama unfolding. That small picture is, of course, television. And its influence on the America's Cup has been very bit as powerful as New Zealand's rise & rise as the yachting world's pre-eminent force. While New Zealand's bid to lift the cup intensified, so too did TVNZ's efforrs to take coverage of the event to another stratosphere.
It reached still new levels during the 1999-2000 Louis Vuitton Cup & America's Cup in Auckland; & again one of the most eye-catching & user-friendly features was the ever-developing on-screen animated graphics package provided by Dunedin's Animation Research Ltd.
ARL director Ian Taylor & his team pioneered it during the America's Cup in 1995. It's an invention TVNZ's head of sport Denis Harvey rates as one of the best ever devised for covering sport on television. Few would disagree with him.
Let's face it, when you watch yachting on television without the graphics, it can be a case of 2 boats heading off in opposite directions & nobody having a clue which one is in the lead. Bring up the graphics & it's a whole new world. When they're combined with live pictures on the water, it's a sporting symphony. Suddenly, it's possible to extrapolate just where boats are on the course, who's leading & by how much. In essence, it gives viewers the kind of context they would have though possible only a few years ago.
Taylor recalls a moment during the America's Cup 1995 final when Black Magic was taking on Dennis Conner. ''I was going through Wellington Airport'' He says ''And there was this crowd gathered around a television set and all I could hear them saying was: 'Show us the graphics!' ''And I thought: 'Yes!"'
It was said that it wasn't a lot of use trying to follow America's Cup 2000 from a boat out on the Hauraki Gulf. That you were far better off watching TV One's coverage at home, graphics & all.
In fact, there was something better. And that was being on a boat with a television set in front of you - then you could watch the yachts in front of you & still use the animation to give you a frame of reference. Now, nothing could beat that.

Watching yachting on television has never been the same since Animation Research Ltd opened up a whole new world for viewers. Until ARL came along with its graphics tricks, it was often impossible to figure out who was leading a yacht race.
Not now. Using GPS technology on boats, data is collated & generated on screen from a variety of perspectives & angles to give the viewer the best possible look at how a race is unfolding.

Luna eclipse - the black boat rules

As Prada celebrated sailing into the challenger's spot in America's Cup 2000, New Zealand were enhancing their deserved reputation for changing the competition's landscape.
The Kiwis might have been late starters in a game known as much for its huge stakes as its dubious past, but they're never been slow to connect new-age edges designed to lift them above the mainstream. Ditto for the 30th defence of the ancient prize.
Just like New Zealand's 1st 4 tilts at the Auld Mug, it wasn't always about the old number 8 wire ingenuity that has characterized the Kiwi psyche. Instead, the New Zealanders in this game have been ahead of their time & have stayed there; they were shaking the technological tree well before the emergence of the Information Technology age that's so much a part of our lives today.
That was evident the moment Michael Fay began his driven, but ultimately unsuccessful, quest to snare the famous ever in Fremantle in 1986-87.
Back then, New Zealand's party trick in their America's Cup boat was the boat called KZ7 or Kiwi Magic. A party trick because it was a fibreglass boat, or what came to be known as the 'plastic fantastic'. The America's Cup world was stunned, Dennis Conner especially so, as the New Zealanders gatecrashed the Louis Vuitton Cup series. Conner contended no one would build fibreglass boats unless they wanted to cheat.
He used the 'c' word but no one else agreed with him. This was patently a case of Kiwi innovation at work for the 1st of many times in their short history in the long-running America's Cup. Australian ingenuity in the shape of Ben Lexcen's famous winged keel on Australia II accounted for Conner in 1983, & he didn't intend to be undone by technology again. He wasn't & took the cup back to the United States.
Yest just as quickly the now-knighted Sir Michael Fay was putting his head above the crowd again. Having pored was over the America's Cup Deed of Gift, Sir Michael audaciously launched his abortive Big Boat challenge (Using the maximum size sloop permitted). It was doomed to become a courtroom fight rather than a fair one on the water. Actually, it wasn't fair one on the water. Actually, it wasn't fair on the water either as Conner's catamaran mad the contest a mismatch. The court battle proved even more unfair in the end.
But what you discover throughout New Zealand's cup history is that setbacks failed to discourage innovation. So, for the 1992 challenge, there were more tricks. NZL20 (The Red Sled) was certainly a radical design with its tandem keel & no rudder. It also had a seemingly innocuous bowsprit, an appendage that finished up causing no end of trouble. Paul Cayard rained protests at the New Zealand challenge & eventually overturned the way the Kiwis had been using the bowsprit; it was the turning point in a Louis Vuitton final Cayard went on to win.
Move forward 3 years to New Zealand's 4th & finally successful shot at the trophy & you find a campaign that may not have appeared as overtly innovative as the previous 3. But there was one very significant change. Instead of continuing with one-stop designer Bruce Farr, the Peter Blake-headed Team New Zealand bypassed Farr for a total design team concept. It was a breakthrough; the various strands of that team's brains gelled to generate a rocket ship in NZL32 or Black Magic. It was way too hot for everyone else &, innovatively, it was painted an intimidating black.
A deliberately low-key approach also worked in San Diego, a mood the New Zelaanders sought to emulate in their defence in Auckland.
Of all New Zealand's 5 campaigns, this one proved more innovative than the others. Crucially, there was the decision to forgo a defender series, to focus on just one unified New Zealand syndicate. To mount any more than one defence syndicate would have diluted ab already limited sponsorship base; the country couldn't afford that. And a 2nd syndicate would arguably split the nation as well. The downside was no genuine racing, the Kiwis being forced to subsist instead on a diet of constant training.
Well, it didn't hurt the sailing team, not least because Team New Zealand had so many other tricks to unveil - like slick new, aerodynamic sailing strips & the invaluable earpiece technology (So skipper Coutts could communicate clearly with his crew during races).
But, most of all, Team New Zealand's accomplished design team delivered the masterstrokes. The latest from the Black Magic production line had a revolutionary so-called millennium mast featuring fewer spreaders, a new-style bow, deeper sails & wings placed further forward on the bulb of the keel. It all added to a total package that clearly outpointed Luna Rossa.
And to think Prada's chief designer, Doug Peterson - part of Team New Zealand's set-up in 1995 - claimed before The Match that NZL60 would be slow. Obviously not slow enough.
New Zealand's penchant for trend-setting created another slice of history - Team New Zealand becoming the 1st syndicate to successfully defend thew America's Cup outside the United States, & doing it in a contest minus American involvement for the only time in the cup's 149-year existance.
Roll on 2003 for more of the same.

Race 1: Black on track (Sunday, February 20)

Team New Zealand had been practicing for more than 4 months, able only to watch the challengers racing on the Hauraki Gulf. Now they had the chance at last to mix it themselves in real racing, if still a little nervous about how they would compare to the Italians.
In a southerly breeze of 8-10 knots, Prada had the early edge but Russell Coutts & his crew started throwing tacks at the Italians, making gains each time until they passed Prada & never gave up the lead from then on.
Francesco de Angelis tried throwing dummy tacks but the experienced New Zealand crew weren't fooled as the Black Boat built a handy 22 second lead at the 1st mark.
NZL60's upwind speed was impressive on the 1st beat & it also looked sharp on the 1st downwind leg as its lead was extended. Again excelling upwind, the margin was more than a minute around the 3rd mark but then the complexion of the race changed. The Italians brought down more wind on the 2nd run & Luna Rossa was just 25 seconds behind after the 2nd downhill slide.
That proved something of an aberration as Coutts immediately applied the blow torch upwind to go well clear & stay there, providing plenty of encouragement for the Team New Zealand camp.

Margins

Start: Prada (3 seconds)
Mark 1: Team NZ (22 seconds)
Mark 2: Team NZ (36 seconds)
Mark 3: Team NZ (1 minute 3 seconds)
Mark 4: Team NZ (25 seconds)
Mark 5: Team NZ (1 minute 16 seconds)
Finish: Team NZ (1 minute 17 seconds)

Team NZ 1
Prada 0

Race 2: Blood red moon (Tuesday, February 22)

Prada failed to make much of an impression in the 1st race but, in race 2, it gave itself no chance at all after a series of disasters.
The boats started in a southerly of 14-16 knots, the wind varying from 10-17 knots during the race. This time, Russell Coutts nailed the pre-start & had a huge 18 second lead at the start line.
That alone might well have marked the begging & end of the contest had it been a more regular race. As it turned out, Luna Rossa ensured it was distinctly irregular with a terrible 1st beat.
1st Prada slowed suddenly. It seemed there was some plastic entwined around the keel. If that wasn't enough, bowman Massimiliano 'Max' Sirena had his head cut when a carbon fibre stick being used to clear the problem, whipped back & hit him. Blood was splattered over the bow & he was eventually taken off the boat to have the wound stitched.
Another crewman hung over the side trying to clear the trouble & finally Piero Romero dived into the water to sort it out. All of which left Prada 2 minute 19 seconds behind at the 1st mark.
To top it off Prada lost more time with a disabled port side jib sheet track on the 2nd beat. End result - a total disaster for Prada with Team New Zealand untested.

Margins

Start: Team NZ (18 seconds)
Mark 1: Team NZ (2 minutes 19 seconds)
Mark 2: Team NZ (1 minute 55 seconds)
Mark 3: Team NZ (1 minute 49 seconds)
Mark 4: Team NZ (1 minute 59 seconds)
Mark 5: Team NZ (2 minutes 26 seconds)
Finish: Team NZ (2 minutes 43 seconds)

Team NZ 2
Prada 0

Race 3: The beat goes on (Saturday, February 26)

A lack of solid breeze at the low end of the scale had forced the abandonment of racing 2 days earlier but brilliant Saturday weather helped generate the biggest display of support yet for race 3 of America's Cup 2000.
Estimates put the number of boats on the Hauraki Gulf at 2,500+ &, after waiting in vain on February 24, those spectators & a worldwide television audience witnessed a telling display of Team New Zealand's sailing power.
Russell Coutts rotated his afterguard, bringing Mike Drummond onto NZL60 for regular navigator Tom Schnackenberg. That did nothing at all to disrupt Team New Zealand's sailing rhythm.
Coutts won the preferred right side & then set about putting the squeeze on Prada. The contest simply became a case of how much New Zealand would win by, despite some fears when they tore a gennaker on the 2nd downhill run. The sail held & there was little cost to the Kiwis' lead. From then on, upwind superiority took them well clear.
Everyone was in awe of Team New Zealand's total package - boat speed & crew work - in this sort of breeze (7-14 knots) with 5-0 now looking the most likely of outcome. In fact, in a total of 8 America's Cup races in 1995 & this campaign, New Zealand still hadn't lost a race or even behind at any mark.

Margins

Start: Team NZ (1 second)
Mark 1: Team NZ (19 seconds)
Mark 2: Team NZ (17 seconds)
Mark 3: Team NZ (1 minute 11 seconds)
Mark 4: Team NZ (1 minute)
Mark 5: Team NZ (1 minute 43 seconds)
Finish: Team NZ (1 minute 39 seconds)

Team NZ 3
Prada 0

Race 4: On the brink (Wednesday, March 1)

After leaping to a 3-0 lead, Team New Zealand had hoped to make it 4-0 on February 27. And an even bigger spectator fleet numbering at least 3,000 wanted action on that sizzling Auckland Sunday.
Once again, though, the wind gods failed & racing was abandoned for the 3rd time in 6 scheduled race days. It became 4 out of 7 race days when the weather again failed to yield 2 days later. That forced a re-think, with race director Harold Bennett gaining agreement from all parties to use a scheduled lay day for racing.
On what was Russell Coutts' 38th birthday, a much smaller fleet of spectator boats was on the gulf with just enough wind (5-11 knots) to allow race 4 to go ahead. And, by now predictably, it was another Black Magic benefit. Team New Zealand set the tone in the pre-start when it unveiled yet another weapon from its back of tricks - a Code Zero headsail, designed to give it a speed edge in the starting box. It had the desired effect as Coutts grabbed a 7-second edge at the start.
That wasn't quite game over as Prada actually led on the 3rd cross - but the Italians then chose not to tack on top of NZL60. From that moment, Prada was gone. Team New Zealand cruised to match point, Coutts securing his 9th consecutive win in an America's Cup race, to equal a century-old record.

Margins

Start: Team NZ (7 seconds)
Mark 1: Team NZ (45 seconds)
Mark 2: Team NZ (39 seconds)
Mark 3: Team NZ (1 minute 39 seconds)
Mark 4: Team NZ (1 minute 46 seconds)
Mark 5: Team NZ (1 minute 30 seconds)
Finish: Team NZ (1 minute 49 seconds)

Team NZ 4
Prada 0

Race 5: Still New Zealand's cup! (Thursday, March 2)

Just after 3:00pm on Thursday March 2, the voice of yachting Peter Montgomery told it like it was to a world-wide television audience: ''The America's Cup is still New Zealand's Cup.''
It was always going to be that way the moment Team New Zealand showed its power in the 1st race of America's Cup 2000 on February 20. It became a near procesion as the Kiwis emulated their 1995 success with yet another 5-0 blackwash.
The latest Black Boat NZL60 was every bit as superior as the famous NZL32 that lifted the cup in San Diego. Back then Dennis Conner could do nothing about it. This time Prada faced the same predicament.
What became the last day's racing in the 5-month regatta had an air of predictability about it from the outset. Team New Zealand was always going to win. But it was also a day of emotional extremes. There was sorrow initially as the Kiwis, wearing black armbands, scattered the ashes of former Team New Zealand boatbuilder Derek Tremain in the Hauraki Gulf. He died in October & never saw his boat race.
There were also nerves for 26-year-old Dean Barker as regular skipper Russell Coutts gave him the helm, unselfishly surrendering the chance to claim a record 10th consecutive America's Cup race win.
There was jubilation & then celebration (And plenty of it) when NZL60 finished 48 seconds clear to retain the cup.
And then the sheer joy of witnessing the incredible scenes as the mighty Black Boat edged into a Cup Village choked with tens of thousands of supporters.
But most of all there was the feeling of total satisfaction as the crew again got their hands on what it was all about - the America's Cup.
All you could say after that was: ''Bring on the next one in 2003.''

Margins

Start: Team NZ (12 seconds)
Mark 1: Team NZ (24 seconds)
Mark 2: Team NZ (22 seconds)
Mark 3: Team NZ (47 seconds)
Mark 4: Team NZ (1 minute 1 second)
Mark 5: Team NZ (1 minute 13 seconds)
Finish: Team NZ (48 seconds)

Team NZ 5
Prada 0

Let's party!

Starved of sporting success for longer than most New Zealanders care to remember, tens of thousands of Aucklanders basked in the reflected glory of the America's Cup. As Team New Zealand made its way back to the Viaduct Basin, having rammed home the final nail in Prada's hull, homes & offices in Auckland's inner city emptied in a mad scramble for vantage points right along the waterfront. Let the party begin...

Meet the team

Team New Zealand's America's Cup defence had a very obvious shop window - the latest rocket ship from its Black Magic brand plus skipper Russell Coutts & the 15 other sailors that made it fly. Sydnicate head Sir Peter Blake was another highly visible part of the campaign but there were more than 80 others who all had a role in making Team New Zealand what it was.

Russell Coutts CBE
Skipper

Sir Peter Blake KBE
Syndicate Head

Lesley Acutt
Sponsorship servicing

Joe Allen
Bowman

Cameron Appleton
Traveller

John Appleton
Skipper of Archangel

Dean Barker
Helmsman/Tactics

Trevor Berry
Machinist/Spar builder

Richard Booten
Shore Crew - Boat Builder

Debbie Bradley
Accountant

Brad Butterworth OBE
Afterguard/Tactician

Scott Chapman
Executive Director

James Dagg
Trimmer

Simon Daubney
Genoa Trimmer, Sail Design

Laurie Davidson
Principal Designer

Richard Dodson
Afterguard

Tom Dodson
Afterguard

Mike Drummond
Designer/Afterguard Navigator

Kristy Dunhill
Receptionist

Geoff Dunn
Schorecrew

Peter Evans
Weather Programme

Burns Fallow
Head of Sails Department

Warwick Fleury
Mainsail Trimmer

Jamie France
Design Team

Craig Franks
Chase Boat Driver

Russell Green
Rules and Technical Advisor

Paul Gudgeon
Sailmaker

Tim Gurr
Construction Boss

Jared Henderson
Pitman

Nick Heron
Bowman

Tobias Hochreutener
Weather Team

Nick Holroyd
Design Team

Matthew Hughes
Grinder

Mickey Ickert
Sail Designer

Diana Jack
Personal Assistant

Philip Jameson
Shore Team - Chase Boats

Melanie Jones
Media Liason

Murray Jones
Tactician/Afterguard

Richard Karn
Design Team

Grant Loretz
Sail Development/Trimmer

Fiona Lovell
Assistant Accountant

Jonothan Macbeth
Winch Team/Grinder

Chay McIntosh
Shore Crew

Barry McKay
Pitman

Bruce McKay
Tender Boat Skipper

Matthew Mason
Mastman

Roy Mason
Shore Crew

Richard Meacham
Bowman

Tony Millet
Shore Crew - Sailmaker

Chris Mitchell
Design Team (Rigs)

Ian Mitchell
Design Team

Matthew Mitchell
Bowman

Crag Monk
Port Grinder/Sail Maker

Paul Murray
Shore Crew/Back-up sailor

Robbie Naismith
Genoa Trimmer

Andrew Nottage
Shore Crew/Engineering Machinist

Clay Oliver
Principal Designer

Dr Mark Orams
Co-ordinator

Hamish Pepper
Mainsheet

Dean Phipps
Bowman

Loren Poole
Design Team

Mike Quilter
Weather/Electronics

Tony Rae
Mainsail Trimmer

Sean Reeves
Rules Advisor

Bob Rice
Chief Meteoroligist

Selwyn 'Crowbar' Ross
Shore Crew

Jeremy Scantlebury
Boat Boss/Pitman

Tom Schnackenberg
Design Co-ordinator/Navigator

Alan Sefton
Executive Director

Kevin Shoebridge
Weather & Support Craft

Wayne Smith
Design Team

Kristen Sneyd
Sailing Team Co-ordinator

Jason Squire
Shore Crew - Boat Builder

Michelle Tapper
Reception/Team Assistant

Andrew Taylor
Starboard Grinder

Neville Thorpe
Shore Crew

Mark Turner
Shore Crew

Chris Waird
Grinder

Peter Waymouth
Pitman

Neil Wilkinson
Design Team

Steve Wilson
Spar/Rig Designer

Andrew Wotherspoon
Sailmaker

So that is my 176th blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 96th this year (And it is 10 days remaining until Christmas).

P.S. And I went with Pops to see the new Star Wars movie which is Star Wars: The Last Jedi & my thoughts to enjoy the new Star Wars movie: And me oh my I have enjoyed that? Yes boy! Because I was feeling the force compared to being shagadelic when I watched all 3 Austin Powers movies. But Luke Skywalker...is dead, & he is long gone now because he was the last of the Jedi left (And my favourite part of the movie was Rey teaming up with Kylo Ren (Born as Ben Solo) to take out the royal bodyguards of supreme leader Snoke (Who got destroyed by Rey's lightsaber) then Kylo Ren told Rey that she must join him to the dark side in order to rule the galaxy (Just like Darth Vader wanting Luke Skywalker to become evil in order to rule the galaxy in The Empire Strikes Back) but she refused because she wants to become a Jedi like Luke).

Praise You/Save Tonight: The year in review (Part 3)

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 Forty Six & 2/Lateralus/Sober/The Pot: The 2019 Rugby World Cup draw review & Special Pasifika Challenge rugby test match details (+ Tendencies of being a radio Disc Jockey, a phone call with Aunty Tania & the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League semifinal wrap up):

Well, it was yesterday that I spent the day on both the computer listening to rock music (I always listen to The Rock FM since I moved here a decade ago so I used to listen to Brian FM) & playing playstation (I had to play my only 2 favourite games such as F1 2016 (I raced as Valtteri Bottas (Finland, Williams) 1st in Russia then Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain, Mercedes) in China & Sebastian Vettel (Germany, Ferrari) in both Australia & Bahrain & I didn't know that one of Pops friends Matt Pine (Well I think I may be friends with him) is a self-proclaimed fan of Formula 1) & Rugby Challenge 3 (I played as the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup 2015 created competition because I thrashed Argentina 63 - 0 in the tournament opener because it was in Pool C but I played against Namibia because we put 70 points on them in the 2nd pool game of the Rugby World Cup 2015 tournament) so we had breakfast as well as an omelette for lunch & had sausage pasta for dinner & we went to Caroline's yesterday (Pops went to the bank then to recycling) so I had a gooey caramel slice with mochacchino & I told Pops about the waitress who looks like my cousin Paige Williams (Kiwi girl with Welsh surname, remember! Please acknowledge because she's the sister of my 2 little cousins, Nico & Luca Mitchell) except she has darker hair & I told Pops that I have 2 aunties, one is Aunty Tania who is my real aunty & the other is Paige's mother Cathey Middelplaats who is my biological aunty.

And so on, onto the draw for the 2019 Rugby World Cup (Well I did write it down last night while I watched it online), held in Japan so here it is:

Pool A

Ireland
Scotland
Japan (Host nation)
Europe 1
Playoff winner

Pool B

New Zealand (Defending champion)
South Africa
Italy
Africa 1
Repechage winner

Pool C (AKA pool of death)

England
France
Argentina
Americas 1 (United States)
Oceania 2 (Tonga)

Pool D

Australia
Wales
Georgia
Oceania 1 (Fiji)
Americas 2

And what do I think of the draw...well, we are going to face the Springboks & Italy so the last time we met between South Africa in the Rugby World Cup was the Semifinals in 2015 in which we won by a whisker & Italy was in 2007 during the pool games in pool C so we might take on Scotland in the quarterfinals & if we win, we're going to face England (Well talk about England being in the pool of death in Pool C along with France & Argentina because the last time England clashed with France was in the quarterfinal of the Rugby World Cup in 2011 in which they lost after being outnumbered & Argentina was also in the same year way back in 2011 during the pool games in Pool B & what was England coach Eddie Jones like? Because he's like ''France & Argentina? Are you Serious? We will see about that! Game on!'') in the semifinals & if we beat the English, it's the Wallabies in the final (A possible rematch of the 2015 Rugby World Cup final)...fair call so this is our last shot at World Cup glory but if we win, the All Blacks would dominate the rugby team of the 2010's (Although I told Dad 2 years ago that winning the Rugby World Cup is hard because in 1987 it was easy but since 1991 it became increasingly insanely difficult)...bang on.

And here is the news report about the draw taken place in Kyoto according to Stuff News:

It never seemed likely to happen, but the Springboks' slide has pitted them against the All Blacks in pool play for the first time at a Rugby World Cup.

With All Blacks coach Steve Hansen looking on at the Kyoto State Guest House, his side were drawn in pool B for the 2019 tournament in Japan, alongside South Africa, Italy, Africa 1 and repechage winner. The latter two teams are yet to be decided in the final qualifying phase.

In the other groups, England, France and Argentina were drawn in a tough pool C which may well be dubbed the 'Pool of death'. The Wallabies fared reasonably well alongside Wales and Georgia in pool D, and Ireland and Scotland are the two big guns in pool A, alongside the host nation who caused the big boilover of 2015 with victory over South Africa.

Japan, coached by former Highlanders coach and All Black Jamie Joseph, were drawn out by the nation's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The two old foes who slugged out a semifinal in 2015, won 20-18 by the All Blacks, will meet again much earlier in Japan after the Springboks' woeful 2016 saw them slip to seventh in the world rankings.

"We've drawn a pool that's got some strength in it, and that's OK. We know South Africa well and know they will be tough. Italy are an improving side and we can assume the qualifiers will be good sides if they're going to make it," Hansen said.

"There are some very tough pools, and pool C is also very tough. Eventually if you're going to win the thing you've got to play all the good teams. We're happy now, we've just got to find out where the games will be played so we can get our planning started."

The All Blacks will face the Springboks, Italy and two qualifiers in the tournament.

By coincidence the two head coaches Hansen and Allister Coetzee, who kept his job after a horror year, sat next to each other in the theatre with the likes of England's Eddie Jones and Ireland's Joe Schmidt also watching on. Both Jones and Schmidt will fancy their chances of going all the way if their teams can maintain their recent form.

Hansen arrived with the Webb Ellis Cup and was even involved in the draw, as he pulled out Italy, Argentina and Georgia in their respective pools. World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont drew the top-four nations in their groups.

New Zealand have never lost in pool play at a World Cup, and in Japan will chase their 3rd successive title. They will meet Italy, remarkably, for the 6th time at a World Cup after the two sides played the 1987 opener at Eden Park.

Safely through their pool, the All Blacks could meet either Ireland, Scotland or even Japan in the quarterfinals.

At the 2015 World Cup the All Blacks emerged from a pool containing Argentina, Georgia, Tonga and Namibia, with the Pumas providing their toughest opposition in a 26-16 scoreline.

In the quarterfinals the All Blacks smashed France 62-13, before scraping past South Africa with a 2-point victory in the semis then beating Australia 34-17 in the decider.

The 2019 draw was conducted along similar lines to past tournaments, with the top-12 sides from 2015 qualifying automatically.

They were divided into 3 'bands' based on their current world rankings, with the 1st band including New Zealand (top-ranked), England (2nd), Australia (3rd) and Ireland (4th).

Band 2 contained Scotland, France, South Africa and Wales - the teams currently ranked 5th to 8th - and band 3 was made up of Argentina, Japan, Georgia and Italy.

One team from each band was drawn randomly for each pool, with bands four and five made up of allocated spots to regions yet to stage their final qualifying events.

It will be the 5th World Cup with 20 teams divided into 4 pools of 5 teams.

And this is what the quarterfinals, semi finals & final of the 2019 Rugby World Cup will look like (I'm not sure that this prediction is accurate enough):

Quarterfinals

England Vs Wales
New Zealand Vs Scotland
Australia Vs France
Ireland Vs South Africa

Semifinals

Wales Vs New Zealand
France Vs Ireland

Final

France Vs New Zealand

And finally in this rugby news, the All Blacks will take on Samoa in a pre-British & Irish Lions tour test match hit out on the 16th of June at Eden Park in Auckland (Which will host 3 test matches this year which is against Samoa & of course the 1st & 3rd test matches against the British & Irish Lions) billed as the Special Pasifika Challenge which will feature Tonga taking on Wales (Minus it's Lions stars such as hot shot first five-eighth Dan Biggar, fired up centre Jonathan Davies, Tongan born flanker & number 8 Taulupe Faletau (Who was once known as Toby who is the son of former Tongan international Kuli), maverick fullback Leigh Halfpenny (The self-proclaimed playboy who plays for Toulon), Welsh captain Alun Wyn Jones, the dynamic flanker Ross Moriarty (Son of Paul & nephew of Richard), the instant classic winger George North, the incredible hooker Ken Owens, the incomparable & influential openside flanker Justin Tipuric, Lions skipper Sam Warburton, the red hot halfback Rhys Webb & ice cold fullback Liam Williams) 1st before the AB's-Samoa encounter because 2015 was the last time that the All Blacks clashed with Samoa because it was at Apia Park in Apia (We won the game 25 points to 16 in our last meeting & I was with the late Nan & Pops at Uncle Bryan's because the match was shown on Sky Sport) & the 1st time since 1993 that Eden Park will host the All Blacks taking on Samoa (Well, we won our 1st encounter between the 2 teams because Sean 'Fitzy' Fitzpatrick was the captain of the All Blacks & the late Peter 'Fats' Fatialofa captaining Samoa (It was Western Samoa way back until 1997) because the test match takes place the night before the Lions go toe to toe against the Maori All Blacks at Rotorua International Stadium in Rotorua just like as it was back in 2005 that the All Blacks took on Fiji at North Harbour Stadium in Albany the night before the Lions took on the Maori All Blacks at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.

And the 2nd one is taken from Bother/Digital (Did You Tell)/Get Inside/Song #3: The Pasifika Challenge wrap up (+ 2017 mid year rugby union internationals week 2 review & the 2017 British & Irish Lions rugby tour report episode 5: Maori All Blacks):

Well, it was Tonga who played Wales 1st in the Pasifika Challenge but the Welsh proved them too strong against the Tongans at the end, outperforming them 24 - 6 in the curtain raiser...but it is time for the main event as the All Blacks play our 1st test match of the year by taking on Samoa at Eden Park (Which will host 3 test matches this year including that one against Samoa & 2 against the British & Irish Lions) in Auckland so here's the live commentary taken from Newshub:

Hello & welcome to live updates of the All Blacks hosting Manu Samoa at Eden Park in Auckland.

A venue the world champions haven't lost at since 1994 against France; Jonah Lomu's 2nd Test match.

We bring you live streaming written commentary & all the action.

Commentary will start from around 7:50 pm (NZT), with kick-off set for 8pm (NZT).

Lineups

All Blacks

1.Joe Moody, 2.Codie Taylor, 3.Owen Franks, 4.Brodie Retallick, 5.Sam Whitelock, 6.Jerome Kaino, 7.Sam Cane, 8.Ardie Savea, 9.Aaron Smith, 10.Beauden Barrett, 11.Julian Savea, 12.Sonny Bill Williams, 13.Anton Lienert-Brown, 14.Israel Dagg, 15.Ben Smith

Reserves: 16.Nathan Harris, 17.Wyatt Crockett, 18.Charlie Faumuina, 19.Scott Barrett, 20.Vaea Fifita, 21.TJ Perenara, 22.Lima Sopoaga,23. Jordie Barrett.

Manu Samoa

1.Viliamu Afatia, 2.Maatulimanu Leiataua, 3.Census Johnston, 4.Chris Vui, 5.Faatiga Lemalu, 6.Piula Faasalele, 7.Fa'alemiga Selesele, 8.Faifili Levave, 9.Kahn Fotuali'i, 10.Tusiati Pisi, 11.Tim Nanai Williams, 12.Alapati Leiua, 13.Keiron Fonotia, 14.Albert Nikoro, 15.Ah See Tuala.

Substitutes: 16.Seilala Lam, 17.Nephi Leatigaga, 18.Paul Alo-Emile, 19.Taiasina Tuifua, 20.Alafoti Faosiliva, 21.Auvasa Falealii, 22.D'Angelo Leiula, 23.Ken Pisi.

Match officials

Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)

Assistants: Rohan Hoffman (Australia) & Jordan Way (Australia)

TMO : Ian Smith (Australia)

7.43pm: Hello all, thanks for your company – I hope you enjoy the coverage….Conditions update: Bit of rain about but the ground should hold up – it's been very cold in the city of sails today as well. – the rain set in big time at the end of the Wales v Tonga match a half-hour ago which was won by the Red Dragons 24-6.

7.51pm: Players making their way onto Eden Park for the anthems and the Haka/War dance. Reminder, the ABs haven't lost at Eden Park in 36 matches.

7.53pm: Stadium just a tad over half-full I would guess. With three Lions games at Eden Park there are a few options for Aucklanders seeking a rugby hit...good Samoan representation though...

7.54pm: I would say that the Samoan national anthem would be my second favourite foreign ballad behind the Welsh one.

7.58pm: Tears in the eyes of Jordie Barrett during the anthem..goosebump moment….Ben Smith to lead the Haka.

7.59pm: The Samoans start us off with the Siva Tau...chills folks...and here goes the ABs..Ben Smith at the front of the 'Flying V' but TJ Perenara will lead the boys in the NZ reply

8.01pm: For all you Crusaders fans..your old mate from France is the referee tonight :)

KICK-OFF: Tusi Pisi gets the game underway deep into the ABs half..Aaron Smith clears and we have a Samoan lineout on the All Blacks 10-metre line.

2 MINUTES LATER: Samoa making good progress into All Black territory – we are at 11 phases -  they are just outside the ABs 22.

1 MINUTE LATER: Manu Samoa get within 2m of the tryline – the referee has halted play looking at potential foul play from one of the Samoan player…a neck roll.

1 MINUTE LATER: Faifili Levave gets pinned for the neck roll back on the 22 – that was weird I have to say..what if it wasn't a penalty? Samoa were hot on attack when the TMO called play back. Lineout ABs on halfway.

1 MINUTE LATER: Huge tackle on Beauden by Alapati Leiua in midfield, knock on against the Hurricanes pivot. Scrum Samoa on halfway.

2 MINUTES LATER: The All Blacks looking to shift the ball inside their own 22 – eventually Aaron Smith clears and the team exchange in a bit of force-back which is won by the visitors. Excellent kick from Nanai-Williams. Lineout ABs on their own 22.

2 MINUTES LATER: All Blacks go on attack in the Samoan half after a wayward lineout throw. Playing under advantage here for offside – a few big hits coming in from Manu Samoa – Penalty is awarded and Ben Smith asks Beauden to kick to the corner. Lineout ABs 5m out.

2 MINUTES LATER: Another ABs penalty – this time for collapsing the maul. Ben Smith opts for the scrum; 5m out.

1 MINUTE LATER, TRY ALL BLACKS, ANTON LIENERT-BROWN: Ardie Savea looked to have knocked the ball on at the scrum but the referee missed it. 2 phases and Barrrett takes on the line – gets hammered but gets an offload away to the Chiefs centre who scores the easiest try of his life. Beauden adds the extras.

3 MINUTES LATER: The All Blacks work the ball up the park nicely – but the Samoan defence is brutal..at sixth phase and we get a penalty for Samoa – holding on at the ruck from Retallick. Albert Nikoro with a shot at three from just inside is half.

1 MINUTE LATER: Nikoro just misses what would have been a monster kick and the ABs look to play the ball out from their own half - keeping possesion nicely here and the earn a penalty which Smith takes quickly. Samoa turn the ball over at the ruck and now they go on attack - penalty Samoa just inside their own half - Joe Moody with hands in the ruck - Phew!

3 MINUTES LATER: On a side note - Ardie Savea clearly knocked the ball on at the scrum base in the ABs try-scoring movement.

1 MINUTE LATER: Beauden Barrett just proved he is human - punting the ball out on the full from just outside his 22. Lineout Samoa.

1 MINUTE LATER: Samoa rucking the ball well just outside the All Blacks 22 – Pisi with a  terrible chip kick that Dagg collects with ease and he smashes the ball deep into Samoan territory but Ah See Tuala replies with a beaut of his own and it's a lineout for the AB's on their own 22.

1 MINUTE LATER: Nanai-Williams carves the ABs up through the middle of the park – made SBW look pretty foolish but Alapati Leiua can't draw and pass and throws the ball out on the full….big chance there for the Samoans. Should have scored.

1 MINUTE LATER: Penalty midfield and halfway for Samoa – Sam Cane pinned for killing the ball at ruck time – the visitors opt for another shot at goal. Nikoro steps up again.

1 MINUTE LATER: Nikoro crushes it but it's just wide and Dagg bangs it down into the Samoan 22 - who reply with a nice touch finder from Pisi.

3 MINUTES LATER: Another midfield penalty from the visitors in the same spot as before – Barrett holding on at the ruck – looks like my old mate Albert has been put on the back burner – Pisi kicks for touch and Samoa have a lineout on the ABs 10m line. Not a great kick there.

1 MINUTE LATER: Alapati Leiua ghosts through the All Blacks midfield but he can't link up. Huge chance outwide for Samoa – 5 on 2 but hooker Maatulimanu Leiataua squanders the chance and goes himself. Samoa hot on attack still but it's turned over and here go the ABs.

1 MINUTE LATER, TRY ALL BLACKS, BEAUDEN BARRETT: End to end – Lienert-Brown picked the ball up in space – got the ball away to Ben Smith who gassed it – SBW gets the offload and he in turn gets a sand shoe crusher away to Barrett who toes it ahead, regathers and scores. Wow! And he adds the extras..Bet Marshy was given it the old Go Beauden!

2 MINUTES LATER, TRY ALL BLACKS, ARDIE SAVEA: Set piece at its best. Brilliant – Lineout off the top – Barrett ghosts through a small gap – gets the ball away to Lienert-brown who draws the fullback and Savea goes in untouched from 30m. Awesome to watch. Barrett adds the 2.

4 MINUTES LATER: Try goes begging for the ABs – moving the ball beautifully through the backline. SBW with a little grubber that Retallick collects – he offloads to Dagg who flings it back infield but Retallick can't re-gather, knocks it on and we have a defensive scrum for the visitors.

3 MINUTES LATER: Penalty All Blacks 5m out for hands in the ruck – Ben Smith says 'Scrum please'. Danger time for Manu Samoa here.

1 MINUTE LATER, TRY ALL BLACKS, SONNY BILL WILLIAMS: Another set-move. Smith from the scrum base – draws a tackler, gets the ball away to Barrett who puts SBW in under the posts. Nice. Barrett adds the two and that's halftime. Be back here live in 10 minutes.

HALFTIME: All Blacks lead Samoa 28-0

SECOND-HALF: Beauden Barrett will get us underway for he second 40.....Samoa added so much to the first-half -- but you can't make mistakes against the world champions.

2 MINUTES LATER, TRY ALL BLACKS, ISRAEL DAGG: Take a bow Anton Lienert-Brown who draws in three players with magnificent hesitation – very short blindside to work with and with no-one to beat, Dagg is the benefactor of Lienert-Browns brilliance. Barrett is on target tonight. 35-0 ABs

1 MINUTE LATER: The legend that is Grant Nisbett just informed us that Barrett is 12 from 12 in his last three-Tests with the boot.

2 MINUTES LATER: Samoa trying to just hold onto the ball for a bit after the barrage of the last 15 mins or so. Have moved the ball nicely up field and earn a penalty just inside halfway. Sam Cane offside at the ruck. Pisi finds touch 30m out.

3 MINUTES LATER: Samoa going backwards at a fast rate – but a head-high tackle from Retallick earns them a reprieve. Lineout Samoa on the ABs 22.

1 MINUTE LATER: Samoa rucking the ball well – some big hits coming in from All Black defenders. Samoa shift the ball outwide – Barrett for the intercept but he has knocked it on. Scrum 25m out for Samoa.

2 MINUTES LATER: Turnover from Codie Taylor and Whitelock head off upfield but his passed is spilled by the following up Taylor but it's a penalty on the 22 for the ABs for holding on at ruck time. Scott Barrett, Wyatt Crockett and Charlie Faumuina are on the park for the hosts now.

3 MINUTES LATER, TRY ALL BLACKS, JULIAN SAVEA: Clinical play from the world champions. Well that was a team try if I have ever seen one. Retallick makes a nice 20m break down the touchline but he can't get his pass away – the ABs play through five phases with the whole forward pack playing part – Smith clears from the ruck and goes through the hands of the back – eventually makes its way out to the 'Bus' who goes over in the corner. Barrett can't add the extras.

2 MINUTES LATER: Scott Barrett with a sweet offload to Beauden who kicks ahead - Ah See Tuala cleans up well but the All Blacks win the ball – Aaron Smith flings the ball outwide but the pass is too high for Lienart-Brown. Lineout Samoa on their own 5m line.

1 MINUTE LATER, TRY ALL BLACKS, CODIE TAYLOR: Ben Smith brilliance opens up the visitors.Quick lineout throw from Julian Savea – Ben Smith collects and bursts through would be defenders – offload to Taylor who strolls over under the posts – Barrett adds the two. Vaea Fifita on for his debut Test replacing Jerome Kaino.

1 MINUTE LATER: TJ Perenara is also on for Aaron Smith - Lima Sopoaga will be on shortly aswell.

2 MINUTES LATER, TRY ALL BLACKS, BEAUDEN BARRETT: SBW offload strikes again. SBW creates havoc with a wonderful offload in the midfield – Lienert-Brown collects and he sends Beauden away into the corner. He converts and Sopoaga will replace him.

2 MINUTES LATER, TRY ALL BLACKS, VAEA FIFITA: Quick hands from the ABs with Ben Smith and SBW in the action again – Smith out to Dagg who draws' and passes' on the fullback and it's the debutant who scores. Great stuff and the Lions must be watching this interplay between forwards and back and quite frankly shivering with fear. Lima adds the two…Jordie Barrett on for his debut. Ben Smith makes way - Brodie Retallick is the new skipper!!

4 MINUTES LATER: Penalty relief for Manu Samoa. All Blacks on attack again but Sam Cane is pinged for holding on at the ruck. Lineout Samoa on halfway.

1 MINUTE LATER, POINT OF INTEREST: SBW and ALB look phenomenal as a midfield pair – SBW started slowly but has come into the game well and ALB is the find of the last 12 months for the national side.

4 MINUTES LATER: Game getting a little messy now – always amazes me how this happens when the changes are rung. All Blacks looking to shift the ball again from inside their own 22.

1 MINUTE LATER, TRY ALL BLACKS, TJ PERENARA: Brilliant back play again – Peranara ends up with ball on halfway after Sopaoga made a wonderful break from inside his own half. TJ runs away from the defenders to score in the corner Lima can't add the 2.

3 MINUTES LATER, TRY ALL BLACKS, ARDIE SAVEA: All Black magic folks. Brilliant again. Jordie Barrett sneaks away down the blindside – gets the ball away to Juliian Savea who gets a wonderful pass away to TJ whom pops a cheeky kick over the fullback and Ardie Savea collects and scores. Lima adds the 2.

3 MINUTES LATER, TRY ALL BLACKS, SAM CANE: I am literally in awe. Take the opposition out of this for a sec. This was just magnificent. Barrett collects his own up and under – wonderful play, gets the ball away from a storming Retallick – the ball goes out through the backline – Lienert-Brown bursts through the last line of defence and unselfishly passes to Cane who scores. Conversion no good.

2 MINUTES LATER: I don't really know what happened as I was still writing! I looked up and Perenara was in the clear again and he gets the ball away to Sopoaga who scores. SBW plays his part again..Wait it's been ruled no try by the TMO! SBW's pass to TJ is ruled forward. Guts.

That's it folks - I couldn't keep up in the last few minutes. Lost track of the score too, but I can confirm it was 78-0. Just brilliant second 40 from the ABs - Manu Samoa just outclassed tonight after starting strong. Thanks for dropping by tonight.

All Blacks 78 - Samoa 0

And what do I think of the game? Well, no need to worry about as the All Blacks have managed to keep the opponent scoreless for the 1st time since 2013 against France at AMI Stadium in Christchurch.

And I will be doing a review tomorrow of the Maori All Blacks-British & Irish Lions clash which takes place tonight at Rotorua International Stadium in Rotorua.

So that is my 175th blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 95th this year (And it is only a fortnight away until Christmas, unbelievable! I can't wait, just can't wait).

Song 2: The year in review (Part 2)

Well, this is part 2 of my year in review so here's another of those best blogs with the most views of the month from the March - April period beginning with Basket Case/Revolution Radio/Still Breathing/When I Come Around: Super Rugby round 4 & Six Nations final round review (A Savior & Second City Saint no more):

Round 4 of the 2017 Super Rugby season got underway as the Crusaders just drilled the Blues to retain their status as comeback kings for the 3rd week in a row after producing wins over the Highlanders in round 2 & the Reds in round 3 with a news report coming straight near you:

The Crusaders claimed their third successive come-from-behind win of the season when they beat the Blues 33-24 in Christchurch on Friday.

Just like their previous fixtures against the Highlanders and the Reds, the seven-time champions were trailing by a huge deficit at half-time but launched a superb second half fightback and eventually outscored the Blues by five tries to three.

The result means the Crusaders are still unbeaten after 4 games and they move provisionally top of the New Zealand conference although that situation could change if the Chiefs beat the Rebels later on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Blues leave Christchurch with their tail between their legs and they are still in 4th place in the New Zealand conference although they could be at the bottom of the table if the Highlanders beat the Hurricanes on Saturday.

The Blues were fastest out of the blocks and after dominating the early exchanges, George Moala crossed for the opening try in the 11th minute after Augustine Pulu and Matt Duffie played prominent roles in the build-up.

The Crusaders seemed stunned by that opening salvo from their opponents but a quick change in tactics saw the home side gradually taking control of proceedings.

After a 30 metre drive from a line-out, inside the visitors' half, the ball was shifted it wide to Ryan Crotty who was tackled into touch close to the Blues' corner flag by Melani Nanai.

And five minutes later, the hosts took the ball through several phases inside the Blues' 22 before Bryn Hall fired out a superb skip pass to Manasa Mataele, who dived over in the left-hand corner.

It did not take long for the Blues to respond, however, and 5 minutes later Pulu crossed for his side's 2nd try after side-stepping a couple of opponents deep inside the Crusaders' half.

Shortly afterwards, the Blues took the ball through several phases inside the Blues half before Moala found himself in space on the edge of the home side's 22. The All Black was confronted by Joe Moody but ghosted past the prop thanks to a superb turn of speed before crossing for his second try.

Piers Francis slotted the conversion which meant the Blues had their tails up as they led 21-5 at the interval.

The visitors were fastest out of the blocks after the break when a Francis penalty extended his side's lead in the 48th minute, but it wasn't long before the Crusaders took control of proceedings.

In the 53rd minute the hosts were camped close to the Blues' try-line and they were soon celebrating when Pete Samu spotted a gap at a ruck before barging over.

Mitchell Hunt added the extras and two minutes later, he slotted his second conversion when Ben Funnell crossed for the Crusaders' third try from a line-out drive inside the Blues' 22.

That meant the Blues led 24-19 and for the next 10 minutes the men from Auckland were on the defensive before Hunt rounded off a flowing move which tied the score at 24-24.

His conversion gave his side the lead for the first time in the match and they secured the result when Mitchell Drummond sold Patrick Tuipulotu a dummy before crossing for his side's 5th try in injury time.

And the Chiefs just blasted the Rebels in Melbourne to remain unbeaten along with the Crusaders & Stormers back & forth by still leading the New Zealand conference ahead of the Crusaders on points difference with another news report delivered to you:

The Chiefs retained their unbeaten status when they claimed a hard-fought 27-14 win over the Rebels in Melbourne on Friday.

In a tightly contested encounter, the visitors had to dig deep to secure the win but they eventually took control of proceedings and outscored the Rebels by four tries to one.

The win means the men from Hamilton return to the top of the New Conference while the Rebels are still languishing at the bottom of the Australian Conference without any points from three matches.

In a closely contested affair, the home side - who conceded 50 points in each of their two previous matches against the Blues and Hurricanes - delivered their best performance of the season and held the lead for large periods.

They ran out of steam in the game's latter stages, however, and 2 late tries from Sam Cane and Shaun Stevenson secured the visitors a try-scoring bonus-point.

The opening half was characterised by several handling errrors from both sides and both Chiefs goalkicker Damian McKenzie and Reece Hodge of the Rebels missed shots at goal which would have given their side the lead in the opening quarter.

The visitors eventually took the lead, albeit in bizarre fashion when Dominic Bird dotted down after scooping up a loose ball close to the Rebels' try-line.

This, after Solomon Alaimalo laid the grounwork with a superb run down the left-hand touchline in the build-up. 3 minutes later, the Chiefs thought they had increased their lead when Stevenson crossed the whitewash but television replays revealed that he stepped into touch in the build-up.

The Chiefs suffered a setback in the 28th minute when Liam Messam was sent to the sin bin for a cynical foul on defence deep inside his half. Jackson Garden-Bachop slotted the resulting penalty which meant the men from Hamilton held a slender 7-3 lead at half-time.

The Rebels made a superb start to the second half when, 3 minutes after the restart, Garden-Bachop glided through a gap in the Chiefs defence before throwing a splendid long pass to Marika Koroibete, who dived over in the left-hand corner.

The Rebels increased their lead 10 minutes later courtesy of another Garden-Bachop and they received a shot in the arm shortly afterwards when Alaimalo was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle on Sefa Naivalu.

The home side did not exploit their numerical advantage, however, and the Chiefs did well to soak up the pressure on defence during this period. The visitors upped the ante on attack when Alaimalo returned from his spell on the sidelines and were rewarded in the 66th minute when Brodie Retallick barged over from close quarters.

Damian McKenzie's successful conversion meant they now held a three-point lead but the Rebels drew level when Garden-Bachop slotted his third penalty in the 70th minute.

The Chiefs finished stronger, however, made sure of the win when Cane dotted down after showing great leg strength in the build-up in the 77th minute.

Despite having the game in the bag, the visitors did not stop playing and secured the bonus point when Steven rounded off a flowing move in injury time.

And the Bulls get their 1st win of the season against the Sunwolves after Namibian international Renaldo Bothma got sent off for a head high tackle on Sunwolves captain Ed Quirk so he may be facing suspension just like Steven Luatua & Michael Leitch.

And the Hurricanes knife edge the Highlanders with a bonus point victory so here is another news report in order to improvise like Phoenix Foundation agent Angus MacGyver:

With the bonus-point win the Hurricanes jump to the top of the table to 15 points as they leap frog the Chiefs. The Highlanders desperately needed a win today as they are stuck at the Roddy Bottum of the table with 5 points.

The game got off to a quiet as 10 minutes in no points had been scored despite a vicious competition on the field.

The Hurricanes would be the 1st on the scoreboard though when they set up a maul 10 metres out and drove the Highlanders back for Ardie Savea to score, but Barrett missed the conversion.

The Highlanders looked as though they had scored when Malakai Fekitoa made a searing break down the right wing, before Jordie Barrett made a hit on the centre taking him into. The referee went to the TMO to check whether the tackle was illegal but Gardner was happy and the Hurricanes had possession on their 5-metre line.

Rookie number 10 Fletcher Smith then closed the gap after the Highlanders were awarded a penalty from 40 metres out and the Smith keenly slotted it through.

The Highlanders then took the lead for the 1st time in the match when the visitors had a scrum 10 metres out from the Crusaders line which they used well after replacement Matt Faddes ran a hard line off the inside shoulder on the blindside of the set-piece and Smith gave him a pop pass to score.

The Hurricanes stole back their lead after a perfectly weighted chip over the defence from Jordie Barrett went straight into the hands of Ngani Laumape who scored in the corner. The half ended 10-8 to the hosts after a tight contest.

The Hurricanes then came out of the blocks firing in the second half after scoring in the 42nd minute when Proctor finshed off a great run of play from the home side. Their luck would run out moments later when Perenara was yellow carded for a deliberate knock down.

Once the number nine was off the Highlanders used the advantage well and scored through flanker Dixon. The Highlanders had a 5-metre lineout, and went wide before Dixon barged over.

Laumape then scored his second try of the match after receiving the ball in the midfield before showing some incredible pace to dance around the opposition defence to score in the corner, charging through Ben Smith.

Julian Savea scored his side’s 5th try of the match after receiving a pass down the left wing from Wes Goosen and simply cantered over the line for an easy try.

And the champions continued their dominance of the 2nd half after Aso scored his first try of the match, and after ten minutes would grab his second, to seal the game off.

And the Waratahs have lost 3 games in a row by going down to the Australian conference leaders, the Brumbies in Sydney while a sending off by Quade Cooper for a high shot has landed the Reds in hot water, losing to the dominant Lions side over in Joburg while the Kings were out of reach against the Sharks in Durban & the Jaguares who were without first five-eighth Nicolas Sanchez due to suspension produced a bonus point victory against the Cheetahs by elevating on top of the Africa 2 conference.

So that was Round 4 of the 2017 Super Rugby season and here are the matches for Round 5:

Crusaders Vs Force: AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Rebels vs Waratahs: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Blues vs Bulls: QBE Stadium, Albany
Brumbies Vs Highlanders: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Sunwolves vs Stormers: National Stadium, Singapore
Kings vs Lions: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Cheetahs vs Sharks: Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
& the Jaguares Vs Reds at Jose Amalfitani Stadium in Buenos Aires to end Round 5 of Super Rugby 2017 (With the Chiefs & Hurricanes taking a week off to prepare for Round 6).

And finally in the Six Nations as Scotland kept Italy scoreless to win 29 points to nil as Federico Ruzza (Italy) made his test debut while Vern Cotter had his last game as coach of Scotland as this was the first ever time Scotland has kept Italy scoreless against them while this was the first time, since beating Canada 41–0 in 2008, that Scotland kept their opponent scoreless as this was Scotland's first ever match in the Six Nations where they kept their opponent scoreless & the match concluded Scotland's most successful Six Nations tournament since they won 3 games in 2006 while France snatch it right to the death against Wales as Ken Owens (Wales) won his 50th test cap while this was France's first win over Wales since their 9 – 8 victory during the 2011 Rugby World Cup (And so on in 2011, the All Blacks opened with a win over the kingdom of Tonga (Who hijacked us at the start) at Eden Park in Auckland (41 - 10) followed by Japan at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton 83 - 7 (The night before the mighty green throng of Ireland turned the tables on Australia, causing an upset), then France in Auckland (37 - 17) with captain Richie McCaw becoming the 1st All Black to reach 100 test caps followed by beating Canada at Wellington Regional Stadium in Wellington 79 - 15 (The day after Tonga providing another upset victory over France as well as Dan Carter, who was ruled out of the tournament altogether with a groin injury), then it is quarter final time as we scraped Argentina 33 - 10 in Auckland (Although Colin Slade suffered an injury similar to Dan Carter's), then finally beating against our traditional Trans Tasman rivals Australia (Who defeated South Africa in the quarter final which was better off forgotten) in the semifinal 20 - 6 (It was the night after the French flair titans (Who gave England the chop in the quarterfinal) defeated the Welsh (Who had beaten the mighty green throng in the quarters) in the other semifinal in which Sam Warburton got sent off for that famous spear tackle) before we once again took on France in the final, just as it was back in 1987, with the weight of the nation above our shoulders (Although Stephen 'Beaver' Donald was called up in the last minute whilst he was white baiting, YA GOT THAT!! WHITEBAITING), we have won us the CUP!!! HAIL TO THE KING BABY!!! I'VE GOT BALLS OF STEEL!!! And yeah, not only that we have ended our Rugby World Cup curse after 24 years of agony and pain, as if, not ONLY we beat France 8 - 7, we have managed to lift the World Cup trophy, not only because it is the greatest moment of my life) as France finished in the top half of the table for the first time since 2011 and Wales finished in the bottom half for the first time since that same year, with fifth their lowest position since 2007 & the winning points were scored in the 100th minute of the match in one of the longest games on record while a Iain Henderson try for Ireland denies England's hopes by falling short of both the world record for most consecutive victories & the 2nd straight Grand Chelem as Jamie Heaslip withdrew from the team after suffering an injury during the pre-match warm-up while Andrew Conway (Ireland) made his international debut as Tom Wood (England) won his 50th test cap as this was Eddie Jones's 1st ever loss as England coach, and England's 1st since losing 33–13 to Australia in the 2015 Rugby World Cup & Ireland reclaims the Millennium Trophy.

So Ireland deny both the All Blacks & England their 19th consecutive victories (From Chicago to Dublin) so the Kiwi born Irish coach Joe Schmidt would be proud meaning that he was fired up with the win...So it was the 1st defeat for England under coach Eddie Jones so Jones is no longer the Savior as well as the Second City Saint, well that is a big blow for England because they are in mourning as Ireland put both the All Black & English trains off their rails...so uncivilized, what a day. Real drama here as the Irish Curse has struck again! So England are now 18 & 1 under Eddie Jones.

And finally I am overshadowed by watching more TV on Sky (Well I've got Sky now as a result) as I record a whole lot of programmes that I usually watch so I fear that I might not do blogging that much.

And the 2nd one is taken from Feel Good Hit Of The Summer/Let You Down/Pray/Voices: 99 Blogs (And counting) but a girl ain't one (Super Rugby round 8 review & Formula 1 report episode 3: Bahrain):

Well, it is surely my 99th blog overall before my century, Wow! So this is going to happen like tomorrow than expected but today we went to Caroline's for breakfast on Easter Sunday today (Well I was listening to some rock & roll on the radio all day which is The Rock FM still so I had to listen to some good songs) so I did enjoy it so it felt great (And I watched both movies yesterday such as Guardians Of The Galaxy (Although my favourite part of the movie was the Star Wars esque battle scene in mid air) & 300 (Including that famous line which is ''This is blasphemy...this is madness! Madness? THIS IS SPARTA!!!'') because I have seen 16 films this year (Actually it's 17 now).

And it is round 8 of Super Rugby that got under way as the Crusaders brushed aside the Sunwolves 50 - 3 at AMI Stadium in Christchurch with Crusaders prop Wyatt Crockett breaking Keven Mealamu's record for most capped Super Rugby player with 176 (He was man of the match) as well as the return of All Blacks captain Kieran Read after an injury layoff & Seta Tamanivalu's nephew Manasa Mataele getting a hat-trick of tries but the Reds defeated the Kings to end their 6 game losing streak with Reds openside flanker George Smith celebrating his 150th appearance while the Hurricanes getting the better of the Blues with a 4 point victory at Eden Park in Auckland with a brace by Hurricanes lock Mark Abbott then the Rebels ended a 7 match losing streak with an upset win over the Australian conference leaders the Brumbies (Well that has been a bit of a surprise because the Rebels is 1 of 2 teams along with the Western Force who are in line to be axed or should I say omitted from next year's competition to make them competitive because Australian rugby is in deep trouble or in ruins) while the Chiefs avenged their Cape Town demons (Although their unbeaten run had ended by the hands of the Stormers) with a win against the Cheetahs at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein because the Cheetahs led 24 - 0 at one point until the Chiefs clawed their way back into contention to win 41 - 27 & talk about the pet hate such as fight backs as the Chiefs managed to survive their massive scare before a comical mix-up led to the Chiefs 6th try of the game & with the Cheetahs on defence behind their own goal-line, substitute Fred Zeilinga threw a shocking pass, which Hika Elliot capitalised on, snatching the loose ball to score (I heard Homer Simpson's line (Which is D'oh!) during the Rugby Nation programme on Prime when one of the Cheetahs players knocks the ball on or should I say lost the ball forward in contact allowing Hika Elliot to score an all important bonus point try which is kinda hilarious & player of the game honours went to Chiefs halfback & La Rochelle bound Tawera Kerr-Barlow) but the Stormers unbeaten run ended by the hands of the dominant Lions side at DHL Newlands in Cape Town (Although the Stormers will head into Christchurch, hoping to end the unbeaten run of the Crusaders because the Crusaders is the only team in Super Rugby this year undefeated) & the Bulls return their winning ways against the Jaguares over at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

So that was Round 8 of the 2017 Super Rugby season and here are the matches for Round 9:

Hurricanes Vs Brumbies: McLean Park, Napier
Waratahs Vs Kings: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Lions Vs Jaguares: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Highlanders Vs Sunwolves: Rugby Park, Invercargill
Crusaders Vs Stormers: AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Force Vs Chiefs: nib Stadium, Perth
Bulls Vs Cheetahs: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
& the Sharks Vs Rebels at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban to end Round 9 of Super Rugby 2017 (With the Blues & Reds taking a week off to prepare for Round 10).

And finally Valtteri Bottas of Finland in the Mercedes has surprisingly taken pole position at the Bahrain Grand Prix for the 1st time in his career (Unbelievable!) after his British teammate Lewis Hamilton (Well, trust me because if Hamilton wins, he will take over the lead of the championship) committed a mistake by running wide during his last qualifying lap to start on the front row ending his hopes of a 7th straight pole position & talk about that important announcement...the decision that McLaren's Fernando Alonso (Spain) made that he announced his intentions to miss the Monaco Grand Prix (The crown jewel in motorsport as Formula 1's premier event & although, 2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button is going to take over Alonso's seat at Monaco because he had missed a few calls just like Stephen Donald did way back in 2011 when the 4th choice first five-eighth (1st Dan Carter fell over because of his injured groin allowing Aaron Cruden (Originally not in the original squad) to replace him then Cruden injured his knee during the 2011 Rugby World Cup (And so on in 2011, the All Blacks opened with a win over the kingdom of Tonga (Who hijacked us at the start) at Eden Park in Auckland (41 - 10) followed by Japan at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton 83 - 7 (The night before the mighty green throng of Ireland turned the tables on Australia, causing an upset), then France in Auckland (37 - 17) with captain Richie McCaw becoming the 1st All Black to reach 100 test caps followed by beating Canada at Wellington Regional Stadium in Wellington 79 - 15 (The day after Tonga providing another upset victory over France as well as Dan Carter, who was ruled out of the tournament altogether with a groin injury), then it is quarter final time as we scraped Argentina 33 - 10 in Auckland (Although Colin Slade suffered an injury similar to Dan Carter's), then finally beating against our traditional Trans Tasman rivals Australia (Who defeated South Africa in the quarter final which was better off forgotten) in the semifinal 20 - 6 (It was the night after the French flair titans (Who gave England the chop in the quarterfinal) defeated the Welsh (Who had beaten the mighty green throng in the quarters) in the other semifinal in which Sam Warburton got sent off for that famous spear tackle) before we once again took on France in the final, just as it was back in 1987, with the weight of the nation above our shoulders (Although Stephen 'Beaver' Donald was called up in the last minute whilst he was white baiting, YA GOT THAT!! WHITEBAITING), we have won us the CUP!!! HAIL TO THE KING BABY!!! I'VE GOT BALLS OF STEEL!!! And yeah, not only that we have ended our Rugby World Cup curse after 24 years of agony and pain, as if, not ONLY we beat France 8 - 7, we have managed to lift the World Cup trophy, not only because it is the greatest moment of my life.) final allowing Beaver to replace him so Donald assumed the kicking duties & kicked the penalty that has won us the Rugby World Cup after 24 years of agony & pain & he was the unlikely hero of the final by redeeming himself despite French captain Thierry Dusautoir being awarded man of the match) had been called up into the All Blacks squad as injury replacement for Colin Slade (He had the same injury as Dan Carter's) during the Rugby World Cup) in order to take part in the Indianapolis/Indy 500 (It was once the most popular motorsport in America before NASCAR took over) but the race went to Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel (Germany) who won by beating his Mercedes adversary/rival Lewis Hamilton (Who picked up a 5 second penalty that he overcame to finish 2nd while Hamilton's teammate & pole sitter Valtteri Bottas (Finland) had to settle for 3rd to finish on the podium) in a hard fought thriller in Bahrain with all that 2 stop strategy gamble paid off because the next round of the championship will be in...you guessed it, Russia at the Sochi Autodrom in Sochi (Previous host of the Winter Olympics in 2014 (The same year that Brazil had last hosted a FIFA World Cup (Won by Germany (Who demolished the host nation (Who are without the injured star man Neymar) in the semifinal by 7 goals to 1 at the Mineirao in Belo Horizonte) for the 4th time who beat the star studded Argentina (Featuring once the best footballer/soccer player in the world who plays for FC Barcelona, Lionel 'Leo' Messi because his adversary/rival who plays for FC Barcelona's main rival, Real Madrid, Cristiano 'CR7' Ronaldo (Portugal) has now taken over as the best footballer/soccer player in the world) in the final at the Maracana in Rio (Previous host of the Summer Olympics last year in 2016 with the city of Tokyo in Japan (Next host of the 2019 Rugby World Cup with England (Although Wales hosted some games) last hosted it in 2015) will be host of the next Summer Olympics in 2020) as well as the city of Glasgow in Scotland which hosted the last Commonwealth Games) because Pyeongchang in South Korea will host the next Winter Olympics next year in 2018 (The same year as the city of Gold Coast (AKA 'The GC' which is in Queensland) in Australia will host the next Commonwealth Games as well as Russia will host the next FIFA World Cup).

And here's the points standings for both the drivers & constructors but 1st here's the drivers standings:

1st: Sebastian Vettel (Germany, Ferrari), 68 points
2nd: Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain, Mercedes), 61 points
3rd: Valtteri Bottas (Finland, Mercedes), 38 points
4th: Kimi Raikkonen (Finland, Ferrari), 34 points
5th: Max Verstappen (The Netherlands, Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer), 25 points
6th: Daniel Ricciardo (Australia, Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer), 22 points
7th: Felipe Massa (Brazil, Williams Mercedes), 16 points
8th: Sergio Perez (Mexico, Force India Mercedes), 14 points
9th: Carlos Sainz (Spain, Toro Rosso), 10 points
10th: Romain Grosjean (France, Haas Ferrari), 4 points
11th: Kevin Magnussen (Denmark, Haas Ferrari), 4 points
12th: Esteban Ocon (France, Force India Mercedes), 3 points
13th: Nico Hulkenberg (Germany, Renault), 2 points
14th: Daniil Kvyat (Russia, Toro Rosso), 2 points

And then the constructors to wrap up the Formula 1 report:

1st: Ferrari (Italy), 102 points
2nd: Mercedes (Germany), 99 points
3rd: Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer (Austria), 47 points
4th: Force India Mercedes (India), 17 points
5th: Williams Mercedes (Great Britain), 16 points
6th: Toro Rosso (Italy), 12 points
7th: Haas Ferrari (USA), 8 points
8th: Renault (France), 2 points

So that is my 174th blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 94th this year (And it is only 18 days left until Christmas).

Gasoline/Lean Back/Supreme: The year in review (Part 1)

Well, it has been an incredible year so far so here is the 1st part of the year beginning with the best blogs of January & February 2017 with the most views starting with Cure For The Itch/Forgotten/Pushing Me Away/Runaway: The South Island family trip review (+ the Formula 1 report after a long hiatus):

It was on the 10th of January that our entire family went on a trip to the South Island so we left Whanganui for sure so we went through towns before we reached near Wellington to catch the ferry to Picton there so I'm using Poppa's diary about the full rundown of the trip to the South Island:

Tuesday, January 10th, 2017:

Check Vodafone account - Put $50.00 more on it.

Contact Mercury Energy re credit card number.

0800-10-18-10 (Phone No.)

Stopped in Otaki for morning tea - sausage roll (Tania), brownie (RJ) ice creams made with fruit (Me & Whetu)

Saw Ham between Porirua & Wellington.

Good trip over on the boat -. cloudy - misty at the beginning cleared going over.

The house is great - large with shop out - I slept in outside studio

Prize Giving at the Wanganui Chronicle - 14 Jan 11:00am

Had fish & chips dinner.

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017:

Went for a walk around this part of Picton where the Book a Bach is.

Breakfast

Went to I-Centre & then to Governor's Bay - had lunch & a game of cricket. Went to Karaka point hook out - then to the Domain Victoria Park - then o Resto for a drink - home after seeing Ham's message - no key. Had a big sleep. Tania made dinner - broccoli - fries - chicken. salad.

Thursday, January 12th, 2017:

Breakfast - tidied up & packed up

Headed to Nelson - stopped in Havelock for morning tea. Drove on to Nelson - found Tahunui Beach - found Arcadia Motel - extremely clean & tidy.

Drove into town. looked around - Cathedral - Cottages in street where we stayed. Came back & had went for dinner to Noodle Canteen later. Whetu & Rajean had been to WOW went to M10 & bought a gnome on a bike with a cart.

Friday, January 13th, 2017:

Went to Motueka & then to Kaiteriteri - went on the Golden Bay boat trip - magnificent like last time. Glorious weather & sea.

Came back to Motueka. Had lunch at Armadillos - old Post Office Hotel - $10.00 steak lunch. Then to I. Centre & then to Aunty Vera's and Marnie's place. Had a good time with cousins - talk
Afternoon tea.

Came back home. Had a snooze - had supper - salad chicken toast etc.

Went to Warehouse to get Whetu swimming togs.

Saturday, January 14th, 2017:

Tidied up & got out for Hanmer Springs. Beautiful scenery on the way - rivers - mountainous hills & lots of native bush & forests. Stopped in Murchison for a snack. Stopped around Maraia Springs for lunch - sandflies everywhere - Drove on to Hanmer Springs - went for a lovely soak in the pool.

Had cooked dinner - salad - chicken etc.

Nice motel unit - Ham & Raewyn in the unit 2 along.

Sunday, January 15th, 2017:

Went for another swim after breakfast - excellent - and then set off for Christchurch 122km away.

Stopped in Culverden for gas.

Think we had sandwiches for lunch.

Got to Christchurch about 3:55pm.

Went to Supermarket - Tania mad a great meal of spag bol with peas in it.

Planned Monday's programme

Monday, January 16th, 2017:

Went on Tram Ride, saw container shopes/cakes.

Saw old Cathedral. Had ''bings'' for lunch. Raewyn's friend Richard with us & his daughter Mandy/Madeline.

Went on Punt on Avon - great trip - saw ducks & dead eel.

Came back. Whetu and I went to Westfield & Ham, Jansen, Rejean & Tania went on the Gondola. Went to Countdown Supermarket to get stuff for tea.

Tuesday, January 17th, 2017

Had breakfast - tidied up

Went to Lyttleton - Corsair Bay. Governor's Bay - Diamond Harbour.

Had lunch at Diamond Harbour. Pizza etc.

Came back - went to the Pak n Save to get some stores.

Tania made - spag bol - Bruschetta with tomato & cucumber

Going to movie.

La La Land. (Unfortunately, couldn't come because it was sold out)

Saw the Christmas Lights Article - Chronicle

Wednesday, January 18th, 2017:

Going to Akaroa - on sailing ship

Will look around Akaroa town.

Postponed - strong winds

Tania & Rejean to the Canterbury Museum

Ham & Raewyn to Westfield shopping centre

Richard (Raewyn's friend came to lunch.)

Ham, Tania, Jansen & Rejean went to the Antarctic Centre.

Thursday, January 19th, 2017:

Breakfast & Tidy up

Air Force Museum at Wigram - fantastic display - saw photo of Murray Abel. Many planes on display. Did Mosquito Simulation. Had morning tea

Went out to Akaroa. couldn't go on sail boat - too rough.

Looked at I centre & shops.

Had lunch

Came back - went to Pak n Save

Had pizza/salad/cheesecake

Friday, January 20th, 2017:

Breakfast & tidy up & pack car.

Drove to Murchison & then Blenheim. Stopped at a lake.

Coronation Court Motel $350.00 2 rooms - 6 people.

Went to Speight's Ale House for dinner.

Saturday, January 21st, 2017:

Packed car - tidied up. Drove to Picton. Short wait - went souvenir shopping first.

Drove to Whanganui - stopped for petrol & pie.

Got home about 4:00 - 4:30pm

Went to Countdown after dropping Jansen off

Home - unpacked car

Dinner - Pork & chicken.

And what do I think of the trip? I think it was great but oh so awesome so I am going to remember this, for a long time eh?

And Donald J Trump has been inaugurated as the new President of the United States on the 20th of January over in Washington DC (USA's capital), whatever.

And I had Japanese food such as Sushi for lunch on Monday & it felt c'est magnifique (That's magnificent en Francais mon ami/in French my friend), Ganbatte masu! (Do your best/keep going/persevere in Japanese).

And finally my so called hiatus in Formula 1 (I 1st followed Formula 1 way back in 1999 (Mika Hakkinen (Who became the 2nd Finn to win the title followed by the last Finn to capture it was Kimi Raikkonen who won it in 2007 before Lewis Hamilton in 2008) was the defending champion who won in 98 & retained it in 99 so my childhood hero was probably Michael Schumacher (Who was the 1st German to win the title because he is a 7 time world champion in 1994 to 95 before Britain's Damon Hill won it in 1996 followed by Canadian Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 & Mika Hakkinen in 1998 to 99 & 2000 to 2004 before Spain's Fernando Alonso won both world championships in 2005 & 06 then Raikkonen won it in 2007) as a 7 year old when TV One had broadcasting rights to the sport (Although it was until 2005 when Sky took over the broadcasting rights since 2006) until 2015 in which I stopped following it because of Lewis Hamilton (I was backing either Sebastian Vettel (Who was the 2nd German after Michael Schumacher (Vettel won it from 2010 to 13) & before Nico Rosberg) or Nico Rosberg to win the world championship but Hamilton was a very good driver because I used to don't like him that much because of his race victories so far) but now I am tipping Hamilton to win the 2017 title to become Britain's most successful driver because he is tied with fellow Briton Sir Jackie Stewart, the late Jack Brabham of Australia, Austrian Niki Lauda (Who was in the 2013 movie Rush played by actor Daniel Brühl) & Brazilians Nelson Piquet & Ayrton Senna (Who was the last Formula 1 driver to die before Frenchman Jules Bianchi who was the recent F1 driver to die) with 3 F1 world championships so far (Hamilton 1st won it in 2008 then it was Jenson Button in 2009 & Sebastian Vettel who won 4 world championships in a row from 2010 to 13 before Hamilton took over in 2014 & 15) is over as Germany's Nico Rosberg (Son of Finland's 1st world champion in 1982 Keke Rosberg because Nico Rosberg was born in Wiesbaden in Germany so his father is from Finland but he is classified as a Finn-German) wins his maiden Formula 1 World Championship for 2016 (His debut was in Bahrain 2006 where Alonso won the race) after finishing 2nd in Abu Dhabi behind 3 time world champion Lewis Hamilton winning his 10th race of the season (Although Rosberg won 9 races (He won in Australia, Bahrain, China, Russia, Europe (Although the race is held in the streets of Baku in Azerbaijan which is a medieval city), Belgium, Italy, Singapore (Although the grand prix is held under lights) & Japan (That was Nico Rosberg's last win of his F1 career) compared to Lewis Hamilton's victories in Monaco (He broke the hoodoo at motorsport's premier event or should I say crown jewel), Canada, Austria under controversial circumstances, his home race in Britain, Germany, Hungary, United States, Mexico, Brazil & Abu Dhabi while Red Bull only won 2 races (Compared to constructors champions Mercedes (Won 3 constructors championship titles since 2014 (Although the rules have changed ending the V8 era that began in 2006 because the 2.4 litre V8 has been replaced by a 1.6 litre hybrid V6 because one of the drivers such as Fernando Alonso labeling the Formula 1 V6 hybrid era cars as rubbish because it has been disappointing & what do I think of it? Well I label it as a piece of trash because of the engine noise which sounds like a vacuum cleaner (Well it has not been possible for Sebastian Vettel & Red Bull to claim his 5th world title way back in 2014 because of the rule changes being implemented which helped Lewis Hamilton & Mercedes's chances of winning the title) with Lewis Hamilton twice (2014 & 15) & Nico Rosberg once (Last year in 2016) winning 19 races) with the youngest F1 driver on the grid from The Netherlands, Max Verstappen (Son of Jos Verstappen) claiming victory in Spain (He managed to break Sebastian Vettel's record as the youngest race winner in Formula 1 history at 18) after both Mercedes cars were taken out & Australian Daniel Ricciardo in Malaysia (Although Lewis Hamilton's engine had blown during the race) during the season because Hamilton won the last 4 races of the 2016 season but not good enough to secure the driver's crown by 5 points) before announcing his retirement which shocked the world of F1 because Rosberg has been replaced by Finland's Valtteri Bottas who moves from Williams to Mercedes on a 1 year deal after the young Canadian bloke Lance Stroll (1st Canadian to race in Formula 1 since Jacques Villeneuve (1997 F1 world champion & son of the late Gilles Villeneuve) who was the last Canadian to compete before Stroll because he is exactly 18 years old because he graduated his way from Formula 3 after winning the European crown) has replaced Bottas because his billionaire father Lawrence (Who may be Canada's answer to the current president of the United States, Donald Trump) reportedly spent $80 million to get his son's race seat after originally replacing Brazilian Felipe Massa because Massa originally announced his decision to quit the sport but however he elected his decision to stay at Williams.

And the 2nd one is taken from Swerve City/The Energy/The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret: #SuperBoomBoom, A Start To Another Super Rugby Season (+ Kathryn Ngapo's 3rd visit to Whanganui & Diana Kent's 1st in 2017):

Well, the 2017 Super Rugby season has begun (Replacing #SuperBangBang for 2017 is #SuperBoomBoom), well...IT HAS BEGUN! (As the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung would say in the 1995 movie Mortal Kombat (Featuring characters such as Liu Kang (The protagonist/main hero from China who is a Shaolin monk), Johnny Cage (The world famous Hollywood actor who happens to be my favourite Mortal Kombat character), Raiden (The thunder god who doesn't fight or brawl in the movie), Sonya Blade (United States Special Forces soldier), Kitana (The Outworld princess), Kano (The Aussie criminal from down under), Scorpion (The yellow ninja & one of the iconic ninjas whose real name is Hanzo Hasashi who always says: GET OVER HERE!), Sub-Zero (The blue ninja of Bi-Han, the original who can freeze), Reptile (The green ninja) & of course, last but not least...Goro (The Shokan prince & reigning champion of Mortal Kombat) Well, not only that the Blues thrashed or should I say demolished the Rebels in the opener at AAMI Park in Melbourne as centre Rieko Ioane (Akira's brother) getting a hat trick of tries as they reach the half-century mark by winning the game 56 - 18 so here's the news report about that epic but most exciting game:

A hat-trick from Rieko Ioane gave the Blues a perfect start to their Super Rugby campaign as they beat the Rebels 56-18 at AAMI Park.

The youngster was outstanding on Thursday, with this result a message to the rest of the competition that the Blues will be a threat in 2017.

Other than Ioane, the visitors' try scorers were Pauliasi Manu, Matt Duffie, Augustine Pulu and Melani Nanai. Ihaia West kicked 16 points.

The Rebels were forced to make a late tweak to their backline as Mitch Inman was ruled out, meaning that Tom English moved to centre and Jonah Placid came onto the wing. The Blues meanwhile were hoping their new faces, such as halfback Pulu, capitalised on the disruption.

It was all the Blues early on as they were patient in possession and eventually moved 3-0 in front as pivot West slotted from 45 metres.

The Rebels struck back though on seven minutes as youngster Jack Maddock showed a calmness to put the ball back inside to halfback Nic Stirzaker who went over for the score, with the conversion from first five eighth Jackson Garden-Bachop making it a 7-3 lead to the home franchise.

That was cut to a point on 18 minutes when several picks for the line from the Blues ended with loosehead Manu getting the ball down.

The Rebels missed the chance to extend the lead to four soon after as Garden-Bachop was off-target, one of three missed kicks in the half. But he would have been a happy fly-half when West was charged down close to his line and the Rebels 10 grounded to make it 12-8 to the hosts.

From then on though the Blues dominated as first nice handling from left to right sent wing Duffie over for a converted try and after West and Reece Hodge traded penalties, a stray pass from Rebels flanker Jordy Reid near halfway led to Ioane sprinting over for a 25-15 buffer.

Hodge was again on target to open the scoring in the second-half, cutting the gap to seven points, but then the Blues onslaught went into full swing as halfback Pulu raced over from 40 metres out to make it 32-18 before Ioane claimed his second from distance for 39-18.

The Rebels were on the ropes and in their desperation were being picked off at will as a kick ahead saw wing Nanai the next to cross for the Blues on 58 minutes before number eight Akira Ioane set up his brother Rieko for a hat-trick. That was his last act to cap a fine game.

At 53-18 the match was starting to fizzle out as it neared its final 10 minutes, with a yellow card for replacement Rene Ranger giving the Rebels some welcome field position. But a loose line-out, which wasn't their first of the night, summed up a poor start to the season for the Rebels, with centre Piers Francis knocking over a late penalty soon after to put the seal on what was an outstanding victory for the Blues.

And it was yesterday that the rampant Chiefs have finally beaten the Highlanders after losing 6 straight games to open up their campaign at Forsyth Barr Stadium with a news report which is less exciting than the Rebels Vs Blues clash:

The Chiefs got their Super Rugby campaign off to a fine start when they claimed a desrved 24-15 victory over the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday.

Strong defence and ability to takes their limited chances sees Chiefs win 24-15 in Dunedin 24-15 against the error-strewn Highlanders.

The result is a momentous one for the men from Hamilton as it ends a 6 match losing streak against the Highlanders.

With this being 2 New Zealand teams, it is no surprise that it was a thrilling affair as both sides ran the ball from all areas of the field although the Chiefs made better use of their chances and their execution inside the Highlanders' 22 was particularly impressive.

Although the Highlanders were competitive in the tight exchanges, they were unable to contain the Chiefs' ability to move the ball with pace and the visitors eventually outscored them by three tries to none.

The Highlanders drew first blood courtesy of a Lima Sopoaga penalty inside the 1st 5 minutes game but the came alive in the 10th minute when James Lowe went over for the 1st try.

This after he gathered a wayward pass from Aaron Smith close to the halfway line and the flyer showed great strength and determination to shrug off a couple of challengers before dotting down under the posts.

Aaron Cruden added the easy extras and the Chiefs did not increase their lead with Lowe again the chief protagonist when he intercepted a Waisake Naholo offload just outside the home side's 22 before racing away to score his 2nd try.

Cruden, once again, slotted the conversion which meant the Chiefs led 14-0 after the 1st quarter but the Highlanders didn't take that lying down and were soon camped inside the visitors' 22.

The 2015 champions thought they had opened their account in the 23rd minute when Naholo gathered a Lima Sopoaga crossfield kick before crossing the whitewash but his effort was disallowed when the Television Match Official (TMO) ruled that he had knocked the ball on in the process.

The hosts were dealt a massive blow on the hour-mark when their captain and fullback Ben Smith was forced to leave the field when he banged his head on the ground after competing for a high ball with Damian McKenzie.

The Highlanders continued to attack but the Chiefs stood firm in defence and 2 Sopoaga penalties, late in the half, was the home side's only reward before the interval.

The Chiefs continued to attack and were rewarded 2 minutes after the restart when Hika Elliot crossed for their 3rd try after combining brilliantly with Tawera Kerr-Barlow at a lineout inside the Highlanders.

That score caught the Highlanders by surprise and although they upped the ante on attack they couldn't breach the Chiefs' try-line.

Sopoaga added two further penalties midway through the half but Cruden secured the win for the visitors when he landed a three-pointer from the kicking tee in the 68th minute.

And the Reds had a 2 point win over the Sharks in a hard fought victory after a close quarters battle at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

And yesterday Kathryn arrived here for her 3rd visit (She was with her English partner Ken Branch during her 1st visit this year then with her son Ben Blain during her 2nd) the same day as we moved the gnomes (I told her about the honorary Jedi of Huia thinking she's no longer a Kiwi girl (Although my cousin Paige Williams (Cathey Middelplaats's daughter & sister of brothers Nico & Luca Mitchell (Although both Nico & Luca are kinda cute as Kathryn told me) is because I told her that she's a New Zealand girl with a Welsh surname like Thomas or Jones, Jenkins, Evans & Davies) along with Gemma so she revealed that she's pregnant so she must be having a son on the way (And Rosalie (Who is exactly Gemma's daughter so Gemma was with Hamish) is going to have a cousin & I was like ''What? Huia's going to have a baby boy. Are you serious?'' And I told Dad that his cousin is pregnant) so we had dinner which is salmon pasta because me & Pops were watching the rugby when the Highlanders played the Chiefs so we had dessert during the game so Pops went for the Highlanders so I was backing the Chiefs to win because I live in the North Island so the Chiefs ended up winning so I had a chat with Kathryn before I went to bed but this morning I saw Dad taking my stuff in & we were having breakfast just moments before we went to the market & looked at a house we looked for Kathryn (Although she's a good woman or should I say wahine compared to Aunty Tania because not only she's good looking) to live moments before we headed back to my new home which is 15A Kells Avenue (Well I have been living in my flat for nearly 3 years or so after spending nearly 25 years & 8 months with my Dad so I am hoping to get my life back on track by redeeming myself) so we had cold meat, cheese & salad with croutons for lunch & after lunch, I dried dishes & watered the plants & now doing my blog so I have been doing my usual gimmick listening to rock music (Such as Bush, Audiovent, Queens Of The Stone Age, Deftones, 3 Doors Down, Nickelback, Faith No More, The White Stripes, Lenny Kravitz (He's a black (Or should I say African American) rockstar along with William DuVall of Alice In Chains, Living Color & the late Jimi Hendrix), Blink-182, Linkin Park (My Malaysian friend Sophie's favourite band), Red Hot Chili Peppers (Used to be my favourite band, because now it's Breaking Benjamin), Foo Fighters (Used to be my favourite band also), Shihad & of course Pearl Jam because I listen 20 songs a day so I am getting used to it) while blogging.

So that is my 173rd blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 93rd this year (And it is only 20 days remaining until Christmas).

Sultans Of Swing: New Zealand's history at the America's Cup

Well, with Auckland (Or not) set to host the next America's Cup in 2021, here is some of the evolution of New Zealand's America's Cup yachts over the years:

1986/87 - Plastic Fantastic

Protagonist: Chris Dickson (New Zealand Challenge)
Designer: Bruce Farr
Key innovation: Fibreglass
Antagonist: Dennis Conner (Stars & Stripes)

1988 - Big boat

Protagonist: David Barnes (New Zealand Challenge)
Designer: Bruce Farr
Key innovation: It was big - very, very big
Antagonist: Dennis Conner (Stars & Stripes)

1992 - NZL 20

Protagonist: Rod Davis (New Zealand Challenge)
Designer: Bruce Farr
Key innovation: Outrigger on bowsprit, steered by flaps on the keel, tandem keel with a nine ton lead bulb between.
Antagonist: Paul Cayard (Il Moro De Venezia)

1995 - Black Magic

Protagonist: Russell Coutts (Team New Zealand)
Designer: Doug Peterson & Laurie Davidson
Key innovation: Red socks
Antagonist: Dennis Conner (Young America (Stars & Stripes merged with PACT 95 syndicate)

2000 - NZL 60

Protagonist: Russell Coutts (Team New Zealand)
Designer: Laurie Davidson & Clay Oliver
Key innovation: Kink-bow & Millennium mast
Antagonist: None (Friendly rivalry against Luna Rossa Challenge)

2003 - NZL 82

Protagonist: Dean Barker & Bertrand Pace (Team New Zealand)
Designer: Mike Drummond, Clay Oliver & Tom Schnackenberg
Key innovation: Hull appendage & keel bulb
Antagonist: Russell Coutts (Alinghi)

2007 - NZL 92

Protagonist: Dean Barker (Emirates Team New Zealand)
Designer: Mike Drummond, Clay Oliver & Tom Schnackenberg
Key innovation: Buzzy bee bulb
Antagonist: Brad Butterworth (Alinghi)

2013 - Aotearoa

Protagonist: Dean Barker (Emirates Team New Zealand)
Designer: Nick Holroyd
Key innovation: Foiling upwind
Antagonist: Jimmy Spithill (Oracle Team USA)

2017 - AC50

Protagonist: Glenn Ashby (Emirates Team New Zealand)
Designer: Dan Bernasconi
Key innovation: Cyclors
Antagonist: Jimmy Spithill (Oracle Team USA)

2021 - Foiling monohulls

Designer: Dan Bernasconi

So that is my 172nd blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 92nd this year (And it is only 22 days to go until Christmas).

I Stay Away/No Excuses: 2018 FIFA World Cup draw review

Well, the draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup has been announced so it gives me great pleasure to reveal the draw & matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup (Well I wrote it down on a piece of paper):

Group stage

Group A

Russia
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Uruguay

Russia Vs Saudi Arabia: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
Egypt Vs Uruguay: Ekaterinburg Stadium, Ekaterinburg
Russia Vs Egypt: Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg
Uruguay Vs Saudi Arabia: Rostov-on-Don Stadium, Rostov-On-Don
Uruguay Vs Russia: Samara Stadium, Samara
Saudi Arabia Vs Egypt: Volgograd Stadium, Volgograd

Group B

Portugal
Spain
Morocco
IR Iran

Morocco Vs IR Iran: Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg
Portugal Vs Spain: Fisht Stadium, Sochi
Portugal Vs Morocco: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
IR Iran Vs Spain: Kazan Arena, Kazan
IR Iran Vs Portugal: Saransk Stadium, Saransk
Spain Vs Morocco: Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad

Group C

France
Australia
Peru
Denmark

France Vs Australia: Kazan Arena, Kazan
Peru Vs Denmark: Saransk Stadium, Saransk
Denmark Vs Australia: Samara Stadium, Samara
France Vs Peru: Ekaterinburg Stadium, Ekaterinburg
Denmark Vs France: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
Australia Vs Peru: Fisht Stadium, Sochi

Group D

Argentina
Iceland
Croatia
Nigeria

Argentina Vs Iceland: Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow
Croatia Vs Nigeria: Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad
Argentina Vs Croatia: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novogrod
Nigeria Vs Iceland: Volgograd Stadium, Volgograd
Nigeria Vs Argentina: Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg
Iceland Vs Croatia: Rostov-on-Don Stadium, Rostov-On-Don

Group E

Brazil
Switzerland
Costa Rica
Serbia

Costa Rica Vs Serbia: Samara Stadium, Samara
Brazil Vs Switzerland: Rostov-on-Don Stadium, Rostov-On-Don
Brazil Vs Costa Rica: Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg
Serbia Vs Switzerland: Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad
Serbia Vs Brazil: Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow
Switzerland Vs Costa Rica: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novogrod

Group F

Germany
Mexico
Sweden
Korea Republic

Germany Vs Mexico: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
Sweden Vs Korea Republic: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novogrod
Korea Republic Vs Mexico: Rostov-on-Don Stadium, Rostov-On-Don
Germany Vs Sweden: Fisht Stadium, Sochi
Mexico Vs Sweden: Ekaterinburg Stadium, Ekaterinburg
Korea Republic Vs Germany: Kazan Arena, Kazan

Group G

Belgium
Panama
Tunisia
England

Belgium Vs Panama: Fisht Stadium, Sochi
Tunisia Vs England: Volgograd Stadium, Volgograd
Belgium Vs Tunisia: Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow
England Vs Panama: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novogrod
Panama Vs Tunisia: Saransk Stadium, Saransk
England Vs Belgium: Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad

And last but not least, Group H

Poland
Senegal
Colombia
Japan

Colombia Vs Japan: Saransk Stadium, Saransk
Poland Vs Senegal: Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow
Japan Vs Senegal: Ekaterinburg Stadium, Ekaterinburg
Poland Vs Colombia: Kazan Arena, Kazan
Japan Vs Poland: Volgograd Stadium, Volgograd
Senegal Vs Colombia: Samara Stadium, Samara

Knockout stage

Round of 16

1st Group C Vs 2nd Group D: Kazan Arena, Kazan
1st Group A Vs 2nd Group B: Fisht Stadium, Sochi
1st Group B Vs 2nd Group A: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
1st Group D Vs 2nd Group C: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novogrod
1st Group E Vs 2nd Group F: Samara Stadium, Samara
1st Group G Vs 2nd Group H: Rostov-on-Don Stadium, Rostov-On-Don
1st Group F Vs 2nd Group E: Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg
1st Group H Vs 2nd Group G: Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow

Quarter-finals

Winner 49 Vs winner 50: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novogrod
Winner 53 Vs winner 54: Kazan Arena, Kazan
Winner 55 Vs winner 56: Samara Stadium, Samara
Winner 51 Vs winner 52: Fisht Stadium, Sochi

Semi-finals

Winner 57 Vs winner 58: Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg
Winner 59 Vs winner 60: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

Play-off for 3rd place

Loser 61 Vs loser 62: Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg

Final

Winner 61 Vs winner 62: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

So that is my 171st blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 91st this year.

P.S. And Wales have just beaten the Springboks by 2 points in the final week of the autumn rugby internationals with Kiwi born Welsh debutant Hadleigh Parkes getting a double.