Take Back The City: All Blacks team naming against the Wallabies (+ Mitre 10 Cup round 1 preview & Western Force no longer competing in Super Rugby)

Well, the All Blacks have named their team to take on the Wallabies in the opening encounter for both the Rugby Championship & the Bledisloe Cup (Contested between Australia & New Zealand since 1931 but the All Blacks are the current holders since 2003 (Well, we have lost only 6 games since New Zealand have been Bledisloe Cup holders (And 2015 was the last time New Zealand lost to Australia but we're on a 4 game winning streak) at ANZ Stadium in Sydney (English referee Wayne Barnes has replaced Frenchman Jerome Garces (Who had injured his calf during a rugby friendly back home in France because Garces was the man who sent off Sonny Bill Williams) as the referee in charge of the game while Welshman Nigel Owens will take over for the next test match in Dunedin) so here is the starting lineup:

FRONT ROW
1 (Loose head prop): Joe Moody (Canterbury/Crusaders)
2 (Hooker): Codie Taylor (Canterbury/Crusaders)
3 (Tight head prop): Owen Franks (Canterbury/Crusaders)

SECOND ROW
4 (Lock): Brodie Retallick (Hawke's Bay/Chiefs)
5 (Lock): Sam Whitelock (Canterbury/Crusaders)

BACK ROW
6 (Blindside Flanker): Liam Squire (Tasman/Highlanders)
7 (Openside Flanker): Sam Cane (Bay Of Plenty/Chiefs)
8 (Number 8): Kieran Read (Captain, Counties Manukau/Crusaders)

HALVES
9 (Half-back): Aaron Smith (Manawatu/Highlanders)
10 (First five eighth): Beauden Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes)

MIDFIELD
12 (Second five eighth): Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau/Blues)
13 (Centre): Ryan Crotty (Canterbury/Crusaders)

OUTSIDE BACKS
11 (Left Wing): Rieko Ioane (Auckland/Blues)
14 (Right Wing): Ben Smith (Otago/Highlanders)
& 15 (Fullback): Damian McKenzie (Waikato/Chiefs)

And in the reserves are:

16. Nathan Harris
17. Wyatt Crockett
18. Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Who replaces Charlie Faumuina because Faumuina is heading to Toulouse in France)
19. Luke Romano (Who had won his place ahead of Scott Barrett)
20. Ardie Savea
21. TJ Perenara
22. Lima Sopoaga (Who replaces Aaron Cruden because Cruden is heading to Montpellier in France)
& 23. Anton Lienert-Brown.

And the 2017 Mitre 10 Cup gets underway tonight so here is the list of games being played in the 1st round:

North Harbour Vs Otago: QBE Stadium, Albany
Tasman Vs Canterbury: Trafalgar Park, Nelson
Hawke's Bay Vs Southland: McLean Park, Napier
Taranaki Vs Waikato: Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth
Counties Manukau Vs Auckland: ECOlight Stadium, Pukekohe
Northland Vs Bay of Plenty: Toll Stadium, Whangarei
& Manawatu Vs Wellington at Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North.

And finally the Rebels (Although they have acquired Wallaby halfback Will Genia for next season as well as former English lock Geoff Parling but they have still got Tongan born Japanese number eight Amanaki Lelei Mafi) survive despite a poor record this season (Well they invested $21 million to keep them alive from competing in Super Rugby) but the Western Force are officially gone, they are out of Super Rugby since they joined the competition in 2006 (They had a better record this Super Rugby season finishing 2nd behind the Brumbies & ahead of the Reds in the Australian conference) along with the Cheetahs but they joined the likes of the Cheetahs & the Southern Kings (Both South African teams have ended up competing in the Pro 14) because they can only be 4 Australian teams (Such as the Brumbies, Rebels, Reds & Waratahs) competing in Super Rugby next year.

So that is my 133rd blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 53rd this year.

Foxy Lady/Hey Joe/Purple Haze/Voodoo Child (Slight Return): All Blacks injury crisis report (Happy birthdays to both Jansen yesterday & Ben today)

Well, bad news All Black rugby fans. Fullback Jordan Matthew 'Jordie' Barrett (Brother of first five-eighth Beauden & lock Scott) has been ruled out for the remainder of the year due to a shoulder injury that he suffered during our beloved Hurricanes Super Rugby semifinal defeat against the Lions so he does have to require some surgery to uh...repair his broken shoulder so get well Jordie (And don't worry...He'll be back...On the rugby field next year so this means that only 2 Barrett brothers such as Beauden & Scott are still in the All Blacks squad for the 2017 Rugby Championship (The Rugby Championship 1st began in 1996 as the Tri Nations with Australia, New Zealand & South Africa competing 16 years before Argentina joined the competition in 2012) season (My reaction was when the bad news came that Jordie Barrett revealed that he got injured & I was like ''Oh my god! How could this be! Well, that didn't happen, I think I'm losing my faith''). And David Havili of the Crusaders has been called up into the squad immediately to replace Jordie so this means Ben Smith will be the sole specialist fullback of the All Blacks but Damian McKenzie will replace him as Ben Smith goes on a sabbatical after the 1st 2 Bledisloe Cup tests against the Wallabies led by new captain/skipper Michael Hooper who has taken over from 120 game veteran Stephen Moore (He will be retiring from the international test rugby arena at the end of this year) & yeah, Sonny Bill Williams is returning to play for the All Blacks after serving a 4 week ban for that blatant cheap shot on Anthony Watson.

And finally there is not much on for me because there is no rugby this weekend unfortunately (The 2017 Mitre 10 Cup season begins next week with North Harbour taking on Otago in a repeat of last year's Championship final in which North Harbour were promoted to the premiership after Warren Gatland's son Bryn Gatland scored a match winning drop goal then it is all touch & go as the mighty All Blacks (Who will have to rebound/regroup after their disappointment of the DHL New Zealand Lions Series) open up our 2017 Rugby Championship campaign against the Wallabies at ANZ Stadium in Sydney) so we're going to the Rutland Arms with the American Association to have some nachos & wedges before going to Stellar for dinner (Well there will be a change of plans to say the least that we are having dinner at the Rutland Arms then we go to Stellar for the quiz night) as well as the quiz night but on Saturday, we're going to Caroline's for Jansen's birthday dinner so ladies & gentlemen (Madames et messieurs in French/en Francais), boys & girls...Happy 14th birthday to none other than my half brother Jansen yesterday (Well I was at home in Raetihi playing a computer game way back in 2003 when Jansen was born at midnight on August 9th) & happy birthday also to my second cousin (One of Pops nephews because he is the son of Kathryn & brother of Gemma & Huia (Her son will be born next month) Benjamin David Alexander 'Ben' Blain today because he is in Shanghai in China at the moment so I would like to say Ni Hao (That means hi or should I say greetings in Chinese) to him at the moment so I hope that you're tuning in to my blog (Well I don't think that he's got a computer in Shanghai).

So that is my 132nd blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 52nd this year.

P.S. And here are a handful of email messages but the 1st one is from my other 2nd cousin Gemma:

Oh thanks for the reminder Whetu! I had completely forgotten about it!! I'll have to send Ben an email today. And yes can you please send Jansen my warm wishes for his birthday. Wow! 14! Time flies by doesn't it?

All the best
Gemma

And the last one is from my grand aunty, Kathryn:

Hi Whetu

Thanks for the reminder. I have facebooked Jansen. Hope you and Henry are well. I am sick -got a chest infection.

I keep seeing all the yummy meals you and Henry are eating on Facebook. Wish I was there to eat some too.

Auntie Kathryn

Fabuless/...The World (UTW): 2017 Super Rugby final review (My 1st blog in the month of August)

Well, the Crusaders have done it after 9 long years for the ages! (Our last Crusade was in 2008 against the Waratahs until now) They have beaten the Lions in style at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg to complete the impossible, to finally win a Super Rugby title & to win away from home because the Lions hosted a home quarterfinal, semifinal & the final so here is the full match commentary of the 2017 Super Rugby final:

Welcome to Emirates Airlines Park in Johannesburg for the hugely anticipated Super Rugby final between clearly the 2 best sides in the competition on 2017 - it is the Lions at home to the Crusaders.

The Lions come into the decider with supreme confidence after climbing off the canvas last week against the Hurricanes with a powerful 2nd half. The home side has named an unchanged squad as they look to win their first ever Super Rugby title and give head coach Johan Ackermann the perfect sendoff.

It is a glorious late afternoon in Johannesburg - the skies are clear and the sun is shining so conditions will be near perfect for the 2017 Super Rugby final.

We are just minutes away from kick off as both sides make their way out onto Emirates Airlines Park in front of a sell out crowd of upwards of 60,000 fans.

The Crusaders have been virtually flawless throughout their 2017 campaign and will start with the same lineup as the one that dealt with the Chiefs in last week's semi-final. They have built their game around an almost impenetrable defence - but the men from Christchurch will need to bring their very best this afternoon if they are to claim their 8th Super Rugby title.

1ST MINUTE, 1ST HALF: The Crusaders kick off and we are underway in the final!
An early turnover for the Lions followed almost immediately by a penalty to the home side - with the resultant kick for touch, Elton Jantjies takes play up toward the Crusaders' 22.

2 MINUTES LATER: Ruan Combrinck launches a thumping kick for touch deep in Crusaders' territory however Israel Dagg has enough time to take the quick line out and clear the danger zone.

1 MINUTE LATER, MISS!: Elton Jantjies unloads a drop goal attempt from a slight angle however he has hooked the kick away to the right hand side and the flags stay down.

1 MINUTE LATER: We have a break in play with Richie Mo’unga flat out on his back and receiving treatment - he eventually manages to get to his feet and is all set to continue.

1 MINUTE LATER: The all-important 1st scrum feed of the match is awarded to the Lions - the honours are shared with the home side securing possession.

1 MINUTE LATER, TRY!: Crusaders (Seta Tamanivalu) 5-0 Crusaders

2 MINUTES LATER, CONVERSION!: Crusaders (Richie Mo’unga) 7-0 Crusaders
The Crusaders secure the turnover after Elton Jantjies was dumped in the tackle - Seta Tamanivalu emerges with the ball, puts his foot on the accelerator down the left hand touchline and there is simply no catching the explosive winger. The visitors have struck the first blow in the final!

2 MINUTES LATER, TRY!: Crusaders (Jack Goodhue) 12-0 Crusaders

2 MINUTES LATER, MISS!: After an excellent first strike, Richie Mo’unga has left his second conversion attempt out to the right.

1 MINUTE LATER: It is a dream start for the men from Christchurch! With outstanding precision, the Crusaders shift the ball quickly out to the left where they have created the overlap - Kieran Read hands the ball off to Jack Goodhue who drives low and hard to find the line.

2 MINUTES LATER: Troubling times for the Lions who once again find themselves pinned down deep inside their 22 - Israel Dagg attempts a dart toward the right hand corner flag but the winger has run out of space.

2 MINUTES LATER: A valuable penalty is awarded to the home side at scrum time - with the resultant kick, Ruan Combrinck relieves some pressure by finding touch near the Lions' 10m line.

2 MINUTES LATER: Courtnall Skosan spots some space down field however the winger will be disappointed with his kick which skews into touch off the side of his boot.

2 MINUTES LATER: After being shell shocked in the opening ten minutes, the Lions have managed to regain some composure and are starting to ask some questions of the Crusaders' defence - the home side will back themselves in to finish strongly in the second half as they did last week.

1 MINUTE LATER: The Lions have been penalised for offside virtually right on the half way line - David Havili will line up the posts from inside Crusaders' territory.

2 MINUTES LATER, MISS!: The penalty goal attempt from David Havili easily has the distance covered however he has pushed his kick narrowly out to the right and the flags stay down.

1 MINUTE LATER, PENALTY GOAL!: Lions (Elton Jantjies) 12-3 Crusaders

1 MINUTE LATER: Elton Jantjies thumps a long range penalty goal attempt straight between the uprights from right on the half way line - the Lions are on the scoreboard in the final.

1 MINUTE LATER: From deep inside the Lions' in-goal area, Ruan Combrinck clears his kick into touch however he hasn't got as much territory as he would have liked - there's still enormous pressure on the home side's defence.

2 MINUTES LATER: A much better clearance from Ruan Combrinck whose thumping touch finder takes play all the way up to the Lions' 10m line.

1 MINUTE LATER: An error from David Havili - the full back nudges the ball down field however there is too much weight on the kick which floats into touch on the full.

1 MINUTE LATER: Here is the best opportunity of the match so far for the Lions - they have a lineout just 5m out from the Crusaders' line.

1 MINUTE LATER: The Lions go very close but they are unable to break the Crusaders' line with the visitors awarded a crucial penalty on the last line of defence.

2 MINUTES LATER: Despite the scoreboard, the Lions have worked their way into in this match and have the momentum approaching the break - the home side has had 60% of the possession in this opening half.

2 MINUTES LATER: The Crusaders win a timely penalty at scrum time that will give the visitors a chance to relieve some pressure and apply some of their own approaching half time.

1 MINUTE LATER: We have a break in play with both David Havili and Kwagga Smith receiving treatment after a sickening head on clash. Though it was unintentional, the Lions' flanker could be in plenty of trouble here as Havili landed heavily after his legs were taken out from under him whilst he was airborne.
RED CARD!: After reviewing the replay, referee Jaco Peyper has little option but to hand Kwagga Smith a straight red-card for his challenge on David Havili - the Lions will have to play out the rest of this match with just 14 men.

2 MINUTES LATER, PENALTY GOAL: Crusaders (Richie Mo’unga) 15-3 Crusaders
Richie Mo’unga strikes truly with his penalty goal attempt from in front of the posts right on the stroke of half time.

HALF TIME: Fitting of a Super Rugby final, the first half in Johannesburg was action packed and filled with drama. The Crusaders scored the only two tries of the opening forty minutes and head to the rooms with a hard fought 15-3 lead over the Lions. The home side will take plenty of confidence from the fact that they came back from a similar position last week however, on this occasion, they will need to do it with just 14 men on the field after the sending off of Kwagga Smith.

41ST MINUTE, 2ND HALF: Elton Jantjies kicks off for the Lions to get the 2nd half underway!
A bright start from the Lions to the 2nd half however the Crusaders have won an early penalty after some excellent work at the breakdown from Matt Todd.

2 MINUTES LATER, TRY!: Crusaders (Kieran Read) 20-3 Crusaders

1 MINUTE LATER, CONVERSION!: Crusaders (Richie Mo’unga) 22-3 Crusaders

1 MINUTE LATER: The Crusaders start the 2nd half in a similar fashion to the 1st! The visitors open up the Lions' defence with a chain of quick, precise passes allowing Kieran Read to crash through the line and score under the posts.

2 MINUTES LATER: A net territorial gain for the Crusaders with David Havili bouncing a perfectly weighted kick into touch right on the Lions' 22m line.

2 MINUTES LATER: A superb run from Ryan Crotty who fends off the would-be tackler and slices through the defensive line before driving deep inside Lions' territory.

4 MINUTES LATER, PENALTY GOAL!: Crusaders (Richie Mo’unga) 25-3 Crusaders

1 MINUTE LATER: From point blank range, Richie Mo’unga kicks his 2nd penalty goal to push the Crusaders' lead out beyond 3 converted tries.

1 MINUTE LATER: The Lions look to attack down the left hand side with space opening up for Courtnall Skosan however the winger is denied by a desperate Richie Mo’unga who lays the crucial tackle which forces the ball into touch.

3 MINUTES LATER: The home crowd finds its voice with the Lions on the attack deep inside the Crusaders' 22.

2 MINUTES LATER: Lionel Mapoe almost breaks through the defence but he has lost the ball forward in the tackle - the penalty advantage was being played however which will give the Lions a chance to have another crack.

1 MINUTE LATER: Thanks to a perfectly timed leap at the line out from Kieran Read, the Crusaders, pinned down on their own line, have crucially managed to pinch the Lions' line out ball.

1 MINUTE LATER: We are inside the last quarter of the 2017 Super Rugby final!  The Crusaders are well in control on the scoreboard however the Lions are throwing absolutely everything at the visitors at the moment.

2 MINUTES LATER: The Lions have won consecutive penalties deep in Crusaders' territory - they simply must score from this attacking thrust if they are to have any chance of getting back into the contest.

2 MINUTES LATER, TRY!: Lions (Malcolm Marx) 25-8 Crusaders
CONVERSION!: Lions (Elton Jantjies) 25-10 Crusaders

1 MINUTE LATER: It is game on in Johannesburg! After going desperately close on a couple of occasions, the Lions manage to sustain their attacking surge which allows Malcolm Marx to smash a path through the defence and score the crucial 5-pointer.

2 MINUTES LATER: The home crowd is at fever pitch at the moment - the Lions are dominating possession and territory and have all the momentum.

2 MINUTES LATER: So close for the Lions!  Rohan Janse van Rensburg has the try line at his mercy however his desperate lunging attempt to score is spoiled and he has lost the ball forward in the tackle.

1 MINUTE LATER: The Lions continue to surge forward at every opportunity however the Crusaders' defence, for the moment at least, is holding all the aces.

2 MINUTES LATER, TRY!: Lions (Corne Fourie) 25-15 Crusaders

1 MINUTE LATER, CONVERSION!: Lions (Elton Jantjies) 25-17 Crusaders
The Lions simply won't go away - with persistent and sustained attacking pressure, the home side wears down the Crusaders' defence which opens up the try line for Corne Fourie who crashes over! IT IS GAME ON IN JOBURG!

3 MINUTES LATER, PENALTY TO THE LIONS!: The crowd rises to its feet as the Crusaders are penalised for not releasing the ball right on half way - Elton Jantjies sends the resultant kick into touch inside the visitors' 22.

1 MINUTE LATER: Brilliant work at the line out from the Crusaders!  Sam Whitelock wins a crucial turnover against the throw which will release some of the pressure which has been enormous from the Lions in this 2nd half.

1 MINUTE LATER: Faf de Klerk has been outstanding for the Lions since coming on as a substitute however he has crucially lost the ball forward here to gift possession to the Crusaders with just a little over a minute left to play.

1 MINUTE LATER, PENALTY TO THE CRUSADERS!: The Crusaders are awarded a penalty right on the half way liine and that will just about be the ball game with time virtually up on the clock.

AND IT IS ALL OVER! IT'S FULL TIME! (AND IT IS GAME OVER! IT'S OFFICIAL! THE MATCH WAS OVER! THE COMPETITION WAS OVER! THAT'S IT MAN! GAME OVER MAN! GAME OVER!) The Crusaders are the Super Rugby champions for 2017! Despite playing the 2nd half with a man down, the Lions threw everything at the visitors and scored 2 late tries to give themselves every chance but the men from Christchurch have confirmed their status as Super Rugby kings by claiming an incredible 8th title with a superbly executed 25-17 victory.

And what do I think of the game? It was a beauty, pure masterclass from the art & power of the Crusaders which made all the difference. But we have a Hulk such as the front row trio of Joe Moody, Codie Taylor & Owen Franks. And is anyone from the Crusaders such as coach Scott 'Razor' Robertson (He did a celebratory breakdance but why does he always do that whenever his team wins a competition like that? Come on baby (Light my fire), let's do the twist (Let's twist again)...I mean, do the Razor blade), captain Sam Whitelock (He is an absolute beast of a captain) & All Black captain Kieran Read (The incredible try scoring Number 8 (Numero Ocho) speaking Bat? Because is that what it sounds like? Oh god!

And the Gloucester bound departing Lions coach of Johann Ackermann is absolutely livid because of the red card to former Sevens player & openside flanker Kwagga Smith for that blatant aerial challenge cheap shot on Crusaders full back David Havili which cost them their chance of winning their 1st Super Rugby championship (They were cashing in on becoming the 10th different Super Rugby winner (Only 9 teams have won such as the Blues (1996-97, 2003), Crusaders (1998-2000, 2002, 2005-06, 2008 & 2017), Brumbies (2001, 2004), Bulls (2007, 2009-10), Reds (2011), Chiefs (2012-13), Waratahs (2014), Highlanders (2015) & the Hurricanes (Last year in 2016) but it wasn't to be the answer but sooner than expected).

And finally my last thoughts before I wrap this Super Rugby stuff up? Well, all good things in the 2017 Super Rugby season (Known as Personal Super Rugby in Argentina, Vodafone Super Rugby in Australia, Investec Super Rugby here in New Zealand & of course...Vodacom Super Rugby in South Africa) must come to an end, but I wish I could even go a little longer...that is all folks! THAT'S ALL SHE WROTE! (I'm going to miss Super Rugby man, hehe, it's all over till another year, see you in February 2018 (Although the draw is yet to be revealed but only 15 teams will compete in next year's competition with the Cheetahs & Southern Kings have agreed to join the Pro 12 which is now Pro 14 but the Aussies haven't decided that either the Rebels or Western Force should be gone for next year) for another cracking of a ripper season of this great professional rugby competition).

So that is my 131st blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 51st this year, see ya then.

#SuperBoomBoom
Investec Super Rugby

P.S. And my cousin Paige has sent me an email so here is her message in it's entirety:

Hi Whetu,

Sorry I missed your last email. Tell Jensen I said Happy Birthday for Wednesday. I haven't actually met Jensen before.

What have you been up to this weekend?

Mums birthday is the 16th of March 😊

Yes we still need to organise a trip up to see you soon.

Hope your having a good day
Lots of love, Paige xx

And here is my birthday list that I wrote in the alphabetical order:

Ben Blain (My 2nd cousin): August 10th, 1988
Cathey Middelplaats (My biological aunty): March 16th, 1967
Diana Kent (My American friend all the way from Palatine, Illnois): June 21st, 1960
Gemma Ngapo (My 2nd cousin): October 17th, 1980
Hamilton Ngapo (My dad): June 5th, 1969
Henry Ngapo (Pops): July 5th, 1947
Huia Ngapo (My 2nd cousin): September 20th, 1986
Jansen Condon-Ngapo (My half brother): August 9th, 2003
Kathryn Ngapo (My grand aunty): January 23rd, 1960
Ken Branch (My English friend): February 4th, 1949
Paige Williams (My cousin): April 5th, 1994
Rejean Gatineau (My French Canadian friend & uncle in law): March 31st, 1962
Sophia Ong (My best friend from Penang in Malaysia): December 26th, 1989
Tania Ngapo (My aunty): June 10th, 1968

And the All Blacks squad for the 2017 Rugby Championship has been revealed with Julian Savea left out of the squad due to a lack of form (And don't worry, 'The Bus' has been parked), so too is Matt Todd who had been impressive with the Crusaders following their Super Rugby success so here's the full squad:

Forwards

Hookers
Dane Coles (Wellington/Hurricanes, 49)
Nathan Harris (Bay of Plenty/Chiefs, 8)
Ricky Riccitelli (Taranaki/Hurricanes, 0) *4
Codie Taylor (Canterbury/Crusaders, 19)

Props
Wyatt Crockett (Canterbury/Crusaders, 62)
Owen Franks (Canterbury/Crusaders, 94) *2
Kane Hames (Tasman/Chiefs, 1) *3 & *6
Nepo Laulala (Counties Manukau/Chiefs, 4)
Atu Moli (Waikato/Chiefs, 0) *1 & *6
Joe Moody (Canterbury/Crusaders, 28) *2
Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (Wellington/Hurricanes, 1) *3
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Auckland/Blues, 4)

Locks
Scott Barrett (Taranaki/Crusaders, 8)
Brodie Retallick (Hawke's Bay/Chiefs, 64)
Luke Romano (Canterbury/Crusaders, 26)
Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland/Blues, 12) *8
Sam Whitelock (Canterbury/Crusaders, 88)

Loose forwards
Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty/Chiefs, 44)
Vaea Fifita (Wellington/Hurricanes, 1)
Blake Gibson (Auckland/Blues) *7
Akira Ioane (Auckland/Blues) *6
Jerome Kaino (Auckland/Blues, 74)
Kieran Read (Captain, Counties Manukau/Crusaders, 100)
Ardie Savea (Wellington/Hurricanes, 16)
Liam Squire (Tasman/Highlanders, 8)
Matt Todd (Canterbury/Crusaders, 8) *8

Backs

Halfbacks
Tawera Kerr-Barlow (Waikato/Chiefs, 25)
TJ Perenara (Wellington/Hurricanes, 33)
Aaron Smith (Manawatu/Highlanders, 62)

First five-eighths
Beauden Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes, 53)
Lima Sopoaga (Southland/Highlanders, 7)

Midfielders
Ryan Crotty (Canterbury/Crusaders, 27)
Ngani Laumape (Manawatu/Hurricanes, 2)
Anton Lienert-Brown (Waikato/Chiefs, 13)
Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau/Blues, 36)

Outside backs
Jordie Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes, 2) *2
Israel Dagg (Hawke's Bay/Crusaders, 65)
David Havili (Tasman/Crusaders, 0) *3
Rieko Ioane (Auckland/Blues, 4)
Nehe Milner-Skudder (Manawatu/Hurricanes, 8)
Waisake Naholo (Taranaki/Highlanders, 13)
Ben Smith (Otago/Highlanders, 62)

Utility back/Replacement
Damian McKenzie (Waikato/Chiefs, 2)

*1: Apprentice player
*2: Withdrawn due to injury
*3: Injury replacement player
*4: Called up as cover to Dane Coles
*5: Called up to the squad to replace Owen Franks
*6: Called up to the squad ahead of the 2nd round of the Championship
*7: Called up as cover to Sam Cane
*8: Added to the squad for the final 2 rounds

And finally Tom Walsh has won the gold medal in the men's shotput in London at the IAAF Athletics World Championships after an American competitor named Joe Kovacs threw over 22 metres but it was a ruled as a foul despite his protest - as he touched the top of the starboard.

Believe In Me/Never See The Light: 2017 Super Rugby semifinal round up (+ Hungarian GP qualifying & race results)

Well, it looks like the New Zealand conference winners the Crusaders will have to travel to Johannesburg (Or should I say Joburg) in South Africa to take on the table topping Lions in this years Super Rugby final so the Crusaders defeated the Chiefs (Who are farewelling players such as first five-eighth Aaron Cruden to Montpellier, La Rochelle bound halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow, James Lowe to Leinster & the Glasgow Warriors bound coach Dave Rennie) last night to reach the final for the 1st time since 2014 (It was the Waratahs (The last non-Kiwi team to win a Super Rugby title while the Bulls was the last South African side to win Super Rugby but the last time the Crusaders won a Super Rugby title was in 2008 during the good old days of the Super 14) who won after Craig Joubert controversially awarded a penalty for an illegal turnover made by Crusaders openside flanker Richie McCaw allowing the Waratahs first five-eighth Bernard Foley to kick a match winning penalty) although All Blacks captain Kieran Read is in doubt of playing in the final after damaging his knee because he is in a race against time to be match fit while the dominant & high flying strong Lions side have ended our beloved Hurricanes quest of retaining the Super Rugby title by reaching their 2nd consecutive final by gaining revenge against them (Although they had to reverse the result from the final last year) because the Hurricanes dominated the 1st half then the Lions (Who have got key personnel of players such as South Africa's premier hooker Malcolm Marx (South Africa's equivalent of Dane Coles because he took over from the recently retired Adriaan Strauss as the best hooker in the country), tighthead prop Ruan Dreyer, lock Franco Mostert, loose forward Jaco Kriel (The stand in skipper filling in for the injured Lions & Springboks captain Warren Whiteley), former sevens specialist Kwagga Smith, halfback Ross Cronje (Who had taken over from Faf de Klerk as the Lions premier halfback), the Springboks premier first five-eighth Elton Jantjies (Actually he's the top points scorer this season in Super Rugby because he is always been the short range goal kicker & he is South Africa's answer to Beauden Barrett), left winger Courtnall Skosan, centre Lionel Mapoe as well as right winger Ruan Combrinck (He is sorta like Elliot Daly as the designated long range goal kicker because he is the danger man) & fullback Andries Coetzee) dominated the 2nd but changed things as the Hurricanes star first five-eighth Beauden Barrett had to be sent to the sin bin for not rolling away so the Hurricanes discipline was poor by giving away too many penalties which cost our chance to reach the final.

So that is my 130th blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 50th this year (I have reached the half century mark in 2017 with the most blogs in a year).

P.S. And it is an all Ferrari front row lockout in Hungary with championship leader Sebastian Vettel (Germany) taking on pole with his teammate Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) starting in 2nd but can Mercedes get a better start just like Valtteri Bottas (Finland) did in Russia? Because they didn't do well in qualifying with Bottas occupying the 3rd position & his teammate Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) starting in 4th but the race went to Vettel who had to win the Hungarian Grand Prix (His 1st win since Monaco & his 4th of the season (He won in Australia, Bahrain, Monaco & Hungary) along with Hamilton (He won in China, Spain, Canada & his home event in Britain) while Bottas won in both Russia & Austria & Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) only won in the streets of Baku in Azerbaijan) by overcoming a steering issue during the race, increasing his championship lead from 2 to 14 because his Ferrari team had a 1-2 finish after his teammate Raikkonen finished in 2nd while Bottas rounded out the podium to finish in 3rd by overtaking his teammate Hamilton on the final corner just before the chequered flag had been waved.

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

1st: Sebastian Vettel (Germany, Ferrari), 202 points
2nd: Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain, Mercedes), 188 points
3rd: Valtteri Bottas (Finland, Mercedes), 169 points
4th: Daniel Ricciardo (Australia, Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer), 117 points
5th: Kimi Raikkonen (Finland, Ferrari), 116 points
6th: Max Verstappen (The Netherlands, Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer), 67 points
7th: Sergio Perez (Mexico, Force India Mercedes), 56 points
8th: Esteban Ocon (France, Force India Mercedes), 45 points
9th: Carlos Sainz (Spain, Toro Rosso), 35 points
10th: Nico Hulkenberg (Germany, Renault), 18 points
11th: Felipe Massa (Brazil, Williams Mercedes), 23 points
12th: Lance Stroll (Canada, Williams Mercedes), 18 points
13th: Romain Grosjean (France, Haas Ferrari), 18 points
14th: Kevin Magnussen (Denmark, Haas Ferrari), 11 points
15th: Fernando Alonso (Spain, McLaren Honda), 10 points
16th: Pascal Wehrlein (Germany, Sauber Ferrari), 5 points
17th: Daniil Kvyat (Russia, Toro Rosso), 4 points
18th: Stoffel Vandoorne (Belgium, McLaren Honda), 1 point

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

1st: Mercedes (Germany), 357 points
2nd: Ferrari (Italy), 318 points
3rd: Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer (Austria), 184 points
4th: Force India Mercedes (India), 101 points
5th: Williams Mercedes (Great Britain), 41 points
6th: Toro Rosso (Italy), 39 points
7th: Haas Ferrari (USA), 29 points
8th: Renault (France), 26 points
9th: McLaren Honda (Great Britain), 11 points
10th: Sauber Ferrari (Switzerland), 5 points

And it was yesterday that I went with Buck for a walk after we had breakfast then we went to the market with Pops & Buck then went for a walk again throughout the Mitre 10 car park where Pops had to get some flowers then we went back home by helping the flowers so we had omelette with salad for lunch moments before we went to Cooks Gardens to watch the Whanganui club rugby final between Ruapehu & Border (We watched the senior one 1st between Marton & Hunterville) but it was a close game I tell you what because one of the Ruapehu players Craig Clare scored a match winning drop goal just like Mitch Hunt did for the Crusaders against the Highlanders then we went back home in time for dinner where we had burgers so Dad & Jansen came for both dinner & the rugby game on TV just in the nick of time.

And finally my Malaysian friend of mine Sophia has sent me an email so here is her message in it's entirety:

To my dearest Whetu,

Hi Whetu, how is everything? Did you had fun at pop's 70th Birthday? How did you celebrate? I dont think i will go back to Malaysia anytime soon, maybe next year but we will see.
I also heard you got yourself a dog! i love dogs. what did you name it and what breed is it? Anyway, back to Homework! I will talk to you soon.
Love you and miss you heaps.

Sophia

And RIP to Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington who tragically passed away (On his now late good friend Chris Cornell's birthday on the 20th of July) a couple of weeks ago.

Chester Bennington
1976 - 2017

Eulogy/Jambi: Super Rugby quarterfinals report & F1 2017 classic car list confirmed (+ Hungarian GP circuit guide)

Well, it looks like our beloved Hurricanes will have to head over to South Africa to face the Lions in the Super Rugby semifinal after comfortably beating the Brumbies 35 - 16 at GIO Stadium in Canberra (Well one of the key & bizarre moments in the game is halfback TJ Perenara who was meant to fire a pass on first five-eighth Beauden Barrett but loosehead prop Ben May copped a falcon setting a up a try being scored by Beauden's brother & utility back Jordie Barrett in a humorous & unconventional way (Although ex Wallaby hooker turned rugby commentator Phil Kearns (I know he had a rivalry with All Black hooker Sean Fitzpatrick back in the old days during the 90's) said it was a planned move & the referee Glen Jackson had to go to the TMO whether the ball was knocked on so there was no knock on meaning that the try had been given) upon Dane Coles's return in the quarterfinal (It was South African born winger Wes Goosen's night as he gets a double by scoring both tries) while the Lions had 3 wins in a row against the Sharks with a match winning long range penalty scored by winger Ruan Combrinck (Although the top points scorer in the competition, Elton Jantjies, fails to fire after making too many crucial unforced errors/mistakes during the game/match although he was struggling with his goal kicking which hurt them until Combrinck saved it best till last) & in the other matches, the Highlanders quest to regain the Super Rugby title from the Hurricanes is over after they went down by 17 points against their traditional rivals the Crusaders at AMI Stadium in Christchurch in appalling, miserable & treacherous conditions but the rampant Chiefs will head back home to take on the Crusaders after gaining revenge against the Stormers at DHL Newlands in Cape Town because the Stormers beat the Chiefs earlier in the season in a repeat of last year's quarterfinal showdown so this is what the semifinals looks like:

Lions Vs Hurricanes: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
& the Crusaders Vs the Chiefs at AMI Stadium in Christchurch.

And finally all 12 classic Formula 1 cars have been locked in for the F1 2017 game with 3 McLaren machines revealed such as the 1991 MP4/6 (Driven by Ayrton Senna (Brazil) & Gerhard Berger (Austria), 1998 MP4/13 (Driven by David Coulthard (Great Britain) & Mika Hakkinen (Finland) & 2008 MP4-23 (Driven by Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) & Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) joining the fray along with the already announced 1988 MP4/4 as a pre-order bonus so here's the entire updated list of all 12 classic F1 cars:

1988 McLaren Honda MP4/4*
1991 McLaren Honda MP4/6
1992 Williams Renault FW14B
1995 Ferrari 412 T2
1996 Williams Renault FW18
1998 McLaren Mercedes MP4/13
2002 Ferrari F2002
2004 Ferrari F2004
2006 Renault R26
2007 Ferrari F2007
2008 McLaren Mercedes MP4-23
2010 Red Bull Renault RB6

*: Pre-order bonus

So that is my 129th blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII).

P.S. And here is the circuit guide of the Hungaroring which will host round 11 of the 2017 FIA Formula 1 World Championship:

''F1's first venture into an Eastern Bloc country took a bit of getting used to for inhabitants and teams alike. The Hungarians, and neighboring countries, flocked to a purpose-built track tightly laid out in a dust bowl. Survived despite itself and now in an established part of the calendar, helped by the faded splendour of Budapest.''

Bullet The Blue Sky/Revelations: Super Rugby round 17 review & British GP qualifying & race results

Well, it looks like the Lions of South Africa will host a home quarterfinal, semifinal & final (Depending if they want to progress because they of course have the home ground advantage) in the 2017 Super Rugby season because they managed to beat the Sharks at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban to move ahead of the Crusaders on top of the overall standings (Well, 2014 was the last time that a non New Zealand Super Rugby team has won a Super Rugby title which is the Waratahs from Australia while in 2010 was the last time that a South African side had won a Super Rugby title which is the Bulls) whose unbeaten run ended (They are now 15 & 1) by the hands of the Hurricanes last night (Although the Hurricanes managed to avoid the trip to South Africa by going to Australia to take on the Brumbies (Who had lost to the Chiefs meaning that all New Zealand Super Rugby teams had a clean sweep against Australian opposition because they played 25 times but the Brumbies will have a shot at redemption against the Hurricanes because both teams had played earlier in the season resulting in a victory to the Hurricanes but what about the Sunwolves because they managed to clean out the Blues in an historic upset victory at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo (Well the hot weather was the main concern for the Blues because it is summer there in the Northern hemisphere) because it is one of the greatest upsets of all time in the history of Super Rugby & only the 3rd time that a New Zealand Super Rugby team has lost against both Japanese (Once) & South African (Twice) opposition with the Stormers becoming the 1st team to beat a Kiwi team which is the Chiefs followed by the Blues before the Sunwolves becoming the 2nd team to defeat Kiwi opposition such as the Blues) in the quarterfinal while the Highlanders will travel to Christchurch to take on the previously undefeated Crusaders after beating the Reds at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin) at Westpac Stadium in Wellington so this is what the quarterfinals looks like:

Lions Vs Sharks: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Crusaders Vs Highlanders: AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Stormers Vs Chiefs: DHL Newlands, Cape Town
& the Brumbies Vs the Hurricanes at GIO Stadium in Canberra.

And finally Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) in the Mercedes is on pole position for tomorrow's race after dominating qualifying by putting the fastest time possible (The golden rules say that in qualifying, the driver with the fastest time gets the pole) in front of his adoring home fans at the British Grand Prix which is in Silverstone equalling the late Jim Clark's record of 5 pole positions at the event because Hamilton is aiming 4 in a row at his home event (Or should I say on his home turf because Hamilton has the home advantage) hoping to take over the lead of the championship if his main rival Sebastian Vettel (Germany) in the Ferrari gets a DNF (Did not finish).

So that is my 128th blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII).

P.S. And I've simply pre-ordered F1 2017 on the PS4 at EB Games yesterday meaning that the game will be released on the 25th of August.

And finally Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) in the Mercedes has won the British Grand Prix for the 4th year in a row in front of his adoring home fans at Silverstone (Although his quest of regaining the Formula 1 World Championship title (Remember Nico Rosberg (The son of 1982 world champion Keke Rosberg) won the world championship last year ending Hamilton's hopes of a 4th title) appears to be back on track as he is now trailing by just 2 points behind championship leader Sebastian Vettel & Mercedes is definitely winning the constructors war against the likes of Ferrari, Red Bull, Force India, Williams, Toro Rosso, Haas, Renault, Sauber & McLaren) but during the race, Carlos Sainz (Spain) in the Toro Rosso retired while Max Verstappen (The Netherlands) in the Red Bull put a brilliant overtaking move on championship leader Sebastian Vettel (Germany) in the Ferrari & both Ferrari's of Vettel & Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) had a puncture with 3 laps remaining in the race not only because Ferrari may have lost important championship points just before the finish.

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.''

So that is my 127th blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII). Cheerio.

P.S. And both the Cheetahs & the Southern Kings are going to join the Pro 12 (Although both sides aren't expected to compete in next year's Super Rugby competition in 2018 because there will be only 15 such as the Blues, Brumbies, Bulls, Chiefs, Crusaders, Highlanders, Hurricanes, Jaguares, Lions, Reds, Rebels/Western Force, Sharks, Stormers, Sunwolves & Waratahs) which will become Pro 14 along with the likes of Connacht, Leinster, Munster & Ulster of Ireland, Benetton Treviso & Zebre of Italy, Edinburgh & Glasgow Warriors of Scotland & Cardiff Blues, Dragons (Formerly Newport Gwent Dragons), Ospreys & Scarlets (And yeah because they are the current Pro 12 champions because they won the the 2016/17 season) of Wales.

And the Barbarians won't be featuring any English players (Such as prop Kyle Sinckler who had been arrested for public disorder during the Lions tour as well as their star goal kicking fly-half/first five-eighth & inside centre/second five-eighth Owen Farrell & several players including old guard prop Dan Cole, long range sharpshooter wing & centre Elliot Daly, Dylan Hartley's understudy hooker Jamie George, ex Highlander loose forward James Haskell, jaw dropping lock Maro Itoje, slingshot broken arrow outside centre/centre Jonathan Joseph, ice cold lock George Kruis, hot headed lock Courtney Lawes, lightning cannonbolt prop Joe Marler, barnstorming winger Jack Nowell, Kiwi born league convert Ben Te'o, Billy Vunipola's New Zealand born brother & prop Mako Vunipola & of course, last but not least, devastating finisher & winger Anthony Watson) for the match against the All Blacks on November 4th of this year in 2017 meaning that players from Ireland, Scotland & Wales are available for that one.

And by the way, RIP (Requiescat in pace/Rest in peace/Rest In pieces) to Rowan Atkinson who was tragically passed away but you may remember him as the star of Blackadder, Johnny English, Mr Bean & The Thin Blue Line, nuff said but it turns out to be an hoax because Aunty Tania emailed me about him so Atkinson is lucky to be alive but it may even result in a virus attack.