Mixed reception for Shields
Hurricanes captain Brad Shields grabbed the headlines but got mixed reviews as his controversial selection for England was dissected by the UK media.
There was little surprise in Shields being named given the intense scrutiny over his eligibility before New Zealand eventually cleared him ahead of his move to the English club scene following a Super Rugby championship that is still in progress with the Hurricanes very much in the mix.
Now the question in the minds of the UK scribes is: Can he live up to the hype?
The Guardian isn’t so sure given the tight timeframe Shields has to operate on as he dashes from Super Rugby to South Africa and a threetest series against the Springboks for a team he has never played for and with most team-mates he has never met.
‘‘Is it reasonable, even so, to expect him to vault straight out of Super Rugby into the first test at Ellis Park without breaking stride, having barely met his team-mates? Good luck to him if he does,’’ wrote Robert Kitson in The Guardian.
‘‘While it feels unsatisfactory to be picking a player who has never played a game of rugby in England ahead of those who have slogged their way through an entire Premiership season, [coach Eddie] Jones clearly feels his depleted pack needs all the imported oomph it can get in South Africa.
‘‘With 20 players unavailable for the trip either through injury or because they are being rested and eight minutes left to force extra time, then beat the Stars.
Against the Mystics, the lead see-sawed in the second half, but the Tactix held their nerve in the crunch stages and banked a morale-boosting result.
For a team known for capitulating in the past, when the opposition went on a run of goals, this is a serious step forward.
Misfiring Mystics
The Mystics are fast rivalling their crosstown rugby brothers, the Blues, as the most under-performing sports team in the City of Sails.
For years, the Mystics have boasted quality squads on paper, but failed to live up to their billing.
Tipped by some as favourites for the title, the Mystics have been a mess in their opening two losses.
The heat will start going on second-year coach Helene Wilson if she doesn’t find a way to get the best out of her talented lineup.
Losing to fellow Auckland side, the Stars, in only their second year of existence, on Sunday would be a nightmare start to 2018.
The Barfoot and Thompson Northern Challenge will be on the line for the first time for the winner.
Pulse off to flying start
The Central Pulse are enjoying this national netball premiership.
Battlers for most of the former transTasman league, the Kiwi domestic competition has been much more to their liking.
Runner-up in the inaugural season last year, the Pulse are the early pacesetters in 2018, winning their opening two matches.
They caused headaches for the Magic with their defensive pressure, which paved the way for a comfortable 45-33 win.
Just over 24 hours later, the Pulse backed up against the Steel in a rematch of last year’s decider, coming out on top 62-51.
The Pulse might be the youngest side in the league with an average age of 22, but their greenhorns are playing with a level of maturity belying their experience.
Next up are the Tactix on Monday with the reward for the victor a 3-0 record. Billy Vunipola still feeling his way back for Saracens, there are a limited number of experienced ballcarrying back-rowers still standing and the 27-year-old Shields unquestionably fits the bill on that front.’’
Will Kelleher in the Daily Mail said Shields was facing a massive jump in standards. ‘‘He has never played test rugby – which is worlds away from Super Rugby – so it will be interesting to see how he adapts to a tighter game.’’
His selection was seen as a massive opportunity for Shields with the World Cup only a year away.
The Sun had a lash, reporting: ‘‘Brad Shields, who isn’t even good enough to get an All Blacks cap, has also been picked by England.’’
England head to South Africa on the back of three straight defeats, their worst Six Nations finish in 31 years.
Meanwhile, under-pressure Jones has bemoaned the selfish attitude of sport in his adopted country and admitted cracks have appeared in his team’s unity.
England’s shocking Six Nations campaign has raised question’s about the effectiveness of their Australian coach.
Jones used the announcement of his touring squad as a chance to air some of his views.
While he wouldn’t name names, he was clearly disappointed with the attitudes of some of his players as the England team’s air of invincibility evaporated during a Six Nations effort where they squeaked past Wales but lost successive tests to Scotland, France and Ireland.
‘‘It [England’s] is a sporting environment here that is based around selfishness, about individual gain,’’ Jones, who has worked in Australia, Japan and South Africa, as well as England, said in a report in The Telegraph that was echoed in other British publications.
‘‘We are constantly battling it. We got complacent about unity without a doubt [in the Six Nations]. It always happens. Whenever you’re going well everyone’s together at the front of the bus, everyone’s got their shirt off, everyone’s singing the song.
‘‘When you lose there are always one or two who get up the back and say, ‘well it’s not my fault as I’ve done my job and the other blokes need to do it better’.
‘‘It is definitely a key issue. Just look at the commercial opportunities here compared to other countries. They are much greater. We have been on top of it. Maybe we are not on top of it now. It is a constant issue for us.’’
LeBron James is the greatest basketballer of all time. There have been many great basketballers. You’re probably thinking of one in particular as you read this garbage.
But Michael Jordan is not the greatest basketballer ever. Neither is Bill Russell, or Wilt Chamberlain. Don’t make me laugh with Kobe Bryant.
No, LeBron James is the greatest and has been for some time.
By the time the King calls time on his stellar career, he should be the all-time leader in points and top five in assists.
He is already the all-time leader in points scored during the playoffs. He’s third in playoff assists and could take top spot there in time. He is top in steals and seventh in rebounds but could finish as high as third.
James is an incredible force of athleticism, skill and power of will.
At 2.03m and 113kg, he’s a stunning physical specimen.
He once ran a 4.4 second 40-yard dash, which is quicker than half the running backs in the NFL. On a basketball court, that means he takes just nine steps to go coast to coast, and at blistering speeds that leave the opposition gasping for air.
He can hurt you anyway he pleases. Three-point shooting, driving to the rim, post-ups, when James is on song, nobody can stop him.
The best bit is the fact he does it when it matters most. He has more game winning shots in the playoffs than Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan combined, including his stunning floater off the backboard against Toronto’s Raptors the other day. Nobody has ever made the number 23 look so good. James hasn’t won as many NBA titles as other players. Jordan, Kobe, Russell, the list goes on.
But James didn’t have Pippen and Rodman helping him out. He didn’t have Shaq patrolling the paint. He didn’t play in the ’50s and ’60s, when there was no threepoint line.
He’s had good complementary assets but not players of that calibre.
Then there is James off the court. He’s a humanitarian. He stands for things. This isn’t a man who will just shut up and dribble.
On and off the court, James is doing things we’ve never seen.