Prime-time letdown

IF the first part of Amazon Prime’s six-part docuseries following the All Blacks during their 2017 season is anything to go by, then their upcoming £10m Manchester City fly-on-the-wall is going to be a considerable disappointment. The opening episode, showcased to the media at Amazon’s new cutting- edge headquarters near Liverpool Street in London, didn’t reveal much that any regular rugby watcher wouldn’t know already.

Steve Hanson wasn’t even miked-up in the coaches’ box and too much of the supposed behind-the-scenes coverage consisted of Press conferences and match action — albeit beautifully filmed. A spokesman said a lot of Amazon sports documentaries start with a general introduction, with more intimate content coming later. LORD’S groundsman Mick Hunt, who was due to retire this summer after 49 years, might yet reach his half-century. Cricket’s best-known groundsman has had second thoughts about quitting this year, but has still to decide whether to carry on into 2019, especially with the extra pressures of World Cup and Ashes matches. Hunt has been fighting cancer since 2008 but is in good health. ENGLAND might have to return to Russia during Euro 2020, which represents a realistic chance of them winning a major tournament with five of their potential seven matches scheduled for Wembley. England’s last-16 game will be in Dublin or Copenhagen with the quarter-finals in Rome or St Petersburg, a short journey from their 2018 base in Repino.