Sport everywhere you look this week, Super 14, NRL, cricket test matches, and the small matter of the Commonwealth Games. Some random sporting thoughts:

The Blues:
There’s some sort of serious rot going on here. However I think it’s more to do than just blaming the coach. Nucifora doesn’t appear to be the brightest spark in the coaching sense - but he’s not the first coach in recent years to struggle with the Blues. It took none other than the involvement of Graham Henry to assist with the 2003 Super 12 title, and other than that, the last time the Blues really fired in the Super comps was 1998. Looks like a mixture of a couple of dubious selections, a dodgy game plan, and players with talent, but not necessarily the brains at key moments  

Tasesa Lavea comes in for special mention as part of the problem. However, it’s worth noting that for the last few weeks the coaches have had no other choice with Luke McAlister out with injury. However, they did have the option of starting him at first five vs. the ‘Tah’s…

The Cricket:
Rain delaying play as we speak after Lara had something of a return to form with 83 off 107 balls. Scoring very fast for a test match but rode his luck a bit with a few aerial shots. Astle claimed his 50^th test wicket with the dismissal of Lara – not the sort of bowler you expect to become a mini-nemesis! The battle between Bond and Lara was an enjoyable one, and it was good to see Lara back into some sort of form… even if we were on the receiving end. With three days to play, unsettled weather, and the West Indies on 256/4 a draw is looking the most likely result.  

The Commonwealth Games:
I’m often torn between thinking these are an outdated and extravagant waste of an event given the limited participation – and really enjoying them when they’re on. I’ve not watched as much as I’d hoped to this time so have thankfully missed much of Advance Australia Fair being played incessantly (and I dare not look at the medal tally). What is great about the games are the stories of countries you don’t expect doing well – the gold medal to Papua New Guinea in the swimming and the bronze medal to British Virgin Island (wherever that is) standing out. I’m not sure we’d see that in the Olympics! However, I do wonder how long the games will go on for.

The Crusaders:
On recent form I presume they somehow picked up a four try bonus point in the bye round?

The Chiefs:
Luckily I was at a wedding so I couldn’t possibly comment…

JP & Mokey: The Wedding
Finally, the main event of the weekend cannot go without comment. All the celebs were there craving the paparazzi attention in Matamata. World famous on The Forum stars such as Phooey, Bartman, & Donsteppa, along with lurkers Nemo and CasperNZ stalked the photographers for attention. Mrs. Steppa and Mrs. Bartman bravely tolerated their partners talking sport for much of the night and regularly getting Chiefs score updates.

The stars of the show were JP & Mokey. Congratulations, it was a great day, and best wishes for the future. I wonder if Bart thought when setting up the site back in 1999 that he’d be facilitating people meeting and marrying!

Now, who wants to write of “A Day in the Life of RL” so that they too can end up married to one of the female TSF contributors?