Aside from Adelaide United going from strength to strength domestically and in Asia, one of the most positive football stories in what has been an otherwise underwhelming six months or so for the local game has been the transformation of Wellington Phoenix into a competitive A-League club.
Mike Hussey says Australia must be on their game if they are to claim a consolation victory against South Africa in the third Test at the SCG on Wednesday.
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Arthur surprised at Ponting’s target of 376
No signs of Hayden pulling the curtain down
Would Clark have made a difference against Proteas?
New NSW Waratahs rugby coach Chris Hickey has finally got his hands on several of his Wallaby stars, but is also excited about the crop of young talent at his disposal.
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The penultimate round of the Heineken Cup
Drew Mitchell yet to speak as part of Force inquiry
It’s good to be South African, when the teams are winning!
Melbourne Victory replaced Adelaide United at the top of the A-League ladder on the back of a Nick Ward header at Telstra Dome. The Victory won Tuesday night’s match 1-0 in front of one of the biggest crowds of the season, 27,196.
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Melbourne Victory to win this year’s A-League
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Warriors captain Steve Price fought back tears today, as he spoke of the anguish over teammate Sonny Fai, missing after disappearing in the surf at a beach on Auckland’s west coast on Sunday.
It was clear from the time Matthew Hayden dashed out onto the SCG with 26 minutes of play left on the third day of the Australia-South Africa Test that the beleaguered opener was going to blast his way out of his form slump, or perish with all guns blazing.
When I made the bold prediction that South Africa would not win on Australian soil this summer (what was I thinking?), I did so before Stuart Clark was ruled out. He was, after all, the one who took 20 wickets against the Proteas on debut three years ago.
The holiday period was an unequivocal success for the A-League with bumper crowds across the nation, exciting football and momentum generated for the run to the finals. It demonstrates why the Christmas and New Year period is critical for the league and the importance of staging traditional fixtures.
The current discussion over Matthew Hayden’s form is moot. He is not in form. His decline in run making ability goes back over 40 innings. In that time he has averaged almost 20 runs less than his career high. The last 20 innings have seen a steeper plunge.
This time of year is always my favourite. There are the Christmas and New Year festivities, the fantastic weather, and the love/hate relationship that comes along with the beginning of pre-season training. And of course the international cricket season kicks off here in Australia.
It’s the games within the game that make Test cricket such an intriguing spectacle. On the way through Centennial Park to watch the first day of the third Test between Australia and South Africa, I heard a mother speaking English with a Russian accent explain to her young daughter: “They’ve won the first two Tests, and even if they lose this one …”
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Europe’s premier domestic competition is about to commence Round five of six, but with all of Europe competing, what is it all about?
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The current series between Australia and South Africa has been enthralling, not withstanding the fact that we’ve lost the series. The South African run chase in the first Test to win, their fight back in the second test to win, and the’ wagging of the tail’ from both sides has been fascinating cricket.
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Prior to the start of the 2007-08 A-League season, the FFA used the pre-season cup to experiment with the use of bonus points, roughly in the manner that currently happens in the Super 14s.
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After 18 rounds, the finals contenders have been whittled to five, and now the pressure begins to build. Wellington Pheonix have certainly surpassed my expectations for their season as l expected a bottom two finish for them.
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In 1823 William Webb Ellis disregarded the rules of football (at the time not separated into codes) and picked up the ball, thus giving birth to the origins of Rugby Union.
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Saturday just gone marked the eighth installment of an annual tradition for myself and some mates: the New Year’s Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
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When you’re a South African supporter, you have to be able to live with the ups and downs. In twelve months, the Springbok supporters have experienced winning the World Cup, winning in New Zealand for the first time in ten years and beating Australia and England by record scores.
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With the Wallabies undergoing a renaissance under Robbie Deans in 2008 – expect the Australian franchises to be revitalised entering the 2009 Super 14 championship.
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As we see the balance of power shift away from Australia in test cricket, we see fewer contributors from the Baggy Green to the World team of the year.
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Why all the long faces at the demise of the Australian cricket team losing two series in succession, and the end of an era?
Loading ...When we are watching a sports event on TV, the commentators are there to inform us what is happening. What they say will add an impact to the event.
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Gentlemen, start your engines. The 2009 Super 14 season is just 6 weeks away. I won’t pretend to be an expert on the South African and New Zealand teams, or for that matter the Australian teams. But, despite this, let’s consider the possible semi finalists.
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In an interesting round 16 the two top teams, South Dragons and NZ Breakers have both taken multiple losses in their quest for the number one position on the NBL ladder.
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Officially beginning in 1883 – making it the oldest international championship – the prestigious Six Nations tournament will take special significance this year.
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Ricky Ponting has failed to seize the moment in the last three Tests in Nagpur, Perth and Melbourne, resulting in losses in each. These repeated strategic blunders should have resulted in his replacement as captain.
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We have just watched Graeme Smith’s men take a nine wicket victory in Melbourne to secure a 2-0 lead and a first series win in Australia. And the home team helped them all the way.
Loading ...It’s been a bumper year in sports, and we’ve been riding it all the way with a heap of Roar of the Crowd content generated by you, our readers, that have stirred the pot and generated some fierce debate. So we’re pleased to announce that the most read Roar of the Crowd article for 2008 was … drum roll, please … Melbourne Victory: already the 8th biggest club in Melbourne, written by Dave.
