Valerie Vili on her way to winning gold at the 2008
Olympics in Beijing. Photo / NZ Herald.
So, what will 2010 bring? Sports editor Hayden Meikle
gazes into his (notoriously unreliable) crystal ball to come up
with an A to Z of what to expect from the new sporting
year.
A is for Alf Arlidge, the new
coach of the Otago Nuggets.
Our boys of the hardcourt are coming back after a year off
and will re-enter the tough arena of the National Basketball
League.
Expecting miracles? No, me neither.
But Arlidge is keen and bleeds Otago blue and seems genuinely
committed to bringing local talent through. I'll be generous
and predict four wins.
B is for Batsmen, specifically
the top-order variety.
The Black Caps simply must find six men capable of scoring
runs or their hopes of going anywhere, doing anything in test
cricket will disintegrate faster than . . . a typical New
Zealand top order.
C is for CC Sabathia, the
massive and massively talented baseball pitcher who will
guide the hated New York Yankees and their bloated payroll to
another World Series.
D is for Delhi, host city for
the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Expect to see horrific numbers of Australian and English gold
medal winners, a few good haka performances and at least one
totally unknown New Zealand gold medallist.
E is for Eleven, the number of
tests the All Blacks will win this year.
That means they will lose three to four, which is becoming
quite normal.
There will be a big comeback year for Ali Williams, big news
about the return of Carl Hayman and big gaps behind Richie
McCaw and Dan Carter.
The countdown to 2011 is on.
F is for Football, the beautiful
game, which will again take centre stage when the World Cup
is held in South Africa in June.
Expect all the usual drama: England to flame out on
penalties, at least one African nation to surprise, Argentina
to melt down under Diego Maradona, Brazil to make the final
four, Spain to under-achieve and an efficient Italy or
Germany to win.
G is for Glasshouse, the
nickname of the new stadium in Dunedin that seems to be
progressing nicely.
It should be clear at the end of the year if it will be ready
for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
H is for the Highlanders, who
want and need to have a big season.
There is too much experience and talent for this team to
finish 11th again. I'm going to say sixth.
Look for Ben Smith to build on his great year, Jayden Hayward
and John Hardie to shine, and Adam Thomson, Tom Donnelly,
Jamie Mackintosh and Jimmy Cowan to be the heart of a team
that will win back some fans.
I is for the Indianapolis Colts,
who will soar to victory in the Super Bowl thanks to the
great arm and remarkable brain of quarterback Peyton Manning.
J is for Jane, Cory Jane. He's
the next big thing in All Black rugby.
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