So the Chiefs appear set to win their second consecutive Super rugby title.
The CHIEFS. The team that was basically irrelevant for the first decade or so of the competition.
For so long, the Chiefs were a lovely safety net for the Highlanders. Oh look, we would say, the Chiefs have only made the semifinals once in the first 10 years of the competition. The Highlanders made FOUR in the same period. Bah ha ha. Also, you live in Hamilton.
Here we are now. The Chiefs are in their third final in the space of five seasons; the Highlanders ... are ... ahem.
One franchise is setting the standard in terms of performance; the other is setting the standard in terms of yellow cards, defensive ineptitude and turning All Blacks into players of club standard
.... called the Chieflanders
Here's an interesting exercise.
Cast your mind back to the start of the season. Look at the Highlanders squad on paper, and look at the Chiefs squad on paper, and name a combined team. I reckon it would look something like this:Ben Smith, Hosea Gear, Ma'a Nonu, Tamati Ellison, Lelia Masaga, Aaron Cruden, Aaron Smith, Nasi Manu, Sam Cane, Liam Messam, Brodie Retallick, Brad Thorn, Ben Afeaki or Ben Tameifuna, Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock.
Nine Highlanders and six Chiefs.
One team is hosting the final. The other finished 14th. Sport, eh.
Warrior nation
These are exciting times for fans of our only professional rugby league team.
The Warriors - sorry, the MIGHTY Warriors - have won seven of their past eight, and are officially the hottest team in the NRL.
The Last Word has also heard a few whispers about the Warriors returning to Dunedin next year.
It seems possible they could play both a pre-season game and a full NRL game at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Stay tuned.
What, no Queenstown?
New Zealand fans, on the whole, would have been happy with their cut of the 2015 Cricket World Cup draw.
Starting in Christchurch is a nice touch, and it is great to see the University Oval getting three games, including a clash involving the Black Caps.
But three games in Nelson and none in Queenstown? Ah, come again?It seems odd, and not a little disappointing, that the jewel of the South has been ignored. The teams love it, the fans love it, and nothing looks better on television. Call it an opportunity missed.
A perfect guest
Newspaper sub-editors (they're the ones who write the headlines) are a cynical lot but even they enjoyed one of those Team New Zealand non-races the other day.
Imagine their delight when they saw a photo of Tom CRUISE catching a ride on the catamaran. Geddit? What other celebrities might turn up at sporting events?
Brad Pitt - mechanic for a Formula 1 team.
Sandra Bullock - rodeo clown.
JK Rowling - lawn bowler.
Britney Spears - javelin thrower.
Courtney Cox - rowing.
Lady Gaga - TAB bookmaker who makes the Highlanders favourites to win the 2014 Super 15.
Our Joel
We hear Dunedin star-in-the-making Joel Stevens is making a big impression on the northern football scene.
Stevens, the exciting forward who left the Green Island club to pursue his dreams, played for the Wellington Phoenix in its mid-week friendly against Lower Hutt.
One knowledgeable fan, Yellow Fever stalwart Dale Warburton, tweeted that Stevens was the ''best on the park''.
Hot diggety dog
Who says American baseball teams aren't taking doping scandals seriously?The Milwaukee Brewers are just oozing guilt after star player Ryan Braun was finally exposed as a cheater and suspended for (gasp) almost half a season.
Deadspin reports the Brewers are ''working on a way to give back to the fans'' by offering all of them a $10 voucher for food and merchandise.
Hot dogs with all the toppings, anyone?Interesting tacticsNot sure how I feel about the Tactix again being allowed to field two imports - other teams may only have one - in the ANZ Championship.
We all know Christchurch has been through a terrible time. The September 2010 earthquake, the February 2011 earthquake, Moorhouse and Whenua Patuwai ousted from X Factor, the Crusaders going another year without a title.
But there must be a point where the netballers have to stand on their own two feet, when ''Christchurch is a hard sell'' is no longer used as an excuse for sports teams to get special treatment.
Names of the week
The New Zealand time trial motorcycling championships featured some intense action at Lake Taupo last weekend.
Two of the stars were local brothers Cohen and Wyatt Chase. Brilliant.
Birthday of the week
Duncan Sharpe is 76 today.
Sharpe, who lives in Melbourne, was an aggressive wicketkeeper-batsman who played three tests in 1959.
Nothing particularly special about that. Only, it was PAKISTAN Sharpe was representing. He is apparently one of four Christians to have played test cricket for Pakistan.
