It was always going to be a tie, wasn’t it?
All very well inviting 26 people to apply for All Black coach, but what if you wind up with number 26? Didn’t think that through.
Will breakdancing form a key pillar of Scott Robertson’s All Black coach application? Is the boardroom floor suitable for backspins or will he bring his own lino?
What did you accomplish in the week between rugby and cricket? Put your All Black jersey in sealed plastic bags at the bottom of the drawer? Dry clean the BLACKCAPS hoodie? Tidy the garage? Make a spreadsheet with SKY, Netflix, broadband and all the rest on it to make sure you’re doing things right? I’m going to say you didn’t.
Has Dark Lord Of Defence And Vengence John Mitchell finished his Revenge On New Zealand programme or is he just getting underway?
Which had the biggest impact - new boss Matt Walsh on the Breakers or the 2011 earthquake on AMI Stadium?
Was NZR aiming for a ‘family reunion photo with cousins you’ve never met’ vibe with this effort?
Thanks for reading - Richard
The week's best NZ sport content
If it’s possible to make a long awaited debut at the age of 19, Amelia Kerr arriving in the Big Bash League is just that - and she’s made a huge impact as Bridget Tunnicliffe finds out [RNZ]
It’s ten years since the All Whites qualified for the 2010 World Cup with one of WestPac Stadium’s greatest ever nights - so where are those players now? [NZ Herald]
Anna Connell on her rugby journey, from rejecting it wholeheartedly to working within it through governance and also Twitter [Newsroom]
Check out the latest footage of Te Aihe up on the foils - looks v quick [NZ Herald]
Video nasty
Blackadder v the Bishop of Bath & Wells.
Long read
How do you find people floating in the sea? Michael Lewis meets an expert, and finds out what it feels like when the US government decides it’s not an essential service any more [Bloomberg]
Recommendation
White Silence is a six part podcast thoroughly examining the Erebus disaster from RNZ and Stuff. There’s archive material alongside recent interviews, skillfully told. Highly recommended.
Selected weekend fixtures
The All Whites play their first game in 18 months against Ireland in Dublin at 8.45am this morning, so you might as well go back to bed, it’s on SKY
The Breakers play Perth at 7pm on Sunday, it’s on SKY
The first Test v England starts next Thursday at Bay Oval in marvelous Mount Maunganui, it’s on SKY
Bring back the gif
When someone sends a meeting invite for 4pm Friday.
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