Weekend Sport with Jason Pine

Gabriel Jesus was crouching on the field and crying. Not even the Manchester City jersey covering his face could mask the agony.Raheem Sterling was lying across the turf, his hands crossed over his eyes.Then, the Lyon players broke away from their celebrations to console opponents distraught at being knocked out of the Champions League without reaching the semifinals for a fourth straight season.City, the most expensively assembled squad in football history, had lost 3-1 to the team that finished seventh in the French league."It's incredible because we're the surprise team," Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes said. "I don't think many people expected us to reach this stage of the competition."While Lyon prepares to face Bayern Munich in its first Champions League semifinal in a decade, City must face up to another collapse in its quest to become European champions for the first time."We need to learn — it's not good enough and that's it," said Kevin De Bruyne, who scored City's only goal to equalize before Moussa Dembélé scored twice on Saturday. "Different year, same stuff."It leaves Pep Guardiola still waiting for a first Champions League title since 2011 while coaching Barcelona, falling short in three attempts with Bayern Munich before repeated failures with City. After surrendering the Premier League trophy to Liverpool, City ends the season with only the League Cup.Guardiola's decision to deploy an unfamiliar five-man defense to match Lyon's system backfired when gaping holes were left at the back before Maxwel Cornet struck the opener in the 24th minute."We won the tactical battle as we master our system of play," Lyon coach Rudi Garcia said.De Bruyne equalized in the 69th but substitute Dembélé restored the lead 10 minutes later by putting a shot under goalkeeper Ederson after being on the pitch for only four minutes.Then came the chance to level again that will haunt Sterling. Facing an unguarded net at the far post, Sterling missed the target completely and Lyon extended its lead 59 seconds later with Dembélé scoring again.This was an error-strewn performance by City on a night when Guardiola was out-thought by Garcia, whose last major titles were the French league and cup double with Lille in 2011."Rudi Garcia has left his mark, has instilled discipline," sporting director Juninho said. "We grew up. Now we need a little humility, a little calm."For the first time since 1996 the Champions League semifinals will not feature a side from England and Spain. Instead France will take on Germany in this unique pandemic-enforced conclusion to the Champions League in Lisbon, with single games without fans rather than two-legged semifinals. After Paris Saint-Germain plays Leipzig on Tuesday, Lyon faces Bayern the following night just like it did in the 2010 semifinals. Bouyed by knocking out Juventus and City, Lyon will believe it can make the final this time, even against a Bayern side that thrashed Barcelona 8-2.City's biggest Champions League win of the season seemed to come off the pitch when its lawyers overturned a two-season ban from European competitions. But for a side that eliminated record 13-time champion Real Madrid in the previous round, losing to Lyon was not in the script.Given that a place in the semifinals was on the line, City's back line didn't rise to the challenge.The lack of urgency in dealing with Lyon's advance for the opener was careless as Fernando Marçal sent a long ball over the top from inside his own half.At that point Kyle Walker was alongside Cornet at the halfway line but the City right back lingered rather than tracking back. Aymeric Laporte also lost the advancing Toko Ekambi. Eric Garcia did run back to make the sliding tackle that prevented Ekambi from shooting.But Cornet had sprinted forward and was left unmarked to pick up the loose ball before exploiting Ederson being caught...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to Tom Rennie, our football correspondent out of Talksport in the UK looking at Barcelona's capitulation against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, losing 8 2 to Tom's predicted winners.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to former Penrith and Warriors half Greg 'Brandy' Alexander on the back of the Warriors loss to the Panthers in the NRL on Friday night.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to Blues captain and form lock of the Super Rugby competition, Patrick Tuipulotu on the disappointment on ending the competition a week early and why he's enjoyed being a part of this Blues environment this season.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 15th August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's, Sunday's and now Monday's - compacted into a podcast for Monday 10th August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hurricanes 31Chiefs 18Victory and a crucial bonus point has kept the Hurricanes in the mix for the Super Rugby Aotearoa title.The Hurricanes consigned Warren Gatland's Chiefs to the ignominy of a winless campaign - nine straight defeats dating pre-lockdown – and a 73rd minute Billy Proctor try off a brilliant Jamie Booth offload sealed the bonus point which keeps Jason Holland's unheralded outfit in contention for the New Zealand crown.The Crusaders are heavily favoured to clinch the title when they host the Highlanders in Christchurch on Sunday but, for now at least, the third-placed Hurricanes moved one point behind the Blues and three behind the Crusaders. Next week the Hurricanes travel to Dunedin where they will again need a bonus point victory to have a chance at claiming the title, if it remains alive.Regardless of the Super Rugby Aotearoa title implications, the Hurricanes can take pride from extending their winning streak to five matches – a run which includes being the only team in the past four years to knock over the Crusaders in Christchurch. It's been a remarkable recovery from the Hurricanes after dropping their first two matches of this campaign.In front of a frozen 21,489 Wellington crowd, the Hurricanes were a class above the Chiefs, leading 12-3 at halftime before eventually kicking away for a comfortable five-tries-to-two victory.Jordie Barrett and Peter Umaga-Jensen led the Hurricanes from an individual standpoint but concerns were palpable for Sam Cane after the All Blacks captain was knocked out in an ugly incident.Everyone held their breath 26 minutes into the contest when Cane copped a nasty hip to the head and lay prone on the turf. The contact with Barrett's hip left Cane unconscious and he did not return to the game, but he at least left the field without the use of a stretcher.Two years on from the neck fracture in South Africa that almost ended his career, this was a scare he could do without.Gatland's Chiefs, meanwhile, finish their season with the fewest points, tries, line breaks and most tries and turnovers conceded. While they didn't lack heart their attack in particular was again bereft of confidence, and they will probably welcome the chance to escape the losing habit.The intent to chase the bonus point from the Hurricanes was clear from the outset. They turned down shots at goal in favour of kicking for the corner and their rate of offloads was more akin to touch rugby. Vince Aso in particular pushed passes in contact at every opportunity.The Hurricanes were at their best when they settled, somewhat. With Tyrel Lomax anchoring the scrum this area continued to be a solid platform to launch attacking raids and TJ Perenara took ownership of the kicking to plug the corners on several occasions.Umaga-Jensen was the standout of the first half. The 22-year-old has made his mark in the midfield since lockdown and his two tries and brilliant line-running ability again left a lasting impression.To open the scoring he hit the line at pace to collect a flat Perenara ball and crash over in the tackle of Anton Lienert-Brown. For his second, Umaga-Jensen dished and then received a pass from Wes Goosen on the left edge.Barrett survived a scare when he twisted his knee to deliver another influential display from fullback, a position he is making his own. Whether it was laying on crunching hits, knocking over goals, being safe under the high ball or offloading in contact, Barrett was ever-present as he has been throughout this campaign.The best moment of the first half for the Chiefs came when Hurricanes wing Kobus Van Wyk was yellow carded for unnecessarily throwing Brad Weber into a dangerous position. Even then, though, the Chiefs attack struggled to exploit their one man advantage, only doing so once at the start of the second spell when Sean Wainui scored the first of their two strikes.When the...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Warriors head coach Nathan Brown has revealed the abrupt details of his appointment with the club, confirming the deal was done over the course of a day.The Auckland club confirmed Brown as the man to lead them into their next era, signing a three-year contract with full-time duties commencing in early November. They also confirmed NRL great Phil Gould would be joining the club as a consultant.Brown, 47, was among a number of candidates to rule themselves out of the running for the role after Stephen Kearney was sacked in late June, but quickly emerged as a front-runner when interim coach Todd Payten turned down the role earlier this week.Brown admitted he had not had any form of conversation with the club about taking on the role prior to Thursday, when he ultimately signed on."I spoke to Robbo (club owner Mark Robinson) on Thursday. That was the first time we'd had any dialogue about me coming to work for the Warriors, and we got the deal done basically within a couple of hours," Brown said."Maybe I should have had that convo two months ago. At the time it just didn't feel right, even though I thought it was a great opportunity. Then the time did feel right."One thing I maintained was that the Warriors was a great opportunity for any coach that got the opportunity," Brown said of initially withdrawing himself from consideration. "I had one or two concerns and I've had private conversations with (the club) since and I'm very comfortable with the opportunity I've been given now and am very much looking forward to it."Brown spent time with the club earlier in the year in a consultancy role, working alongside the club's hookers. At the time, club chief executive Cameron George was quick to shut down suggestions he could end up taking the top job should Kearney depart.Now, having done just that, Brown said he has a good base from which to approach making his presence felt in the role."I saw a very hungry squad and a group of blokes who want to listen and want to get better, and that's a very good starting base."The announcement comes on the back of the Warriors' strong 26-22 win over the Manly Sea Eagles on Friday night, after which Payten suggested the club was only two key players away from a competitive roster.It appeared Brown didn't quite share the same sentiment however, with the incoming coach noting while the club shows potential when they have "enough talent on the field" there was plenty of work still to be done in establishing a competitive team.Brown didn't shy away from acknowledging he wasn't joining the club to make them a contender immediately, but that the process would take time and consistency was the end goal."To get the major prize, that takes a lot of hard work – and that's what the end goal is. It's about improving the roster and improving the players within the squad in the short-term," Brown said."The key to any club is sustained success...you need to have sustained success and consistently play finals football. Because you only win big games by practice and unfortunately for the Warriors of late, they've had the odd [finals] appearance here and there, but when they had Daniel Anderson and Ivan Cleary in charge, they had consistent finals performances and then you get a grand final. That's what it's all about."It's not about instant success, it's about building something sustainable that gets you consistency, and that consistency gives you an opportunity. You can't just wave a magic wand and all of a sudden, you're going to win something. It just doesn't work like that - if it did you wouldn't be having this conversation with me now."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin has outlined his own experiences dealing with difficult coaches in children's sport, and has urged other parents to find out what is happening.Over the past week, the Herald has outlined multiple allegations of abuse of athletes in the country's elite gymnastics programmes, including girls as young as 8 being fat-shamed, forced to train through injuries and verbally abused by coaches.Amongst the complaints, multiple parents of children enrolled in competitive gymnastics at Auckland's North Harbour club have told of their concerns at the behaviour of coaches in the nationally acclaimed programme, prompting club management to investigate and promise action.Meanwhile, the sport's national governing body, Gymnastics New Zealand, emailed members this week encouraging potential victims to come forward.Speaking on his radio show, Devlin revealed that he and his ex-wife had difficulties confronting one of their son's football coaches, after being shocked by the way the man was yelling at children. He encouraged other parents to do the same, get involved and not treat their children's after schools sport as a babysitting service.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to All Blacks assistant coach John Plumtree, on what he's made of Super Rugby Aotearoa and how much he's looking forward to finally getting started with the All Blacks when the side finally gets together as a group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to Ian Baker-Finch, former Open Championship winner in 1991 and now part of the Golf Channel commentary team for NBC in the United States at the halfway point of the PGA Championship in San Francisco, the first major played since Covid 19.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sundays from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 8th August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to one of the great characters of English Football, Harry Redknapp, about his career in the game and what its like managing difficult personalities like Paolo Di Canio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to former England World Cup winning centre Will Greenwood, on when we're likely to expect competitive rugby to be up and running in the Northern Hemisphere and whether he's been watching Super Rugby.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to former All Black captain Murray Mexted, reviewing the Chiefs 7th loss in a row in Super Rugby Aotearoa, this time against the Crusaders at home in Hamilton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to Blair Julian, the Kiwi from New Plymouth who ended up becoming a mechanic for Chip Ganassi racing in Indy Cars, working alongside Scott Dixon for the last 20 years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 2nd August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to Chiefs First-Five Aaron Cruden ahead of his 100th Super Rugby game against the Crusaders in Hamilton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 1st August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to UFC Middleweight champion and global superstar Israel Adesanya, live in the studio and taking calls from the listeners ahead of another big year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The DRS, with Martin Devlin, now on Monday evenings from 7pm until 8pm. Compacted into a podcast for Monday 27th July.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to former All Black flyhalf and now selector Grant Fox, on what he's made of Super Rugby Aotearoa thus far and where the selectors thoughts are at a month out from the naming of the first All Blacks squad of the year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk Zb on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 26th July. Brought to you by Access Solutions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to Gareth Roberts, one of the hosts of the Anfield Wrap Liverpool football fan podcast on the back of Liverpool finally lifting the Premier League after a 30 year wait, when they beat Chelsea 5-3.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to former NSW and Roosters NRL player Braith Anasta, ahead of the Warriors Roosters game in the NRL and Sonny Bill Williams's likely return to the NRL for the rest of the 2020 season.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to former Welsh international, and now Crusaders assistant coach Mark Jones, on his journey to coaching and New Zealand and why he thinks the Crusaders are the high performing side that we've grown accustomed to.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beauden Barrett was always likely to receive a frosty welcome to Wellington from Hurricanes fans when he ran onto the turf at Sky Stadium in a Blues uniform.After spending so many years in the thick of things for the Hurricanes, this time around he was hoping to leave the home fans disappointed.But while the uniform was different, the story stayed the same as Barrett couldn't stay out of the action – which wasn't always for the best.Hurricanes midfielder Ngani Laumape wasted no time in putting the hurt on his former teammate - embarrassing the Blues fullback with a mix of speed and footwork, leaving Barrett in his wake just four minutes in.Barrett, not to let an early lapse get him down, hit back almost immediately, dancing past Hurricanes prop Tyrel Lomax and sprinting away for a try of his own.With little time to revel in his attacking work, Barrett was again taken to by Laumape, who ran over the top of an attempted tackle from Barrett with ease, only to be chopped down just short of the tryline by the Blues' cover defence.It was a busy start for Barrett, who sustained a cut to his head during a frantic opening 20 minutes. However, he soon settled into his work.But as these sorts of games tend to see, the returning figure was again in the thick of the action down the stretch. After kicking a conversion to level the scores at 22, Barrett could have put the Blues ahead by seven when hooker Kurt Eklund went over out wide in the 63rd minute, However, Barrett sprayed the kick wide.It turned out to be a vital miss, as Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua was awarded a try under a mass of bodies with just minutes to go to again level the scores – with Jordie Barrett's conversion providing the winning points.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to former PGA tour player Phil Tataurangi, reflecting on that famous British Open golf major in 2009 that very nearly saw Tom Watson become the oldest player to win a major, as well as previewing the 4th round of the PGA Memorial tournament in Dublin, Ohio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 19th July.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to former Springbok great Victor Matfield, about the prospect of no South African sides in the proposed new Super Rugby competition as well his fondness for the All Blacks - Springbok rivalry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to Reuban Thorne, former All Black captain and now part of the coaching set up at Christ College First XV, providing an insight into the quality and passion that exists in First XV Rugby in this country, and what sort of values and qualities they are trying to instil in these young men.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to NRL Journalist Joel Gould about the Walker Brothers coaching duo who coach the Ipswich Jets in the Queensland Cup, on the back of the news that they're the favourites to take over the Warriors coaching job.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 18th July. Brought to you Access Solutions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB reflects on the 2019 Cricket World Cup final between the Black Caps and England, that happened this time last year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to Black Caps batsmen Henry Nicholls ahead of the start of a players training camp starting this week, the first time the boys have been together since Covid 19.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to SKY Sport Rugby commentator Tony Johnson, who called the big match in Super Rugby Aotearoa between the Crusaders and the Blues in Christchurch on Saturday night.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to Talksport Football correspondent Tom Rennie, about the releagtion battle in the Premier League and the sad news of the passing of England World Cup winner Jack Charlton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB from 12pm until 3pm on Saturday's and Sunday's, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 12th July. Brought to you by Access Solutions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to Gerard Whateley, the host of the award winning Whateley Sports show on SEN in Melbourne.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Great call from Wally on the Devlin Radio Show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Devlin chats to Blues head coach Leon McDonald, ahead of their biggest game of the season, against the top of the table Crusaders in Christchurch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 11th July. Brought to you by Access Solutions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Pine, standing in for Martin Devlin has a chat to former Chiefs and All Blacks loose forward Steven Bates on the form of the Chiefs thus far in Super Rugby Aotearoa, after they slumped to their 4th straight loss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warriors 26Broncos 16The Warriors have won the Battle of the Bottom to show that their spirit is well and truly alive, even if other parts of their game are not so healthy.The nomad Warriors piled more misery on Brisbane with a 26-16 victory on the Central Coast, handing the glamour club their sixth straight NRL loss.Ken Maumalo, among three players who want to return home early, was among the Warriors' stars, as they powered home with an impressive second half against a collapsing Broncos effort.The Warriors' victory came without suspended captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, while they lost playmaker Kodi Nikorima to a head injury in the opening minutes.The result gave interim coach Todd Payten his first win in charge of a first grade side, and the Warriors their third win of the disrupted NRL season.There were so many crucial moments in the second half, including captain's challenges which went for and against the Warriors in front of about 2500 spectators.When Peta Hiku let an Anthony Milford bomb bounce, gifting a try to Herbie Farnworth, the Warriors looked in trouble.But hooker Wayde Egan came to the rescue, ripping the ball free of two tacklers to score a try which gave the Warriors an 18-16 advantage. It was all the Warriors in the final stages.No one could complain about the entertainment, and that was before the game had even started.The drama surrounding Brisbane's horror run of results included a claim by the club's greatest player Wally Lewis that the current squad was divided over pay.Not to be outdone, Warriors owner Mark Robinson entered the fray during the week, effectively packing the bags for Blake Green - who was an increasingly dominant figure in the match - and Gerard Beale at the end of the year.Neither side will go close to troubling the NRL trophy engraver on this form, but it was a captivating battle between two desperate sides.The Broncos dominated possession in the first half but led by just 10-6 after a 39th minute try to Maumalo gave the New Zealand side the boost they had been desperately but ineptly chasing.Maumalo and Chanel Harris-Tavita had bombed a try minutes earlier, but with Gerard Beale providing a sharp pass, they made amends this time.Brisbane were never convincing but had taken a 10-0 lead through tries to flying right wing Xavier Coates.The second seemed to predict a frustrating night for the Warriors, who gifted Coates the ball when in sight of the Brisbane tryline.With giant Broncos prop Payne Haas setting the early tone, Coates also scored in the eighth minute, when their disorganised attack suddenly sharpened and they created an overlap for the wing.The Warriors had already lost Nikorima at this point. The little five-eighth had advanced to confront big Tevita Pangai jnr and suffered a head clash, his head also smacking into the ground.Despite their awkward attack Brisbane looked in the box seat to set up a victory, until Maumalo's late first-half try changed the mood.And it was the Warriors who came out of the blocks fastest in the second spell, and they carried on to a stunning win.Warriors 26 (K. Maumalo 2, A. Paasi, W. Egan, I. Papali'i tries; C. Harris-Tavita 3 goals)Brisbane 16 (X. Coates 2, H. Farnworth tries; J. Isaako 2 goals)Halftime: 6-10text by Chris RattueSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crusaders 40Highlanders 20The Highlanders waited two years for the chance to host their southern neighbours. Two years too long after this instant classic under the Dunedin roof.Southern derbies always cultivate an extra edge. This breathless match, in which the Highlanders were overrun after leading 17-14 at the break, was no different.Five years to the day since their first and only Super Rugby title, the Highlanders threw everything and more at the Crusaders.So often that is not enough, though. Just ask the Chiefs who did likewise in Christchurch last week. To take down the Crusaders opposition must reach near perfection; nail all their chances and even then hope a slice of luck and the referee is on their side.The final quarter of this game the Crusaders came into their clinical own, controlling the possession, pace and tempo to grind out their third straight Super Rugby Aotearoa victory, with Richie Mo'unga kicking 15 points.Once again the Crusaders showed all the hallmarks we've come to expect from the three-time defending champions – a level of composure that sets the bar for others to match.Highlanders wing Jona Nareki will regret his decision to throw the dummy with two men unmarked outside him midway through the second half. It was a movement that would have given the Highlanders the lead – instead the Crusaders did enough to snuff it out and the home side had to settle for three points.There were other defining moments, of course, but with the Crusaders prevailing five-tries-to-two thanks to twin Tom Christie second-half strikes, Nareki's decision was a key turning point.The other came from Crusaders halfback Mitchell Drummond, who fired a brilliant cutout pass that gave Sevu Reece just enough space to score the game's decisive try.Aaron Smith led the Highlanders out as captain and he was then their spark all night. His passing, kicking, running, organisation and defence – one bootlace tackle on Codie Taylor in particular – was a class above. On this occasion, the All Blacks halfback could do no wrong and it was a surprise to see him replaced for the closing stages. Smith had great support from former All Blacks blindside Shannon Frizell, Pari Pari Parkinson and Dillon Hunt who all carried and attacked the breakdown relentlessly.For the Crusaders, Will Jordan continues to light up the New Zealand derby competition. Despite moving from fullback to the wing Jordan was equally involved and influential as in recent weeks, popping up all over the park and finishing the match by claiming his brace with another runaway try.Taylor, the All Blacks hooker, also delivered another standout display.The brutal nature of these derby games claimed further casualties with Crusaders fullback David Havili limping off after a break, while the Highlanders lost lock Josh Dickson, who has been influential in running their lineout this season, to a serious ankle injury.The Crusaders brought more poise to the initial exchanges and they were rewarded when Jordan snuck over in the corner for the opening try. The visitors' scrum did the damage early with several huge shunts – the Highlanders not helped in this department by losing Dickson.The Highlanders needed to settle and they did just that with a double strike. Frizell stepped up with three telling carries in the same movement. With the final one, he burst through Michael Alaalatoa's tackle to power his way to the line.That try turned the tide with the Highlanders enjoying a run of possession. From their overthrown lineout Smith swooped with his speed and anticipation to break the line and the Crusaders could then not stop quick hands sending Ngane Punivai over to give the Highlanders the lead.Discipline was an issue for the Highlanders as they conceded a 13-7 penalty count – many of these infringements at the breakdown – but they had every right to take umbrage with referee Mike...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He's at it again.Fresh from humiliating the All Blacks at the World Cup, England coach Eddie Jones also played his part in snaring Japan-bound Beauden Barrett away from New Zealand rugby.England have allowed Jones to continue his consultancy work for Suntory Sungoliath where he is now director of rugby.Jones came up with a fake spy story before the World Cup semifinal last year. But now he'll get the perfect chance to check out the inner workings of an All Black star and maybe grab himself some vital intellectual property from New Zealand rugby.The England coach will get close to one of the All Blacks' best weapons and see what makes him tick when brief Blues back Barrett joins Suntory for a reported $1.5m..Jones normally spends three weeks a year at Suntory, and stays in close contact with them the rest of the time dealing with recruitment and other matters.Suntory is coached by Kiwi Milton Haig, who guided Georgia for two World Cup cycles until last year.Haig jumped at the chance when Barrett's name was mentioned, and so did Jones."He (Jones) has been in Tokyo for the last four months – he's had a big involvement (in club matters) and I have regular meetings with him," Haig told NewstalkZB's Elliott Smith."He's been helpful for us in terms of pre-season and the season's planning for next year."We sat down six or seven months ago – in Japan they look pretty early at next season's roster."Eddie Jones was obviously involved as the director of rugby. Beauden's name came up and as soon as they said his name I said he's the guy I want. Eddie was in favour as well."Meanwhile Haig was excited to be working with Barrett, who he first spotted as a junior cutting opponents apart at the national sevens tournament.Haig said Barrett's commitment to a new club was proven at the Blues, when he emerged from lockdown to set team and personal best training records."The season starts in mid-January and we're expecting him here in December," said Haig."He has international commitments in October and November and we'll take stock of where he is at after that. He has a young family as well."He'll drive bums on seats…but ultimately it's about winning championships."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin talks Australian Rules Football and Australian Sport in general on the DRS.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elliott Smith, filling in for Martin Devlin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.