Strip matches Hurricanes' game

OPINION: The Hurricanes' 28-12 loss in Bloemfontein yesterday mirrored the colour of their drab grey strip.

It seemed crazy for them to change when yellow was hardly going to clash with the Cheetahs' white.

Not sure what colour their socks are because most of them wear them down in slovenly fashion. Andre Taylor has caught the disease now, as has lock Jeremy Thrush.

If the Hurricanes' forwards can't find a way to get over the advantage line in future games, then our Manawatu man Aaron Cruden and the erratic Ma'a Nonu won't get much of a chance. Piri Weepu's missed goal-kicks didn't help either.

That was a great result for the Rangitikei polo team winning only their sixth Savile Cup yesterday in the club's 120-year history at Pukemarama.

They came back from losing to Port Hills on Wednesday to beat the Canterbury quartet in yesterday's final. It is thus 81 years since Christchurch won the old cup, the last time a South Island team prevailed.

You have to feel sorry for big Calum MacLeod. The 2.16m tall Jets basketball centre was an unhappy man at Thursday's training when he saw that his shiny new strip had his name spelt without the `a'. Luckily, the Jets got the error fixed in time but who would want to make a guy that big angry? Basketball New Zealand also spelt his name incorrectly on their website. Then again they still have last season's rosters on there, too!

Manawatu golfer Tim Wilkinson hasn't had much luck on the PGA Tour so far, twice having to withdraw from tournaments.

A chicken meal inflicted food poisoning at the Honda Classic in Miami. No wonder he had a five-over-par first round and was too sick to play the second round. He also withdrew at Hawaii when a ball ricocheted on to his sternum. He has now played four of the 12 exempt tournaments he can play to retain his tour card. He plays the Puerto Rico Open later this week.

The Manawatu Jets basketballers might have looked off the pace on court on Saturday when they were dispatched 115-81 by Saints, but their new set of fans were a shining light. The Piers Finch Fan Club came complete with matching green singlets, signs and their own chants. The Massey students got the crowd fired up and didn't waiver even when things looked grim on the scoreboard. Fittingly Finch scored the last basket of the game to send the fan club crazy.

- © Fairfax NZ News