Final Group Fixtures and the Faint Glimmer of Hope

The Rugby World Cup continues apace in New Zealand, just eight fixtures left in the group stage before we see the top eight advance to the quarterfinals. Fourteen teams are still mathematically alive to reach the knockout stage, but those fourteen are not all created equal by any stretch of the imagination. Heading into the heart of the competition, what will it take for those fourteen to reach the bracket and set up a one-off shot at the ultimate... Read More

Hosts Demolish Japan as Rugby World Cup Action Heats Up

After the way the All-Blacks came out and defeated Tonga 41-10 in their opener, it shouldn’t have come as a huge surprise. But simply looking at the final result — 83-7! – belies just how dominant New Zealand has looked during their first two group-play fixtures in this year’s Rugby World Cup. Japan never had much room to move, as the All-Blacks dominated them offensively and defensively in the largest defeat to date in the... Read More

NTSF 129: Fighting Through Adversity…

Boy, do I really need a new pair of glasses. Constructed as much out of electrical tape and Gorilla Glue as they are the original frames these days, my literal worldview just keeps getting more and more askew as they warp and wind around. Yet despite the fact that I seem to be harder on spectacles than Djokovic on his rackets, I keep on persevering. Perhaps that’s why I always see things a little differently… and that’s not necessarily... Read More