Sports Benches Sports Benches Page 3 of 60
Author

Sports Benches

Matthew Nicholas, the founder/blogger/vlogger on Sports Benches, is an aspiring cricket player & passionate sports fanatic who lives in Sydney, Australia.

Rugby

Blues too good in the end where their fiery attack was outstanding against the Reds at Suncorp Stadium last night

by Sports Benches

It was a close opening 40 minutes of play between the Queensland Reds & Blues where the Blues fired off first while the Reds held them back with 1-2 tries, as the Blues held a narrow three-point buffer ahead of half-time, 14-17. In the end though, the Blues were simply too good where their attack has been outstanding with a comfortable win on the Reds’ home turf over at Suncorp Stadium. The final score was Queensland Reds 26-43 Blues.

After an upset win last Friday v Chiefs over in New Plymouth, NZ, the Reds just couldn’t get the job done this time against the Blues last night. Their first-half wasn’t bad for a start with a great fightback through 1-2 tries earlier on where they weren’t far behind by three points at half-time. Yes, they managed to score another 1-2 consolation tries later on in which they cannot retract from that. But what’s really disappointing is not only they couldn’t stop the dangerous Blues attack, but their finishing continued to be inconsistent in which is still happening for some time this season. They got the Highlanders from Dunedin though next up over in NZ & they’re under heaps of pressure down in 11th right now, so no doubt the Reds can get this done with a win on Friday night.

Meanwhile, the Blues continue to prove what it takes to be such a dangerous force as if they’re preparing for each Finals game that will begin in three weeks from now. Their first-half wasn’t bad when they got themselves ahead early while being held up by the Reds at the same time by a small lead going into the break. But the Blues managed to turn themselves around with more tries on the board while they extend their winning lead. And they were simply too good towards the end with a bonus point win. Now it remains to be seen if the Blues can cope with their injury hit-list, having seen a few go off the bench unexpectedly in the 2nd 40. They’ve got the Hurricanes next Saturday night followed by the Highlanders both at Eden Park to end the regular season, but hope they’re okay ahead of the Playoffs soon. 

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Motorsport

NASCAR News Today: Thoughts on Shane Van Gisbergen making his debut with Trackhouse in early July at Chicago Street Circuit

by Sports Benches

Wow!! There’s a couple of NASCAR interest amongst the Supercars community back here over the last 24 hours when Shane Van Gisbergen will be making his Cup Series debut in the 3rd part-time Trackhouse car (No.91 Chevy Camaro) in early July for the Inaugural Chicago event at the brand new Chicago Street Circuit. Such a cool iRacing track to see that actually happen into the real world real soon which is going to be great to watch during the US summer there.

At the same time, it’s also great to see SVG try out a different type of race car in the form of stock cars, having seeing him race rally cars, production cars, sports cars & open wheelers in the past. I’m sure he will do his best there thanks to his usual road course experience where he will racing up against a mix of most cup series regulars & other road course ringers. 

Now there’s some talk that he might be seeking a move over to the US just like fellow NZer & 2 x Supercars champ Scott McLaughlin did back in 2021 to IndyCar with Team Penske. Even though most regular NASCAR drivers go through the usual series ladder, Trackhouse would love to have him full-time alongside Ross Chastain & Daniel Suarez if interested. 

Right now, I don’t think any team would be interested to buy a charter off let’s say Live Fast Motorsports until at least after 2024 when the next TV rights contract has been decided for 2025 onwards. Once that is settled, then we’ll wait & see if SVG would be willing to leave Australia & have a crack at NASCAR for like 40 odd weekends a year. You never know for sure.

It’s a whole different kettle of fish when you have turn to left for most parts of the year, but sure he has done it in the past through the 24 Hours of Daytona on a hybrid road course & oval “Roval” layout as well as some sprint cars on dirt tracks.

After SVG, we hope Brodie Kostecki get his debut there at Cup level soon & potentially full-time in the medium-long term whether if it’s Cup or Xfinity Series level, as he too will be stopping by at Richard Childress Racing over in North Carolina in a few weeks time thanks to his current Supercars employer at Erebus Motorsport.

So good to see some NASCAR interest hitting down under in the hope of having a Supercars driver crack the US when Marcos Ambrose has last done it full-time for many years through all three national series that spanned from 2006-2014.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Top 3 players from the NSW Waratahs v Melbourne Rebels Game in Round 12 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

Ben Donaldson has been excellent more than just his usual kicking game tonight, particularly during the 2nd half where the Waratahs were well secure towards the win at No.10. Every time the Waratahs have their chance with the ball, he designed the attack well by throwing some passage of play thanks to the patience being built there. It allowed them to sneak can sneak their way past the Rebels wall through some room before rewards begin to go their way & that is exactly what the Tahs wanted in the end with both the win & bonus point. Such a dynamic No.10 to watch after the Tahs finished off well for him while adding the extra conversion points with credit to his backline runners.

I’ve gotta say that Jed Holloway has been so influential on the Waratahs second row at No.4. The partnership with Hugh Sinclair worked really well while talking up as always at line-out time, so they know what are the Rebels’ weaknesses & where his side can find the sweet spot. Thanks to Jed, the Tahs were able to get the job done a few times through a mix of sensational steals & penalty tries from this spot. Great to see him come back stronger for his 2nd spell here under Darren Coleman as he still has plenty to offer at age 30, who possesses such a towering build along with excellent vision & brutal strength that reflects his natural game.

And Richard Hardwick has been excellent tonight in the No.8 Rebels shirt where he worked so hard that helped them put themselves on the front foot. The promising signs were there every time he caught the Tahs players down defensively while building some momentum & backing them up with the ball. It’s how the Rebels got away on a flying start as well as winning back turnovers & some penalties thanks to his on-field input. It’s just a shame that the poor line outs really hit them hard; So does a few missing tries where the game could’ve been theirs, but then they couldn’t capitalised it before it went even worse in the end with the loss.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Waratahs win three-in-a-row with an easy end to the match while the Melbourne Rebels threw away their flying start at Allianz Stadium

by Sports Benches

It was a tight first 40 where the Rebels were on a roll with back-to-back tries for a start, but then a mix of missed TRY finishes to try & extend their winning margin saw the Waratahs catch up to them that hit really hard before the Melbourne-based side narrowly held the lead ahead of half-time, 14-17, courtesy of a penalty goal. Going into the 2nd half, however, the game easily belongs to the Waratahs, while the Rebels continued to suffer with not just their poor finishing but also the line-outs & discipline as well. The final score at Allianz Stadium was 38-20.

Hard luck to the Melbourne Rebels with the loss there, having fell so short by seven-points against the Brumbies at AAMI Park last Sunday. They fired off really well with back-to-back tries while trying to stay in the fight through some three-point penalty goals. However, their display was largely disappointing when not only the line-outs were bad, but also their messy finishing where the game could’ve easily been theirs if the Rebels successfully added another 2-3 tries along the way. It’s just a shame they couldn’t capitalise on these missed opportunities before it gets worse & worse with the ill-discipline, and it’s something they couldn’t recover ever since. They will now be flying over to Dunedin, NZ where the Rebels continue to fight for the 8th Playoffs spot next Saturday v Highlanders.

Meanwhile, it’s great to see the Waratahs end up with three straight wins now on what has been a wonderful night in front of their supporters at Allianz Stadium (Moore Park). Now they may have been disadvantaged from the beginning but boy they showed so much fightback along the way. The credit comes from the Rebels poor line-outs, ill-discipline & missed TRY opportunities where the Tahs made up some lost time going into half-time before they were unstoppable on the run home with a comfortable win. Such a brilliant show where they are in a good position now to secure another year in the Final  Playoffs at 6th right now thanks to Head Coach Darren Coleman. But first, they still got three games left with the Fijian Drua next up – who is not far from the Top 8 bubble in 9th right now behind Western Force – also on a Saturday night at home.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Top 3 players from the Chiefs v Queensland Reds in Round 12 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

Hats off to Tate McDermott following a hard day’s work that helped end the Chiefs’ long-running unbeaten run tonight as the Reds’ main No.9. He always provided a great link between his forwards & backline department in all areas, so the Reds know where to find the sweet spot. It helped his side get the ball rolling with the fightback being shown there, particularly when he snatched a TRY himself to level at half-time thanks to a great maul off the line-out. Then his leadership & on-field input kept the momentum going with another 1-2 tries before his side were able to close out the game with a big shift in defense where all credit coming from McDermott. All they have to do is finish off the attack well & you will thank him that made the Reds so dangerous with the ball.

Next up is Reds reserve No.10 Tom Lynagh who made such a huge difference in the 2nd 40, especially when they were turning themselves around before his side finally tasted victory thanks to his excellent display that includes the winning penalty goal. He’s always young & hungry every time he gets his chance, having been away with injury for some time this season. It’s not just his conversion kicks that gave them a boost of confidence, but he too can also lend a helping hand too defensively. Love how he caught Rameka Poihipi down on the far left short side & luckily his forwards were there to hold the ball up that went the Reds way. Looks like he’s ready for more to give Brad Thorn the good send off he deserves as head coach.

And Etene Nanai-Seturo has been brilliant with back-to-back tries during the first half in the No.11 Chiefs shirt (left wing). Every time he has the ball, his finishing has been explosive with pace & power that will make any opposition side pay under his watch. When we look back at his 2nd TRY while the Reds were scrappy on one occasion, he too was so instantly ready to incept with a mighty soccer kick before he picks it up & no one couldn’t stop him. Great timing to see him read these Reds mistakes by cashing it in with space. But then the Chiefs were not themselves tonight when their 2nd half run was just inconsistent that left them so little time to upsurge the Reds; Sadly it was just too much pressure to get out in the end.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Queensland Reds finally end the Chiefs unbeaten run of 2023 with the win they wanted at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth

by Sports Benches

It has been a really close match up to watch that changed everything for both teams after full-time. We saw some great competition during the first half with the Chiefs off to a great start, while the Reds fought back with two tries of their own that both teams level the scoresheets at the break (12-12). Going into the second half, Reds continued to score another 1-2 tries; However, the Chiefs never gave up where they scored a penalty goal + another TRY later on with 7 mins to go. In the end though, the Reds fought one back through a three-point penalty goal once more going into the full-time hooter, and they’ve put in such a scrambled defense against a threatening Chiefs side where it was enough to leave Yarrow Stadium with the win & end their unbeaten winning streak of 2023. The final score was 22-25.

It’s been a great run but the Chiefs unbeaten hoodoo of 2023 has now came to an end after 10 rounds. However, it doesn’t mean their season is over just yet with three regular games to go + another 2-3 Playoffs games if they want to lift the Super Rugby trophy this year. Their first half performance wasn’t bad with back-to-back tries thanks to some sensational finishing from Etene Nanai-Seturo on the left wing at No.11. But what really hurts them with the three-point loss tonight was some inconsistent finishing play in the 2nd half – nothing more apart from winning penalties/advantages before more pressure began to pile on them towards the final hooter & sadly it was too much to escape really when the game was won by the Reds. The Chiefs’ next match this time over at FMG Stadium in Hamilton is on Saturday night against the Hurricanes.

Meanwhile, it’s great to see the Reds win away from home in New Zealand for the first time in a decade also against the Chiefs during that time – 23-31. They showed terrific fightback that not only helped the Reds get the ball rolling, but they also levelled with the runaway leaders at half-time. Then the Reds were able to build on the momentum with another 1-2 tries + a late three-penalty goal before they put in a good defensive shift towards the end where it was enough to take away for the win. What a night that is for the Queensland supporters watching from home, as well as some who were also travelling to the game for their mighty Reds team over at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth. Now all they have to do is to improve their finishing play, particularly when playing the top teams like the Blues next up at Suncorp Stadium next Friday.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Other Sports

Mage runs down Two Phil’s & Angel of Empire in time towards a sprint to the finish line with the 2023 Kentucky Derby win at Churchill Downs

by Sports Benches

Wow!! What a race that is to close down another unreal Kentucky Derby for the 149th running this year over at Churchill Downs. There were a mix of early front-runners who put their names earlier on for the majority, while others chose to save their best for last like race favourite Angel of Empire. But then we saw the climax going into the last two corners & the front stretch that all changed everything.

Two Phil’s may have secured the first move where he tried to hold off top spot towards the finish line after he kept the other front-runners in check for the whole time. But look out for Mage who supercharged his way from mid-pack past Two Phil’s side-by-side before they closed them out with the big win followed by race favourite Angel of Empire in 3rd.

Congratulations to the team at Mage who is celebrating that huge breakthrough moment right now, having pulled the curtains down on both Two Phil’s & the resurgent Angel of Empire that capped off such a close three-way battle in the end.

I’m sure there will be many more memorable & mind-blowing finishes like this one as the next Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing heads off to Pilmico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, in two weeks’ time.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Top 3 players from the Reds v Waratahs Game in Round 11 of the 2023 Super Rugby Season

by Sports Benches

First of all, take a bow to No.8 Langi Gleeson who was instrumental of the Waratahs win against the Reds tonight in Townsville. He has so much offer in his position, having exposed the Reds’ poor conversion play by holding them up defensively. Plus, he can also smash his way through the Reds blocks with the ball every time the Waratahs need to build some attacking momentum. And with patience, his side were able to accrue as many big scores than the Reds side did throughout his 60 minute shift. Now there’s unfinished business left to make more damage from such a talented youngster with youth (age 21) by his side.

Next up is Dave Porecki (No.2 at Hooker) who back from injury recently at the right time to help turn his side’s season around, having been excellent with his throw-ins at line-out time as always before he controlled with the ball really well that led to tries on the board. Not only he opened the Tahs scoring account himself, but he credits the Reds poor attacking executions & ill-discipline that led to more chances to get the job done from his end. The Tahs need him the most based on his vast experience & he will continue to work hard by delivering them tries & wins in return.

And Suli Vunivalu has been dangerous earlier on during the opening 40 in particular on the Reds wide right role at No.14. He too can jump up high to receive the ball, as well as run back & fourth through the channels where his vision was tested really well, and Suli can even use the pacey power to dive past the Tahs blocks down low that secured his team’s 2nd TRY. Now his presence may have kept the Reds in contention at 17-17 going into the half-time break, but then their poor attacking conversion play & ill-discipline sadly continued to hurt him with the loss.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Rugby

Waratahs regain the Bob Templeton Cup off the Reds following a comfortable finish in the 2nd half tonight in Townsville 

by Sports Benches

The first half has been a very tight one to kickstart Saturday Night of Super Rugby, with the Waratahs scoring first while the Queensland Reds ran from behind to make up some lost time as they’re both locked up 17-17 apiece at the break. But then the Waratahs won the other 40 where not only they regained the lead, but they got away fair & square with an easy win 24-32 at North Queensland Stadium in Townsville.

Don’t know where to start but the Reds just couldn’t cut it with their conversion play, having done the same mistakes time & time again that saw many established teams & now the Waratahs punish them in the end. Yes, they showed some fight earlier on when the Waratahs opened their scoring account first before the Reds overtook them at one point for the lead before they being levelled at half-time (17-17). But overall, they were inconsistent with the poor finishing & ill-discipline while watching on the Tahs regain top spot & then later extend their winning share through the finish line, which is not what they wanted to see in Townsville. Now the Reds got a tough last four games of 2023  coming up starting with the Chiefs on Friday. 

Meanwhile, it’s great to see the Waratahs end up with back-to-back wins this time against their arch-rivals of the Queensland Reds after they took home the Bob Templeton Cup. They fired off really well to open the TRY scoring account first as well putting a great defensive shift to expose the Reds poor finishing play & most importantly, they took their time well to finish off the attack with a few tries on the board. This is what made the Tahs so great as of late, especially when they never gave up all long with an easy 2nd-half display. Now they’re looking to stay in the Top 8 bubble for another year, with back-to-back home games at Allianz Stadium in Moore Park ahead starting with the Melbourne Rebels next Saturday.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Motorsport

Thoughts on Ryan Newman returning to NASCAR Cup Series on a part-time basis with Rick Rare Racing

by Sports Benches

Look who is back to race a few for Rick Ware Racing this year at Cup level? It’s Ryan Newman. He too will begin his part-time campaign next weekend in the throwback Goodyear 400 event at Darlington Raceway as the pilot of the No.51 Ford Mustang with more to come later on.

He has been so busy outside of NASCAR since he no longer races full-time after Ryan left Roush at the end of 2021 such as racing in the legends Superstar Racing Experience series, as well as modified stock cars, spending quality time with his two daughters & many more. He will be a great addition to RWR with valuable & veteran Cup experience, having won 18 races in the past through a few top-tiered teams out there. Plus, he was recently named as one of NASCAR’s greatest 75 drivers as part of their milestone this year.

It’s going to be a while for Newman to get back into the race car with the practice & qualifying being an added bonus after NASCAR temporarily put them on hold back in 2020-21 due to COVID. But I’m sure he will help RWR grow as a competitive Cup team on-track, having seen them post some great results so far earlier this season. So Top 20-25 or even higher than that would be a great start in the hope of proving other critics wrong who want RWR to sell their charters to an established mid-pack organization. Plus, it remains to be seen what will happen to the No.51 entry going forward since Cody Ware has been suspended by NASCAR right now due to his arrest a few weeks ago.

Yes, I’m all for competitive teams & it’s not easy for RWR to find a decent 1-2 full-time drivers + sponsorship to suddenly make their way through the field by battling for top-half places overnight – Look at Front Row Motorsports as an example with Michael McDowell since his 2021 Daytona 500 breakthrough by battling occasional Top 10s + they also got two young talented drivers in Todd Gilliland & Zane Smith & they got championship-winning Truck Series program with Zane right now.

If one team should sell their charter then it would be Live Fast Motorsports by handing it over to Legacy Motor Club or RFK Racing. Nothing against them but they haven’t been really competitive or serious enough to justify their participation at Cup level unlike Trackhouse & 23XI Racing. The last thing they may want to do is to be offered the most amount of charter money like $15-20 million, accept the offer & run by shutting it down.

StarCom Racing exactly did that when they were backmarkers for the whole time (2018-2021) before they sold their charter to 23XI to expand their 2nd full-time entry at the end of the 2021 season in time of the current NextGen race cars era. I probably see the same thing happen for LFM once the current 10-year TV rights contract expires next year before BJ McLeod can invest all that money on improving his Xfinity Series organization.

And while the No.7 Chevy car has been good as always with Corey LaJoie over at Spire, but the sister No.77 entry can do better by getting more funding and/or competitive support from Hendrick if they wish to keep their 2nd full-time charter.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail