Field Theory by Hadyn Green

Yes, it was a rough Sunday morning. We gathered, with friends, for a cooked breakfast and a delayed broadcast of the Super 14 final. Unfortunately, I had already heard the result on the 8am NatRadio news (where it appeared as an after-thought), so it was a bit difficult to feign excitement. General agreement on switching off at around the 60 minute mark.

I wonder if it would have different if Sitivatu and Leonard had been playing, and de Malmache hadn't gone off. Maybe not much difference!

Home refs? In a Super 14 final? You can't say it influenced the outcome, but that seems like pretty poor form all the same.

I stayed up last weekend to watch the Crusaders, couldn't get excited enough to watch the Chiefs. The Crusaders were looking pretty good yesterday morning!

I think the key thing in this match was the body-clock factor. It's just too hard to play games at 3am!

The South African teams have the advantage coming back this way that they're playing at 730/830am - which is at least a normal time to be awake.

I was at the QWEC for that Pulse game too. *sigh*

Much more fun was the Saints game there the night before. I understand basketball isn't your favourite flavour, but that was a hell of a good time. Bonus: Wellington ended up winning.

I understand basketball isn't your favourite flavour

Me? I like basketball well enough, but Friday I was drinking and basketball vs drinking is like the Chiefs vs the Bulls (too soon?)

Heh. Fair enough. I saved my drinking until after the basketball. (Tho' I followed my friends into Chicago for initial post-game drinks. That place is worse now than it was ten years ago, and it was bad ten years ago.)

My Sunday sport watching was going to see the Warriors get over Wests Tigers 14-0 at Mt Smart. Bit on the wet and freezing side though. Must have gloves next time.

However, a bit of a brickbat to Veolia Transport with the trains/rail buses. I take the trains to and from the games at Mt Smart from the city. The Penrose station is only 5-10 minutes walk from Mt Smart, so very handy. They have a couple of trains on afterwards going back to Britomart which tend to be packed. A good service.

Unfortunately this weekend the train line was closed. OK, I can live with that. There were replacement rail buses that went from Britomart to Penrose station. Also good. But then this pearler from the Veolia info website:

Connexauckland.co.nz

Due to the Block of Lines on Queen’s Birthday weekend there will be no additional services for the Warriors v West Tigers game at Mt Smart on Sunday 31 May.

That seemed to mean there would be ONE replacement bus from Penrose Station immediately after the game at 5.47, one at 6.47, 7.47 etc. Thankfully I was able to catch a ride back to town with friends who were also at the game once I realised that. I didn't fancy freezing waiting to get on the one bus that might have left by the time I could get out of the stadium. Or waiting another hour or so to try and get on that bus...

Presumably most of the other 15.634 who attended the game also went home by car.