A history of New Zealand vs South Africa at the Rugby World Cup

The Derrick

26 October 2023

A history of New Zealand vs South Africa at the Rugby World Cup

ORLANDO, Fla. — The first commandment of sports journalism is quite simple, “Thou Shalt Not Cheer In The Press Box.”

Overlooked by oddsmakers and angered by analysts, the Arizona Diamondbacks find themselves in a Surprise Series against the also unexpected Texas Rangers. But the mindsets couldn’t be more different ahead of Friday night’s opener in Major League Baseball’s third all-wild card title matchup. The Diamondbacks listen to all the slights and keep track of them. The Rangers say they ignore all the outside chatter. Zac Gallen starts the opener for the Diamondbacks and Nathan Eovaldi will be on the mound for the Rangers.

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has defended teammate Alejandro Garnacho after the winger used gorilla emojis in a social media post about him. The 19-year-old Argentina international posted a photo of players congratulating Onana for stopping a penalty in United’s 1-0 win over Copenhagen in the Champions League. Garnacho used two gorilla emojis above the photo in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. It was then deleted. Onana, who is Black, wrote on his Instagram Story that he understood what Garnacho meant, saying it was about “power & strength.” He says the matter "should go no further.”

The Denver Broncos are out to snap a pair of ignominious streaks Sunday when they host the Chiefs just 17 days after losing for the 16th consecutive time to Kansas City. The Broncos are seeking their first victory over the Chiefs since Week 2 of the 2015 season. If they lose to them again Sunday, that will tie the Rams' 17-game skid against the 49ers 1990s, which is the second-longest ever. The record is 20 consecutive losses by the Bills to the Dolphins in the 1970s. Another streak the Broncos would like to end is their 0-11 mark against Patrick Mahomes.

Dalvin Cook expected more opportunities with the New York Jets. Carl Lawson envisioned being a bigger part of the defense. Both are frustrated with their reduced roles and their names have been mentioned in recent trade rumors. Cook signed a 1-year, $7 million contract with the Jets during training camp and has been used only sparingly through the Jets’ first six games. Lawson dealt with a back injury in training camp that lingered and he has just three total tackles, two quarterback pressures and no sacks in limited snaps.

Right-hander Merrill Kelly will start Game 2 of the World Series for the Arizona Diamondbacks and rookie Brandon Pfaadt will start Game 3 when the championship moves to Phoenix. Zac Gallen starts Friday night’s opener for Arizona and Nathan Eovaldi will be on the mound for Texas. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said he will wait until Friday to announce his Game 2 pitcher.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The first commandment of sports journalism is quite simple, “Thou Shalt Not Cheer In The Press Box.”

The Dolphins entered the season with expectations — internally and externally — of featuring a dominant defense alongside their explosive offense.

The San Francisco 49ers showed they could win lopsided games when they raced out to a 5-0 start and were barely challenged in the second half in any of those games. Pulling it out down the stretch in a tight game has been a different issue. A few key mistakes have doomed San Francisco in tight losses against Cleveland and Minnesota. The Niners will look to find that formula for winning even when everything isn’t going as planned when they host Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. They may have to do it without quarterback Brock Purdy, who's in the concussion protocol. Sam Darnold is his backup.

There will be more at stake than bragging rights when the Jets and Giants meet at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. The Giants are 2-5 and are coming off a 14-7 win over the Washington Commanders. The Jets are 3-3 and had a bye last weekend. They've won two straight games, including a 20-14 decision over the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams are playing excellent defense while their offenses have struggled. The status of Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is uncertain because of a neck injury that has sidelined him for two games.

Nathaniel Hackett studied what his New York Jets offense did in the team’s first six games and he was blunt with his assessment. The offensive coordinator said his group has been bad in both situations and his criticism is valid. The Jets rank last in the NFL in scoring touchdowns in the red zone at 29.4%, going 5 for 17 inside their opponents’ 20. New York is also last in third down conversion rate at 25%. Penalties, poorly executed plays and blown assignments have put the Jets in second- and third-and-long scenarios often through six games.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Throughout the Dolphins’ injury waves of 2022 and ’23, there’s been one major constant — wide receiver Tyreek Hill. He’s one of the few players, and definitely the best player, to play in all 25 games of the Mike McDaniel era.

The Dolphins entered the season with expectations — internally and externally — of featuring a dominant defense alongside their explosive offense.

FRISCO, Texas — Micah Parsons is part of the NFL’s new player empowerment. Instead of using the local media to express views on various topics, players just do their own thing. NBA players have been doing it for years, particularly retired players via podcasts.

Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys are riding a 10-game home winning streak as they get set to play five of the next seven games at AT&T Stadium. Matthew Stafford is visiting his hometown team for the first time since joining the Los Angeles Rams — and becoming a Super Bowl champion. More immediate concerns will be the focus Sunday. Dallas is still trying to bury the bad memory of a blowout loss at San Francisco. Stafford’s Rams are trying to capitalize on the stumble by the Niners in the NFC West race since then.

The city of Laredo, Texas, has its first Olympian. Boxer Jennifer Laredo qualified for next year’s Paris Olympics on Thursday by reaching the final of the women’s 50 kilograms competition at the Pan American Games. The 20-year-old Lozano was dominant in the semifinal against Canada’s Mckenzie Wright in Santiago, winning 5-0. She will face Brazil’s Beatriz Ferreira, a silver medalist in Tokyo, for the gold medal. Laredo has about 230,000 residents and sits on the U.S. border with Mexico.

NEW YORK — Before Kyrie Irving faces the Nets on Friday for the first time since his blockbuster trade to Dallas, the mercurial guard took a moment to reflect on the past.

Every week of Darnell Wright’s rookie season, there has been social media examination of how the Chicago Bears first-round pick is faring — clips of him plowing a path in the run game with his athleticism, holding his own to allow quarterback Justin Fields time and, yes, getting beat by vete…

Major League Baseball will soon crown a new champion.

LOS ANGELES — USC players crowded the sideline, craning their necks to see the drive that could decide the Trojans' playoff fate. Some stood on top of the bench as Utah drove 54 yards into field goal range. Others climbed on top of crates used to transfer equipment to see the final play.

Banged-up quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles visit the Washington Commanders looking to improve to 7-1 this season. Hurts is expected to play through a left knee injury. The Eagles beat the Commanders 34-31 in overtime in their first matchup this season. Washington has lost four of five since a 2-0 start. Sam Howell has been sacked a league-high 40 times. The Eagles have the second-most sacks in the league.

Tua Tagovailoa will try to stretch his career record to 6-0 against Bill Belichick's Patriots when the Miami Dolphins host New England on Sunday. The Dolphins are dealing with injuries to several contributors, and they're coming off a double-digit loss to the Eagles that was marred by penalties. The Patriots stunned Buffalo in a 29-25 defeat in which they held Stefon Diggs to just 58 yards.

The NHL this week completed an investigation into the sports wagering activities of unsigned Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto that led to the 22-year-old American being suspended for the first 41 games this season. The league said its investigation found no evidence he bet on NHL games. Most professional leagues bar their players from gambling on the outcome of any games in that league. They also have protocols for investigating them. League officials say they generally reach out to third-party integrity companies and sportsbooks to gather information. It is much more difficult to get details from offshore or illegal outlets.

The NFC North-leading Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders will have something in common on Monday night. Both teams are hoping to bounce back from lopsided losses. Detroit's four-game winning streak ended in Baltimore with a 32-point loss. Las Vegas had won two straight games before losing at Chicago by 18 points. Big plays may prove to be pivotal at Ford Field. The Lions have gained 20-plus yards 36 times and scored on nine of those plays, ranking second in the NFL in both categories. The Raiders have allowed an NFL-low 10 passes of at least 20 yards.

Lamar Jackson’s excellence was at its apex in last week’s dominant win over the Lions. The Baltimore Ravens quarterback threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score. Now the reeling Arizona Cardinals have to try to find a way to stop him. The Ravens have won two straight games heading into Sunday’s road matchup with the Cardinals, who have dropped four in a row. The 26-year-old Jackson is arguably having his best season since his MVP year in 2019. He has completed a career-high 71% of his passes for 1,610 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s also run for 363 yards and five scores.

This season is the start of a new phase for No. 11 Gonzaga. Drew Timme is gone after what seemed like an eternity in Spokane. Anton Watson is one of only two returning starters from last season’s team that went 31-6 and lost to eventual national champion UConn in the Elite Eight. Gonzaga also wasn’t ranked in the Top 10 of the preseason AP Top 25 for the first time since the 2017-18 season. Perhaps the most significant sign of the uncertainty surrounding the Bulldogs is that they were picked behind Saint Mary’s in the preseason West Coast Conference poll.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says he is elated, yet envious, as the Texas Rangers prepare to face the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series. When Texas made its first World Series in 2010, the Cowboys had the only in-season firing of a coach in Jones' 34 years owning the team. Wade Phillips was let go after a 1-7 start as Dallas finished 6-10. Both teams played at home on Halloween that year. Dallas had thousands of empty seats for a 35-17 loss to Jacksonville. The Rangers lost to the San Francisco Giants that night on their way to losing the World Series in five games.