England No 8 Ben Earl will be a key figure in the Dunedin test. Photo / Getty Images
Chris Rattue has been a journalist since 1980 and is one of the most respected opinion writers in New Zealand sports journalism.
OPINION
All Blacks v England, Saturday 7.05pm
England are breaking new ground, seeking a rare rugby win on New Zealand soil by running the ball. Or so they say.
Pre-test focus is on their No 10 Marcus Smith, a razor-sharp runner with a haircut to match. But it’s hard to believe that coach and former England forward Steve Borthwick believes he can outrun the All Blacks.
The key English player for my money is No 8 Ben Earl, a demonstrative wrecking ball at No 8.
The 26-year-old – unusually short for a No 8 – has great acceleration, enough to see him used in the backline, and the confidence to say he wants to be a rugby superstar.
Earl, his fellow loosies, the great lock Maro Itoje – they are England’s spark plugs.
Okay, the world moves on. But it’s still hard to look at an England team and think the major threat will come in the backs.
Coverage: Sky
Spain v Germany, Saturday 4am
Football anticipation doesn’t get any better than this Euro 2024 quarter-final in Stuttgart.
Spain are the form team – they play a beautiful game, whereas others have stalled under the Euro pressure.
A key to the Spanish style is their wings, the 16-year-old Lamine Yamal and the tournament’s rising star Nico Williams. They also have the immaculate football conductor Rodri pulling the strings from a deep midfield position, a true delight for football aficionados.
This clash between the two most successful teams in Euro history would have been a great final.
Coverage: TVNZ+. Other quarter-finals – Portugal v France, Saturday 7am (also live on Duke), England v Switzerland, Sunday 4am (also live on Duke), Netherlands v Turkey, Sunday 7am.
British Grand Prix, Monday 2am
Formula One champion Max Verstappen has become a fast-moving target after the Dutchman’s dust-up with Lando Norris at the Austrian Grand Prix.
The McLaren team continue to take aim at Verstappen, after the crash that forced Norris out of the race.
Norris gets another crack at Verstappen, this time on home territory at the famous Silverstone Circuit north of London. A tasty rivalry in the making.
Coverage: Sky
Warriors v Bulldogs, Saturday 5pm
Finally! Fullback superstar Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has publicly conceded his shift to centre isn’t working, and Warriors coach Andrew Webster has finally confronted the issue by admitting he may try the sharp stepper as a wing.
Our advice: the time is right for the ol’ switcheroo.
A firing RTS is just what the Warriors need to burst back into finals playoff contention.
A mid-game RTS switch is something to watch for at Sydney’s vast Olympic stadium ground on Saturday evening, although injuries may limit Webster’s options for now.
The Bulldogs – led by lethal centre Stephen Crichton – are unbeaten at home this season.
Wimbledon, 10pm each night
Just a reminder: TVNZ is carrying the famous tennis tournament, an 11th-hour decision after mainstream coverage initially appeared doomed.
Coverage: TVNZ+
Tour de France, Sky and Netflix
If you love cycling, David Walsh of The Times is compulsory reading. He’s hard to resist even for someone with just a passing interest.
It’s hard to imagine anyone covering a sport with more feeling, energy and insight. (He’s the man who did much to uncover the Lance Armstrong scandal).
Walsh highly recommends the (so far) two-season Netflix series Tour de France: Unchained, which delves behind the 2022 and 2023 races.
“It felt like I’d never been to the race... the series is that good,” enthused the veteran Irish sports correspondent a few days ago.
That is one heck of a two-thumbs up, one I’m about to act on.
Some riders have complained that the Netflix series’ drama is overly staged (excuse the cycling pun).
But if following the current tour (it’s daily on Sky, starting around 11pm) is not your thing, or you want to flesh the race out, Unchained sounds unmissable.
For live commentary of All Blacks v England, join Elliott Smith on Newstalk ZB, Gold Sport and iHeartRadio.
You can hear the Alternative Commentary Collective on iHeartRadio, Hauraki and Sky Sport 9.
Live updates at nzherald.co.nz.
