Ma'a Nonu's impressive burst of form isn't just giving the Blues a belated, unexpected shot at making the Super Rugby playoffs.

They are known as "spark plugs", the blokes who can inject some sting from the bench.

NBA basketball owner Donald Sterling's viciously racist comments in the US remind again how lucky we are in NZ to have a comparatively settled racial landscape, writes Paul Lewis.

The return of Jerome Kaino has taken competition for places among the All Black loose forwards to an even higher level.

Are we thinking the Chiefs' wobble is serious? Or is it a glitch which afflicts every side along the lengthy Super 15 road?

Scotty Stevenson asks, "It is possible, under this system, for teams to actually find themselves drawn from the hat to play themselves, and they will be forced to field two teams?"

Lydia Ko is too good to be true. She is so good that golf aficionados speak their mind in hushed tones, or behind closed doors, writes Chris Rattue.

The rugby world would be drearier without Quade Cooper. In a sport which has become increasingly programmed as it careers deep into its second decade of professionalism, Cooper offers an all-too-rare palette of boisterous invention.

The sad business of Benji Marshall's failed code-hop has dangerously sharpened the focus on Blues coach John Kirwan, writes Paul Lewis.

When Daniel Carter finishes his sabbatical towards the tail end of the Super 15, they should steer the All Black towards playing for the Blues.

It is said rugby players - both codes - are a bit like boxers. The legs go first, the career follows, writes Gregor Paul.

Steve Hansen sounded like a tired old man whistling in the dark as he berated young rugby men for moving overseas, writes Chris Rattue.

The naming of the Kiwis side for the upcoming Anzac test looms as one of the most important in recent times.

Rugby remains a work in progress for Benji Marshall just as the Blues have to find a way to win away from home.

John Kirwan's deep into his second season and still doesn't know who the first five-eighth should be, writes Chris Rattue. It's the cardinal sin of rugby coaching and selecting.

Tanerau Latimer walks across the training field like a Maori cowboy (Hone Wayne?) who's spent seven days in the saddle.

In a world which has become a global sporting village, the Commonwealth Games are struggling for traction, writes Andrew Alderson.

It has become a constant theme that a lot of refereeing decisions being made in Super Rugby are fairly average, writes Richard Loe.

Owen Glenn, it looks clear, is positioning himself for an exit, writes Chris Rattue. If it comes down to which co-owner becomes the remaining owner, I'd plump for Watson.

The Warriors made a decisive call to get rid of Matt Elliott as coach but they should have acted more decisively when handling his "resignation", writes Michael Brown.

The Warriors' performance against the Cronulla Sharks was the worst ever because they were wiped out by a struggling side, writes Chris Rattue.

After an intriguing weekend of rugby, the Blues, Crusaders and Chiefs deserve close attention - and there's one player who warrants a special mention: the ageless Andy Ellis.

Sport divides opinion like few things in life and we have seen a handful of stories recently which have polarised people.

It's hard to think of a dumber move in sport than Andrew Fifita's comment which ended his move to the Bulldogs from the Sharks, writes Paul Lewis.

What many find difficult to come to terms with is on the scale of reckless tackles, the effort on McKinnon seemed more clumsy than brutal, writes Dana Johannsen.

Those with an interest in Blues rugby and mathematics would have been heartened by the sequence which unfolded at Eden Park.