Sir Owen Glenn owes Sonny Bill Williams an apology, writes Michael Burgess.

The Lions led the back page in Melbourne, big headlines, too: "It's a miracle: Lions back from the dead."

We hear the truths in rugby and sometimes do not want to believe them. Especially if you are a Wallaby.

Richie McCaw - your country still needs you, writes Chris Rattue. I've long believed that the great one has covered up fairly serious deficiencies in New Zealand rugby and the series against France has done nothing to dispel the theory.

It's been a worthwhile series against the French but I still have a worry nagging away at me about the development of our players.

At last we know the answer. It hasn't been the rugby league players getting in trouble for booze, violence and sexual offences. It's all down to the media ...

Ricky Ponting is finishing with cricket, announcing his retirement yesterday.

For Wyatt Crockett, this week represents a victory, if not a breakthrough.

What we have to think about is how many kids have been saved by league because there are scores who come from bad upbringings.

Within seconds of Lions manager Andy Irvine finishing his first test team announcement, journalists' fingers were hitting laptop keys to file that news.

The new soccer deal making every match in the English Premier League available online - live and on demand - is an absolute winner in my book, writes Chris Rattue.

Auditions for the Wallabies and Lions series are done - now for the main acts.

Wynne Gray arrives in Brisbane for the first Lions test where the State of Origin is the talk of the city.

Be honest, how often would you associate deft touches with Ma'a Nonu's rugby gamut?

Last week I said that while the Black Caps ODI team looks formidable, the acid test will come when they reach the must-win games. Tonight's match against England could prove to be the first of those.

Improvement across the board was demanded after the first test and it was delivered last night.

Like an out-of-control catamaran, the America's Cup continues to cartwheel towards ever-mounting disaster.

It's wonderful to hear that members of the Baby Blues used the French game to work on their pick and go, or whatever.

A quarter of an hour watching Rene Ranger give no quarter was enough, writes Chris Rattue. He only made a couple of runs in the Eden Park test, but they stood out among the surrounding dross.

The game within the game, one which warms the blood of many veterans but boils it for many spectators.

It's unusual for a news bulletin to elicit guffaws from a carful of blokes.

Went to a book launch this week. Book launch? More of a relaunch of Marty Crowe's life, really.

Surely belief is high right now for our team - but where it will get tested, and where it has failed them in the past, is in the big game.

If I was the All Black coaching staff, I'd be pretty pleased with the 23-13 win and I'd be looking to start the same 15 next test.

You could almost hear Jamie Joseph, coach of the Highlanders, saying: 'Hang on ... what's going on here?'