I’m still up in wet and miserable Auckland, so here’s the last column from the other side of the Bombays.

Netball:

The Magic have stumbled and fallen inches before crossing the finish line in first place. They were doing so wonderfully well too. But those sneaky Aussies were just a bit vicious for our liking. The Waikato/Bay of Plenty side were knocked out of the ANZ Championships the weekend before last when they played the Adelaide Thunderbirds. This was the minor final and the girls lost 54-35. This 14 goal defeat was the Magic’s third loss in as many weeks, something they really couldn’t afford to do. I certainly would not have picked this outcome judging on the girls’ form throughout the season. The game was rather physical; with Magic co-captain Joline Henry saying after the match “It is very disappointing when teams have to resort to thuggery out there, like what I believe happened tonight, and that the umpires allowed that.” With five Magic squad members in the Silver Ferns it has recently been reported that the Ferns might struggle this year but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Ruth Aitken will name the Silver Ferns squad later this week, with up to 18 players possibly getting the call up. From this group a squad will be selected for three matches against an Invitation World Team in August before the two-match series against the Australian Diamonds in September.

Also in sport over the past two weeks;

Golf:

The British Open has recently crowned its king in a closely fought battle between Stewart Cink, 36, and 59 year-old Tom Watson, both from the US. At the beginning of play on the 18th hole Tom Watson was on the verge of becoming the oldest major champion by an incredible 11 years. With a few shots that went wayward by Watson the pair went head to head in a four-hole playoff. Cink came out on top with 69 for a two-under total, while Watson had to make do with 72.

Rugby:

I have a confession to make. I didn’t think the men in black could do it - triumph over the Wallabies, that is. Boy was I wrong. I wasn’t able to watch the game due to work commitments, but I had regular updates to keep me posted. It felt like every second there was a change in the score line. Aussies up, the AB’s chasing, equalling, over-taking. Then the final score of 22-16. Well blow me down with a feather! We lose to the French, almost stumble with the Italian stallions, yet we can win against Australia. The game was held at Eden Park and those in the terraces should have said good-bye as they’re being demolished and re-built for the Rugby World Cup. The AB’s are now in South Africa and would have played against the Springboks by the time you read this.

If you would like to see any mention of a particular sport feel free to email me on teresa.hattan@gmail.com.