Category: Sport

Source: Radio New Zealand

Ireland take on South Africa in the Autumn Internationals at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6.40am NZT.

Team lists

Ireland: M Hansen, T O’Brien, G Ringrose, B Aki, J Lowe, S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park, A Porter, D Sheehan, T Furlong, J Ryan, T Beirne, R Baird, J van der Flier, C Doris (capt).

Bench: R Kelleher, P McCarthy, F Bealham, C Prendergast, J Conan, C Casey, J Crowley, T Farrell.

South Africa: D Willemse, C Moodie, J Kriel, D De Allende, C Kolbe, S Feinberg-Mngomezulu, C Reinach, B Venter, M Marx, T du Toit, E Etzebeth, R Nortje, S Kolisi (capt), PS du Toit, J Wiese.

Bench: J Grobbelaar, G Steenekamp, W Louw, RG Snyman, K Smith, A Esterhuizen, G Williams, M Libbok.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Follow all the UFC action, as Kiwi Dan Hooker takes on Arman Tsarukyan at Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena in Doha, Qatar.

Tsarukyan is the second-ranked lightweight in the division.

Hooker (24-12) has not fought since August 2024, a split-decision win over Mateuesz Gamrot at UFC 305.

Gamrot was also the last man to defeat Tsarukyan (22-3) in June 2022.

Main card starts approximately 7am NZT.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The All Blacks held off a brave Wales for a 52-26 win in Cardiff on Friday morning.

While the scoreline was ultimately comfortable, the home side was more than up for the challenge for long periods of the game.

Caleb Clarke showed early just how much he was missed last weekend against England, with some very strong carries and the opening try after only four minutes. Things were looking bleak for Wales, who had only won one test at their iconic home venue in the last two seasons, but they admirably threw themselves at the All Blacks off the kick-off.

Wing Tom Rogers, who was selected after a suspension to Josh Adams, then hit back with a well-constructed try only moments later. Damian McKenzie settled things down with a penalty before Ruben Love scored a brilliant try to push the All Black lead out.

However, a common theme of the test was the receiving team botching the resulting kick-off, with Wales taking advantage and sending Rogers over in the same spot as his first. Tamaiti Williams then bulldozed his way over to push the lead out to 24-14 for the All Blacks at the break.

Rogers scored his third and best try after the break to give the 70,000-strong crowd some hope, but a double to replacement Sevu Reece and another to Rieko Ioane made the game safe. Clarke and Louis Rees-Zammit traded tries in the dying stages to make the total by all the wingers to eight before the full time whistle.

Wales did make history though, Rogers joined a very select group of test players that have scored a hat trick against the All Blacks alongside Greg Cornelson, Ray Mordt and Andre Joubert. They spent an awful lot of time on defence, making 228 tackles to the All Blacks’ 85 and only had a third of the total possession.

Damian McKenzie was perfect off the tee, landing eight shots at goal.

The All Blacks can certainly take a bit out of this one, given that they only conceded four penalties in the entire match. In contrast, Wales gave up 14 and lost two men to the sin bin, which will be immensely frustrating as that effectively cost them any chance of getting close to an elusive first win over the All Blacks in seven decades.

Read how the game unfolded here:

Team lists

Wales: 1. Rhys Carre, 2. Dewi Lake, 3. Keiron Assiratti, 4. Dafydd Jenkins, 5. Adam Beard, 6. Alex Mann, 7. Harri Deaves, 8. Aaron Wainwright, 9. Tomos Williams, 10. Dan Edwards, 11. Tom Rogers, 12. Joe Hawkins, 13. Max Llewellyn, 14. Louis Rees-Zammit, 15. Blair Murray

Bench: 16. Brodie Coghlan, 17. Gareth Thomas, 18. Archie Griffin, 19. Freddie Thomas, 20. Taine Plumtree, 21. Kieran Hardy, 22. Jarrod Evans, 23. Nick Tompkins

All Blacks: 1.Tamaiti Williams, 2. Samisoni Taukei’aho, 3. Pasilio Tosi, 4. Scott Barrett, 5. Fabian Holland, 6. Simon Parker, 7. Du’Plessis Kirifi, 8. Wallace Sititi, 9. Cortez Ratima, 10. Damian McKenzie, 11. Caleb Clarke, 12. Anton Lienert-Brown, 13. Rieko Ioane, 14. Will Jordan, 15. Ruben Love

Bench: 16. George Bell, 17. Fletcher Newell, 18. George Bower, 19. Josh Lord, 20. Christian Lio-Willie, 21. Finlay Christie, 22. Leicester Fainga’anuku, 23. Sevu Reece

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

By Joel Dubber, for Reuters

Makeshift opener Travis Head scored a brilliant 83-ball 123 to lift Australia to an astonishing eight-wicket victory inside two days against England on Saturday, powering his side to 205-2 late in the final session of the Ashes opener at Perth Stadium.

The manic style of cricket, which produced the shortest Ashes test by overs-bowled to deliver a result since 1888, kept the crowd enthralled as both sides gained and relinquished the ascendancy throughout.

England had set Australia a target of 205 after being bowled out for 164 by tea on day two, losing nine second-session wickets in the wake of a Scott Boland seam masterclass of four for 33. The tourists had made 172 in their first innings.

Head, taking the place of opener Usman Khawaja, who gingerly left the field in England’s 27th over with back trouble, got Australia’s run chase off to a rollicking start, giving England a taste of their own ‘Bazball’ medicine in the third session.

The near 50,000-strong crowd came to life when Head slashed Brydon Carse (2-44) for six over third man to bring up 50 for his side, and later roared their approval when he peeled four boundaries off Ben Stokes’ second over.

Marnus Labuschagne added an impressive 49-ball 51 after debutant Jake Weatherald (23) had fallen to Carse, but the moment belonged to Head, who brought up Australia’s equal-third fastest century with a risky upper-cut and a scurried single.

The fourth innings raced to a conclusion, with Head clubbing four sixes and 16 boundaries before launching Carse to Ollie Pope at deep midwicket, hugging Labuschagne and soaking in the applause as he walked off.

Stand-in skipper Steve Smith, unbeaten on two, hit the winning run with a single punched to the off-side.

More to come …

See how it unfolded, in the play-by-play blog:

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Mark Chapman and Michael Bracewell have steadied a shaky Black Caps batting effort, guiding them to a one-day series sweep of West Indies at Hamilton.

Chasing a target of only 162 for victory, New Zealand were staggering at 70/4, but Chapman and Bracewell combined for a 75-run partnership off 48 balls that steadied the ship.

Chapman was eventually dismissed for 64 off 63 balls, including two sixes, with the home side needing only 17 runs to win. Bracewell was unbeaten on 40 off 31 balls at the end, after bowler Zak Foulkes struck the winning runs, lapping a delivery over the wicketkeeper for two runs.

Earlier, New Zealand had bundled their rivals out for 161 in the 37th over, with fast-bowler Matt Henry doing most of the damage, taking 4/43. Foulkes captured the crucial scalp of West Indies captain Shai Hope, who scored a century in a losing effort three days earlier.

This time round, Hope followed a loose delivery down legside, tickling a catch to keeper Tom Latham for only 16.

The tourists appeared dead in the water at 95/7, but their tailenders put on 66 runs for the last three wickets, anchored by allrounder Roston Chase’s 38 runs.

The international rivals now turn their attention to the red ball, with the first of three tests scheduled to begin at Christchurch on 2 December.

Follow the action here:

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The All Blacks take on Wales for their final test of the year in Cardiff.

Coach Scott Robertson has made 13 changes to the side – captain Scott Barrett and Simon Parker are the only survivors from the loss to England at Twickenham, with an entirely new backline named.

As expected, one of them is Ruben Love starting at fullback – his first appearance on the tour.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4.10am.

Team lists

Wales: 1. Rhys Carre, 2. Dewi Lake, 3. Keiron Assiratti, 4. Dafydd Jenkins, 5. Adam Beard, 6. Alex Mann, 7. Harri Deaves, 8. Aaron Wainwright, 9. Tomos Williams, 10. Dan Edwards, 11. Tom Rogers, 12. Joe Hawkins, 13. Max Llewellyn, 14. Louis Rees-Zammit, 15. Blair Murray

Bench: 16. Brodie Coghlan, 17. Gareth Thomas, 18. Archie Griffin, 19. Freddie Thomas, 20. Taine Plumtree, 21. Kieran Hardy, 22. Jarrod Evans, 23. Nick Tompkins

All Blacks: 1.Tamaiti Williams, 2. Samisoni Taukei’aho, 3. Pasilio Tosi, 4. Scott Barrett, 5. Fabian Holland, 6. Simon Parker, 7. Du’Plessis Kirifi, 8. Wallace Sititi, 9. Cortez Ratima, 10. Damian McKenzie, 11. Caleb Clarke, 12. Anton Lienert-Brown, 13. Rieko Ioane, 14. Will Jordan, 15. Ruben Love

Bench: 16. George Bell, 17. Fletcher Newell, 18. George Bower, 19. Josh Lord, 20. Christian Lio-Willie, 21. Finlay Christie, 22. Leicester Fainga’anuku, 23. Sevu Reece

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington Phoenix have lost their A-League home match against Macarthur FC 1-0.

Harry Sawyer scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute.

The visitors were the sharper side, creating more scoring opportunities, while the Phoenix struggled to get their attack in order enough to threaten the Macarthur goal.

The score would have been higher, but for some daring saves by goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi. He got a touch on Sawyer’s goal, but could not prevent it going into the net.

The result leaves the Wellington side with one win and a draw from five matches. They are eighth on the table, but that could change over the course of the weekend.

Macarthur’s second win for the season puts them two points ahead of the Phoenix in seventh place.

Auckland FC, who lead the A-League table on 10 points, play fifth-placed Brisbane Roar at Mt Smart Stadium at 3pm Sunday.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Kiwi Liam Lawson will start from sixth on the grid for the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix, after a gutsy drive in qualifying.

In a frenetic final lap, Lawson went from the fifth-fastest lap time to third, before dropping back to sixth, as Brit Lando Norris stormed to his first Las Vegas pole with a brilliant final lap.

Norris timed 1m 47.934s, with 0.323secs back to Dutchman Max Verstappen. Spaniard Carlos Sainz was third fastest, ahead of Brit George Russell and Aussie Oscar Piastri. Lawson was next in 1m 49.062s, 1.128sec behind Norris’ time.

Fernando Alonso, Lawson’s Racing Bulls team-mate Isack Hadjar, Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10.

Lawson’s best qualifying position was third in the Azerbaijan GP in September.

The three qualifying sessions on the Las Vegas Strip were chaotic, with rain causing a slippery surface, although it dried out in the closing stages.

Lawson finished 10th fastest in the first qualifying stage and then sixth in the final two sessions.

He had an eventful final practice session, his Racing Bulls car almost being hit by Brit Lewis Hamilton, while earlier, pieces of carbon fibre could be seen flying from his car onto the track.

Lawson, who is fighting for a place in the Racing Bulls team next year, is 14th in the championship standings heading in to Las Vegas, with teammate Hadjar 10th.

Norris leads Piastri by 24 points in the championship, while defending champion Verstappen is 49 points off the lead.

“Boy, that was stressful, stressful as hell,” said Norris. “It’s so slippery out there.

“As soon as you hit the kerb a bit wrong, like I did, you snap one way, lose the car the other way. Close to hitting the wall.

“No-one has driven around here in the rain before, so it was difficult to know what to expect.”

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who normally excels in wet conditions, will start last at a street circuit his team had hoped would favour them.

Television footage showed him hitting a bollard, which may have become stuck under the car, before the seven-time world champion failed to beat the chequered flag for a final flying lap that he aborted.

“Couldn’t get the tyres to work,” the Briton said over the radio.

Leclerc also had his hands full, his Ferrari stalling on track and then re-starting in that phase.

Alex Albon smashed his Williams’ suspension, when he hit the wall at the end of an opening phase that also left Mercedes’ Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli in 17th and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda 19th.

“It was very strange, like ice,” said Tsunoda. “I don’t know what has happened specifically, but clearly something isn’t working.”

Norris made it through Q1 in 13th, with Piastri a safer sixth, while Russell set the pace, ahead of Verstappen, on the treacherous surface.

The second phase was delayed slightly for repairs to the bollard at turn 14 and to clear debris from the track, as the rain eased off and a dry line emerged.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

UFC Fight Night: Arman Tsarukyan v Dan Hooker

Main event starts approximately 7am NZT, Sunday

ABHA Arena, Doha

Live blog updates on RNZ

Dan ‘The Hangman’ Hooker is back in mixed martial arts action this Sunday morning, taking on Arman Tsarukyan in a lightweight fight that headlines UFC Fight Night in Doha.

Hooker returns to the Octagon for the first time since August last year, when he defeated Mateusz Gamrot in a split decision over five rounds.

Meanwhile, Tsarukyan’s last fight was a split-decision win of his own, although you have to go even further back for that. The Armenian’s victory over Charles Oliveira was in April last year, before he suffered a back injury that’s kept him out of action since.

Where is Hooker’s career right now

Hooker, 35, arrives as the sixth-ranked fighter in the lightweight division, while Tsarukyan is No.1 among the contenders chasing Ilia Topuria’s championship belt.

It feels like the City Kickboxing stalwart is definitely on the backend of his long career, especially since most headlines about him lately have been for fights he’s organised in his backyard, rather those he’s participated in.

This match-up is the most onbrand one for Hooker though, as no-one is keen to go near the dangerous Tsarukyan right now. In the past, Hooker has jumped at the chance to face the likes of Edson Barboza, Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler, while his most notable risk was a short-notice fight against Islam Makhachev.

Hooker lost all of those fights, but rides a three-win streak into this one.

Who is Arman Tsarukyan

Tsarukyan, 29, has been in the UFC since 2019 and his debut fight was a memorable battle with Makhachev that earned ‘Fight of the Night’ status. Since then, he’s only suffered one loss and currently has a four-fight win streak.

Tsarukyan is being positioned as a serious challenger for Topuria’s title, with this fight seen by many as a stepping stone to a co-main event at a future numbered UFC card. He is known for his wrestling and grappling skills, and being able to stifle the pace of opponents that prefer a stand-up fight.

Tale of the tape

Dan ‘The Hangman’ Hooker

Age: 35

Based in Auckland, New Zealand

UFC record: 24-12 (11 KO, 7 submissions)

Height: 1.83m

Weight: 71kg

Arman ‘Ahalkalakets’ Tsarukyan

Age: 29

Based in Yerevan, Armenia

UFC record: 22-3 (9 KO, 5 submissions)

Height: 1.70m

Weight: 70kg

What they’re saying

“He’s a good fighter. He’s dangerous on the feet, but on the ground, I think my game is way better.

“I think I’m more powerful on the striking – my hands, my legs – I kick harder, I punch harder. Maybe my technique is not that good, but on the feet, if I punch him, I can knock him out.” – Arman Tsarukyan

“I did say it would be the first decapitation in UFC history. I said I would kick his head clean off his shoulders and they will have to sew it back on afterwards.” – Dan Hooker

What will happen

While Hooker certainly has the fighting spirit, it’s difficult to see him coming out on top of this one.

The main thing in his favour is Tsarukyan’s long absence from the ring, but even then, the match-up is showing a potentially long, slow submission battle.

One thing for sure, Hooker would rather die than quit, so Tsarukyan will have to bring something extra in the arsenal to make sure the result goes his way. Expect some elbows and ground-and-pound, if he gets on top from the second round onwards.

Hooker simply needs to stay on his feet and take the fight to Tsarukyan to have any chance. It’s not impossible and he does possess very experienced kickboxing ability, so one decent shot early could change the trajectory of this fight dramatically.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Follow all the action on day two of the five-test Ashes series between archrivals Australia and England.

The first test will be played in front of a soldout crowd at Perth Stadium.

First ball is scheduled for 2.20pm NZT

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand