The New South Wales Waratahs will carry the accumulated baggage of 10 seasons into the Super 12 rugby final Saturday, but refuse to concede favoritism to a Canterbury Crusaders lineup chasing five out of 10 titles in the dozen-franchise era.
The Waratahs have never reached a Super 12 final, had only ever once reached the playoffs until last week when they handily dispatched South Africa's Bulls at Sydney, extending their most successful season.
That performance still stood in the shadow of the Crusaders' flawless 47-7 win over the Wellington Hurricanes in the other semifinal which took them into their eighth final of the Super 12 decade, confirming them as the southern hemisphere's No. 1 provincial team of the era.
In the verbal buildup to most finals coaches battle for the underdog tag, hoping to lessen the pressure on their teams by lowering expectation. But Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie has actively shunned that billing.
McKenzie has emphasized his team's many strengths, the fact that it made the pace in the competition until the final round of the regular season, and has insisted the Waratahs start the match on an even-footing with the four-time champion Crusaders.
Instead, in the sparring which has set the tone for the final, the teams have battled over the application of the term "choker." It is a tag which has rested most heavily on the Waratahs who, in 10 seasons of unfulfilled promise, have almost come to own it.
McKenzie has been eager to point out the Crusaders have appeared in but failed to win the last two finals and has attempted to build around Canterbury the impression of a team with a finals weakness.
"I know when we lose one game, people call us chokers," McKenzie said. "So if you lose two finals, I don't know what that equates to. Obviously, they would be under a bit of pressure in that respect.
"In the back of their minds they'd be thinking, `We don't want to go down three-nil.'"
Crusaders coach Robbie Deans parried McKenzie with an assurance his team was not dwelling on its two recent final losses.
"The fact is we've lost the last two finals," Deans said. "If I can use a play on words, the only choke we want to use is the one which will give us a fast start."
Crusaders captain Richie McCaw said his team would be hardened by its recent finals experiences, even chastened by its loss to the Brumbies in Canberra last year.
"We got punished for every mistake we made," McCaw said.
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said