Scotty Stevenson: On The Sidelines — October 14

In this week's On The Sidelines, Scotty looks at the women's T20 World Cup, provincial rugby, the Black Ferns, the America's Cup and more.

The T20 World Cup has reached the final few pool matches with the White Ferns now every chance of advancing to the semifinals. By the time Sidelines lands in your inbox, the kiwis will know what they have to do to reach the final four. If India fell to Australia in the early hours of the morning, the equation is simple: beat Pakistan and advance. If India found a way to take down the tournament favourites, it will be a case of beating the maths.

Either way, a confidence boosting victory over Sri Lanka has given the Ferns every chance. The defeat to Australia was a set-back but in Sharjah on Saturday night, this team proved it could shake off the demons and get the job done. It was not smooth sailing – loose bowling in the power play allowed Sri Lanka to set a foundation for a score – but the team found a way to grit the teeth and get their performance back on track.

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It was heartening to watch the innings of opener Georgia Plimmer, who finished with a maiden world cup half century and once again navigated the power play with partner Suzie Bates. Plimmer has continued to improve over the course of the season and her aggressive style has been alloyed to a more circumspect shot selection that seems to offer her greater confidence as the innings progresses.

Pakistan have been well below their best this season and will not be helped by the absence of their best player, Fatima Sana, who has had to return to Pakistan for a family bereavement.

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It has been a challenging month for the Black Ferns but there were signs of life in Canada with a comprehensive WXV victory over France to conclude the tour. The New Zealanders’ 39-14 win was built upon a solid forward effort, giving their outsides a chance to shine. This iteration of the Ferns has unearthed a generational talent in Katelyn Vaha’akolo. The winger’s running game and finishing ability is simply otherworldly, and with Ayesha Leti-I’iga also crossing, there must be renewed confidence in the team’s ability to play a 15-woman game.

Plaudits need to go to the pack. Kaipo Olsen-Baker’s power out of the boot is world-leading, while Tanya Kalounivale’s impact off the bench was sensational. With a world cup now the next big assignment for this team, Allan Bunting and his coaching staff will have some big off-season decisions to make.

There remains some conjecture around the best 9-10 combination for the Ferns with Hannah King preferred during WXV and switches made between Maia Joseph and Iritana Hohaia at halfback. Ruahei Demant has done a reasonable job at 12, but questions remain about how best to get the team playing in the right areas of the park.

With a few months now to reflect and plan for what stands as a massive challenge in England, life looks a lot rosier, if not Red Rose-ier for the Black Ferns.

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Any notion that Team New Zealand’s sailing crew would be starting their official defence on the back foot following weeks away from match racing action were put to bed in Barcelona on the opening day of the Match.

The New Zealanders – undoubtedly aided in the first race by a battery malfunction for the British challengers in the minutes before the start – proved they are more than up for the contest, claiming the first two races with some comfort, and flexing their design muscle in emphatic fashion.

The Grant Dalton-led defenders will be in no mode to show mercy to the challenger of record as sailing was set to continue in light conditions overnight, but a whitewash of Ben Ainslie’s crew may have a huge impact on how the Cup continues in the coming years.

News this week that Ineos Chairman and the main benefactor of the British challenge, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who made his billions producing synthetic oils and plastics, has not committed to funding another challenge, will have the event on tenterhooks. This is not so much a sporting event as an arms race (and was always thus) and Team New Zealand, should it successfully defend the Auld Mug, needs challengers who see a sustainable future in their investment.

Should the Kiwis wrap the cup up within the week, the other teams may well want to look at the inherent strategic and technical advantages the defender has. To be able to hit the race course with many more weeks of development under the belt is a benefit that the defender treasures. But should it prove to be a gulf that can’t be bridged by other teams – regardless of the millions of dollars already sunk into a challenge – they may feel that the event is a game they simply can’t win. There are not many billionaires who play those kinds of games.

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New Zealand’s provincial rugby system may be under more pressure than ever, but fans of the game cannot argue with the entertainment levels provided by the first week of play offs. Across both the professional and amateur competitions, this was a weekend to savour, with the only true blowout surprisingly coming in the NPC quarterfinal match between Tasman and Canterbury.

Across the board, this was rugby deeply connected to the NZ DNA, which cannot be forgotten as the All Blacks seek to reclaim their place at the top of the world order. Close fought contests, one on one match ups, rivalries steeped in history – these are the storylines the sport has thrived off for generations.

It now remains to be seen how the competitions can keep their place in the spotlight as the All Blacks machine gets set to once again hoover up all the available headlines. For those who love the regions and the rugby they produce, this was a weekend to savour.

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We’ll have a comprehensive wrap of all the action from Mt Panorama following the conclusion of this year’s edition of the Great Race.

All eyes will be on Dubai in the early hours of Tuesday morning as the White Ferns seek a route to the world cup semifinals. A day later attention will turn to Bengaluru where the Black Caps begin a tough test match assignment against the heavily favoured Indians.

We’ll cover all the storylines as the NPC heads to the semifinals. Be sure to check in on the incredible story of former Wallaby Rocky Elsom who is now the subject of an international arrest warrant for alleged financial crimes during his tenure as President of French rugby club, Narbonne.

Liam Lawson begins his full-time F1 career this weekend when he takes the seat for RB in the US Grand Prix. We’ll have all the latest as the rubber finally hits the road.