Scotty Stevenson: On The Sidelines — October 21

In this week's On The Sidelines, Scotty looks at Team NZ's dominance at the America's Cup, Liam Lawson making his mark on Formula 1, and a test of Taura tactics at the Constellation Cup.

You have to hand it to Emirates Team New Zealand – they are a well-oiled machine. Having been given a reminder that they were in a contest in races 5 and 6, the Kiwis have been emphatic in closing out the cup in Barcelona 7-2, and in the process becoming the first team to defend the Auld Mug on three consecutive occasions.

The Moet may have been flowing overnight in Spain, but attention will already be turning to the next event, with question marks lingering over challenger Britannia’s next benefactor given a continued lack of commitment from their chief sponsor, industrial chemical polluter, Ineos; the Americans still licking their wounds from being spat out of the challenger series; Jimmy Spithill confirming his days with the Italians are done; and memories of the French and Swiss challengers actually ever being involved now hazy at best.

Grant Dalton did not rule out a return to New Zealand as such, but it is clear his list of financial demands will be out of reach for local Government, and essentially unpalatable to constituents. On top of that, Auckland Council’s byzantine bureaucracy makes effective use of waterfront real estate an almost impossible task.

So where does this Cup victory sit for Kiwi fans? On the one hand, there is admiration for the sailors, designers, and shore crew, and an abiding respect to the team that has not just pushed the boundaries of sailing but completely jumped the fence. There will be the headlines and the feel-good stories, and all of that is par for the course, deserved, and to be expected.

But there remain questions about this regatta. Taking the event from New Zealand absolutely makes business sense, but how much does that erode the goodwill built over four decades of epic challenge and thrilling defence? Many New Zealanders feel as though the cup belongs to the nation, hence why winners of the cup are first and foremost referred to by nationality rather than the name of the yacht. Having taken off for Europe and timed races for the wee smalls back here, the event organisers essentially asked, “if a boat falls off its foil and no Kiwis are up to see the splash, do you want another Estrella?”

All that aside, here’s the crux of it: Team New Zealand were too good. They have the best designers, the best sailors, the best chance to develop the right components, and they also have the sharpest minds in America’s Cup history. Whether you think him a pantomime villain or not, Dalton operates on a very high plane indeed – as do his trusted lieutenants.

So does this domination draw out the egos from their lairs and attract fresh interest in chasing sailing’s holy grail, or have New Zealand’s stranglehold on the protocol and performance through the last two cycles scared them off?

If I was a betting man, I’d say the answer is most definitely the former.

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If Liam Lawson was looking to make a mark on Formula 1 he could hardly have done a better job of his opening weekend in the RB Seat. Lawson first set tongues wagging with a blistering time in Q1 ahead of the sprint race, and then went and got right up the nose of Fernando Alonso in the race itself. Formula 1 loves and courts a controversy – large or small – so Alonso taking the time to pay Lawson’s team a visit post-race after calling the Kiwi driver "an idiot" on his team radio guarantees Lawson is in the conversation at his first full-time attempt.

For the record, Lawson finished 15th in the sprint race, Alonso 16th. I think you get the gist of it.

Alonso complained that Lawson’s defence should have been penalised, but the race director did not agree and neither, it seems, did Lawson, who refused to take the veteran’s denouncements lying down.

"He had a pretty horrible race so I can understand why he's upset," Lawson said.

Lawson also admitted that Alonso had told him he was going to "screw him" and in Grand Prix qualifying, he performed an aggressive overtaking of the rookie as if to prove a point.

"I guess he kept his word," Lawson said. "I don't know. He was really upset. I'm not sure why – we were racing for P16, and I don't know why he was so upset.

"It is what it is. Hopefully, he can get over it and we'll move forward."

The race gets underway this morning at 7.30am and you can find updates at 1news.co.nz.

The White Ferns' grand final berth* at the T20 World Cup is proof positive head coach Ben Sawyer and his team – including managers Rachel Petit and Phoebe Stanford, and assistant coaches Dean Brownlie, Paul Wiseman, and Craig McMillan – have landed on a formula that has begun to bear fruit after a torrid 12 months.

In recent months, there have been some around New Zealand cricket who were eager to place the blame for results squarely at Sawyer’s feet but having now seen the team reach the last match of the world cup, you would hope they would have the graciousness to place the credit there as well.

It’s not so much a turnaround as a culmination of a slow, strategic build. Sawyer is a pure cricket thinker – the hype and hoopla's not for him – and his MO has been to build technique and tactical discipline, which he has been forced to do while playing the world’s two best teams (neither made it through to the final, despite a huge advantage in resources) and against a backdrop of disappointment and growing unrest at home.

It is believed New Zealand Cricket extended the Australian’s contract through to the conclusion of this world cup, but must surely now act to secure his services until the One-Day World Cup next year. This is a team that must be delicately managed as it transitions to a new leader while the younger generation continues to grow. Sawyer and his team know these players and the players trust them.

It feels as if this White Ferns team has finally caught fire, and this tournament must be just the beginning. If they can continue to believe in their unique style of game, there is no reason the results won’t keep coming.

*As an aside, Sidelines was filed with the editorial team before the match so for the record, I believe the White Ferns will win.

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Under the mountain they packed the rickety stand and lined the pitch to watch Thames Valley claim the Meads Cup with a hard grafting victory over the Mighty Men of Mid, or the MC Hammers – or Mid Canterbury, to be formal.

It was another spectacular climax to the Heartland season, one in which the Hammers ended South Canterbury’s record-setting win streak at 39, and then had to ride back to Ashburton on the supporters’ bus as someone in Timaru had smashed the team bus window. Ah, the Heartland! If it’s not charter flights and tree felling to make it back to Westport, or the legendary post-game kai in Ruatoria, it’s some low-level property malfeasance.

Actually, it would have been a spectacular climax had King Country and West Coast not them played out one of the all-time epics in Te Kuiti yesterday. The scoreline was 17-15 at the turn, 34-all at full time, and 46-44 to the Rams when the whistle finally blew. West Coast had made it through to the final thanks to a 52-51 victory the week before. I’m picking the respective front rowers were praying for the end of the match.

With one final weekend of provincial rugby remaining (Wellington will host Bay of Plenty in the NPC Final this weekend) it feels as if there has been a resurgence in connection. I wrote about this last week, but I’ll say it again: We are lucky to have the provincial game. And while the suits and the high-performance boffins paid by those suits might disagree, we truly do need to take care of it.

Silver Ferns coach Dame Noelene Taurua was bullish when asked about her team’s chances of winning the Constellation Cup, but not to the point of writing off a powerful Australian Diamonds outfit.

Game One of the four-game series was held last night in Wellington where Taurua was hungry to see a better use of the ball through the mid-court, fewer offensive errors, and a more rapid transition system between defence and attack.

The Constellation Cup was decided on goals last year after the four-match series was shared 2-all. Both the Ferns and the Diamonds were undefeated at home. After losing the Taini Jamieson Trophy to England last month, the Silver Ferns are desperate to prove to themselves and their fans that they are learning on the job and learning fast.

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The Black Caps have defeated the Indian Demons in their first Test demolition on Sunday – breaking a 36-year drought.

The Backyard Ultra Team World Championships are underway in Otematata, and New Zealand's 15-strong team is going toe to toe with more than 50 other nations. The event is being held simultaneously around the world, with each team having to complete one 6.7-kilometre lap every hour, on the hour, until the last runner stands. New Zealand’s Sam Harvey leads the way, having once completed 101 laps (you do the maths) at the Dead Cow Gully Ultra in Australia.

The All Blacks continue their build-up to the first test of their northern tour when they take on Japan this weekend. The side has been in Japan since Thursday and a number of the squad enjoyed a feast at the famous Andy’s Izakaya over the weekend. All eyes will be on selections this week with a couple of new faces likely to get a shot in the black jersey as Robertson attempts to keep the squad fresh for the four big European fixtures.