El Niche Cache
April 6, 2021
Podcast
TNC Variety Show - Episode 11
The Niche Cast: The Epics
Reading Menu
Monday Morning Dummy Half: Kiwi-NRL Eels (And Storm Involvements) (NRL
Charlisse Leger-Walker Is Already Dominating College Basketball And She’s Only Just Getting Started (Basketball)
The Blackcaps Adventures Have Just Begun (Cricket)
27fm Album Jukebox – March 2021 (Music)
The Premmy Files – Auckland City & Hamilton Wanderers 2020-21 Season Reviews (Football)
The Premmy Files – Eastern Suburbs & Waitakere Utd 2020-21 Season Reviews (Football)
Scotty’s Word
Lydia Ko is playing good golf…
Massive final round at the ANA Inspiration for Lydia Ko, taking her to a 2nd place finish. Ko shot 62 in the final round while no other player in the top-10 shot better than 66, giving Ko her third top-10 finish in four tournaments this year. For those buzzing about the financials, three top-10 finishes and one tied-26th amounts to $491,944 in prizemoney.
We’re never really interested in counting other folks money, but this is an easy marker for context with where Ko is at. In 13 events last year, Ko won $677,545 in prizemoney and in 2019 Ko played 24 events to win $444,256. Compare those to what Ko has already done this year and cowabunga.
As I’ve found in covering Ko recently, it’s not about wins. Sure, Ko would love to win a tournament and especially a major. In the context of Ko’s career and the grit she showed during some tough years (folks have a tough day or week - tough years plural requires immense foresight and positivity), Ko is now living in the top-10 and I’d much rather enjoy a consistently good Lydia Ko as opposed to a couple highs then lows.
Here are Ko’s results since the start of last year…
2020: Missed cut, 28T, 2T, 12T, 14T, 28T, 6, 42T, 18T, 8T, 4T, 13T, 5T.
2021: 2T, 8T, 26T, 2.
Ko’s average driving distance was 254.41m in 2020, now it’s 259.94m in 2021.
Blues Dude…
After losses to Crusaders and Chiefs, the Blues bounced back to defeat Wellington Hurricanes in Auckland. Comparing the loss to Chiefs and win over Hurricanes makes for pretty interesting reading…
vs Chiefs
Possession: 46 %.
Rucks Won: 42 %.
Scrums Won: 57 %.
Penalties Conceded: 12.
vs Hurricanes
Possession: 44 %.
Rucks Won: 41 %.
Scrums Won: 36 %.
Penalties Conceded: 10.
In both games, the Blues had less footy and their opponent won more rucks. Against the Hurricanes, the Blues also missed 25 tackles to the Hurricanes’ 9 missed tackles and yet the Hurricanes didn’t feel as threatening as other teams. The use of Ngani Laumape was an obvious plan as he kept plugging away running back into the Blues forwards and that didn’t seem like the best use of Laumape when he could target space between Blues backs - especially either side of Rieko Ioane.
I’m interested in how Laumape is used for the All Blacks when that time comes. We all know how powerful Laumape is running the footy, yet that diminishes when he’s running into Dalton Papali’i and Tom Robinson. In international footy, Laumape would be running into the best forwards in the world and that doesn’t seem efficient; get Laumape running between backs and he might make a linebreak, get an offload or a quick recycle.
Laumape finished with 12m from 10 carries. No tackle busts or clean breaks.
As you’ll know, I’m a TJ Faiane fanboy and he started in the midfield to roll out a typically solid performance. The Rugbypass player stats are delayed so I’ll check back in for Friday’s email, yet this stat-line from Faiane sums up what he does as a midfielder - a specialist midfielder…
1 try, 21m from 7 carries, 2 tackle busts, 7 passes, 1 offload, 1 kick, 10 tackles with 1 miss.
Not super bonkers, just solid and varied.
In the forward pack, Sam Darry started alongside Tom Robinson. Darry was the busiest lineout target but struggled physically as he was steadily monstered by the Hurricanes (eye-test) and gathered 0m from his 3 runs (stat-test). Robinson wasn’t as impactful as he has been coming off the bench either and these moves offer insight into the best Blues combos moving forward.
Not too many teams have a bloke like Robinson coming off the bench - maybe best bench forward in the comp? Darry is obviously behind Patrick Tuipulotu and seeing Darry in action, along with the other locks in the competition can only lead one to be grateful for Tuipulotu’s skillset.
Dalton Papali’i led the Blues in tackles and turnovers won: 18 tackles, 2 turnovers won.
No penalties conceded either. Papali’i is a defensive x-factor for the Blues and while he’s a powerful runner himself, having him working in conjunction with the likes of Hoskins Sotutu and Akira Ioane is really fun to watch.
Lastly…
Mark Telea is from Auckland, plays for Tasman and Blues.
Salesi Rayasi is from Wellington, plays for Auckland and Hurricanes.
(Rayasi is really good as well).
Wildcard’s Notebook
The Flying Kiwis Beat always takes a booster shot around this time as the Scandinavian and American leagues near their resumption. It’s not secret that the US of A houses many of Aotearoa’s finest footy players both male and female while the nations of Scandinavia have often provided a first dip of the toes into pro footy for kiwis and increasingly in recent years we’ve got men and women playing in their very top leagues as well. Joe Bell’s about to get back underway with Viking. CJ Bott played a Champions League game with Vålerenga recently – although the Norwegian leagues have had a delayed start to things because of that pesky lingering pandemic. Logan Rogerson’s just signed with the top team in Finland.
Every new season comes with a fresh slate and redeemed optimism. Very few keep that optimism for much longer but the open possibilities of the opening games are always a beautiful thing. However if those leagues are nearing their starts, that means other leagues in Europe in particular are nearing their dramatic conclusions. So here are a few situations to keep a close eye on from the Flying Kiwis realms...
Winston Reid - Brentford FC (English Championship)
Brentford are very much in a promotion hunt, with a lucrative place in the Premier League on the line if they can get it done. The Bees have been one of the standout teams all season but just lately have started to stumble in front of goal and it’s costing them points which they can’t get back. It’s starting to feel like if it isn’t Ivan Toney, Champo top scorer currently, then it’ll be nobody but Brentford are still right up there despite only on win in their last five matches. Norwich are probably out of reach but Watford are catchable if they start winning in a hurry again – the top two places being automatic promotion while the following four compete in playoffs for the last spot.
Winston Reid isn’t a full-time Brentford player, he’s only on loan for this season, but helping those jerries get promoted A) boosts his reputation and proves he’s truly back, B) gives him a secondary option in the PL if West Ham don’t want him, and C) Brentford are a really cool club that does things in an interesting, non-conformist way and they’d be heaps of fun in the top flight with or without Winston. But preferably with (unless there’s a spot on West Ham’s Champions League squad list for him).
Nik Tzanev – AFC Wimbledon (English League One)
Opposite yarns for these next two as they just wanna stay where they are. AFC Wimbledon had been in free-fall until Nik Tzanev got his big chance, along with a few timely goals at the other end, but there’s still a heap of work to be done. The Dons have games in hand, sitting one point away from safety with a comparable goal difference to all those around them. All a matter of taking care of their own backyard the rest of the way with a few good results and that’ll do it... but since Tzanev’s last second penalty save heroics that earned them a win over Northampton Town last week they’ve had consecutive 1-0 defeats.
Tommy Smith – Colchester United (English League Two)
It’s a lot harder to get into the EFL than it is to drop out of it. There are only two relegation spots in League Two and that’s a huge relief for Colchester as it probably keeps them safe for another season. They’re five points clear of Southend, though having played a game more, with six more opportunities to pick up points. Two more wins should do it, although the U’s haven’t won in nine matches so possibly gonna be more about watching how Southend and Grimsby Town do instead. At least Smithy’s defence have helped grind out a few draws to keep the tally from getting stagnant.
Hannah Wilkinson – MSV Duisburg (German Bundesliga)
This one’s probably not gonna work out positively. Wilkinson was signed by the Zebras in midseason to bring some attacking prowess to the worst goal-scoring team in the German top flight and she has improved them a little... but they lost 3-0 to Eintracht Frankfurt last week and heading into the international window they’ll be searching for answers sitting six points adrift from safety with only five games remaining. Having not won a league game all season (4 draws and 13 losses). They also don’t have any games remaining against the two teams directly above them. Gotta do it the hard way now (Wilkie only signed until the end of the season btw, so if they do go down then she’ll probably just sign somewhere else).
Niko Kirwan – Reggiana (Italian Serie B)
Another relegation battle. There are a few of those... although it looks like Liberato Cacace’s STVV have pretty much done enough to remain in the Belgian top flight, which is nice. Niko Kirwan’s Reggiana only got promoted last season so they’re out to avoid yo-yo status. Kirwan is in and out a bit at right back but has still featured in 22 of 32 games (starting 14), though eight games without a win as them in big trouble right now. Gotta get out of the bottom three which are automatic relegation spots. Then gotta try get above the next two spots as well which go into playoffs for retained Serie B status. It’s all super close there with six games remaining, although 15th place is getting a bit distant. Just gotta get those precious, precious results.
Annalie Longo & Claudia Bunge – Melbourne Victory (Australian W-League)
And finally let’s get our heads out of the relegation mud and stare up at some potential glory with Claudia Bunge and Annalie Longo gonna start for Melbourne Victory up against Sydney FC in the W-League Grand Final on Sunday. Victory lost 2-1 to Sydney (who as minor premiers have home-field advantage) last week in the final game of the regular season, which determined who’d finish first, but they bounced back with a 6-2 win over Brisbane in the semis. Bunge has been ever-present for the strongest defence in the league. Longo is seeking to win her second one of these after tasting glory with Sydney FC back in 2013 (not to mention having just won the NZ Premiership with Canterbury Pride in December). Kickoff is at 6pm on Sunday. Get amongst.
And one more time with feeling, here’s Olivia Chance’s worldie of a goal from that semi-final...
Elsewhere… I had a very random thought over the long weekend, while reading some rando on twitter trying to claim that No Code isn’t just the best Pearl Jam album of all (it’s not even top three, lol) but it’s also the best album of 1996 full stop. Obviously that’s wrong too. The best album of 1996 is either Outkast’s ATLiens, Sleater-Kinney’s Call The Doctor, or maybe Willie Nelson’s Spirit.
Which is quite a range there… but yeah I had the idea to list my favourite album from each year as far as I can go back and maybe include that as an email bonus at the end. One decade at a time or something. I’ll see how it goes, I’m not gonna be so redundant as to try and claim the ‘best’ album of each year, just one that I really like. Or maybe I won’t get around to doing it at all. I’m just spitballing here.