Rugby: Rieko Ioane to keep winging it for all blacks.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has named a formidable and near full-strength squad So it doesn't really count as the opposition in the second outing weren't up to much, but Rieko Ioane has scored consecutive hat-tricks in his last two All Blacks appearances. 

The fact the second was against the provincial opposition in a knockabout game over the weekend prevents this from being any kind of record, but shouldn't prevent anyone from being more than curious about what the youngster is going to deliver in the Rugby Championship.

Regardless of who he plays against, Ioane has proven he can score tries from almost nothing. He's proven that he's the most potent attacking weapon in world rugby and that all the All Blacks have to do is give him the ball with just a fraction of pace. 

That's all he needed in the first test against the Lions last year. That's all he needed in the North Harbour clash against South Africa and in final outing of 2017 to score two crucial tries against Wales. 

And that's all he needed to score a hat-trick against France in Dunedin and another in the 'Game of Three Halves' on Friday night.

What's also becoming more apparent with Ioane is that he's at his most lethal when he attacks through the midfield. That doesn't mean he's best suited to playing in the midfield, rather than when he comes off his wing and attacks in that channel off the center's shoulder, he's just about untouchable. 

That's where he damaged Wales and France and it's because when he pops up there, he's usually at full tilt against a defender that can't match his pace.

When he makes such a good job of demolishing defenders in that space and is so deadly when he comes off his wing, inevitably the question becomes whether the All Blacks should shift him to center. 

That's where he played most of his schoolboy rugby and is his stated preference. The Blues used him there and at second-five for most of this year and barely had him on the wing at all. 

Rieko Ioane of the All Blacks scores a try during the Game of 3 Halves. It's also where the All Blacks used him in the 'Game of Three Halves', but it's not a position he's likely to be used in again by the national team. 

Not from the start of a game anyway. Maybe, depending on the configuration of the bench, he could be asked to fill in at center in the latter stages of some tests, but the prospect of him starting a test there this year, unless there is a long and significant injury drama, is slim to non-existent.

"He was all right but we have got enough of them," said All Blacks coach Steve Hansen after the 'Game of Three Halves' in regard to how he felt Ioane played at center."To give everyone a run the logical thing was to put him at center. We didn't really care where people played we just wanted them to play and experience burning lungs.

"The All Blacks already have a midfield log jam without Ioane adding to it. Hansen knows that Ioane has the ability to play at No 13 and play well there for the All Blacks, but that he's better suited to being on the left wing. As to who will be at center for the All Blacks in Sydney, that question is not so easy to answer.

With Sonny Bill Williams unavailable, Ryan Crotty will revert to second-five and that will create a straight choice between Anton Lienert-Brown and Jack Goodhue. 

The former has more experience and was starting to produce his best form for the Chiefs in the closing stages of Super Rugby. But Crotty and Goodhue have been the Crusaders preferred combination for the past two seasons and while the latter only has the one cap, the temptation of keeping the club mates together might be too hard for Hansen to resist. 

That also paves the way for Lienert-Brown to come off the bench where he has shown an ability to be a high contributing impact player. The other added attraction of picking Goodhue at the center is that he's rated one of the best distributors in the country, particularly his ability to exploit a two-on-one.

SummerSlam 2018: Seth Rollins feels reborn in WWE – and he says nobody can hold a candle to him other than AJ Styles

Every time Seth Rollins walks out into a WWE arena to perform, thousands of fans scream “burn it down!” but it was an unfortunate injury to tag team partner Dean Ambrose that he admits reignited his career. 

Being part of the Shield is a special thing,” Rollins told the South China Morning Post via a phone call from China, where he was promoting WWE’s September 1 show in Shanghai at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. 

“Any time the three of us are healthy and in the same place we can get into some trouble."Not that I would wish injury on Ambrose at all, but that was something that lit a fire underneath me. 

It’s definitely been a blessing in disguise for my singles career.”Rollins and Ambrose, two-thirds of fan-favorite faction “The Shield” along with Roman Reigns, reunited last year and had a run with the tag team titles.

But Ambrose underwent triceps tendon surgery in December, leaving former two-time world champion Rollins in limbo. 

It was like OK, I’ve got to kind of refocus, reset my priorities and move forward,” Rollins added. “I was presented with some cool opportunities early in the year.

”Rollins went on to claim the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 34 in an acclaimed triple threat match against Finn Balor and The Miz.“Yeah, it’s been a really good year for me,” Rollins said. 

“Honestly, you look at my body of work from SummerSlam last year to SummerSlam this year – I really don’t think there’s anybody on the main roster, aside from an AJ Styles give or take, that can compare with what I’ve done.

“From winning the tag team titles to winning the Intercontinental title at Mania, to the gauntlet match performance on Raw, to some of the matches I’ve been a part of the last six months, nobody can hold a candle to what I’ve done in the ring.

“I definitely feel I’m back on top for sure.”Rollins has gone on to bring a level of prestige back to the Intercontinental championship that has been missing in recent years.

“The Intercontinental title has meant a lot to me this year, it’s kinda been the cornerstone of my rebirth as an in-ring performer,” the 32-year-old said.

“It’s really been a fantastic experience, a lot of credit is due to my opponents and the people that have helped make that championship as important as it was. 

To main event a pay-per-view with the Intercontinental title for first time since SummerSlam ’92 when Bret Hart faced the British Bulldog at Wembley Stadium, that’s a pretty incredible feat and shortlist to be on.

“I was always proud to wear the Intercontinental championship just based on the legacy of that title alone. To be able to be part of that history now is fantastic. It helped me, and I helped it.

”WWE heads to the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn for SummerSlam on August 19, with Rollins looking to reclaim the Intercontinental Championship from Dolph Ziggler. 

But since relinquishing the WWE championship in November 2015, with a knee injury keeping him out for nearly seven months, Rollins has only held the top title in WWE for a fleeting moment. 

He defeated then-champion Reigns on his return from injury in June 2016, only for Ambrose to cash in his “Money in the Bank” contract seconds later to snatch the title.

“Right now my focus is Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I want all the gold because I do,” Rollins said."I’m definitely focused on winning back the Intercontinental championship, but the Universal championship is in my sight some point in the future.

“I would love to ride that wave to maybe a champ versus champ match depending on who comes out on top between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns at SummerSlam.”“We’ll see. 

At the end of the day, it’s all about winning and building a legacy, and I’ve been a dual champion before,” he added, referring to his simultaneous run as WWE champion and the United States champion in 2015. 

Rollins came to Shanghai two years ago for WWE’s first live show on the mainland and has been in the city this week to promote next month’s show.
It’s been a busy couple of days, taking in a visit to Shanghai Shenhua’s training ground to meet Demba Ba and Co, as well as a traditional tai chi lesson. 

This time around it’s so much cooler for me, this week of media has been fantastic,” Rollins said.
“The sky is the limit over here, obviously it’s still a new market for us, we’re getting fresh eyes and ears every single time we come over here.

“But I think there’s an incredible upside to coming to this part of the world. Every time we come we’re better and better.“The experience has been fantastic. There’s no reason why we can’t keep cultivating it, there are so many people over here that maybe it can be even bigger than in the States.”

WWE has six Chinese talents in developmental at their Performance Centre in Orlando, with Xia Li set to compete in the all-female tournament the “Mae Young Classic” for the second year in a row. "She’s doing really well,” Rollins said. 

“It’s pretty cool to see the talent excelling in that way so quickly. It’s a new market for us, and we haven’t even broken the surface on what the talent possibilities are.

“To see a market not familiar with WWE, and we can come in progress so well, that’s fantastic. But it’s the tip of the iceberg.“Who knows what the future holds, there’s no reason we couldn’t see a Chinese women’s or men’s champion down the road.”

Hat-trick, a century on captaincy debut – Andre Russell’s perfect day

Andre Russell had one of those days that cricketers everywhere dream of – a hat-trick and a century in the' same match, and on his captaincy debut that too. 

Russell almost single-handedly ensured Jamaica Tallahwahs opened their CPL 2018 campaign with a four-wicket victory against Trinbago Knight Riders on Friday, 10 August, in a match that saw plenty of records tumble. 

Russell’s century, which came off 40 balls, was the fastest in CPL history, and the totals notched up – the Knight Riders’ 223/6 and the Tallahwahs’ 225/6 – were the highest in the tournament. All of 448 runs were scored between the two sides, of which Russell, incredibly, contributed a 49-ball 121*. 

What made Russell’s knock even more astonishing was that he rescued his side from the pits: the Tallahwahs were 41/5 at one stage, and given the Knight Riders had posted 223/6, victory looked extremely unlikely. 

But Russell cannot be discounted, especially when he’s given a lifeline – Ali Khan dropped him off the first ball he faced, and he teed off thereafter. 

With Kennar Lewis providing support, the two added 161 runs for the sixth-wicket, a stand that was the bedrock of the chase. Lewis scored a 35-ball 51. 

The stand was broken in the 18th over, with 22 runs still to get, but Russell took charge and finished things off in the final over, lifting a six – his 13th – off Sunil Narine. 

With Andre, it was pretty easy to bat,” Lewis later said. “I just rotated the strike. I played simple. He's my brother.”The feeling was mutual. “I believe in Kennar,” said Russell. “That's the reason he is in the lower order with me. 

He's there to back up. I'm happy for him. He's like a brother to me. I got emotional when he got to his fifty.”The Knight Riders could well have reached a total closer to 235 had it not been Russell’s hat-trick. Chris Lynn’s 27-ball 46 and half-centuries from Colin Munro (61 off 42) and Brendon McCullum (56 of 27) had set things up well and heading into the final over, they were 212/3.

McCullum then hammered a four off Russell, but Dre Russ fought back. McCullum miscued a full-toss and walked back the very next ball, Dwayne Bravo (29) was cleaned up by a yorker, and Denesh Ramdin holed out. Russell ended with 3/38. 

To think it all happened on the day he was made captain. “First game as a captain at this level, definitely it's a good start,” he said. “I am going to enjoy this till it lasts. 

The hard work has been paying off."I appreciate the drop catch. These things happen in the game. I'm happy that I can contribute to the team, I’m happy for the boys.”Bravo, the Knight Riders skipper, admitted Russell was an unstoppable force on the day. 

“Well played to him and congrats on winning the first game as a captain,” he said. “Not much we can do, I’m very happy for him personally. He proved why he's the best in the world at the moment. I hope he stays fit and healthy.”