Emma Iverson of the Stars competes against Samon Nathan of the Mystics @photosport
The Northern Mystics battled to a 60-54 win over their crosstown rivals, the Stars at Trusts Arena in Auckland on Sunday.
With both of these sides winless so far this season, one of these teams had to get off the mark and it turned out to be Mystics, who were just that bit more consistent and rule abiding.
James Tedesco of the Roosters loses the ball as he is tackled by Simon Mannering of the Warriors @gettyimages
Having won their first five games of the season, the Warriors have now lost three of their last five as they were being punished for an error-ridden performance, being held scoreless by the Roosters at Mt Smart.
For the second time in three matches, Stephen Kearney's side were completely outplayed as the visitors led 14-0 at halftime before rolling to a 32-0 victory. They failed to match the physicality of the Roosters' forwards, who produced their best display of the season.
Matt Proctor of the Hurricanes is congratulated by teammates after scoring a try @photosport
It was a ninth successive Super Rugby victory for the Hurricanes as they returned, for now at least, to the top of the table on 41 points. It was also a sixth on the bounce, five tries to two, over the beleaguered Blues who, for all their efforts, simply cannot take a trick against fellow Kiwi opposition, losing this one 15-36.
The Blues have now extended their winless streak against New Zealand sides to 16 and slumped to their eighth defeat in 11 matches this season. Their distant, mathematical playoff hopes are now in tatters.
Jane Watson of the Tactix stretching her defensive line against the Mystics @photosport
The Mainland Tactix have continued their dream start to the season, beating the Northern Mystics 42-39 in Auckland.
After defeating the Stars by a point in their opening game, the Tactix, who struggled throughout the 2017 campaign, have shown already that they're a force to be reckoned with in 2018. The Mystics, who were tipped by some to be the team to beat this year, are still looking for their first win after two games and already the signs are worrying.
Shaun Johnson of the Warriors is pumped after a solid defensive effort from the team @gettyimages
The Warriors have welcomed in a new era with a gritty win over the Wests Tigers at Mt Smart but it may have come at a huge cost with hooker Issac Luke, who made a miraculous recovery from a knee injury to start the game, Shaun Johnson and Adam Blair picking up injuries during the 26-4 victory.
The five-tries to one win was a good way to impress the new bosses since the Carlaw Heritage Trust and Autex Industries assumed ownership of the Auckland club from Eric Watson, the Warriors backed up claims that the sale was not a distraction as they overpowered an ill-disciplined Tigers outfit, who had two players sent to the sin bin.
Emiliano Boffelli of the Jaguares competes for a high ball against Matt Duffie of the Blues @photosport
The Blues crashed to their seventh defeat of this Super Rugby season, toppled 20-13 by Argentina's Jaguares in a result that was significant for the visitors and downright depressing for the hosts.
It was the Jaguares' first victory in New Zealand and first over a Kiwi side in this competition as they lit up a wintry night at a cavernously empty Eden Park in testing conditions as driving wind and rain put a premium on aspects such as skill, tactics, patience and physicality up front that the Blues are lacking throughout much of this campaign.
Blues fans have yet to celebrate anything at Eden Park this season @photosport
A stunning three-try performance from Highlanders loose forward Shannon Frizell has all but consigned the Blues to the Super Rugby wasteland for 2018, with his side winning a 34-16 bonus-point victory over Tana Umaga's battered Blues whose abysmal record against their Kiwi rivals continues unabated. They have now gone 15 matches winless against their conference rivals and have won just one of their last 26 against all other New Zealand sides.
With just two wins from eight matches, and 12 competition points, their season is all but over. It will require a miracle for them to climb into the playoff picture from here.
New Zealand competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, from 4 to 15 April 2018. It was the nations’s 21st appearance at the Commonwealth Games, having competed at every Games since their inception in 1930. The New Zealand team consisted of 251 athletes, 130 men and 121 women, across 17 sports.
The New Zealand team collected 46 medals: 15 gold, 16 silver and 15 bronze, an increase of one medal from the previous games in 2014 Glasgow, Scotland. The medals came across twelve sports. The nation won its first medal in beach volleyball, which was introduced at the Games, and its first gold medal in hockey with the Women Hockey team beating Australia in the final.
Sbu Nkosi of the Sharks takes the ball in the air against Michael Collins of the Blues @photosport
It is time to face some cold, hard facts. That Blues revival, that great turnaround we keep hearing about from within a camp that talks a lot better game than they play, ain't happening this year. Again.
That much seems clear after yet another disappointing, disjointed and downright deflating performance as Tana Umaga's men crashed to their fourth defeat in five matches this season, clouted 63-40 by a dialled-in Sharks side that made their Kiwi hosts look, at times, like second-rate fools. The Blues season officially reached crisis point.
Todd Astle of New Zealand celebrates the final wicket of James Anderson of England to win the match @photosport
It took until the final session under lights, but the Black Caps have secured their 10th test win over England, in the historic day-night fixture at Eden Park in Auckland.
Neil Wagner made the key breakthrough in the over before the dinner break on Monday, dismissing Ben Stokes, the leader of England's rearguard, and the final three wickets then went to him and leg-spinner Todd Astle in the first hour of the evening session.
As the teams head to Christchurch, where the second test begins on Friday, the Black Caps now have a golden opportunity to claim their first series win over England since 1999.
Kelly Jury of New Zealand clashes into Paula Thompson of Jamaica @photosport
The Jamaican Sunshine Girls have recorded another dark day in the history of the Silver Ferns by winning the Taini Jamison Trophy with a 59-53 victory in the final. Going into the week Jamaica had only ever beaten New Zealand twice, but in the space of three days they've doubled that tally.
The Silver Ferns' first game at the Commonwealth Games is in 12 days and it's questionable how much improvement can be found in a team that's already lost to England, Australia and Jamaica (twice) this year.
The sun sets during the first day-night test at Eden Park @gettyimages
Trent Boult led the Black Caps in a rout of England in the first session of the day-night test at Eden Park in Auckland. Boult claimed career-best figures of six for 32, while his new-ball partner Tim Southee took four for 35, after Kane Williamson won the toss on Thursday and chose to bowl.
The tourists were all out for 58 inside 21 overs, it was their sixth-lowest total, which left them with some work to do to claw their way back into the match, the first of two tests.
Grace Kara of New Zealand was named player of the match against Malawi @photosport
New Zealand eased past Malawi in their opening fixture of this year's Taini Jamison Trophy with a 75-42 win at North Shore Events Centre on Wednesday.
The lopsided scoreline against the team ranked sixth in the world has set the tone for the Silver Ferns to defend the trophy, while stay on track in their buildup for next month's Commonwealth Games.
Kirk Penney of the Breakers shares a hug with teammate Mika Vukona after the final match of his career @gettyimages
The hoops gods were looking away when Kirk Penney made his final appearance as a professional basketballer at Spark Arena on Monday night.
The 37-year-old Kiwi basketball legend, who now hangs up his boots after a storied career, deserved so much better as he produced a turn-back-the-clock farewell effort for the Breakers in their must-win semifinal. But he did not get it as his side was pipped 88-86 in an overtime thriller by Melbourne United.
Penney had a heady 17 points off the bench on 6-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Thirteen of his points came in money time, over the final two quarters, and it was a composed and accurate performance that provided a fitting fullstop on his career. It was just the result that was perversely inappropriate.
Rieko Ioane of the Blues clashes into Johnny Faauli of the Chiefs @photosport
The Chiefs' remarkable Super Rugby stranglehold over the Blues continues, in near miraculous circumstances.
The temptation at the end of a pulsating, ferocious and highly entertaining contest at Eden Park on Friday night, won 27-21 by the Chiefs, was to decry the Blues who bumbled a cast-iron chance to snap their winless streak against Kiwi opposition in New Zealand Rugby. The Blues have now gone 13 straight matches in Super Rugby without a victory over Kiwi opponents, and the Chiefs have now gone 13 straight games undefeated against the Blues – a record for one franchise over another in this competition.
Ben Stokes said he was "emotional" after being named man of the match in his second game back for England.
"I wanted to make sure I wasn't letting anyone down," said Stokes, 26. The all-rounder, who came to the crease with England 86-3, helped seal victory with 12.1 overs to spare at Bay Oval. He took 2-42, claimed two run-outs and made 63 not out as England beat New Zealand by six wickets in Tauranga to level the one-day series at 1-1.
Ben Stokes of England looks on @gettyimages
Ross Taylor loves sleeping in his own bed before internationals in Hamilton. A good night's kip would have surely followed his ton that pushed New Zealand to victory over England in their one-day series opener on Sunday.
The veteran right-hander was half of a 178-run partnership with Tom Latham as the hosts at Seddon Park chased 285 for victory under lights in the first of five one-day matches between the two combatants. Taylor got to 113 from 116 balls before being beaten by leggie Adil Rashid and stumped by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler as the two teams produced a nail-biting finish. But needing nine off the last over bowled by Chris Woakes, the hosts triumphed as allrounder Mitchell Santner delivered under pressure.
Ross Taylor of New Zealand makes it to his crease to avoid a run out @photosport
Australia have cruised to a second win in a row at Eden Park to claim the spoils in the Twenty20 tri-series.
They beat the Black Caps by 19 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method on Wednesday night – rain brought an early end when they were 121-3 after 14.4 overs chasing 151. It was a grind of a game, which made for a change from last Friday's run fest, but Australia were never put under any sustained pressure, and didn't look like stumbling.
Martin Guptill of New Zealand pulls a six @gettyimages
Colin Munro described the feeling of losing and going through as bittersweet. A "bittersweet" loss still means it'll be a trans-Tasman tri-series Twenty20 final. New Zealand advanced to the final against Australia despite losing to England in Hamilton.
Set 195 to win - and 175 to make the final as the second-placed team on the tri-series table - New Zealand lost by two runs but qualified for the series decider with a superior net run rate than their conquerors. Both sides had a win and three losses.
Mitch Norton of the Hawks celebrates with teammates after hitting the dramatic game winning three pointer in the final second @gettyimages
What looked like it was going to be a comfortable Friday night victory over the Illawarra Hawks in a game that didn't have a whole heck of a lot riding on it. In the end the Hawks snatched an unlikely 84-82 victory on a last-second Mitch Norton banked shot from closer to halfway than the three-point line.
But Henare's decision to go young late no doubt contributed heavily to an implosion that saw the Kiwi club cough up a 78-67 lead with just three minutes remaining, and be outscored 17-4 over the closing 180 seconds. You name it, it went wrong for the greenhorn lineup in those frantic final minutes.
