There is plenty happening once again this weekend in the world of sport, but let’s start in Sochi one last time as the Winter Olympics draw to a close. The final few days of competition sees the final of the men’s hockey taking place as hosts Russia look to win the gold for the first time since 1992. It’s fair to say that a few nations are hanging the success of their Games on this event – while Russia has made it their number one target, so too the Canadians will consider Sochi a failure if they don’t win this one.
The men’s slalom will close out the alpine skiing events at this Winter Olympics and we like the look of Austria’s Marcel Hirscher here. Having said that, this event is worth watching simply for the edge of your seat action, with one tiny mistake potentially leading to disaster.
The Super Rugby gets underway this weekend with teams from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia facing off in their quest for the prestigious Super 15 title. The biggest clash of the weekend sees two South African sides in the Sharks and Bulls facing off in Durban. These two played each other in the 2007 final and have a great rivalry which will be enhanced by the arrival of highly respected coach Jake White at the Sharks. The other big clash sees White’s former team, the ACT Brumbies, playing the Queensland Reds. These are Australia’s two hottest sides and whoever wins this opening round clash will take a heap of confidence into the season.
The biggest match in the EPL this week sees Everton travel to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea. The Blues hold a one-point lead in the league over Arsenal, with Manchester City and Liverpool not far behind, while the Toffees need a win to keep their fading Champions League hopes alive.
And there are a couple of big games in the NBA on Sunday, with the Clippers on the road at Oklahoma City in the Western Conference and Chicago headed to Miami in the East as they look to continue their recent resurgence. We lean towards the home side in both games.
Good luck and good punting.
