Brewed For Sport: Vol 6

Super Rugby final is set, and it is the ‘Battle of the Bombays.’ On Friday, the Blues beat Brumbies 34-20 in in a punishing and dominant performance. They scored 4 tries within the first quarter of the game, and never really looked back. They sustained pressure on both ends consistently, and put the Brumbies away in good fashion. On Saturday, the Chiefs beat the Hurricanes 30-19. This win may have come as a bit of a surprise, given a strong season until that point from the Canes. Chiefs came out firing and on form, scoring two tries within the first six minutes. Despite captain Luke Jacobson being sin binned, they remained cool, calm and collected, and got the job done. A special mention to Damian Mckenzie for scoring 15 of their 30 points. Thus, the Chiefs take on the Blues at Eden Park on Saturday the 22nd of June, kicking off at 7pm. Both teams are searching for their first Super Rugby win in some time - 2013 being the last win for the Chiefs, and even worse, 2003 for the Blues. Given Crusaders absolute bomb of a season, there will be a new Super Rugby champion for the first time since 2016.

Bryson DeChambeau secured an EPIC win in the US Open on Monday, beating out Rory McIlroy by one shot. And it wasn’t just any shot. DeChambeau stood 50 meters out in the bunker, an unlikely and difficult shot, smacking it beautifully right onto the green, 3 feet from the hole. With class, he finished it with a beautiful little putt to close with a 1-over 71, and the chip! McIlroy will be kicking himself. For a majority of Monday he was leading, running off four birdies in a five-hole stretch, until things took a turn for the worst. On the 16th hole, he missed a 70cm putt to put him back into a tie. On the last hole, when everything was on the line, he did the same thing. A textbook shot right onto the green, only a 4 foot putt to seal the deal… and he choked it. DeChambeau saw the opportunity, and shot what he considered as “probably the best shot of my life.” Rory McIlroy hasn’t won since 2011, with seven top 10 appearances between now and then. Considering how close he was this time around, it is no surprise the tempered reaction he had, followed by an announcement he’s taking a few weeks off the sport. On the other hand, DeChambeau is soaking up his new glory, lifting a trophy and pocketing $7 million NZD.

It was a happy day for all high IQ sports fans come Wednesday. The Boston Celtics are CHAMPIONS. They defeated the Mavs 106-88 to win the series 4-1 in Boston, and boy was it a joyous moment. This chip marks our 18th as a Franchise, advancing to most NBA rings out of all franchises ever. It felt extra special, seeing as our last championship was won in 2008. It’s been a long time coming for us fans in green. Jaylen Brown won finals MVP, averaging 20.8ppg, 5.4 rebounds and 5 assists, shooting 44% from the field, as well as some lockdown defense on Kyrie and Luka. Obviously, there were arguments - should it have been Tatum? Tatum averaged 22.2ppg, 7.8rpg and 7.2apg, however, a less efficient FG and not the same defensive presence/impact. Nevertheless, Jaylen quoted “I share this with my partner in crime.” Alongside bragging rights and a lifetime of happiness, this means something for me. A tattoo. Want to see what I get? Stay tuned on the Bassline instagram @bassline96.1 to see what I get

It is Euro 2024 time! The Hot Brew Crew has been watching between our breaks in the stu, and I never thought I’d say this, but I have enjoyed watching football. There has been some exciting results so far: 

• Portugal got up in a thriller vs Czech Republic with a 2-1 win, icing the cake with a stoppage time thriller goal 
• Germany wiped the floor with Scotland 5-1 
• Spain defeated the defending champions Italy 1-0 
• Slovakia beat Belgium 1-0 in a massive upset 
• Probably the most notable, Turkey won its first opening match ever at the Euros vs Georgia 3-1, they are now 1-5-0 since the group stage began in 1980. 

I read up on some expert predictions, the average consensus being France were likely to win, and Kylian Mbappe or Harry Kane would secure the Golden Boot award. My co-host Aidan is a HUGE football fan, so I turned to him for his ‘expert predictions’. His guess for the winners are Portugal, and the Golden Boot consensus remains the same.  

All-time top try scorer Sevu Reece has signed with Crusaders for two more years, and has also changed his allegiance to Southland for NPC. This is a huge signing for the Saders, with Sevu leading us in scoring last season, accumulating 12 tries. Fans of the boys in the red sighed a sigh of relief, seeing him back after a knee injury that kept him out of both Super Rugby and the RWC in 2023. A huge bounce back season for him has resulted in a likely pick for the upcoming All Blacks squad, announced later next week. It was rumored that he flirted with the idea of a potential Japan contract to join forces with good mate Richie Mo’unga, so it’s awesome for both Canterbury and NZ Rugby fans that he decided to stay. “This club is special to me, and so much more than just a rugby team. It's a family.”