All Blacks the All-time Winningest Rugby Team in the World

The New Zealand All Blacks completed their autumn tour of Great Britain and Ireland today, by beating a gallant Wales 37-25, and rolled decisively to their third grand slam over all the home unions in the last five years. The All Blacks outscored the Welsh by five tries to one and in the process set two major world records. The world's best first five-eighth, Daniel Carter, broke Jonny Wilkinson's world record total of 1,178 points with his second kick of the match. The biggest difference between the two champion flyhalves is that Carter accumulated his total from a lot less games, and did so by scoring 4 times as many touchdowns as his English counterpart.

In defeating the Welsh, the All Blacks also raised their all-time, all-comer, winning record to over 75% of their games. This is a phenomenal feat, one that is almost unheard of in any football code. This is especially so when you consider that New Zealand has been playing international rugby for well over 100 years. Even more astonishing is the fact that New Zealand has such a small population, currently estimated at just under 4.4 million persons. Closest rivals Australia has 22 million, South Africa has 50 million, while England has 51 million and France has a whopping 65 million citizens. Not too shabby for such a little nation, New Zealand is currently ranked No. 1 of all the top rugby playing nations and has been at that position for most of the time that the International Rugby Board has ranked international teams. By comparison, the team with the greatest winning percentage in the National Football League in the United States is the Dallas Cowboys with 58%. In truth the All Blacks define international rugby and what it means to win.

Spurs Mature in Champions League

Republished from BBC Sport by Phil McNulty: Xavier Hochstrasser was a dim and distant memory as Tottenham's impressive progress in the Champions League took them into the last 16 with time to spare. Remember the name? Back in August's high summer, Hochstrasser put Young Boys of Berne three up inside 30 minutes in a qualifier that threatened to make a mockery of Spurs' hopes of making an impact on Europe's biggest stage after a 49-year absence. Spurs recovered to lose 3-2 in what manager Harry Redknapp labelled "a great defeat" - and so it proved as they regrouped over two legs to escape an ignominious early exit and reach the group phase.

Events in Switzerland seemed an age away as White Hart Lane celebrated the latest demonstration of Tottenham's growing maturity in the Champions League with a convincing dismissal of Werder Bremen. We did not witness the swashbuckling wave of attacks that swept Inter Milan away on that memorable night but it was still an impressive statement of intent that confirmed Spurs have the capability - in an attacking sense at least - to give any opponents problems as the Champions League progresses. Werder are a team stripped of key players and confidence but the manner in which Spurs took control from the moment Younes Kaboul volleyed them into an early lead allowed them to illustrate how they have grown into the Champions League. Further goals from Luka Modric and Peter Crouch, with a missed penalty from Gareth Bale in between, put Spurs through to the knockout stage and presented them with the enticing possibility of topping Group A if they win at FC Twente in their final game. The victory capped a fruitful few days for Spurs as they followed up their dramatic comeback win over Arsenal with a performance that will have added to their burgeoning European reputation.

Redknapp raised eyebrows at the weekend when he insisted Spurs can consider themselves Premier League challengers after victory at Arsenal. And he was in no mood to hurl a bucket of cold water over White Hart Lane expectations as his side added three goals against Werder to the three against Inter Milan, four against FC Twente and another four against Young Boys in the second leg of the qualifier. If Spurs fans are revelling in watching their team inflict naked attacking intent on European opponents, Redknapp is enjoying it just as much. He offers bold words that sit comfortably alongside the bold actions of his players. "We have played some great attacking football in the Champions League," he said. "I think we will give teams problems in the way we play. We have got to keep going in the Champions League. Who knows what can happen? "We've got players who can get in any team. Bale and Modric can play in any team and I think I have got quite a few others who I think could play anywhere."

There is no question Spurs have proved they have the capacity to do damage as a wild card in the knockout games - the problem may come when opponents of the highest quality attempt to inflict damage on them. Spurs' open approach will leave them vulnerable to teams of greater quality, while the regular concession of possession by Benoit Assou-Ekotto, especially in the second half, will be punished heavily by better teams than Werder. The way Inter Milan raced into a 4-0 lead in the San Siro can be used as a suitable check should anyone in the Spurs camp care to get carried away. Come what may in the later stages, Spurs have already more than justified their place in this season's Champions League. They were without the talismanic Rafael van der Vaart against Werder but Modric was the midfield orchestrator, while a resurgent Aaron Lennon joined Bale in offering pace and width, creating goals for Kaboul and Crouch and running Werder ragged all night. Bale was, well, simply Bale. He ran in almost unstoppable straight lines and once again showed a remarkable ability to deliver quality from the flanks, even in the tightest corner.

Redknapp had every right to be elated with how Spurs have acquitted themselves in the Champions League, although all praise must be placed in the context of the opposition they were facing. Spurs have a cultured style that is well suited to Europe and Redknapp's hand will be strengthened with Jermain Defoe back and both Michael Dawson and Ledley King closing in on returns. There will be more testing examinations ahead but to move into the lucrative knockout stage ahead of schedule - and with all the possibilities that presents - represents a considerable recovery from the miserable moment Xavier Hochstrasser struck in Berne.

Gordon Gee, Ohio State, and the BCS Joke

"Even if TCU and Boise State run the table, they still don't deserve to be in the Bowl Championship Series title game," Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee said Wednesday. In an interview with The Associated Press, the president at the university with the largest athletic program in the country said that TCU and Boise State do not face a difficult enough schedule to play in the national championship game.

Mr. Gee, you are simply another (education-based) politician, with an agenda, who has no credibility to say anything on the BCS. You have a vested interest in keeping things the way they are, not because they are right or moral, but because they benefit YOU and your SCHOOL. The BCS system is reprehensible and morally bankrupt. It is not fair, and favors the rich, established, so-called elite, universities. Please zip it, you have nothing meaningful to add to the debate. You are simply afraid of Boise States and TCU, because they would kick your butts!

The only way to make the national championship for real, is to have it open to everyone. Period. This can only be accomplished by doing away with the Bowl Championship Series, which is a joke, and replace it with a zone based championship such as NCAA basketball has with the Sweet 16, Top 8 and Final 4 series. Until this is done, BCS remains a biased and unfair system.

Has the 'Holy War' Become An Unholy Mess?

You know the Holy War I am talking about... right? The yearly battle between Utah's Running Utes and the Cougars of BYU. It is one of the truly great rivalries of college football and deserves to be so. But has the whole competition situation between the two schools, state and religious just become far too uncivil and discordant? Many think so and yearn for the years where it was much more good-natured and friendly.

I think the best international rivalry is between the sports fans of Australia and New Zealand. In most instances the meeting of the fans during the game, and I mean any games, whether, rugby, league or cricket, is intense but happy. At the end, you usually find both sets in the same pub, having a beer together. That's the way it should be, a good hard-fought game, and lots of fun for both teams' followers later on.

I remember clearly, former BYU quarterback Max Hall, now playing for the Arizona Cardinals famously saying, "I don't like Utah. In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, their fans. I hate everything,". The year before apparently, Utah fans had poured beer on members of his family. Neither incident is endearing and plainly not the stuff from which legends are made. I hope it's better this year and in the many seasons to come. I also hope for a Utes win, coz I bleed red too.

Rugby Shorts

South Africa's hopes of ending a miserable year with a rare Grand Slam of the home unions ended in the driving Edinburgh rain as Scotland claimed a memorable 21-17 win at Murrayfield on Saturday.

New Zealand overwhelmed a game Ireland side 38-18 on Saturday to stay on course for its third Grand Slam of the home rugby unions in five years. The All Blacks have already beaten England and Scotland, and play Wales next Saturday in Cardiff. A victory there would mean a clean sweep of Britain and Ireland to match the achievements of 2005 and 2008.

Australia's rugby team recovered from last weekend's painful loss to England with a less-than-emphatic 32-14 win over Italy on Saturday. Winger Drew Mitchell stretched over the line for a try nine minutes in while Berrick Barnes was near-faultless with his place kicking having been brought into the Wallabies side as one of five changes from the defeat at Twickenham.

Captain Ryan Jones said he was culpable for Wales' 16-16 draw with Fiji after he conceded the last-minute penalty that let Seremaia Bai level the game. "I'm bitterly disappointed personally, that's my error that cost us," he said. "We talk about discipline all the time and I let myself and the team down."

England defeated Samoa 26-13 in their rugby union international match at Twickenham. Second-half tries from Matt Banahan and Tom Croft and Toby Flood’s four penalty kicks gave the home side the advantage over Samoa, which trailed just 6-3 at halftime.

Chasing the Chase

Of all the things that I love about motor sport, oval courses are not one of them. I just have never been quite able to get excited about high-performance V8 cars being driven, round and round and round and round and boringly around the a standard NASCAR track. Thus I hope to be forgiven by the oval faithful for not fully appreciating all the drama that a NASCAR season and especially the Chase can bring. Having said that, 2010 is easily the closest and most-barnstorming of them all probably, and maybe this fact has changed my mind.

Ok, what is it that so good about this year? One, Jimmy Johnson isn't winning by so massive a margin that the final race still actually matters. Two, the margin between the top three drivers is a mere 46 points. Three, Denny Hamlin, is actually the Chase leader, even if it is only by a scant 15 points; a fact Johnson took great pains to accentuate at a recent press-conference. So Sundays' final race should be an absolute cracker and I can't wait.

The pundits tell us that Hamlin will be series victor if he wins or is second, and anyone but Johnson wins. Johnson will take it if he wins and leads the most laps. Harvick could win it if he gets the victory, leads the most laps and Johnson finishes fifth or lower with Hamlin, eighth or worse. I have nothing at all against Jimmy Johnson, but I do generally vote for the underdog, especially one who hasn't won it before. The knowledge that Johnson has scored the last four titles, sorta makes me cheer on Hamlin, but really I just want a great race.

Oooh La La: Stade Francais Rugby Gear Hits New Fashion Heights

Yes, this is the new tough-guy rugby kit for the French Top-14 team Stade Francais. It is not, as first reported, the special NYPD SWAT camouflage uniform for New York Fashion Week.

I hate whingers, whingeing about other people whingeing

Mike Gatting, the last England cricket team skipper to win an away Ashes series, says he is tired of Australians whingeing about losing their golden generation of Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath. On the face of it, possibly fair, although the Aussies I think are more concerned about losing all three champions at the same time. All three Aussies were literally the best in their position, ever, and therefore hard to replace. But I guess the thing that gets my goat the most, is that England are the all-time, gold medal, MVPs of whingeing, and Mike Gatting was probably the worst of the bunch. So having him comment about others is more than a little rich, and frankly he should zip it. Ya know what I mean about the pot calling the kettle black? When Gatting was the captain of England all you heard coming out of his mouth was whining about something; the pitch was poor, the stars were not aligned, the bounce was too high, some rubbish. So please Mike, you should do what you did when Shane Warne bowled you around your legs with "the ball of the century", shut up and walk away. Nobody is interested in your own whingeing or thoughts on whingers. By the way mate, just for the record, that's a bloody ugly tie!

Sports Shorts

FIFA executive committee members Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii have been banned from voting in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting ballot. Adamu was banned from football activity for three years and Temarii for one year over claims they asked for money in exchange for World Cup votes. The 2018 Spain-Portugal and 2022 Qatar bids were cleared of collusion.

For nearly five years, Yushin Okami has pursued a rematch with reigning UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. He may now get his wish. Okami jabbed, clinched and grappled his way to a unanimous decision against former middleweight King of Pancrase Nate Marquardt in the UFC 122 "Marquardt vs. Okami" headliner on Saturday at the Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. Scores were 29-28, 30-27 and 29-28 for Okami, who won for the 10th time in 12 UFC appearances and solidified himself as a title contender at 185 pounds.

David Haye retained his WBA heavyweight title with a third-round stoppage of Audley Harrison in Manchester. Harrison crumbled under a barrage of blows as the all-British showdown briefly came to life after a tentative opening two rounds with few punches. Haye, 30, clinically took his chance as he floored his 39-year-old fellow Londoner after less than eight minutes.

New Zealand unleashed their best attacking qualities in swamping Scotland 49-3 at Murrayfield in Edinburgh last Sunday. The match was notable for the outstanding incisiveness provided by the off-loading ability of second five-eighths and man of the match Sonny Bill Williams, the power and pace of wing Hosea Gear, the speed and support play of fullback Mils Muliaina, and the respective contributions of wing Isaia Toeava, debut hooker Hikawera Elliot and flanker Liam Messam.

Canada wins the Four Nations Cup. The puck seemed to follow Rebecca Johnston on Saturday, so it was almost inevitable she'd be in on the winning goal. Meaghan Mikkelson's shot deflected in off Johnston's shin pad at 6:21 of overtime to give the Canadian women's hockey team the Four Nations title with a 3-2 win over the U.S. It was Johnston's second goal of the game after the 21-year-old from Sudbury, Ont., scored in the first period. She also had a backhand shot early in overtime that came close.

Vick & Eagles embarrass McNabb & Redskins 59-28

Michael Vick's rehabilitation continued against the Washington Redskins last nights when he probably played the best game of his entire career. Vick accounted for six touchdowns, from two runs into the end zone himself, and four TD passes to a variety of receivers, including an 88-yard bomb to DeSean Jackson on the first play from scrimmage. In doing so, Michael became the first player in NFL history with at least 300 yards passing, 50 yards rushing, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game. He hasn’t thrown an interception or lost a fumble this season. He also cantered past Steve Young (another of my all-time favorites and another lefty) into second place in NFL history for yards rushing by a quarterback. It's a genuine feel-good story, both for the Eagles who are now tied for first place in their division, and their quarterback who is the toast of the NFL. Please let it be another Superbowl season!!!