1)England finished third in the 2023 World Cup, the highest placed European side. But that owed much to a lopsided draw and convinced very few quizzers that England were a likely answer for Q6,where you are asked to predict the winning side in the Six Nations. The reasons for your scepticism were clear in England’s performance in Rome where a redesigned team stuttered to a narrow victory, scoring TWO TRIES. This was a very rare answer for the vast majority had seen France score seven and New Zealand a scarcely credible fourteen tries in the World Cup and thought England would score those kind of numbers, or at least equal the 2023 total of five. Every year us quizzers dream of getting 44 ticks; dreams dashed for 255 on the opening question.
The Update’s rugby correspondent, Bob Brewer, will have spent much of the opening weekend watching Ireland romp past France in Marseilles and imperil Q6 points for the many quizzers who had plumped for France. England still unbeaten after two rounds-champions if they beat France, Scotland and Ireland in the next month. Don’t hold your breath.
22)Super Bowl LVIII brought the curtain down on arguably the most talked about NFL season in recent history (Neil’s Version at least) which started with fans & analysts alike asking “Are the Chiefs winning days over?” after their defeat to the Detroit Lions in week 1 & ended with much of those same fans & analysts asking “Will Taylor Swift make it back from Japan in time?”. Thankfully in-depth flight analysis, time-zone maps, the globe itself, a back-up private jet & the Japanese Embassy were on hand to answer the later in the affirmative, allowing the NFL to breath a collective sigh of relief that their main attraction would be on the field, I mean in a VIP suite. As you will be able to tell I have done my very best to not be swayed by Taylor Swift’s presence at the Super Bowl in my reporting!!
To the game itself, the longest ever Super Bowl, running at 74 minutes & 57 seconds of play, all carefully squeezed into available slots of playing time between mega million-dollar commercials (the Dunkin Donuts effort with Ben Affleck was my favorite) & cutaways to famous faces in the crowd gathered under the roof of the Allegiant Stadium in Sin City. Representing the NFC were the #1 seeds the San Francisco 49ers, with their array of offensive talent led by Mr Irrelevant, who had swept most teams aside in the regular season.The 49ers fought back from deficits in their 2 post season games & arrived in Las Vegas the slight bookies favorite to take home the Lombardi Trophy. From the AFC came the team that you can’t write off (even after than week 1 defeat) who took the AFC West title, beat the Bills & Ravens on the road in the postseason & were aiming for a back-to-back triumph to match the Patriots of the mid 2000’s.
The first quarter started with the 49ers receiving the ball. However the first 15 mins went by in the order of fumble, punt, punt, punt: forgettable from an offensive perspective but a good defensive battle, 0-0.
The second quarter opened with Purdy targeting Samuel in the end zone but with the ball defended by the Chiefs the 49ers brought on their field goal unit to attempt the longest FG (for now) in Super Bowl history at 55 yds. Rookie Moody nailed it, landing in the history (again for now) to give the 49ers a 3-0 lead. After a quiet offensive first quarter Mahomes was back to standard Mahomes on the Chiefs next drive with a 53 yd deep ball to get his offense down to the red zone. He couldn’t turn it into a scoring drive though with Pacheco turning the ball over with a fumble at the 49ers 10 yd line, making it 1-1 in fumble turnovers between 2 of the league’s best RBs. The fumble brought one of the first sightings of Taylor Swift’s boyfriend who was seen screaming & bumping into his head coach on the sideline, “You Need to Calm Down” Mr. Kelce!! The 49ers offense then backed up defense, moving the ball downfield, only interrupted by Taylor Swift chugging a drink on the big screen (sake from the duty free perhaps?), before they drew up a trick play from Purdy to Jennings to McCaffrey to score the contests first TD to extend their lead, 10-0, instantly becoming an “Anti-Hero” to the Chiefs Kingdom. With seconds remaining in the half & trying to avoid only his 3rd first half shutout, Mahomes got the Chiefs into FG position, Butker converting from 28 yds to make it 10-3 at break.
Half-time brought us Usher. Not a performer I had heard of for years but who provided a nice trip down memory lane with his performance. It was more a backdrop for topping up drinks & my Houston Texans chips & dip helmet (yeah, I’m getting more American by the day y’all!!).
The Chiefs’ misfiring offense performance continued in the third quarter, with Pacheco fumbling again although this time he recovered it, but that recovery was short-lived as Mahomes then gets intercepted, the first time in 218 pass attempts to give the 49ers the ball back. The quarter recap read fumble (recovered), interception, punt, punt, punt, FG & by the way not just any FG but another record breaking one: Butker striking one through the uprights from 57 yds, outdoing his opposite number by 2 yds to take the record, 10-6 to the 49ers. The 49ers then handed the Chiefs the lead, fumbling a punt return in the red zone & which the Chiefs capitalized on, Mahomes connecting with Valdes-Scantling, 13-10 Chiefs led going into the fourth quarter.
The 49ers started the last 15 mins strongly continuing a drive from the third quarter converting on 4th & 3 in the red zone to bring up 4 attempts at a TD which they achieved with Jennings adding to TD pass with a TD reception, although with the missed PAT, the 49ers lead was only 3 points, 16-13 49ers. The Chiefs responded knowing a FG would tie the game, & that is exactly what their drive came to, getting down inside the 49ers 10 yd line but not being able to convert it into 6 or 7 points to put them in the driving seat, 16-16. That is also how the final drive for each team ended, first the 49ers took time off the clock in the next possession working to the Chiefs 35 yd line & with a successful 53 yd FG went ahead 19-16 with less than 2 mins left on the clock. Squeaky bum time, some would say & that was exactly what it felt like on the Chiefs final drive, facing a game defining 3rd & 2 which they managed to convert to keep the chains moving but ultimately their drive ran out of time & with 6 seconds left Butker was forced to kick, which he did successfully, to tie the game & send it to overtime for only the second time in Super Bowl history.
Overtime brought with it the new postseason rules that give both teams the opportunity to have the ball (barring a safety being forced on the initial drive), & so the 49ers decided to take the first shot at putting more points on the board. They worked downfield to the red zone however they came up short in their attempts to punch it in, having to settle for a 27 yd FG, putting them by 3 points, 22-19. That put the ball in Mahomes’ hands, but it was his feet that kept their hopes alive as the Chiefs found themselves facing a fourth & short near midfield. Mahomes calmly converted with a decent gain to keep the momentum & then followed up with another run up the middle to inside the red zone. Next up a Kelce, who else, catch & run took Kansas to the 3 yd line, the Lombardi Trophy looming larger & larger. Next play Mahomes tossed it out right to a wide-open Hardman to stroll into, then blackout inside, the endzone before being swamped by celebrating teammates bringing the curtain down on an enthralling game, 25-22 to the Chiefs, & another title for the AFC champions. The back to back titles brought on talk of a three-peat next year, which would definitely allow the Chiefs to say “You Belong With Me” to the Lombardi Trophy as they would continue an “Era(s Tour)” of domination.
Now the dust has settled the parade held (although thoughts go out to those caught up in the shooting in Kansas City), it’s time for reflection on the completed season, a time for draft predictions, the start of free-agent value debates & destinations, new uniform releases & training camps, or as some would say a “Cruel Summer”: I for one can’t wait to see the pigskin fly again in September & everything the new NFL season will bring with it.
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