Andrew Alderson: Sports Journalist on Super Rugby, Jannik Sinner's doping ban, Shane van Gisbergen has entering his maiden Daytona 500

Newstalk ZB's Andrew Alderson joins the show to discuss what happened over the weekend in sport. 

What has been the reaction to Jannik Sinner's three month doping ban? 

Shane van Gisbergen has entered his maiden Daytona 500, and it was a busy few days with Super Rugby officially underway.

LISTEN ABOVE. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Look who's in the studio is Andrew Ordison got Super Rugby.
You know, during the week I was thinking Super Rubby
too soon, too hot, and then of course what happened.
I watched all of it over the weekend and the
crowds were big and the footy was great. I think
a compelling start and also those closest games as well.
I think it had really helped with keeping you, I guess,

(00:20):
entertained and engaged in all those fixtures. So yeah, good starting.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
I mean, you know when you see that the Blues
are kept on the bottom of the table at the moment,
defending Jambians up for the first week, well you've got
to go that decent competition.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
That's because some father called Damian McKenzie, who had a
funny old season last year he was either genius ordatrocious,
shows that he's learned something over the off season.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Oh well that's right, and you know he's got a
guess some of incentive still to go Damian McKenzie to
be in the mix et cent for the All Blacks
later on and those sorts of things. So yeah, it's
I mean, whine A Pacific are putting up a good
show as well.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
They traveled halfway around the world and took the Western
Force to town and only lost by one US is
it forty five forty four?

Speaker 2 (01:04):
So yeah, yeah, I mean that's all part of it,
is it? But I think most people would be quite
entertained by that first week and just your boats well
for the competition, because I'm always reluctant as well. I
think I'm mid February. Is that really the time to
be starting rugby?

Speaker 1 (01:19):
But yeah, great and warm, Yeah, and it made for
some running rub.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Exactly exactly and the part of grounds, et cetera.

Speaker 1 (01:27):
So that definitely helps two things. Yannick Simmer, the Italian
tennis player, doping and all that sort of thing, tell
me about what's happening with that band?

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Well not, it's a bit of a sweetheart deal and
what will be a two year band has been reduced
to three months. Probably some good lawyers involved there, but
it's the fact that it really is we bus ticket
type type punishment and he's not even going to miss
the French Open, so it's three months. So it's kind
of negotiated and it looks like he's had more power

(01:59):
than actually the institutions involved in running the sport. Yeah,
that he's able to negotiate the deal.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Sorry, I'm sorry, the excuse seemed flimsy. Yeah, exactly, exactly so.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
And I just think doping's doping, and you've got it.
You've got to be so vigilant about that. And others
have gone for skates for probably lesser crimes.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
Yeah, okay, yeah, and that remember, well the other was lucky.
He is lucky. I think so too. Meanwhile, shanevan Gisberg
is doing the Daytona five hundred the super Speedway and
I was hearing that over the news. You know, this
is a very even competition. I actually think he's going
to be quite good because he's an elbows out driver. Yeah,
I always I don't like that description.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Actually, yeah, it's and and of course with the Dayton
five hundred, I think they'd reduce the horsepower down at
least from what correspondents telling us, and that means you
get more pack racing involved in it. And I'm sure
we'll become experts on dayton across the course of the morning.
But you know, it's it's another for a by New
Zealand motorsport driver to the top echelon of a certain

(03:02):
discipline and I think we're going to look back on
this as a real golden era for New Zealanders and
most across the board.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
So you've seen Liam Lawson playing the guitar, No, it's
on social media, came out.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
He just sits.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
He's amazing and he can sing. I mean, is there
that right? Is there nothing? This is what we can't do?
Is no end to his talents? Yeah? Look, and also
I really loved all your skiing, your skiing commentary, just
the tricks and the names of the tricks. It's like
you're speaking another language. It is.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
I've got no idea what I'm saying, but there I
felt like putting allegedly in front of it. Sick work
Andrew and words they say. For more from Early Edition
with Ryan Bridge, Listen live to News Talks. It'd be
from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.