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Sports

Tennis news 2022: Casper Ruud fined for not going to the toilet, Montreal Masters, code violation, reaction

Tennis news 2022: Casper Ruud fined for not going to the toilet, Montreal Masters, code violation, reaction

Casper Ruud is the biggest name left in the Montreal Masters but the world No. 7 has landed in hot water after a bizarre code violation in his 6-7 7-6 6-4 win over Roberto Bautista Agut.

The thrilling clash took more than three hours to finish but at the end of the first set, which Ruud lost in a tie-breaker, he took a bathroom break.

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Rather than needing to use the amenities however, the Norwegian just wanted a change of clothes.

When he returned however, umpire Fergus Murphy told Ruud he was in violation of the rules because he didn’t go to the bathroom.

While it was just a warning, it was a bizarre scene as Ruud tried to get his head around the umpire’s instructions.

Ruud: “What, but I used it to change my clothes?”

Murphy: “You have to go to the bathroom as well. That’s the rule,”

Ruud: “But if I need to change my underwear, what do I do? Do it on the court?

Murphy: “No, no, you can do both. It’s called a bathroom break.”

Ruud: “But if I need a change of clothes, what do I do?”

Murphy: “Yeah, I know that man but the rule is covered by the bathroom break rule. You can change your clothes but you have to go to the bathroom when you say you’re going to the bathroom.

Ruud: “But I didn’t say I was going to the bathroom, I said I was going to change my clothes.”

Murphy: “No I heard that.”

Ruud: “My socks, my underwear, my shorts, my t-shirt.”

Murphy: “That is covered by the bathroom break rule.”

Ruud: “Ok, well next time I take it, I’m going to go to the bathroom I just go into the toilet.”

Murphy: :You have to go to the bathroom, that’s your business. But when you don’t go I have to give you a warning for not going, that’s why I’m explaining it.”

Ruud: “So what is it, like a $3000 fine or something?”

Murphy: “I have no idea about that.”

Murphy then gave Ruud an official unsportsmanlike conduct warning.

The ATP’s rule book states “Unsportsmanlike conduct is defined as any misconduct by a player that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the success of a tournament, ATP and/or the Sport.”

Fines generally go along with the code violations and the unsportsmanlike conduct violation “shall subject a player to a fine up to $20,000 for each violation” — although it’s unlikely to be a full $20k.

The commentators were laughing at the situation.

“It’s seems a little ridiculous that you almost have to fake going to the bathroom,” one said.

The bizarre scenes were not lost on fans who were stunned by what they had seen.

However, others pointed to it being a 10-minute break when players are allowed “a maximum of three minutes once they have entered the toilet” and “two minutes for a change of attire in addition to the three-minute toilet break”.

In Ruud’s defence, the court was some way from the locker room.

Ruud, who has won three titles so far this season, is the highest seed still remaining in the tournament.

After the break and the warning, Ruud bounced back to take out the second set in another tense tie-break.

But in the deciding set, both meant had to head to the locker rooms after a 69-minute interruption as thunderstorms passed over the area at 1-0 to Bautista Agut in the third.

He said time in the locker room was the perfect antidote for a game which had gone slightly stale as he battled the Spaniard.

“Thanks to the weather gods,” he said. “It was a tough battle, the first two sets, two hours 20 minutes of good intensity.

“But I was feeling it a bit in the legs, it was tough to find my intensity. The rain gave me time to breathe and regain some energy.”

Ruud wrapped up a long afternoon on his fourth match point, ending with 54 winners and 39 unforced errors.

“I’m still surviving, there will be another match tomorrow and I’ll try to survive it,” added the seventh-ranked Ruud, who is the top target remaining after the second-round exits of Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas .

He’ll play Canadian sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who dispatched Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4.

With AFP

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Categories
Australia

Australian-born Kiribati judge fights ‘extraordinary’ deportation move

Australian-born Kiribati judge fights 'extraordinary' deportation move

Sydney barrister Perry Herzfeld, SC, acting for Lambourne, told the court the circumstances of the case were “extraordinary” and officials attempted to deport Lambourne on Thursday on a Fiji Airways flight, triggering a standoff between the airline and the government. The airline took the view that it would not board Lambourne without his consent from him in light of the court order on Thursday.

“The government then took the position that if Fiji Airways didn’t board him, the aircraft wouldn’t be permitted to leave at all,” Herzfeld said. The flight eventually departed without Lambourne on board, but he was escorted by police to a hotel where he was detained.

“We now understand that the government has, despite this court’s order, continued to try to arrange Justice Lambourne’s deportation, this time via a Solomon Islands flight scheduled for over the weekend,” Herzfeld said.

The court heard that President Taneti Maamau, acting as immigration minister, made a second deportation order after the court’s orders on Thursday on the grounds that Lambourne had been “declared a threat or risk to security”.

Monoo Mweretaka, Kiribati’s Deputy Solicitor-General, appeared in court on behalf of the Attorney-General and was grilled about why Lambourne was declared a security risk.

Court of Appeal Justice Peter Blanchard, a former New Zealand judge, said: “Might I say that what you are doing to Mr Lambourne has more potential to adversely affect Kiribati’s international wellbeing, judging by what I’m reading in international papers, than anything Mr Lambourne’s done.

“Nothing you’ve said so far comes close to convincing me that the government has got a case here. You may be able to produce one by next Friday.”

Asked why Lambourne could not reside at his home until the hearing next Friday, the Deputy Solicitor-General said: “You have to understand that Mr Lambourne’s wife is the leader of the Opposition, and there are supporters that always come to the house.

“We believe that once we put Mr Lambourne in the house, there would be something… going [to] happen.”

Blanchard replied: “So, the government’s motivation is, in fact, political?”

“No, no, no,” Mweretaka replied.

“Why did you mention the fact that his wife was leader of the Opposition?” Blanchard said.

Mweretaka said that “people always come to the house, so we don’t want any problem”. He alleged Lambourne was also breaching a recent visitor visa condition by working in Kiribati. Herzfeld said the allegations made against his client were “not accepted”.

The Court of Appeal – Blanchard, Rodney Hansen and Paul Heath – ordered on Friday that Lambourne be released on bail on the conditions that he resides at home and not visit the courthouse at Betio before next week’s hearing.

The court said it was “reasonably arguable” that any deportation under existing orders issued by the government would be unlawful, an issue that will be determined finally after next week’s hearing.

The court made clear that its previous order preventing Lambourne’s immediate deportation applied to the most recent deportation order. However, it is not clear whether the government will attempt to deport Lambourne over the weekend in defiance of that order.

The Attorney-General suspended David Lambourne as a judge in May, citing unspecified misconduct grounds.

The High Court presently is not functioning in Kiribati after the government also suspended the nation’s chief justice, distinguished New Zealand judge William Hastings, in late June. Hastings was due to hear a legal challenge by Lambourne to his suspension of him.

The government had previously sought to stop Lambourne re-entering the country from Australia but he returned this month on a visitor visa.

The Court of Appeal noted in its judgment on Friday that the Kiribati President attempted on Thursday to “recall, vacate and nullify” Lambourne’s appointment in 2018 as a High Court judge and to reappoint him for a term that expired on June 30 last year. The court said it doubted whether this was a valid use of specific power in the Constitution.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said the government was “aware that suspended High Court Judge David Lambourne was served with a deportation order on 11 August and asked to leave Kiribati.

“DFAT is in direct contact with Mr Lambourne and officials from the High Commission in Tarawa are providing consular assistance. Due to our privacy obligations we cannot disclose further details.

“Our High Commission in Kiribati is continuing to monitor the situation closely and has sought further information from the government of Kiribati.

“The broader issues between the Government of Kiribati and its judiciary are matters for the government of Kiribati to resolve, consistent with its constitutional and legal processes.”

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Categories
Business

Economists rally behind RBA’s Lowe, lose faith in board

Economists rally behind RBA's Lowe, lose faith in board

“If the governor was to stand down now, it would be a disaster for the country because we have got an extraordinarily challenging period ahead,” he said. “It’s all about making difficult decisions and that requires a significant amount of experience in the job.”

Dr Lowe has spent 42 years at the Reserve Bank, to the top job in 2016. He is well regarded among his global peers and a popular successor to ex-governor, and now Macquarie Group chairman, Glenn Stevens.

“We have one of the best central bank leaders globally,” said George Boubouras, head of research at K2 Asset Management. “Unlike the Clash song, he should stay, and there will be no trouble.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has launched a major review of the Reserve Bank’s inflation target, monetary tools, board structure, accountability and culture.

Mr Hogan said the Reserve Bank’s board should be held accountable and step down. The board consists of nine members, six of them appointed by Treasury.

It is also the opinion of Bob Cunneen, chief economist at MLC. He agrees that fresh minds are needed to challenge the Reserve Bank’s beliefs and assumptions.

“The lesson of the last year has been that monetary policy hasn’t been very responsive to the inflation risk and the board hasn’t had the critical thinking skills to question the RBA governor and deputy governor,” he said.

Mr Cunneen believes the most senior board members should step down.

controversy

Forward guidance, deployed as part of yield curve control, was a de facto commitment that interest rates would not be increased for three years after the onset of the pandemic.

The unconventional tool policy involved pegging the three-year government bond rate – then 0.1 per cent – ​​to the overnight cash rate target. It was underscored by formal guidance reinforced by the governor in policy decisions.

Mr Hogan has long held the view that forward guidance was a dangerous instrument because it gave the community a sense of false certainty.

He argues that the board failed the Reserve Bank and Australians by not pushing back on this pledge.

not alone

Other economists and fund managers are more forgiving, arguing that the RBA’s misjudgment was “common” in monetary policy.

“They underestimated the strength of the labor market, wages and inflation,” said Su-Lin Ong, RBC Capital Markets’ chief economist. “But are they alone? Hasn’t everybody revised up their inflation forecast globally?”

The US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank also long held the view that inflation was temporary before conceding error. Central banks have become warier of making too many predictions about the future.

Dan Siluk, portfolio manager at bond fund manager Kapstream Capital, said that suggesting the whole Reserve Bank board needs an overhaul is too far-fetched.

He appreciates that it was a tumultuous period. “It’s not a job that anyone craves,” he said. “I can’t say the RBA has not done worse than its peers.”

Robert Tipp, chief investment strategist for PGIM in New York, detected a misconception about how central banks have acted. “It’s like the Keynesian line: ‘When the facts change, I change my mind’,” said Mr Tipp.

well ahead

He said the market simply made the mistake of hearing what it wanted to hear.

In reality, he said, the commitment was only to keep rates low until the economic objectives were fulfilled, which happened sooner than expected. The central bank’s focus is the economy, not bond trader happiness, he added.

Even so, following the 180 degree shift in rates, traders have reported lower turnover in volume and liquidity in Australian swap markets in the last six to nine months.

For others, the passage of time will cast the Reserve Bank in a more positive light.

“They seem to be delivering more sustainable outcomes compared to the Bank of England and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand whose economies have amplified challenges,” said Mr Boubouras. “The RBA has served the Australian economy well.”

Mr Hogan is advocating for the return of less transparency in policymaking.

I have argued that before 2007, when the global financial crisis hit, central banks used opaque language on purpose, so they could not be accused of getting things wrong.

Mr Hogan said central banks must project confidence no matter the circumstances. “What we need to see from central banks is less transparency and more accountability,” he concluded.

Categories
Technology

Nintendo Download Updates (Week 32) Lamb Campus

Just a quiet little week this week, but some fun still to be had. There’s actually below 30 games out this week, which is rare but all of them are not equal.

One trend we’ve noticed a bunch of games from certain companies who are basically spitting out clones, and the game titles are keyword stuffed for better SEO some how? We’ll be trimming those titles because really? You might as well make a game called Aardvark and get it to the top of listings that way.

New release highlights: Cult of the Lamb of course looks very good, we’ll have a Switch review shortly. Two Point Campus and Arcade Paradise are two management/simulation games in the same week. If you’re into those you’re being spoiled!

✚ Amazing Pets Bundle – $15.00
✚ Arcade Paradise – $30.00
✚ Bit Orchard: Animal Valley Extended Edition – $2.95 (Usually $12.30)
✚ Book Quest – $8.40 (Usually $10.50)
✚ Car Racing Highway Driving Simulator – $7.99
✚ Cat Slide Tiles – $6.00
✚ Cleo – a pirate’s tale – $18.75
✚ Comic Coloring Book Complete Edition: SKETCH – $2.78 (Usually $34.80)
✚ Cult of the Lamb – $37.50
✚ Cyber ​​Protocol Prologue – Free Download
✚ EXTREME BIKE X – $10.26
✚ Japanese NEKOSAMA Escape The Sento – $6.74 (Usually $13.49)
✚ Jeopardy! PlayShow – $35.00
✚ Knight’s Castle – Medieval Minigames for Toddlers and Kids – $4.99 (Usually $9.99)
✚ Laboratory Rat Escape Simulator Pro – $7.00
✚ Last Threshold – $6.49 (Usually $7.49)
✚ Little Noah: Scion of Paradise Special Edition – $29.95
✚ Lost-in-Play – $30.00
✚ origami hero games 2D Platformer Collection – $6.29
✚ Pets in Action Bundle – $15.00
✚ Promo Pack 2×1 – $8.00
✚ Sakura MMO – $14.99
✚ Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle Legendary Edition – $44.95
✚ Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation -The Endless Seven-Day Journey- – $59.99
✚ Super Bullet Break – $27.00 (Usually $30.00)
✚ Super Glow Puzzle – $8.99
✚ Two Point Campus + Bonus Content – ​​$59.99
✚ Viki Spotter: School – $5.25 (Usually $7.50)
✚ Viki Spotter: Space Mission – $7.50

About The Author

Daniel Vucković

The Owner and Creator of this fair website. I also do news, reviews, programming, art and social media here. It is named after me after all. Please understand.

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Categories
Sports

‘Terrible at goodbyes’: Serena Williams begins farewell tour with Canadian Open defeat | Serena Williams

The first stop on Serena Williams’s farewell tour came to a quick end as she fell 6-2, 6-4 to Belinda Bencic in the second round of the Canadian Open, a day after announcing her forthcoming retirement from tennis.

Williams arrived on the court to a standing ovation and had the full support of the capacity crowd throughout the 77-minute match but was unable to conjure up the old magic that helped her lift three titles in Canada.

“It’s been a pretty interesting 24 hours… I’m terrible at goodbyes. But, goodbye Toronto,” an emotional Williams told the crowd. “I always had amazing times here both on and off the court. I’ll be coming back just as a visitor to the city but otherwise it’s been remarkable.”

After the match, Williams was presented with team jerseys of Toronto’s NBA and NHL teams for her and her daughter, who was in attendance, as well as a bouquet of flowers that she carried off the court while wiping back tears.

Prior to the match, a tribute video was played featuring comments from tennis pioneer Billie Jean King, current players like Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu as well as ice hockey great Wayne Gretzky and highlights of Williams’s Canadian triumphs.

The highly-anticipated match was played a day after 23-time grand slam champion Williams revealed in a Vogue article that she was “evolving away from tennis” and planned to retire from the sport she has dominated for over two decades.

Olympic champion Bencic saved the lone break point she faced in the opening set and broke Williams twice to jump ahead 5-2 but the Swiss 12th seed then needed five set points to clinch the opening frame.

In the second set, Bencic got the one break she needed to go ahead 4-3 when Williams struck a double-fault and the Swiss never looked back as she sealed the match on her serve when Williams sent a return long.

“It was a lot of emotions obviously,” Williams said about how it felt to take the court. “I love playing here, I’ve always loved playing here. I wish I could’ve played better but Belinda played so well today.”

Up next for Bencic will be Spanish eighth seed Garbine Muguruza, who was a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi.

Among the others reaching the last 16 of the tune-up event for the US Open were world No 1 Iga Swiatek, defending champion Camila Giorgi, Coco Gauff, Simona Halep, Karolina Pliskova, Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka.

Categories
Australia

‘It’s a boys’ club’: Report lifts the lid on sexism, bullying and abuse in the NSW parliament

A silhouette of a group of people

Confidential interviews with staff at the NSW parliament have lifted the lid on what a report has described as a boozy, predatory boys’ club.

Almost 450 people working at the parliament were interviewed as part of the review by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick.

The report reveals how the offices of certain MPs and ministers are known to be “hotspots”, ruled by aggressive and abusive elected members who bully, micro-manage and gaslight staff, with devastating consequences.

Here are some of the findings detailed in the report:

‘It’s a bit of a boys’ club’

Some of the comments described a sexist culture pervading the parliament, where MPs are heard making lewd comments about female colleagues and staff.

“It’s a bit of a boys’ club. There’s sexting in the parliament,” one staff member said.

“Conversations in front of junior members of staff about which staff member the MPs would like to have sex with.

“Like locker room talk. I was shocked.”

Another woman surveyed said there was a power imbalance and it was commonplace for MPs to use their position to manipulate and abuse young staff.

“It’s very normalized, the MP and chief of staff sleeping with junior staff,” she said.

“I did not observe coercion but there was absolutely taking advantage.

“It felt like the 1970s, old rich white men employing these beautiful young women in their 20s.”

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Categories
Business

Aldi food truck serving bargain dumplings at Bankstown

Aldi food truck serving bargain dumplings at Bankstown

Aldi’s pop-up truck is serving up delicious dumplings for the bargain price of $1.44 – but you’d better get in quick for this one night only offer.

Sydneysiders can get their hands on the bargain feed down at Aldi Bankstown Central car park tonight only, Friday, August 12 from 5pm to 7pm.

Hungry patrons will score a box of six Urban Eats dumplings for just $1.44 – which works out to just 24 cents per dumpling.

Offerings include fan-favorites Prawn Gyoza and a delicious new seasonal addition to the range, Chicken Dumplings.

There is a maximum of 4 serves per person, and it will be a card-only venue.

Research commissioned by Aldi shows that almost half (46 per cent) of Aussies are paying between $15 and $20 on a takeaway food order per person, at least $13.56 more than the cost of a serving from Aldi’s dumpling range.

“At a time when consumers are feeling the pinch, it’s rewarding to provide an option for people to still enjoy their Friday night rituals when they shop with us” Andrew King, frozen food buying director for Aldi, said.

“The Aldi Dumpling Truck demonstrates how good food doesn’t have to hurt your pocket.

“You can dish up quick, delicious and affordable Friday dinners at home for less than $1.50 a serve.

“We are so proud of our curated convenience range of frozen food items that have been developed by our trusted supplier partners and are a firm favorite with our customers for good reason.”

All proceeds from the Aldi Dumpling Truck will be donated to Aldi’s national charity partner, Camp Quality, a charity that brings positivity, fun and laughter back into the lives of kids facing cancer.

The Aldi Dumpling Truck will be pitched up at Aldi Bankstown Central, Chapel Rd, on Friday, August 12 from 5pm to 7pm, while stocks last.

Maximum of 4 serves per person. Cards only, no cash accepted.

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Categories
Technology

Unity employees concerned over US military contract

Unity employees concerned over US military contract

Unity, a game engine developer, recently announced that they had signed a multimillion contract with CACI International, a company partnered with the US government. CACI Internation supplies the United States with surveillance technology for its military branches and Customs and Border Protection (CBP.)

The three-year deal is Unity’s largest yet, with the company aiming to produce “digital simulation technology” for the United States, alongside aerial surveillance technology. “Through this relationship, Unity will help the government define human-machine interfaces or HMI for aerospace applications and beyond,” Marc Whitten, senior VP at Unity said in an earnings call. “These applications demand an interactive, robust user experience very much like games.”

In the written report, Unity called the partnership the “single largest digital twin solutions deal for Unity to date,” with the company aiming to use Unity’s 3D engine for “future systems design and simulation programs across the US Government.” Previously, Unity has partnered with the US Defense Department to create 3D visualizations of “plane runways attacked by live munitions,” according to Bloomberg.

This has caused some concern among employees at Unity, with many of them questioning why a video game company is shifting towards designing tools for war. Speaking to Waypoint last year about the US Defense Department contract, several Unity employees spoke out about the game development tools they designed being used by the military.

A drafted memo was leaked from Unity, which detailed instructions on how to address the issue, such as instructing managers to use the word “government” instead of “military”, or that nothing the company is doing “will be used in live warfighting. ” The memo went on to instruct employees to avoid mentioning “any projects that involve the use of simulated or virtual weapons or training to harm another person.”

While Unity attempted to downplay the involvement with the US military, an employee reached out to ask if the company could name any projects that did not involve the Department of Defense. Unity could only respond with a single project.

Unity has been in the news a lot recently, from their CEO calling developers ‘f*****g idiots’ for not monetizing their games, to Unity stock crashing after a merger with an advertising company.

Written by Junior Miyai on behalf of GLHF.

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Categories
Entertainment

Gogglebox star Di Kershaw is farewelled at funeral by grieving husband Mick

Gogglebox star Di Kershaw has been farewelled at a funeral at Sydney's Garrison Church in Millers Point. Her husband and fellow Goggleboxer Mick Kershaw is pictured at the service

Di Kershaw enjoyed the fame she found late in her life on Gogglebox Australia, happily posing for selfies with fans of the show.

She liked a lot of things in her 77 years: shopping, trashy gossip magazines, fashion and kombucha and vodka on the rocks in a wine glass.

But as mourners heard at the part-time TV star’s funeral in Sydney on Friday, most of all she was devoted to her husband Mick, children Alex and Victoria and six-year-old grandson Harvey.

To those who knew Di only from Gogglebox she was the stylishly dressed master of withering put-downs as she and Mick dissected television shows on their couch.

Gogglebox star Di Kershaw has been farewelled at a funeral at Sydney's Garrison Church in Millers Point. Her husband and fellow Goggleboxer Mick Kershaw is pictured at the service

Gogglebox star Di Kershaw has been farewelled at a funeral at Sydney’s Garrison Church in Millers Point. Her husband and fellow Goggleboxer Mick Kershaw is pictured at the service

Mick and Di Kershaw had been looking forward to settling into the couch for the latest season of Gogglebox Australia, which began shooting this month. Di's death from stomach cancer on July 22 means Mick will not continue appearing on the program without her

Mick and Di Kershaw had been looking forward to settling into the couch for the latest season of Gogglebox Australia, which began shooting this month. Di’s death from stomach cancer on July 22 means Mick will not continue appearing on the program without her

In his eulogy Alex spoke of his parents' love affair that began on the Northern Beaches when Mick was 20 and and Di was 17. 'Mick and Di were total sweethearts,' Alex said

In his eulogy Alex spoke of his parents’ love affair that began on the Northern Beaches when Mick was 20 and and Di was 17. ‘Mick and Di were total sweethearts,’ Alex said

The art dealing couple would have celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary last Thursday and had been together 60 years all up.

Mick and Di had been on Gogglebox since its first season in 2015 and were among the most identifiable participants in the Channel 10-Foxtel program.

Diane Lesley Kershaw died of stomach cancer aged 77 on July 22 and chose to be farewelled in a plain timber coffin at the the Garrison Church at Millers Point.

Son Alex, 45, and daughter Victoria, 43, came to the Anglican service to celebrate a life well lived with their 80-year-old father.

In his eulogy Alex spoke of his parents’ love affair that began on the Northern Beaches when Mick was 20 and Di just 17.

‘Mick and Di were total sweethearts,’ Alex said.

Di's son son Alex (second adult from left) and daughter Victoria (above) came to the Anglican service to celebrate a life well lived with their 80-year-old father (far right)

Di’s son son Alex (second adult from left) and daughter Victoria (above) came to the Anglican service to celebrate a life well lived with their 80-year-old father (far right)

A mourner arrives for the funeral of Di Kershaw

Mourners from the art world celebrated the life of Di Kershaw

Alex Kershaw said Mick and Di did everything together – movies on Sunday nights, travel, collecting art – and were out more nights a week than most of his hipster students.

After a long courtship they tied the knot in 1967, the same year Johnny Cash and June Carter released the classic country song Jackson.

‘They got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout,’ Alex said, quoting the opening lyrics of the hit single.

The art lecturer described how Mick and Di did everything together – movies on Sunday nights, travel, collecting art – and were out more nights a week than most of his hipster students.

‘Di’s friends all know she knew how to throw a bloody good party,’ he said.

Alex recalled how his mother liked a glass of red wine – as viewers of Gogglebox would know – ‘but she could not care less if it was a $10 bottle or a $100 bottle’.

She was a woman who did not suffer fools gladly and could run roughshod over anyone who got in her way but cared deeply about all those she loved.

A choir sang Abide with Me, Amazing Grace and Let it Be at the end for the service

A choir sang Abide with Me, Amazing Grace and Let it Be at the end for the service

Mick, 80, told Daily Mail Australia that 77-year-old Di fell ill about three months ago when she began having trouble keeping food down. She spent nine weeks in St Vincent's Hospital at Darlinghurst in Sydney's inner-city and her de ella last fortnight in the Sacred Heart Hospice

Mick, 80, told Daily Mail Australia that 77-year-old Di fell ill about three months ago when she began having trouble keeping food down. She spent nine weeks in St Vincent’s Hospital at Darlinghurst in Sydney’s inner-city and her de ella last fortnight in the Sacred Heart Hospice

‘She liked to be in control and she wasn’t particularly happy when she wasn’t,’ Alex said.

The service heard Di was an extrovert who stood out in any crowd. She did not watch the nightly news, she believed in astrology and ‘arranged’ food rather than cooking it.

She had always seemed indestructible.

Alex told a series of anecdotes that summed up his mother’s character from all stages of her life.

A natural beauty who had modeled as a teenager, Di described herself before meeting Mick as ‘a gal from Newport that couldn’t be caught’.

She had been expelled from school at 15 after being found at an arts students ball at the old Trocadero dance hall in George Street.

A natural beauty who had modeled as a teenager, Di described herself before meeting Mick as 'a gal from Newport that couldn't be caught' Mick is pictured far right

A natural beauty who had modeled as a teenager, Di described herself before meeting Mick as ‘a gal from Newport that couldn’t be caught’ Mick is pictured far right

'The cancer spread and was inoperable,' Mick said. 'The only alternative to that was chemo or radiation but she was far too weak to be put through that. Di is seen bottom row, second from right, with the cast of Gogglebox Australia

‘The cancer spread and was inoperable,’ Mick said. ‘The only alternative to that was chemo or radiation but she was far too weak to be put through that. Di is seen bottom row, second from right, with the cast of Gogglebox Australia

On a 1976 trip to San Francisco she was approached by singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell who wanted to buy the Victorian night dress she was wearing. Say told her she couldn’t have it.

‘Life is for living,’ she used to say.

‘There was a vitality that you could call infectiously effervescent,’ Alex said. ‘She was a warrior queen who walked her talk about her.’

Being asked to appear on Gogglebox had been a chance to find a new kind of fun in old age that she and Mick wholeheartedly embraced.

‘She adored being on Gogglebox,’ Alex said.

Being asked to appear on Gogglebox had been a chance to find a new kind of fun in old age that she and Mick wholeheartedly embraced. 'She adored being on Gogglebox,' son Alex said

Being asked to appear on Gogglebox had been a chance to find a new kind of fun in old age that she and Mick wholeheartedly embraced. ‘She adored being on Gogglebox,’ son Alex said

Mick and Di were approached to be on the show by a production scout for EndemolShine at a cocktail party for the opening of an art exhibition at Paddington.

The couple was unfamiliar with the original British Gogglebox but the scout saw they had something together that would appeal to audiences of a local version.

Mick and Di didn’t think about the proposition for long. They had sold their Indigenous art galleries in Darlinghurst and Cairns and had some spare time in semi-retirement.

The pair grew up close to the production staff they invited into their loungeroom, welcoming births and attending the wedding of one member.

They had been looking forward to settling back into the couch to appear on the next season of Gogglebox which begins airing on August 25.

I spent nine weeks in St Vincent’s Hospital at Darlinghurst in Sydney’s inner-city and the last fortnight in the Sacred Heart Hospice next door.

Di kept her terminal diagnosis a secret from all but those closest to the art dealing couple. The former model, who had been unable to eat and was being fed intravenously, spent her last days surrounded by family

Di kept her terminal diagnosis a secret from all but those closest to the art dealing couple. The former model, who had been unable to eat and was being fed intravenously, spent her last days surrounded by family

Di kept her terminal diagnosis a secret from all but those closest to the family. ‘She was strong willed and she was brave,’ Alex said.

‘Mick is certainly going to miss being bossed around.’ She was ‘giving lip’ right to the end.

Mick previously told Daily Mail Australia that Di’s cancer was inoperable and she chose to stop being fed intravenously.

‘Part of that decision was thinking about us,’ he said. ‘A big part of that decision was not wanting to put us through that.’

Filming of the next season of Gogglebox began early this month and Mick said he would not be doing the show without Di: ‘We were a couple’.

Di Kershaw was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2020 for her service to the visual arts

Di Kershaw was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2020 for her service to the visual arts

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Sports

Quade traits JOC must replicate, proof ref had a shocker and Cane’s brutal reality check

Quade traits JOC must replicate, proof ref had a shocker and Cane's brutal reality check

Once again, I’ve culled some of the pressing issues, and many a pithy comment, from forums to articles on The Roar earlier in the week.

There was lots of anger and frustration among New Zealand supporters about the loss to South Africa in Mbombela. And their outrage seemed to be amplified rather than defused by Ian Foster’s post-match comments. Here is a precise:

“It was our most improved game of the year. We really shifted forward in some areas… We’re pretty excited about going to Ellis Park and playing for a trophy…. We nullified a large part of their driving game and defensively we’ve made some shifts…

Sit back and absorb the lessons, trust a little bit and relax… At the end of the day, you don’t get the change you want by making dramatic changes and putting too much pressure on players.”

This sense that the All Blacks are steadily evolving, and the dutiful taking of positives from such an emphatic defeat has struck the wrong chord. Absolutely nobody was sitting back and feeling relaxed about it:

loosey said, “After the game Cane genuinely sounded at a loss to explain it, I mirrored Hooper in his sentiments after many a defeat. Foster sounded delusional.” Saders added, “Cane is not Able and Foster’s lost his Fizz!”

It has become clear over the three-match series against Ireland and the first round in South Africa, that New Zealand’s best player (Ardie Savea) and the returning version of Sam Cane do not gel well in the back-row, and this in turn creates a problem in the selection of a number 6 who can cover all the bases. It is both poles of the command structure (captain and coach) not just the head coach.

Savea is uncertain of his role. Is he winning turnovers, making hard carries, or a defensive grinder? This surely is a coaching and selection issue because it relates to back-row mix.

Lucas

The backrow, and positions 10-13, are out of balance for a game-plan that covers defense, kicking, and effective ruck control. We have the cattle to select better to achieve more complete rugby.

pinetree

Unfortunately, Sam Cane has only been a shadow of the eleven-great number 7 he was before his traumatic neck injury. He was overwhelmed by Josh van der Flier’s work-rate in the Ireland series – the Irish open-side had 26 carries to Cane’s 14, and made 62 tackles to Slammin’ Sam’s 41, with more attacking breaks and defensive turnovers to boot.

At the post-match presser, the All Blacks’ skipper pointed to the two main problematic areas against the Boks, saying: “We’re bitterly disappointed, it really hurts. We must get better at the breakdown and the contestable [kicks in the air]. I can’t ask any more of the team in terms of the belief and the effort.”

In his prime, Cane was one the most powerful and dynamic number 7s around. If I tackled you, you stayed hit. If he cleaned you out, it felt like being churned out of a combine harvester. The energy and physicality which generated those hits is no longer there.

On defense, Cane only had eight on-ball attempts in the match with no steals. On the other side of the ball, three of Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx’s breakdown turnovers were made in direct opposition to Sam Cane on the cleanout:

In all three examples, Cane is either the first or second man up but cannot move Marx away from the ball, and the final example – with the New Zealand captain bouncing off the big Bokke rake – is especially brutal.

If Ardie Savea stays at number 8, he would benefit from a bigger and more physical man alongside him at 7, like Ethan Blackadder or Dalton Papali’i. Add in Cullen Grace or Shannon Frizell to the mix at number 6 and you have a back-row. A decision needs to be made now.

The second issue highlighted by Sam Cane (contestable kicks) was also a refereeing issue which New Zealand will want resolved:

South Africa’s game plan seems to be to take the man out in the air all the time. They deliberately aim for a meter beyond the landing point every time.

Jacko

As to do with [Kurt-Lee] Arendse, well, it was only a matter of time, wasn’t it? SA have been attacking this area of ​​the game recklessly for quite a few years now.

myrt

I suspect that the New Zealand coaching staff will have been eager to bring the activities of the Springbok chasers to the attention of Luke Pearce, the official in next Saturday’s game at Ellis Park. The writing was on the wall for Kurt-Lee Arendse well before his red card in the 75th minute:

The diminutive South African right wing is giving away over six inches in height and 30 kilos in weight to Jordie Barrett in the first instance. Instead of trying to compete for the ball in the air he runs straight through the space occupied by the Barrett brothers.

Does Ian Foster have the decision-making determination to bite the bullet over his captain, and will he be insistent enough to get what he wants from Luke Pearce in the second round of matches? He needs to be far more pro-active, and less ‘relaxed’ on both accounts.

A second cache of questions surrounded the impact of the big Australian ball-carriers versus Argentina. As Will Genia commented in his Roar article on Monday: “Bobby Valetini was incredible. With Samu Kerevi being out we lose a little bit of punch in midfield. It puts pressure on guys around that space to be able to deliver that and Bobby seems to have shouldered more responsibility in that space.”

Both number 8 Valetini (10 runs for 51 meters with two busts) and number 12 Hunter Paisami (8 for 42 meters with five busts) were excellent on the carry in the first game against the Pumas. That was due to the presence of the best prompter and coaxer of ball-carriers in Australia, Quade Cooper, at the pivotal number 10 spot. Reece Hodge did a more than passable impersonation after Cooper left the field too.

With Quade’s long-term leg injury standing to keep him out for the rest of the year, attention turned to his likely replacement:

There is only one specialist 10 that should be picked and that is [Noah] Lolesio. Any other selection is for training purposes [Ben Donaldson] or for versatility [Reece Hodge/JOC] reasons.

Scott D.

The reality is, with [Quade] Cooper out, we do not have a test quality 10 in Australia. This exposes our Achilles heel, which is lack of depth.

gooch

Some posters highlighted the difficulty in ‘converting’ Noah Lolesio to the hard-running, hard-cleaning style that Dave Rennie prefers:

Why is Lolesio the only option? He plays behind a strong Brumbies pack… I’m glad he’s building experience but surely, we can give [Tane] Edmed or Donaldson a go?

Chufortah

He probably needs non-Brumbies at 9 and 10, because their (very successful) style could not be much more different to the Rennie approach.

Sinclair Whitbourne

If they want to play a running game with a bit more width, then they can’t go with Lolesio. They need to bring Donaldson in and give him time to connect with the team.

Lucky Phil

Noah Lolesio is mostly a kicker for the Brumbies, and has not yet had the time in the provincial saddle to develop the finesse on the ad-line that Quade Cooper possesses in spades:

Cooper is the young Sexton of the Wallabies and is a class above our young 10’s… I wish him a speedy recovery.

Rugby Try Lover

Like it or not QC is “yesterday’s man”. It happens to all whether by age, injury or non-performance. Time to put Quade in the history books for now. Rennie has a big decision re: the 10 spot.

Bobby

The first comment is right, and the second is way off (apologies Bobby). If Quade can make it to the World Cup, he must be picked. What is particularly impressive in his reborn persona is the way he recovers from difficult moments:

Quade is smashed by Marcos Kremer as he goes to run out of his own 22 at the beginning of the game, but he makes amends on the very next play, ripping the ball out of Pablo Matera’s grasp as he surges from the back of a scrum .

He might not have had the mental starch to get his head back in the game so quickly in previous incarnations. He was solid at the back:

That is mental consistency for you. At the line on attack, Quade is imperious, and it is this kind of aggressive positioning and touch on the pass that his replacement of him – James O’Connor in the next match at least – needs to emulate:

In the first example it is the delay on the pass before releasing Jordie Petaia at the optimal moment, in the second it is the willingness to step up close behind the forward pod in the ‘diamond’ shape of which Johnny Sexton is so fond:

There were also a batch of queries about Scottish referee Mike Adamson, who gave 32 penalties or free kicks in total in Mendoza. Australian supporters will not remember him with any fondness after last year’s match in Cardiff against Wales, when he allowed Nick Tompkins to run away with a knock-on to score the game-deciding try.

In Mendoza he made a habit of getting in the way of Australian players, and it happened on four occasions in the game:

Adamson may also be the most recondite referee going about. I think a star of the show like him should play solo and not be distracted by having 30 unruly musicians on the stage with him.

Sinclair Whitbourne

Add to that his positioning in and around general play where he was constantly in the player’s way… has led me to ask this question; why do we have to suffer such mediocre officiating for such a significant game in what’s a major annual competition?

Machooka

There were two important instances with the Wallabies looking to make either a score or a break:

In both cases, Adamson allowed play to continue, and that outcome did not favor Australia. Calling a Wallaby scrum would have been a far more natural response, given that the referee’s presence makes a tangible impact on the outcome of the two plays.

Thanks to all who posted comments, and contributed to the writing of the article!