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Good Week/Bad Week: We take a look at the winners and losers from the last seven days

American Football continues to be a resounding success in London after another Wembley showpiece
Image: American Football continues to be a resounding success in London after another Wembley showpiece

Sport can be cruel at times, but it can also offer us moments of sheer, unadulterated joy. As ever on a Monday, we've put together a compilation of the best and worst moments that have taken place around the world over the last week.

It has been yet another week of high drama in the sporting amphitheatre, but it has been off-field events in South Africa which have dominated the headlines with Paralympic and Olympic icon Oscar Pistorius sentenced to five years in prison for culpable homicide, while national goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa was shot dead on Sunday.

European rugby returned for a second successive week and George North took centre stage with a sensational solo display, while American Football's popularity in London continues to grow after another thrilling showdown at Wembley.

Manchester City saw their title hopes dented by West Ham United, while Australia's dominance on rugby league's world stage was ended by rivals New Zealand.

Good Week

George North

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North star

At the tender age of 22 George North already has Six Nations, Aviva Premiership, Challenge Cup and British and Irish Lions honours in his trophy cabinet, but few performances will ever match the one turned in against Ospreys – Europe’s only unbeaten side ahead of the second round of continental action - in the Champions Cup on Saturday. The prolific Wales winger single-handedly dismantled the Welsh region, racing in four tries as Northampton Saints clinched a 34-6 victory.

It was not only a show of quantity as North collected a bonus point all by himself; it was a display which truly underlined his credentials as a world-class winger. In a truly memorable 80 minutes North struck twice either side of the interval and his final score was a showstopper; stripping possession from his opposite number 25 metres out before racing over the line to touch down his own perfectly-weighted grubber kick.

Luke Campbell

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Campbell marches on

Since claiming gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games Luke Campbell’s prominent rise to boxing stardom is yet to relent. Saturday night saw Campbell make his ninth professional outing and it was arguably his best as he stopped the dangerous Daniel Brizuela, of Argentina, inside five rounds in front of a partisan Hull Arena crowd.

Campbell’s fellow Hull lightweight Tommy Coyle was also victorious this weekend, stopping Michael Katsidis, the former world champion from Australia, in the second round meaning the city rivals are now on course for a grudge match next year. Promoter Eddie Hearn will be very cautious about the arrangements, though, having already rejected a proposed May 30 showdown with both of Hull’s rugby league clubs competing at the Magic Weekend.

Alan Pardew

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Pardew: I know what I'm doing

Popular is not a word often associated with Alan Pardew on Tyneside, but the Newcastle United manager saw his stock rise significantly on Sunday after a stroke of genius from the dugout. The dark clouds surrounding Pardew’s continued employment at St James’ Park have seldom offered signs of lifting and when Newcastle entered the half-time break against Tottenham 1-0 down things started to look all the more dismal.

Then came the coup de grace. A rousing half-time team talk and two two substitutions - Remy Cabella for Vurnon Anita and Sammy Ameobi for Gabriel Obertan – later there was an instant ray of sunshine. Ameobi netted the equaliser straight from kick-off before Cabella, who was forced to wait all of 13 minutes to make an impact, provided a precision cross for Ayoze Pérez to glance home the winner, his first goal for the Magpies.

Detroit Lions

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Lions edge Wembley thriller

Wembley Stadium is rapidly becoming home from home for the NFL and Sunday’s latest offering, a scintillating 22-21 success for the Detroit Lions, will do endless good for the popularity of American Football in Britain. In a night of high drama, the Lions slipped 21 points behind the Atlanta Falcons, before producing an remarkable fightback to clinch victory at the iconic London venue.

Matt Prater split the uprights with a 48-yard field goal as time expired to cap a sensational comeback for the Lions, who had looked bereft of ideas on the offense and struggled in defense before bouncing back. Even more encouraging for NFL UK chief Alistair Kirkwood was the fact it was the biggest-selling match since their first staging in 2007 as demand for a London-based franchise continues to gather momentum.

Bad Week

Manchester City

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City's hopes dented

Chastening enough it was for reigning Premier League champions Manchester City to lose to West Ham United, but in the end they were lucky to escape further punishment after a last-gasp equaliser from Manchester United denied Chelsea three points at Old Trafford. Morgan Amalfitano and Diafra Sakho fired the Hammers to a 2-1 triumph at Upton Park, meaning Chelsea travelled to Manchester knowing victory could take them eight points clear at the Premier League summit.

Rarely would City doff their caps to their arch rivals, but you can’t help but think Manuel Pellegrini was breathing a sigh of relief when Robin van Persie fired home a 95th minute equaliser for United to prevent Chelsea taking the spoils. Instead of trailing by eight, City are six points shy of the league leaders, but their defensive frailties must be addressed if they are to catch up with Jose Mourinho’s runaway train.

Kangaroos

New Zealand Shaun Johnson Four Nations Australia
Image: Kangaroo conquerors: Kiwis

World champions Australia may have entered their Four Nations opener in Brisbane with a great spring in their step after winning 17 on the bounce, but their hegemony came to a grinding halt as neighbours New Zealand chalked up a comprehensive 30-12 victory at the Suncorp Stadium. The depleted Kangaroos, who needed one more win to enter the record books, let slip a 12-6 lead, conceding 24 unanswered points as the Kiwis gained some revenge for their Rugby League World Cup final defeat at Old Trafford last year.

It is a result that means Australia, the holders, will need to beat England in Melbourne next Sunday to keep alive their hopes of reaching the November 15 final in Wellington. England will take heart from Australia’s lapse, though, head coach Steve McNamara’s primary concern will be to iron out the creases highlighted by a thorough testing from Samoa, from which England just escaped with a 32-26 win.

New Zealand

Image: Centurion: Amla

One-day international series victories over India and the West Indies sparked a resurgence for New Zealand, but their progress up the ICC ODI rankings has been thwarted with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of South Africa. In Mount Maunganui, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy offered a masterclass in the art of timing a run-chase to perfection before a Hashim Amla century at the Bay Oval secured victory for the tourists with a game to play.

The third and final one-dayer was abandoned due to inclement weather, but South Africa will not be too upset by that having produced sterling performances in the opening two matches, enough to keep them at the ODI rankings summit. The Black Caps will now bid to regroup before they travel to Dubai for T20, Test and ODI series against Pakistan next month.

Tommy Robredo

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Marathon: Murray

They say lightning never strikes twice. Unfortunately for Tommy Robredo, it appears it does, after he squandered five match points against Andy Murray once again as the Scot claimed the Valencia Open crown on Sunday. Just like the Shenzhen Open final between the two a month ago, British No 1 Murray saved five match points to emerge a 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (10-8) winner in a dramatic contest which lasted 3 hours 19 minutes - the longest ATP Tour final of the year.

Although displaying several signs he was up for a ferocious fight, Spaniard Robredo could not land the killer blow and Murray ensured he paid the price for a serious of frustrating errors. While Robredo failed to take the opportunities presented to him, Murray seized his moment and in the process virtually assured himself a place in the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals event which will be staged at the O2 Arena in London next month.

And finally...

Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of Senzo Meyiwa, the South Africa captain and goalkeeper who was shot dead near Johannesburg on Sunday as he tried to protect his girlfriend during a robbery attempt.

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