Weekend sports preview

SBS World News Radio: The Wallabies take another step towards a drought breaking Grand Slam when they take on Ireland, the Formula One title could well be decided, plus there's A-League, basketball and Australia's hopes of being the last of 28 nations still standing in the World Cup of Golf.

Weekend sports previewWeekend sports preview

Weekend sports preview Source: AAP

Australia goes into Sunday morning's clash with Ireland hoping to keep its winning Spring Tour record intact and stay on course for a first Rugby Union Grand Slam since 1984.

Winning in Dublin won't be any easy task however, despite the Wallabies being back to full strength after fielding a weaker side against France last weekend.

Coach Michael Cheika is mindful of the ability the Irish showed in their two recent encounters with New Zealand which saw the sides win one test each.

"They look like they were good encounters and what I can glean from it all is the fact that we've got our work cut out for us because they got closer in their two games than we did in the three games! So it's going to be a really tough battle."

In the A-League tonight SBS will have coverage of the Western Sydney Wanderers as they look to score their first win at the Sydney Showground against the Brisbane Roar.

It's the club's temporary home ground while Parramatta Stadium is being renovated.

Goalkeeper Jerrad Tyson believes playing at the Oval shaped ground may be nullifying the effect of Wanderer's noisy supporters.

"It would probably feel a less intimidating atmosphere. Parramatta was fantastic for that. Like I said, it's not something as a playing group that we look at. But perhaps that's something that benefits other teams."

That match will be on SBS from 7.30 pm. And in the early hours of Sunday morning, SBS has live coverage of Liverpool's English Premier League clash with Sunderland. The programme gets underway at 1.30 am AEDT.

On Monday morning the final Formula One race of the season takes place in Abu Dhabi with the title still to be decided.

It's a shootout between Mercedes rivals Nico Rosberg of Germany and Britain's defending champion Lewis Hamilton.

Just 12 points separate standings leader Rosberg from Hamilton and he only needs to finish in the top three to guarantee his first world drivers' championship.

But despite not needing the win the race, Rosberg says he won't take a conservative approach.

"I would like to win the race, definitely, and that's what I'm going there going to try and do for sure. And I've had good experiences there in the past. Of course it's not going to help this year, everybody will all start from zero this year every time we go to a different track, but yeah, (I'm) feeling good so that's it."

Australia will attempt to defend the World Cup of Golf this weekend.

Back in 2013, Adam Scott teamed up with Jason Day to take the title.

This year at Melbourne's Kingston Heath Golf club, 28 nations will be vying for the title with a total prize pool of almost $11 million.

World number one Day had to pull out of the event with a back injury and his place has been taken by Marc Leishman.

Also this weekend SBS will cover the National Basketball League when the Cairns Taipans take on the New Zealand Breakers.

Coverage gets underway from 3pm AEDT on Sunday.

 

 


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By John Baldock



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