Noticing the sheen on her mum, little Maia discovered a victory tasted not sweet, but pleasantly salty, and set about methodically licking Kopua's shoulder back to a matt finish. And given that Kopua took a break after Maia was born in 2016, the post-game footage also stands as a particular encouragement to mums. By any measure the Silver Ferns' followers have done it tough in recent years. Before Liverpool, there was a fair case to be put that the Silver Ferns were plausibly headed for somewhere south of a top-three finish, let alone ultimate success. Following the breathtaking drama of the Cricket World Cup final, this now sets up the All Blacks to go into the upcoming Rugby World Cup with a refreshed awareness that they are from a country in which supreme sporting excellence runs deep; those ached-for titles never guaranteed but still right there within reach.

Source: Stuff July 22, 2019 13:30 UTC