The Super Rugby champions Hurricanes have been rewarded in the All Blacks team named to play Australia in the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup opener on Saturday.Beauden Barrett has rightly been named the starting fly-half. What more could he do? Hes starred in winning a Super Rugby Championship, hes in the best form of his life, and he signed off last year in the Rugby World Cup with a fantastic try -- just one of several quality tries he has scored in his career. Hes just been sublime.Aaron Cruden has been Cruden. Hes safe but theres just that much more x-factor about Barrett. Crudens 25 and he was the incumbent after he started the third Test against Wales, and its tough on him to be named on the bench; but it was going a tougher call not to select Barrett.Thats the cut-throat environment were in, and it comes down to that fine line about who is that little bit better; and form is an important part of that.The choice at flanker was another tough call, especially with Sam Cane having suffered concussion issues, but I trust the judgement of medical staff. They know better than anyone that concussion is a medical issue in the spotlight and the eyes of the nation, and the world will analyse everything that is being done.There were other interesting selections, especially in the midfield now that Sonny Bill Williams is out for the year. They have stuck with Ryan Crotty and Malakai Fekitoa, but you cant say those positions were in any way locked down. It was interesting that Anton Lienert-Brown had been brought in, and Seta Tamanivalu will have been made aware that it is all about keeping performing and staying in that environment.The All Blacks have struggled to be consistent winners in Sydney over the past few years. In fact, it is probably the world venue where it is hardest for them to win now. And thats because Sydney is the home of Australian rugby; whichever ground they use in Sydney, its their Eden Park. Its always a tough place to go, and Australia at home has always been hard.So it will be a good way to kick off what is looking like an exciting Rugby Championship.In some ways, there are other things hanging on the game: It is going to be a test of Australias policy vs. New Zealands regarding the selection of players from overseas.It is tough for players when they are coming back from overseas contracts for periodic Test duty. Its a hard ask. Theyre coming from different environments. When you go overseas and play, you immerse yourself in that teams environment and you get used to what that team needs and what their requirements are.Southern hemisphere rugby is a different style, and to go back to what you were probably raised playing is not easy. And I imagine it is a lot harder for backs than it is for forwards. The game is faster down here and what can be seen as form in the northern hemisphere is one heartbeat or a hairs breadth off the sort of reaction times in New Zealand, Australian or South African sides.In that regard, I think New Zealand has got the policy right; it works for us and it keeps us strong. If we are going to have a global season that is one of the compromises we will have to look at, but it doesnt look like that is going to happen.The scrum is an area that will be interesting in Sydney. The Australian sides looked to have improved in Super Rugby, but I dont think the scrum is as important now as it had been previously; you can still get a penalty when youre getting pushed backwards at scrum time.The scrum has become a liability about who is going to be penalised, and thats a blight on our game. When youre supposed to have a re-start you have no idea what the outcome is going to be. You could be twice as dominant as your opposition but it doesnt always go your way.I hope there are reviews, test cases or people analysing how to improve the scrum, and coming up with different ideas, but it just seems that for the past 15 years we havent got it right.I noted that former England coach Stuart Lancaster was out at Pukekohe for the All Blacks warm-up run against Counties Manukau and Northland last Friday. I think it is great that a coach like him, who went through what he did at the Rugby World Cup last year, is still prepared to learn.Fair play to him. Hes come to the right country to learn, and you never, ever, stop learning when youre coaching. Its like the game; its always evolving and youve just got to try to keep bettering yourself. You ask if the Rugby World Cup in 2015 will make Stuart Lancaster a better coach, and you have to say, absolutely. Custom College Jerseys Free Shipping . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. Custom College Jerseys China . Jay Feely kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime, and the Cardinals edged the Tennessee Titans 37-34 in overtime after blowing a 17-point lead late in the fourth quarter. http://www.customjerseyscollege.com/ . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. Wholesale Custom College Jerseys .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. Custom College Jerseys Outlet . On Saturday night, the normally free throw-challenged centre did just that. Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 2 1/2-minute stretch, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 122-111. NEW YORK -- If the New York Yankees reach the playoffs, theyll long remember this catch by Brett Gardner.Two outs in the ninth inning, bases loaded, one-run lead. Does it get much better?Gardner made a leaping grab at the top of the left-field wall, clutching the ball as he banged into the fence on Justin Smoaks drive for the final out, and the Yankees held off AL East-leading Toronto 7-6 Tuesday night.I knew I was going to be able to catch up to it and get to it, I just didnt know if I was going to run out of room or not, Gardner said.I knew it was going to be close to the wall -- thank goodness it wasnt much higher. Im not too tall and I wasnt going to be able to jump a whole lot higher, he said.A scrambly September game with October implications seesawed to the last swing, and turned at the end in favor of the Yankees. New York won its third in a row and sent the Blue Jays to their fourth loss in five games.At a season-high seven games over .500, the Yankees closed within 4 1/2 games of first place, their smallest deficit since April, and remained 3 1/2 back for the ALs second wild card.The Blue Jays had already scored twice in the ninth off Dellin Betances when they loaded the bases with one out. Blake Parker, the eighth New York pitcher, suddenly became an unlikely closer, and he struck out Kevin Pillar.Smoak was up next -- in August 2015, he became the first Toronto player ever to hit a grand slam in the Bronx.This time, he sliced a deep shot to left.Thought it might have had a chance, Smoak said, later adding, put a good swing on it, barreled it.But Gardner ran back, squared himself on the warning track and jumped high and back into the padding. He held on for the catch, immediately leaped in the air to celebrate and tossed the ball high.I think as the ball went in to my glove, my glove hit the wall. And on a play like that, you want to make sure the ball goes in the glove before you hit the wall, he said.The Yankees rushed out to congratulate him and a few minutes later, a replay of the catch drew another ovation from the fans.The 29-year-old Smoak and 33-year-old Gardner know each other from growing up in South Carolina.Hes an old man, SSmoak said, smiling.ddddddddddddTyler Austins two-run homer in the seventh off AL ERA leader Aaron Sanchez put the Yankees ahead 3-2. Pillar lined a two-out, two-run double in the eighth that gave the Blue Jays a 4-3 edge.The Yankees then rallied for four runs in their half for a 7-4 lead, capped by Chase Headleys two-run homer. The drive off Jason Grilli (5-5) left the reliever bent over at the mound in frustration.With the Yankees running out of time to chase a playoff spot, manager Joe Girardi spared no expense with his staff. Chasen Shreve (2-1) wound up with the win and Parker got his first save since 2013 with the Cubs.Betances made it interesting in the ninth, walking the first two batters while working his third straight day. Edwin Encarnacion and Melvin Upton got RBI singles on infield hits to pull Toronto within a run.Encarnacion hit his 37th homer into the second deck for Toronto and tied his career high with 111 RBI. He started the day tied with Angels slugger Albert Pujols for the league lead in RBI.Playing on his 25th birthday and batting ninth, Austin sliced a two-out drive to right-center. His only other homer came on Aug. 13 in his first major league at-bat.Brian McCann also homered for the Yankees.Little did anyone know what was on deck. In a game of timely hits, it was Gardners defensive play that thrilled the Yankees.Sheer joy, Parker said.NY NUMBERSThe Yankees had lost five straight home series to Toronto before winning the first two games in this three-game set. ... Austin became the first Yankees player to homer on his birthday since Alex Rodriguez last year. ... Rookie Gary Sanchez has reached base in 21 straight games.UP NEXTBlue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (9-6, 4.58) has allowed eight earned runs in 12 innings over his last two starts.Yankees: RHP Bryan Mitchell was promoted from Triple-A before the game and is likely to make his Yankees debut this year, starting vs. Toronto. He injured a toe in spring training and missed most of this season. Hes 0-3 in stints the past two years with New York. ' ' '