68 LISTENER SEPTEMBER 7 2019
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
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Sport
The week’s best live action
Colonial Combat,
TVNZ OnDemand,
Wednesday.RUGBY
The world’s teams are having one last go-around before
heading to Japan: on Saturday, the All Blacks play Tonga at
FMG Stadium in Hamilton (Sky Sport 1, 1.30pm, and Prime,
1.40pm). This game is preceded by a Barbarian Legends v
Pacific Island Legends game (Sky Sport 1 and Prime, noon).
Earlier in the day, England play their final match of the
Quilter Internationals against Italy at St James’ Park in
Newcastle (Sky Sport 1, 6.35am), then later on, Australia
play Samoa at the new Bankwest Stadium in Parramatta
(Sky Sport 1, 9.20pm). There are two more international
games on Sunday: Ireland and Wales clash at Aviva Sta-
dium in Dublin (Sky Sport 1, 12.50am) and Scotland play
emerging rugby powerhouse Georgia at Murrayfield (Sky
Sport 1, 6.20am).WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 11
Colonial Combat (TVNZ
OnDemand from 9.00am). The
19th-century New Zealand-
wrestling mash-up we didn’t
know we wanted. Race rela-
tions are settled in the ring in
this (needless to say) comedy-
drama set in 1840. It was
created by Julian Arahanga,
who realised that trying to
compete with the huge US
franchises was a non-starter, so
he invented the story of a car-
nival barker named Handsome
Harry, who sets up a wrestling
ring in a coastal town. “There
are elements of actual New
Zealand history in there,” Ara-
hanga told Stuff. “There’s land
grabbing, there’s prostitution,
there’s gun running. There’s
also conflict with Māori tradi-
tions and the influences of
Europeans, with their different
technologies, differ-
ent clothing, different
religions. It’s all done
in a fun-loving way as
opposed to being too
serious.”Ambulance (Prime,
8.30pm). In season
three, the Bafta-
winning series
that is narrated byChristopher Eccleston focuses
on the paramedics of the
West Midlands Ambulance
Service, who cover a vast
area comprising five shires
(Shrop, Hereford, Stafford,
Worcester and Warwick) and
cities including Birmingham,
Coventry, Stratford-upon-
Avon, Wolverhampton and
Stoke-on-Trent.Grand Designs NZ (Three,
- 3 0 p m). A hit here and abroad
and still going strong. Here’s
the fifth season, and Chris
Moller will be explaining the
architectural merits of a glass
home suspended over a river,
a hand-built tiny timber home
at Taylors Mistake beach, a
medieval castle and, tonight,
a burnt-timber pavilion where
Scandinavian design meets
Japanese aesthetic. Lovely.
Ambulance, Wednesday.MOTORSPORT
The Supercars fly across the Tasman for the 11th round
in the calendar, the Auckland Supersprint, which again
takes place at the Pukekohe Park Raceway. Last year saw
Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen narrowly pip series leader Scott
McLaughlin. Even if van Gisbergen managed that again
this year, McLaughlin is almost unassailable at the top of
the table, and he is looking to beat Craig Lowndes’ single-
season victory record of 16. Coverage starts on Friday (Sky
Sport 5, 11.00am). The next round of the Supercars Cham-
pionship is the famous Bathurst 1000.EQUESTRIAN
New Zealander Tim Price will be
defending his title at this year’s
Burghley Horse Trials; he and wife
Jonelle, who won Badminton last
year, are taking five horses to Lin-
colnshire to compete. Coverage is
on Saturday (Sky Sport 3, 10.00pm),
Sunday (Sky Sport 9, 6.00am),
Tuesday (Sky Sport 9, 9.30am) and
Friday (Sky Sport 9, 12.30pm).Tim PriceScott McLaughlin