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Each Monday (or Tuesday), I’ll be putting together a wrap of the weekend’s sporting action, standout moments, and major talking points, with a focus on football, cricket, and rugby.

So, off we go…

All hail the mighty four-day week.

There was plenty of sporting action this past long weekend, so let’s cut the waffle and get down to business.

It was a great weekend for 34-year-old South African Justin Harding, who secured victory in the Kenyan Open, which forms part of the European Tour circuit.

Two clear headed into the final hole on Sunday, Harding finished calmly to claim his second Tour win, having struggled with his form over the past year or so:

Win number two for @JustinHarding60 🏆🏆#MagicalKenyaOpen Champion 👏 pic.twitter.com/YxB8E3JNss

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) March 21, 2021

The win means he climbs 74 places in the official Official World Golf Ranking, and he now sits 121st.

Here are the full highlights from the final round:

Rugby-wise, we’ll start locally, and a heartbreaking finish for the Stormers, and eighthman Juarno Augustus in particular.

With the Stormers trailing by five, and time up on the clock, Augustus burst through the Bulls defence to score the winning try.

Except rather than dotting down, he dropped the ball, and the Stormers lost 29-34:

It doesn’t get more dramatic than an 84th minute knock on in the opponents in-goal area which would have won your team the game. Juarno Augustus and the Stormers won’t want to see this again 🙆‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/yUxm6B7Wfg

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) March 20, 2021

Flashbacks for Robbie Fleck, no doubt.

Elsewhere, Sharks prop Ntuthuko Mchunu did manage to hold his nerve after a barnstorming run against the Lions, although it wasn’t enough to see his side to victory:

This has to be one of the best-ever prop tries you are likely to see by Ntuthuko Mchunu in the Sharks’ 40-43 loss to the Lions. The commentary around 30 seconds though 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/85EJYOWDFJ

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) March 20, 2021

Shades of Richard Bands.

Cheetahs fullback Rhyno Smith was clearly inspired by teammate Frans Steyn’s love of the drop goal from distance, nailing this long-ranger for his side against the Pumas:

When you get a thumbs up from Frans Steyn, you know you’re doing something right 👍 How crazy is this 50m+ drop goal from Rhyno Smith, inside his own half 😳 pic.twitter.com/8cCJE7arAj

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) March 21, 2021

The pick of the matches from New Zealand saw a Richie Mo’unga masterclass lead the Crusaders to a win over the Blues in the Super Rugby Aotearoa clash:

Richie Mo’unga = Perfection 👌

On his way to a 28-point haul Richie Mo’unga produced this moment of brilliance.

Watch all angles of his epic try ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/kxrf9VqL6u

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) March 21, 2021

Mo’unga’s 28 points saw his side win 43-27, in what was a thoroughly entertaining clash.

The full highlights, for those who missed out:

At this stage, I would urge any Welsh rugby fans to look away, because we’re about to deal with the heartbreak of that last-gasp loss to the French.

Up by 10 points, with a man advantage, and less than 15 minutes away from winning another Grand Slam, the men in red fell apart.

A try in the 82nd minute secured a 32-30 win for les Bleus, with some referee controversy also a big talking point after the whistle.

Welsh fans, you’ve been warned:

That was tough to watch, but watching Ireland hand England another resounding defeat was not.

Eddie Jones’ side was beaten 18-32, a score that was perhaps kind to the English after a really lacklustre showing:

Once footage of English prop Ellis Genge’s repeated elbows to the head of Irish skipper Johnny Sexton spread, watching England get klapped was all the more sweeter:

Genge with repeated elbows to the head and neck of the Irish player on the floor. Pretty awful behaviour. #IREvENG pic.twitter.com/fTzmHppOAc

— AP Cronje (@rugby_ap) March 20, 2021

Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira was not impressed, saying that Genge needs to be dealt with, to which Genge replied:

I’ll let him know https://t.co/mAPeEDOo63

— Gengey (@EllisGenge) March 22, 2021

That’s world champion Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira, being chirped by a man who plays in the first English side to be beaten by Scotland, Wales, and Ireland in the same year since 1976.

Show some respect.

It was also the final match for South African-born Irish stalwart CJ Stander, a beloved figure in his adopted country.

After the match, he just about held it together:

PURE EMOTION 😢

Thanks for the memories @CJStander ☘️#GuinnessSixNations #IREvENG

pic.twitter.com/Y4KyDxR98T

— Ultimate Rugby (@ultimaterugby) March 20, 2021

Let’s finish the rugby section with a few crunching hits:

WHAT A HIT!!!

Monty Ioane 👏#SCOvITA pic.twitter.com/1hqCEn6AsE

— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) March 20, 2021

😱 pic.twitter.com/7gLwNhekyh

— Ultimate Rugby (@ultimaterugby) March 20, 2021

So we have arrived at football, and my customary moan about Newcastle United.

Hammered 3-0 by Brighton, who were one place above the Toon in 16th prior to Saturday night’s kick-off, without putting up an iota of a fight.

Owner Mike Ashley says he will not sack Steve Bruce, despite this:

Alright, see you next season in the Championship, then.

The pick of the reduced Premier League fixture list this week was the Arsenal comeback against West Ham.

Down 3-0 after just 32 minutes, Arsenal rallied back to secure a draw, with the help of two West Ham own goals:

I genuinely cannot believe the return to form of Jesse Lingard, although that ‘Beans’ video means I will never like the man.

The FA Cup quarter-finals were the reason for the reduced Premier League fixtures, with Chelsea, Southampton, Man City, and Leicester securing their place in the final four with wins.

Manchester United fans have reason to be angry with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who rested some key players for the clash with Leicester, only to see his side lose 1-3.

Here at home, the Soweto Derby finished 1-0 to Chiefs, with Samir Nurkovic scoring a lovely goal:

It’s advantage Chiefs in the Soweto Derby!

Samir Nurkovic scores his first-ever Derby goal and hands Amakhosi a vital lead.

📺 Stream the Soweto Derby live: https://t.co/G3fJxjm5Y0 #DStvPrem | #SSDiski pic.twitter.com/7OcuhfjsZN

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) March 21, 2021

It’s just not the same without the vuvuzelas.

There were a few calamity own goals, including this from Union Berlin’s Bundesliga hammering at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt:

Union Berlin showing us a classic no-look 30 yard backpass together with keeper slipping over his own feet for a marvellous #OG today pic.twitter.com/iuBkMnhdFJ

— The Own Goal Zone (@OwnGoalZone) March 20, 2021

For comedy value, that can’t hold a candle to the own goal from Dumbarton’s Ryan McGeever against Forfar.

Add in the fact that the ‘keeper’s name is Sam Ramsbottom:

Dumbarton just conceded this goal to Forfar. 😂😂😂

Welcome back L1 & L2! #ScottishFootballpic.twitter.com/yDe5Cw6eEN

— Mozza | Derek 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (@MozzaPlays) March 20, 2021

Imagine being 16 and scoring a professional hat-trick?

Enter Nicolás Siri, who beat Pele’s record for youngest player to ever score a professional hat-trick, with his three goals for Uruguayan outfit Danubio against Boston River:

Nicolás Siri scored the perfect hattrick for Danubio today.

Good header ✅
Delicate chip with his left-foot ✅
Clean strike with his right-foot ✅

16-years-of-age. He is the real deal.pic.twitter.com/V81e0Rwbl5

— Warriors of Uruguay (@UruguayHeroes) March 19, 2021

He also scored on his debut last week, meaning he has four goals in two matches.

Barcelona is said to be watching him closely, which reminds me – Lionel Messi is still the greatest footballer that has ever walked this planet.

After a subpar start to the season, Messi now has 23 goals and eight assists from 26 La Liga matches, and five goals and two assists from six Champions League appearances.

Not bad for a man past his best. For a trip down memory lane, here’s a look back at some of his iconic goals, with great commentary to boot:

The most ICONIC commentaries on Messi’s Goals 🤯 [THREAD] pic.twitter.com/KfCoiRHJhA

— TM (@TotalLeoMessi) March 20, 2021

(Click on the tweet’s date and you’ll be redirected to the thread.)

Any time a goalkeeper scores is worth mentioning, and Moroccan ‘keeper Yassine Bono scored an injury-time equaliser for Sevilla against Valladolid in La Liga this past weekend.

Watch from the 50-second mark:

Neste fim de semana, não foi só o guarda-redes Ricardo Nunes a marcar um golo.

Na #LaLiga, o Yassine Bono empatou(1-1) para o Sevilha num jogo com o Valladolid…

Aguenta Lopetegui 😅
pic.twitter.com/sxNL66fqoK

— bet.pt (@betpt) March 22, 2021

After the match, Bono said that scoring was an amazing feeling, adding that “strikers are lucky”.

There was a contender for the FIFA Puskás Award from France, where Armand Lauriente scored a stunning long-range free-kick in the dying minutes to clinch a point for his side against Nantes.

It comes with some great commentary, too. You’ll have to click ‘Watch on YouTube’ below to view it.

Finally, cricket, and more supreme skill from the Proteas women’s side in India.

Having secured a 4-1 ODI series win, with some nerveless run chases, the sides switched to T20s.

No bother, with our ladies successfully chasing 130 in the first match, and 159 in the second, scoring the winning runs off the final ball, to lead the best of three series 2-0.

I have no highlights to show you, but SuperSport should really upload a few to their YouTube channel so we can show off their skills.

Unfortunately, off the field, the running of the game in this country has been dealt another hammer blow, with another mess at boardroom level.

I don’t have the energy to go down that road again, but read this for more insight into the arrogance of Cricket South Africa’s Members’ Council.

The Indian men’s team is faring slightly better than their female counterparts, having beaten England 3-2 in their T20 series.

The fifth and final match featured this outrageous catch by Chris Jordan:

Watch this by Chris Jordan again and again and again. And again. 💫#INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/DciG81YEsU

— CricXtasy (@CricXtasy) March 20, 2021

Jason Roy’s face, head back and laughing, just about sums it up.

The ODI series has just kicked off, with India mounting a decent score in their 50 overs.

I feel like some David Warner bashing is a good place to wrap things up, so let’s finish with this thread on how he’s been very fortunate throughout his career:

So here’s why I think David Warner is the luckiest batsman ever:

— absy (@absycric) March 19, 2021

(Click on the tweet’s date and you’ll be redirected to the thread.)

I’d say his greatest escape was convincing the Australian public he deserved a second shot at wearing the national team’s colours after Sandpapergate.

We won’t forget as easily, if ever.