UN called in to find weapons of mass destruction

You win some & you lose some! A mixed bag on day 2.

Usain Bolt getting rolled on the track will be as bigger loss as was the defeat of the Aussie mens 4 x 100m relay team last night in the pool. The sub-editors are having a field day with this one, and poor old James Magnussen is coping the heat big time. There's lots of Missiles misfiring & Missile bombs out etc...
Don't take it too hard James. At least you'll still have your abs! Grrrrrr!

The Australians may not be quite as dominant in the pool as what we've been used. The rest of the world has caught up to us!

It wasn't all bad news. Alicia Coutts grabbed a bronze in the 100m butterfly final, & it took a world record by a South African (we didn't know they could swim) to beat him, but Aussie Christian Sprenger pulled one out of the suitcase of courage to grab silver in the mens 100 m breaststroke.

There's quite a few Aussies in the finals tonight so there is still plenty of hope for more success in the drink. Emily Seebohm in the 100 breaststroke, Hayden Stoeckel in 100m backstroke, Leisel Jones 100m breastroke, plus more... Stay tuned....

In other results, the Boomers were bounced by Brazil, Bernard Tomic was bundled out by little known Kei Nishikori of Japan at Wimbeldon, and we got done in the beach volley ball. How many sandy beaches do they have in Germany?

The Aussie Rowers continue to do well with 4 crews all making it thru to finals today.

And for all you shuttlecock fanciers out there, Australian women's pair Leanne Choo & Renuga Veeran are playing Korea for a spot in the Quarter finals. Go girls!

Unfortunately the Australian women gymnasts missed out on the teams final after coming tenth in qualifying. It seems so cruel that a tiny little slip up on a dismount can effectively mean 4 years of hard work ruined! The gymnasts are unreal! I couldn't even walk across a beam without falling off!

Here at MH Gold HQ, what we do love most about the Olympics is the sports you don't get to see every week such as the badminton, the diving, gymnastics and the equestrian. What's the chances of the equestrian events ever getting shown on Aussie TV outside of the Olympics?

And what ever you do, don't get us started on synchronised swimming! We love it! Only 1 week to go!

Looking ahead, the Opals take on France in the women's Basketball, the Kookaburras line up against Sth Africa in the men's hockey, and and we have Australians participating in Archery, Badminton, Beach VolleyBall, Boxing, women's weightlifting, table tennis, sailing and just about every other sport scheduled, including the tennis where Little Lleyton lines up against Sergiy Stakhovsky, so a massif COME ON!!!!!! for Hewitt.

Something to sip on whilst you digest all of the above in front of the box or beside the wireless:

As a tribute to Honduras who sent the reigning world champs Spain back home last night (& to give us strength & internal warmth as we huddle on the couch on a freezing Ballarat night) we are slurping big spoonfuls of Guaro, a strong sugar cane rum.

Our favorite is Tatascan. It makes us big & strong like a cowboy & at about $4 for a half bottle you can drink it all day every day.

Good luck to the green & gold & go you top little Aussies!

-Johnno & Mitch.

MH Gold Blog: Wake Up!!!

Ever had one of those mornings?Alarm goes off, it's the weekend, hit the snooze button for a few more zeds...Then you realize it's the Olympics and you're the Aussie shooting chance!Yep, we've all been there (!), and that's what happened to our 10m Air Rifle sharpshooter Alethea Sedgman yesterday morning as she narrowly dodged missing the team bus, when she figured that a weekend sleep-in might beat actually competing at the Olympics! 

Alethea needs to get one of these:

She made the event in a nick of time after being woken by flatmate Lauryn Mark, and went on to narrowly miss making the final. Bit of a nightmare scenario, and one that I know in my nightmares usually involves forgetting to wear pants, which for Alethea might have been the final insult.By the way, if there's an accident at the Air Rifle shootout, do they call the Air Ambulance?

The rest of the day saw the much-awaited men's cycling road race go to former doping cheat Alexander Vinokurov whilst fancied Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara forgot how to go around a corner, and local favourite Mark Cavendish had a moan about Aussie tactics rather than win as expected...


And, sadly, poor old Steph Rice dipped out on a medal in the super-quick 400m IM, whilst in the 4x100m relay our girls snagged Australia's first gold! Whoo Hoo!

So, to today...

Another big day in the pool with Liesel Jones keen to put the "too fat" critics in their place with a medal in the 100m breaststroke.
The 4x100m freestyle relay is another massive chance for an Aussie gold
too, led by our 'Missile' Magnussen, who has the fastest 100m time this year.

Elsewhere tonight we'll see our Boomers take on the smooth Brazilians on the basketball court, see the women take to the cycling road race course in a wide-open field (won't even try to tip this one) and a bit of wild water as the slalom canoeing gets underway.

So strap on in, because we're in the midst of it all now.

We're recommending pouring yourself a whisky tonight, say a nice highland malt, whilst we watch the hapless Scotsman, Andy Murray, re-try for a win at Wimbledon as he opens his London 2012 campaign.

MH Gold - The low brow low down. 28th July

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Welcome back to MH Gold - the low brow low down on who's hot, who's not and who's on the gear at London 2012.

This morning's Opening Ceremony was very impressive - but we do wish the Brits would stop wheeling Sir Paul out for absolutely everything. Yes the Beatles were great. But its time to move on. Please?! And any way, we think Sir Paul is starting to look a little creepy - is it just me or is he starting to look more & more like Michael Jackson?

Tonight the gloves come off & we get stuck into it.

Today's schedule has a little something for everyone.

If you didn't get enough of the boys on bikes over the last month, well today they are at it again in the mens road race. Tonight we can cheer on all the Aussie contenders who are all flying the same flag this time around. Cadel needs a bit of Vicks VapoRub as he says he's had a bit of congestion on the chest. This will be a fascinating battle with much different tacktics required vs a 3 week grand tour.
What a team - Gossy, Evans, Gerrans, Rogers & O'Grady! With this sort of experience, the Aussies should be in with a real chance. Go Fellas!

In the pool, the heat is on Stephanie Rice to live up to her Beijing reputation and put some of her troubled past behind her. One can only hope that she has been banned from getting her hands on any form of mobile device that is capable of sending a photo or broadcasting her thoughts to the world. We like her new free-style stroke though.

Also in the pool we have the women's 4 x 100m -> go Libby Trickett & crew!

On the hallowed turf of Lord's we have some Archery. Whaaaaat!?

Other events where we are in with a show tonight include the rowing (Mens Quad Sculls) and our four legged competitors in the Equestrian events.

And if too much sport is never enough, get on the Womens Weightlifting! Tonight it's the pocket rockets - 48 kg women lifting 120 kgs - unbelievable!

What to drink: When the Rice is hot at our place we like nothing more than a refreshing frothy. Get on the Tsingtao train. It's a saturday night after all, so drink it by the bag full!

Cheers,

-Johnno & Mitch.

MH Gold - Let the Games Begin "Release the Pigeons!"

Welcome to Day 1 - the warm up lap for MH Gold - the official On the Tasting Bench Olympic Games Blog.

We are coming to you live from the couch with, the tv guide, the remote, and a glass of some exotic booze all with in arms reach. We are all juiced up & ready to go!

Fresh from our our comprehensive Tour de France  blog coverage we have donned the metaphoric flippers & crossed the channel to bring you our games highlights, culinary recommendations, & unpredictable predictions on all things Lympics.

Expect the expected for the opening ceremony, or as we like to call it - how to blow $50 Million in 3 hours. Beefeaters, corgi's, fireworks, some 007 action, foul weather and thousands of crooked smiles. At MH Gold HQ we are hoping that they take a leaf out of the South Korean book of opening ceremonies & release / roast a thousand pigeons into the Lympic flame for a bit of welcome to London-style hospitality.

All eyes will be on the team fashions - we will show you the highlights tomorrow. Hopefully there will be some atrocities to challenge the above!

Congratulations to Lauren Jackson one top Aussie who deserves to be flying the flag for Oz. To represent one's country at 4 Lympics is an incredible achievement. Lauren truly is a great ambassador for her sport & the our country.

Apparently the games have already began with a few games of soccer having been won & lost. Highlight thus far: Japan beating Spain 0-1(Men's Soccer)

We would like this blog to be as interactive as possible, so please feel free to add your comments, highlights, and recommendations along the way. This will be a very special journey. We'd like you to share it with us. So if you see anything remotely interesting in regards to the Lympics, especially any fantastic royal family moments, gaffs or slip ups, we'd like to share it with the world.

What we are drinking:  Apart from some ever improving fizz down south, the English are not really well known for their wine. Beer on the other hand they do know! We like the look of this Spitfire Kentish Ale. They have some decent ad campaigns too!

This is just the warm up lap, so settle in folks and let the games begin.

Follow us on Twitter & Facebook for more ramblings and other news & views.

Cheers & go Aussie go!

-Johnno & Mitch.

Mitchell Harris Gold: The Games Blog.

Righto, fans. It's that time again. Here in the Mitchell Harris lounge room, we've barely cleared the bleary eyes after Le Tour , and already it's time to fire up the telly for another couple of weeks of late-night sport, matched with a few wines and other nightcaps.

Tomorrow, we crack out the glitter, get our interpretative dance routines down-pat, and pop on a blazer to wander into our metaphorical stadium in alphabetical order to light the flame on our daily squiz at the comings and goings of the Games fortnight.

We'll grab a glass and have a look at what to expect in the day ahead, and what's just gone down in the previous 24 hours. Once again, there'll be some drink matches to help you while away the evenings....

So tune in, and join in the fun of the next two weeks with our irreverent and boozy take on the hardcore sport of London 2012. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter (Don't worry, no racy Stephanie Rice type bikini shots of ourselves!) and Facebook (Don't worry, no Nick D'Arcy-type shots...) to keep up with things too!

Cheers,

Johnno & Mitch

Stage 20 Plat de Jour? Rosbif

Well it's all over folks. Congratulations to Braddles Wiggles the first Pom or Rosbif as they say in France, to win the Tour of France. Like him, love him or loath him, you have to admire the way he has ridden over the last 3 weeks, and the time he clocked last night proves why he was the favorite going into this Grand Tour. The fact that he has awesome big sideys & that he slowed the Peloton when Cadel had an attack of the tacks the other night means that we think he's ok - sort of.

We dearly hoped Cadel would go back to back this year, but to be honest, he never really looked in with much of a chance. Wiggins was always the one to beat right from the start, and he had a stellar team to help ensure that he got to Paris in yellow.

Tonight the peloton rolls into Paris from Rambouillet & there are a couple of little climbs worth one point each, the result of which won't make any difference to the Polka-dot Jeursey standings which little Tommy Voeckler has in the bag.

The young Gorilla Sagan has Green in the bag too, but like sprinters the world over we're sure there will be some hustle & bustle at the intermediate sprint and of course for the big finish on the Champs-Elysées where the Manx Missile, Sagan, Gossy & Greipel the Gorilla will be pedaling for glory- it's guaranteed!

Our pick: For about the 10th time this tour - Go Gossy Go. This is your last chance - dive into the suitcase of courage & have a crack!

Drink Match: Champagne - enjoy a celebratory flute or two of something fresh and bright. A toast to the victors & for more sleep ahead!

A local drop: We love good Australian fizz here, if you haven't been able to track down any Sabre by MH by now, look for some methode traditional fizz from the likes of Clover Hill, Chandon or Brown Brothers who rarely disappoint.

This will be the last MH Le Tour post until next year.

Stay tuned for more blog activity as our eyes focus across the English Channel to London where the Olympics will be sure to inspire more unpredictable predictions with booze to match.

Au Revoir from Mitch & Johnno.

Stage 19 - The Race of Truth!

It was hard & fast last night & the Manx Missile did not disappoint. Another stage podium finish for Gossy who like every one else was caught off guard by big Cav who wound up his machine from about 500 m out & shot past everyone in a bit of a blur. More beast than man is the Missile.
Whilst Gossy missed out, what a ride by young Aussie Adam Hansen who's last 20 km offensive was sensational.

We are up to Stage 19 & it is the final time trial before the ride into Paris tomorrow. Remember this time last year folks? This was the stage where Cadel blitzed the field to close the gap & take the yellow juersey.

The 5 riders ahead of Cadel this year will all start after him, and unless all of them run into straying dogs, maniacal fans, packets of tacks or wandering cattle en route to Chartres, then Cadel's chance of capturing yellow again are essentially impossible.

Wiggins blitzed the stage 9 TT & will likely do the same again here. Given the awesome support he has had from team Sky, his legs should be up to it. Or will team mate Froome have a crack for some previously denied glory? Regardless, the race of truth will be fascinating to see who's got what left in the tank.

Our Pick: Froome to open up a can FU Wiggins & grab a stage win.

Drink Match:
The riders set off from Bonneval just North of the Loire Valley - It's a smorgasbord of lesser known (or loved?) varieties here. Take your pick from sweet Chennin wines of Anjou, the spicy & fruity Cabernet Franc of Chinon, the long-lived Chenin Blanc of Vouvray or the steely and flinty Sauvignon Blancs of Pouilly & Sancerre.

Aussie Match:

White: Get on the local Fumé Sauvignon Blanc styles - try the 3 Monks from Taltarni, the Gembrook Hills Sauv Blanc or try & track down our own newly released 2012 MH Sauvignon Blanc Fumé for Sauv Blanc with texture & complexity - say good bye to fruit tingles & Battery Acid!

Red: Try & track down the racy & infamous Mon Petite Francine by Gary Mills of Jamsheed wines - lip smakin' racy goodness!

Nearly home... MH Tour Blog Stage 18 Preview

With the peaks of the Pyrenees behind them, the jerseys for their year's Le Tour have all but been decided. That means it's time for someone to snatch some glory with a stage win prior to Paris. And with just a few climbs, the way is open for any sprinter still with the puff after the last climb to go for it.

Profile c/o letour.fr

Wiggins has the Maillot Jaune sewn up and onto himself, Sagan the green one, and Voeckler that nice spotty one you get for climbing mountains. Expect them to play fairly safe tonight, and it's time for someone else to have a crack at the stage win tonight.


OUR PICK: We've been tipping it for weeks now, it's time for GO GO GOSSY to pick up a stage win in a flat-out charge to the finish.

DRINK MATCH: We're just east of Bordeaux and the Dordogne here at the finish tonight, so it's time for a nice glass of claret... See if you can find a Cotes de Bergerac for a close-by tipple.

AUSSIE MATCH: Right, into Bordeaux-style material from down under, lets think some icons:
I'd go Yarra Valley for the Mount Mary Quintet myself, but for the other side of country, you'd be hard pressed to beat the Cullen Diana Madeline. Could you drink better on a cold winter night??

Stage 17 It's over folks! Or is it.....? Bagnéres-de-Luchon to Peyragudes

Stage 16 & the haul up Col du Tourmalet was always going to produce a result one way or another.

Like many of our readers we were firmly clutching onto that last sliver of hope that somehow, and by some mysterious turn of fortune, Cadel Evans would be able to claw his way back as a real GC contender. Even if he managed to get all the Gods on his side, he would have needed more to evade the formidable SKY Train. What a team!

Lets hope Cadel can keep his chin up & not slide any further down the classifications. With the pressure off, hopefully we'll see some less conservative riding from him. Was very touching watching Cadel & big George ride across the line together at the end.

What a ride from Voeckler to steal the polka-dot jeursey. He is a machine. What about those facial expressions?

Tonight it's Stage 17, Bagnéres-de-Luchon to Peyragudes, the last in the Pyrenees. So what can we expect? It's short yet sharp with a couple of Cat 1's, a Cat 2, a Cat 3, a sprint and yeah there is the HC, a nasty 7.7% ave 11km climb to bust up the Peleton towards the end of the stage.

Will any one challenge the Sky boys? Nibali showed a bit of spirit last night & will be keen to challenge again to trim the 18 sec between himself & Froome in 2nd. Expect some action from the Liquigas lads.

Sagan has got the green in the bag, so all eyes will be on the breakaway for the KOM polka-dot jeursey. Rolland who earlier in the race had a crack at the jeursey himself will now help Voeckler (107pts) defend his slender lead over Kessiakoff (103 pts). Or will he?

OUR PICK: Voeckler for back to back wins & and another dozen or so new facial contortions...

DRINK MATCH: Given the chilly viewing conditions from the couch & our proximity to Spain lets leap over the Pyrenees into Tempranillo country & sip on any of the fantastic Thelmo Rodriguez reds from the north. His M2 de Matallana never fails.

AUSSIE MATCH: The Mayford Tempranillo out of NE Vic at Porepunkah is superb so to are some local versions in our own Pyrenees. Dog Rock the best of them.

MH Tour Blog Stage 16: The Epic Stage

OK Tourists, we're seriously into the Haute Pyrenees tonight with a couple of massive Hors Categorie climbs, including the infamous Col du Tourmalet at over 2km high! So unlike Schleckie, we recommend you stay off the diuretics and nestle in for a long one tonight with a glass of good red instead...

Profile c/o letour.fr

It could well be said that it's now or never for the GC competitors. With Wiggins well out ahead, this, and tomorrow night's stage will almost certainly see changes: either an extended margin on Froome, Nibali and Evans, or perhaps a comeback from the Italian and/or Aussie mountain-men.

We'll most likely see a few would-be climbers break out from the pack early, and within the Peloton the SKY riders will be working flat-out once again to protect Wiggo's lead from the likely assailants: Evans and Nibali. Both will fancy themselves on that massive descent into the finish, and we'll look forward to watching them with balls to the wall to close the Wiggins gap...

OUR PICK: Nibali to bring it in, hotly pursued by Evans, making up a minute or so on Wiggins....

DRINK MATCH:  Here in the French Pyrénées, it's time to get into Madiran: Usually mainly the Tannat grape (as its name suggests, plenty of tannin around a dark-berry fruit flavour), along with parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Try: Domaine du Crampilh Madiran 


AUSSIE MATCH: If we're talking dark berry fruit and fine tannins in the heart of the Pyrenees... (the ones closer to home) ...then it might be time for a bit of our Mitchell Harris Pyrenees Cabernet Sauvignon 2009...perfect for a cold winter night watching little blokes go up big mountains....


And don't forget, for a little look at our Winter Reds, including the Cab, our new Mataro / Grenache / Shiraz, and the Pyrenees Sangiovese, get into our Winter Warmer Six-Pack - $120 for this month!

Our Pyrenees Cabernet...before it met the bottle.

It's off to Pau we Go! Stage 15 Samatan to Pau

Well folks, you wanted attacks, and all we got were tacks & lots of them. Bad puns aside, what a night of high drama! Stage 14 captured some of both the highs & lows that make this a truly remarkable sporting event.

The peleton lead by the yellow Wiggle showed great sportsmanship free-wheeling down Mur de Péguere to allow Cadel Evens & a dozen or so other punctured riders back to the main group. Pierre Rolland tried a bit of the 'I no speaker de English', and enjoyed his uncontested and short lived breakaway before toeing the line & getting swallowed up by the peleton. And unfortunately for Kiserlovski the tacks took him off to hospital & out of the race!

But what about that breakaway? Over 15 minutes clear of the peloton when the tack drama unfolded, it was Luis Leon Sanchez who broke away from the breakaway to get a well deserved victory.

So what does Stage 15 have in store for us?

It's back to Pau we go, & tonight it's one for the sprinters. This will probably sort out who's got their eye on the prize in Paris, or who's thinking of London.

Sagan is well clear in the battle for the green guersey, but will he have enough gas in the tank after his brilliant effort to cross the line in 2nd place in the hils last night?

Is Gossy gone? Griepel 'The Gorilla' loves to win, but watch out for the Manx Missile! I reckon Cav will want this win to make a statement to his rivals before London.

After yesterdays shenanigans, the GC boys will take it easy, as there is plenty more action in them there hills to come!

Our Pick: The Missile - Cavendish to show them who's the boss!

Drink match: After last night we need a drink - a real drink. We're in Armagnac country tonight! If that's a bit strong for you then there are plenty of interesting Vin-de-Pays in this part of France plus other small lesser know (but no less remarkable) appelations - try a Malbec from Cahors or a Tannat from the Madiran that'll be sure to add a few extra hairs to your chest.

Local Match: Try an Aussie Brandy such as the St Agnes 7 Star XO, a Malbec from Bleasdale or Ferngrove, or any other odd aussies you have lurking in your cellar!

Into the Pyrenees... MH Tour Blog Stage 14

Tonight we head from Limoux to Foix, in the foothills of the magnificent Pyrenees. It's only 40km from one to another, but the peloton are taking a bit of a 191km detour into the Haute Pyrenees with a couple of massive Category 1 climbs in the last half of the day's ride.

The final climb is still over 40km from the finish, so I doubt we'll see the GC contenders have a real crack, instead aiming not to lose any time. We'll most likely see one of the out-of-contention climbers have a major dip at a breakaway.

OUR PICK: Whilst Schleck and Gesink have the climbing pedigree, we fancy someone like Jurgen Van den Broeck, who looked pretty strong in the Alps a few nights ago.

DRINK MATCH: In the foothills of the Pyrenees, Limoux was actually the first place in France to produce sparkling wine, and they still make some excellent bubbles, particularly Crémant de Limoux. One of the biggest producers is fairly easy to find in Oz, so try a Sieur d'Arques Aimery Crémant de Limoux 1531.

AUSSIE MATCH: Hmmm....what could we Mitchell Harris boys suggest as a great bubbles made in the foothills of the Pyrenees here in Australia???....

That's right, another plug for our new bubbles, SABRE by MITCHELL HARRIS Vintage 2008!

Drop us an email at: info@mitchellharris.com.au if we can interest you in trying it out bottle or two...

Cheers Mr Halliday! - The SABRE review...

Thankyou Mr Halliday. A ripper review for our Sabre by MH in the latest Wine Companion mag. 95 points! Email info@mitchellharris.com.au if you would like to get your hands on some yourself.

When in Rhone...Tour Blog Stage 13

We're back on the flat tonight, for a 215km burn down from the Rhone valley, scooting around Montpellier and onto the Mediterranean coast road down to Le Cap-D'Agde.

It's been a super few days up in the Alps, but tonight will be either one for the sprinters, or we think, ripe for a breakaway pack. It's Bastille Day, so it's not too much of a stretch to imagine one or two of the Frenchies wanting to get themselves (and their sponsors' logos) out in front for much of the race. A stiff sea breeze for the last 50km will still keep the pressure on the GC contenders, but they'll probably stick together again.

OUR PICK: After getting stung 30 points for getting a little wobbly in front of Sagan, we'll go for Gossy to want to regain some pride with a sprint finish.

DRINKING MATCH: Find yourself a Chateauneuf du Pape to drink on this wintry Bastille Night down under.

AUSSIE MATCH: Time to try our little Rhoney-style number: The Mitchell Harris 2011 Mataro Grenache Shiraz fits the bill with spicy, fresh, lively Pyrenees fruit to watch Le tour by...

Round 16 MH Footy Tipping - Back to the GLORY DAYS!

That's right tipsters, the ol' Navy Blues displayed some form last weekend worthy of their glory days in the `80's. Knocking the Pies off their perch last Friday would have put a smile on the face of Bruce Doull and his buxom admirer. Only a few of you tipsters out there picked the bluebaggers including young Liv Jones, who became the third member of her family to take home the MH goodies. The only question to ask is whether she'll be able to wrestle the bottle of MH Shiraz from her dad??

It's tighter than a nun's nasty at the pointy end of the leaderboard with Patty 'MadDog' Moloney still sitting proudly on top, Rob snapping at his heels and an absolute stack of tipsters only one point off.

Onto the ball game...

North Melbourne v Carlton

Are the Blue Boys back? After running around with their heads hung low for the last month or so they came out swinging against the Pies to show the type of form that made them a real top 4 threat just a couple of months ago. Nice of them to stir the pot with a bit of twitter banter about stealing Travis Cloke. Could be a good fit? The poor old Shinboners let another vital game slip out of their grasp to really put a spanner in their finals claims. What a game by big Coxy for the Eagles though. Whoa! He was unpenetrable and Roos will need a big lift to win this.

Melbourne Demons v Fremantle

They could probably pay folks to come and watch this and still not fill Etihad stadium. Dees fans don't like traveling to the Badlands and it'll probably only be the die hard minority that'll fly across the Nullabor for this. The game is up for grabs and both teams will be keen for and really need the win. Close and scrapy this one!

Port Adelaide v Essendon

Two teams fresh from 10 goal thumpings going toe to toe at AAMI stadium may not sound like your cup of Emu Export but this could be a reasonable clash. Their could be blood on the turf at windy hill if Hirdy can't get his troops up for this to stop the hemorrhaging and keep their finals campaign intact.

Richmond v Gold Coast Suns

The Tiges will be nervous this week. Very nervous. The last time they headed up to Cazaly's Stadium to take on the Suns they got rolled and their finals campaign was all but destroyed. Can it happen again? With a pretty good run home the Tiges need this big time! Having put up a good show against the Cats last week the Suns will be keen to keep applying pressure anyway they can and will be excited about their chances again to post their first win for the year.

Geelong v Collingwood

Are the Cats coasting to the line ready to dial up the pressure come finals time or are they just not the same classy and consistent outfit that we've come to expect from Kardinia Park in recent years? After tripping up over the Blues last week the Pies will come out swinging and will be keen to cement their top 4 positioning and to show the Pussy Cats that it's they who are the ones to beat in 2012. Has the makings of a classic - we hope!

Brisbane Lions v St Kilda

Even with a home ground advantage it is difficult to see the Lions bothering the Saints too much for the 4 points in this game on Saturday night. The Lions were ho-hum against the red hot Swannies, and the Saints are back to some good form coming into the finals with Riewoldt & Milney in good touch. The Saints need to keep the momentum of last week rolling to make this one a sure bet.

Greater Western Sydney v Adelaide Crows

Poor GWS! Last week's flooding at the hands of the Hawks don't come much uglier than that. They were completely outclassed and out gunned at every turn and will need to dig deep into the kit to stop the same thing from happening again this week. Those Crows are good, very good, and will be keen to stretch the legs out and post a big win this week to keep them at the pointy end of the top 4 for some home ground advantage action come September.

Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn

The Doggies will be breathing sighs of relief that big Buddy will be watching this one from the sidelines. The Hawks are in the sizzling form that they've been promising to deliver for the last couple of seasons. Will it continue all the way to September? Whether it does or it doesn't probably doesn't really matter this week. The Doggies will just be glad that Buddy won't be compounding the damage any more than it's going to be.

West Coast v Sydney Swans

Match of the round! 1st vs 2nd. The Swans are red hot and on a nice roll of form and the Weagles can be devastating at home. These two teams haven't meet for over a year so this will be an intriguing and gladatorial battle at this stage of the season. The Weagles will be keen to put recent losses and close calls behind them and the Swans, with Goodes, Jack, and McVeigh all in good form will be keen to draw early blood with finals footy just around the corner. A potential thriller!

Go forth and tip well!

Shan, Mitch, Lis and Johnno

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Just email us on info@mitchellharris.com.au to get your hands on this ripper 6 pack offer.

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Go West! Stage 12 Tour Blog

Absolute cracker of a stage last night as the peloton pounded their way over some massive climbs in the Alps. Cadel had to make a move, and so he did, but didn't quite have the legs to carry it off last night. Fellow Aussies Richie Porte and Michael Rogers did a brilliant job of leading the SKY team out, and Froome pulled Wiggins up the hill (with a big nod to looking out for himself in the years to come!) As for Cadel, it starting to look like it won't be his year. But you can count nothing out with a big heart like his!

So, onto tonight...

A couple of big Category 1 climbs as the peloton leaves the Alps, then a gentle descent toward Annonay, where they'll then climb up to the arrivée.

Profile c/o letour.fr

Certainly the GC contenders will take it easy and spin a bit of the lactic acid out of the legs, but how will the rest of the race pan out? We're thinking if the sprinters can remain with the peloton through til the end they'll have crack up to the finish, it which case Gossy could be in with a chance, but it's likely, with nothing to lose, we'll see one of the others have a crack. You could pick pretty much anyone tonight, so.... for:

OUR PICK: Ummm..... Luis Leon Sanchez

DRINK MATCH: We're into the Cotes du Vivarais North of the Rhone here, territory of the light, spicy Rhone red blends. The Gallety ‘Recolte’ Cotes du Vivarais is a spicy, peppery Syrah from just south of the arrivée at Annonay.


AUSSIE MATCH: How about one from just up the road. Our mates at Dog Rock make the delicious Degraves Road Pyrenees Shiraz Grenache Tempranillo. We know, we know, the tempranillo doesn't strictly fit the Rhone blend, but seriously folks, this is one delicious, spicy red. Get on it!


 

Now or never Cadel??? - Tour Blog Stage 11

OK MH Tourists... Things are getting really serious now. As expected, there was no time gained or lost among the main contenders in the GC. A burst from Nibali on the final climb was quickly swallowed up by those seemingly unstoppable SKY riders. A stinking ride from Voeckler gave him yet another stage win for the 2012 tour.

Profile c/o letour.fr

So, two massive Hors Categorie climbs ahead of the peloton as they pour out of 1992 Olympic town Albertville tonight, and a 1100m climb to finish. The other teams will be pulling all the tricks out of their bags in order to isolate Wiggins and give one of the other GC contenders a chance at the maillot jaune. Have no doubt, this massive stage is very likely the turning point in the tour. By the end of the race tonight, we'll have a good idea who will be on the podium in Paris, and, if Wiggins has yet another great ride, we'll probably have our tour winner looking pretty certain.

OUR PICK: It's really now or never for Cadel, so we're tipping him for an heroic summit finish.

DRINK MATCH: One of the interesting grapes of the Haute Savoie is Gringet, which is made into a minerally, zingy bubbles. The big boy in the region is Domaine Belluard, and should be available at least in the big cities here in Oz.

AUSSIE MATCH: Try a Chandon ZD Blanc de Blancs. Zero dosage, for a bone-dry minerally zing....

Bring on the Alps! Tour Blog Stage 10

Serious, serious mountains for the first time tonight .

Three biggies for the tour to get across, including the massive Col du Grand Colombier, a 1250m climb with gradients reaching 18% at times!!

Obviously Cadel, with the work to do, will be keen to peg back some of that 1'53" deficit to Wiggo, but we fear tonight will not be the stage it happens, with the final climb (Col du Richemond) still 40-odd clicks from the finish line, more than enough distance for Team Sky to swallow up any getaway manoeuvre he might attempt.

Profile c/o letour.fr

OUR PICK: Expect to see the GC competitors play it safe and stick together tonight, leaving the stage win open for a breakaway. Could be almost anyone, but perhaps Chris Anker Sørenson, from the heady altitudes of Denmark, could take tonight to stamp a claim on the King of the Mountains Polka-Dot Jersey.

DRINK: A lighter red. Wines of the Haute-Savoie are hard to find here in Australia, but how about an

AUSSIE MATCH: A Bullers or Brown Brothers Mondeuse from Rutherglen.