Sports

The Wellington Phoenix have finally blown their cover. Surprise back-to-back wins in Australia have lifted Ricki Herbert’s unfashionable mob to the dizzying heights of third and observers across the Tasman are finally taking notice.

It is unfamiliar territory for the Phoenix, who have thrived on a “nobody believes in us” mentality throughout their brief existence as New Zealand’s sole professional football team.

The return of the Raptors leading scorer Andrea Bargnani and a rare opportunity to be the fresher of the two teams on the floor — the Suns were on a back-to-back while the Raptors have been in Phoenix since Sunday night — did the trick. More >

The Toronto Raptors look to accomplish a rare feat when they visit the Phoenix Suns tonight. Phoenix has won 14 straight and 16 of the last 19 meetings between the two teams and is unbeaten in the last seven matchups in the Valley of the Sun. The last time Toronto won in this series was a 101-94 victory on the road back in 2004.

You can watch the game live on TSN at 9pm et/6pm pt. Toronto has dropped eight in a row and 10 of its last 11 games. It opened a five-game road trip with a 103-91 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at Staples Center, as Leandro Barbosa and Linas Kleiza ended with 19 and 16 points, respectively, for the Raptors.

The Phoenix have recorded consecutive road wins for the first time in the football club’s history with the 1-nil victory over the Jets in Newcastle propelling the Wellingtonian’s into third spot on the A-League ladder. More >

The terrors of Terra Australis are now a thing of the past for Ricki Herbert and the Wellington Phoenix.

At least that’s the hope after a season-first win in Australia – Tim Brown’s late heroics snatching a 1-0 triumph on the Gold Coast on Sunday More >

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki riders Dean Wilson and Tyla Rattray started the night strong, finishing first and second, respectively, in their heat race. “It’s nice to get a win and a good start to the night,” Wilson said, “I wheelied halfway up the straight, but it’s all good. I’m excited for the Main.”

Teammate Broc Tickle, on the other hand, had a tough night in the Supercross Class. An early crash in his heat sent him to the Last Chance Qualifier, where he ended the race just shy of a qualifying position. “I struggled all night with feeling comfortable,” said Tickle. “This week I’m really working on starts and am looking to rebound in LA.

Only a few days after striking the first blow in the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, Ryan Villopoto and company will move on to Phoenix’s Chase Field this Saturday to continue the fight. More >

For five long years now, the scene hasn’t changed. The venue: the Wellington Phoenix’s humble training headquarters at Newtown Park.

The assembled: a gaggle of media surrounding Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert. The questions: “Why are the Phoenix so good at home but so poor on the road?” and variations thereof.

Unfortunately Herbert is yet to come up with any answers as the fourth-placed Phoenix are yet to taste success on Australian soil in six attempts this season.

Talented midfielder Dani Sanchez and reliable defender Manny Muscat are next on the Wellington Phoenix’s hitlist after re-signing skipper Andrew Durante for three more years. More >

Wellington Phoenix return to the comforts of home for their next two A-League matches against Sydney FC and Perth Glory. More >