Latest / Rugby Direct / Rugby Direct Episode 244: The team is in - Rennie’s big calls
Transcript
- 0:09Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks at B.
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- 0:23Speaker 1: Straight down the Middle, Try try get inside the game
- 0:35Speaker 1: from every goal. It's Rugby Direct with Elliot Smith and
- 0:39Speaker 1: Leam Napier powered by News Talks at B.
- 0:42Speaker 2: Welcome into Rugby Direct, powered by Excess Solutions, elevating you
- 0:46Speaker 2: and your business to a higher level. Two days away
- 0:50Speaker 2: from Test Matt Rugby once again the Nations Championship, not
- 0:54Speaker 2: that you'll see it on the All Black sleeve, of course.
- 0:56Speaker 2: Elliott Smith with me Liam Napier naps the Blacks name
- 1:00Speaker 2: their team to play the Irish. The drums had been
- 1:04Speaker 2: beating all week long for to provide the start up
- 1:07Speaker 2: Blindside flank. Da've Renny dropped a massive hint speaking to
- 1:11Speaker 2: Sky last week and then the whispers were beginning that
- 1:13Speaker 2: he was going to start up Blindside and sure enough
- 1:16Speaker 2: he is. Is that the top line for you from
- 1:17Speaker 2: this All Blacks team?
- 1:19Speaker 3: Yeah? Absolutely. It's the perennial, recurring, unsolvable theme of the
- 1:25Speaker 3: All Blacks going back however many years, however, many trials
- 1:29Speaker 3: and experiments, and it comes full circle again, doesn't it.
- 1:34Speaker 3: Ian Foster tried to provide on the blind Side. Scott
- 1:37Speaker 3: Robertson tried him there, and now Dave Reny, three weeks
- 1:41Speaker 3: into his tenure, picks his third Blindside flank. I'm unconvinced
- 1:46Speaker 3: elliotts He brings size, he is clearly a great line
- 1:51Speaker 3: out option, but I think he lacks pace and it
- 1:55Speaker 3: is quite the contrast to all the messaging that we've
- 1:59Speaker 3: had from Ny around speeds pace optimism, and you're sacrificing
- 2:06Speaker 3: a lot of mobility and speed to the breakdown by
- 2:10Speaker 3: supersizing your pack, not only with Tuper Vibe but also
- 2:13Speaker 3: Patrick Tuopelow too.
- 2:14Speaker 1: Yeah.
- 2:14Speaker 2: Absolutely, and we New Zealand is searching for this body,
- 2:18Speaker 2: this this archetype that we're looking for just a lot
- 2:21Speaker 2: in on blind Side and we have not really found
- 2:24Speaker 2: one since drom Can. Everyone knows the story that they
- 2:27Speaker 2: have tried so many options over the years. You we
- 2:29Speaker 2: could spend probably half an hour listing that the players
- 2:31Speaker 2: that have gone through that six Jusisian Frazal's back in
- 2:34Speaker 2: New Zealand Rugby later in there. It could be another option.
- 2:36Speaker 3: He had maybe one year where he nailed it. There
- 2:38Speaker 3: was that test against the spring box. It mounts smart.
- 2:42Speaker 3: But it was pretty fleeting, wasn't it.
- 2:44Speaker 2: Totally absolutely, But there's been a clamoring to get him
- 2:47Speaker 2: back in New Zealand. Rugby will be later in the year,
- 2:49Speaker 2: but for now they're gone with two po I on
- 2:52Speaker 2: one hand, I think, you know, we've had Dave Any
- 2:54Speaker 2: say that the numbers on the back don't matter. But
- 2:56Speaker 2: evidently they are looking for this archetype on the blind
- 3:00Speaker 2: side that they have not been able to nail down,
- 3:02Speaker 2: and they hope that over time that tupers it's something
- 3:05Speaker 2: that's going to click there. But he's just so good
- 3:08Speaker 2: at lot and he's clearly in the top two locks
- 3:10Speaker 2: in the country, at least I think it is. And
- 3:14Speaker 2: so you're, you know, Robin Peter to pay Paul essentially
- 3:17Speaker 2: in your team try and band aid up the blind side.
- 3:22Speaker 2: I don't know that you gain much. I mean, Peter
- 3:24Speaker 2: Lucky started there a couple of weeks ago. I thought
- 3:26Speaker 2: he was okay without being you know, shooting the lights out.
- 3:31Speaker 2: I think there's a lot of work to do for
- 3:32Speaker 2: him there. But clearly with three players starting in that
- 3:36Speaker 2: role in his many weeks, they're back. Still haven't found
- 3:39Speaker 2: what they're looking for to paraphrase you.
- 3:40Speaker 3: Too, No they haven't. Look I My view of this
- 3:45Speaker 3: is it's been over complicated to a point and it's
- 3:49Speaker 3: partly due to Artie Severe's switch from open side to
- 3:53Speaker 3: number eights. Dave Rennie seems wedded to that. Maybe he
- 3:58Speaker 3: wants to use him on the wider channels, but I
- 4:01Speaker 3: would be starting Peter Luck I had eight. I think
- 4:04Speaker 3: he's among New Zealand's best loose forwards. He's such a
- 4:07Speaker 3: dynamic ball carrier. I thought he was really good and
- 4:10Speaker 3: that opening test. I was surprised to see him replaced.
- 4:12Speaker 3: So and Brennie is clearly a big fan of Luke Jacobson,
- 4:16Speaker 3: and I think he has been very good. But a
- 4:19Speaker 3: loose trio of Luckeye eight, Severe at seven and Jacobson
- 4:25Speaker 3: in his more traditional role of blindside does give you
- 4:28Speaker 3: those complimentary skill sets is not necessarily the big bodies
- 4:32Speaker 3: that you need. And I think via selection for me
- 4:36Speaker 3: and too, Polo Tu reflects the fact that the All
- 4:39Speaker 3: Blacks haven't got enough pay from their ball carriers. They
- 4:43Speaker 3: haven't been physically dominance. Italy caused them big problems at
- 4:47Speaker 3: the breakdown. They just went wide to wides. They didn't
- 4:50Speaker 3: break that defensive line. So I think Rennie's wanting more physicality,
- 4:56Speaker 3: more size, more power, and he clearly wants to target
- 5:00Speaker 3: island set piece. I think the Irish of vulnerable. They're
- 5:03Speaker 3: scrum and they use their line out as a massive
- 5:05Speaker 3: weapon as well.
- 5:06Speaker 2: They do. I think Sam Darry's one of the All
- 5:08Speaker 2: It's best over the first couple of weeks, But maybe
- 5:10Speaker 2: is he just not bringing that physicality that the All
- 5:12Speaker 2: Blacks need to get over the game line.
- 5:14Speaker 3: I think that's that's partly partly the reason for that.
- 5:19Speaker 3: But I agree, I think Sam Darry was excellent, highly involved,
- 5:24Speaker 3: and he did get some punch or bolen hand, very
- 5:27Speaker 3: good at the line out. Patrick Tuopolota's vastly more senior,
- 5:32Speaker 3: probably hasn't. I can't remember the He was very good
- 5:36Speaker 3: off the bench for the All Black center with the.
- 5:38Speaker 2: Role and it probably will be maybe the R I mean,
- 5:40Speaker 2: I don't know.
- 5:40Speaker 3: Maybe it won't be when Fabian Holland comes back that.
- 5:43Speaker 2: He slots into. But then if you're going to have
- 5:45Speaker 2: two per fine on the blind side, then maybe it
- 5:47Speaker 2: isn't the role that he slides into. So a few
- 5:50Speaker 2: question marks Patrick, when you consider him very good player,
- 5:54Speaker 2: I do wonder where the thirty minutes at the back
- 5:56Speaker 2: end of the game is better use of him than
- 5:58Speaker 2: first fifty in a Test match like this. And I
- 6:02Speaker 2: was looking at the stats before. It's something like he's
- 6:06Speaker 2: played fifty seven of about one hundred fifty four tests
- 6:09Speaker 2: the All Blacks have played since he debuted, So he's
- 6:11Speaker 2: a lot of injuries. He's he's gone from sort of
- 6:13Speaker 2: you know, being behind white lock and retallic early in
- 6:16Speaker 2: his career and getting the odd appearance and having you know,
- 6:19Speaker 2: has said a lot of injuries. So big opportunity for
- 6:22Speaker 2: him this weekend to see what he can do elsewhere
- 6:25Speaker 2: on that All Blacks team. Josh Molby on the left
- 6:28Speaker 2: wing a little bit of a surprise. Suspected to go
- 6:31Speaker 2: back to Cayler Clark here, but what it signals is
- 6:34Speaker 2: that they were really impressed from Josh Molby last week.
- 6:37Speaker 2: He hasn't played a great deal. It's a bit, but
- 6:40Speaker 2: not a great deal on the left wing.
- 6:42Speaker 3: So we talked today only only rarely for wak Ut
- 6:46Speaker 3: in the NPC. So look, it's not a major shift,
- 6:50Speaker 3: but it's it's ball carrying. It's which you fend with some.
- 6:53Speaker 2: Players more comfortable switching than others as well.
- 6:55Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think I like that selection. It is
- 6:58Speaker 3: a real reward for form. And Molby looked immediately comfortable.
- 7:02Speaker 3: Didn't the off the bench last week. His pace, anticipation,
- 7:06Speaker 3: skill executions. He's also a natural fullback, so quite proficient
- 7:11Speaker 3: in the air. And I think Ireland will certainly test
- 7:13Speaker 3: the all blacks there. And I think back to Caleb
- 7:17Speaker 3: Clark coming off the bench in South Africa and in Australia,
- 7:22Speaker 3: and he actually did bring a lot, so I don't mind.
- 7:26Speaker 3: It is you to hold yourself a little bit carrying
- 7:30Speaker 3: a winger. It is a bit of a luxury, I
- 7:32Speaker 3: think because of the versatility that a lot of players have.
- 7:35Speaker 3: But I have liked what Caleb Clark has brought off
- 7:39Speaker 3: the bench. That would have been a fine line decision. Also,
- 7:42Speaker 3: Tyro Lomax comes in to start at tighthead prop. I
- 7:46Speaker 3: have a wee bit of a question mark about Fritz
- 7:48Speaker 3: Nuwell on the bench. I don't view him as an
- 7:51Speaker 3: impact player necessarily.
- 7:53Speaker 2: Neither do Well. Look, he made some impacts this year.
- 7:56Speaker 2: There's a scorching run against mo one O Pacifika from
- 7:58Speaker 2: fifty sixty meters out. He's not you know, it's a
- 8:02Speaker 2: different side of the scrump. He's not an a Meia
- 8:04Speaker 2: type impact. But I think what you signal skive at
- 8:07Speaker 2: your original point around targeting score island and the set
- 8:09Speaker 2: piece is that Neils a very very good scrummer er.
- 8:11Speaker 2: If they can bring him on, maybe they're scrump for
- 8:13Speaker 2: penalties later in the contest and working them over that way.
- 8:17Speaker 2: If it's a little bit tight, you can you can
- 8:18Speaker 2: go back to your set piece and scrum.
- 8:19Speaker 3: Yeah. I think you're right. You've got the complimentary elements there,
- 8:22Speaker 3: aren't you. Newle's going to be your scrum rock and
- 8:25Speaker 3: new Mers your mobile dynamic impact player off the bench,
- 8:30Speaker 3: So ticking both boxes.
- 8:32Speaker 1: Yeah.
- 8:33Speaker 2: On another note, I'm a little bit surprised that they
- 8:35Speaker 2: didn't give Cody Taylor a spell last week. And this
- 8:37Speaker 2: is going back seven days, but I would have given
- 8:40Speaker 2: Cody one of these tests off. You know, he's played
- 8:44Speaker 2: a lot of rugby this year, a lot of rugby
- 8:46Speaker 2: over his career. I think out of the frontline all
- 8:50Speaker 2: Blacks getting him towards the twenty twenty seven World Cup,
- 8:53Speaker 2: just I think you've got to get on more up
- 8:56Speaker 2: to test level. Not that he's not, but you know,
- 8:58Speaker 2: he hasn't played a lot of Test Rugby's been in
- 8:59Speaker 2: and out, you know, almost going over a decade now
- 9:02Speaker 2: at Takiyaho, we know what he can do. But I
- 9:04Speaker 2: would have liked to see them play a Test match
- 9:06Speaker 2: together over the series. With it was this week, whether
- 9:07Speaker 2: it was last week, I think that's a miss trick
- 9:09Speaker 2: from the All Blacks.
- 9:10Speaker 3: Yeah, I agree. I think last week was too conservative
- 9:13Speaker 3: of the selections and that was certainly one. I think
- 9:16Speaker 3: you could have started Takyajo and brought more off the
- 9:19Speaker 3: bench or vice versa, given those guys more exposure. So
- 9:22Speaker 3: I think that was that was certainly a missed opportunity.
- 9:27Speaker 3: What about no Boden Barrett, no Simon Parker, no Kyle Preston.
- 9:32Speaker 3: Those guys aren't gonna feature at all, and these Three
- 9:35Speaker 3: Nations Championship Test is at a surprise, a.
- 9:37Speaker 2: Long time without rugby for those three. Yeah, when they
- 9:42Speaker 2: get knocked out of the Super Rugby pluffs, if you're
- 9:45Speaker 2: Bote and Barritt and Kyle Preston, you got to week
- 9:47Speaker 2: two that's due middle of June. It's going to be
- 9:51Speaker 2: until about the seventh of August and theory until they
- 9:54Speaker 2: play rugby unless they go out and you know, knock
- 9:57Speaker 2: around in the first round of MPC potentially, but I'm
- 9:59Speaker 2: not sure that they will. So it's a long time
- 10:01Speaker 2: without rugby for these guys. They'll probably play the Stormers.
- 10:04Speaker 2: But yeah, I would have liked to see Kyle Preuston
- 10:06Speaker 2: get an opportunity at some point over these three weeks.
- 10:10Speaker 2: And Boden Barrett, I think the juries out whether he
- 10:16Speaker 2: is the right person at ten for the All Blacks,
- 10:17Speaker 2: but I think the jury's out on Ruben Love still
- 10:19Speaker 2: a bit as well. But I think maybe he could
- 10:23Speaker 2: have looked at him at fullback in one of these
- 10:24Speaker 2: weeks too. I think he's still got something to offer
- 10:26Speaker 2: this All Blacks team. We're slotson, I don't know. Simon
- 10:31Speaker 2: Parker Wills goes back to the conversation around Blindside that
- 10:33Speaker 2: he was another option last year. He was number eight and.
- 10:37Speaker 3: It was the predominant option at six. Super Bowl was injured.
- 10:40Speaker 3: But for the back half of the year, throughout those
- 10:43Speaker 3: November tests, he started all of the major tests.
- 10:46Speaker 2: And he didn't quite take his opportunity. So he's another
- 10:50Speaker 2: one that is going to be without rugby, so maybe
- 10:52Speaker 2: get some time for the tunny far But I mean
- 10:54Speaker 2: they've only got preseason then they go to South Africa,
- 10:57Speaker 2: so three players that won't be used I think as
- 11:00Speaker 2: a real question mark, and they're going to come into
- 11:03Speaker 2: South Africa with not a lot of rugby under the belt.
- 11:06Speaker 2: Speaking of Dave, Rennie said that every one in that
- 11:08Speaker 2: touring squad, which will be forty four strong, we'll get
- 11:12Speaker 2: some game time over the first week and Sixtyo benches
- 11:16Speaker 2: a possibility as well, so we'll see what happens there.
- 11:20Speaker 3: Yeah, no great surprise. I think he did definitively rule
- 11:24Speaker 3: out Richie Wog from that tour unless there's an injury.
- 11:27Speaker 3: So I'd heard he'd been pushing quite hard behind the
- 11:30Speaker 3: scenes but obviously got no rigor room from the New
- 11:32Speaker 3: Ziana Rugby board on that. Muwanga will make his comeback
- 11:35Speaker 3: with Canterbury, as will Shennon Frazel for Tasman. They'll tick
- 11:39Speaker 3: the provincial eligibility box and then they will need an
- 11:43Speaker 3: injury in the loose forwards for f Razel and fall
- 11:49Speaker 3: back or first five for mu Wonga to be called up,
- 11:51Speaker 3: and I would be shocked if that doesn't happen.
- 11:54Speaker 2: But for fit and AfOR who was leaving the country,
- 11:57Speaker 2: can be selected for the All Blacks.
- 11:59Speaker 3: Yeah good. I mean it's Rubik's Cube of stipulations, isn't it.
- 12:04Speaker 1: It is.
- 12:04Speaker 2: Indeed, since we chatted on Monday with Jordy Barrett, it's
- 12:08Speaker 2: not trained on Tuesday. Dave really insisting today that he
- 12:11Speaker 2: is good to go with the league niggle that he
- 12:14Speaker 2: was carrying. I was there Tuesday training. We went in
- 12:17Speaker 2: for about fifteen minutes and he was fully in a
- 12:19Speaker 2: track suit and you know it was on the park,
- 12:21Speaker 2: but wasn't taking part in the skill session and the
- 12:25Speaker 2: warm downs and everything like that. So hopefully it's good
- 12:27Speaker 2: to go. Sound like you trained fully today and was
- 12:29Speaker 2: out in the park and ready to go. Because I'm
- 12:32Speaker 2: hearing the Irish big fans of Jordi Barrett Lynn.
- 12:35Speaker 3: Yeah, massive fans obviously. Jordi went up there a year
- 12:38Speaker 3: ago now for six months and was exceptional. He's got
- 12:43Speaker 3: a great rugby brain, high IQ. He helped contribute in
- 12:50Speaker 3: a big way to that lens. The group was well
- 12:52Speaker 3: liked on and off the fields and set a high
- 12:55Speaker 3: bar that Rico Yuanni didn't reach. Evidently he was. Rico
- 13:00Speaker 3: has been called into the All Blacks, so you'd expect
- 13:04Speaker 3: him to be involved in that South African tour. But
- 13:08Speaker 3: it is a big week for Jordy Barrett here. I've
- 13:10Speaker 3: got no doubt the All Blacks would have tapped him
- 13:12Speaker 3: up this week for a bit of Intel's. It's not Leinster,
- 13:16Speaker 3: but they still provide the backbone to that national team.
- 13:19Speaker 3: He'll know some of those combinations and individuals intimately some
- 13:24Speaker 3: of their tendencies. Dave Reny will have a clear idea
- 13:27Speaker 3: about what Arlan will bring. But why would you not
- 13:30Speaker 3: utilize the inside knowledge.
- 13:31Speaker 2: Absolutely mate, the most of it. Rico you Andy might
- 13:33Speaker 2: be able to offer some as well, given he's coming
- 13:35Speaker 2: to camp as you know, maybe you'll steal the pot
- 13:37Speaker 2: a little bit. And Shavey wasn't up for media that
- 13:39Speaker 2: had been quite good just to defn Rico even though
- 13:41Speaker 2: he's not playing. The Irish team, of course named and
- 13:44Speaker 2: looked as predicted. Andy Farrell has restored what we would
- 13:48Speaker 2: term his first choice squad. Obviously Kaitlin Doris. I'm not
- 13:50Speaker 2: on this tour through injury, massive loss, massive loss a
- 13:54Speaker 2: great player, but by and large this is close to
- 13:57Speaker 2: barring a couple of selections here or there. The team
- 14:01Speaker 2: that beat the Wallabies in Week one before they rotated
- 14:03Speaker 2: for Japan and week two of the Nation's Championship and
- 14:07Speaker 2: the probably with the one change that made is tyger
- 14:09Speaker 2: Burn at blindside flanker rather than at locke. He came
- 14:13Speaker 2: off the bench in the first week captain of the
- 14:15Speaker 2: team from lock last week. When we talk about an
- 14:19Speaker 2: archetype that can swing between locke and blindside, he's probably
- 14:23Speaker 2: Peter Steph is one who can play lock if needed.
- 14:26Speaker 2: But in terms of you know, not if needed, but
- 14:30Speaker 2: someone that can play lock and blindside, he'd be the
- 14:32Speaker 2: guy tyger Burn. You know, quality players that he comes
- 14:36Speaker 2: in on blindside flank and you're fonder Flaire and Conan.
- 14:40Speaker 2: You got Gibson Park who is obviously sort of nons
- 14:44Speaker 2: in New Zealander's prendigas at ten. A couple of changes
- 14:48Speaker 2: on the wings from that first choice team. Sorry that's
- 14:50Speaker 2: the first team they played a couple of weeks back.
- 14:53Speaker 2: But this is a strong Irish team. But I just
- 14:57Speaker 2: wonder with the it's as strong as it was a
- 15:01Speaker 2: year ago, two years you know, going back, just lost,
- 15:04Speaker 2: you know, a couple of players, a bit of momentum,
- 15:06Speaker 2: still very very strong. I'm not sure they strike the
- 15:09Speaker 2: fear into the heart of the All Blacks and New
- 15:11Speaker 2: Zealanders as maybe they did twelve months ago, twenty four
- 15:14Speaker 2: months ago.
- 15:15Speaker 3: Yeah, not just New Zealanders. It's interesting talking to Irish
- 15:19Speaker 3: pundits and fans. There seems to be quite a bit
- 15:21Speaker 3: of pessimism about Ireland's prospects this week about this team,
- 15:26Speaker 3: and man, what a contrast three years makes because Ireland
- 15:31Speaker 3: and the lead up to that twenty twenty three World
- 15:33Speaker 3: Cup quarter final, they've been on a seventeen match winning
- 15:36Speaker 3: run and the fans that certainly attended that game and
- 15:40Speaker 3: around Paris that day, it was like that victory was
- 15:43Speaker 3: a foregone conclusion. So there's been massive changes to that team.
- 15:48Speaker 3: And I certainly think this Irish team is not the
- 15:53Speaker 3: team they were, and I yet to convince I think,
- 15:56Speaker 3: you know, it was really that match against the Wallabies
- 15:59Speaker 3: could have gone either way. And then I don't think
- 16:01Speaker 3: you can read too much into that Japanese game. The
- 16:05Speaker 3: notable selections for meet Jimmy O'Brien on the left wing.
- 16:09Speaker 3: I think he will use to try and target the
- 16:12Speaker 3: air and this is the biggest test of Sam printer
- 16:15Speaker 3: Gas's career. I think the All Blacks will target him,
- 16:18Speaker 3: try and pressure his kicking game, but also make work
- 16:20Speaker 3: him over defensively. And I think there will also be
- 16:22Speaker 3: true of Ruben Love down that channel. So it'll be
- 16:25Speaker 3: interesting to see how those two tens stand up. But
- 16:29Speaker 3: I don't think we'll see any great surprises in the
- 16:31Speaker 3: way Island play. I think Jameson Gibson Park will will
- 16:35Speaker 3: hoist to the heavens and they'll look to use their
- 16:37Speaker 3: their driving more, their line outs. Their short passing game
- 16:41Speaker 3: is essential to the way they play, and they'll bring
- 16:44Speaker 3: a lot of line speed on defense, which you'll Blacks
- 16:47Speaker 3: struggle with against Italy. So yeah, what do you make
- 16:52Speaker 3: of that pessimism in particular around anecdotally anyway that the
- 16:57Speaker 3: Irish fans and horrific.
- 16:59Speaker 2: Is being burned too much by the your Blacks in
- 17:03Speaker 2: twenty three, that they've gone, we're not the team we
- 17:06Speaker 2: were in twenty three. Therefore, you know we couldn't win
- 17:08Speaker 2: in twenty three. We can't do it in twenty four.
- 17:11Speaker 2: They can't do it in twenty five, can't do it
- 17:12Speaker 2: in twenty They're still a very very good rugby team,
- 17:14Speaker 2: don't get me wrong, but it doesn't feel like that
- 17:16Speaker 2: they have that same ability that they did have a
- 17:19Speaker 2: couple of years back.
- 17:20Speaker 3: No, the one thing I'll say, just listening to Andy
- 17:22Speaker 3: Farrell this week, I really like him as a coach,
- 17:25Speaker 3: as a leader. You know, most coaches have come out
- 17:29Speaker 3: here and asked about Eden Park and the record and
- 17:31Speaker 3: all that thing. It's just, oh, it's a stadium, it's
- 17:33Speaker 3: got grass. It's a bit of a non factor. Pharaoh's luck.
- 17:38Speaker 3: Seize the day, don't have any regrets, you know, let's
- 17:42Speaker 3: take it head on. I think he'd be very inspiring
- 17:46Speaker 3: coach to have, so I do like his mentality.
- 17:49Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, Look, he's a very good coach and it's
- 17:51Speaker 2: proven that on the world stage and was honest that.
- 17:55Speaker 2: You know, if this is the opportunity we've got, we've
- 17:56Speaker 2: got to embrace it and make the most of it.
- 17:59Speaker 2: And they go on with a chance on the weekend.
- 18:01Speaker 2: What do you predict might unfold on Saturday night.
- 18:06Speaker 3: I think it could be squeaky, could be tense. I
- 18:09Speaker 3: expect the All Blacks to win, but I don't think
- 18:11Speaker 3: there's a case to be made that Island strike the
- 18:13Speaker 3: All Blacks and opportune time. They're growing pains under any
- 18:18Speaker 3: are still evident, they're still learning their game. Developing combinations,
- 18:22Speaker 3: testing depth. I'm yet to be convinced, and that's probably
- 18:27Speaker 3: understandable given that the short time that they've had together.
- 18:31Speaker 3: But I would expect significant improvements from the All Blacks.
- 18:34Speaker 3: They expect them to win, but I don't think it
- 18:36Speaker 3: will be comfortable at all.
- 18:38Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I'm not saying comfortable.
- 18:40Speaker 2: I think the All Blacks will win by about ten.
- 18:41Speaker 2: But let's not forget the All Blacks have not lost
- 18:44Speaker 2: to Ireland since twenty twenty two. So they won of
- 18:50Speaker 2: the World Cup in twenty three, they won in Dublin
- 18:52Speaker 2: twenty four. They one in Chicago last year under a
- 18:55Speaker 2: coach that was booted because they went on the right trajectory.
- 18:58Speaker 2: Yet they beat the Irish twice under Scott Robinson's Tutelish
- 19:01Speaker 2: didn't lose them during that period of time. So I
- 19:04Speaker 2: think it's a little bit on here that I think
- 19:06Speaker 2: the Irish moments passed and you know there's growing pains
- 19:11Speaker 2: under Rennie. But I just I still think the All
- 19:13Speaker 2: Blacks will be good enough to win on Saturday Night.
- 19:15Speaker 3: Yeah, I think so. I just I have an element
- 19:18Speaker 3: of nerves because of where the All Blacks are at
- 19:21Speaker 3: in the early stages of Rennie's tenure. I think there's
- 19:26Speaker 3: a lot of progression needed and there hasn't been a
- 19:29Speaker 3: lot of time to do it.
- 19:30Speaker 2: Yeah, quite right, Well, we'll see how it gets on
- 19:33Speaker 2: Saturday night. Look forward to calling it on News Talk
- 19:35Speaker 2: ZB and iHeartRadio from ten past seven. You can follow
- 19:39Speaker 2: Lillam's analysis and pieces leading up to the match on inziherld,
- 19:44Speaker 2: dot co dot nzi there. Thanks to Mark Ali for
- 19:46Speaker 2: producing and we will see you back here in the
- 19:49Speaker 2: early part of next week as we look on what
- 19:52Speaker 2: happens on Saturday night and maybe cast it into the
- 19:54Speaker 2: South African tour as well. Look forward to seeing you.
- 20:01Speaker 1: For more from News Talk SEDB. Listen live on air
- 20:04Speaker 1: or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
- 20:07Speaker 1: go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.