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Transcript

Rugby Direct: Episode 214 · Rugby Direct

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: this and our Wide Ranger podcasts now on iHeartRadio, Straight
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Down the Middle, SCY try to get inside the game
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: from every angle. It's Rugby Direct with Elliott Smith and
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: Leam Napier powered by News Talks EDB.
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: Welcome into Rugby Direct powered by Habits Health Book today
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: and stay in the game. Elliott Smith with me Liam Napier.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: Another busy weekend of rugby in the books. Greetings, Liam,
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: welcome back into Rugby Directors.
• 0:51
  Speaker 3: Always great to be he Elliott. Always plenty of happening,
• 0:54
  Speaker 3: isn't that there is?
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: Indeed, in some breaking news that's come just before we
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: record on this podcast to Mighty Williams ruled out of
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: Super Rugby for the rest of twenty twenty six with
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: a serious infection. This news from the Crusaders this morning.
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: The All Black prop has been diagnosed with discitis, which
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: is an infection in one of the discs in the spine,
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: which sounds horrible. He's had blood tests, et cetera, et cetera,
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: and he's going to be on antibiotics for a long time.
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: So his Crusader season is over. It's a pretty big blow.
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: He was due to come back from suspension I think
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: last week. They didn't obviously include him that week. We
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: now know why.
• 1:32
  Speaker 3: Massive blow.
• 1:33
  Speaker 4: Elliott very well, big human, first and foremost, isn't the
• 1:37
  Speaker 4: tomicy and it's been a big part of the Crusader's
• 1:39
  Speaker 4: success in recent years and looked good an increasingly destructive scrummager,
• 1:46
  Speaker 4: great fitness these days around the field, very much the
• 1:49
  Speaker 4: all court modern day props. So massive setback for the Crusaders.
• 1:54
  Speaker 4: I've actually had a mate who's been through something similar.
• 1:57
  Speaker 4: It does sound pretty random of virus in your back,
• 1:59
  Speaker 4: but it's it can be very debilitating and with to
• 2:03
  Speaker 4: mighty ruled out for the whole of the year, that
• 2:06
  Speaker 4: speaks to its severity. So I guess, you know, I
• 2:09
  Speaker 4: thoughts with him. He's going to be in hospital for
• 2:11
  Speaker 4: a period of time before he's allowed to go home
• 2:15
  Speaker 4: first and foremost, and then I guess hopefully bounce back
• 2:18
  Speaker 4: at some point later in the year for the All Blacks.
• 2:19
  Speaker 4: But yeah, pretty nasty illness that it is.
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: Indeed, Adam Thompson remember about a decade ago he had
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: the same thing. I think he copped it in Japan
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: and he was in hospital for about two months. I
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: think they had some trouble figuring out exactly what it was.
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: So they've got to obviously the point of knowing what
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: it is with tomighty. So hopefully it's you know, slow
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: and steady progress and he can make his return to
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: international rugby at some point this season. Let's through the
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: weekend that was and look fairly unconvincing. The Chiefs twenty
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: four to fourteen over the Western Forest in Perth on
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: Saturday night. Felt like the Chiefs are poised to break
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: the game open. Just before halftime. They had a try
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: that Jacobson scored, No sorry, Jacob scored off the back
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: of a line out that wasn't called not straight by
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: the referee. They've got a bit lucky then, but they
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: could have been nineteen seven twenty one seven and a
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: half time if they haven't fluffed their lines. But then
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: just got into a little bit of an arm wrestle
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: with the Western Force, which they are quite good at doing,
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: and couldn't find a way to really break the shackles
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: at all in that contest. It was a fairly middling performance.
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: I thought from the Chiefs, what did you make of it?
• 3:28
  Speaker 4: It was and it's probably a reflection of the season
• 3:31
  Speaker 4: to date. I think quite unconvincing. I've had some bad
• 3:35
  Speaker 4: losses that I'm thinking about the Crusaders at home, and
• 3:40
  Speaker 4: just quite a bit patchy really and unconvincing outside of that,
• 3:43
  Speaker 4: And look, I think the Force a better team than
• 3:46
  Speaker 4: they have been in recent years. They pushed the Hurricanes,
• 3:50
  Speaker 4: They've been wine in Pacifica when they were out here,
• 3:52
  Speaker 4: and have been competitive in other fixtures this year. But
• 3:56
  Speaker 4: they're also a team that's New Zealand sides in particular
• 3:59
  Speaker 4: view with rotation in mind, you think about Josh Jacob
• 4:02
  Speaker 4: coming into ten Leroy Carter at center, Samersoni Takiaho on
• 4:06
  Speaker 4: the bench, so as one of the also rans. To
• 4:11
  Speaker 4: a degree, the Force are viewed in that light, and
• 4:13
  Speaker 4: I think that can cause disruption. But the Chiefs should
• 4:17
  Speaker 4: have probably put them away even in those circumstances. By
• 4:20
  Speaker 4: twenty thirty points. They had a number of line breaks,
• 4:24
  Speaker 4: so many blowing chances they're handling areas, their execution they're
• 4:27
  Speaker 4: finishing was really off. Maybe it was a symptom of
• 4:31
  Speaker 4: a weaber disruption on the way to the game with
• 4:33
  Speaker 4: the bus breaking down, but look, no excuses rarely expect
• 4:38
  Speaker 4: a lot more from this Chief's.
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: Team, absolutely, and you look back at the last two weeks,
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: the swing in Australia GA, they'll be disappointed with their
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: return I think in the end. Obviously the lost of
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: the Brumbies last week in a poor ish performance will
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: be with a win against the Western Force, you there's
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: a lot to improve as they come back and play
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: the Wartors this weekend.
• 4:58
  Speaker 4: There is, indeed, and the coaching change with John O
• 5:01
  Speaker 4: Gibbs coming in, there was always going to be a
• 5:05
  Speaker 4: bit of a transition there and you'd have to say
• 5:07
  Speaker 4: the Chiefs aren't performing as well as they have in
• 5:09
  Speaker 4: recent years, but maybe they'll find those improvements between now
• 5:14
  Speaker 4: and the end of the year. They've been bridesmaid on
• 5:16
  Speaker 4: so many occasions come the playoffs, so maybe they're getting
• 5:19
  Speaker 4: that rust out now.
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: How much do you think that tinkering them? And obviously
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: they had to make some tweaks there and move Jacob
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: into ten and Mackenzie at fallback, But do you think
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: that is actually more of an issue than you know?
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: Obviously trying to build some depth and rotating players out
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: and keeping players fresh, But at this point of the
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: season I think they need to string together some consistent performances,
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: don't they.
• 5:41
  Speaker 4: They do, and they probably need to see a bit
• 5:43
  Speaker 4: more out of well some of their regular stars. I
• 5:46
  Speaker 4: don't think McKenzie's been at his best since coming back
• 5:49
  Speaker 4: from having his first Child's probably got a lot on
• 5:52
  Speaker 4: his hands on the home fronts. He's missed a couple
• 5:56
  Speaker 4: of raally regulation kicks in both Canberra and Perth, and yeah,
• 6:01
  Speaker 4: that disruption can have an impact.
• 6:02
  Speaker 3: But I agree, I think they need to.
• 6:05
  Speaker 4: Start settling on their best team where possible, developing those
• 6:09
  Speaker 4: combinations and really driving home improvements because they look at
• 6:14
  Speaker 4: this point anyway a bit of a shadow of the
• 6:16
  Speaker 4: team of recent times, recent years they do.
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: The Blues beating the Fiji and Juwer forty to fifteen.
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: Took a while for the Blues to get going. There
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: was a bit of a just that a sense of
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: inevitability about how this was all going to end. But
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: at halftime, you know, the game was certainly in the balance,
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: but you know, the Blues in the final half hour
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: took the game away. Some of the youngsters stepping up
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: Kurdy Vai, Peyton Spencer I thought were impressive in the
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: closing stages and their ability to find space around the
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: Fiji and Durer attack. But again, you know, forty fifteen.
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: It's not a result to be sniffed at from the Blues,
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: but they were clunky at times and didn't look like
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: a team you know that were you know, making a
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: claim for the throne of super Rugby New Zealand or
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: at least specific.
• 7:05
  Speaker 4: It feels like the Blues have a lot more in
• 7:07
  Speaker 4: them points despite you know, clocking up the points and
• 7:11
  Speaker 4: sitting pretty much level with the Hurricanes at the top
• 7:14
  Speaker 4: of the table banking bonus points, they have had a
• 7:17
  Speaker 4: reasonably softer draw and look, I did take them a
• 7:21
  Speaker 4: long time to get going. I think they struggled with
• 7:23
  Speaker 4: the jurors physicality on both sides of the ball.
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: At times.
• 7:27
  Speaker 4: The Blues like to have it their own way with
• 7:29
  Speaker 4: their pack laying the platform before they go wide. But
• 7:32
  Speaker 4: as you mentioned, there's some of that. It's good to
• 7:34
  Speaker 4: see some of the youngsters standing up. Also, Sam Dowry
• 7:36
  Speaker 4: coming to the four is standing skipper. After his injury
• 7:40
  Speaker 4: troubles of recent years, he's starting to find some form.
• 7:44
  Speaker 4: So look the Blues. The cavalry is coming back as well,
• 7:48
  Speaker 4: isn't it. Potentially Dalton Papal Patrick two, Polo two and
• 7:53
  Speaker 4: a number of others as well. So there's plenty of
• 7:56
  Speaker 4: firepower for them to come back, but you'd expect to
• 7:58
  Speaker 4: see a lift in the coming weeks as well.
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely looking and they did win that game without
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: Papaali Situtu's sullivan on the weekend just on Darry We
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: obviously had him in a podcast last year and simracor
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: m saying something about using his size, and maybe it
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: was Luke Ramano potentially saying something to him. Well, it
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: feels now that he's more comfortable using that size of
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: his He's put on a bit of muscle. He looks
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: more imposing than perhaps he did when he came out
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: when you know, maybe he was a bit more of
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: a rake at the line out and around the park.
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: Now he looks like a full bodied specimen in that
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: blues pack.
• 8:36
  Speaker 3: Yeah. I think there's a natural age of maturing, isn't there.
• 8:41
  Speaker 4: Into a frame you can pack on weight, you can
• 8:45
  Speaker 4: have all the eggs you want, but you can't fast
• 8:49
  Speaker 4: forward evolution. And I think Type five forwards generally mature
• 8:54
  Speaker 4: in their late twenties, some of them even their early thirties.
• 8:57
  Speaker 4: So Samdarry's actually been around quite a while, but I
• 9:01
  Speaker 4: think we're starting to see the best of him. He's
• 9:04
  Speaker 4: very astute, he's a great line technician, but as you mentioned,
• 9:07
  Speaker 4: it is that physicality that he's going to need to impose,
• 9:11
  Speaker 4: particularly when it comes to the Test arena. And look,
• 9:14
  Speaker 4: he also knows when he looks around at the depth
• 9:18
  Speaker 4: of New Zealand locks and with Dave Rennie saying you'd
• 9:21
  Speaker 4: love to get Brodie Rittellick back, maybe there was a
• 9:24
  Speaker 4: week kick up the backside as well for him to
• 9:26
  Speaker 4: stake his claim.
• 9:27
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, Look wasn't vintage Blues, but it's another word that
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: they are second on the ladder. Again, we moved back
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: and to Saturday afternoon. The Hurricanes far too good for
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: the Reds fifty two fourteen. The Reds haven't beaten the
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: Hurricanes in Wellington since the Athletic Park days. How many
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: name changes has Henry Stadium been through since then and
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: different different variations etc. Quite remarkable that this has continued.
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: But this was a superb performance from the Hurricanes.
• 10:00
  Speaker 5: Liam. Look, I'll allow you to wax lyrical before I
• 10:03
  Speaker 5: had a few.
• 10:03
  Speaker 4: Thoughts, Oh Elliott, Well, it's not to like mate, It's
• 10:07
  Speaker 4: a wee bit of a gloomy day, isn't it in
• 10:09
  Speaker 4: Auckland today? But when the Hurricanes are running rampant, you
• 10:12
  Speaker 4: can't help but wake up with a smile from air
• 10:15
  Speaker 4: to air. Look, I think the Canes this year scored
• 10:18
  Speaker 4: forty one tries that wrapped up fifty points on a
• 10:22
  Speaker 4: number of occasions, and I think it's the speed with
• 10:25
  Speaker 4: which they're playing with. That was a reds team that
• 10:28
  Speaker 4: has had success in recent years against is on opposition,
• 10:32
  Speaker 4: they got phrasing right back and yet still they couldn't
• 10:36
  Speaker 4: slow the Hurricanes rockball, and that's because of their dominant carries.
• 10:40
  Speaker 4: And then when they have that front foot platform, jeez,
• 10:44
  Speaker 4: I've got some skills and that back line and they
• 10:48
  Speaker 4: can score some points very quickly.
• 10:49
  Speaker 3: So unless you find a way to slow that rockball down,
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: you're going to be in real trouble.
• 10:56
  Speaker 4: So I think the Cane train is in full steam,
• 10:59
  Speaker 4: but it's I'm not going to anoint its champions just yet, Elliott,
• 11:05
  Speaker 4: because it's a bloody tough run home for the Canes
• 11:07
  Speaker 4: that they got to this weekend, and then they basically
• 11:10
  Speaker 4: play eleven weeks straight and I think they have six
• 11:13
  Speaker 4: Derbys in their last eight games, so I wouldn't say
• 11:16
  Speaker 4: the jury's out just yet, but we're going to learn
• 11:19
  Speaker 4: a lot more over the back half of the year
• 11:21
  Speaker 4: as the weather turns as well. It was a great
• 11:24
  Speaker 4: evening in Wellington and the Cane certainly made the most
• 11:26
  Speaker 4: of it.
• 11:27
  Speaker 5: Yeah, that's right, isn't it.
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: When those games come thick and fast and you've got
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: a compound wins back to back against New Zealand sides
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: or the stronger sides in the competition, that's when it's
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: going to be really difficult. Crucial game for me is
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: that the Brumbies in christ Church and super Round and
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: over Anzac weekends, though they don't travel well to Canberra.
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: The Hurricanes lost a couple of playoffs there in the
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: last few years. But if they can get that win there,
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: that's a pretty crucial win over another top six team.
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: They've got the Crusaders, et cetera, as you mentioned, but
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: they can string a few wins together against these teams
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: and claim top spot on the ladder, then they're going
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: to be very very difficult to spot to stop. Rather,
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: what I like is their forward play this season, and
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: I think the Fords have traditionally not only been a
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: weakness of the Hurricanes, but they've always been quite predictive
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: in the way that they go about things and haven't
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: always had the strength. But this time they've got a
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: few variations in that pack around.
• 12:21
  Speaker 5: The set piece.
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: They've got the platform that their back line is able
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: to play off. And that's always been the thing for
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: the Hurricanes. I've always had these exciting backs, and you
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: even go back to the nineties and tana Umonger, it
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: was running around in Christian color and et cetera, et cetera,
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: but they didn't always have the forward pack to match
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: their much haunted backs. What feels like this time and
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: Devin Flanders is potentially coming of age in that pack.
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: Warned Durns has added a lot to them this season
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: as well, are more etcetera, etcetera. It feels like all
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: the parts are sort of clicking for the Hurricanes when
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: maybe they haven't necessarily in the past.
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 12:54
  Speaker 4: Absolutely, I think previous iterations of the Hurricanes have generally
• 12:59
  Speaker 4: had great loose forwards, but that's the type five where
• 13:03
  Speaker 4: the soft underbelly has been potentially exposed.
• 13:07
  Speaker 3: Mentioned Warner Deernsey.
• 13:08
  Speaker 4: I think it's taken him a few weeks to adjust
• 13:11
  Speaker 4: from Japanese rugby to Super rugby, maybe the increased physicality
• 13:17
  Speaker 4: there and just coming to Grips with a new team.
• 13:20
  Speaker 3: And he's been a great addition.
• 13:22
  Speaker 4: And there is real depth to this Hurricanes team outside
• 13:27
  Speaker 4: of maybe half back. They do have a number of
• 13:29
  Speaker 4: different options that they can turn to. We even saw
• 13:33
  Speaker 4: you know, Cullum Harkins step into the ten shoot. I
• 13:35
  Speaker 4: think he was about third or fourth choice. Now they've
• 13:37
  Speaker 4: got Reuben Love back. I think he'll grow in confidence
• 13:40
  Speaker 4: in the coming weeks. You've just recently had Tyrol.
• 13:43
  Speaker 3: Lomax come back.
• 13:44
  Speaker 4: They've got real depth and they're propping ranks as well,
• 13:48
  Speaker 4: so that with that four pack there, there's no excuses
• 13:51
  Speaker 4: for the Hurricanes. I've always, as you say, had those
• 13:53
  Speaker 4: starts out of backs. You got Finn young and off
• 13:56
  Speaker 4: for running, ramping on the wing. I think back to
• 13:59
  Speaker 4: back hat tricks, nine tries this year. He's looking unstoppable.
• 14:03
  Speaker 4: And then you've got Kinni Naholo waiting in the wings
• 14:05
  Speaker 4: for a couple of weeks to come back. So at
• 14:08
  Speaker 4: this point it's hard to see him cracking the starting
• 14:10
  Speaker 4: side when he's probably walking to most other teams going around.
• 14:15
  Speaker 4: So yeah, lots of like about the Hurricanes, but as
• 14:17
  Speaker 4: we mentioned, pretty tough run home and that depth will
• 14:21
  Speaker 4: be need to be utilized.
• 14:23
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, get a couple of injuries potentially and things go awry.
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: And back to Friday night, The Highlander is thirty nine
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: Mawana Pacific nineteen and fascical scenes at North Harbor Stadium
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: with the lights going off the last twenty minutes not televised,
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: but the Highlanders just putting Mowana to the sword. You know,
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: Moana're missing a couple of players. No Tom Savage on
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: Friday Semtai Law was out as well. But The Highland
• 14:54
  Speaker 2: is just a little too good and a bit of
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: a confidence boosting wind for the Highlanders after a tough
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: few weeks.
• 15:01
  Speaker 3: Yeah, much needed, isn't it.
• 15:02
  Speaker 4: And I thought they were really good for it in
• 15:04
  Speaker 4: the first half and they scored in a.
• 15:06
  Speaker 3: Multitude of ways. They use them all.
• 15:09
  Speaker 4: They went why Caleb Tongueytow was highly involved on both wings,
• 15:13
  Speaker 4: going looking for work and creating scoring and creating tries.
• 15:17
  Speaker 4: They were all over more on the really and yeah,
• 15:21
  Speaker 4: bizarre sick in half. We didn't see most of it,
• 15:24
  Speaker 4: but I don't think a point was scored either, so
• 15:25
  Speaker 4: maybe we didn't miss too much.
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: I didn't miss too much either when it was really
• 15:30
  Speaker 2: the round where anything that could go wrong did go wrong.
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: You know, the lights out in Albany, cheese bas breaks
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: down the way to the stadium. As you mentioned Sean Maloney,
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: the Australian commentator lost his voice midgame. Well, I missed
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: two games through illness. You know, whatever could go wrong
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: over the weekend did go wrong. But ultimately a pretty
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: entertaining week of Super Rugby and the books Lamb and
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: just a quick word as well, the war Tars upsetting
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: the Brumbies thirty twenty eight and maybe there is some
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: life in the old New South Wales war Tars this
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: season after all.
• 16:03
  Speaker 4: Yeah, certainly didn't see that result coming. They'd been very
• 16:07
  Speaker 4: underwhelming so far this year, the Waratars and camera is
• 16:11
  Speaker 4: an extremely difficult place to go. The Brumby's been running
• 16:14
  Speaker 4: hot and the Waratars really came out of the blocks
• 16:18
  Speaker 4: and blew them away and then hung on late. So
• 16:21
  Speaker 4: much needed win for the waratas. I wouldn't say they're
• 16:24
  Speaker 4: back by any stretch. Need a lot more convincing yet,
• 16:27
  Speaker 4: but they've clearly done a lot of work during the
• 16:30
  Speaker 4: week in a huge win in the context of their season.
• 16:32
  Speaker 4: Because I'm pretty much ready to draw a line through them,
• 16:35
  Speaker 4: so you might have to be revisiting that.
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: Well, I'll hold that thought because after the break in
• 16:39
  Speaker 2: the Final four, I'm going to ask you just about
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: how many teams you are prepared to draw a line
• 16:44
  Speaker 2: through for the title this season? Back after this on
• 16:47
  Speaker 2: Rugby Direct, You're back with rugby. It's a direct powered
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: by habit health, physio time Now for the Final four, well,
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: it's been underlying the last couple of weeks too. Hat
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: tricks as many weeks fineng and all four for the Hurricanes.
• 17:00
  Speaker 2: Is letting him go an egregious era from New Zealand
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: rugby and the Canes or is it just the way
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: pro rugby is these days?
• 17:06
  Speaker 4: Lamb ah, look Ali, I think you'd love to keep
• 17:10
  Speaker 4: them all and New Zealand rugby is on the cusp
• 17:13
  Speaker 4: of losing some good ones when you think about Dalton, Papallii, Hoskins,
• 17:17
  Speaker 4: the tout a j Lamb, Brandon Enor and a number
• 17:21
  Speaker 4: of others leaving and this is quite common for that
• 17:26
  Speaker 4: tier of player to go in the years prior to
• 17:29
  Speaker 4: your World Cup, because after the World Cup you see
• 17:32
  Speaker 4: the flood of regular internationals come onto the market. So
• 17:36
  Speaker 4: this is the window for that next tier. Fenough has
• 17:41
  Speaker 4: come of age, hasn't he Probably in the past year maybe,
• 17:45
  Speaker 4: And look, Clark Blaidlaw identified his talents a long way
• 17:49
  Speaker 4: out through his ties to him with the sevens team.
• 17:54
  Speaker 3: He loves his.
• 17:54
  Speaker 4: Work great on defense as much as his finishing ability.
• 18:00
  Speaker 4: It's a shame to lose a player in great form.
• 18:02
  Speaker 4: I think the reality is the money that he was
• 18:05
  Speaker 4: offered by Newcastle, who are backed by red Ball in
• 18:08
  Speaker 4: the UK, would have been at least three times would
• 18:11
  Speaker 4: have been offered from New Zealand rugby. He's got a family,
• 18:14
  Speaker 4: so on that front it's a bit of a no brainer.
• 18:16
  Speaker 4: But when you think about Test level wingers traditionally are
• 18:20
  Speaker 4: selected when they're hot and fine and off four right
• 18:23
  Speaker 4: now as the hottest prospects, certainly from a try scoring
• 18:28
  Speaker 4: standpoint in Super rugby.
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: Yeah, he's playing exceptional rugby. I think he's playing exceptional
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: rugby last year as well as that power winger, but
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: also got a lot of pace to him too. He's
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: kind of the packaging as you mentioned that hot hand.
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: You know, in New Zealand, if you're the you know,
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: the hot ticket wing, you're at a certain point in time,
• 18:46
  Speaker 2: you basically have a pass through to the All Blacks
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: and he's playing some good rugby. It's a real shame
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: to see him go. I know, Clark Laidlall said over
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: the weekend, you know, maybe we haven't seen the last
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: of him, but you know, two years away, you don't
• 18:57
  Speaker 2: know how he comes back. It's a couple of years older,
• 18:59
  Speaker 2: et cetera, et cetera. So I think it's a shame
• 19:02
  Speaker 2: for New Zealand rugby that he is going at this point.
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: But you can't deny the dollar signs that were in
• 19:07
  Speaker 2: front of him. Topic two in the Final four. I
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: went a little bit under the radar last week with
• 19:12
  Speaker 2: the All Blacks assistants being named. But Scott McCleod, former
• 19:15
  Speaker 2: All Blacks assistant defense coach, going to the Wallabies under
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: Liz Kiss's coaching staff later in the year. Is that
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: a good appointment for the Wallaby's lamb.
• 19:25
  Speaker 3: I think it's a solid appointment.
• 19:26
  Speaker 4: You're looking at someone that's been to two World Cups,
• 19:28
  Speaker 4: so he's got experience coaching Japan coach in New Zealand's
• 19:33
  Speaker 4: I'm not sure who else the Wallabies were considering on
• 19:36
  Speaker 4: that front. I certainly wouldn't call him goes farther calling
• 19:40
  Speaker 4: Scott McLeod at guru as was tousted I think even
• 19:44
  Speaker 4: not by the Rugby Australia press release or certainly out
• 19:48
  Speaker 4: of Australia. So yeah, interesting to see that Wallaby's coaching
• 19:53
  Speaker 4: group come together. They're not shy of hiring New Zealanders,
• 19:56
  Speaker 4: are they. Mike cron has been over there in recent times.
• 19:59
  Speaker 4: Joe Schmidt. So Scott McLeod the latest, what about you?
• 20:04
  Speaker 4: How do you think he'll go?
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: Look, I think he probably wasn't appreciated at the time
• 20:09
  Speaker 2: for his work, but you look back at that World Cup,
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: especially now and what the All Blacks are able to do.
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: Also on the knockout stages, I guess you know, twenty
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: four points against Ireland but shut them down including that,
• 20:23
  Speaker 2: you know, incredible, what was it thirty seven phases right
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: at the end of the game to deny them a
• 20:30
  Speaker 2: very good defensive performance against Argentina in the semi final.
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: I think they didn't consider trying that game, and then
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: eleven points against South Africa sorry, twelve points against Africa
• 20:39
  Speaker 2: in the final. You know, a pretty good defensive system
• 20:44
  Speaker 2: that he obviously set up there from the All Blacks.
• 20:47
  Speaker 2: I think there's a lot of eyes on the attack
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: and what Joe Schmid had been able to do but
• 20:51
  Speaker 2: maybe didn't quite get his flowers at the time. Interested
• 20:54
  Speaker 2: to see what he can do with the Wallabies and
• 20:56
  Speaker 2: whether he can put the same successes there though, But
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: I think it is a solid appointment for the Wlbies.
• 21:02
  Speaker 2: Thing I think Anthony sebold mate Jamie Panderin was floating
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: that on the weekend is being straight out of axas
• 21:09
  Speaker 2: manly coach into Liz Kisses squad after being dumped's Eddie Jones.
• 21:16
  Speaker 2: Was Jones in England for a couple of years. Maybe
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: that could happen potentially.
• 21:21
  Speaker 3: He's certainly looking for a job, is he isn't he? Yeah?
• 21:24
  Speaker 4: The other thing to note about Scott McLeod's appointment with
• 21:27
  Speaker 4: defense is it probably means that unless less kiss goes
• 21:31
  Speaker 4: out and hires someone else, that he's going to have
• 21:34
  Speaker 4: quite a big say in the Wallabies attack. Traditionally Liz
• 21:37
  Speaker 4: as a defense coach, so interesting to see how he
• 21:41
  Speaker 4: might go with a switching portfolios with the Wallabies, there we.
• 21:45
  Speaker 5: Go interesting to watch the space.
• 21:47
  Speaker 2: Topic three is alluded to how many teams are you
• 21:49
  Speaker 2: prepared to draw a line through for the Super Rugby
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: title this season? So the Hurricanes, Blues, Brumby's, Reds, Chiefs,
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: Crusaders inside the top six as it stands, the war
• 22:00
  Speaker 2: to right has two points out sort of, the war
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: tis outside as it stands, Highland is outside Fiji and
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: drew a force in more one of PACIFICA. How many
• 22:09
  Speaker 2: teams cannot win the title?
• 22:11
  Speaker 5: Liam, Well, I.
• 22:12
  Speaker 4: Think the top six probably stays how it is, unless
• 22:15
  Speaker 4: to what waratars can find a rich vein of form.
• 22:21
  Speaker 4: I don't think the Reds are capable of winning the title,
• 22:24
  Speaker 4: so I would say, on paper, on form, on my
• 22:28
  Speaker 4: gap field, there's probably five teams that can still win
• 22:32
  Speaker 4: the Super Rugby title, and I know that everyone will
• 22:36
  Speaker 4: hope that it's down to four and the Crusaders keep
• 22:40
  Speaker 4: stumbling along as well.
• 22:42
  Speaker 2: No, mate, the Crusader's are back after beating water last week.
• 22:44
  Speaker 2: New stadium opening in a few weeks. They've got Derby's
• 22:47
  Speaker 2: plenty to finish the season, but don't worry about that.
• 22:50
  Speaker 2: They'll be home in host look I yeah, Mowana won't
• 22:53
  Speaker 2: win it. Force won't win it, Drill won't win a
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: Highlanders won't win it, war Tars won't win it. I'm
• 22:58
  Speaker 2: going to keep the Reds in there for the time being,
• 23:01
  Speaker 2: but you know they're on notice after the weekend that was,
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: and they really need to show something over the next
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: coming a couple of weeks. They've got the Force at
• 23:11
  Speaker 2: home this week, then they've got the Crusaders next weekend.
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: If they can't beat the Crusaders next weekend, then lines
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: through them for me. They need a couple of statement
• 23:20
  Speaker 2: wins in the next week. While topic number four, as
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: we touched on last week in Rugby reck the assistant
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: had done, who would you pick as the All Blacks
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: captain this year?
• 23:29
  Speaker 5: Liam?
• 23:31
  Speaker 4: I suspect that Dave Reny might go down the co
• 23:36
  Speaker 4: captain and see roots. I think Scott Barrett was a
• 23:41
  Speaker 4: reluctant captain. I don't think I think it had an
• 23:44
  Speaker 4: impact on his form, so I would not be having
• 23:47
  Speaker 4: him captain.
• 23:48
  Speaker 3: I think Artie's a contender.
• 23:50
  Speaker 4: I think when he's captain the team he's played really well.
• 23:54
  Speaker 4: So that's important and it is first and foremost so
• 23:58
  Speaker 4: important that your captain is one of your first picks.
• 24:02
  Speaker 4: He has to be starting. There has to be no
• 24:04
  Speaker 4: questions around that. I think Jordi Barrett is a really
• 24:07
  Speaker 4: strong candidate captain under the last regime. So you could
• 24:12
  Speaker 4: potentially see a scenario where you're looking at maybe an
• 24:15
  Speaker 4: Artie Severe and Jordi Barrett, maybe a Cody Taylor or
• 24:18
  Speaker 4: a Jordi Barrett combination.
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: Okay, look, I'd probably go Cody Taylor. Look, I know
• 24:24
  Speaker 2: Artie's got a lot of fans out the Yere and
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: he has played well. I still have questions over his
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: game managements as a Test captain, and I just think
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: you kind of almost need to let Ardi be Arti.
• 24:38
  Speaker 2: And you know, I know there's, as I said, a
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: legion of fans that believe the path is now been
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: cleared for him to be the All Black Skipper. I'm
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: not as convinced. I almost think that you need to
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: I think you do need to change. I think you
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: need to go to someone like Cody Taylor. The question
• 24:52
  Speaker 2: marker would have on Cody as a couple of cynical
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: penalties that he is capable of giving away. You think
• 24:57
  Speaker 2: back to England last year, there's been a couple of
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: times in Super Rugby where he's given away cynical penalties.
• 25:03
  Speaker 2: You can't really do that as a captain, but I'd
• 25:06
  Speaker 2: probably lean towards Cody. I'm not convinced around co captains Liam.
• 25:11
  Speaker 5: You know, the captain sees a one man job for mine.
• 25:15
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I tend to agree.
• 25:16
  Speaker 4: I like to have not a dictatorial leader, but certainly
• 25:20
  Speaker 4: one man in that job and you can have the
• 25:23
  Speaker 4: leadership support cast around them. But I also think that
• 25:28
  Speaker 4: the days where it has to be a forward are
• 25:31
  Speaker 4: a bit outdated as well. You think, you know, Tanuma
• 25:33
  Speaker 4: was a great form of black captain. I don't think
• 25:37
  Speaker 4: there's any question about Jordi Barrett's place in that team.
• 25:41
  Speaker 4: Cody Taylor, I think definitely has claims. But I also
• 25:44
  Speaker 4: think you needed to utilize guys like SAMMASONI, Takyajo and
• 25:48
  Speaker 4: I suffer more off the bench, so potentially they're coming
• 25:51
  Speaker 4: on with half an hour ago.
• 25:53
  Speaker 3: I've seen how important that that impact from the.
• 25:56
  Speaker 4: Bench is, where maybe a guy like Jordi plays deeper
• 26:00
  Speaker 4: into the game, So maybe that comes into consideration as well.
• 26:03
  Speaker 5: Yeah, good point, good point.
• 26:05
  Speaker 2: Before we wrap up on RAIGHTPI direct time now for
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: we're our MVP you're seeing Liam. You give me your
• 26:10
  Speaker 2: three two ones and we'll pop it into the spreadsheet
• 26:14
  Speaker 2: and we'll come out with some results in the next
• 26:16
  Speaker 2: week and update you on how it's all tracking.
• 26:18
  Speaker 3: Well.
• 26:18
  Speaker 4: It has to be one from the cane train, doesn't it.
• 26:21
  Speaker 4: Elliott's be rude not to so. Fennyanng and or four
• 26:25
  Speaker 4: gets my three the red hot try scoring machine. I'm
• 26:30
  Speaker 4: going to go Caleb Tunguataw for two. Just really impressed
• 26:33
  Speaker 4: by his work, great his physicality.
• 26:35
  Speaker 3: We're ball on hand.
• 26:35
  Speaker 4: I think you've still got some work ons on defense
• 26:38
  Speaker 4: and with the difference in the Test game, a bit
• 26:41
  Speaker 4: to prove under the high wall as well. But he's
• 26:43
  Speaker 4: doing everything possible with ball in hands. And I'm going
• 26:46
  Speaker 4: to go one to your man who you've anointed as
• 26:50
  Speaker 4: one of the world's best locks in a great team
• 26:54
  Speaker 4: like the Hurricanes, Wanna Durns. So he's coming on nicely.
• 26:57
  Speaker 2: Too well done, Yep, you come on to the Warner
• 27:00
  Speaker 2: Dunes Fan Club. Welcome in as much as it disturbs me.
• 27:04
  Speaker 2: I've also given two Hurricanes players and they're the same
• 27:07
  Speaker 2: Hurricanes players three points FEddi Finn Young and a fo
• 27:11
  Speaker 2: He's got my three, Quinti Pie has got my two.
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: He was everywhere again for the Chiefs and as we
• 27:19
  Speaker 2: discussed at the top, middling performance, but again he's just
• 27:21
  Speaker 2: been one of their standouts as standards haven't dropped this season,
• 27:25
  Speaker 2: even if maybe the team hasn't risen with him. And yep,
• 27:28
  Speaker 2: Warner Dunes gets my one as well. So we're on
• 27:30
  Speaker 2: a similar page there, which is a little bit disturbing actually, Liam,
• 27:34
  Speaker 2: but there we go.
• 27:35
  Speaker 3: I'm sure you're right the ship.
• 27:37
  Speaker 4: Next week when when the Crusaders lose their nine, the
• 27:40
  Speaker 4: one hundredth game and final game at Apollos Stadium, and
• 27:46
  Speaker 4: you still manage to include a few red and.
• 27:48
  Speaker 2: Blacks, we'll make sure of that absolutely. Only three games
• 27:51
  Speaker 2: this weekend. We'll touch based again on Thursday and go
• 27:56
  Speaker 2: through those Liam, thank you very much for your time.
• 27:58
  Speaker 5: As always on Ragia Direct.
• 28:00
  Speaker 2: Treat that mate, that is Raby Direct for another week.
• 28:04
  Speaker 2: We're back in the later in the week thanks to
• 28:05
  Speaker 2: producer Mark Kelly. Thanks to sponsors Heabit Health Us your
• 28:09
  Speaker 2: book Today.
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: Then Today for more from News Talks at b listen
• 28:17
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