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Transcript

Rugby Direct - Episode 126 · Rugby Direct

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from news Talks EDB. Follow
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• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Inside the Game from every angle.
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: It's Rugby Direct with Elliott Smith, powered by news Talks EDB.
• 0:25
  Speaker 3: Welcome into Rugby Directs powered by Habit Health, tackling all
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  Speaker 3: your aches and pains from sport and workbook online at
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  Speaker 3: habit dot Health to see a physio and get back
• 0:33
  Speaker 3: in the game fast. We have our semi finalists in
• 0:37
  Speaker 3: Super Rugby Elliott Smith, Liam Apierre back with you as
• 0:40
  Speaker 3: always on Rugby Direct. Not upsets from the semi quarterfinal weekends.
• 0:46
  Speaker 3: But I think what we saw of the weekend was
• 0:50
  Speaker 3: the cream rising to the top in Super Rugby and
• 0:54
  Speaker 3: some of the pretenders got left behind, by which I
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: mean the Reds, who I thought we're going to really
• 1:01
  Speaker 3: come over and try and check the tray against the Chiefs,
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: but they just were blown off the park early by
• 1:05
  Speaker 3: the Chiefs. But look, I don't know if it was
• 1:08
  Speaker 3: overly intriguing quarter final weekend, but what we saw, as
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: I said Leam, was the quality rising to the top.
• 1:14
  Speaker 4: I think it was a bit of an indictment on
• 1:16
  Speaker 4: the playoffs wasn't it just the predictability of it, the
• 1:20
  Speaker 4: blowout nature. The closest margin was sixteen points in the
• 1:24
  Speaker 4: Highlander's Brumbies match, and like you say, all the other
• 1:27
  Speaker 4: matches were done insides, you know, twenty minutes to a degree,
• 1:35
  Speaker 4: and yeah, you did see the cream rising. And when
• 1:39
  Speaker 4: you look at the Chiefs in particular, had staggered through
• 1:41
  Speaker 4: the year largely or underwhelmed and really turned it on
• 1:46
  Speaker 4: now when it mattered most. So look, I think it
• 1:50
  Speaker 4: does highlight the folly of the playoff format, which you
• 1:53
  Speaker 4: know we'll come to later in the pods. But yeah,
• 1:57
  Speaker 4: pretty underwhelming, very hard to get overly enthused about the quarterfinals.
• 2:02
  Speaker 4: And it is a bit of a frustration because when
• 2:04
  Speaker 4: you look at a wider context of quarterfinals and tournament rugby,
• 2:09
  Speaker 4: it's actually often the best rugby that you see because
• 2:14
  Speaker 4: as the tournaments progress, things to get tighter and more tense,
• 2:19
  Speaker 4: and you've got four of you should have eight of
• 2:21
  Speaker 4: the best teams theoretically in the tournament competing. So you
• 2:25
  Speaker 4: look back to last year's World Cut for an example,
• 2:28
  Speaker 4: while that was exposed the folly of the draw doing
• 2:31
  Speaker 4: that far out that stage of the tournament produced the
• 2:34
  Speaker 4: best rugby and that's what super rugby needs to aspire to.
• 2:37
  Speaker 3: It certainly does. See let's get into that first game
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: Chiefs Reds Friday night, because this one last week appeared
• 2:43
  Speaker 3: to me not necessarily a toss up, but certainly you
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: could see the Reds really pushing the Chiefs and maybe
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: if things went that way, getting a victory. But they
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: were blind off the park early. The game was done
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: pretty early on disappointing from the Reds. But at the
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: same time I thought it was a very good performance
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: from the Chiefs. And I saw a headline yesterday saying
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: have we been sleeping on the Chiefs? I don't think
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: that was accurate. The Chiefs have been sleeping on the
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: comp now they've got into the position where they're in
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: the final four and ready potentially to cause some habit.
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: But I thought that was easily the best performance of
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: the season and the peaking perhaps at the right time.
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: We just hadn't seen it through the round robin stages.
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: It's what been waiting all year for from the chief
• 3:23
  Speaker 3: isn't it. At the start of the year, you looked
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: at this squad on paper, the best squad in the competition.
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: They had continuity largely that yes they'd lost Retallic and
• 3:31
  Speaker 3: Webber and you know sam Kin, but they had strength
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: and depth. They had continuity of their coaching team that
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: you know, sometimes you have to lose a final to
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: win one. They were largely the best team in Super
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: rugby last year. The bulk of that squad comes back,
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: you know, guys like McKenzie and Shawn Stephenson. From a
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: playmaking perspective, they finally are starting to produce that's a
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: really lethal playmaking combination.
• 4:00
  Speaker 4: And they were really settled. You know, they've got guys monarchy.
• 4:05
  Speaker 4: Selby Rickett can't even make the match day twenty three,
• 4:08
  Speaker 4: so that speaks to their depth. But they had underwhelmed
• 4:12
  Speaker 4: for whatever reason this year, very patchy form struggled to
• 4:18
  Speaker 4: nail down their starting squads. You know, they're bringing quint
• 4:22
  Speaker 4: to Pyra off the bench. Another guy is bolted on
• 4:26
  Speaker 4: all black and you know years gone by, so this
• 4:30
  Speaker 4: is what we've been waiting for.
• 4:31
  Speaker 5: And yeah, it does look like.
• 4:35
  Speaker 4: You know, maybe I don't know if you go as
• 4:38
  Speaker 4: far as that's been a cunning plan from claim McMillan.
• 4:40
  Speaker 4: I'm sure he wanted them to perform better, but they
• 4:43
  Speaker 4: really really impressed when it mattered, didn't.
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: They They did, And look they've been feeling inside the
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: Chiefs that they peaked to early last year and didn't
• 4:52
  Speaker 3: quite get the playoff run right. Well, maybe they'll do
• 4:55
  Speaker 3: it this year coming from fourth and get it through
• 4:59
  Speaker 3: that way. Obviously begame to come against the Hurricanes this weekend,
• 5:02
  Speaker 3: but we'll touch on that very shortly. I guess the
• 5:04
  Speaker 3: thing about the Chiefs is that can they back it
• 5:07
  Speaker 3: up is the question, and they haven't done that all season.
• 5:09
  Speaker 3: They haven't really started mowing down teams. They haven't really
• 5:15
  Speaker 3: gone on a run this season. It's been hot and
• 5:17
  Speaker 3: it's been cold, and we haven't seen that so far
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: this year. So the challenge is where the Clayton McMillan
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: and the coaching staff can get them up for another
• 5:25
  Speaker 3: game this week and another game if they call high
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: the week after and go bang bang bang. Not saying
• 5:30
  Speaker 3: it can't happen, but we haven't seen that evidence from
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: the Chiefs. So it's all very well blitzing the Reds, who,
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: as I said, we're disappointing, but you've got to back
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: it up this week. Just on the Reds, as I said,
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: that game wasn't necessarily a toss up, but it was
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: one where you could see the Reds maybe pushing the
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: Chiefs to the limit. That don't against a lot of
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: key sides this season, including being the Chiefs in the
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: regular season. But they just didn't didn't really turn up
• 5:53
  Speaker 3: in Hamilton. It's very disappointing, very disappointing.
• 5:56
  Speaker 4: And have been impressed by the Reds and less Kiss
• 5:59
  Speaker 4: and what they've done this year. But I don't know,
• 6:02
  Speaker 4: maybe it's a mental thing coming to New Zealand's Australian
• 6:06
  Speaker 4: teams and playoffs, so I think now seventeen and oh
• 6:11
  Speaker 4: in Super Rugby history and they were just stunned early
• 6:15
  Speaker 4: and couldn't recover the pace intensity that the Chiefs brought
• 6:19
  Speaker 4: to that contest. You know, yes, the Reds came back
• 6:22
  Speaker 4: in the second half, but the game's gone by then
• 6:25
  Speaker 4: and yeah, you might as well pack your bags and
• 6:26
  Speaker 4: head home. So that should have been the most was
• 6:30
  Speaker 4: the most highly anticipated four v five quarter final, and
• 6:34
  Speaker 4: the Reds didn't really come to the party at all.
• 6:37
  Speaker 3: No, they didn't. Let's move on for Saturday afternoon, the
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: Hurricanes and the Rebels. The Hurricanes winning this one comfortably
• 6:44
  Speaker 3: in the end. It was a bit of an arm
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: wrestle for the first half hour or thereabouts, but they
• 6:48
  Speaker 3: just managed to break the back of the Rebels late
• 6:49
  Speaker 3: in the first spell set up the victory which they
• 6:52
  Speaker 3: went on with in the second half. Wasn't the best
• 6:56
  Speaker 3: Hurricanes performance of the season, but play footy. They got
• 6:58
  Speaker 3: the job done and got it done comfortably. Perhaps I've
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: been too harsh to a critic that they did struggle
• 7:04
  Speaker 3: to put the Rebels away for a wee bit, but
• 7:05
  Speaker 3: I guess there was a bit of a motion around
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: the Rebels performance and their first and last playoff game.
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: But job done from the Hurricanes and that we've got
• 7:15
  Speaker 3: a rise to another level this week into Chiefs. What
• 7:17
  Speaker 3: do you make of it?
• 7:18
  Speaker 4: I thought the Hurricanes made really hard work of it,
• 7:21
  Speaker 4: and you know, maybe it's discrediting the Rebels, and like
• 7:24
  Speaker 4: you say that there was a lot of emotion around
• 7:28
  Speaker 4: that been their their final game, and you know, playing
• 7:32
  Speaker 4: for that sort of cause can be inspirational. But there
• 7:37
  Speaker 4: was a lot of eras execute basic execution eras from
• 7:41
  Speaker 4: the Hurricanes. Britt Cameron kicking out on the fall at
• 7:43
  Speaker 4: various points, They're handling their their moves that had been
• 7:47
  Speaker 4: so set moves that in the back line that had
• 7:50
  Speaker 4: been so slick this year. I thought they really missed
• 7:54
  Speaker 4: Ruben love absence at the back. Harry Godfrey was good,
• 7:58
  Speaker 4: but Ruben Love has been exceptional this year. His injection
• 8:03
  Speaker 4: into the back line was missed. So yeah, I felt
• 8:05
  Speaker 4: like the Hurricanes were often it was only the second
• 8:09
  Speaker 4: half really when they pore on the bench. Guys like
• 8:13
  Speaker 4: Duslee Carefi made a big difference the impact there, and
• 8:17
  Speaker 4: finally they started to really break through the defense. Jordi Barrett,
• 8:21
  Speaker 4: I suffer our more. Brandon You'll see like some of
• 8:25
  Speaker 4: these guys starting to break and bend the line. So
• 8:27
  Speaker 4: they got there eventually, but I wasn't overly impressed by it.
• 8:30
  Speaker 4: And when you do compare it to the Chiefs and
• 8:34
  Speaker 4: to a lesser extent, the Blues felt like those teams
• 8:37
  Speaker 4: were going up a notch and maybe the Hurricanes came
• 8:39
  Speaker 4: back one, so there is a bit of work ahead
• 8:42
  Speaker 4: of them.
• 8:42
  Speaker 3: I think this week, Yeah, Bega against the Chiefs. I
• 8:44
  Speaker 3: come Saturday afternoon. I guess the Rebels. We saw glimpses
• 8:50
  Speaker 3: from them in that game on the weekend, and we
• 8:53
  Speaker 3: saw in the stands and after the game as well,
• 8:55
  Speaker 3: plenty of emotion that they're run in Super Rugby has
• 8:58
  Speaker 3: come to end, which we obviously suspected it would in
• 9:02
  Speaker 3: that game against the Hurricanes. So end of veneera for
• 9:05
  Speaker 3: Australian rugby and for some of those Rebels players, And obviously,
• 9:10
  Speaker 3: you know, some of them will find other teams, some
• 9:13
  Speaker 3: of them won't, and it's a sort of tricky moment
• 9:15
  Speaker 3: for for rugby and Australia. But ultimately it was always
• 9:20
  Speaker 3: going to be a tricky ask for them coming to
• 9:21
  Speaker 3: the Capitol.
• 9:22
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I guess on the whole it's sad for the Rebels,
• 9:25
  Speaker 4: isn't it. You don't want players, administrators, coaching staff, there's
• 9:31
  Speaker 4: so many people that are involved in the organization like
• 9:35
  Speaker 4: that to go through that experience.
• 9:37
  Speaker 5: But reality's hits.
• 9:39
  Speaker 4: Australia does not have the financial or player depth resource
• 9:43
  Speaker 4: to sustain five teams and unfortunately the Rebels Rebels have
• 9:47
  Speaker 4: copped the brunt of that.
• 9:48
  Speaker 5: But it was very very evident, wasn't it.
• 9:50
  Speaker 4: In the in the coaching box and the postmatch interviews
• 9:54
  Speaker 4: looked like there was you know a lot of tears
• 9:56
  Speaker 4: and I'm sure a lot of heartfelt messages and speeches
• 10:00
  Speaker 4: behind closed doors as well. So yeah, very sad and
• 10:05
  Speaker 4: I guess interesting to see where all those players to
• 10:08
  Speaker 4: end up. Ultimately, it should strengthen the Australian rugby by
• 10:14
  Speaker 4: distributing the players better. Maybe the Force don't have to
• 10:17
  Speaker 4: call in so many you know, aging veterans.
• 10:20
  Speaker 3: New Zealanders, that's right.
• 10:22
  Speaker 4: And you know the Wartars were a basket case this year.
• 10:26
  Speaker 4: They could do with, you know, bolstering again.
• 10:30
  Speaker 5: And I don't know.
• 10:31
  Speaker 4: I look at a guy like Carter Gordon and he's
• 10:34
  Speaker 4: just gone backwards in a massive way. And that's not
• 10:36
  Speaker 4: an indictment on the rebels. I think that's an indictment
• 10:39
  Speaker 4: on what Eddie Jones did and rushing a guy, throwing
• 10:42
  Speaker 4: him in the deep end, not backing him. And Australian
• 10:45
  Speaker 4: rugby has been guilty of that of ruining players from
• 10:49
  Speaker 4: a player development perspective. So hopefully somebody can get hold
• 10:53
  Speaker 4: of guys like Carter Gordon and really build them up again,
• 10:55
  Speaker 4: because he has a talent, but he looks he looked
• 10:58
  Speaker 4: a wee bit lost at times.
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it was a bit of chat that he might
• 11:01
  Speaker 3: end up at the war Tars, I think, or maybe
• 11:05
  Speaker 3: the NRL. So you hope he's not lost it to
• 11:07
  Speaker 3: Rugby Union. A kind of player like we've seen he
• 11:10
  Speaker 3: potentially can be. Saturday night saw the Blues and the
• 11:14
  Speaker 3: Drawer and a comfortable win for the Blues in the end,
• 11:17
  Speaker 3: taking a victory. We've talked a lot on this pod
• 11:22
  Speaker 3: about the Drawer and their troubles traveling, and the Blues
• 11:26
  Speaker 3: just did what they needed to do in the first half.
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: Wobbly maybe opening second when the Drawer got on the board,
• 11:33
  Speaker 3: but by and large, Blues will be relatively happy with that.
• 11:37
  Speaker 5: Yeah, they will. They shut the dur out.
• 11:41
  Speaker 4: I thought they were very technically astute that the blueprint
• 11:44
  Speaker 4: by now as well set with the Dura that you
• 11:46
  Speaker 4: don't allow them time and space, you don't play into
• 11:49
  Speaker 4: their style of rugby, and the.
• 11:52
  Speaker 5: Blues were on top that.
• 11:53
  Speaker 4: They crushed the Duris scrum in particular, and Harry Plummer
• 11:58
  Speaker 4: pulled the strings, plugged the corners.
• 11:59
  Speaker 5: They played terator.
• 12:00
  Speaker 4: I think it was something like eighty percent territory to
• 12:03
  Speaker 4: the Blues in the first half, so they're completely dominant.
• 12:06
  Speaker 4: The game was done by half time and then the
• 12:09
  Speaker 4: Blues clocked off, and that can happen when you build
• 12:12
  Speaker 4: up a lead. We probably saw a wee bit of
• 12:14
  Speaker 4: that from the Chiefs as well. But on the whole,
• 12:18
  Speaker 4: the Blues their home record. I think the sixteen won
• 12:22
  Speaker 4: their last sixteen games at Eden Park. The Crusaders are
• 12:25
  Speaker 4: the only team to beat them at Eden Park in
• 12:27
  Speaker 4: the past four years. And on the flip side, the Dura,
• 12:31
  Speaker 4: I think they've now lost their last sixteen away matches.
• 12:34
  Speaker 4: So you're not going to be a genuine force and
• 12:38
  Speaker 4: super rugby if you can't address those roadbos. And it
• 12:42
  Speaker 4: does speak to I guess how good they are in Laotoka,
• 12:46
  Speaker 4: but you have to be able to win away from home,
• 12:49
  Speaker 4: just somehow, some way. They need to find the inability
• 12:53
  Speaker 4: to do that.
• 12:53
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it's the big task for Glen Jackson ahead next year,
• 12:56
  Speaker 3: isn't it. The Blues actually below get the bit more
• 13:00
  Speaker 3: definitely the Blues. That the drawer got base to twenty
• 13:02
  Speaker 3: two five in the second spell and then they took
• 13:04
  Speaker 3: a penalty shot at goal was bizarre. When they were
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: trying to put the Blues under pressure. I mean there
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: was a chance to try and get into the corners
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: and put the Blues under some real heat. They missed
• 13:13
  Speaker 3: the penalty go and that was probably the game right there.
• 13:16
  Speaker 3: I don't get that tacnic in the slightest.
• 13:19
  Speaker 4: It didn't make any sense. I don't know what you
• 13:21
  Speaker 4: get out of a penalty and they missed it. Anyone
• 13:23
  Speaker 4: missed it. But yeah, I couldn't work that out myself
• 13:25
  Speaker 4: at the time. Why what notion is that I didn't
• 13:29
  Speaker 4: get it? Trying to achieve I guess if we go
• 13:34
  Speaker 4: a bit broader on the Blues. The big talking point
• 13:36
  Speaker 4: out of that was Patrick two polo too left the
• 13:38
  Speaker 4: fields midway first half knee injury. Never look comfortable, always,
• 13:44
  Speaker 4: you know, fears for how long he would be out for.
• 13:47
  Speaker 4: It's proven to be six seven weeks, which will not
• 13:50
  Speaker 4: only remove him from Super Rugby but also the All
• 13:52
  Speaker 4: Blacks campaign in July to Tesseainst, England and Fiji. If
• 13:57
  Speaker 4: there was one position that the All Blacks did not
• 13:59
  Speaker 4: need an injury, and it was lock. But from a
• 14:02
  Speaker 4: Blues perspective, how big a loss is Patrick two polo too.
• 14:06
  Speaker 3: I think it's a huge loss, both in terms of
• 14:09
  Speaker 3: his locking ability and his playing ability, but also his leadership.
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: He's talismanic for the Blues, dolden bubbly. He has done
• 14:16
  Speaker 3: a good job in previous season standing in for put Patrick.
• 14:20
  Speaker 3: But Patrick has that quiet, stoic leadership that I think
• 14:25
  Speaker 3: some of those Blues players and really resonates with him.
• 14:28
  Speaker 3: I think he's added a lot since he's come back,
• 14:30
  Speaker 3: and you know, on a permanent basis this season, I think, yeah,
• 14:36
  Speaker 3: I think it's a real blow for the Blues because
• 14:38
  Speaker 3: you look at the experience that they've got in the
• 14:40
  Speaker 3: second row and Sam Dowry has been around for a
• 14:42
  Speaker 3: few seasons now, but there's a lot of inexperienced at
• 14:46
  Speaker 3: super rugby level there. And when you get into play
• 14:49
  Speaker 3: footy and we've seen, you know, go back two years
• 14:52
  Speaker 3: with their lineout absolutely melted against the Crusaders in a
• 14:54
  Speaker 3: knockout game. When you don't have senior heads there that
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: can steady the ship, things can go a right particularly quickly. Now.
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: James Thompson came off the bench and did an outstanding job.
• 15:04
  Speaker 3: I thought on the weekend slotted him really really well.
• 15:08
  Speaker 3: Mcquonnoll's hopefully back this week from the concussion protocols. Josh
• 15:13
  Speaker 3: Berry has been very very good this season, but you
• 15:16
  Speaker 3: wouldn't say any a yet in the class of Patrick
• 15:19
  Speaker 3: twy Belotto. So when you're putting two players there that
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: are relatively experienced in a knockout game against the Brumby's
• 15:26
  Speaker 3: who set pieces as one of their real strengths. I
• 15:30
  Speaker 3: think that is a real worry for them. And you know,
• 15:35
  Speaker 3: I think the Blues are still going is relatively comfortable
• 15:38
  Speaker 3: favorites for this game, but I think it is a
• 15:40
  Speaker 3: big loss for them.
• 15:41
  Speaker 4: It's a good point you make about playoffs because playoffs
• 15:44
  Speaker 4: finals are a different beast and no one knows that
• 15:47
  Speaker 4: more than the Blues. The past two years they've come
• 15:50
  Speaker 4: a cropper in the semi finals in the final and
• 15:54
  Speaker 4: you do need that leadership and experience and composure and
• 15:57
  Speaker 4: that's when it's most vital. And the other point is
• 16:02
  Speaker 4: too Below too has been one of the blues best
• 16:04
  Speaker 4: ball carriers this year. You go back to that Crusader's
• 16:07
  Speaker 4: loss and and he's steaming onto the ball, making ten
• 16:10
  Speaker 4: to fifteen meters at a time. And now that Blues
• 16:13
  Speaker 4: pack doesn't lack ball carriers. Akirajuana offer toing a fuss,
• 16:17
  Speaker 4: They've Dalton, Popo Lee, you know, the list goes on there.
• 16:20
  Speaker 4: But Patrick has been one of their best and the
• 16:22
  Speaker 4: Blues full pack is their strength, and so it is
• 16:26
  Speaker 4: a big loss from that perspective as well, and I
• 16:29
  Speaker 4: don't see them being able to replace that.
• 16:31
  Speaker 5: You know, Sam Darry is.
• 16:32
  Speaker 4: A very valuable lineouts weapon till he's growing into his
• 16:40
  Speaker 4: body starting to fill out, but he's not that ball
• 16:43
  Speaker 4: carrying presence that too plow to us and I don't
• 16:46
  Speaker 4: know if anyone rivals him. So they're not going to
• 16:50
  Speaker 4: be able to replace him at all, really, are there? No?
• 16:52
  Speaker 3: Not. It's a big challenge for this week for the
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: Blues against the Brumbies because you think back two years
• 16:57
  Speaker 3: ago they almost lost to them at Eden Park. The
• 17:00
  Speaker 3: week before they lost to the Crusaders in the final,
• 17:04
  Speaker 3: and we haven't really seen the Blues deliver that player
• 17:08
  Speaker 3: performance yet against you know a team. You know. Last
• 17:11
  Speaker 3: year they comforty won the first round, got into the semifinals,
• 17:15
  Speaker 3: were absolutely dealt to by the Crusaders. Previous year they
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: got past the Brumbies in the semi final, they lost
• 17:21
  Speaker 3: to the Crusaders. Now, the big bad wolf from the
• 17:23
  Speaker 3: Crusaders aren't there this year, but I think there's still
• 17:26
  Speaker 3: a question mark over the Blues and their ability to
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: deliver it in knockout teams. Yes, a lot's changed and
• 17:29
  Speaker 3: coaches have changed and coming gone, but I still think
• 17:32
  Speaker 3: that bulk of those players were there in twenty three,
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: twenty two, not counting Super Rugby trans Tasman because it
• 17:39
  Speaker 3: doesn't count. But I think there's still a bit of
• 17:42
  Speaker 3: a point to prove for the Blues and Playoff Rugby.
• 17:44
  Speaker 5: There is there is, there's a lot for them to prove.
• 17:47
  Speaker 4: There's the weight of history and expectation, and those past
• 17:52
  Speaker 4: finals failings will weigh on a lot of these players
• 17:56
  Speaker 4: who have been there through that run.
• 17:58
  Speaker 5: The only thing I would say is I.
• 18:00
  Speaker 4: Think the Brumbies are a very different team away from Canberra.
• 18:05
  Speaker 5: I think they are quite limited.
• 18:07
  Speaker 4: They struggled to away the Highlanders, and if the Blues
• 18:11
  Speaker 4: are firmly in the box seat, because if you were
• 18:14
  Speaker 4: picking a semi final opponent, you're sure as hell wouldn't
• 18:18
  Speaker 4: pick the Chiefs over the Brumbies.
• 18:19
  Speaker 3: No quite right, Well, let's get into that Brumbies Highlanders game,
• 18:22
  Speaker 3: because for a point the Highlanders were on top. I
• 18:27
  Speaker 3: thought in that game there were sixteen to ten up
• 18:30
  Speaker 3: just before halftime and then one trouble before halftime, a
• 18:34
  Speaker 3: couple shortly after halftime, including a magic try from Andy
• 18:38
  Speaker 3: Mulehead which was outstanding, and the game was gone. And
• 18:42
  Speaker 3: that is the Highlanders in a nutshell. They can hang
• 18:47
  Speaker 3: with teams some long periods of time, but they just don't,
• 18:50
  Speaker 3: i think, have the points in them to really put
• 18:53
  Speaker 3: pressure on you know, the top four teams in this competition.
• 19:00
  Speaker 5: It was a very underwhelming second half, wasn't it. From
• 19:02
  Speaker 5: the Hunters.
• 19:03
  Speaker 4: They competed well, They were right in the fight and
• 19:06
  Speaker 4: they made the most of their chances in that first enough.
• 19:09
  Speaker 5: You know, credit to the Brumbies defense.
• 19:11
  Speaker 4: They defended very well, but it did feel like Behinda's
• 19:15
  Speaker 4: attack was limited. They they lack some real game breakers.
• 19:19
  Speaker 4: It seemed very predictable one out running. They didn't really
• 19:25
  Speaker 4: challenge that the Brumbies on any sort of you know,
• 19:28
  Speaker 4: down the short side switch moves.
• 19:30
  Speaker 5: They tried a couple of grubbers.
• 19:31
  Speaker 4: And chips and behind that didn't really come off, but
• 19:34
  Speaker 4: it just all looked a bit pedestrian and when they
• 19:38
  Speaker 4: really needed something, they didn't know quite where to turn.
• 19:42
  Speaker 4: And you know, to be fair, look at the squad
• 19:46
  Speaker 4: to a degree, what can you expect out of that team?
• 19:50
  Speaker 4: It was always going to be a huge ass going
• 19:51
  Speaker 4: to camera, but yeah, it was. They did fold very
• 19:56
  Speaker 4: quickly and it was a pretty tough watch that second half.
• 20:00
  Speaker 3: Yeah, they just yeah, you're right, they folded and they
• 20:03
  Speaker 3: were there right in the game and created Bumbies. They
• 20:07
  Speaker 3: clearly went up a notch and after halftime I thought
• 20:10
  Speaker 3: they boss the game very very well. But it just
• 20:14
  Speaker 3: felt a Herd has had no answer for that, and
• 20:16
  Speaker 3: that's a strategic weakness there that they couldn't respond to
• 20:20
  Speaker 3: to the kind of pressure that the Brumbies role to
• 20:22
  Speaker 3: put on them.
• 20:22
  Speaker 4: Yeah, and the bench again, when you when you talk
• 20:25
  Speaker 4: depth and squad quality, they didn't get a lot of
• 20:28
  Speaker 4: payoff the bench, so you know, guys like Billy Harmon
• 20:31
  Speaker 4: are going to be a big loss trying to replace
• 20:32
  Speaker 4: those sort of those sort of figures. Recruitment becomes massive
• 20:36
  Speaker 4: for the haidas can they pick up a few guys
• 20:38
  Speaker 4: that are on the fringe of other New Zealand teams
• 20:40
  Speaker 4: and polish a few gyms and get some real X
• 20:43
  Speaker 4: factor into that team. Losing you know, someone like Tavia
• 20:47
  Speaker 4: Tavanaa has been huge for them from a game breaking perspective,
• 20:52
  Speaker 4: but they need a few more they do.
• 20:54
  Speaker 3: Right, Let's take a break here on rugby direct get
• 20:57
  Speaker 3: back into the final four after this.
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: This is Rugby Direct, a podcast for real rugby fans,
• 21:10
  Speaker 2: Cower Babies Talk.
• 21:12
  Speaker 3: You're back with Rugby Direct, powered by Habits, Health, tackling
• 21:15
  Speaker 3: ors and pain from sport and work. Let's get into
• 21:18
  Speaker 3: our final four on the podcast. We alluded it to
• 21:21
  Speaker 3: alluded to it in the first half of the podcast,
• 21:23
  Speaker 3: the news that Patrick typot out for six to seven
• 21:26
  Speaker 3: weeks which rules him out of the All Blacks two
• 21:30
  Speaker 3: Tests against England, one against fi g Now I think
• 21:34
  Speaker 3: we can all agree that he would have been the
• 21:36
  Speaker 3: starter for the two tests against England alongside Scott Barrett.
• 21:39
  Speaker 3: Scott Barrett also didn't finish the Super Rugby season fit,
• 21:41
  Speaker 3: so with that in mind, let's assume Scott Barrett is
• 21:45
  Speaker 3: fit though for the tests against England. But who are
• 21:47
  Speaker 3: your four locks for that two test years against England,
• 21:52
  Speaker 3: one against fijim or.
• 21:53
  Speaker 4: Two pervised A lot low, pun intended and he went
• 21:59
  Speaker 4: up significant gear last weekend for the Chiefs, So Scott
• 22:04
  Speaker 4: Robson will be pleased to see that. But it's fair
• 22:07
  Speaker 4: to say probably broke out cold sweat with Patrick two
• 22:10
  Speaker 4: blowto went down because the State of New Zealand Rugby's
• 22:13
  Speaker 4: depth at Locke is not good Fabian Hollands is I
• 22:17
  Speaker 4: think we're degree of bolter on all black, but he's
• 22:20
  Speaker 4: not eligible.
• 22:21
  Speaker 3: Yeah, get do you try and go and get a
• 22:24
  Speaker 3: dispensation on that?
• 22:25
  Speaker 5: Well they did that with Filal, didn't they And it
• 22:27
  Speaker 5: was a similar case.
• 22:28
  Speaker 3: The school years, which are the hold up there. I
• 22:31
  Speaker 3: don't know why they don't count. I've never quite been
• 22:33
  Speaker 3: able to figure out why schooling news don't count for residency,
• 22:37
  Speaker 3: especially if you are a permanent, if you're if you've
• 22:39
  Speaker 3: gone to school in that country for a number of years.
• 22:42
  Speaker 3: I don't get why they don't count. So yes, you
• 22:45
  Speaker 3: just skip Billbom on the phone and.
• 22:46
  Speaker 4: Another will rug big quirk, But yeah, maybe they go
• 22:49
  Speaker 4: down that route for later in the year. Perhaps you
• 22:52
  Speaker 4: certainly want him and the max name Fabian. He looks
• 22:55
  Speaker 4: like he's starting to really come of age, but as
• 22:59
  Speaker 4: it stands, he's not eligible. Do you send a SOS
• 23:03
  Speaker 4: to Sam Whitelocke, who would need dispensation having just finished
• 23:09
  Speaker 4: playing well as his career, scored at a trial with his
• 23:13
  Speaker 4: last touch of the ball for Poe in France. Maybe
• 23:17
  Speaker 4: maybe not, but let's just talk about who's available. Sam
• 23:22
  Speaker 4: Darry for me leads the queue he's been sidelined for
• 23:26
  Speaker 4: I think two weeks with concussion, but he's a guy
• 23:30
  Speaker 4: that's growing into his body.
• 23:32
  Speaker 5: If he runs fit.
• 23:34
  Speaker 4: He's probably not quite there yet, but for me is
• 23:38
  Speaker 4: the next best guy he could.
• 23:41
  Speaker 5: Do a role.
• 23:42
  Speaker 4: He's physically probably not where he needs to be, but
• 23:45
  Speaker 4: getting pretty close. He's a line our assets and yeah,
• 23:51
  Speaker 4: he's performing well. I say a walker Lea Weddy has
• 23:55
  Speaker 4: done perform well in patches I think for the Hurricanes
• 23:58
  Speaker 4: this year and he's been around for five six years
• 24:01
  Speaker 4: of super rugby. Quentin Stranger is another one. Josh Lord
• 24:06
  Speaker 4: would be there. He's played a couple of tests. I
• 24:10
  Speaker 4: think back to he started against the Pumas in Argentina
• 24:13
  Speaker 4: and perform really well in that game. He's got the size,
• 24:16
  Speaker 4: the physical attributes, but he's only played three games and
• 24:20
  Speaker 4: barely cited him. So is he fit? Is he available
• 24:23
  Speaker 4: at this stage? Would say probably not so long for me.
• 24:26
  Speaker 4: I would go Sam Darry as a third guy, and
• 24:30
  Speaker 4: I'd actually go Monarchy Selby Rickett purely for his physical
• 24:36
  Speaker 4: attributes I think ball carrying, defense, but he can't even
• 24:39
  Speaker 4: make the Chiefs twenty three at this stage. So Cooy
• 24:44
  Speaker 4: is another one who I haven't mentioned, So for me,
• 24:46
  Speaker 4: I'm going Sam Darry Monarchy, Selby Rickett, who you got yep.
• 24:49
  Speaker 3: So let's say Barred and Tubo Vai are going to
• 24:51
  Speaker 3: be there. I actually am going to go and Iell Koya.
• 24:55
  Speaker 3: Like his body of worker, like what he's able to
• 24:57
  Speaker 3: do both aerially but also in the grub work and carrying.
• 25:01
  Speaker 3: I think he's a very very good player for the Chiefs,
• 25:05
  Speaker 3: so I would have him there, and I think I
• 25:07
  Speaker 3: would probably. I think I've got Caleb Delaney in all
• 25:12
  Speaker 3: honesty over over the Walker Lear Weddy W'd be tossing
• 25:17
  Speaker 3: up between them. So Sam Dearry just misses out for me.
• 25:20
  Speaker 3: I think I still want to see a bit more
• 25:23
  Speaker 3: from from Sam Dewry. I think he can get there,
• 25:25
  Speaker 3: but I don't think he's quite there years so y
• 25:28
  Speaker 3: I go, I Coley and in Caleb Delaney, I was.
• 25:31
  Speaker 4: I'm very pleased that you've taken off your cannibury eye
• 25:34
  Speaker 4: pitch because I can see Scott Robertson picking quintin strange.
• 25:39
  Speaker 5: He's a guy that's been on the CUSP.
• 25:40
  Speaker 4: In previous years, but for me, he's been very underwhelming
• 25:44
  Speaker 4: this season, and you know, can Tebbs love can Tebbs.
• 25:49
  Speaker 3: He's a he's a Marco's playmate. He's yeah, he's made
• 25:53
  Speaker 3: too many errors for me quintin strange this year. He
• 25:56
  Speaker 3: is the obvious one against the Brumbies, But even in
• 25:59
  Speaker 3: that last game against my Wida Pacific, I thought he
• 26:01
  Speaker 3: had ridig game into the blues a weit part of that,
• 26:03
  Speaker 3: but mine Pacific. He's made a couple of eras that
• 26:06
  Speaker 3: I just you know aren't test standard. But the fact
• 26:09
  Speaker 3: that we've come up with about six different players there
• 26:12
  Speaker 3: and selected a couple suggest that that is wide open.
• 26:15
  Speaker 3: And I don't know which way Scott Robinson's probably going
• 26:20
  Speaker 3: to go.
• 26:20
  Speaker 5: Neither of them are really compelling.
• 26:22
  Speaker 3: No, they're not compelling, And that point do you go
• 26:25
  Speaker 3: back and go, okay, say, and you sort of turned
• 26:27
  Speaker 3: us down or whether that was overlying the first place,
• 26:30
  Speaker 3: I don't know the whole SOS sort of thing. But
• 26:32
  Speaker 3: do you go give us two tests against England at
• 26:34
  Speaker 3: home and then we'll let you go into retirement.
• 26:36
  Speaker 4: The only other scenario we haven't talked about is do
• 26:40
  Speaker 4: you get creative and look at a guy like Summer
• 26:42
  Speaker 4: Penny female who's not tall enough to be a starting
• 26:46
  Speaker 4: test Lock, but has started a lot for the Chiefs
• 26:50
  Speaker 4: and has that versatility. So does Scott Robertson look at
• 26:54
  Speaker 4: the versatility of his loose forwards and look to get
• 26:59
  Speaker 4: a bit creative and pack a guy that can cover
• 27:02
  Speaker 4: rather than be an out and out Lock and some
• 27:05
  Speaker 4: pick someone who's maybe not ready yet.
• 27:07
  Speaker 3: Quite possibly sent Cameron saw four out of the Blues
• 27:10
  Speaker 3: as well cover both Locke and second and flanker as well.
• 27:15
  Speaker 3: Maybe another player like him here. He's obviously gone through
• 27:18
  Speaker 3: his health issues at the moments, but he's been another
• 27:21
  Speaker 3: player for the Blues over the last couple of seasons.
• 27:23
  Speaker 3: But looking at all those names as you go, there
• 27:25
  Speaker 3: is a real depth issue at lock in New Zealand currently.
• 27:28
  Speaker 5: Yeah, big time and let's be real about this.
• 27:31
  Speaker 4: England are extremely proficient, one of the best in the
• 27:35
  Speaker 4: world teams from a set piece perspective. There line out
• 27:38
  Speaker 4: they're more they're scrum. But let's not underestimate the power
• 27:43
  Speaker 4: that Locke generates.
• 27:45
  Speaker 5: In a scrum as well. So it's only one example.
• 27:49
  Speaker 4: But when the Albat's got too cute and started Juram
• 27:52
  Speaker 4: Caino at Locke, they lost for the first time against
• 27:55
  Speaker 4: Island in Chicago, So it is a very specialist role
• 27:59
  Speaker 4: and you do need to get it right.
• 28:01
  Speaker 3: Yep. There are some players coming through as well. I
• 28:04
  Speaker 3: mean you just mentioned Sam Derry. You know, Fabian Hind
• 28:07
  Speaker 3: when he's eligible. Jamie Henner out of the Crusaders at
• 28:10
  Speaker 3: Gallagher is another one. There are players coming through, but
• 28:13
  Speaker 3: are clearly not there at this point in time.
• 28:16
  Speaker 4: Yeah, whispers that Robinson does like Jamie Hannah. So I
• 28:21
  Speaker 4: wouldn't rule out a complete bolter. But we will wait
• 28:25
  Speaker 4: and see. We will next week. Incidentally, we will reselect
• 28:28
  Speaker 4: those squads that we did a few weeks back and
• 28:30
  Speaker 4: see when we land. Knowing that there is going to
• 28:32
  Speaker 4: be a thirty two man squad, I think we slip
• 28:34
  Speaker 4: at thirty three if I recall rightly. So someone's going
• 28:37
  Speaker 4: to go. We'll see who. Question Number two Kira Yoani
• 28:42
  Speaker 4: announcing that he is off after the season to go
• 28:46
  Speaker 4: play in Japan. Now a bit of confusion online used today,
• 28:49
  Speaker 4: sueducing that a Kira was eligible for Japan because he
• 28:52
  Speaker 4: was born in Tokyo, and now appears that he was
• 28:54
  Speaker 4: not born in Tokyo, which has been a popular, well
• 28:57
  Speaker 4: now myth spread for a number of years.
• 28:59
  Speaker 5: Don't trust Wikipedia.
• 29:00
  Speaker 3: He no All Blacks dot Com apparently, which also says that,
• 29:03
  Speaker 3: but how much of a loss is it for the
• 29:06
  Speaker 3: Blues and New Zealand Rugby loser a kid of you
• 29:08
  Speaker 3: on what.
• 29:10
  Speaker 5: Is a loss?
• 29:10
  Speaker 4: Yeah, Akira is an exceptional athlete and has been a
• 29:15
  Speaker 4: proven performer for the Blues. I guess he has also
• 29:19
  Speaker 4: been struggled to consistently produce his best and fulfill his
• 29:26
  Speaker 4: physical gifts, I think is a good way to describe it.
• 29:31
  Speaker 4: But he has matured in recent years and I think
• 29:35
  Speaker 4: he is a big loss for the Blues, although they
• 29:38
  Speaker 4: do have a lot of depth throughout their loose forwards.
• 29:41
  Speaker 4: You know, Adrian Choates and Anton signa but very different profile,
• 29:46
  Speaker 4: aren't they of athlete? I think at this stage of
• 29:48
  Speaker 4: his career it makes a lot of sense. He's not
• 29:52
  Speaker 4: banging down the All Black store and he's just had
• 29:55
  Speaker 4: a young kids going to Japan to set himself up.
• 29:58
  Speaker 4: It's a move at the stage that makes a lot
• 30:00
  Speaker 4: of sense. But he is a real asset for the Blues.
• 30:03
  Speaker 4: He is.
• 30:03
  Speaker 3: Yeah. I just always felt like he was poised and
• 30:06
  Speaker 3: ready to really take his go into another level. And
• 30:09
  Speaker 3: I don't know that we ever saw that from him
• 30:13
  Speaker 3: at both All Black level and Blues certainly we saw
• 30:15
  Speaker 3: it from in a number of times, but the All
• 30:17
  Speaker 3: Blacks level, it just never felt like he quite arrived
• 30:20
  Speaker 3: at test level like he promised, like he was we
• 30:23
  Speaker 3: thought he was capable of. So that's always the you know,
• 30:26
  Speaker 3: the unfortunate thing that he perhaps didn't realize his test potential.
• 30:31
  Speaker 3: But there's a variety of reasons potentially for that, and
• 30:33
  Speaker 3: maybe he'll find it another team.
• 30:36
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I think he looked really good at times against
• 30:39
  Speaker 4: teams like Australia where he could get to the edge
• 30:43
  Speaker 4: and use his ball playing capabilities and you know, time
• 30:47
  Speaker 4: and space. But if you can't compare him as like
• 30:51
  Speaker 4: for like, for what Shannon Frazel did against the likes
• 30:53
  Speaker 4: of the spring Box, that's what you want. That's the
• 30:56
  Speaker 4: prototype for the All Blacks what they want out of
• 30:58
  Speaker 4: their six and a Kira probably never delivered that on
• 31:01
  Speaker 4: a consistent basis.
• 31:03
  Speaker 3: All right grade the Highland is Super Rugby season out
• 31:05
  Speaker 3: of ten.
• 31:07
  Speaker 4: Look, it's a pass mark for making the finals. So
• 31:11
  Speaker 4: I'm going to say they hadn't done that certainly last year,
• 31:14
  Speaker 4: so they improved, but I'd struggle to go any higher
• 31:17
  Speaker 4: than a five to be honest.
• 31:19
  Speaker 3: Tough market to sex because, as we mentioned, that roster
• 31:24
  Speaker 3: didn't look like it was playoff material necessarily. There's a
• 31:28
  Speaker 3: lot of promising players in that Highlanders team Fabe Holland
• 31:32
  Speaker 3: for one Cambiller, they got a couple of really good
• 31:35
  Speaker 3: hookers as well, Jack Taylor, Henry Bell, which who looked promising. Sure,
• 31:39
  Speaker 3: and whether he's a real problem within yep, so there
• 31:41
  Speaker 3: was some promising. Jacob after Vookie Nipkins was a goodbye.
• 31:45
  Speaker 3: I'm giving them a sex out of ten. It's probably
• 31:47
  Speaker 3: fair generous marking. Maybe I don't know. And topic number
• 31:51
  Speaker 3: four super uggy plus formats abound. What's the right step
• 31:55
  Speaker 3: for next season? Now? I know once you finished recording
• 31:57
  Speaker 3: last week, Liam, you're working the phones and you came
• 32:01
  Speaker 3: up with a few word on the street that we're
• 32:04
  Speaker 3: looking at maybe a sixteen playoff for next season, or
• 32:08
  Speaker 3: even Team Plow from an eleven team competition. Now that
• 32:12
  Speaker 3: would be slightly ridiculous, but so six teams, top two
• 32:15
  Speaker 3: would get the week off three B six four plaz five,
• 32:19
  Speaker 3: Top seven top team gets the week off two plays seven,
• 32:24
  Speaker 3: three plays fire six four plays five. What's your favorite?
• 32:29
  Speaker 4: Yeah, So the seventeen formats the NFL for our American
• 32:33
  Speaker 4: sport followers out there. But and I guess the quirk
• 32:38
  Speaker 4: here is Super Rugby Commission wants the top six, but
• 32:45
  Speaker 4: they are a figurehead organization to a degree, with New
• 32:48
  Speaker 4: Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia still having the final say
• 32:51
  Speaker 4: on these things around the what goes in the competition,
• 32:55
  Speaker 4: So look, I would expect. I heard Evan Lee at
• 33:00
  Speaker 4: a Hurricanes media session I think yesterday came out and
• 33:03
  Speaker 4: supported the sixteen format. I think by and large most
• 33:05
  Speaker 4: people want that because it bring a more elite caveat
• 33:11
  Speaker 4: to the playoffs.
• 33:12
  Speaker 5: Which is desperately needed, isn't it. Let's be honest.
• 33:14
  Speaker 4: The Rebels made it this year having lost their last
• 33:17
  Speaker 4: six games of the season, which is just absurd.
• 33:20
  Speaker 5: It needs to be.
• 33:23
  Speaker 4: You know, you need to reward the teams that finished
• 33:27
  Speaker 4: top first and foremost, so the six team does that
• 33:30
  Speaker 4: gives the first two teams the week off, and I
• 33:32
  Speaker 4: think six from eleven is fine. Seven from eleven it's
• 33:36
  Speaker 4: pretty similar to eight from twelve, isn't it? Like? You
• 33:39
  Speaker 4: need to make this an elite professional competition and the
• 33:42
  Speaker 4: current player format does not do that.
• 33:44
  Speaker 3: I don't think it does. Yeah, I don't even think
• 33:47
  Speaker 3: the top six does that. To be honest, I think
• 33:50
  Speaker 3: we're currently in the spot where when you've got a
• 33:54
  Speaker 3: top eight of twelve making it most of the regular season,
• 33:57
  Speaker 3: do I say it is a waste of time because
• 34:00
  Speaker 3: most of the four teams are dropping out. You're limiting
• 34:02
  Speaker 3: four teams at the end. It doesn't really get to
• 34:05
  Speaker 3: the point to end until write to the end of
• 34:06
  Speaker 3: The Crusaders are ride in it until the last minute
• 34:09
  Speaker 3: of the season, when really they had no right to be.
• 34:11
  Speaker 4: When we saw that this weekend just gone with the Dura,
• 34:14
  Speaker 4: the Rebels, you know the Reds, you know the Dura and.
• 34:21
  Speaker 5: Rebels they can and fodder.
• 34:23
  Speaker 3: Yeah, well see, could you go back to a top
• 34:25
  Speaker 3: four that was the originally as a Super twelve, it
• 34:27
  Speaker 3: was the top four. Maybe you have teams that are
• 34:29
  Speaker 3: out of it weeks, but you know, weeks before the playoffs.
• 34:31
  Speaker 3: But that is elite.
• 34:32
  Speaker 5: Well one hundred percent.
• 34:34
  Speaker 4: And the only reason we have a bloated playoff format
• 34:36
  Speaker 4: is because broadcasters want more matches. Teams want more playoff
• 34:40
  Speaker 4: games because they are the make or break of their
• 34:44
  Speaker 4: balance sheets for the years, and they want to try
• 34:49
  Speaker 4: and guarantee an Australian presence in the playoff. Those are
• 34:51
  Speaker 4: the only three residents and it does severely compromise your
• 34:55
  Speaker 4: ability to market your competition as as being a genuine
• 34:59
  Speaker 4: elite level.
• 35:01
  Speaker 3: Bring back the conferences right, let's get into our tipping competition.
• 35:07
  Speaker 3: My on the Reds in the Highland has failed to
• 35:10
  Speaker 3: come through. Liam, you went four to four, so you're
• 35:12
  Speaker 3: letting sixty three forty five. That gap is just far
• 35:15
  Speaker 3: too big.
• 35:16
  Speaker 4: Quite frankly, if only my tab balance was reflective of this.
• 35:21
  Speaker 3: Blues Brombi's Friday Night Live on Gold Sword and iHeart Radio.
• 35:26
  Speaker 4: I was gonna say, Blues Mona, that's not correct, is it.
• 35:29
  Speaker 4: Look I think the Blues get that done and I
• 35:30
  Speaker 4: think they will probably get it done pretty comfortably.
• 35:32
  Speaker 3: And then Hurricanes Chiefs four thirty five Saturday afternoon.
• 35:37
  Speaker 5: Well, there's two reasons they're going to tip this way.
• 35:39
  Speaker 4: One is because of their respective quarter final performances and
• 35:42
  Speaker 4: two because when I doubt the Hurricanes, they win.
• 35:45
  Speaker 5: So I'm going to tip the chief to the Chiefs.
• 35:48
  Speaker 3: I'm going to Hurricanes. Mate, that's ridiculous. I've been played.
• 35:51
  Speaker 3: McMillan did say it's going to turn profit. Yeah, he
• 35:55
  Speaker 3: did say after the round robin game end of Super
• 35:58
  Speaker 3: Rugby that you'd see everyone back there in three weeks
• 36:01
  Speaker 3: for the Blues and Chiefs final Eden Park. Yeah, maybe
• 36:05
  Speaker 3: maybe it will happen. Sadly, the Chiefs drawer final can
• 36:08
  Speaker 3: no longer happen. MVP voting Hoskins to Tutu on eighteen points,
• 36:13
  Speaker 3: Billy Procter on nine, Cam Meller, Fletcher Newell and a
• 36:15
  Speaker 3: Suffer are more all on seven. Who gets your points
• 36:20
  Speaker 3: this weekly?
• 36:21
  Speaker 4: Angeline and Brown produced his best performance of the season
• 36:24
  Speaker 4: for the Chiefs, so he gets my three. Dalton Papolli
• 36:28
  Speaker 4: really stepped up in Patrick Tuopolochu's absence, both both sides
• 36:32
  Speaker 4: of the ball.
• 36:33
  Speaker 5: He was huge, So two for him, and I.
• 36:35
  Speaker 4: Was quite impressed with Jordi Barrett's just as real intent
• 36:39
  Speaker 4: on defense and ball in hands put a lot of aggression,
• 36:43
  Speaker 4: So he gets my one.
• 36:44
  Speaker 3: I'm going three for Dolton papal two to Anton and
• 36:46
  Speaker 3: Brown one to a B. I thought all three really
• 36:51
  Speaker 3: stood out, and look at those players there not home
• 36:53
  Speaker 3: seeing the team's rise to the crop was saying that
• 36:55
  Speaker 3: the All Blacks rise to the top in terms of
• 36:57
  Speaker 3: they're playing that big playoff rugby that we want to see,
• 36:59
  Speaker 3: aren't we.
• 37:00
  Speaker 4: That's right, know how no to step up, how to
• 37:03
  Speaker 4: step up when it matters most? And I think you'll
• 37:05
  Speaker 4: see that over the coming weeks as well.
• 37:07
  Speaker 3: Yeah, and speaking of will step up when it matters most?
• 37:09
  Speaker 3: Next week, that's right, Bring it home big podcast next
• 37:12
  Speaker 3: week ahead of the final, a couple of special guests
• 37:15
  Speaker 3: in the offering potentially, and we're also gonna redraft and
• 37:19
  Speaker 3: refigure out those all black squads that are gonna be
• 37:21
  Speaker 3: named on the twenty fourth of June.
• 37:23
  Speaker 5: The players, you can sense the nerves.
• 37:25
  Speaker 3: Now, yeah, I mean you know there's one they want
• 37:28
  Speaker 3: to make Scott Robertson squad, but so they want to
• 37:29
  Speaker 3: make the Rugby.
• 37:30
  Speaker 4: Direct squad point the end of the year. It really
• 37:33
  Speaker 4: is bring your best form.
• 37:34
  Speaker 3: All right Rugby directs once again with Habit Heath, tackling
• 37:37
  Speaker 3: all your aches and pains from sport and work. Book
• 37:39
  Speaker 3: online at habit dot health to see a physio and
• 37:41
  Speaker 3: get back in the game faster. We will see you
• 37:43
  Speaker 3: next Monday and thanks to Lasting Bars English shares.
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: Always for more from News Talks b listen live on
• 37:53
  Speaker 1: air or online and keep our shows with you Wherever
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.