Latest / Rugby Direct / Rugby Direct Episode 251: Bulls Beaten, Boks Await, Picking Rennie's First Test Team

Transcript

Rugby Direct Episode 251: Bulls Beaten, Boks Await, Picking Rennie's First Test Team · Rugby Direct

0:09
Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from Newstalks EDB. Follow this
0:13
Speaker 1: and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio, Straight
0:19
Speaker 1: down the Middle Sky try to get inside the game
0:30
Speaker 1: from every end goal. It's Rugby Direct with Elliott Smith
0:34
Speaker 1: and Leam Navier powered by News Talks EDB.
0:37
Speaker 2: Welcome into Rugby Direct powered by Folkliff Solutions, lifting you
0:40
Speaker 2: and your business to a higher level. Elligant Smith, Liam
0:44
Speaker 2: Napier is always Episode two hundred and fifty one of
0:48
Speaker 2: Rugby Direct. Missed the two fifty milestone the other day.
0:50
Speaker 2: Didn't even realize until the episode we had live online
0:54
Speaker 2: and here we are with two fifty one cheap as
0:58
Speaker 2: didn't feel song ago that we had episode one hundred
1:01
Speaker 2: little and two fifty.
1:02
Speaker 3: That's all right, definitely passed us by. I have to
1:05
Speaker 3: raise a castle glass at some stage to that milestone.
1:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, no one else I'd want to do it
1:11
Speaker 2: with that. Well, we're speaking of raising a glass. We
1:14
Speaker 2: were up at dinner the other night and had some
1:16
Speaker 2: very interesting company, not at our table per se, but
1:21
Speaker 2: some members of some interesting activities perhaps in Johannesburg.
1:26
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was intriguing, wasn't it. Us These people came
1:31
Speaker 3: in just to set the scene, and they look rather important.
1:34
Speaker 3: There was quite a fuss being made, and they had
1:37
Speaker 3: some bodyguards who were fully fully stopped, fully.
1:40
Speaker 4: Armed, no shortage of guns.
1:43
Speaker 3: And I've said to the waiter, you know what's happening
1:46
Speaker 3: over there? Are they famous as someone I should know?
1:50
Speaker 3: And this is and I apologize in advance.
1:54
Speaker 4: You're going to do the extent he's going to do the.
1:57
Speaker 3: He goes there. They are business people.
2:02
Speaker 4: They do a lot of business, a lot of.
2:03
Speaker 3: Business, some local gangsters. I wanted to go say hello
2:10
Speaker 3: and introduced myself, but was told in no uncertain terms
2:15
Speaker 3: not to by Elliott's and our colleague Jamie Wall. So
2:20
Speaker 3: there's one little tour story snippet for you along the way.
2:24
Speaker 4: Yeah.
2:24
Speaker 2: Absolutely, Look there have been a few others as well.
2:27
Speaker 2: We went up to Pratory. We'll get onto some rugby
2:29
Speaker 2: in a moment, went up to Pratory for game day.
2:33
Speaker 2: You drove up, We drove and I was in charge.
2:36
Speaker 2: It was a rotational basis of the music. Some good stuff, yeah.
2:40
Speaker 3: But a Fleetwood, Mac, Tracy Chapman.
2:45
Speaker 2: Jim radio Head, Smashing Pumpkins. It was a good variety.
2:47
Speaker 3: It was a few complications at the start, turned out
2:51
Speaker 3: my license have expired. Yes, I've had it for ten
2:57
Speaker 3: years and it's one of the last things you'd expect
2:59
Speaker 3: to check. But yeah, a few negotiations at the local
3:04
Speaker 3: car hire place and we overcame that hurdle eventually on
3:07
Speaker 3: our way.
3:08
Speaker 4: So yeah, you did well.
3:09
Speaker 3: I'll give you a music assortment. A bit of a tick?
3:14
Speaker 3: Was it? About forty five minutes up the up the
3:16
Speaker 3: highway to Pretoria one night there? What about Loftus first
3:22
Speaker 3: first occasion there? It's a very very iconic rugby venue
3:25
Speaker 3: in South Africa. What did you make of that from?
3:27
Speaker 3: I guess a rugby as a rugby fan.
3:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, loved it. I mean this is a ground that
3:34
Speaker 2: I hadn't been to before, but one that I, you know,
3:38
Speaker 2: have watched for years and that name is just so iconic.
3:40
Speaker 2: Loftus verse Feld and the stands, you know, imprinted in
3:44
Speaker 2: your memory and some of the great New Zealand moments.
3:48
Speaker 2: I can remember Sean Fitzpatrick absolutely thumping the turf in
3:50
Speaker 2: ninety twenty six after they won that series. You know,
3:53
Speaker 2: it was at that venue that they did that historic
3:56
Speaker 2: achievement in Hoker and the Stander and the stands afterwards
3:59
Speaker 2: with with the dirty dirties. Also the home of Andrew
4:03
Speaker 2: Murdens pulling the fingers at the crowd for the Crusaders
4:06
Speaker 2: in ninety nine. I think it was, but he was
4:10
Speaker 2: born he was, Yeah, But just an incredible venue, you know,
4:14
Speaker 2: the stands, the history around it, and you know, some
4:18
Speaker 2: grounds perhaps Kings Park Stadium and Durbin might be one
4:20
Speaker 2: where I haven't been able to blend that history with
4:24
Speaker 2: you know, updating it to a modern standard. I think,
4:28
Speaker 2: you know, Loftus has probably got the balance, you know,
4:31
Speaker 2: pretty close to right around that. I mean, you know
4:34
Speaker 2: there are you know, just the iconic stands that that's
4:38
Speaker 2: still there that you know still linger, the brick work
4:41
Speaker 2: and everything like that. It was a pretty special experience
4:43
Speaker 2: to go.
4:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, the stadium itself had aesthetically doesn't look like it's
4:49
Speaker 3: changed at all from nine ninety six. But the precinct
4:52
Speaker 3: surrounding it.
4:53
Speaker 4: There's.
4:54
Speaker 3: There's a bar, there's supermarkets, there's shops within the vicinity
4:59
Speaker 3: of the car parks. And then from a game day experience,
5:04
Speaker 3: I've seen this before, but it was a beautiful day
5:07
Speaker 3: and just out you know, the stands are in sight
5:13
Speaker 3: and behind the stadium. I don't know if you call
5:17
Speaker 3: it a party zone or but there's beer tents everywhere.
5:21
Speaker 3: Marquee set up a live band at a big stage.
5:25
Speaker 3: Thousands of people out there, mixing and mingling, having a
5:29
Speaker 3: great time, great vibes, all tucking in some meat and beers.
5:34
Speaker 3: Lots of families. It was a seven pm kickoff, but
5:36
Speaker 3: so many kids. Just a brilliant adversement for how to
5:41
Speaker 3: for everything that should surround the game. And I was
5:43
Speaker 3: thinking to myself, you know, there's no reason that eaton
5:47
Speaker 3: Park Number two in particularly couldn't do that. It was
5:50
Speaker 3: very simplistic and how it was done, but very well
5:54
Speaker 3: done and people having a great time. And I know
5:58
Speaker 3: other venues in South Africa that actually allow people to
6:01
Speaker 3: come along, park up, have a bryer at the back
6:04
Speaker 3: of their cars, go to the game and then camp,
6:07
Speaker 3: come back and after the game and continue drink. Driving
6:11
Speaker 3: laws in South Africa are pretty lax, I think. But
6:16
Speaker 3: just the whole vibe surrounding game. It's not just what
6:18
Speaker 3: happens on the field. It is a real experience.
6:22
Speaker 2: It is absolutely and they do that so well both
6:25
Speaker 2: inside the ground or inside the precinct of the ground
6:29
Speaker 2: and outside. It felt like a full game day experience.
6:32
Speaker 2: And I know New Zealand Rugby tried it last year
6:35
Speaker 2: before the Blood is Low and that had an afternoon kickoff. Look,
6:38
Speaker 2: the more they should be doing that, the better, And
6:40
Speaker 2: even if it's a seven o'clock kickoff, it shouldn't be
6:43
Speaker 2: turning off them doing so because seven o'clock kickoff here. Yeah,
6:47
Speaker 2: it was probably a bit warmer that would be in
6:49
Speaker 2: New Zealand at that juncture. But you know, as you say,
6:53
Speaker 2: families and people out there having an absolute ball. So
6:56
Speaker 2: I mean, the one thing I would say is that
6:58
Speaker 2: we were talking about it yesterday, it would have been
6:59
Speaker 2: perfect for you know, two o'clock, three o'clock local time
7:02
Speaker 2: kickoff because the sun was blaring down, it was warm,
7:05
Speaker 2: would have been dry, good Rugby. Fortunately, you know seven o'clock,
7:11
Speaker 2: you know, a bit cooler and everything like that. But
7:13
Speaker 2: I mean you can't go too wrong with that.
7:16
Speaker 4: Yeah.
7:16
Speaker 3: I think South Africa, every nation is dictated to by
7:21
Speaker 3: broadcast revenue, and broadcast is when they want those games.
7:25
Speaker 3: But you know, you think about historical games in South Africa,
7:29
Speaker 3: they all seem to be in the afternoon. So it
7:32
Speaker 3: is a shame, particularly with these tour games. With these
7:35
Speaker 3: franchise teams having been stripped of their spring box at
7:38
Speaker 3: the start of their preseason, far from their best, I
7:42
Speaker 3: think it would have been much more encouraging for fans
7:47
Speaker 3: to go along mid afternoon and yeah, what aspecta we
7:50
Speaker 3: can't be afternoon rugby.
7:52
Speaker 2: You certainly can't, but let's get into the game itself.
7:55
Speaker 2: The All Blacks beating the Bulls to the tune of
7:57
Speaker 2: fifty points to nineteen eight tries to three in the end.
8:02
Speaker 2: Your thoughts on what we saw from the All Blacks
8:04
Speaker 2: in that final hit out before they get to the tests.
8:06
Speaker 3: It was the best performance of the tour by quite
8:09
Speaker 3: some distance, and I thought we saw some real improvements
8:14
Speaker 3: from where they started against the Stormers. I think it's
8:18
Speaker 3: important to remember that this was largely a scratch All
8:20
Speaker 3: Black team as well. They've rotated massively through these three games,
8:25
Speaker 3: had very little training time together. In fact, their training
8:28
Speaker 3: venue at one of the schools prior to this game
8:31
Speaker 3: in Durmin, they didn't actually train because the pitch was
8:34
Speaker 3: deems not for purpose. It had a number of bumps
8:40
Speaker 3: and it was quite soft, and they're worried about injuries,
8:42
Speaker 3: so they didn't actually train so maybe they explained some
8:45
Speaker 3: of the I guess if you're being overly critical and
8:48
Speaker 3: that watched THEE Aal Blacks themselves the lack of finishing
8:50
Speaker 3: they created so much. But look, I thought Tyler Tyler
8:54
Speaker 3: or Lomax, Cody Taylor and Xavier new Mayor and the scrum,
8:58
Speaker 3: what a statement shunt. That was early doors to steamroll
9:01
Speaker 3: the Bulls pack. They physically boss the game line dominated
9:06
Speaker 3: the Bulls. I think they had something like four hundred
9:08
Speaker 3: and third post contact meters, which is quite staggering. That
9:12
Speaker 3: they were afforded the time in space to run rampant
9:15
Speaker 3: on attack, the offloads, the pace, the movement. It really
9:19
Speaker 3: was a compelling performance and a number of guys putting
9:22
Speaker 3: their hand up for maybe a handful of test spots
9:26
Speaker 3: this week.
9:27
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think.
9:27
Speaker 2: I mean Anton Signa is the guy that I would
9:30
Speaker 2: draw a line under and go has to be in
9:31
Speaker 2: the test twenty three somewhere because he is playing out
9:35
Speaker 2: of his skin at the moment. And I thought that
9:39
Speaker 2: was a hugely compelling performance from Anton Signa in his
9:42
Speaker 2: pre position and it is referred position to open side flanker,
9:46
Speaker 2: you know, started against the Stormers. That was late notice
9:49
Speaker 2: he came in for that game room with Walls Heit
9:51
Speaker 2: he ruled out and they moved the pack around a
9:54
Speaker 2: little bit, but this felt like he was dialed in
9:57
Speaker 2: and you know, I think three turnovers in the end,
10:00
Speaker 2: he was everywhere in the park, thirteen tackles, Just utterly
10:04
Speaker 2: impressed by his work around the park. I think he
10:09
Speaker 2: has to be in that twenty three if we're talking
10:11
Speaker 2: about players that put their hands up for test selection.
10:14
Speaker 2: I think he was probably close to being in the mix,
10:16
Speaker 2: if not in the mix already, but just serve to
10:18
Speaker 2: remind Dave any of what he can do, and I'd
10:21
Speaker 2: be very surprised if he's not in that twenty three somewhere.
10:24
Speaker 4: Yeah.
10:24
Speaker 3: Absolutely, he was superb Man of the match performance. I
10:27
Speaker 3: think there is a bit of context around individual performances
10:30
Speaker 3: in these games, given this forty three spring Rocks or
10:33
Speaker 3: thereabouts missing from these RC teams. But you can only
10:39
Speaker 3: play who's in front of her. And he was superb
10:43
Speaker 3: and he's been a big mover, isn't He was not
10:47
Speaker 3: a bolted on selection I think for most people in
10:50
Speaker 3: the July squads. But some of the stats that we've
10:55
Speaker 3: been privy to behind the scenes around his proficiency at
10:59
Speaker 3: the breakdown in comparison to others, like to said Grief,
11:03
Speaker 3: who was going head to head around he was. Really
11:07
Speaker 3: that's real point of difference for Anton Signa throughout Super
11:10
Speaker 3: rugby and he has carried that through to these tour games.
11:13
Speaker 3: Peter Luckeye as well, just he seems to be everywhere
11:18
Speaker 3: on a pitch and it was quite telling for me
11:20
Speaker 3: that he was the one that was taken off early,
11:23
Speaker 3: along with guys like Patrick two below two and you know,
11:26
Speaker 3: it was very evident that they have been earmarked I
11:28
Speaker 3: think for the Test team this weekend, and then there
11:34
Speaker 3: were others as well. I think you could probably read
11:37
Speaker 3: a fair but into Boden Barrett having a switching from
11:40
Speaker 3: first five to fallback with Damian McKenzie's injury. I thought
11:44
Speaker 3: Riquewhanny looks lean and fast.
11:46
Speaker 2: How much I think you seem to drop four to
11:48
Speaker 2: five kilos.
11:49
Speaker 3: That's what he said post match, yeah to us, So
11:53
Speaker 3: he's having a bit of rejuvenation and Tyrol Lomax getting
11:59
Speaker 3: through sixty minutes I think that's really important in the
12:01
Speaker 3: context of what's coming with the Box, with their their
12:04
Speaker 3: scrum strength. He'll come up against Ox neatzsch with starts
12:08
Speaker 3: or comes off the bench. So yeah, I think it
12:12
Speaker 3: was a really important performance for the All Blacks and well,
12:17
Speaker 3: they'll be harsh on themselves. I don't think they could
12:21
Speaker 3: have done too much more. Look, they probably could have
12:24
Speaker 3: scored seventy points.
12:26
Speaker 4: Yeah, they could have, but.
12:30
Speaker 3: It was I wouldn't go as far to say as
12:32
Speaker 3: a statement because of the level of the opposition, And
12:36
Speaker 3: it was quite telling Renny and Cody Taylor postmatch saying, look, yeah,
12:41
Speaker 3: we've made progress and we're reasonably content, but we know
12:45
Speaker 3: that the box are going to be three four fivefold
12:48
Speaker 3: up on what we've experienced so far.
12:50
Speaker 4: Yeah, and looked.
12:50
Speaker 2: There was a lot of expectation that the Bulls would
12:52
Speaker 2: provide the sternest test of the three teams before the
12:56
Speaker 2: test matches, and quite disappointing really. They had a couple
13:00
Speaker 2: of moments and put some pressure on in the opening
13:03
Speaker 2: ten to fifteen minutes, but once the All Blacks got
13:06
Speaker 2: a bit of momentum and got that the first couple
13:09
Speaker 2: of tries on the board, didn't feel like the Bulls
13:12
Speaker 2: had much of an answer me. They squed a couple
13:14
Speaker 2: of tries after halftime, but the game was done at
13:18
Speaker 2: twenty four zero at the break, and there were some
13:21
Speaker 2: impressive showings. I thought the number eight Jean de Rudolph
13:24
Speaker 2: was very good if all Vorster at second five held
13:27
Speaker 2: his own against the All Blacks midfield, and there were
13:30
Speaker 2: a couple of other impressive performances around the park as well,
13:35
Speaker 2: but just lacked that cohesiveness of a team that would
13:39
Speaker 2: otherwise be in pre season. So you're disappointing from the balls,
13:44
Speaker 2: and I almost think maybe the All Blacks would have
13:45
Speaker 2: preferred them to have obviously been a little bit better,
13:48
Speaker 2: just to give a little bit of stress testing to
13:51
Speaker 2: the game plans as they head into the spring box.
13:54
Speaker 4: Yeah.
13:54
Speaker 3: Absolutely. Willie Laruino's I think a much love figure in Pretoria,
13:59
Speaker 3: but a couple of he looked like it was running
14:02
Speaker 3: his own ship, quick taps and it's not really the
14:05
Speaker 3: Bulls style, So a couple of Bazar moments from him.
14:09
Speaker 3: If we reflect on these tour games on the whole,
14:13
Speaker 3: pretty underwhelming, I think, And I think that's because of
14:17
Speaker 3: the nature of when these where these teams are at
14:19
Speaker 3: in their seasons, which don't start for another five weeks,
14:22
Speaker 3: the fact that they've been stripped of all their spring box.
14:26
Speaker 3: I think it would have been nice for Russy to
14:28
Speaker 3: protect twenty odd guys, but strengthen these teams a bit more.
14:35
Speaker 3: When's the next tour to South africail like this twenty
14:37
Speaker 3: thirty four? Yeah, so a long way in advance. But
14:40
Speaker 3: let's say old By then you have a blank canvas.
14:44
Speaker 3: How would you do it differently to vastly improve? I
14:48
Speaker 3: guess the competitiveness and look, there's thirty thousand people at
14:52
Speaker 3: that balls game. That's a good turnout. And the opening
14:54
Speaker 3: game was great, the Sharks, everything around it, the weather,
14:57
Speaker 3: the turnout, the opposition was hugely underwhelming. So if you
15:01
Speaker 3: could improve these tour matches in some way, how would
15:06
Speaker 3: you go about it?
15:07
Speaker 2: Well? I don't know the you can without a global calendar.
15:10
Speaker 2: I think that's the big glaring thing. And this may
15:13
Speaker 2: be a decision that New Zealand Rugby's got to arrive
15:15
Speaker 2: at at some point, because there's obviously been a push
15:19
Speaker 2: to have the Nation Rugby Championship moved into the February
15:22
Speaker 2: March window, aligning that with the six nations. South Africa
15:26
Speaker 2: very king on it and Australia. I've got an open
15:28
Speaker 2: mind to it too. Argentina I think would go with
15:30
Speaker 2: the flow probably around what the other nations go with
15:34
Speaker 2: New Zealand Rugby against it. But if you are able
15:37
Speaker 2: to play that in a February March window, then you
15:41
Speaker 2: have Super Rugby from April through to July potentially maybe
15:47
Speaker 2: early part of August. That would be the same. Potentially
15:50
Speaker 2: USC would probably flow around then. So trying to think
15:55
Speaker 2: what the best scenario would be, but you could probably
15:57
Speaker 2: have it closer to the end of the URC season,
16:00
Speaker 2: like maybe smack bang after the final, you have those
16:03
Speaker 2: first two games a week or so later, and while
16:05
Speaker 2: you're obviously going to have players that are right the
16:08
Speaker 2: end of their season, still they're probably not in the
16:10
Speaker 2: middle of pre season. So maybe that's one way to
16:13
Speaker 2: do it if you do look towards a global calendar.
16:16
Speaker 2: Otherwise you're just gonna be plucking players out of preseason.
16:19
Speaker 2: I don't know that there's a way around it under
16:21
Speaker 2: this current rugby calendar.
16:22
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a massive challenge, isn't it. I think and
16:24
Speaker 3: New Zealand the're going to face the same scenario. Yeah,
16:28
Speaker 3: in terms of Super Rugby, team has been out of
16:30
Speaker 3: season and NPC potentially on when the box come to
16:36
Speaker 3: New Zealand for the reciprocal tour thirty I think in
16:41
Speaker 3: the absence of a global calendar, it probably needs some
16:45
Speaker 3: potential negotiation with Australia. Maybe you play the Bledders loads
16:48
Speaker 3: now and then this tour takes place in that window,
16:51
Speaker 3: which will be closer to the USC season. Not sure
16:54
Speaker 3: the exact dates, but it's problematic. It's challenging in a
17:00
Speaker 3: highly congested global worlds. But yeah, I think the tour
17:06
Speaker 3: hasn't lived up to the hype.
17:08
Speaker 2: I think, yeah, we haven't had it out and out.
17:11
Speaker 2: When the Stormer's game was to an extent, it was,
17:13
Speaker 2: you know, fourteen all with not long to go, but
17:15
Speaker 2: the All Blacks obviously kicked away late in that match.
17:20
Speaker 2: But the atmosphere has probably been lacking at these games.
17:23
Speaker 2: Even with thirty thousand and it lost this verse Feld.
17:25
Speaker 3: It just felt like it was well, had the balls
17:27
Speaker 3: been pushing the All Blacks yea, even for forty minutes.
17:30
Speaker 3: They were down twenty four to oh at halftime and
17:33
Speaker 3: the crowd's s done. Yeah, they came to life a
17:35
Speaker 3: wee bit with the comeback, brief comeback, But yeah, you
17:40
Speaker 3: want the locals to be highly invested as much as possible.
17:44
Speaker 4: Yeah you do.
17:45
Speaker 2: And look, this is a concept that hasn't been rolled
17:47
Speaker 2: out in thirty years. And thirty years ago the All
17:50
Speaker 2: Blacks went playing the Bulls, they went playing the Stormers,
17:53
Speaker 2: they went playing the Northern Trans but they were met
17:55
Speaker 2: been playing Northern Like you look at the teams they
17:57
Speaker 2: played in ninety six and it was Bowland and you
18:00
Speaker 2: know Curry Cup first second division sides that they were
18:03
Speaker 2: playing on that tour and it was a real drop
18:06
Speaker 2: off to the midweek opponents. So you know this this
18:11
Speaker 2: the game yesterday was the first time they all actually
18:13
Speaker 2: played in Northern transvole side since nineteen seventy six. Now
18:16
Speaker 2: there are certain reasons why that is the case that
18:18
Speaker 2: they hadn't played in fifty years, but you know, this
18:22
Speaker 2: is an untried concept in many ways. So like I'm
18:25
Speaker 2: sure the look at what worked and what didn't and
18:27
Speaker 2: and for twenty thirty, yep, we're going to run into
18:29
Speaker 2: similar issues where you take super Rogogie players back into
18:32
Speaker 2: their franchises after playing NPC for a couple of weeks whatever.
18:35
Speaker 2: Well maybe you know it's going to be a congested
18:37
Speaker 2: calendar because you know there are five New Zealand Super
18:40
Speaker 2: Rugby sides that I'm sure we'd all love to play
18:42
Speaker 2: the spring Box with that's logistically possible. With the Springboks
18:46
Speaker 2: would want to play five two games in New Zealand
18:48
Speaker 2: plus three Test plus presumably another moneymaker New zuel Moldy.
18:53
Speaker 2: You know, we're getting up to nine ten matches very
18:56
Speaker 2: very quickly, so there's going to have to be some
18:58
Speaker 2: finessing of this concept. But you know, and look, it
19:02
Speaker 2: has been enjoyable, it's been good, but I think it
19:04
Speaker 2: can be better.
19:05
Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, And look there's no doubt that the t matches.
19:09
Speaker 3: Certainly the three in South Africa. I have some firm
19:12
Speaker 3: thoughts on the one of the money making venture in Baltimore.
19:16
Speaker 3: I think that's going to be absolutely break players and
19:20
Speaker 3: yourself media by the time you have to eventually there.
19:24
Speaker 3: But the three tests in South Africa are going to
19:27
Speaker 3: be Magic's. There's nothing that will compare to that. But yeah,
19:31
Speaker 3: I think these tour games need a bit of a rethink.
19:34
Speaker 3: And there's no it's an imperfect scenario, but I think
19:38
Speaker 3: it needs a bit of an examination for the future.
19:40
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm sure they'll look at it quick one on
19:43
Speaker 2: the game, what do you make a fabi and Holan's performance.
19:46
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's highly impressive, isn't he massive work great? I
19:51
Speaker 3: think he charged down one kick, got at least two
19:53
Speaker 3: lineout steals and he did that in the opening game
19:57
Speaker 3: against the Stormers as well, So his line out prowess
20:01
Speaker 3: as a massive asset for the All Blacks. A couple
20:04
Speaker 3: of moments with his hands one character, I think, but
20:10
Speaker 3: he's got a huge engine. He pops up everywhere, so
20:16
Speaker 3: he's pushing his case. I don't expect him to be
20:19
Speaker 3: involved in this first test with tupu Vi being on
20:22
Speaker 3: the blind side and they'll probably go Paddy and Patrick
20:25
Speaker 3: Tupelo too and Josh Lord to start. So there's three
20:28
Speaker 3: locks with two loose forwards on the bench. But I
20:31
Speaker 3: think he will feature prominently throughout this four test series.
20:36
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think you will too. I think perhaps Cape
20:38
Speaker 2: Town might be the one that you marked for him
20:39
Speaker 2: to come in. Like I was impressed by his work rate. Yeah,
20:42
Speaker 2: a couple of eras he let a certain try go begging,
20:46
Speaker 2: but for the knock on from the balls, which of
20:48
Speaker 2: course you know negates everything that went after it. But yeah,
20:51
Speaker 2: he was made an incredible streak back to you know,
20:54
Speaker 2: outpaced the chasers to get back to the line but
20:56
Speaker 2: then fumbled right the stripe to potentially get the balls
21:01
Speaker 2: a try obviously wasn't to be, but yeah, just his
21:03
Speaker 2: work rate around the park is phenomenal, so I think
21:07
Speaker 2: we'll see him at some point in the in this
21:09
Speaker 2: Test series. We'll get onto the potential makeup of the
21:12
Speaker 2: All Blacks twenty three in a moment, but obviously we
21:14
Speaker 2: touched on it last time out. Richie Warner in camp
21:18
Speaker 2: now saw him walking around Loft's verse fowl yesterday. Artie
21:21
Speaker 2: star Villa as well. So that the cavalry has arrived
21:25
Speaker 2: for the All Blacks as they prepare and switch into
21:27
Speaker 2: testa mode.
21:28
Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely. Do you have any concerns about.
21:35
Speaker 4: Or where?
21:35
Speaker 3: No, m Wong is not going to feature in the
21:37
Speaker 3: first Test. He will feature in some capacity in his
21:40
Speaker 3: return against the Lions following that first Test. It's Tuesday,
21:45
Speaker 3: South Africa time, Wednesday morning, New Zealand time. Do you
21:48
Speaker 3: have any concerns about Artie Severe, cam Roy Will Jordan?
21:51
Speaker 3: Should they all be fit going into a Test match
21:56
Speaker 3: having not played for a month.
21:59
Speaker 4: Not overly.
22:03
Speaker 2: I think rest is good and look they've obviously been
22:05
Speaker 2: dealing with injuries, but they probably would have had a
22:09
Speaker 2: three week gap if this was a normal year anyway
22:12
Speaker 2: between end of July and the Rugby Championship starting. So
22:19
Speaker 2: because we're in a different calendar, I think we're applying
22:21
Speaker 2: different things and ideas to that and going, well, they
22:24
Speaker 2: haven't had a warm up game here, will that be
22:26
Speaker 2: good to go?
22:28
Speaker 4: I think there's probably.
22:29
Speaker 2: Inevitability of a little bit of rust, but I think
22:31
Speaker 2: what you lose with that quote unquoite rust, you gain
22:35
Speaker 2: by how good those players are. So I'd be more
22:39
Speaker 2: than comfortable checking them in there without having played twenty
22:41
Speaker 2: minutes off the bench. I obviously no ideals to know
22:43
Speaker 2: you do get in some minutes, but their professional athletes
22:46
Speaker 2: are I think they'll be fine.
22:47
Speaker 3: What about you, well, Jordan's probably the one I have
22:50
Speaker 3: slight concerns about. I think he's like a racehourse. The
22:53
Speaker 3: more he plays, the better he gets yes in a rhythm,
22:56
Speaker 3: and we touched on it last week. Just back injuries
22:59
Speaker 3: can be a wee bit. Niggli's going to cop a
23:01
Speaker 3: lot of high ball, so I would have liked him
23:05
Speaker 3: to have had a run, but it is what it is,
23:07
Speaker 3: and you'd rather have them out there than they're not
23:10
Speaker 3: you would.
23:10
Speaker 2: Indeed, speaking of injuries, Caleb Clark, we haven't touched on
23:13
Speaker 2: this yet, but ruled out of the tour. That news
23:16
Speaker 2: coming out Saturday morning, usually on time Friday night hours.
23:19
Speaker 3: Just we were at dinner.
23:21
Speaker 2: We were this at the same dinner where you thought
23:24
Speaker 2: you made some new friends. Yeah, just unfortunate for Caleb Clark.
23:29
Speaker 2: You had a lot of injuries last year from memory
23:33
Speaker 2: that kept him out and then your shoulder tendon rupture
23:37
Speaker 2: is a hard one for him, and we don't know
23:40
Speaker 2: how long he's out till and until he gets surgery,
23:42
Speaker 2: but probably rest of the year. You'd have to say,
23:45
Speaker 2: I'm not quite sure, but big blow because I'm not
23:49
Speaker 2: sure you would have started the tests, but I think
23:51
Speaker 2: he would have been the bench option in twenty three
23:54
Speaker 2: and that does create a reshuffle.
23:56
Speaker 4: But just a blow for the man himself.
23:58
Speaker 3: Yeah, blow for him, blow for the All Blacks. Unfortunately
24:01
Speaker 3: for Caleb, his body has endured a number of issues.
24:05
Speaker 3: I can't recall a season and recent times where he
24:09
Speaker 3: hasn't had quite significant setbacks that have forced him to
24:13
Speaker 3: miss the bulk of games, and had he had a
24:17
Speaker 3: consistent run, it would have certainly furthered his case as
24:21
Speaker 3: an incumbent on that on that left wing, and there's
24:24
Speaker 3: not really I think fair Young and North was probably
24:28
Speaker 3: the closest light for like replacement. But Clark is one
24:32
Speaker 3: of the all blacks most damaging ball runners in terms
24:35
Speaker 3: of meet has made breaking tackles. He's probably the best
24:40
Speaker 3: era or exponent under the high ball, So it would
24:43
Speaker 3: have been a huge asset to counter interfuse. That's high
24:48
Speaker 3: ball barage that the box are going to send it them.
24:50
Speaker 3: So and you're right, he would have been injected off
24:52
Speaker 3: the bench I think for this first test. So that
24:55
Speaker 3: opens up a spot. I think probably you're looking at
24:58
Speaker 3: fair young enough for Lee Very Carter and Rieka Alwaoney
25:02
Speaker 3: competing for that one position on the on the bench now.
25:05
Speaker 3: But yeah, hugely disappointing for Caleb. He's a very affable guy,
25:11
Speaker 3: likable guy, and yeah, I guess he'll start the rehead
25:15
Speaker 3: process now I go da have surgery.
25:16
Speaker 2: Yeah, unfortunate for him. We still don't know about Damon
25:20
Speaker 2: McKenzie whether he will be fit for this first test.
25:23
Speaker 2: Your backs are hopeful, but he has gone from being
25:27
Speaker 2: perhaps not much of a worry. That was the initial
25:30
Speaker 2: thought after the Sharks game to actually, I'm not sure
25:32
Speaker 2: he's going to be ready, so we'll see if he
25:34
Speaker 2: can get back on the park. But it didn't sound positive,
25:36
Speaker 2: did it.
25:37
Speaker 3: No, he's been a wee bit of mixed messages around
25:39
Speaker 3: that as it was like, yeah, nothing to see here,
25:41
Speaker 3: and then.
25:43
Speaker 4: Maybe there is something to say.
25:44
Speaker 3: I saw some footage of him around training this week
25:50
Speaker 3: earlier this week and he was still walking with a
25:52
Speaker 3: significant limp. And we are Sunday here in South Africa
25:57
Speaker 3: and the All Blacks traditionally well typically they name their
26:01
Speaker 3: team internally on a Monday, so I don't think that
26:04
Speaker 3: leaves enough time to recover. Dave Rennie said he was
26:07
Speaker 3: less confident about McKenzie than Will Jordan and Cam Rouygard.
26:12
Speaker 3: So I don't expect Amien to play this weekend. I
26:14
Speaker 3: think in a four test series, if you throw him
26:16
Speaker 3: out there against the box in particular, you risk losing
26:21
Speaker 3: him for the series. So look, it's potentially a big
26:24
Speaker 3: blow because McKenzie has been Renie's man at fullback. Josh
26:29
Speaker 3: Morby and Bodenbarre are the only other ones to start
26:31
Speaker 3: at full back in his six game tenure. And look,
26:39
Speaker 3: McKenzie and Love we're developing quite a nice combination due playmakers.
26:43
Speaker 3: McKenzie often comes in first receiver to alleviate that playmaking
26:47
Speaker 3: responsibility on Love. So let's say he's ruled out, who
26:52
Speaker 3: starts at fullback?
26:54
Speaker 2: Well, it's pretty good time for you to go through
26:55
Speaker 2: the twenty threes. If he's ruled out, I think Boden
26:58
Speaker 2: Barrett starts at fullback. Look, I'd have some reservations, but
27:03
Speaker 2: I still think he's the best player for the job.
27:06
Speaker 2: If Damien Kenzie is not fit. Will Jordan hasn't played
27:11
Speaker 2: there under Dave Renny, Josh Morby has, but I think
27:16
Speaker 2: Boden Barrett hasn't been the best to form. But I
27:21
Speaker 2: think if you can give him a role to play
27:24
Speaker 2: in a Test match like this at Alice Park, I
27:27
Speaker 2: think he can do a job for you. So yeah,
27:31
Speaker 2: I'd go Boden Barrett full back, you I think.
27:34
Speaker 3: So it doesn't fill me with a great deal of
27:36
Speaker 3: confidence for their all blacks of belity to diffuse. That's
27:39
Speaker 3: that bearraage of bombs that's coming their way. But he
27:43
Speaker 3: has a vast experience one hundred and forty four tests
27:46
Speaker 3: and he did look vastly better at fullback against the
27:50
Speaker 3: Bulls than he did at first five and that underwhelming
27:54
Speaker 3: performance against the Stormers. He had that nice little chip
27:58
Speaker 3: kick from the backfield. I think it was Leader Ricardo
28:00
Speaker 3: who regathered it. He gave the assist for Josh Morby
28:05
Speaker 3: miss one cover tackle, which it's pretty hard when you're
28:09
Speaker 3: streaking across field and it's quite easy to get stepped through.
28:12
Speaker 3: One wild way would pass against the ball. So a
28:15
Speaker 3: bit of a mixed bag, but it was certainly a
28:17
Speaker 3: big step forward for Boden. He looked far more comfortable,
28:20
Speaker 3: with much more time and space in the backfield. His
28:24
Speaker 3: decision making was largely good, So Bill Blacks publicly have
28:28
Speaker 3: professed their confidence in him. They've talked about how well
28:30
Speaker 3: he's been training. And it does feel like the path
28:34
Speaker 3: of least destruction because then you can still select Josh
28:37
Speaker 3: Morby and Will Jordan provided he's fit. On the wings.
28:41
Speaker 2: There is a shortage of fullbacks though, isn't there. And look,
28:44
Speaker 2: we've got a lot of tens that can play fullback,
28:46
Speaker 2: but an out and out fullback per se, just don't
28:51
Speaker 2: really have them many You give thinks someone like Callum
28:53
Speaker 2: Hark and he's not on this tour. Even then he's
28:55
Speaker 2: a ten Zarhn Sullivan potentially, but he's probably never quite
28:59
Speaker 2: kicked on as you would have th watched Ammonia.
29:01
Speaker 3: Naraua is the other one in the squad. Came on
29:03
Speaker 3: and replaced McKenzie against the Sharks, and I really like Naraha.
29:07
Speaker 3: I think he's good in the ear. He's got he's versatile,
29:11
Speaker 3: he's got good skills, he's pretty calm and composed. He's
29:14
Speaker 3: played a bit of fullback and wing, so he could
29:17
Speaker 3: be a big mover. But I don't think there's any
29:20
Speaker 3: chance that he starts at fallback. So it's pretty much
29:22
Speaker 3: a choice I think between what Bowden will, Jordan and
29:27
Speaker 3: maybe Josh Morby. But as you say, Morby's only played
29:30
Speaker 3: two tests.
29:30
Speaker 4: I can't see them throwing him.
29:32
Speaker 3: To throw him and Alice Park the most hostile atmosphere
29:36
Speaker 3: in the world, Ah, yeah, be a big risk.
29:39
Speaker 2: It would be your wingers. Then I'm going Morbige Jordan. Yeah,
29:43
Speaker 2: assuming I think Jordan will be fit.
29:45
Speaker 3: I think so. Dave Renie has said the whole way
29:49
Speaker 3: through to he is reasonably confident, So I think he starts,
29:54
Speaker 3: and then you've got your midfield of Quintipire Jordi Barrett's
29:59
Speaker 3: Ruben Love and Cam Ruger provided he's foot. What about
30:03
Speaker 3: the composition of your loose.
30:04
Speaker 2: Forwards, Well, I think the All Blacks will stick to
30:07
Speaker 2: two provide Jacobson and Ardie Salville. I can't see them
30:11
Speaker 2: differentiating from that. I mean, Angeon Signa had a huge
30:14
Speaker 2: game at open side flankert, but Dave Rennie rolled out
30:17
Speaker 2: Luke Jacobson at open side in the three games in July.
30:21
Speaker 2: He's been a captain of this team over the last
30:25
Speaker 2: few weeks. I think he's clearly Renny's guy in that
30:28
Speaker 2: jersey at the moment. So I can't see them changing yourself.
30:33
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think so. I think they like Supervise added
30:36
Speaker 3: heights at the line out and has ability to roam
30:42
Speaker 3: the edge. I think it does diminish the Oblix turnover
30:46
Speaker 3: ability at the breakdown and the ability to spark the
30:49
Speaker 3: counter attack, which has been a big driver from Rennie.
30:53
Speaker 3: But maybe you can look at that later in the
30:55
Speaker 3: game when you bring it on a Signa and Luckye
30:58
Speaker 3: from the bench. So then you got probably Patty and
31:01
Speaker 3: Picture Tupeloto and Josh Lord at Locke. We're thinking Fabian
31:05
Speaker 3: doesn't start.
31:06
Speaker 2: I don't think Fabian makes it twenty three. This time
31:08
Speaker 2: there's a chance potentially they go to a Lord two
31:11
Speaker 2: and Darry Josh Lord's been playing well.
31:14
Speaker 3: I can't see that. I think Darry's probably firm fourth
31:19
Speaker 3: choice lot maybe in fifth behind if you're considering to
31:22
Speaker 3: I just.
31:23
Speaker 2: Like the way that Darry has been carrying the ball
31:25
Speaker 2: on this tour. And I think again to South African's
31:28
Speaker 2: bending the liners is really vital and having a prop
31:32
Speaker 2: that is willing just to walk and run into those
31:35
Speaker 2: big bodies and sorry Locke rather right, and then also
31:38
Speaker 2: can Gathers don't But I just like the way that
31:40
Speaker 2: he's kicked on over the last few months. And you know,
31:45
Speaker 2: I think you're right. I think it's Lord and toep
31:47
Speaker 2: a Load two. But I just wonder whether they may
31:50
Speaker 2: look at Sam Dearry potentially front row.
31:54
Speaker 3: Ethan the group, Cody Taylor, and I'd probably I know
31:57
Speaker 3: he hasn't hasn't had a lot of rugby, but I
31:59
Speaker 3: think I'm a big tyro Lo Max fan. I think
32:02
Speaker 3: he's a great scrummager, probably a little bit more dynamic
32:06
Speaker 3: around the field, but it's a toss up between him
32:10
Speaker 3: and yours.
32:10
Speaker 2: Yeah it is, Yeah, And I would look I'd probably
32:12
Speaker 2: go New just on the basis that Lomax hasn't had
32:14
Speaker 2: much rug be and I think you better to bring
32:16
Speaker 2: him off the bench in the second spell. But wouldn't
32:18
Speaker 2: have any quibbles if Anny backs and to come on
32:21
Speaker 2: and start. So we're buying large, we're same fifteen.
32:24
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think most people would predict that it's just fullbacks.
32:27
Speaker 3: The real flashpoint, isn't it?
32:28
Speaker 4: It is, And.
32:30
Speaker 3: It is a real flashpoint because I think you scrum
32:35
Speaker 3: your mall defense and your high ball ability are going
32:38
Speaker 3: to be put in the furnace against the box. So
32:43
Speaker 3: Bill Blacks know that they know it's coming. But diffusing
32:46
Speaker 3: it's another thing.
32:47
Speaker 4: Isn't there is? Indeed the bench? Are you going a
32:49
Speaker 4: five to three or six two or seven to one?
32:51
Speaker 4: What are you thinking five to three two?
32:53
Speaker 3: Other injury concerns eving new Mayor was brought off just
32:56
Speaker 3: after halftime or at halftime, whether we are keilles issue
33:01
Speaker 3: and courtes a knock on the knee, so that could
33:07
Speaker 3: affect the makeup. If it doesn't, I would have new
33:10
Speaker 3: Mayor and one of those tight heads, and then I
33:14
Speaker 3: think is your clear second choice? Yep, then you've got
33:19
Speaker 3: your too loose forwards. I would have Preceton Kyle Preston
33:22
Speaker 3: no matter what I think. If Ratmus fits, I think
33:26
Speaker 3: Rennie will probably favor.
33:27
Speaker 2: Him well, especially on the high velt. I would go
33:29
Speaker 2: Preston as well. I think that he's a much better
33:32
Speaker 2: kicker from the base of the ruck than Ratima and
33:35
Speaker 2: on the high velt where you can get a lot
33:37
Speaker 2: more distance. I think that's valuable. He can get you
33:42
Speaker 2: out of trouble use that to his advantage. So I
33:45
Speaker 2: would also go Preston. They do seem to have settled
33:49
Speaker 2: on Ratima as the backup to Cam roy Guard, and
33:52
Speaker 2: the fact that roy Guard's coming back from injury probably
33:54
Speaker 2: situs that maybe wouldn't go close to eighty minutes. I mean,
33:56
Speaker 2: he went pretty deep in some of those test matches
33:58
Speaker 2: in July. Clearly, I think there's a feeling that there's
34:02
Speaker 2: roy Garden and Daylight in this camp. But they didn't
34:05
Speaker 2: get to test out a six or two bench with
34:07
Speaker 2: the Leroy Carter and the the Test match and the
34:10
Speaker 2: club matches. So yeah, I'm with you, I'd start Preston.
34:13
Speaker 2: I'm not sure they would. They will, but if I
34:16
Speaker 2: was s letting other.
34:16
Speaker 3: Preston, he's also performed that role all year. Yeah, the
34:20
Speaker 3: Crusaders that that's a emo, and I think he he
34:28
Speaker 3: brings a real attacking edge, So here I would have Pristain.
34:31
Speaker 3: Then you've got I think Antlina Brown's locked as your
34:34
Speaker 3: second center cover. And then as you mentioned, it was
34:39
Speaker 3: contestable for the outside, which your blacks I think will
34:42
Speaker 3: want to carry. I would go for young Enough for
34:46
Speaker 3: I think if you bring him on against tiring defenders,
34:50
Speaker 3: he always beats the first man. I know he's in
34:54
Speaker 3: experience and it's a big occasion, but he's been in
34:56
Speaker 3: there for a while now, so he would be the
34:59
Speaker 3: guy that I would go for.
35:00
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think Riko Yuanni is worthy of further consideration.
35:03
Speaker 2: I thought he was very good against the bulls as
35:07
Speaker 2: we moved your in the back line a little bit
35:10
Speaker 2: initially against his will, but now he's on board with it,
35:13
Speaker 2: and as we touched on earlier, is lighter. It just
35:16
Speaker 2: feels more nimble, feels like he's mentally in the right
35:21
Speaker 2: head space for the series. So I would probably look
35:27
Speaker 2: at him potentially. And if you're taking Yuannie on the bench,
35:32
Speaker 2: I'm not sure you take Leonnet Brown as well. You
35:33
Speaker 2: Annie can cover midfield. He can cover outside backs, so
35:37
Speaker 2: maybe you look at for he as well potentially on
35:41
Speaker 2: the bench in that scenariogo and until Lenet Brown doesn't
35:44
Speaker 2: get there. I get why they take him on there
35:45
Speaker 2: for that specialist midfield role, but I'm not sure he's We.
35:48
Speaker 3: Don't really need it because someone who covers sick and
35:50
Speaker 3: and sin. Because you've got Quinti.
35:51
Speaker 4: Pie, yeah, you can slide.
35:53
Speaker 3: Yeah, So if Jordie was injured, Quinn can go to thirteen.
35:57
Speaker 3: Or if Quinn's injured, then you've got sense to cover.
36:00
Speaker 3: So that's trump card of Lenna Brown's of covering sicken
36:04
Speaker 3: and censor.
36:05
Speaker 2: It is mitigated by ye. And I'm not overly convinced
36:08
Speaker 2: about him as a bench option either. I think he's
36:10
Speaker 2: a much bitter starter than he is a bench option
36:12
Speaker 2: len At Brown. I almost think like sometimes he does
36:15
Speaker 2: tries it a little too much when he comes off
36:17
Speaker 2: the bench, overplays his hand a little bit. We've seen
36:21
Speaker 2: him get a few yellow cards when he's come off
36:23
Speaker 2: come on late in games as well, So I'm just
36:26
Speaker 2: not sure that bench role necessarily is one that suits him.
36:30
Speaker 2: Been impressed by what he's done on this too. I
36:32
Speaker 2: think he's been really really good. But if I was speaking,
36:36
Speaker 2: I go Yuanni and Fear. We've talked about offline about
36:41
Speaker 2: sex two bench, but I don't think they're gonna do
36:43
Speaker 2: that for this test, are they.
36:43
Speaker 4: No.
36:44
Speaker 2: I see that Leroy Carter played really well last night.
36:48
Speaker 2: Look he turned over the ball a few times. Option Yeah,
36:52
Speaker 2: but I don't know that this room for him this
36:54
Speaker 2: twenty three, not yet.
36:56
Speaker 3: But look, there's going to be casualties throughout this series.
36:59
Speaker 3: It's going to be as well.
37:01
Speaker 2: I don't think you can You can't play the same
37:03
Speaker 2: twenty three four weeks in a row against South Africa. No,
37:07
Speaker 2: you couldn't do it in a World Cup, played the
37:09
Speaker 2: same squad four weeks in a row. Would in the
37:11
Speaker 2: four You certainly can't do it against the old foe.
37:14
Speaker 2: So there's going to have to be some tweaking along
37:17
Speaker 2: the way. And I'm sure the All Blacks have considered
37:19
Speaker 2: this and they're planning. Is that Test one might look
37:21
Speaker 2: like this at Alice Park, But will I tell me
37:23
Speaker 2: we get to back to F and B Stadium in
37:26
Speaker 2: Sueto and Tests three in Baltimore, it's probably gonna look
37:29
Speaker 2: a lot different in terms of the makeup of some
37:31
Speaker 2: of those twenty threes.
37:32
Speaker 3: Yeah, and the context of the series will have a
37:35
Speaker 3: big impact on that if you go to Baltimore and
37:38
Speaker 3: you're out of the series and it allows a bit
37:40
Speaker 3: more rotation. The only other point to note is if
37:43
Speaker 3: Barrett doesn't start at fullback, he almost has to be
37:47
Speaker 3: on the bench because otherwise without McKenzie you don't have
37:51
Speaker 3: first five cover.
37:54
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's a good point. I didn't thought of that.
37:58
Speaker 3: So I think that's another consideration for why or he
38:02
Speaker 3: will be in the twenty three.
38:04
Speaker 4: I'd almost rather Jacob come off the bench than Barrett. No,
38:09
Speaker 4: I don't agree with that.
38:10
Speaker 3: I thought Jacob had some moments, but I don't think
38:14
Speaker 3: he's ready for an alis Park occasion.
38:17
Speaker 4: Yeah.
38:22
Speaker 2: But a feedback he thoughted this odd to me from
38:25
Speaker 2: Andrew good A. Liam just listening to the lad As
38:28
Speaker 2: Rugby direct to you, and Elliott explained that whilst you
38:30
Speaker 2: guys understood the intricacies of the Mornger situation, usked me
38:33
Speaker 2: immortals didn't have a clue. I thought that was a
38:35
Speaker 2: bit patronizing of you, fellers. Whilst you may think players
38:38
Speaker 2: should be picked from anywhere and seem to think the
38:40
Speaker 2: whole public think the same way, that is not necessarily
38:42
Speaker 2: the case. I for one agreement, I for one agree
38:44
Speaker 2: with Steve Lancaster. I think whilst it would be advantageous
38:47
Speaker 2: in the short term, it would be detrimental to our
38:49
Speaker 2: local game and therefore all Black Pathway in the long term.
38:52
Speaker 2: Enjoy the podcast, though a bit long between drinks sometimes
38:55
Speaker 2: cheers Andy, Apologies if it came across that way, Andy,
38:58
Speaker 2: It didn't mean to be condescending. No, it was more
39:02
Speaker 2: that I think if you are a casual fan, it's
39:05
Speaker 2: hard to explain to someone, you know, why Richie Wonger
39:10
Speaker 2: isn't available for this series, and it gets very long
39:12
Speaker 2: winded as well, you know, only signed eighteen months rather
39:14
Speaker 2: than two, you know, trying to explain that. I just
39:16
Speaker 2: don't think it passes the pub test. So that was
39:18
Speaker 2: more what I and you were trying to put forward.
39:20
Speaker 2: So apologies if I came across like that.
39:22
Speaker 3: Yeah, No, thanks for listening and welcome all feedback. I
39:25
Speaker 3: think that gist of it is the eligibility sagas and
39:30
Speaker 3: the sabbaticals and the companies and goings. It just needs
39:33
Speaker 3: simplification that that's that. That's the general theme. What about
39:38
Speaker 3: the spring box broadly speaking, what do we expect from them?
39:44
Speaker 3: Are they going to play any more rugby? With Tony
39:46
Speaker 3: Brown and their mix? Who do you expect to start
39:49
Speaker 3: at first five? SASA has just come back and played
39:52
Speaker 3: one game against the Pumas, wasn't overly impressive. Do they
39:55
Speaker 3: go Andre Pollard? Did they go Money Labock? How are
40:01
Speaker 3: they going to approach this?
40:02
Speaker 2: I've got no idea, Like I've literally got no idea
40:07
Speaker 2: where Russy will go with And I think that's you know,
40:09
Speaker 2: it's one of the beauties of rugby and the way
40:11
Speaker 2: that the Springboks have been able to build so much
40:14
Speaker 2: depth is that they have options and whoever Russia Erasmus
40:18
Speaker 2: Pecks will have, you know, every chance of going out
40:21
Speaker 2: there and performing extremely well. And I don't mean that,
40:25
Speaker 2: and I haven't done my rig sich way. I just
40:27
Speaker 2: don't have a steer as to which way it's going
40:29
Speaker 2: to go. If I had to put money on it, well,
40:31
Speaker 2: I'd probably think Paulard plays at Alice Park and then
40:34
Speaker 2: the local boy Sasha plays Stormer's favorite it plays it
40:38
Speaker 2: at Cape Town the following week.
40:39
Speaker 4: But I don't have a steer. I don't know.
40:41
Speaker 2: I mean, whatever team he puts out is going to
40:43
Speaker 2: be incredibly strong. So they've got great players across the park.
40:48
Speaker 2: And you know Russia, Erasmus could well pick one team
40:52
Speaker 2: for Joe Burke and change it out entirely for the
40:55
Speaker 2: following week. That's where the Springboks team is. With the
40:58
Speaker 2: depth that he's built.
40:59
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think they have phenomenal depth, don't they? And
41:02
Speaker 3: I think Russy will rotate the result dependent to a degree,
41:07
Speaker 3: but he will use that depth. I suspect they might
41:10
Speaker 3: go many laboc I think he started last time out
41:14
Speaker 3: against the All Blacks and that demolition job, and Wellington
41:20
Speaker 3: not too sure about the wider squad. It sounds like
41:22
Speaker 3: Scalisi could be missing for at least the first one
41:26
Speaker 3: maybe two tests, so they might be without the talismanic captain.
41:29
Speaker 3: But again they've got great depth and the loose forwards.
41:34
Speaker 3: This is just moving from those tour matches to these
41:37
Speaker 3: massive challenges. Yeah, the All Blacks haven't won in South
41:40
Speaker 3: Africa in four years. I think they've won what one
41:42
Speaker 3: in their past five against the box maybe six Off
41:46
Speaker 3: the top of my head, World Champions, spiritual Home. Everything
41:52
Speaker 3: stacked against the All Blacks there, well it is, but yeah,
41:54
Speaker 3: I mean the Dave and he's only been in charge
41:57
Speaker 3: for six games, so it has a series come too
42:01
Speaker 3: soon for them?
42:04
Speaker 2: It may have done, but I think we've seen some
42:07
Speaker 2: shifts from the All Black that leave me in a
42:11
Speaker 2: more confident space approaching this Test series than I was
42:15
Speaker 2: at the end of last year.
42:16
Speaker 3: Absolutely so absolute trainery.
42:20
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, So look, whatever way you spin, it is
42:26
Speaker 2: going to be daunting. You know, the All Blacks have
42:28
Speaker 2: only won one Test series in South Africa nine that's
42:34
Speaker 2: how hard this is. It's only ever been achieved once.
42:37
Speaker 3: So well it hasn't been that many opportunity, No, there hasn't,
42:40
Speaker 3: but that is.
42:42
Speaker 2: And and it hasn't happened for thirty years. But that
42:44
Speaker 2: is what they're dealing with here, the All Blacks. They're
42:47
Speaker 2: dealing you know, and going against history, and that's against
42:51
Speaker 2: spring box sides that have been very, very good and
42:54
Speaker 2: this one's a great spring box side. So huge mountain
42:57
Speaker 2: to climb for the All Blacks. But I think there
43:01
Speaker 2: are some systems in place that they can stress the
43:03
Speaker 2: Springboks in certain areas. I know, the lot's been made
43:06
Speaker 2: around the All Blacks wanting to play quick and that's
43:08
Speaker 2: been pushed back a little bit by the South African
43:10
Speaker 2: fans as ever, But you know, this is what test
43:14
Speaker 2: rugby is all about, as a combatants playing different styles
43:18
Speaker 2: and pushing each other on the rugby field. So broadly speaking,
43:23
Speaker 2: it's a huge challenge for the All Blacks, but I
43:26
Speaker 2: think they're ready to walk towards it with it that
43:27
Speaker 2: comes out with a win. I don't know, but I
43:30
Speaker 2: think they have to go on with some quote unquote optimism.
43:34
Speaker 3: Does that word again, Yeah, for sure. Look, I think
43:37
Speaker 3: it will be a quintessential clash of styles. I think
43:40
Speaker 3: the Box will go to their DNA, their scrum. They're
43:44
Speaker 3: all the high ball, their brutality, and the All Blacks
43:49
Speaker 3: will try and play that up tempo game and it's
43:52
Speaker 3: going to be intriguing to see whether they can get
43:55
Speaker 3: that platform, whether they can generate that quick rockball. In particular,
44:00
Speaker 3: because the Box will come for them there in a
44:04
Speaker 3: big way. It's not just their loose forwards, it's their locks.
44:06
Speaker 3: It's Malcolm Marx, one of the best turnover exponents in
44:10
Speaker 3: the world, and it's a huge occasion for a number
44:16
Speaker 3: of players. Twenty one of this forty four man squad
44:19
Speaker 3: haven't played the spring Box in South Africa before and
44:25
Speaker 3: Rennie hasn't had a lot of time with this group.
44:27
Speaker 3: I agree that they have made some massive shifts. I
44:31
Speaker 3: think they have the ability to stretch and stress the
44:35
Speaker 3: spring box. I do worry a wee bit about some
44:37
Speaker 3: of their high risk, high reward play, you know, jeez,
44:42
Speaker 3: I think about you know, they were running the ball
44:44
Speaker 3: from ten meters up from their own line against the
44:46
Speaker 3: balls and it didn't noise come off. And if that
44:49
Speaker 3: doesn't come off against the box, it's pandemomi.
44:53
Speaker 4: Yeah it is.
44:53
Speaker 2: And that's the one warrior I take out of it
44:55
Speaker 2: is that they weren't forced into situations where they needed
45:00
Speaker 2: to keep the school board taking over and putting having
45:02
Speaker 2: to respond to pressure against the you know, the provincial teams.
45:07
Speaker 2: They didn't have a shot at appenal goal in the
45:09
Speaker 2: three matches. They get shot at points. They're going to
45:12
Speaker 2: have to take them against South Africa, so they're going
45:14
Speaker 2: to have to play a little bit differently. You know,
45:16
Speaker 2: optism is good to a point, but you also going
45:17
Speaker 2: to have to keep the scoreboard taking over and put
45:19
Speaker 2: some pressure on. So that would be a concern. Heating
45:22
Speaker 2: in well, and let's be positive. You know, the all
45:24
Speaker 2: Blacks do have a great recent record at Alice Park.
45:26
Speaker 2: I think altitude in many ways suits the style that
45:30
Speaker 2: they want to play, to bring fatigue into the game,
45:32
Speaker 2: to run the spring box off their feet. Whether they
45:35
Speaker 2: can do that or not another thing entirely. But they
45:39
Speaker 2: are in a much better place than they were at
45:42
Speaker 2: the back end of last year. Just for the record,
45:45
Speaker 2: the tab the odds South Africa at dollar forty two
45:50
Speaker 2: and abes to eighty, so that sort of.
45:53
Speaker 3: Tells you where favoritism sits and how likely the odds
46:02
Speaker 3: makers view an All Blacks victory. But can't wait. There
46:08
Speaker 3: is no better venue in the world than Alice Park
46:11
Speaker 3: and that will be absolutely heaving for this game.
46:14
Speaker 2: Yeap, can't wait. We'll be back with another check in
46:16
Speaker 2: but later in the week. Ones the All Blacks have
46:18
Speaker 2: named their team for the game on Sunday morning. Thanks
46:22
Speaker 2: to Mark Kelly for producing. We are powered by PORKLIFB Solutions,
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46:30
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