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Transcript

Rugby Direct - Episode 166 · Rugby Direct

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from Newstalks EDB. Follow this
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• 0:20
  Speaker 1: the Middle of.
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  Speaker 2: Drup, Dicky Scy Try these packet.
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: Inside the Game from every angle. It's Rugby Direct with
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: Elliot Smith and Liam Napier powered by News Talks EDB.
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: Welcome into Rugby Direct powered by Habit Heath, tackling all
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: your aches and pains from sports and work back for
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: another week Elliott Smith and Liam Napier. Plenty to get
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: stuck into. But first, some breaking news that has come
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: just before we kicked off our recording of Rugby Directs,
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: and that is New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: to stand down at the ends of twenty twenty five. Liam,
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: your initial reaction to this newser There had had been
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: a few rumors in recent weeks that this was a
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: possibility and now it has been firmed that he's leaving
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: at the end of the year.
• 1:10
  Speaker 3: Yeah, big news is and Elliott the head of our
• 1:13
  Speaker 3: national sport moving on at the end of the year.
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: Has it's been a tumultuous six year tenure. I think
• 1:21
  Speaker 3: it's fair to say Mark Robinson coming in following Steve
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: Cheue two very different characters. Cho was a very dictatorial,
• 1:30
  Speaker 3: authoritative figure and Mark Robinson a different type of leader.
• 1:36
  Speaker 4: He hasn't had it easy, but it has.
• 1:37
  Speaker 3: Been a There's been a lot of upheaval, hasn't There
• 1:41
  Speaker 3: COVID unprecedented pandemic, all the closures and the Super Rugby
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: upheaval that came out of that Silver Lake, the private
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: equity deal that's still in the balance about whether that
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: was a good move for the New Zealand game, and
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: of course the public fallout around Ian Foster and Robertson
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: that the appointment of the All Blacks coach, again unprecedented
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: coming during in the lead up to the twenty twenty
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: three World Cup. So some very big ticket items on
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: Mark Robinson's tenure. And I think there you mentioned the
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: whispers the rumors there. The riding had been on the
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: wall from the back end of last year when you
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: had a new New Zealand Rugby board coming, David Kirk
• 2:35
  Speaker 3: the new chairman, and everyone expected at some point he
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: would essentially push for change. We've also had the New
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: Zealand Rugby commercial co boss move on, Craig Fenton, and
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: I think there was always going to be a come
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: to Jesus moment where New Zealand Rugby wanted one group
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  Speaker 3: CEO across those both those boards. So the commercial entity
• 2:58
  Speaker 3: of New Zealand Rugby and the rugby arm of the
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: New Zealand Rugby board and who that's going to be,
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: not too sure. What do you make of I guess
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: your initial reaction of the news and I guess your
• 3:11
  Speaker 3: reflections of he's not gone yet, but of his time
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: on Mark Robinson's time in the hot seat.
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it hasn't come easy for Robinson. I
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: think compared to Steve Chu probably navigated a few less
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: challenges in the global game potentially, and that was exacerbated
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: by COVID nineteen. I mean Mark Robinson started the gig
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: in January of twenty twenty. The world was a completely
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: different place back then to where it is now. And
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: it feels like the game is still sort of getting
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: back on its feet a little bit after COVID, both
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: at super rugby level and an international level. The Silver
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: Lake deal, as you said, very much jury out still
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: as to whether that was a good idea and whether
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: New Zeale Rabya is seeing the benefits of what was
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: supposedly promised by silver Lake as a result of them
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: pumping that money into elements of the New Zealand game.
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: So he's seen a period of change and I think
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: the timing's probably right to have someone new come in
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: and accelerate that change, or even decelerate the change and
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: changed up a bit and look for different ways to
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: do things in the national game. I think, yeah, the
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: jury is probably out over his legacy is tenure. You know,
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: the pull away from South Africa is probably going to
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: be something that's attached to him. I know a lot
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: of New Zealand rugby fans view that period of Super
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: Rugby with South Africa with roast into glasses. It feels
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: like this year Super Pacific might have got to the
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: point where they envisioned it being when they first split
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: away from the South Africans. So ultimately, I think a
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: mixed period of legacy. And you know he's judged on
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: not only the on field results but also the off
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: field results, and I think on that point you probably
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: have to say very much a mixed tenure from Mark Robinson.
• 5:00
  Speaker 3: Yeah, and that would be reflected if you went out
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  Speaker 3: to the heart blends of rugby and talked to the
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: provincial unions. If you talk to people about the way
• 5:09
  Speaker 3: in which Silverlac deal played out, about the all black
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  Speaker 3: coaching appointment, and a lot of those situations are lose
• 5:17
  Speaker 3: lose from a public facing point of view, But at
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: times I think there could have been more strong, decisive
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  Speaker 3: leadership of New Zealand game and I think that's what
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: they'll be seeking going forward with a replacement in time.
• 5:34
  Speaker 3: Just on your point about South Africa, I think there
• 5:37
  Speaker 3: has been an element of history being rewritten there. I
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: think South Africa always we're going to go that way.
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: COVID accelerated it, maybe it wasn't handled that well. And
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: even the friction, the tension with Australia about how many
• 5:51
  Speaker 3: teams I've had, well we've seen now that clearly they
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: couldn't afford or sustain five teams. So history does shine
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: a different light on things. I think Super Rugby is
• 6:04
  Speaker 3: more sustainable in its current format and.
• 6:08
  Speaker 4: US would be nice to.
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  Speaker 3: Have South Africa involved, But like you say, a bit
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  Speaker 3: of rose into glasses there in some respects, and I
• 6:16
  Speaker 3: think they were always going to break away and go north.
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: He's going to leave at the end of the year.
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: There's still a few things to be signed off before
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: he does depart. A new broadcast deal, the Women's Rugby
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: World Cup in England is still to take place. We
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: haven't had rugby's greatest rivalry. These tours against Africa are
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: basically they're in the schedule, but it hasn't been officially
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: announced that. The Club World Cup hasn't been officially announced,
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: the Nation's Cup schedule etc. Hasn't been officially announced. So
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: there's a fair bit of work to do before he
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: leaves the post at the end of the year, where
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: he apparently he's going to go join his family in
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: Australia who are based in Queensland. So very understandable for
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: from those reasons, but a bit of work to do,
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: I guess, you know some part of it and from
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: what I unerstand very well respected Mark Robinson around the
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: international boards, the international game, bring back tours, there's going
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: to be something that he can probably point to as
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: part of his legacy.
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it's some really big ticket items mentioned there. The
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: tours concept will be hugely popular once every four years
• 7:14
  Speaker 3: and the boom I guess in the Woman's game and
• 7:20
  Speaker 3: the Black Ferns will Cup this year and it sounds
• 7:24
  Speaker 3: like plans are in the works to really finalize a
• 7:28
  Speaker 3: strong calendar for the women's game in this country going forward.
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: So yeah, there are some positive steps taken there. And
• 7:37
  Speaker 3: as you mentioned, he is going to go join his
• 7:39
  Speaker 3: family in Queensland. He's got three kids, understand all you
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: want to link up there. But the big one there
• 7:47
  Speaker 3: is the broadcast steel. It sounds like Sky is offering
• 7:51
  Speaker 3: around eighty five million, which is a significant reduction on
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: previous years.
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  Speaker 4: New Zealand Rugby has.
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: Signed a number of different sponsorship deals in recent times
• 8:01
  Speaker 3: to plug potentially plug some of those holes. But that
• 8:04
  Speaker 3: is going to be really fundamental to funding every level
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: of the game. How that broadcast steal plays out.
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  Speaker 2: Anyone stand out as a possible contender to take over
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  Speaker 2: this job or is it going to be very much
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: an open such I.
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: Think it will be open slather to a degree. I
• 8:23
  Speaker 3: see it being a one, one group CEO, so you
• 8:27
  Speaker 3: will have I think you still have people at the
• 8:31
  Speaker 3: head of a commercial code board or in a New
• 8:33
  Speaker 3: Zealand Rugby board. But then there's an overarching helicopter figure
• 8:38
  Speaker 3: almost like a Director of Rugby type role, but in
• 8:40
  Speaker 3: a managerial position, somebody with strong business background but still
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: knows the rugby scene. So I don't think there's anyone
• 8:53
  Speaker 3: internally that jumps out, but it is going to be
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  Speaker 3: a massive appointments and I think people like David Kirk
• 9:01
  Speaker 3: will have a big say in who that might be.
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: Indeed, watch the space say some breaking news out this morning,
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: can follow all the reaction on ZID, Herald, dot co
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: dot nz. Of course, let's get into the weekend that
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: was in Super Rugby and boy this took a turn,
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: didn't it. This weekend of Super Rugby qualifying finals, so
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: much of that last game being a dead rubber. We'll
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: get to what caused that in a moment or two,
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: but first and foremost, the Brumbies. Let's start backwards. Brumbies
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: beating the Hurricanes thirty five twenty eight, the cane train
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: that had been gathering momentum. It's a bit like New
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: Zealand's approach to rail. It's come to a grinding halt
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: and the Hurricane to be disappointed with this. Look the
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: Brumbies with a better team. I think on the night
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: the Hurricanes were with them, they led fourteen seven, but
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: something switched around the half hour mark, and it felt
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: like even before they went behind the school, they began
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: chasing the game. The Brumbies just began to get on
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: top of the armory so and didn't relent. And boy,
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: it was a game with fine margins and the Hurricanes
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: are probably disappointed with their discipline. Also, the air account
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: through that game.
• 10:09
  Speaker 4: Yeah, our friendship was is in jeopardy.
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: Actually, I was driving back from the tron and receive
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: a gift, a gift in the student night chat group
• 10:19
  Speaker 3: that Thomas the tank Engine's coming off the track.
• 10:22
  Speaker 4: So it was not well received. It's fair to say
• 10:25
  Speaker 4: I think we'd have enjoyed that.
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: No, No, I did not what it was the key
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: And then obviously you're you've you've you've seen the game,
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: and the Hurricanes we frustrated. Perhaps they didn't put their
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: best performance out and what turned out to be a
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: knockout game.
• 10:40
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I devastated.
• 10:41
  Speaker 3: You could see Billy Proctor sitting on the posts post
• 10:46
  Speaker 3: final whistle carrefee very emotional post match, and that's just
• 10:54
  Speaker 3: deflating because, as you mentioned, the Canes had built a
• 10:57
  Speaker 3: lot of momentum from being in a real hole and
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: getting guys like Billy Proctor back were massive for them
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: and they had their draw and Perth knocked over the
• 11:10
  Speaker 3: Brumbies and the Chiefs and really did that. They came
• 11:14
  Speaker 3: into the finals probably as the form team and to
• 11:17
  Speaker 3: go to camera it's an incredibly tough place to win.
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: But defensively they let themselves down. The mall defense cost them.
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: They considered one really nice set try to Tom Wright,
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: but it just always felt like they were chasing the
• 11:31
  Speaker 3: game and yeah they could score points, still created a lot,
• 11:37
  Speaker 3: but defensively they were exposed. And yeah, they'll reflect on
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: that harshly because they set themselves up for a real
• 11:46
  Speaker 3: tilt and flopped. I think, you know, they'll be really
• 11:51
  Speaker 3: disappointed with the level that they got to because they
• 11:54
  Speaker 3: were much better in previous weeks.
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: They were and this has been a bit of a
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: graveyard for them. Canberra in terms of ending their Super
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: Rugby season on a couple of occasions, whether their mindset
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: changed given it was a knockout game rather than seating
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: game for them, potentially, but it just felt like they
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: didn't get enough probably out of ten. I didn't think
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: on the weekend Britt Cameron that they moved him back
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: into teen with Ruben Love at fullback. Probably didn't get
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: enough how of brick Cameron and I thought Flanders and
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: duple coref He tried all nine and so did Larkeye,
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: but they were beaten I thought by the while other
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: Brumbies loose for Valentin, he had another outstanding night. You
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: know there's other loose for partners I thought were excellent
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: as well, and probably just been into the punch. We
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: didn't see Kreefy over the ball as much as we've
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: seen him in other games this season. We'll put him
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: those big hats and just didn't probably get the ascendency
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: up front.
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: You look credit to the Brumbies as well. They are
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: a good team and tough to beat in camera. And
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: this match was in stark contrast, wasn't it to the
• 13:03
  Speaker 3: other semi final. It was open, it was quite expensive,
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: it was high scoring and Canes just couldn't quite stick
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: with the Brumbies.
• 13:12
  Speaker 4: It was very tip for tat.
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: But yeah, just a couple of really bad defensive lapses
• 13:18
  Speaker 3: proved costly. And you're right, I didn't think they got
• 13:23
  Speaker 3: enough out of ten. There was some punch at times,
• 13:26
  Speaker 3: but little moments that made breaks and you know, bread
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: shields go through and just funnels the ball and then
• 13:32
  Speaker 3: little occasions like that where they couldn't quite make it stick.
• 13:35
  Speaker 3: So it's another early exit for the Canes, probably reflective
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: of where they are at in the New Zealand pecking order.
• 13:43
  Speaker 3: But having built that momentum into the finals they did.
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: It was very familiar of building up hope and then
• 13:53
  Speaker 3: letting the balloon down. So tough to take all.
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: Right, Let's move back to the Blues twenty Chiefs nineteen
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: Blues winning it after the siren in Hamilton. Liam, as
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: you mentioned you were there, I wouldn't say you had
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: a great seat for it, but given what I've seen
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: out of that media box, thanks Chet. Yeah, really good
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: thinks the media really appreciates it. Blues though stubborn nineteen
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: six down. I mean they were out of it really
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: at half time, but they went out of it. They
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: should have been at it at half time. The Chiefs
• 14:25
  Speaker 2: had so much ball, so much position in territory in
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: that first spell, and yet we're only leading what nine
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: to three at the break, and if Boden Barrett their
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: ball sits up or he can slide onto it and
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: score the try, then the Blues would have been a
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: hit against the run of play at halftime, but it
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: felt like the Chiefs a game of that a sentence
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: after the break. Nineteen six games should probably have been
• 14:45
  Speaker 2: locked away in a tight tuss all like that. But
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: as I said, the Blues a stubborn. They refuse to
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: give up. And it took all Lady three minutes, but
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: they keep this season alive. Very impressive performance. To keep
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: this season going.
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: You want to results, I think first of all, I
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: want to touch on the Chiefs because bizarre tactics. They
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: played into the Blues hands by being so conservative by
• 15:09
  Speaker 3: crashing it one off the ruck, and even Verncotta postmatch
• 15:13
  Speaker 3: said those tactics surprise the Blues.
• 15:16
  Speaker 4: Really did, felt like.
• 15:18
  Speaker 3: I feel like the Chiefs went into their shells a
• 15:20
  Speaker 3: bit and it did still work for them to a degree.
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: They blew I think five chances in the Blues red
• 15:29
  Speaker 3: zone in that first half dominated all position. They pretty
• 15:31
  Speaker 3: much set up camp and the Blues twenty two. There
• 15:34
  Speaker 3: was the quartz at Artema bounce of the ball that
• 15:36
  Speaker 3: didn't go his way, but there was I think it
• 15:39
  Speaker 3: was a Daniel Rona when Caleb Clark threw that brain
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: explosion of a quick throwing a couple of penalties, botched opportunities,
• 15:49
  Speaker 3: so the Chiefs could have been up a couple of
• 15:52
  Speaker 3: tries at halftime. The Blues actually looked more dangerous when
• 15:57
  Speaker 3: they had ball in hand. They lose Ricky Ricottelli and
• 16:00
  Speaker 3: the Chiefs don't really punish them for that. And then
• 16:02
  Speaker 3: as you mentioned there, the Bowden Barrett brilliance and could
• 16:06
  Speaker 3: have easily scored the Blues could.
• 16:08
  Speaker 4: Have been up at halftime.
• 16:11
  Speaker 3: And before we go into the rest of it, just
• 16:13
  Speaker 3: on that boden Bar completely outplayed Damien McKenzie in a.
• 16:20
  Speaker 4: Match that matters.
• 16:21
  Speaker 3: You know that this was a head to hea battle
• 16:23
  Speaker 3: and McKenzie was virtually other than goalkicking non existent. Boden Bar,
• 16:29
  Speaker 3: a very influential with his tactical kicking, would have should
• 16:33
  Speaker 3: have scored that try. Named Man of the match. So
• 16:38
  Speaker 3: really wiped the floor and McKenzie on his home patch.
• 16:40
  Speaker 2: Yeah, how much she ascribe to McKenzie's performance, the tactics
• 16:44
  Speaker 2: that you mentioned the change in that that it was
• 16:47
  Speaker 2: a very un chief slight performance from what we've seen.
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: Did they just go well, it's plat footy, we need
• 16:51
  Speaker 2: to play this way rather than doing what's worked for them.
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: The entire season.
• 16:55
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I just had a thought here, I'm just going
• 16:58
  Speaker 3: to blow my own trumpet, because a couple of weeks ago,
• 17:00
  Speaker 3: do you remember me saying the one team in Super
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: Rugby that could beat the Chiefs.
• 17:04
  Speaker 4: This was after they pumped Winer was the Blues.
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: As you did say that, yep, yeah, it's not even
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: the Hurricane.
• 17:08
  Speaker 3: Yeah, he did mention that, and that's because the Blues
• 17:12
  Speaker 3: forward pack and in their tactics it's built for finals rugby,
• 17:15
  Speaker 3: isn't it. And they've had tight tussles with the Chiefs
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: and Crusaders this year. But yeah, I just felt the
• 17:22
  Speaker 3: Chiefs that they had all that strike. I don't know
• 17:24
  Speaker 3: whether losing Antonina Brown and Quincy Pye changed their tactics somewhat.
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: They didn't win a confidence to use their back line,
• 17:30
  Speaker 3: but it was just so conservative and as you mentioned,
• 17:35
  Speaker 3: they're up thirteen points. It should have been shut the gate,
• 17:38
  Speaker 3: closed the game out, But the Blues incredibly resilient, aren't
• 17:41
  Speaker 3: They just to keep coming back, keep fighting, and it
• 17:45
  Speaker 3: was a real role reversal in that second half. They
• 17:47
  Speaker 3: set up camp in the Blues twenty two and it
• 17:49
  Speaker 3: did feel inevitable even when Hoskinsitutu denied that try.
• 17:54
  Speaker 4: It was penalty.
• 17:54
  Speaker 2: Clark denied that try for and knocking it off.
• 17:56
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it was penalty after penalty and just wave after
• 18:00
  Speaker 3: wave of the Blues raiding the Chiefs line and what
• 18:04
  Speaker 3: a moment for Josh Berry to come off the bench
• 18:07
  Speaker 3: bus through. I think it was Arcoy's tackle, reach out
• 18:11
  Speaker 3: and score for young promising Locke, such an unlikely hero
• 18:15
  Speaker 3: right next to the post. And it was earlier in
• 18:18
  Speaker 3: the year March maybe when the Blues went down there
• 18:22
  Speaker 3: scored Xavier Taile, twenty year old kids hits the post
• 18:27
  Speaker 3: with a conversion. This time it's right next to the
• 18:29
  Speaker 3: posts and Boden Barrett throws the ball over and the
• 18:32
  Speaker 3: Blues steal it, and Ricco Ajani remains the chief protagonist,
• 18:36
  Speaker 3: shushing the crowd and hamming it up. So the Blues
• 18:42
  Speaker 3: probably the most hated team and Super Rugby, but they're
• 18:44
  Speaker 3: doing the business.
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: That's right. It's promotion for the game and if they
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: want to build that narrative around them, think great. I
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: think that's good for the game. And Rico Juani's done
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: a very very good job at doing so great to
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: see Cameron so far as all the images of Cameron
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: so far in hospital chearing his team on teep A
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: lot too mentioned the postgame their thoughts obviously with Cameron
• 19:07
  Speaker 2: so far as everyone's are as he goes through this
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: tough health battle. But the Blues, now, you know, they're
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: going with their tails up to this game in christ yet.
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: We'll get to the Crusader's reads at a moment. But
• 19:20
  Speaker 2: the Crusader's never lost a home game. Van Koda mentioned, well,
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: they've got to lose some time, he said, he.
• 19:24
  Speaker 4: Was asked about that, not yet his immediate response, and look.
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: They came very close to doing so. But for a
• 19:29
  Speaker 2: James a Quanta penalty earlier in the season. The Crusaders
• 19:33
  Speaker 2: will go in probably his favorites. But boy, the Blues
• 19:35
  Speaker 2: will hid down there with their tails up. The things
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: that potentially could count against them. That six day turned
• 19:40
  Speaker 2: around for what was a very physical game. But when
• 19:44
  Speaker 2: you got that adrenaline and that momentum going, that may
• 19:48
  Speaker 2: not matter too much.
• 19:49
  Speaker 3: It does feel like the Blues have nothing to lose,
• 19:52
  Speaker 3: you know, the defending champions, but they just snuck into
• 19:56
  Speaker 3: the playoffs.
• 19:57
  Speaker 4: It's been a.
• 19:59
  Speaker 3: Rubbish year really, from when you look at this squad
• 20:03
  Speaker 3: and where they came from and how dominant they were
• 20:05
  Speaker 3: to win that first title in twenty one years last
• 20:07
  Speaker 3: year and then yeah they scrape into the playoffs, everyone's
• 20:12
  Speaker 3: writing them off, nobody really gives them a chance. And
• 20:15
  Speaker 3: it's a similar theme this week really with as you
• 20:18
  Speaker 3: mentioned that the record down there in christ Church, most
• 20:22
  Speaker 3: people will be tipping the Crusaders, and so the Blues
• 20:26
  Speaker 3: maintain their underdog villain status or whatever you want to
• 20:30
  Speaker 3: call it, go down there and ye harness their internal
• 20:34
  Speaker 3: confidence and with the game that is built for finals rugby.
• 20:38
  Speaker 3: So what a match up to arch rivals. I would
• 20:43
  Speaker 3: like to see two selection changes from the Blues. I
• 20:46
  Speaker 3: know you don't change your warning formula, but I thought
• 20:49
  Speaker 3: Finlay Christie was relatively poor again drop the ball at
• 20:54
  Speaker 3: the base, there was a thinking one kick charge and
• 20:57
  Speaker 3: his kicking was a bit off. Tough of fol Nachi.
• 21:01
  Speaker 3: I would bring him back into the mix, even off
• 21:03
  Speaker 3: the bench, and zarh Sullivan for me, should be at
• 21:06
  Speaker 3: fullback from when you're playing that combative direct game and
• 21:13
  Speaker 3: you want to play territory just having his massive boot.
• 21:18
  Speaker 4: I looked at Corey Evans.
• 21:19
  Speaker 3: He put up a couple of high kicks and went
• 21:21
  Speaker 3: to contest them very bravely, but didn't regather them. And
• 21:26
  Speaker 3: a couple of clearance kicks only made you know, ten
• 21:28
  Speaker 3: to twenty meters you put zar in the pocket, you're
• 21:31
  Speaker 3: looking at another forty. So those were two tweaks I
• 21:35
  Speaker 3: think the Blue should look at, but I'm not sure
• 21:37
  Speaker 3: they will.
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: All soun Sullivan and Steph Pittferer become two of the
• 21:39
  Speaker 2: forgotten men of New Zealand rugby.
• 21:41
  Speaker 4: Well, parafest is injured, Yeah, but isn't he back?
• 21:44
  Speaker 2: He's back? Doesn't he fit again? Or very close to
• 21:46
  Speaker 2: being fit?
• 21:46
  Speaker 4: Pretty close?
• 21:48
  Speaker 2: And again with the All Blacks looming, you know, not
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: much of a chance to show the WIRs. Let's go
• 21:55
  Speaker 2: into that Crusader's Reds game on Friday night. The Crusaders
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: just went to work. Really, the Reds failed to fire
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: a shot until the game was beyond them, and the
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: Crusaders I think can be relatively happy with the eighty
• 22:09
  Speaker 2: minutes they turned out. In fact, if you went into
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: that game, if your Rob Penny pretty much everything, you know,
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: they got through relatively injury free. From what I understand,
• 22:17
  Speaker 2: they could sub some of those players before the game
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: was done. It wasn't in the balance. Job done for
• 22:24
  Speaker 2: the Crusaders, and they took that box on Friday night.
• 22:27
  Speaker 3: A lot of the talk from us and outside was
• 22:30
  Speaker 3: about the returner will Jordan, but the guy who had
• 22:33
  Speaker 3: the biggest impact on this game returning was Fletcher Newel
• 22:38
  Speaker 3: and the Crusaders scrum just ate the reds up to
• 22:40
  Speaker 3: Mighty Williams and Fletcher Neil Fletcher in particular, just went
• 22:44
  Speaker 3: to work and that's where their dominance started and they
• 22:50
  Speaker 3: just rolled on. It really was a procession and it's
• 22:55
  Speaker 3: what you expect, wasn't it from that matchup? Much tougher
• 23:01
  Speaker 3: quest this week, but as you mentioned, they are in
• 23:04
  Speaker 3: great shape to Mighty Williams.
• 23:06
  Speaker 4: Injury not too bad.
• 23:07
  Speaker 2: I don't think it's too bad. I's get a full
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: report on that, but I think it's okay, hopefully from
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: a Crusader's perspective, because he's I mean, he's on a
• 23:16
  Speaker 2: mountain of work this year. He switched to tight head
• 23:19
  Speaker 2: for a period of weeks with Fletcher Newell being out.
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: He's been excellent. I think for them. Tomody Williams the
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: season probably close to being their best player throughout the season.
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: Just what he's adding to his game a few times
• 23:31
  Speaker 2: he's slotted in a half back and showing a pretty
• 23:33
  Speaker 2: good pass, which I know is not his core skills,
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: but his scrummaging work has been excellent this season, and
• 23:38
  Speaker 2: really liking the way that he's going. So hopefully and
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: I haven't had update from Friday night, hopefully it's not
• 23:43
  Speaker 2: too bad in that perspective.
• 23:44
  Speaker 3: Yeah, big, big performer there, I thought, Christian Leo Werde
• 23:49
  Speaker 3: another standout performance from him. James O'Connor was quite patchy
• 23:54
  Speaker 3: off the bench, missed touch kick that was kick the
• 23:58
  Speaker 3: ball dead and another sort of knock on, so uncharacteristically
• 24:03
  Speaker 3: poor performance when he did come on there.
• 24:07
  Speaker 4: Big. Focused on the scrum this week.
• 24:10
  Speaker 3: I think we've talked a bit about Josh for situr
• 24:13
  Speaker 3: and has you know rise this year while going up
• 24:18
  Speaker 3: against Fletcher. Massive task to stabilize that scrum because the
• 24:24
  Speaker 3: Crusaders clearly came from the Reds there and the Blues
• 24:29
  Speaker 3: value their set piece that they backed themselves and so
• 24:32
  Speaker 3: that's where this could be. One of the.
• 24:34
  Speaker 2: Blues had a few issues at scrum time on the
• 24:37
  Speaker 2: weekend and gets got popped up by Olie Norris on
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: one occasion. So yeah, that's going to be key part
• 24:44
  Speaker 2: of the game, isn't it. And we have our playoff set.
• 24:46
  Speaker 2: We'll get into some tipping very very shortly. But you
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: know the road to the title runs through christ Church,
• 24:52
  Speaker 2: which not many would have expected after that first weekend.
• 24:55
  Speaker 2: And what chance do you give the Brumbies of beating
• 24:58
  Speaker 2: the Chiefs in Hamilton? You mentioned the Blues have got
• 25:01
  Speaker 2: that style of game that can stop them. Well, the
• 25:03
  Speaker 2: Brumbies have got that prototype as well. You'd fancy the Chiefs,
• 25:07
  Speaker 2: but you know, the Brumbies are really in a similar
• 25:10
  Speaker 2: position to the Blues. They've got nothing to lose.
• 25:12
  Speaker 4: It was just firstly on the Crusaders.
• 25:14
  Speaker 3: Look, it's the title to lose that with the rankings changing,
• 25:18
  Speaker 3: with them having the box that they're in the box
• 25:21
  Speaker 3: seat home advantage. Freezing in christ Church everything set up
• 25:25
  Speaker 3: from just on there. Where the hell was everyone?
• 25:28
  Speaker 2: It was freezing.
• 25:29
  Speaker 3: There's nobody there, mate, Like did you even care about
• 25:32
  Speaker 3: rugby and cushy cold mate? It was like two degrees
• 25:35
  Speaker 3: literally no one there. Yeah, what very very poor toun out.
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: Okay, that stadium is sucks shit for one, and people
• 25:42
  Speaker 2: cannot wait to get them the new stadium. Two They
• 25:44
  Speaker 2: were most likely to have a game the following week three.
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: That reads a huge draw card arrogance four.
• 25:49
  Speaker 3: It was just cold, mate, I don't want to hear
• 25:51
  Speaker 3: it's cold, Okay, I get it's cold. It was cold
• 25:54
  Speaker 3: and Hamilton's it.
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: Was cold and wheat and raining and there is nowhere
• 25:58
  Speaker 2: more miserable to be than that tin pot stadium.
• 26:01
  Speaker 3: Look, I understand that, but it was a terrible look
• 26:04
  Speaker 3: for a quarterfinal match to be played in front of
• 26:06
  Speaker 3: no one man when you've had so much success. Just
• 26:13
  Speaker 3: going back to the Brumbies, there are a live chance
• 26:16
  Speaker 3: the Chiefs need to play more rugby and their confidence
• 26:20
  Speaker 3: will be rocked by that. They blew it thirteen point
• 26:24
  Speaker 3: lead in the second half and they've got this finals yep, yep,
• 26:31
  Speaker 3: yeah hanging over them having lost to was three finals.
• 26:35
  Speaker 3: Really if you go back to Super rugby, alter and
• 26:39
  Speaker 3: a lot of pressure to try and send off CLAYT
• 26:41
  Speaker 3: McMillan in the right fashion, and yeah that was They're
• 26:45
  Speaker 3: very lucky to have to retain a home semi final
• 26:48
  Speaker 3: this week. But the Brumbies, if they played to their best,
• 26:52
  Speaker 3: are a real live chance.
• 26:54
  Speaker 2: Indeed, well we'll look forward to that this week in
• 26:55
  Speaker 2: commentary of both on Gold Sport and iHeartRadio. Of course,
• 26:58
  Speaker 2: will take a break here on Rugby Direct. Come back
• 27:00
  Speaker 2: with the second half after this.
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: This is Rugby Direct, a vodcast for real rugby fans.
• 27:09
  Speaker 2: Every drive, drive and sixty secondary, tackle to tack, tackles,
• 27:12
  Speaker 2: get up, agaying you before time.
• 27:17
  Speaker 4: It's Rugby Direct.
• 27:19
  Speaker 2: Lad, You're back with Rugby Direct, powered by Habit Health,
• 27:24
  Speaker 2: tackling all your aches and pains from sport and let's
• 27:27
  Speaker 2: get into the final four four rugby topics. Liam and
• 27:29
  Speaker 2: I discussed debate, et cetera, et cetera. R three sixty
• 27:33
  Speaker 2: A lot of hype coming out of the Northern Hemisphere.
• 27:37
  Speaker 2: Any prospect of this working? This franchise competition that supposedly
• 27:41
  Speaker 2: we've got some of the greats of franchise sport, the
• 27:44
  Speaker 2: NFL owners, the Premier League, the Formula One, they all
• 27:47
  Speaker 2: want a slice of R three sixty. Will we ever
• 27:51
  Speaker 2: see this actually take the field? This sounds a bit
• 27:55
  Speaker 2: Steve Hansen twelve?
• 27:57
  Speaker 4: Was it twelve?
• 27:58
  Speaker 2: Yeah?
• 27:58
  Speaker 4: The twelves. Yeah.
• 28:00
  Speaker 3: Look, there's lots of these concepts around, but I think
• 28:04
  Speaker 3: the only way this skits off the ground if Mike
• 28:06
  Speaker 3: Tinlkin swindle some royals money because it's literally going to
• 28:11
  Speaker 3: take not small fortune to be able to bankroll it
• 28:16
  Speaker 3: and look as a disruptor as a means to get
• 28:21
  Speaker 3: rugby to think about things differently. It's not the worst
• 28:25
  Speaker 3: concept in the world, but oh, it's pretty close. I
• 28:28
  Speaker 3: cannot see it getting off the ground.
• 28:29
  Speaker 2: No, I just don't know where the desire is from
• 28:32
  Speaker 2: this Sevens are battling at the moment. It's very Sevens
• 28:35
  Speaker 2: like concept, and they go around the globe. We're going
• 28:36
  Speaker 2: to bring all the best players in there. Well, the
• 28:39
  Speaker 2: Sevens isn't working. And when you've got no connection, where
• 28:43
  Speaker 2: do the home fans go? You know, take it to Argentina,
• 28:47
  Speaker 2: to take it to Spain, take it to wherever you want.
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: But you need to have home fans and have some
• 28:51
  Speaker 2: supporter base, and a globe trotting franchise league doesn't quite work.
• 28:55
  Speaker 2: Just because you're putting the best players in the world
• 28:56
  Speaker 2: in our team doesn't mean that anyone that you'll have
• 28:58
  Speaker 2: any connection to it or want to see it. And
• 29:01
  Speaker 2: you can see the best players in the world play
• 29:03
  Speaker 2: pretty accessibly in terms of rugby. They go around the globe.
• 29:06
  Speaker 2: That's kind of the basis of what makes rugby union
• 29:09
  Speaker 2: so good as it is a global game and you
• 29:12
  Speaker 2: can go north and see the best players in the
• 29:13
  Speaker 2: world and reverse and come down south. So I know
• 29:17
  Speaker 2: they're more worried about it in the Northern hemisphere than
• 29:20
  Speaker 2: they are seemingly around the Southern hemisphere because they've got
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: a lot of issues around the Premiership and everything like that.
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: You know where some money could be tempted with a
• 29:29
  Speaker 2: lot of those teams in financial difficulty, not saying New
• 29:32
  Speaker 2: Zealand and Super Abay clubs aren't in financial hardship as well,
• 29:35
  Speaker 2: but it seems like something that's driven out of the
• 29:37
  Speaker 2: North that seems more appealing to the North. Just can't
• 29:40
  Speaker 2: see it working. And six R three six is a
• 29:42
  Speaker 2: terrible name. It sounds like you're sitting down on a
• 29:44
  Speaker 2: Monday night to watch Buzz Rothfield and Braith and Astera
• 29:47
  Speaker 2: and the boys to watch them debate that the weekend.
• 29:51
  Speaker 2: That was Yeah, just just don't see it working.
• 29:54
  Speaker 3: No, And it's the cash that you need to bank
• 29:58
  Speaker 3: roll that many players, that many teams, the yeah, the
• 30:02
  Speaker 3: global travel, all the rest of it. It's who's funding there,
• 30:05
  Speaker 3: And that was all that. That's the question of all
• 30:08
  Speaker 3: the sort of concepts is who's going to bank roll
• 30:10
  Speaker 3: them and why? So Yeah, I think there's been a
• 30:15
  Speaker 3: bit of interest up north and players signing signaling their
• 30:19
  Speaker 3: interests if it does get off the ground, but that's
• 30:21
  Speaker 3: just them looking after their their you know, their patch
• 30:25
  Speaker 3: and not ruling things out. But very very surprised if
• 30:28
  Speaker 3: this is a fly.
• 30:30
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think from what I understand, it's sort
• 30:32
  Speaker 2: of be taking to World Rugby Council if they wanted.
• 30:34
  Speaker 2: I mean, they could do a rebel league themselves, but
• 30:36
  Speaker 2: you wouldn't have allow players to be playing test rugby.
• 30:38
  Speaker 2: So if they want the players to be playing, it's
• 30:41
  Speaker 2: got to go to World Rugby Council. It needs to
• 30:42
  Speaker 2: be backed by a union, so they've got to find
• 30:44
  Speaker 2: a union to go. This is a great idea, Let's
• 30:46
  Speaker 2: take it to World Rugby Council. Then it needs to
• 30:48
  Speaker 2: be voted in after that. So there's so many hopes
• 30:50
  Speaker 2: to getting this off the ground. Just can't see it happening.
• 30:53
  Speaker 2: Topic number two, the hurricane season. Give us the grade
• 30:56
  Speaker 2: from A to.
• 30:57
  Speaker 3: Well, if it's tough, isn't it still still down in
• 31:01
  Speaker 3: the dumps here? And then you're really kicking a man here. Look,
• 31:08
  Speaker 3: they have had a lot of departures in recent years.
• 31:10
  Speaker 3: No Jordie, no Ardie. They barely had a first five
• 31:14
  Speaker 3: for most of the year. Yeah, so that's something like
• 31:17
  Speaker 3: Crusaders from US. Look, I'm going to give them a
• 31:20
  Speaker 3: B plus. Okay, I'm giving them a B. So we're similar.
• 31:25
  Speaker 3: They came into their own towards the end of the season.
• 31:28
  Speaker 3: They had injuries. As you mentioned, they didn't have Ruben
• 31:30
  Speaker 3: Love for the first month and a half roughly of
• 31:32
  Speaker 3: the competition. Brick Cameron was out for a long period
• 31:35
  Speaker 3: of time. They started Riley ho Heepper at ten for
• 31:37
  Speaker 3: a number of weeks.
• 31:38
  Speaker 4: Harry Godfrey was very good and then they lost him
• 31:40
  Speaker 4: as well.
• 31:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and horn Heeaper is just not the answer. I
• 31:45
  Speaker 2: think they missed a track by moving Ruben Love back
• 31:48
  Speaker 2: to fifteen in those last couple of weeks by instead
• 31:51
  Speaker 2: of putting Brick Cameron. By putting Brick Cameron back in
• 31:54
  Speaker 2: at ten, I would have stuck with Ruben Love. He
• 31:56
  Speaker 2: was the guy in the hot seat, had the hot hands.
• 31:58
  Speaker 2: Bret Cameron's a solid player, but Ruben Love's the future.
• 32:01
  Speaker 4: Yeah, just on that. A couple of.
• 32:05
  Speaker 3: Tactical blunders from Love and Callum Hark and kicking the
• 32:09
  Speaker 3: ball away late in the piece in that match. So
• 32:12
  Speaker 3: still a lot to learn from a game management maturity
• 32:16
  Speaker 3: point of view when the game is on the line.
• 32:17
  Speaker 2: Yeah, they miss Kenning Hollow later in the season, I
• 32:20
  Speaker 2: felt as well. Obviously had to move Baalen Sullivan and
• 32:22
  Speaker 2: some of the pieces of the back line around.
• 32:24
  Speaker 4: More not there for a lot of the years or
• 32:27
  Speaker 4: Lomax came back later.
• 32:28
  Speaker 2: Yes, they had injuries, but it felt like they were
• 32:30
  Speaker 2: gaining momentum and it came to a very sudden stop
• 32:33
  Speaker 2: in Canberra, and again it wasn't in theory supposed to
• 32:37
  Speaker 2: be sudden death. They couldn't quite get this, So block
• 32:41
  Speaker 2: on too twenty twenty six and they'll have Jordy Barrett
• 32:42
  Speaker 2: back for next year as well, which is a positive
• 32:45
  Speaker 2: for you guys.
• 32:45
  Speaker 4: It is.
• 32:46
  Speaker 2: It is topic number three on the basis of the weekend.
• 32:50
  Speaker 2: If you changed your mind on the Super Rugby playoff format. No,
• 32:53
  Speaker 2: and there's a lot of talk about this wasn't.
• 32:56
  Speaker 3: There a lot of acts and it was largely around
• 32:59
  Speaker 3: the lucky loser type concept. But the one frustration that
• 33:03
  Speaker 3: we touched on and talked about was the chief or
• 33:06
  Speaker 3: should the Chiefs lose ever, lose only dropped one ranking position,
• 33:10
  Speaker 3: and for me, that's almost the biggest scrape with it.
• 33:14
  Speaker 3: I think the Chiefs, having lost, should go to fourth
• 33:18
  Speaker 3: to have a guaranteed home semi final and be a
• 33:23
  Speaker 3: lucky loser. That's a double reward. I think in a
• 33:27
  Speaker 3: perfect world the top two teams get.
• 33:30
  Speaker 4: The week off. We understand that the broadcasting.
• 33:34
  Speaker 3: Financial imperatives behind those decisions to have a full quarter
• 33:40
  Speaker 3: final as such, but to only lose one ranking position
• 33:43
  Speaker 3: I think in the context of what happened at the
• 33:46
  Speaker 3: weekend doesn't feel right.
• 33:48
  Speaker 2: I'm kind of with you that I think they should
• 33:49
  Speaker 2: slide to last, but also that would have meant the
• 33:51
  Speaker 2: Crusaders now play the Chiefs, and probably not a game
• 33:54
  Speaker 2: the Crusaders would want this week. I mean, the Blue's
• 33:56
  Speaker 2: gonna be tough. A is that they don't get me wrong.
• 33:57
  Speaker 4: But don't get a hand pick here. No semi finals.
• 34:00
  Speaker 2: But if they slide to the bottom, you're all of
• 34:01
  Speaker 2: a sudden facing the best team in the season, you know,
• 34:04
  Speaker 2: in the second week of the playoffs, rather than potentially
• 34:06
  Speaker 2: in the final. So yeah, I don't think there's a
• 34:08
  Speaker 2: per format when you're refusing to give the top two
• 34:10
  Speaker 2: teams off, you're sort of always going to lose something
• 34:13
  Speaker 2: as a result or be hamstrung by something as a
• 34:15
  Speaker 2: result of that. So yeah, Max feelings still despite perhaps
• 34:20
  Speaker 2: some of the jeopardy that came into the weekend and
• 34:22
  Speaker 2: topic number four not a topic or a debate or anything,
• 34:26
  Speaker 2: but Stu Bawson passing away over the weekends one of
• 34:31
  Speaker 2: those figures that I don't think you or I would
• 34:32
  Speaker 2: have seen live obviously, but a name that probably we
• 34:35
  Speaker 2: knew from a young age broadcaster wise, he was on
• 34:38
  Speaker 2: the TV, commentated a lot of games. You see some
• 34:40
  Speaker 2: highlights maybe from yester year. So he was a real
• 34:43
  Speaker 2: character of the game in New Zealand and very very
• 34:46
  Speaker 2: sad to hear of his passing and at a very
• 34:49
  Speaker 2: young age of seventy.
• 34:50
  Speaker 3: Yeah, Wellington in all Black great in the seventies and eighties.
• 34:56
  Speaker 3: I grew up in a house where Ebonie and Ivory,
• 34:59
  Speaker 3: the book he had with Bernie Fraser was on the
• 35:03
  Speaker 3: mantle piece. And yeah, as you mentioned, not just his
• 35:07
  Speaker 3: feats on the field but off the feel real character,
• 35:10
  Speaker 3: a lot of personality brought that to commentary, very funny
• 35:14
  Speaker 3: and engaging, and I think he had a stint put
• 35:18
  Speaker 3: in his heart in twenty twenty one and actually worked
• 35:21
  Speaker 3: as an orderly in total on the hospital prior to
• 35:25
  Speaker 3: passing away over over the weekend. So yeah, very sad news,
• 35:29
  Speaker 3: and I'm sure they'll be keenly felt by a number
• 35:32
  Speaker 3: of players from his generation. David Campeazy leading the tribute,
• 35:36
  Speaker 3: saying he was cocky and confident and had you know,
• 35:40
  Speaker 3: as sharp as a tack on and off the field.
• 35:43
  Speaker 3: So players of that generation will, yeah, I'm sure rally
• 35:47
  Speaker 3: round and share some memories, surely.
• 35:49
  Speaker 2: Well, yeah, after I had to think, after dinner speeches
• 35:52
  Speaker 2: and m seeing gigs. He sort of did over the years,
• 35:55
  Speaker 2: very prolific, So very very sad news. Let's get into
• 35:59
  Speaker 2: out tipping. Over the course of the weekend, we both
• 36:01
  Speaker 2: had two out of three. Liam, you picked the Crusaders
• 36:04
  Speaker 2: and Blues, but your Canes you got that pack wrong.
• 36:07
  Speaker 2: I picked the Crusades and Brumbies and got the Chiefs
• 36:09
  Speaker 2: game wrong. So that means I still lead by six
• 36:13
  Speaker 2: points forty nine point five to fifty five five. No
• 36:15
  Speaker 2: toots this week Crusaders Blues Friday Nights.
• 36:21
  Speaker 3: Look, I'm gonna have to go with the Blues. Aren't underdogs? Villains, villains, villains, yeah,
• 36:29
  Speaker 3: taking it was kept in America.
• 36:33
  Speaker 4: That was the Canes.
• 36:33
  Speaker 2: But the Blues Spider Man, spider Man, Yeah, not really
• 36:36
  Speaker 2: a villain, are they. Spiderman's a good guy. Yeah, hey,
• 36:39
  Speaker 2: that could be the Jesseys down there this week. Prob
• 36:41
  Speaker 2: would clash with the Crusaders. That's some sort of villain revival.
• 36:46
  Speaker 2: Can't think of one off the top of my head.
• 36:47
  Speaker 2: So you're going to Blues. I'm going to Crusaders to
• 36:49
  Speaker 2: win that. Chiefs Brumbies Saturday Night seven o five. The
• 36:52
  Speaker 2: Chiefs hot favorite for this one against the Brumbies. You know,
• 36:57
  Speaker 2: the Brumbies go across the Tasman nothing to lose. But
• 36:59
  Speaker 2: I still think the Chiefs will bounce back. Even though
• 37:03
  Speaker 2: you know that game was pretty torrid and they would
• 37:05
  Speaker 2: have taken a bit of a rock to the confidence.
• 37:07
  Speaker 2: I still think the Chiefs will back. So I'm going
• 37:09
  Speaker 2: Crusaders Chiefs one.
• 37:10
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm going to the Chiefs too.
• 37:11
  Speaker 3: I think I think the Brummy's all get there are
• 37:13
  Speaker 3: real nudge But I'd be surprised of the Chiefs that
• 37:17
  Speaker 3: they have shown this year they're belity to bounce back
• 37:21
  Speaker 3: from a defeat. You think about that lost to the
• 37:22
  Speaker 3: Hurricanes and Wellington Clate mcmellon made them listen to the
• 37:25
  Speaker 3: Hurricanes team song, and.
• 37:27
  Speaker 4: God knows what he listened to on the weekend, I
• 37:29
  Speaker 4: can only imagine.
• 37:32
  Speaker 3: And they did bounce back emphatically from that defeat, so
• 37:35
  Speaker 3: surely everything to play for, they've got to get up.
• 37:40
  Speaker 2: We'll see MVP Metal voting time three two ones. Ardie
• 37:44
  Speaker 2: sav leads by twelve points, Boden Barrett on thirteen points
• 37:49
  Speaker 2: and second and to Marthy Tapa tab naw Way in eleven.
• 37:51
  Speaker 2: Now he can't get any more points. We do continue
• 37:54
  Speaker 2: it during the playoffs. My three two ones, Christian Leo
• 37:59
  Speaker 2: Willie gets my three points. He led the way on
• 38:02
  Speaker 2: the weekend. I think he's right in that all Blacks mix.
• 38:05
  Speaker 2: I think he was second only to Will Jordan for
• 38:06
  Speaker 2: number of carries. He was just everywhere for the Crusaders
• 38:09
  Speaker 2: on the weekend. He gets my three hoskins. The two
• 38:11
  Speaker 2: he gets my two probably has been performed in a
• 38:15
  Speaker 2: tight game. I just thought he led the punch for
• 38:20
  Speaker 2: the Blues in a way we haven't seen. Patrick Tweeple
• 38:23
  Speaker 2: or two gets my one. Boden Barrett probably should have
• 38:26
  Speaker 2: got a point at some point because he outpointed and
• 38:28
  Speaker 2: was out of the match. But that's the three to two.
• 38:31
  Speaker 2: When I went to that certain point in time, I'm
• 38:33
  Speaker 2: gonna go Hoskins for three.
• 38:34
  Speaker 3: I thought he was exceptional and I think he has
• 38:36
  Speaker 3: been standing up big time at the back end of
• 38:39
  Speaker 3: the year for the Blues. And it's some of the
• 38:42
  Speaker 3: criticisms of his game where he's actually coming to the fours.
• 38:44
  Speaker 3: It's that combativeness. It's you know, the physical exchanges in
• 38:49
  Speaker 3: defense at the breakdown with ball in hand, he's making
• 38:53
  Speaker 3: real hard meters. So I think he's one of the
• 38:56
  Speaker 3: former loose forwards in this competition really standing up.
• 38:59
  Speaker 4: So three to him, two to Fletch Newell.
• 39:01
  Speaker 3: I just think he was a massive driving force behind
• 39:06
  Speaker 3: that Crusader's victory. And I'm going to give one to
• 39:09
  Speaker 3: Boden just for his tactical control, clearly out Shawn McKenzie there.
• 39:14
  Speaker 2: Indeed, Well, there you go our three two ones of
• 39:16
  Speaker 2: Boden gains a point on Ardie Savia and the rankings
• 39:19
  Speaker 2: moves to fourteen. Another week of three two ones next week,
• 39:24
  Speaker 2: And speaking of next week, we pick he's a bit
• 39:26
  Speaker 2: a homework for a liam Our thirty five Man All
• 39:29
  Speaker 2: Black squad to face France. This will be a last
• 39:31
  Speaker 2: podcast before the squad is announced, So next week on
• 39:35
  Speaker 2: our edition of the podcast, I want you to pick
• 39:38
  Speaker 2: your thirty five names. You can pick it however you like,
• 39:41
  Speaker 2: but I want those thirty five names and I'll do
• 39:43
  Speaker 2: the same.
• 39:43
  Speaker 3: You can handle that, won't go with the dog ate
• 39:46
  Speaker 3: my homework excuse and yes we were. The following week
• 39:50
  Speaker 3: after the Super Ugby Final, you know, will be jetting
• 39:53
  Speaker 3: our way to the beautiful Tartanucky Coasts, yes, where the
• 39:58
  Speaker 3: All Black squad will be announced at the Coastal Rugby.
• 40:00
  Speaker 2: Club, hopefully ned some interviews and some thoughts and and
• 40:04
  Speaker 2: get the podcast going down there. It'll be busy or
• 40:05
  Speaker 2: game because we're wrapping the the Super Rugby Final between
• 40:08
  Speaker 2: the and the Chiefs. Maybe maybe not Blues Brumbies Blues Chiefs.
• 40:13
  Speaker 2: We'll be wrapping something as well. No, it will not
• 40:17
  Speaker 2: be and that's probably a good note to furnish it
• 40:18
  Speaker 2: on for Rugby Direct for another week. Thanks for our
• 40:21
  Speaker 2: friends that habit health, tackling all your aches and pains
• 40:24
  Speaker 2: from sport and work. Our thanks to the last and
• 40:25
  Speaker 2: Bars English. But we will see you next.
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: Week for more from News Talks, ed B. Listen live
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: on air or online, and keep our shows with you
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: wherever you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio