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The Muster- Elliot Smith: Newstalk ZB · The Muster on Hokonui

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Welcome back to the muster.
• 0:10
  Speaker 2: We wrap up the week by catching up with Elliot Smith,
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: lead commentator of rugby at Newstalk ZB. He's on the
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: ground over in Edinburgh giving a rundown of the ABs
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: as they look to go and conquer the Scottish once again.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Elliot, good afternoon slash good morning.
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: It's all go tomorrow or in a couple of 36
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: hours or so in Murrayfield. Yeah, it certainly is.
• 0:31
  Speaker 3: Look, one of the great tests, isn't it? One of
• 0:33
  Speaker 3: the great venues, Murrayfield. I'm looking up at Edinburgh Castle
• 0:38
  Speaker 3: while I chat to you, Andy. It's a great city.
• 0:40
  Speaker 3: You've got the architecture, the Georgian architecture, and then you've
• 0:44
  Speaker 3: got two great teams that are going to play, we hope,
• 0:48
  Speaker 3: a pretty good test match come Saturday afternoon. So, yep,
• 0:51
  Speaker 3: the stage is certainly set.
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: What do we make of the Scottish side?
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: Last year they kind of crept up on us.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: What are we expecting?
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: Well, I think the lesson should be learned from last
• 1:01
  Speaker 3: year that this is a very good Scottish team. Look,
• 1:04
  Speaker 3: they have had some pressure. After they lost that game
• 1:08
  Speaker 3: to the All Blacks last year that they should have won,
• 1:10
  Speaker 3: they lost to Argentina the following week when they should
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: have won that game, and Gregor Townsend was under a
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: bit of pressure. But they've been pretty resilient. They beat
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: France in the Six Nations. They beat England in... and
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: they've shown time and again that when the kosh is on,
• 1:26
  Speaker 3: they can really deliver. It's just against the All Blacks
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: that they haven't really been able to, you know, basically
• 1:32
  Speaker 3: ice the occasion. They very nearly did that last year,
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: as you said. They were 17-0 down, came back to
• 1:39
  Speaker 3: level at 17-all, and then Damian McKenzie, you know, gets
• 1:43
  Speaker 3: into his bag of tricks after coming off the bench
• 1:45
  Speaker 3: and has a 50-22 try at a penalty goal and
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: saves the day for the All Blacks. But it could
• 1:50
  Speaker 3: have been... very, very different. It could have been Scotland's
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: first win over the All Blacks. So I guess underestimate
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: them at your peril. They've got a very, very good
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: back line, the Scots. And last year they didn't have
• 2:04
  Speaker 3: Hugh Jones, who's British and Irish Lions midfielder. He's back
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: in for this game. So, look, they've added some quality,
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: I guess, into the back line. I guess the concern
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: is probably for them around their forward pack. And I
• 2:18
  Speaker 3: don't think that matches up quite as well as the
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: back line does.
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: How do you rate this All Black side?
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: Are we going to be looking at continuity over the
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: next three games as far as positions?
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think so. Look, there'll probably be some changes
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: next week against Wales, assuming all goes to plan and
• 2:35
  Speaker 3: they win on Saturday afternoon here, local time. And that
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: will give them a little bit of licence to bring
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: in some different players next week. And, you know, Richie
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: Maunga will be back from injury as well, most likely. And,
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: you know, the likes of Lester Vyinganuku will come in and,
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: maybe rotate around some of the props and the locks
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: and everything like that. So it could be quite different
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: next week. But I suspect this team that is playing
• 2:58
  Speaker 3: against Scotland on Saturday afternoon, our time, will be very
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: similar to the one that plays England in a fortnight
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: at Twickenham. I think change. for change's sake, will be
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: unlikely on this tour. Remembering as well, you know, there's
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: roughly a dozen or thereabouts players back at home with injuries.
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: So finding combinations amidst all of that with the injuries
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: is important to Dave Rennie. And I think we'll see
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: that continue over the coming weeks, especially in what could
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: probably be termed the big matches of this tour.
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: Fabian Holland and Scott Barrett, is that our locking combination
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: going into the World Cup?
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it might be. Again, barring injury, it
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: hasn't been the best of runs in that regard. Look,
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: I've been very impressed by what Scott Barrett's done coming
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: back from injury. I didn't expect him to return to
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: test quality as quickly as he has. I think the
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: All Blacks have missed that. abrasiveness that he brings to
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: test rugby. And I think he's playing, again, it's only
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: been a short sample size of a couple of tests
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: so far, but he looks like he's playing unburdened. Having
• 4:05
  Speaker 3: had the captaincy removed from him, he looks like a
• 4:08
  Speaker 3: better player, the player that we know he is capable
• 4:10
  Speaker 3: of being. So I think that's a real positive. And
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: Fabian Holland as well, you know, we all know about
• 4:15
  Speaker 3: the shoulder injury he had. He's come back as well
• 4:18
  Speaker 3: really strongly today. to TS Rugby. So I think those
• 4:21
  Speaker 3: two are the first choice as it stands. Players like
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: Josh Lord have had moments this year, and then Patrick
• 4:30
  Speaker 3: Tui-Piloto and Sam Dowry can't crack this team at the moment.
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: So it's become a real position of depth for the
• 4:36
  Speaker 3: All Blacks, but I agree, those two. And the combination,
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: I think, is really important as well. It's all very
• 4:42
  Speaker 3: well having two good locks, but they've got to combine well.
• 4:45
  Speaker 3: They've got to be able to scrummage well. They've got
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: to be able to you know, work at the line
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: out together and take some of the heat off where
• 4:53
  Speaker 3: they can. I think that's where I like what they're
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: doing as well. So it's a combination that I'm pretty
• 4:59
  Speaker 3: excited to see grow over the next few weeks too.
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: As far as Bowdoin Barrett at fullback, he really excelled
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: in the bladders low. Is it just a stopgap measure
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: until we get these guys back from injuries?
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think so. Look, I think... when push comes
• 5:16
  Speaker 3: to shove next year at the world cup, it's probably
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: going to be Ruben Love or Richie Wonger at 10
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: for the All Blacks and Damian McKenzie at 15. Um,
• 5:24
  Speaker 3: but I think what Bowdoin Barrett has done is gone, Hey,
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: you know, there's still life in the old dog. Um, yes.
• 5:30
  Speaker 3: And he's playing a very valuable role and, um, you
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: need players like that over a world cup cycle and
• 5:37
  Speaker 3: at a world cup to, um, you know, having a
• 5:40
  Speaker 3: squad and, and be able to call on as needed. So, um, Um,
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: I'm really liking the way that his combination is working
• 5:47
  Speaker 3: with McKenzie at 10. They haven't had a lot of
• 5:49
  Speaker 3: time together, um, since the injuries to, to work it out,
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: but just that, um, expertise of both being in the
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: All Blacks for roughly a decade each, you know, they
• 5:58
  Speaker 3: bounce off each other. Well, they slot in when the
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: other player is missing, they pick up, um, you know,
• 6:04
  Speaker 3: where the slack is needed. So I think that's a
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: real positive. And remembering as well, you know, your books
• 6:10
  Speaker 3: are down to their third choice 10 at the moment
• 6:12
  Speaker 3: and probably their third choice fullback as well. There's probably
• 6:14
  Speaker 3: a chance they would have gone to to Will Jordan
• 6:17
  Speaker 3: had there not been such a disruption at 10 as well. So, yeah,
• 6:22
  Speaker 3: I think that's probably where the All Blacks can boast
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: is that they've got that depth that if they do
• 6:29
  Speaker 3: get some injuries again next year at the World Cup,
• 6:31
  Speaker 3: they can bring that combination back again.
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: Is there a buzz for the All Blacks in Edinburgh?
• 6:37
  Speaker 3: Yeah, there is. Look, I think it's been muted this
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: week just in regards to the All Blacks losing their
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: long-time head of security, Logan Cadwallader, and means they haven't
• 6:49
  Speaker 3: perhaps engaged with the local community as much as they
• 6:51
  Speaker 3: might have with signing sessions and various things that they
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: do with Adidas and some of their other sponsors. I
• 6:57
  Speaker 3: think that's been muted in that regard. But already around
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: town for the last couple of days, plenty of All
• 7:03
  Speaker 3: Blacks gear and scarves and everything like that. So, you know,
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: a suggestion, obviously, that the tests are firmly coming and
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: the All Blacks are in town. But I'd say perhaps, yeah,
• 7:14
  Speaker 3: quite a build-up than maybe otherwise would have been expected
• 7:17
  Speaker 3: for this test match.
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: Good on you, Ali.
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: We look forward to your commentary on Newstalk ZB over
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: the weekend. It's going to be a cracking game.
• 7:24
  Speaker 3: Sure is, Andy. Can't wait. And we'll catch up again soon,
• 7:27
  Speaker 3: I'm sure.
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: Laugh out loud with Ag Proud, because life on the
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: land can.
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: Be a laughing matter.
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: Brought to us by Shearwell Data, working to help the
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: livestock farmer.
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: What do you call a mailman with a broken leg?
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: An ambulance.
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: All righty, that's us over and done with. The best
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: of the must of 5am tomorrow.
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: Thanks to the Gopher. Podcast going up shortly on iHeartRadio.
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: I'm Andy Muir.
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: The must is brought to you by Peters Genetics. Enjoy
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: the weekend. Go the ABs. See you Monday, 1 o'clock.