Latest / Rugby Rivals - Sir John Kirwan & Victor Matfield / Is the Six Nations the Best Rugby Competition on the Planet?

Transcript

Is the Six Nations the Best Rugby Competition on the Planet? · Rugby Rivals - Sir John Kirwan & Victor Matfield

0:00
Victor, why is the old black jersey cut in half?
0:03
Why have you only got half a jersey?
0:05
I need to...
0:06
This is only half as important as the top one.
0:12
Well done to Trimby, Ireland's back.
0:14
What's changed?
0:15
Because normally we'd see way more kicking, normally we'd see less tries,
0:19
but it's really entertaining, it's really good rugby.
0:22
Even wheels are grown and improved,
0:25
really significantly as the tournament's gone on.
0:27
England had that came one.
0:29
It's a minute or half left.
0:31
I mean, how do you lose the ball?
0:34
My top five, obviously, would be all blacks.
0:37
Springboks, France, Ireland.
0:40
I think Ireland is actually more dangerous again,
0:43
but luckily it's World Cup next year, then that will change again.
0:46
Finally, we got there.
0:49
Welcome to Rivals, and all of us have done our cake as Trimby's here.
0:57
Yeah, tell you what, Ireland did unbelievably well,
1:03
but the tournament did well.
1:06
Everybody did well.
1:08
My goodness, it just runs off.
1:10
The standard's been through the roof,
1:12
and then just that last run just hit those standards
1:16
and just went even further.
1:18
Yeah, Ireland were brilliant.
1:20
They grew and grew as the tournament went on, and they peaked.
1:24
It looked like vintage Ireland.
1:27
It looked like peak Ireland at the peak of their powers
1:30
and they kind of run up to the World Cup,
1:32
and we just haven't seen them hit those heights for a few years.
1:35
Yeah, brilliant to see.
1:37
That's great.
1:38
Trimby, why so many points?
1:40
I mean, I watched that English French game that was like outstanding.
1:44
What's changed?
1:45
Because normally we'd see way more kicking, normally we'd see less tries,
1:49
but it's really good rugby.
1:51
Yeah, the first weekend in Paris, we saw a lot of kicking,
1:55
and we saw a brilliant rugby from France as well.
1:58
So it wasn't just an isolation, but we did sort of go,
2:01
oh, wonder is it going to be that type of a tournament?
2:05
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
2:07
There's still a spectacle when you see two guys competing in the air.
2:10
I still love that part of rugby, but yeah, we've seen some brilliant rugby.
2:15
By everybody, really, even wheels have grown and improved
2:20
really significantly as the tournament's gone on.
2:22
Got more and more confidence.
2:24
They've just got, they're kind of robust,
2:26
and now they're starting to play and add on layers.
2:29
When we talked about this before, Victor,
2:31
just get those basics correct, get your set piece correct,
2:34
get your breakdown pressure defense,
2:36
and then they've just layered on that, and they've looked brilliant.
2:39
Italy have come to the party.
2:41
It's been brilliant.
2:42
Italy have played some amazing rugby.
2:44
France just came off.
2:46
You always wonder what they were like if they don't get off to a 20-point lead.
2:52
Scotland exposed that, and then England said,
2:54
let's go after that as well, and you do wonder.
2:58
It's the old cliche, just be careful about these typical comments.
3:02
You never know what French side are going to turn up,
3:04
but never has it been more true, the last couple of games.
3:08
Whenever they're under scoreboard pressure,
3:10
they may be sure different version of themselves,
3:13
really interesting to see what they're really like,
3:15
what the real character is like.
3:17
We saw a glimpse of that, maybe.
3:19
Anyway, we go a hundred different directions
3:21
with this conversation around Six Nations,
3:23
but it's been absolutely amazing.
3:25
I'm sure looking on from the outside,
3:27
you must be just going that rugby's incredible to watch.
3:31
Come, Victor, bring him down the side.
3:33
Yes, I'm going to say I really enjoy it.
3:36
I mean, all the games.
3:39
For once, you never knew who was going to win,
3:42
so that was pretty good.
3:45
Yeah, I think the one team France won the Six Nations,
3:49
so they must be very happy,
3:51
but I was expecting a little bit more from them.
3:55
Italy was outstanding, just unfortunate this last week
3:59
when the expectation was there for them to go out and win the game.
4:03
They didn't reach up, and that's normally of a team
4:06
where people don't expect a lot.
4:08
It's almost easy to go out there, nothing to lose.
4:11
But once you start winning, the expectations come,
4:14
and then you need to deliver as well.
4:16
So pretty, I couldn't deliver.
4:18
And yeah, Ireland's looking really good.
4:21
I think they find that team 12 combination
4:24
at the moment is really, really working for them.
4:28
And yeah, and they haven't played anyone
4:30
with a good scram at this for a long time.
4:32
So it's working for them.
4:34
No, that's it.
4:36
I know there's so much truth to that.
4:39
Really, Ireland's scram,
4:43
up until, to be fair against Scotland,
4:45
was probably the best our scram looked,
4:47
but the four runs before that,
4:49
we were second best in every game.
4:51
And being able to survive that,
4:53
I think it shows demonstrates that they can, you know,
4:55
shift teams of bite or, you know,
4:57
kind of just hang in there at the scram
4:59
and then just make kind of games elsewhere.
5:02
But yeah, scram is still going to be,
5:04
it's not something you solve that problem overnight.
5:07
But I suppose whenever you see how,
5:11
the turnaround in Irish rugby in five games is just incredible.
5:15
And I don't think it's just that they've,
5:17
like the turnaround in Welsh rugby,
5:19
the difference, I suppose, in England,
5:21
from the start of the tournament to the end of the tournament,
5:23
from what we were seeing, things can change so quickly.
5:27
A lot of things you can, a lot of quick fixes,
5:29
low hanging fruit, you can solve those problems.
5:31
And we said this at the start as well,
5:32
but scram is probably one of those ones
5:34
you don't solve that quickly.
5:36
That's something I would imagine,
5:38
Victor, I might have my death here,
5:40
we're talking about scrams,
5:41
but I think it's probably something that feels like
5:43
there needs to be fundamental change
5:45
or like significant pathways,
5:47
whatever, bringing talent through
5:49
and coaching as well, Victor.
5:51
Trimby, you know, Trimby,
5:53
what are you saying, Irish?
5:54
You're talking like,
5:56
how can you go from being favourites
5:59
and then coming second
6:00
and then say that Adam got better?
6:02
Like, they were.
6:03
You didn't think that Irish they got better.
6:05
From Paris.
6:07
Yeah, but they came in as favourites.
6:10
So what happened?
6:11
First question.
6:12
Second question is,
6:14
second question is, does both wicks survive?
6:19
I reckon they did enough in Paris
6:21
for both wicks to survive.
6:24
What do you think, Victor?
6:26
Yeah, I actually like both wicks
6:29
and I think he's done a great job
6:31
and it's so difficult.
6:33
I mean, we sit here that 12 wins in a row
6:36
everyone was talking,
6:37
it's now the England era
6:39
and he had two bad losses.
6:43
And on Saturday, they played Wallachid.
6:46
So, yeah, it's a difficult one.
6:50
I don't know.
6:51
I think he'll survive.
6:53
I don't know who's out there in the world
6:56
that can take over.
6:57
I don't know who you know,
6:59
coaches that can come in
7:00
and really turn them around.
7:03
Do that for other players
7:04
because I think if you get someone
7:06
that comes in,
7:07
they probably need to be
7:09
quite a lot of changes
7:10
in the team with personnel as well.
7:13
No, I don't think he survives.
7:15
I think he survives.
7:16
But I'm just giving it,
7:17
I'm giving it with a shit tremble
7:18
because you're shy as you got.
7:20
Well, firstly, I need to say,
7:21
Victor, why is your frame
7:25
of the All Black
7:27
and the Springbok jersey?
7:28
Why is the All Black jersey cut in half?
7:30
Why have you only got half a jersey?
7:32
I need to talk about it.
7:33
Because I need to talk about it.
7:34
All of that is important as the talk one.
7:39
I want to talk about expectation, right?
7:42
And the reason I wanted to talk about Ireland is,
7:45
yeah, I agree with you.
7:46
I think they're outstanding.
7:47
I love the Six Nations at the moment
7:49
for all the things you've seen.
7:51
But expectations are funny thing.
7:53
And you can't drop a game in the World Cup.
7:55
You cannot drop one game.
7:57
You can't have an off day.
7:58
And I think that's what we've probably seen
8:00
right across the Six Nations, right?
8:03
But the most expectations I believe were on Ireland
8:06
because everyone was doubting them.
8:08
They had an average November.
8:10
You know, we're talking about their inconsistency.
8:13
And then they started the Six Nations
8:15
with that bad moment.
8:17
And then everyone sort of got a rocket out there
8:20
and they've been playing outstandingly since.
8:22
I mean, should they have won the Six Nations
8:24
and they didn't?
8:25
Or is France better?
8:26
No, I don't think they were the favourites going into it.
8:28
I think on Victor,
8:30
I'd love to go back and listen to a couple of our conversations.
8:33
There's a lot of people talking about England,
8:35
the trajectory they were on.
8:37
I kind of think I remember
8:39
you were drinking the kool-aid a little bit.
8:42
I was always going to France.
8:43
I was always going to France.
8:45
I was always going to France.
8:47
Never England.
8:49
Yeah, maybe France.
8:51
Yeah, it was probably France number one.
8:54
But England, we were a lot of people.
8:56
England were.
8:57
Yeah, they were.
8:58
Yeah.
8:59
And it was just they were revving their engine.
9:00
It was a bit of a flex that momentum they had
9:02
on the way into the tournament.
9:04
And it's crazy just to see how things change.
9:07
Areland J.K.
9:09
Sorry, J.K.
9:10
You sort of hinted that.
9:12
What's happened to the defences?
9:14
Because France who won it,
9:16
I think they let 96 points in their last two games.
9:19
I mean, there are a lot of points.
9:21
I'm happy, by the way, Ricardo,
9:22
before the boys answer that,
9:24
I'm happy.
9:25
I think that the game needs it.
9:26
The crowd needs it.
9:27
I sort of answered.
9:28
I sort of open with that question.
9:30
Is this because the attacks are good?
9:32
Or is it all the defences need some work?
9:34
I'm happy, by the way, Ricardo,
9:36
that's the question.
9:37
Is it because the rest have actually started
9:39
to implement some of these time laws?
9:41
There's a bit more fatigue.
9:43
What is it?
9:45
Yeah, I haven't seen a lot of line speed
9:51
in their six nations.
9:53
Like you will see where they saw the African team.
9:57
And at some stage, France were pretty hard of the line as well.
10:01
I haven't seen that.
10:03
Also, it will be interesting to see.
10:06
I mean, these teams need to come up against South Africa,
10:09
against all blacks to see where they are.
10:12
Is everyone better?
10:14
Is everyone just at the same level that everyone can compete?
10:17
Did Italy make the jump up?
10:19
Or did other teams come down?
10:21
So we all have to wait and see
10:23
when these teams play South Africa and New Zealand, I think.
10:27
The line speed wants to enter someone because
10:30
it felt like so.
10:32
I thought, you know, France,
10:33
John Edwards, coach, defense,
10:35
like they look pretty formidable, pretty tough,
10:38
first three games.
10:39
Just they had everything their own way.
10:41
And whenever you dictate terms,
10:43
then you dictate the tempo of the game,
10:45
the pace of the game.
10:47
And then you can just bring line speed whenever it's appropriate
10:49
or whatever you want,
10:50
because your lads are feeling fresh and feeling good,
10:53
because you're in control.
10:54
You have a foothold in the game.
10:56
But it just shows you that that.
10:58
No one's ever really been able to do this to South Africa.
11:01
But I think it can't, it definitely can't be done.
11:03
If you shift them away, if you get tempo in your game,
11:06
if you go wide wide and you're really accurate,
11:08
you get them chasing their teal.
11:09
It's so much easier said than done.
11:11
But any of these sides that look as good as France did defensively,
11:15
you can get them chasing their teal.
11:17
Scotland had them run and run ragged.
11:20
England did a moment of the weekend as well.
11:22
It's again, it's very easily said and not easily done.
11:26
But you know, that line speed can't be broken down in a row.
11:30
We talk about the team.
11:32
So remember, the more you play,
11:34
the more opportunities is there for the other team as well.
11:38
Because you make mistakes,
11:39
it's turnovers.
11:40
Your thoughts actually get more tight when you play,
11:43
but more ball in hands.
11:45
So yeah, it will be interesting to see.
11:47
There wasn't really one of the teams, maybe England,
11:50
in the beginning a little bit,
11:51
and then they went away from us a lot.
11:54
We're really about that kick pressure, slow it down.
11:58
Let's go from set face to set face.
12:01
Let's try and strangle them with that kicking game.
12:04
And then the line speed that comes in.
12:06
And yeah, we're not going to make mistakes.
12:08
So you have to play from your own half.
12:10
You have to create your own things.
12:11
We're not giving you turnovers.
12:13
Yeah.
12:14
I wonder if we'll try to ask you this before trimming,
12:16
but you avoid the subject.
12:18
So what's your assessment of Ireland then?
12:21
Were they, were they, did they live up to your expectations?
12:24
Or you think they're still below?
12:25
Because coming back to, you know,
12:28
I see them as one of the world's best,
12:30
obviously when we're going to the next World Cup,
12:33
you know, Ireland is right up there.
12:35
They've got a point to prove.
12:37
But you give them a pass mark or not?
12:40
Yeah, definitely by the end of the tournament, absolutely.
12:43
I think they probably surpassed our expectations.
12:46
We were, we wouldn't say we were on crisis,
12:49
but we were very concerned going into that first game
12:52
in the Paris when we were down to our fourth choice,
12:54
Lucette, after what happened to our scrum in November?
12:57
I think a lot of Irish, like there's a lot of one or two people,
13:00
maybe even just questioning Andy Farrell,
13:03
and despite all the credit he has in the bank,
13:05
there was, there were one or two suggestions,
13:07
nothing strong, but a few suggestions and questions around
13:10
what he's doing, where we're going to dig out performances
13:13
and the six nations.
13:14
And if you look at the trajectory they went on,
13:18
on the type of rugby they started playing,
13:20
and just the players looked like they grew and grew in confidence
13:23
and skill set and execution.
13:25
It just looked like they were having so much fun
13:28
and playing incredible rugby, entertaining.
13:31
We got a little bit of a buzz back at the Aviva Stadium as well,
13:34
and that to me is just, that's a team that spend time
13:39
in a positive environment.
13:40
They get better every day.
13:42
And yeah, I thought, I mean, I don't think there's a problem
13:46
with consistency with Arden, if anything,
13:48
over the last four years they've won at least four games
13:52
out of five in the six nations.
13:53
I think they've been really, really consistent.
13:55
When you look at what England are doing,
13:56
I look at what other sides are doing.
13:58
Scotland, especially, you know,
14:00
you're being England in France and six nations,
14:02
you think, this is going to be your year.
14:04
And it was, but I thought Ireland just,
14:06
just were so, so good of the weekend,
14:08
so the best version of them.
14:10
Is that confidence at 10 now?
14:12
Is that mean that more settled there?
14:15
I hope so.
14:16
I hope so.
14:17
I'm still more.
14:18
Which one, right?
14:19
Yeah, yeah.
14:20
And we, I think it's a bit of an Irish thing,
14:22
actually correct me from wrong here,
14:24
but I think we get a bit bogged down
14:26
and talking about tans.
14:27
I don't know if anybody else,
14:28
any other rugby countries kind of talk about tans
14:31
as much as we do.
14:32
And maybe it's because we've had big personalities
14:34
and characters at 10.
14:35
You think of a guy or you think of Sexton.
14:37
And then you need someone to fill the shoes of Sexton.
14:39
And I think it's a pretty reassuring
14:42
to know that both of them
14:44
have not taken opportunities.
14:46
Some apprentices played well once or twice
14:48
and then just, he hasn't looked up to it
14:51
and then Crowley's come in.
14:53
And over the, he's as guilty, nearly as guilty as,
14:55
as primary gas.
14:56
And he's had opportunities.
14:57
He hasn't quite taken them either.
14:58
And this is the first time one of them has said,
15:00
that's my jersey.
15:01
And they've looked really assured and confident.
15:03
And then the guys run them.
15:04
I've kind of responded to that.
15:06
Hopefully we stop talking about the tan conversation
15:09
because it's so, we're so bored of it.
15:12
Everybody knows you'll be as fat
15:14
up talking about tans
15:15
and Crowley did a good enough performance of the weekend.
15:17
And he's had enough momentum over the last three weeks
15:19
to demonstrate that maybe, maybe that is not the end
15:22
of that conversation,
15:23
but we're going to turn it down a bit.
15:24
Hopefully.
15:25
If you've had the chance now to watch the Six Nations,
15:27
you've seen those teams play week and week out.
15:30
Victor, you know,
15:32
L. Good South Africa is JK,
15:34
the All Blacks have finally got a coach.
15:36
If you endless the top,
15:38
let's say, five teams in the world at the moment,
15:42
based on what you're seeing,
15:44
the standard of the Super Rugby Games,
15:46
JK, the standard of the Australian teams and Super Rugby,
15:49
what will be the top five teams for all of you?
15:51
So I'll just put a bit of a,
15:53
a bit of a thing in there.
15:55
Super Rugby has been good as well.
15:57
Super Rugby, at the highest level,
16:01
has been really good.
16:02
The intensity is back.
16:03
And I don't know from the New Zealand teams
16:05
whether it's got a new coach,
16:06
that always motivates you, Victor,
16:07
when you've got a new coach,
16:08
you've got a,
16:09
who's been away for 10 years,
16:10
and he said,
16:11
this is open slather.
16:12
So I think the Super Rugby has been really good
16:14
and really intense.
16:15
You know, there's been some really good high-class games
16:17
like before.
16:19
So Africa traded us and left.
16:22
So there's been some good stuff.
16:23
There's been some good stuff.
16:24
You know, I think,
16:26
I think for me,
16:27
the thing that raised me about the Northern Hemisphere,
16:29
at the moment,
16:30
is I think the Rugby's great.
16:32
And this is what Victor said before.
16:34
It's the inconsistency.
16:35
So my top five,
16:36
obviously, would be all blacks,
16:38
Springboks, France,
16:40
Ireland.
16:42
And then, I don't know,
16:44
on their day,
16:46
on their day,
16:47
would it be Aussie,
16:48
or would it be Scotland,
16:49
or would it be...
16:50
Yeah.
16:51
That would be my five.
16:52
Was that in order?
16:53
Yeah.
16:54
JK.
16:55
Yesterday, it was in order.
16:59
No, so Ricardo,
17:01
I must say for me,
17:02
and I'm here with Trimby,
17:05
somewhere almost where I was,
17:08
like, France is a team to beat.
17:10
At the moment, I'm not quite getting that feeling.
17:13
I think,
17:14
Ireland has probably gone passing
17:16
in those six nations again.
17:18
What I've seen from Ireland
17:20
in the last two games,
17:21
they're really up there again.
17:23
They're confident.
17:24
They're playing.
17:25
They know how they want to play.
17:26
I think with Crowley,
17:27
and then,
17:28
McCloskey at 12
17:29
was just as grateful me.
17:31
So, I think you need a 12
17:33
in the modern game to get you
17:35
over that foreign teach line,
17:36
McCloskey's been doing that.
17:38
And, yeah.
17:39
I think with Crowley,
17:40
they're getting more confident,
17:42
taking the ball to the line,
17:43
and playing like,
17:44
Ireland won a play.
17:46
I think Ireland is actually
17:48
getting more dangerous again.
17:51
But luckily,
17:52
it's World Cup next year
17:53
then that will change again.
17:54
Yes.
17:56
Finally.
17:57
Finally, we got there.
17:59
But do I just give you the chance
18:00
to say South Africa's
18:01
the best team in the world?
18:02
You didn't take it.
18:03
What are the top five teams?
18:04
Yeah, but we're not...
18:05
Oh, we're still arguing about it.
18:06
I thought that's
18:07
done and dusted.
18:09
They didn't play first again.
18:11
Till we play,
18:12
we can't lose that spot.
18:13
So, double wolf champs,
18:15
beating everyone last year,
18:17
number one team.
18:18
So, we'll talk about that later.
18:20
I'm interested to see...
18:22
I'm interested to see
18:24
how Ireland are perceived
18:26
in New Zealand and South Africa.
18:28
Because...
18:29
And I think as a proxy
18:31
for how good Ireland
18:32
are,
18:33
genuinely good they are,
18:34
if they can kind of get
18:35
to that consistency
18:36
with how they finished
18:37
the Six Nations,
18:38
it's just how much abuse we get.
18:41
How much hate we get.
18:43
That's it.
18:44
Totally.
18:45
We love...
18:46
We now used to love to see you win.
18:48
Now we love to see you lose.
18:49
That's how good you guys are.
18:51
And we...
18:52
I take that as a compliment.
18:53
That is...
18:54
It's a compliment.
18:55
It's a total compliment.
18:56
It's a total compliment.
18:57
Like,
18:58
we want to see your failures.
19:00
We want to see you guys lose now
19:02
because we know how good you are.
19:03
You know?
19:04
And we're going to,
19:05
like for 20 years,
19:06
people told us,
19:07
you know,
19:08
oh, you know,
19:09
a really good rugby team
19:10
but you can't win a World Cup.
19:11
That...
19:12
That...
19:13
Talking about expectation,
19:14
that turned into a monster.
19:15
Right?
19:16
Until 2011.
19:17
And we got that monster off our back.
19:18
So,
19:19
you know,
19:20
it was really interesting,
19:21
um,
19:22
that they are talking about
19:24
re-signing Bundiaki
19:25
and James Lowe
19:26
for the next couple of years, you know,
19:28
because they're...
19:29
I was thinking about
19:30
and I would sign them
19:31
so don't...
19:32
don't get me wrong,
19:33
but your team can be getting,
19:35
you know,
19:36
aging a year's a long time
19:38
in a cycle
19:39
and a lot of players hang on
19:41
for the World Cup.
19:43
And I was just interested
19:44
to see that Ireland
19:45
and Farrell are really keen
19:46
to sign those guys.
19:47
And I think
19:48
the reason I would sign
19:49
even if they've come off
19:50
their best,
19:51
you know,
19:52
that's what you need in a World Cup
19:53
to be coming off your bench
19:54
guys with experience.
19:56
So, you know,
19:57
I think Ireland,
19:58
of course we,
19:59
um,
20:00
have respect for you now
20:01
because we've
20:02
all been beaten by you
20:03
in the last few years.
20:04
And like,
20:05
you were going
20:06
favourites going into the World Cup
20:07
before,
20:08
you know,
20:09
before you shake yourself
20:10
and lost the laugh.
20:11
Shake,
20:12
shake it ourselves.
20:13
Chast them.
20:14
Yeah, we,
20:15
um, they just want to
20:17
disagree with something
20:18
that you said a few minutes ago.
20:19
JK,
20:20
the consistency thing
20:21
is an interesting one.
20:22
And like,
20:23
so if we look at South Africa,
20:24
they,
20:25
they got beat by Ireland
20:26
and still went on
20:27
to win the World Cup.
20:28
A Robbie Championship.
20:29
They lost,
20:30
they lost that home
20:31
to Australia.
20:32
Did you lose another game
20:33
at New Zealand as well?
20:34
But still went on
20:35
to win the Robbie Championship.
20:36
And the Six Nations as well.
20:38
It's very,
20:39
very hard to go,
20:41
like, that France look,
20:42
that France side
20:43
in the first three game,
20:44
looked bulletproof.
20:45
I mean,
20:46
still couldn't win a ground slam.
20:47
But it's very,
20:48
very hard to do.
20:49
So for me,
20:50
it's actually,
20:51
and I'm not going to say,
20:52
any,
20:53
I'm not going to demonstrate
20:54
any expertise
20:55
in winning World Cups
20:56
or being successful World Cups.
20:58
But I wonder if it comes down
20:59
to just,
21:00
games are like this.
21:01
There's big moments
21:02
and big games
21:03
and you have to win those big moments.
21:04
And then also,
21:05
there's big games.
21:06
And not all games are equal.
21:08
And there's opportunity
21:09
that Razzie's kind of demonstrated this
21:11
with, you know,
21:12
looking at times
21:13
like,
21:14
that's less important
21:15
the next week.
21:16
There might be something like that.
21:17
This happened in all world
21:18
world rugby
21:19
and teams are kind of responding this.
21:20
And it just seems like
21:21
the best teams
21:22
win those big moments
21:23
and win those big games
21:24
whenever it really comes.
21:25
It's funny
21:26
when you look at the
21:27
England France game,
21:28
there was some big moments
21:29
that really cost England.
21:30
But Chesson made that,
21:31
Intercept try
21:33
and didn't put the ball
21:35
close to the post,
21:36
you know,
21:37
and miss the kick,
21:38
you know, the kicks for them
21:39
were very important,
21:41
the ones that they missed.
21:42
Also, you know,
21:43
Pollock woman
21:44
is so shushing the crowd,
21:45
next minute,
21:46
he's dropping the ball
21:47
and giving it back to France
21:48
to get a minute to go.
21:49
One minute to go.
21:50
Big moment.
21:51
Those are the big moments
21:53
you talk about.
21:54
Sure, those are the moments.
21:56
I mean,
21:57
in a game is also
21:59
always,
22:00
always,
22:01
it comes down to
22:03
a moment
22:04
where you can either
22:05
control the game,
22:06
play it out,
22:07
or you make a mistake
22:08
and you give the opportunity
22:09
to the other team.
22:10
I mean,
22:11
England had that game one,
22:12
and I mean,
22:14
that's where
22:15
the discipline,
22:16
the team culture,
22:17
all of that,
22:18
I think, needs to come through.
22:20
It's a minute or half
22:22
left.
22:23
I mean,
22:24
how do you lose the ball?
22:26
When you're not used to doing it,
22:27
and they had been used to it,
22:28
but up until the six nations,
22:30
but they haven't
22:31
any recent experience
22:32
in the last number of weeks,
22:33
and when you're not used to that,
22:35
then you demonstrate
22:37
an experience,
22:38
and it costs you a big moment.
22:40
I mean, you can actually
22:41
think about the World Cup as well.
22:42
England had South Africa
22:44
beaten in that semi-final,
22:45
and somehow,
22:47
they found a way
22:48
to bring South Africa
22:49
into that game.
22:50
I mean, they had,
22:52
they just for them to lose,
22:53
and they did lose it.
22:55
Yeah, I think,
22:56
I think you can't
22:57
live those moments either.
22:58
You know,
22:59
you can't train
23:00
for them, I don't think.
23:01
You know,
23:02
you need a really good
23:03
cycle coach,
23:04
if you're going to try
23:05
and train for them.
23:06
So, you've got to
23:07
live them,
23:08
and you've got to be aware
23:09
of them,
23:10
and I think,
23:11
it costs the all blacks
23:12
for 20 years,
23:13
like I said before,
23:14
and it's those moments
23:15
that you learn from.
23:16
That's why I think it takes,
23:17
it takes a pretty experience,
23:19
and then makes side
23:20
to win the World Cup,
23:21
because even France,
23:22
and the last one,
23:23
I think it was a coaching era.
23:24
You know, I think
23:25
Gautier
23:26
should have changed to Pont,
23:28
just because he hadn't played
23:29
for six weeks,
23:30
and I felt that was
23:31
the difference
23:32
against South Africa
23:33
in that last 15 minutes.
23:34
He was out on his feet,
23:35
and it started to show.
23:37
So, there are those little moments,
23:39
and it's a combination of,
23:41
I think,
23:42
does the Six Nations
23:44
help, you know,
23:46
does the Six Nations
23:47
tournament help,
23:49
you know, teams prepare
23:51
for the World Cup?
23:52
Don't know.
23:53
Does the championship
23:54
now do that?
23:55
Don't think it does anymore.
23:56
I just think the World Cup
23:57
has so much pressure
23:58
around it.
23:59
It is one of those,
24:00
it is one of those moments.
24:01
And the games you spoke
24:02
about, Trumbi,
24:04
you know,
24:05
were round Robin Games,
24:07
you know?
24:08
And so,
24:09
that is not a bad thing,
24:11
you know, winning all the time.
24:12
And, you know,
24:13
especially the games
24:14
you're talking about,
24:15
was South Africa.
24:16
They lost to us in Japan,
24:17
and the first came up,
24:19
and that puts a rocket up you,
24:21
you know,
24:22
you've been had
24:23
you lost in way you go.
24:24
So, if you lose
24:25
in the round Robin
24:26
and still come second,
24:27
I don't think
24:28
it's such a bad thing.
24:29
And especially next time,
24:30
because we lose in the round Robin,
24:31
then we don't meet South Africa
24:32
in the quarterfinals.
24:33
I'll be quite happy with that.
24:34
I wonder if,
24:37
I wonder if maybe South Africa
24:38
and he's obviously you guys
24:39
are having that love in with,
24:40
you're kind of
24:41
artificial lion's tour
24:43
in the summer.
24:44
I'm just,
24:45
Australia during their thing,
24:46
and Argentina during their thing,
24:48
and considering the
24:49
Robbie Championship was
24:50
absolutely brilliant last year,
24:51
it seems,
24:52
it seems a strange time to do this.
24:53
I know we talked about this
24:54
a couple of times
24:55
in the last few episodes,
24:56
but,
24:57
Trumbi,
24:58
it's really easy, mate.
24:59
Northern hemisphere
25:00
keep all the money.
25:01
Like, we're really
25:02
bored down here,
25:03
you know?
25:04
Like,
25:05
that's the difference.
25:06
You guys still run the world
25:07
rugby,
25:08
and you make all the decisions.
25:09
And we just go here
25:10
as poor cousins, mate.
25:12
So I'm going to score
25:13
and make some money.
25:14
You know what I mean?
25:15
Yeah.
25:16
It just feels like
25:18
the exposure
25:19
that all of the sides
25:20
in the Six Nations got
25:21
to different philosophies,
25:22
different playing threats,
25:24
different types of different styles.
25:26
You know,
25:27
if that rivalry is incredible,
25:28
obviously those rivalries
25:29
are going to be the
25:30
heartbeat of,
25:31
you know,
25:32
the financial side of things
25:33
for South Africa New Zealand,
25:34
of course.
25:35
But,
25:36
I just wonder,
25:37
you're trying to mimic,
25:38
you can't mimic a World Cup,
25:39
but having exposure
25:40
to different styles
25:41
and different philosophies
25:42
and different threats
25:43
could be something
25:44
that, maybe,
25:45
you could argue,
25:46
you could prepare
25:47
Six Nations teams.
25:48
And,
25:49
there's a combination
25:50
of things,
25:51
mate, going on
25:52
and now,
25:53
part of the world,
25:54
like,
25:55
you know,
25:56
I don't know what
25:57
your club football's
25:58
like at the moment.
25:59
But, you know,
26:00
we're trying to
26:01
regrow our games
26:02
and South Africa left.
26:03
We're trying to fill the stadiums.
26:04
I think Aussies
26:05
been a little bit
26:06
behind New Zealand.
26:07
We're trying to get the standards up.
26:08
We're trying to look at different
26:10
fan engagement.
26:11
We're trying to,
26:12
we're trying to look at
26:13
what we need to do
26:14
to continue to grow our game.
26:16
I think the Graeme
26:17
and the Northern Hemisphere
26:18
is very, very healthy.
26:19
You know,
26:20
I think especially France
26:21
is very healthy
26:22
with their,
26:23
you know, their rights
26:24
and their stadiums.
26:25
I know that, you know,
26:26
I don't know how
26:28
Ireland is to be fair
26:29
because, really,
26:30
you've only got three provinces.
26:31
I don't know what
26:32
we need,
26:33
we need this to it.
26:34
So, Africa, we need this to it.
26:35
We need things that people
26:36
want to engage in.
26:37
We also need, you know,
26:39
a tour, I think,
26:41
for rugby players to sort of start
26:43
living that moment,
26:44
how important it is to
26:46
get to a World Cup
26:47
be five weeks away
26:48
together.
26:49
So, I just think,
26:50
you know,
26:51
in the Southern Hemisphere,
26:52
we're trying to
26:53
create a bit of product.
26:55
That's how I see it.
26:57
Can I ask you a few questions?
26:58
Yeah, I think you get those
26:59
moments.
27:00
Greg,
27:01
I thought it was a very important
27:02
question to get your answer.
27:03
I think that,
27:04
very important questions
27:05
from our audience.
27:06
And we've had this
27:07
question asked a lot.
27:08
Can you actually
27:09
play that piano
27:10
behind you,
27:11
Trumbi?
27:12
The piano,
27:14
weirdly,
27:15
came with the
27:16
hoist.
27:17
We bought the hoist
27:21
a year and a half ago
27:22
and the guy was like,
27:23
ah, you can keep it.
27:24
He can't play the piano
27:25
and it started
27:26
tuned and he doesn't know
27:27
how to fix it.
27:28
It's too heavy to move.
27:29
So,
27:30
yeah.
27:31
I can't play it.
27:32
My wife can play it.
27:33
Oh, that's good.
27:34
Sorry, Victor.
27:35
Yeah, I was,
27:36
I just wanted to show you,
27:37
I think at this stage,
27:38
the closest to a World Cup
27:40
is probably the
27:41
Champions Cup.
27:43
It's just an unbelievable
27:45
competition.
27:46
I mean, you go into it
27:47
is very difficult.
27:48
And you come to a quarter
27:49
semi-finals.
27:50
I mean, stadiums are sold out.
27:53
Yeah,
27:55
and you get those plays
27:56
in those big moments
27:57
in quarter's final semi-finals
27:59
where they need to step up
28:01
and a lot of those guys
28:02
that come through there
28:04
did well.
28:05
I mean, you talked about
28:06
the pawn playing for too long
28:08
in the World Cup.
28:09
This Saturday,
28:10
they kept him on the field
28:11
and in that last
28:12
5-10 minutes,
28:13
he made some
28:14
crucial plays
28:15
in that game too
28:16
and that game as well.
28:17
So...
28:18
Yeah, no.
28:19
I think in any other
28:20
circumstances,
28:21
he can stay on, Victor,
28:22
but he'd just come off
28:23
that broken cheekbone
28:24
that would be trouble.
28:25
You know, he had four weeks off.
28:27
So,
28:28
do you think that
28:29
the champion,
28:30
whatever it's called,
28:31
the Champions League
28:32
that we're playing
28:33
at the end of the year?
28:34
Do you think that's
28:35
going to detract
28:36
from the World Cup?
28:37
The Nations Championships?
28:38
Of course.
28:39
This...
28:40
I know the new...
28:41
What was it called?
28:42
The Nations Championship.
28:43
The Nations Cup.
28:45
I think this game's
28:46
going to be good.
28:47
What I know,
28:49
I'll...
28:50
imported this game
28:51
to be for the coaches.
28:52
I've heard...
28:54
It might be...
28:55
South African
28:58
B-side game
28:59
over in the end of the year.
29:00
I don't know if it's true.
29:01
I've just heard rumours.
29:02
So...
29:03
I don't know.
29:04
Now, all the teams
29:05
are going to look at it.
29:06
Why...
29:08
Just a rascal.
29:09
Victor,
29:10
why would they do that?
29:11
I don't know.
29:12
Someone just told me.
29:13
They heard.
29:14
And...
29:15
It's something to do
29:17
with the league points
29:19
and where you finish
29:20
and not I know.
29:21
But, yeah.
29:22
I just heard it.
29:23
It's...
29:24
Uh...
29:25
Let's see what happened.
29:26
Razzie's done the sums.
29:28
And he's...
29:29
He's got something
29:30
obviously again.
29:31
Yeah.
29:32
He's always...
29:33
He's always...
29:34
I'd say there'd be...
29:35
I'd say there'd be something
29:36
in the contracts
29:37
that wouldn't let you do that,
29:38
surely.
29:39
Now,
29:40
France sent the B-Team
29:41
to you all the time.
29:42
Yeah, they do.
29:43
Actually, the B-Team
29:44
was a bad last year either.
29:45
That's what.
29:46
Who was the...
29:47
Who was the six...
29:49
Who was the player
29:50
of the Six Nations
29:51
for you individually?
29:53
Yeah.
29:54
Makloski, for me,
29:55
I'd say.
29:56
I thought he was
29:57
absolutely...
29:58
absolutely amazing.
30:00
I had huge moments
30:02
and I actually was looking
30:03
through some stats
30:05
around, you know,
30:06
top performers
30:07
and carries,
30:09
turnovers,
30:10
assists.
30:11
I think he was in
30:13
top three or four.
30:15
So, it's...
30:16
It's...
30:17
The all-right nature of his game.
30:18
All court...
30:19
He can...
30:20
offload...
30:21
distribute.
30:22
I thought that the past
30:23
to Balakoon was brilliant
30:25
and it really...
30:26
I think one of the things
30:27
that characterizes
30:28
Irish rugby is...
30:29
we can be clever.
30:30
We can think through
30:31
what's going on defensively
30:32
and think through
30:33
mechanisms, break that down.
30:34
I thought that was a really good example
30:36
of finding
30:37
way to get the ball
30:38
into Balakoon's hands
30:39
and then you've got
30:40
the skill set of Makloski
30:41
just to shift it over.
30:42
So, yeah, that guy does...
30:43
He does everything.
30:44
He does everything
30:45
9-10 out of 10.
30:46
I thought he was...
30:47
brilliant this year
30:48
and this...
30:49
this year in the Six Nations.
30:50
Fern Russell.
30:51
I don't know how I've met.
30:53
I've got two guys.
30:54
I think Makloski
30:56
and then Biel Biari
30:58
is also just outstanding.
31:01
Yeah.
31:02
Does he remind you
31:04
J.K. of Terry Wright
31:05
a little bit?
31:06
Yeah.
31:07
Yeah.
31:08
I mean, it's...
31:09
What I'm loving about
31:10
especially the Six Nations
31:11
is...
31:12
and to...
31:13
to be fair,
31:14
there's a...
31:15
there's a young...
31:16
Blues, Blues,
31:17
come on to the scene
31:18
who's actually a Maris guy.
31:19
Well, he's...
31:20
he's one of those
31:21
thinner sort of
31:22
agile players.
31:23
So, it's good to see
31:24
some of those boys
31:25
getting through.
31:26
But, I think...
31:27
you know,
31:28
I think all the players
31:29
you could probably pick
31:30
a whole list.
31:31
You know, I don't think
31:32
you can leave DuPont
31:33
out of the discussion
31:34
when you talk about the best
31:35
like Victor said,
31:36
you know,
31:37
late in the game,
31:38
he's making decisions
31:39
and...
31:40
but I thought
31:41
Fern Russell was
31:42
like...
31:43
at his absolute best.
31:45
And when he's at his best,
31:47
you know,
31:48
I think he's the world's
31:50
best ten
31:51
at the moment.
31:52
Those that are playing,
31:53
of course.
31:54
You know, I just think
31:55
that he's...
31:56
you know,
31:57
when we played him
31:58
and November,
31:59
I think he got a bit
32:00
of a knock early.
32:01
And he wasn't quite
32:02
a hundred percent.
32:03
But, you know,
32:04
pretty special
32:05
when he's on his game.
32:07
Right, well,
32:08
we all get the calm down
32:09
a little bit for a few weeks
32:10
and go back
32:11
and watch a...
32:12
a bit of...
32:13
franchise
32:14
rugby club,
32:15
rugby, whatever they call it
32:16
these days.
32:17
Yeah, it's been a...
32:19
it's been a hell of a six
32:20
nation.
32:21
It's been very entertaining.
32:22
Very super rugby-like.
32:23
So, well done for picking
32:24
up on that trimby.
32:25
That's been great.
32:26
You know, taking that lead.
32:27
And I'll give you all the sense
32:29
of a final word.
32:30
Start with you, Victor.
32:31
Yeah.
32:32
Well done to trimby.
32:33
Ireland's back.
32:34
It's going to be interesting
32:36
at the end of the year.
32:37
Looking forward
32:39
to the challenge.
32:40
And J.K.
32:41
What do you think?
32:43
For now.
32:45
For what?
32:47
For the two of coming up.
32:49
You're kidding yourself, mate.
32:51
I'm just asking.
32:52
I think that's a bit harsh, Victor.
32:53
I don't know if we'll beat
32:54
you for now.
32:55
I mean, you might get wanted.
32:56
I'm asking.
32:57
That's what I mean.
32:58
But J.K.
32:59
Immediately went the other way, eh?
33:01
Yeah, and I'll tell you.
33:03
I'll tell you.
33:04
I'll tell you.
33:05
I think it's going to be an amazing tour.
33:06
I think we're on the...
33:08
we're on the sort of front foot
33:09
because we'll be in together.
33:11
I just cannot wait, Victor.
33:13
I think it's going to be an amazing, amazing thing.
33:17
And if we win the series,
33:20
I don't care if it's, you know,
33:22
I don't care if it's four-null or three-one.
33:25
Can you then put my J.K.
33:27
back to its proper size,
33:29
rather than, sort of,
33:31
underneath your full size J.K.
33:34
Maybe that's the big trimby.
33:36
I might get the J.K.
33:39
I'll make a full version.
33:41
That's the one.
33:42
So just to respond to Victor's war cry,
33:46
he's trying to rise a rabble
33:48
by congratulating me
33:50
and where Irish rugby is.
33:52
And he's trying to rise a rabble
33:54
of South African Internet gremlins
33:56
who are all going to have to be mean
33:58
to Irish rugby.
33:59
So every message board,
34:01
just fast new seat belt,
34:02
they're coming.
34:03
But yeah, what are six nations?
34:05
The thing will be,
34:07
I suppose if we can keep it going.
34:08
I do hope the nation series in July,
34:11
I do hope we take that seriously
34:13
because I think it could be a good product,
34:15
a good spectacle.
34:16
So, yeah, see you in July.
34:19
Right, all in there.
34:20
Gentlemen, thank you very much.
34:22
And look forward to catching up
34:24
and talking about more rivalries.
34:27
Hey, watch some Super Rugby, you guys.
34:31
You know, don't forget us.
34:32
Us little brothers down here
34:34
in the Southern Hemisphere, Victor, you know?
34:36
You're back to USC.
34:38
You're back to that, man.
34:39
You want to go, you know?
34:40
Back to your host, buddy, Roots.
34:42
But don't forget that.
34:43
Is it like Tag rugby?
34:45
Do you want to put, like,
34:46
we built bootstraps on?
34:47
Yeah.
34:48
Yeah.