Latest / Early Edition with Ryan Bridge / Tony Johnson: Sports Commentator ahead of the Super Rugby Pacific quarterfinals

Transcript

Tony Johnson: Sports Commentator ahead of the Super Rugby Pacific quarterfinals · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Big Super ri weekend playoff time Chiefs kick us off tonight.
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: We've got the Reds, Hurricanes, Rebels, Blues, Drooer, Hilander's brumby,
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: Sky TV's Tony Johnson's whether there's Tony morning boy Miking.
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: Congratulations to you and all your teams. Are your awards
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: last night?
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Very kind of you to say I haven't talked to
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: you for ages. Are you aging?
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: Well? Oh I'm not doing too bad mate.
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Good you're doing another season. You've enjoyed it or not?
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I have. I know there was a bit of
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: negativity about it when it all started, but it just
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: it's grown. I think the rugby has been really good
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: and I think they've got to give a bit of
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: credit to the rest for that because after all the
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: shenanigans that we saw at the World Cup with the
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: rest seemed to think some of them seem to think
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: they were seen to stage. They've taken it back with
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: step of the players decide the games and you know
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: we haven't had the TMO coming in every thirty seconds,
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: and you know we've seen some good footing. I think
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: it's grown as it's come on. The crowds have gotten
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: better and you know it's heading towards a pretty good climax.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: I think, good well the Rebels, I mean, what's that
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: done for the Super Rugby in general? Their problems? I mean,
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: does that affect anything going forward? Apart from the obvious.
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: I think you've got to give them credit for the
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: way they're boxed on despite all this turmoil it's been
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: going on. What it'll mean next year we won't have
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: this situation where we have eight teams out of twelve
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: qualifying for the playoffs, so I think they'll have to
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: cut it back to six where they'll probably the top
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: two will take a week off and then they'll have
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: a minor semi final and I think that'll probably be good.
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: And it also it's probably going to help the Australian
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: challenge in a way because they won't be trying to
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: spread their butter over so many pieces of toast and
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: they'll have stronger teams as a consequence. So that's probably
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: the silver lining of it. But it's been messy, and
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: you've had all the mess going on here when his
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: Yen and trying to sort out its own constitutional problem.
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: So yeah, the backdrop hasn't been great, but I don't
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: think it's really affected the players too much. And as
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: I say, I think what we've seen in terms of
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: the quality and that the entertainment value of the rugby
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: has been really good.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah call it Chiefs, Reds? Is it Chiefs, Hurricanes, Blues?
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: What do you say? Highland is Brombie's Which way does
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: that go?
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: Gosh? This is that there's one big name missing out
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: all that, isn't there?
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: Mike, Yes, you're yes, there is, Tony act. I was
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: going to ask you, did we spend too much time
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: talking about the demise of that and not celebrating the
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: ones who actually did well?
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: Oh? No, it's a big story when the team's dominated
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: the landscape to the extent that they have. No. I
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: think it's fair enough that you know it was such
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: a big talking point. But I think the game that is,
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: the one that could go either way is the one
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: we've got tonight in Hamilton Chiefs against the Reds. Reds
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: won that game earlier on in the year. I think
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: they are a better team than their fifth on the
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: table indicates. They just had a bit of a slump
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: in the middle of the season where their discipline went
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: to pieces. They lost a couple of games that they
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: shouldn't have. I think that the Chiefs will remind themselves
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: they got beaten up up front when they played them
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: at sun corpor and round three, and they'll have to
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: be a lot better than that because, as I say,
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: I think that's the game that probably could go either way,
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: and I think this game was the most interest in
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: it this weekend.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: Okay, can we say ultimately it'll be Hurricanes Blues or not.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: Well, that's got to be that. The forum's got to
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: indicate that. I do love the way the Hurricanes have
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: played this year. Mike have played a fearless brand of rugby.
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: I think Clark laid Law coming from his sevens background,
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: and he's done a terrific job and galvanizing the team,
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: allowing them to play the sort of rugby that they
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: like to play, but with perhaps just a little bit
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: more structure to it. And you know, they've been terrific.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: I don't think the Rebels will go out inspire because
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: this will be their last game they don't win it,
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: so you know that could make the contest. But the Blues, yeah,
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: they'll be still. I think they'll be disappointed with the
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: way they let a bonus points slip on top of
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: the table last week that the Drew have been two teams.
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: They've been the team that played love talking, very difficult
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: to beat, and the team that play away. And if
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: the team that has been playing away turns up, then
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: I'll get a bit of a hiding.
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: You go well this weekend, make nice to catch up.
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: Appreciate it very much, turning you. Johnson Sky Rugby commentated.
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: For more from News Talk st B, listen live on
• 4:10
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• 4:13
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