Latest / Early Edition with Ryan Bridge / Liam Napier: NZ Herald Rugby Correspondent previews the All Blacks v Stormers test

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Liam Napier: NZ Herald Rugby Correspondent previews the All Blacks v Stormers test · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: The greatest rivalry in sport is back. All Blacks kick
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: off their tour of South Africa tomorrow when they take
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: on the Stormers. Ready, he's saying, basically, every player will
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: get a chance to impress him in the opening matches.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Liam Napier, Herald's rugby correspondent, is in South Africa and
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: is with us now, Liam, Good morning, Good morning, Right,
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: how's it over there?
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: It's good. So we're in Cape Town, one of the
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: great cities of the world. So yes, set, Liam, looking
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: forward to tomorrow's match.
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: Is it weird that Artie's not there? Will they be
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: a little lost?
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: I don't think so. He's been playing for eighteen months,
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: needed a rest and he'll come in ten days before
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: the opening Test. So chance for others to step up.
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: Patrick two plots captaining the team this weekend. Very second
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  Speaker 2: string All Blacks team. But they've got three headouts before
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: that opening Test. So chance, as you say, for everyone
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  Speaker 2: to get a run.
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: And in terms of how tough these first games are
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: going to be compared to your opening matches of the
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Nation's championship.
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: Yeah, significantly weaker opposition the Stormers this weekend, six weeks
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: out from their season they play in the Northern Hemisphere
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  Speaker 2: and they're also missing nine spring Boks, so far from
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  Speaker 2: full strength. But they all blacks, as I say, running
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: out a second string team, but you'd still expect the
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: comfortable victory this weekend.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: There's been a couple of stories over here about just
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: how many South Africans are supporting the All Blacks over there.
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  Speaker 1: Is this just a beat up or are you seeing that?
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: No, it's genuine. There's a historical element to this particular.
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  Speaker 2: It's largely confined to Cape Town and it's a little
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: bit long winded, but basically, the Springboks were a symbol
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: of apartheid and it's a generational support for a lot
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  Speaker 2: of South African fans in Cape Town. They's been passed
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: down through their generations. They affiliate with All Blacks. They
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: are very passionate. They had five thousand people turn up
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  Speaker 2: to one of their open training sessions. They've got people
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  Speaker 2: waiting for them outside their hotels, at public events, they
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: are swarmed of support. So it's very very genuine. Things
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  Speaker 2: have changed a wee bit around the spring Box. They've
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  Speaker 2: had the first black captain and Circlisi and that the
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  Speaker 2: composition of that team has changed a lot over the years,
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  Speaker 2: but in Cape Town the support for the All Blacks
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: remains very strong.
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: Good stuff, Liam, Nice to have you on the show.
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: Liam Napier, the heralds Rugby correspondent.
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: Listen live to news Talks. It'd be from five am weekdays,
• 2:38
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