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Transcript

Rugby Direct - Episode 165 · Rugby Direct

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B.
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Straight down the Middle of Drum Dickney Scuy Try get
• 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, It's Rugby Direct, powered by Habit Health tankling all
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: your aches and paynes from sports and work.
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: We have our finalists in Super Rugby.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: Elliott Smith Liam Napier Back for another week, but really
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: the biggest story of the weekend the comeback. Liam Napier
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: returns to the rugby fields emotional time. I'm sure Liam,
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: how did it go? Would you come through the game?
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: Who was it?
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: Four?
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: Again?
• 1:00
  Speaker 4: The Pontsib Hustlers the great championship winning teams team. Yeah,
• 1:05
  Speaker 4: the range of emotions, the body is feeling all thirty
• 1:10
  Speaker 4: seven and a half years today. What do we do
• 1:13
  Speaker 4: three days on the post match probably has something to
• 1:16
  Speaker 4: do with that. Yeah. I had to leave it three
• 1:18
  Speaker 4: quarter time and go to cover the Blues. So it
• 1:21
  Speaker 4: was a real throwback to the days of playing footy
• 1:24
  Speaker 4: and then covering foody. But no great reunion A lot
• 1:29
  Speaker 4: of good times on and off the fields and reminded
• 1:31
  Speaker 4: me why I'm retired.
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: So this is that you're done this, You're you're not
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: planning any further comebacks.
• 1:37
  Speaker 4: I'm open to calls from the Parliamentary match and the
• 1:42
  Speaker 4: Barbarians and you know, maybe the classics.
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: Well.
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: Also the log aweighted Media versus in ZR match, which
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: has been in the offing for a few years hasn't
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: quite happened.
• 1:52
  Speaker 4: It's a lot of chats still waiting for that envelope
• 1:56
  Speaker 4: in the post.
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: Indeed, well, let's get into the weekend that was the
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: final round of Super Rugby's around Robin was going back
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: to Saturday night the Hurricanes and Mwana PACIFICAP and I
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: guess but going into this game there was a feeling
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: that maybe Mlwana had run their race, given the way
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: they were beaten the previous week against the Chiefs. Obviously
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: they knew that the Blues had beaten the Waratas and
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: they would need a bonus point when that was always
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: going to be tough in Wellington regardless. But unfortunately for
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: Mljuana it felt like they just ran out of steam
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: at the wrong end of the season. That big win
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: over the Blue is what two or three weeks ago
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: now felt like a final for them, and unfortunately, with
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: their playoff hopes on the line, they've failed to deliver,
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: which I'm sure sounds harsh, but that's the reality of it.
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: They just didn't quite get there in the end with
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: those two big games at the end of the season.
• 2:48
  Speaker 4: I think it was always going to be massively tough,
• 2:51
  Speaker 4: wasn't it the run home the Blues, Chiefs and Hurricanes,
• 2:56
  Speaker 4: And it does seem like their final was against the Blues,
• 2:58
  Speaker 4: and look in the context of where they were and
• 3:00
  Speaker 4: where they've come from, that was a massive result. They
• 3:03
  Speaker 4: were beaten very comfortably by the Blues earlier in the year.
• 3:08
  Speaker 4: To get that result in Albany was huge for them,
• 3:11
  Speaker 4: and you have to think that result against the Chiefs
• 3:13
  Speaker 4: left some real psychological scars and they couldn't get back
• 3:17
  Speaker 4: up from that. But look to see twenty thousand in
• 3:21
  Speaker 4: the Capitol for that match as a testament to how
• 3:25
  Speaker 4: far Moana have come and their appeal, their value to
• 3:31
  Speaker 4: this competition. Ardie Severe's homecoming in Wellington. I think the
• 3:35
  Speaker 4: Canes average crowd this year something like ten thousand, so
• 3:38
  Speaker 4: they've doubled the Hurricanes' home crowd by going to Wellington,
• 3:41
  Speaker 4: so complete blowout on the field. They scored first and
• 3:45
  Speaker 4: then were never in that match and clearly run out
• 3:49
  Speaker 4: of steam, which will be just disappointing because consistency is
• 3:54
  Speaker 4: their major work on, isn't it. They've been good with
• 3:56
  Speaker 4: the matches. I've had some great results, but yeah, are
• 4:00
  Speaker 4: very deflating into the year from a performance perspective.
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we'll dig into that again in the final four.
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: The Hurricanes, though the train continued to roll on sixty
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: four points at home. A bit of a tune up
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: before the playoffs, obviously just getting some of their combinations
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: back out on the field. Brick Cameron goes into ten.
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: I wasn't quite sure that was the right move, but
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: I thought he played well. Ruben Love at fullback and
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: I think, you know, the Omega Jents and properly combination
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: also working well. The four packs rolling on. So in
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: terms of the Hurricanes, you probably couldn't have asked too
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: much more. In terms of a final round performance.
• 4:37
  Speaker 4: Yeah, they get in some some players back. Brick Cameron's
• 4:40
  Speaker 4: big Devin Flanders was impressive coming back. It's hard to
• 4:45
  Speaker 4: know how much to take out of that game, and
• 4:47
  Speaker 4: it is going to be very very different going to Canberra.
• 4:51
  Speaker 4: Arctic cold in the in the middle of winter. The
• 4:55
  Speaker 4: style of game that you're going to confront in Canberra
• 4:57
  Speaker 4: is kick heavy more you know, one off the ruck
• 5:02
  Speaker 4: type scenario, so Poles apart to what we saw in Wellington.
• 5:05
  Speaker 4: But the Hurricanes have built I would argue, more momentum
• 5:09
  Speaker 4: than any other team coming into the finals. Since that
• 5:12
  Speaker 4: draw in Perth, they've knocked over the Chiefs and been
• 5:17
  Speaker 4: really impressive, built a lot of momentum in their attack
• 5:20
  Speaker 4: in particular, and they've lost some figures as well, with
• 5:24
  Speaker 4: Riley Higgins who was a big influence coming back moving
• 5:27
  Speaker 4: out and then Peter humunger Jensen with his best performance
• 5:30
  Speaker 4: since he was an All Black at the weekend. So look,
• 5:36
  Speaker 4: get on board the cane train.
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: Okay, it's enough for that. Blues beating the Wartars forty
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: six to six. They went into this game knowing but
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: they had to put the best foot forward they possibly could,
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: whether it was a win or a bonus point win,
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: whatever they could to basically try and cancel O what
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: one I might have done later that evening and then
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: it didn't matter. But the Blues went out and steamrolled
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: the Waratars, who were I thought shocking at times. This
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: is a team that had a lot of promise this year,
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: had their playoffs hopes on the line, and basically came
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: to Eden Park and were turnstiles in the end. And look,
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: they were there for twenty minutes, maybe in the first spell,
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: but this was probably up there with the Blues best
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: performances of the season. I know they ran the Chiefs
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: close and Hamilton, the Crusaders and christ Church, but in
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: terms of comprehensive victories, hard to go past that one.
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: In terms of just shutting the war Tars out completely,
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: not allowing their triline to be breached, a sign of
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: where the Blues maybe could go in the playoffs. We
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: haven't seen a lot of it this year. But they
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: were more expansive, I thought, on Saturday evening than we've
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: seen this season yet, Talia grabbing a couple of tries,
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: Rico Yuwani playing a bit more open than what we've
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: seen this year. So look, the Blues have a tough
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: task ahead of them given where they're at, but the
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: title defense remains alive for at least one more week.
• 6:52
  Speaker 5: I ran into Paul Tito.
• 6:54
  Speaker 4: Straight after that game, came out of the media box
• 6:56
  Speaker 4: and the coaching boxes right next door, and he was
• 6:59
  Speaker 4: standing outside and he was stunned with how bad the
• 7:02
  Speaker 4: war Tars were. She said to me, like, wow, they
• 7:05
  Speaker 4: had everything to play for and they were that bad.
• 7:07
  Speaker 4: So I think the Blues, certainly the coaching team will
• 7:10
  Speaker 4: be keeping that result in context. But yeah, certainly I
• 7:15
  Speaker 4: agree in terms of everything ran the Blues way, but
• 7:18
  Speaker 4: they did. The core of their game was there. They
• 7:20
  Speaker 4: dominated the set piece. They scored one try through Rick
• 7:23
  Speaker 4: Telly with the mall, but they were They did chase
• 7:28
  Speaker 4: a width a lot more. Boden Barrett, I think, you know,
• 7:30
  Speaker 4: his goalkicking was off and he sent one out on
• 7:33
  Speaker 4: the fall, but he set up two triers through the
• 7:35
  Speaker 4: boot and they were far more expensive. So maybe the
• 7:40
  Speaker 4: Blues have found a wee bit more balance to their game.
• 7:44
  Speaker 5: Let's find out.
• 7:45
  Speaker 4: Interesting to see, but they will take a lot of
• 7:48
  Speaker 4: confidence from that. There was a knockout match. We were
• 7:52
  Speaker 4: their postmatch and we heard about how they harnessed the
• 7:56
  Speaker 4: emotion of guys like Harry Plummer, Mark Talia, Rick Telly,
• 8:00
  Speaker 4: Adrian Choate. All moving on at the end of this year,
• 8:03
  Speaker 4: had they lost that game, that there's a finality to that.
• 8:06
  Speaker 4: So the Blues have had a a terrible year by
• 8:09
  Speaker 4: their standards, very underwhelming, but they will be hopeful that
• 8:14
  Speaker 4: they've found form at the right time. What do you
• 8:17
  Speaker 4: make of I guess the swagger of guys like Riccowani
• 8:22
  Speaker 4: is saying postmatch in a reference to American sports NBA
• 8:28
  Speaker 4: and the MLB, you shouldn't let us get one.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: I mean, it is a very American mindset, and I
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: guess Rico has always tended to use the American style
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: of trash talk and motivation. Whatever works, I guess for
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: a player. I guess it's probably not the traditional Newseon style.
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but whatever
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: works for a player. If that's the kind of performance
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: at Rico Yuwani is going to deliver on the back
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: of that sort of motivation, great, if you could back
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: it up this weekend, even better. Because this hasn't been
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: probably Rico Yuani's been super rugby season. There has been
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: questions as to whether he's going to be the starting
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: center for the All Blacks. So if he can find
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: something that motivates him, you'd think just the nature of
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: super rugby and wanting to defend the title might be enough,
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: but hey, if he's going to find another element to
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: help him press those buttons and get his best performance
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: out of the park, I think good on him. And
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: we've seen that with the Johnny Sixton thing previously. That's
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: clearly what he feeds off. He clearly reacts well to
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: it and delivers his best performances on that side of it.
• 9:27
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I love it. Personally, Rico is not everyone's cup
• 9:30
  Speaker 4: of tea. But to project that confidence, to stoke the narratives,
• 9:36
  Speaker 4: to create interest, to put his personality out there like
• 9:40
  Speaker 4: that rugby needs it.
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and he backs it up as well. When he
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: puts it out there. You know, you think of various
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: things he did last year leading up to that Irish Test.
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: You know, he didn't do a lot of media, but
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: he spoke to me that week leading up to it
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: and didn't want to fan the flames necessarily. But when
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: he got the result, you know, he lead the hucker
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: that night in Dublin. He got the result, and you
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: know he can to the win. He goes the sports,
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: he can continue building that narrative, I suppose.
• 10:08
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 10:08
  Speaker 5: Well, from a punter's fan point of view.
• 10:10
  Speaker 4: Would you rather somebody you know, generating that and just
• 10:14
  Speaker 4: putting themselves out there, or somebody just chucking Yeah, the cliches,
• 10:19
  Speaker 4: you know, like sports about sports entertainment, So more of
• 10:22
  Speaker 4: it the better for me.
• 10:23
  Speaker 3: That's right.
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: Entertaining game Friday Night Crusaders thirty three, Brumbies thirty one,
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: A game that really had it all, almost a game
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: with two halves to a certain extent. Crusader's up twenty
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: five to fourteen at halftime and then fell apart a
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: little bit in the second spell.
• 10:38
  Speaker 3: I thought that was noticeable.
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: When Ethan Blackadder went off, he had a good forty minutes,
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: was getting some go forward for the Crusaders. He went off,
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: they weren't quite as good, They weren't quite as polished.
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: The Brumbies also began to find some rhythm in the
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: second spell. Rob Valatini I thought was excellent for them.
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: But the Crusaders really did lose their way in the
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: second spell, and we're perhaps lucky to win it. George
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: Bell gets the winning tricrit to him because that all
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: was going nowhere stopped went to the I mean there's
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: been a controversy as well, with the sevaries. Possible knock
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: on definitely.
• 11:14
  Speaker 3: Let's see.
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: I've seen some angles, but maybe it doesn't look like
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: he's knocked it on.
• 11:19
  Speaker 5: Those red tins and glasses.
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: Well, you know, camera angles can be funny things. The
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: Crusaders get out of jail almost but I think a
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: good win for them heading into the playoffs.
• 11:31
  Speaker 4: Look, Camera is an incredibly tough place to go at
• 11:34
  Speaker 4: the best time of year and when there's everything on
• 11:36
  Speaker 4: the line like that, this was a very good win
• 11:39
  Speaker 4: for the Crusaders. It wasn't complete, it wasn't perfect, but
• 11:43
  Speaker 4: you absolutely take those and run from Canberra one. You
• 11:47
  Speaker 4: mentioned the George Bell try, but there was a brilliant
• 11:50
  Speaker 4: tackle from Scott Barrett which you could equally say won
• 11:55
  Speaker 4: them that match.
• 11:56
  Speaker 5: And you know, we've I've certainly been.
• 11:58
  Speaker 4: Critical of Scott's Barrett's performances this year and a lot
• 12:01
  Speaker 4: of talk abouts whether he should retain the ALLA captaincy
• 12:04
  Speaker 4: with Ardie Severe that was a moment which some people
• 12:08
  Speaker 4: may overlook, but that was very, very pivotal.
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: Well, that talk about Artie being the All Blacks captain
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: certainly died down and over the last couple of weeks
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: he's not solely responsible for his team conceding one hundred
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: nearly one hundred and fifty points in two weeks and
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: only scoring nineteen. But the leadership required in those sort
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: of games to not blow out, you know, I think
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: you know, there's some questions that probably were being left
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: on the table of the last couple of weeks round that.
• 12:35
  Speaker 5: Yeah, he's starting to stand up at the right time
• 12:38
  Speaker 5: of year.
• 12:38
  Speaker 4: Scott Barrett's and there were others for the Crusaders as
• 12:40
  Speaker 4: well to Mighty Williams played I think seventy odd minutes.
• 12:44
  Speaker 4: You mentioned Ethan Blackheader some big. He was a big
• 12:47
  Speaker 4: presence at the breakdown. Christian Leo, who's been huge for
• 12:52
  Speaker 4: the Crusaders, did so again and notably it sounds like
• 12:56
  Speaker 4: the reinforcements are really on the way. Potentially Will Jordan,
• 13:00
  Speaker 4: David Hevilli and Fletcher newl So some massive ins coming
• 13:04
  Speaker 4: back at the right time of year.
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: If Will Jordan's not there, they don't win the Super
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: RAGBYI i'most say they will win Super Rakby title, but
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: if Jordan's not fit, they will not win the Super
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: Brakedy title.
• 13:12
  Speaker 4: I agree he has such an impact on their attack
• 13:16
  Speaker 4: and I think David Heavili will be such a calming
• 13:20
  Speaker 4: figure for that back line as well. But yeah, the
• 13:23
  Speaker 4: Crusaders can't get Will Jordan back soon enough. And you
• 13:26
  Speaker 4: suspect there is probably a little bit of conflict in
• 13:29
  Speaker 4: the background there with the All Blacks as well a
• 13:30
  Speaker 4: few of the All Blacks.
• 13:31
  Speaker 5: You're thinking, look, just.
• 13:33
  Speaker 4: Just take it easy to give him all the time
• 13:34
  Speaker 4: he needs, we need him, you know later in the
• 13:36
  Speaker 4: year where Rob Penny's like, I need him back. Well.
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: Scott Robertson of course had Sam white Lockett his disposal
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: in twenty twenty three, played the final, played eighteen minutes
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: and then I don't think compared for the All Blacks
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: until for a month for a month or soo. So
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: you know, Scott Robinson knows what that's all about. And
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: maybe a bit of payback potentially of sorts coming there.
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: And the first game off the round Chiefs Highland is
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: forty one twenty four. Chicks are very very good. That's
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: an early momentum that was sort of stopped a little
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: bit by the Quinti Pyre injury stoppage.
• 14:04
  Speaker 3: Fortunately he looks like he's okay.
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: I had a fearly routine win for the Chiefs to
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: make sure they got top spot.
• 14:12
  Speaker 4: Yeah, it was this. The Honders have come good. They
• 14:17
  Speaker 4: had come good at the back end of this year,
• 14:20
  Speaker 4: two very close losses, but this was a wee bit
• 14:24
  Speaker 4: of a step back. They blew a number of chances
• 14:27
  Speaker 4: they were in that game and created enough, but I
• 14:30
  Speaker 4: think a lingering sense of frustration. I heard Ethan Degrout
• 14:35
  Speaker 4: talking postmatch with Sky Sport about his reflections on the
• 14:39
  Speaker 4: year and a lot of frustrations, but also a lot
• 14:41
  Speaker 4: of faith in what the Honders have built. And we
• 14:44
  Speaker 4: did see last week Tavatavanawa, Jacob Ritamvuoki Nipkins, Ethan de
• 14:51
  Speaker 4: Groot And there's one other big tongue in tel big, big,
• 14:56
  Speaker 4: big re signings in the context of the Honders.
• 14:59
  Speaker 5: So interesting to see where they go.
• 15:02
  Speaker 4: But those are key planks for them to lock in
• 15:05
  Speaker 4: for a team that struggles on the recruit front.
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah, there's a few whispers doing the rounds that they
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: are looking at younger players and I think Jamie just
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: might have actually said this publicly, but the New Zealand
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: under twenty players could be some targets there that have
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: got their positions. You know, they're behind a few at
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: their home Super Rugby franchise or province. They could look
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: to those players and really that's what the first tenure
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: of Jamie Joseph was built on. Some players that were
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: wanted elsewhere or had their paths blocked elsewhere. Some battlers
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: that they threw into the mix as well for want
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: of a better term, and all that came into a
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: melting pot and worked and delivered them a Super Rugby
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: title in twenty fifteen. And it feels like Jamie Joseph
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: is trying to run that back as best as he
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: possibly can.
• 15:48
  Speaker 4: Yeah, and they have gone that way in recent years,
• 15:51
  Speaker 4: haven't they even prior to Joseph investing in youth the
• 15:54
  Speaker 4: likes of Cam Miller and Sean Withee and a number
• 15:58
  Speaker 4: of holand Fabian holland big time who should be an
• 16:01
  Speaker 4: All Black that this year fully fledged, they're not losing
• 16:06
  Speaker 4: too many. I think Sam Gilbert's off to I would
• 16:10
  Speaker 4: argue not a massive loss. He came off the bench
• 16:13
  Speaker 4: at the weekend. So the core of that team will
• 16:16
  Speaker 4: remain and if they can bring through a few more
• 16:19
  Speaker 4: than those younger guys, hopefully they can kick on next year.
• 16:24
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, So we have our Pluffs Set Chiefs play the Blues,
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: Crusaders play the Reds Brumby's Hurricanes this weekend. I mean
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: those six teams. Most people would have had a mix
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: of those six teams. Maybe you will take one two teams.
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: At the start of the season. I'm trying to think
• 16:40
  Speaker 2: I picked Blues wartized to be the Super Rugby Final.
• 16:44
  Speaker 2: I think you might have gone Blues Chiefs of memory
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: serves a bit earlier on in the season. But those
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: are the six teams we have. There's the playoff format,
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: which has already been derided before we've even seen it
• 16:56
  Speaker 2: in action. Not my favorite format, to be honest. Because
• 17:00
  Speaker 2: I tell me to Brumby's Hurricanes on Saturday night, both
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: those teams will know, they could know that they've got
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: a second chance next week, regardless of what happens. It's
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: whether they go to Hamilton or where they go to
• 17:11
  Speaker 2: christ that's if the other two games go to form,
• 17:14
  Speaker 2: which they may not. But I'm not sold on this
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: format as it is, but we'll see how it plays
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: out this weekend.
• 17:21
  Speaker 4: Well, let's just touch on that lucky highest lucky loser,
• 17:25
  Speaker 4: the highest ranked losing team, because I didn't know the
• 17:28
  Speaker 4: quirk that you inform me on Saturday night after the
• 17:30
  Speaker 4: Blues game that say the Chiefs, the Blues go to
• 17:34
  Speaker 4: Hamilton and upset the Chiefs, then as you relyvant for me,
• 17:38
  Speaker 4: that the Chiefs would then still host a home semi.
• 17:43
  Speaker 4: So the Chiefs, if they lose this weekend, drop one
• 17:46
  Speaker 4: seating place to second. What's your view on that, Well,
• 17:51
  Speaker 4: I think I should drop the board with the pile.
• 17:53
  Speaker 4: That's your second life. But you've got to do it hardway.
• 17:55
  Speaker 4: Now you've got to be.
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: Away from home. You're still in the pass, but you've
• 17:58
  Speaker 2: got to do away from home. So I would slide
• 18:02
  Speaker 2: whoever it is, whether it's the Chiefs or Crusaders, everyone
• 18:04
  Speaker 2: goes up. Everyone goes up, and the losing team slide
• 18:08
  Speaker 2: to the bottom and yep, you're still in there. But hey,
• 18:10
  Speaker 2: you're going to have to go to christ Church, Canberra,
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: well whatever it might be, and win the playoffs that way,
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: so I can understand why they've got a second life.
• 18:18
  Speaker 2: Not my favorite format necessarily. I think the reward for
• 18:21
  Speaker 2: the Crusaders and Chiefs would have been to have a
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: week off and get some bodies ready for a semi
• 18:26
  Speaker 2: final the following week and have the Rumbies played the
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: Blues and the Hurricanes play the Reds. But this was
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: very much done as a TV thing, and we'd almost
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: got away from that from a Super Rugby perspective, the
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: eight team format had gone for the quarter finals, but
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: that still lingers just a little bit that they're putting
• 18:43
  Speaker 2: broadcast preference above competition integrity.
• 18:46
  Speaker 5: Yeah, one hundred percent.
• 18:47
  Speaker 4: I agree that a second life is a massive advantage
• 18:50
  Speaker 4: and I think that's enough reward for finishing top. So
• 18:54
  Speaker 4: I would also like to see if the Chiefs lose
• 18:58
  Speaker 4: for them to go to the bottom of the pack.
• 19:00
  Speaker 4: Apparently it's also somewhat done so you can't get a
• 19:04
  Speaker 4: repeat this week of any of the match ups this weekend,
• 19:10
  Speaker 4: so that's another quirk. But all in all, I think
• 19:14
  Speaker 4: a second life is just such an advantage, isn't it.
• 19:16
  Speaker 4: So the Chiefs going to this weekend, it's not sudden
• 19:20
  Speaker 4: death for them, No, it's not. And they're the only
• 19:23
  Speaker 4: team that can have that mentality. So whether that's a
• 19:26
  Speaker 4: psychological advantage for the Blues maybe, who knows, but that
• 19:31
  Speaker 4: it is a massive reward for finishing first.
• 19:33
  Speaker 2: And it's a weird scheduling quirk that the Brumbies and
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: Hurricanes game is last. Now, as I said that those
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: two games go to the form book, the first two
• 19:42
  Speaker 2: they will know that basically the winner goes somewhere, the
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: loser goes somewhere else. They're both still in the playoffs.
• 19:48
  Speaker 2: I think there was a bit of hope from the
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: Brumbies that they would have that game move forward. For
• 19:53
  Speaker 2: other reasons. I think there's an AFL game in Canberra
• 19:55
  Speaker 2: on Saturday night. They wanted to play it Saturday afternoons,
• 19:57
  Speaker 2: so maybe four o'clock, five o'clock local time potentially, But
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: for TV reasons, once again, it is going to be
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: the late game, and that has its own quirk in
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: terms of how teams are rock shit, you know theory,
• 20:09
  Speaker 2: if you've got a player that's fifty fifty, you're not
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: going to risk them. No, you might pull them out
• 20:13
  Speaker 2: of the line out, you know, an hour before kickoff.
• 20:15
  Speaker 4: Yeah, and interesting to see what sort of turnout the
• 20:18
  Speaker 4: Bumbies get for that game, because I looked in the
• 20:20
  Speaker 4: stands on Saturday night and it was Friday night pretty barren.
• 20:25
  Speaker 3: Yeah, the battling I think in Canberra, and.
• 20:27
  Speaker 4: I understand it's freezing cold and all the rest of it.
• 20:29
  Speaker 4: But this is your team, you know, fighting for you know,
• 20:34
  Speaker 4: second place. So and this weekend is a quarterfinal. If
• 20:37
  Speaker 4: you're not going to turn out then then when are you?
• 20:39
  Speaker 2: Well, yeah, that's right, the thriller and the chiller in
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: Canbra it was on the weekend, absolutely right.
• 20:46
  Speaker 3: That will do us the first half of Rugby Direct.
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: Come back with some Final four topics after this.
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: This is Rugby Direct, a podcast for real rugby fans.
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: Try that's sixty secondary tackle tackles.
• 21:01
  Speaker 3: Get up again, well afore time it's Rugby Direct.
• 21:08
  Speaker 2: Lad You're back with Rugby Direct powered by Habit Health,
• 21:12
  Speaker 2: tackling all your aches and pains from sports and timeline
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: for the final four Mowana Pacificer Mister the Super Rugby Playoffs. Now,
• 21:20
  Speaker 2: it's obviously been an improved season, but lim I want
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: you to grade their season from eight to if and.
• 21:28
  Speaker 3: Where do they head to for twenty twenty six.
• 21:31
  Speaker 5: I'm usually a very hard marker elliot.
• 21:35
  Speaker 3: With none then the history of Rugby directs.
• 21:37
  Speaker 4: But I am going to give them a bee because
• 21:39
  Speaker 4: I think you have to contextualize where they've come from.
• 21:42
  Speaker 4: They beat four or the five New Zealand teams and
• 21:44
  Speaker 4: if you said that to me at the start of
• 21:46
  Speaker 4: the year, I would have laughed in your face, to
• 21:48
  Speaker 4: be honest. Massive recruitment of Artie Severe which was hugely
• 21:53
  Speaker 4: inspirational for them, and I just think in the context
• 21:57
  Speaker 4: of them previously not having a home, attracting one hundred fans,
• 22:02
  Speaker 4: their future being questioned at every turn, both financially and
• 22:07
  Speaker 4: from a performance perspective of I think they really built
• 22:10
  Speaker 4: a culture, a platform to a launch pad, and the
• 22:15
  Speaker 4: end of the year can sour that and shape it
• 22:18
  Speaker 4: to a degree. But in terms of their well external
• 22:23
  Speaker 4: expectations at the start of this year, I think they
• 22:25
  Speaker 4: improved significantly and I never expected them to be in
• 22:29
  Speaker 4: the playoff picture and be fighting for that, so I
• 22:33
  Speaker 4: was largely impressed. And yeah, there's still a lot of
• 22:35
  Speaker 4: work to do, but if you look at their roster
• 22:38
  Speaker 4: as well, that easily the weakest of the They are
• 22:41
  Speaker 4: a six pseudo New Zealand franchise. They're based in New
• 22:45
  Speaker 4: Zealand's they pick a lot of their talent from NPC
• 22:48
  Speaker 4: cast offfs and the like. There's a lot of work
• 22:51
  Speaker 4: they can do in terms of their recruitment from the
• 22:53
  Speaker 4: Islands and bridging that gap, and you know, retaining top
• 22:58
  Speaker 4: talent Toarmoy Flal going to the Chiefs is a big blow.
• 23:00
  Speaker 4: Artist Severe is not going to be there next year.
• 23:03
  Speaker 4: He's got a sabbatical, but he will come back, So
• 23:07
  Speaker 4: big challenge now for them to leverage that and build
• 23:10
  Speaker 4: on it because next year they will have an element
• 23:13
  Speaker 4: of expectation.
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: They will and they won't have Artie Savere as our understanding.
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: But if i'm more Wana Pacifica, I'm desperately trying to
• 23:21
  Speaker 2: get that deferred to twenty twenty eight or somewhere around
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: the I know he's only contracted till twenty twenty seven
• 23:26
  Speaker 2: with New Zealand Rugby and Mowana Pacifica, but if there's
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: some way you can get him to defer it to
• 23:30
  Speaker 2: twenty twenty eight, because I'm sure the All Blacks and
• 23:34
  Speaker 2: New Zealand Raby want a part of that line series
• 23:36
  Speaker 2: in twenty nine. Maybe is a Swan song in New Zealand.
• 23:38
  Speaker 2: But if you can get that deferred somehow, some way
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: and continue to build the blocks that you've got on
• 23:44
  Speaker 2: success this year of more Wana Pacifica, then I think
• 23:47
  Speaker 2: that's a must. Because without Ardi, that team drops back,
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: just regardless because he is such a player, of quality,
• 23:53
  Speaker 2: of inspiration of his leadership, So I think if there's
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: anyway around it, and there probably isn't, but I'm working
• 24:00
  Speaker 2: the phones. I'm trying to give them the phone to
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: Kobe or wherever he's going next year as agent and
• 24:03
  Speaker 2: seeing if you can sort of massage things a little
• 24:06
  Speaker 2: bit and try and keep him there. I give them
• 24:08
  Speaker 2: a minus for the season. I think you're right. No
• 24:11
  Speaker 2: one had any expectations on them this year. We probably
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: all thought that Adi Savuare was going to make this
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: team best as somehow we didn't think it would result
• 24:19
  Speaker 2: in wins over the Blues, over the Crusaders, of the Highlanders,
• 24:22
  Speaker 2: over the Hurricanes once again. So to be there on
• 24:26
  Speaker 2: the final day of the regular season and with a
• 24:29
  Speaker 2: chance of making the playoffs, I think is a good
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: outcome for Mowana. But those two defeats, you know, almost
• 24:34
  Speaker 2: conceding one hundred and fifty over the last couple of weeks,
• 24:36
  Speaker 2: will stick in the crawl, and you hope it sticks
• 24:37
  Speaker 2: in the craw because, as you alluded to earlier in
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: the podcast, it's about consistency now Fromana Pacific here and
• 24:43
  Speaker 2: finding ways where they can't just get up for big games,
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: but they get up for every game. And they lost
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: to the forth earlier in the season, the game they
• 24:51
  Speaker 2: probably should have won, they lost away to the Reds,
• 24:53
  Speaker 2: a game that they probably would have lost either way.
• 24:55
  Speaker 2: But they it took a while to get going, and
• 24:58
  Speaker 2: but once they did, you know, they were sort of
• 25:00
  Speaker 2: away and you hope that the building blocks are there
• 25:04
  Speaker 2: for them.
• 25:04
  Speaker 3: In twenty twenty six.
• 25:06
  Speaker 2: Shannon Frazelle and Richie Wanger in another title for Toshiba,
• 25:11
  Speaker 2: Brave Loopus against the Koboda Spears. Watched a bit of
• 25:14
  Speaker 2: this on Sunday afternoon on Rugby Pass TV, and Richie
• 25:19
  Speaker 2: Wong had played with a broken hand of sorts. He
• 25:21
  Speaker 2: was in the cryo chamber. According to our friend Rugby
• 25:24
  Speaker 2: gp jp on on Twitter, had to go everything through
• 25:28
  Speaker 2: everything but title success, as follows Richie wonger around, doesn't it?
• 25:32
  Speaker 5: Sure does? Man? What can't the man do?
• 25:35
  Speaker 4: Back to back titles in Japan and seems to be,
• 25:38
  Speaker 4: you know, loving life over there. He's got one more
• 25:40
  Speaker 4: year and of what banking close to two million bucks.
• 25:45
  Speaker 5: It's not bad, does it?
• 25:45
  Speaker 3: It's not bad at all?
• 25:46
  Speaker 2: And you know, obviously we have reported and heard previously
• 25:50
  Speaker 2: that the NZR tried to get him out of that deal.
• 25:53
  Speaker 2: After this point he'll be back for another year though
• 25:56
  Speaker 2: with Tashiba. The expectation is but not confirmed that maybe
• 26:00
  Speaker 2: he'll return to New Zealand at some point in twenty
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: twenty six cheif result, it's gone a bit quiet on
• 26:04
  Speaker 2: that front around there now he's off contract with she
• 26:08
  Speaker 2: been quite a big part of their success. Al those
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: friend of mine sent me some statistics and I think
• 26:13
  Speaker 2: yellow cards have been a fairly regular thing for mister Frazell.
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: But having sealed that he's the kind of player that
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: New Zealand rugby could use that blindside flanker spot still
• 26:23
  Speaker 2: up in the air. Any whispers around as to when
• 26:26
  Speaker 2: we might see him back in New Zealand rugby.
• 26:29
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I think it sounds like Frazel will recommit for
• 26:32
  Speaker 4: one more year and then highly likely that Richie and
• 26:37
  Speaker 4: Shen Frazel will come home and contest places in the
• 26:41
  Speaker 4: World Cup squad. So are we looking at July twenty
• 26:45
  Speaker 4: twenty six six They will both highly likely return home
• 26:50
  Speaker 4: have an eighteen month lead into the World Cup and
• 26:54
  Speaker 4: you know what a boost that would be for the
• 26:56
  Speaker 4: All Blacks and they're super rugby teams that they align with.
• 27:00
  Speaker 4: Who knows whether Richie goes to the Crusaders or perhaps Moana.
• 27:05
  Speaker 4: Frazelle always played for the Landers, so I'm sure they'd
• 27:09
  Speaker 4: be desperate to get him back. And as you mentioned
• 27:12
  Speaker 4: there that that blindside role. S Titi clearly stepped in
• 27:16
  Speaker 4: for the All Blacks last year, but all expectations are
• 27:19
  Speaker 4: that he.
• 27:19
  Speaker 5: Will move to the back of the scrum.
• 27:21
  Speaker 4: He will go to seven and then the perennial question
• 27:25
  Speaker 4: of who is the All Black blindside remains. We've seen
• 27:29
  Speaker 4: Ethan Blackadder, look Jacobson, who else? There's been plenty of
• 27:35
  Speaker 4: candidates there, haven't there? Yes, now is the other one
• 27:40
  Speaker 4: who's just started to come into the starting fold for
• 27:43
  Speaker 4: the Chiefs. Whether he retains that position for the playoffs,
• 27:45
  Speaker 4: we'll see. But nobody other than sa Titi has grabbed
• 27:49
  Speaker 4: that Jerome Kindo mantle since Frazell left. In his last
• 27:53
  Speaker 4: two years with the All Blacks, he was exceptional. Jason
• 27:56
  Speaker 4: Ryan made his frustrations clear at the World Cup when
• 27:59
  Speaker 4: he said more should have been done from a contracting
• 28:02
  Speaker 4: perspective to keep Shinn and Frazel, that he shouldn't have
• 28:05
  Speaker 4: been allowed to leave to go to Japan, so I
• 28:08
  Speaker 4: think the All Blacks would be desperate to get him
• 28:10
  Speaker 4: back and it would significantly bolster their ranks on the
• 28:14
  Speaker 4: back of guys like Leicester, Fining and Nuku coming back
• 28:16
  Speaker 4: into the mix for the Rugby Championship this year.
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's right that one's sort of got under the
• 28:19
  Speaker 2: raider a little bit. He's been very very good for Toulon.
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: Now no one down here watches Top fourteen, so you
• 28:25
  Speaker 2: wouldn't know, but very very good for Toulon, and he
• 28:30
  Speaker 2: will be back in for the Rugby Championship presumably once
• 28:33
  Speaker 2: he's played a couple of games for I think he's
• 28:35
  Speaker 2: still Lumba Tasman in the NPC in pre season back
• 28:39
  Speaker 2: in the mixt you would think for the Rugby Championship.
• 28:42
  Speaker 2: This is an interally one for the weekend topic number
• 28:44
  Speaker 2: three on the final four penalty shootout to the side
• 28:48
  Speaker 2: Munster against the Sharks in the UC.
• 28:51
  Speaker 3: Now.
• 28:52
  Speaker 2: I track this down and watched a bit of it
• 28:54
  Speaker 2: over the weekend. I don't particularly like it. It is
• 28:58
  Speaker 2: in the Super Rugby rule, so if one of the
• 28:59
  Speaker 2: games is tied this weekend after extra time, that's what
• 29:03
  Speaker 2: it's going to.
• 29:05
  Speaker 3: Not a great way to decide a rugby game. Are
• 29:08
  Speaker 3: you said on this? We don't see it too often.
• 29:11
  Speaker 3: Thank god.
• 29:13
  Speaker 4: It's not great, But I don't think anything is when
• 29:16
  Speaker 4: you get to that point, you know, what are you
• 29:18
  Speaker 4: going to do?
• 29:18
  Speaker 5: Have a boundary count back?
• 29:20
  Speaker 3: Yeah, don't bring that up.
• 29:23
  Speaker 4: You can go back to. One of the common ones
• 29:26
  Speaker 4: in club rugby is actually who scored the first try
• 29:29
  Speaker 4: in the match, which I think is pretty irrelevant as well.
• 29:32
  Speaker 3: I try to get anut one hundred or whatever.
• 29:33
  Speaker 5: It's yeah, exactly, so much has happened since then. I
• 29:37
  Speaker 5: don't mind it.
• 29:38
  Speaker 4: I think it brings an element of drama. I don't
• 29:42
  Speaker 4: know if it's necessarily fair, but when you've played one
• 29:45
  Speaker 4: hundred odd minutes, it does create, particularly for casual fans,
• 29:50
  Speaker 4: a lot of intrigue. I would actually quite like to
• 29:54
  Speaker 4: see a drop kick because I think it's the hardest
• 29:57
  Speaker 4: skill to execute. But that's just my own personal quirk,
• 30:01
  Speaker 4: so I don't love it, but I don't know if
• 30:04
  Speaker 4: there's a better method out there either.
• 30:06
  Speaker 2: What I would like to do, and this is reliant
• 30:07
  Speaker 2: on points scored in extra time? Is it the team
• 30:10
  Speaker 2: that scores the first try or points in the in
• 30:13
  Speaker 2: the extra time period, which isn't goal on a point
• 30:17
  Speaker 2: wins efforts drawn at the ends of the one hundred minutes,
• 30:21
  Speaker 2: so the game continues, but it's on the opposition team
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: to try and score and get back in front. So
• 30:26
  Speaker 2: that's what I would possibly look to do. So again
• 30:28
  Speaker 2: contingent on points being scored in the extra time period.
• 30:33
  Speaker 2: We're talking, you know game this might happen once every
• 30:35
  Speaker 2: three four years in professional AGUAI doesn't happen too often,
• 30:38
  Speaker 2: and both teams are out on their feet by the end.
• 30:40
  Speaker 2: We saw Jaden Hendrix, so get a bit of cramp
• 30:42
  Speaker 2: and give the old wink to the monster supporters that
• 30:44
  Speaker 2: didn't go players and supporters that didn't go down too well.
• 30:48
  Speaker 2: But again not something we see too often. Having said that,
• 30:51
  Speaker 2: drop goals, I don't mind that severe risk could be
• 30:53
  Speaker 2: in the mix for the frustators.
• 30:55
  Speaker 5: Yeah, and there was.
• 30:56
  Speaker 3: A difference on Friday night.
• 30:58
  Speaker 2: We didn't touch on that when we talked about the
• 30:59
  Speaker 2: games before the sever Roostrup goal.
• 31:01
  Speaker 4: I'm sure there's a few forwards out there that would
• 31:02
  Speaker 4: love to stick their hand up as well, and you
• 31:05
  Speaker 4: know there would be surprising candidates with that skill. Artie
• 31:09
  Speaker 4: Severe Wallace a tez you'd back some of these guys
• 31:13
  Speaker 4: to pull that skill off. There's a few props out
• 31:16
  Speaker 4: there that love to kick goals at training and step up.
• 31:19
  Speaker 4: But yeah, I mean, you certainly wouldn't want to rag
• 31:21
  Speaker 4: the World Cup final and decided by it, would you.
• 31:23
  Speaker 2: No, you wouldn't top number four of the war Tars
• 31:25
  Speaker 2: and Force were there or thereabouts. For a while there
• 31:27
  Speaker 2: was a lot of chatter about how many Australian teams
• 31:30
  Speaker 2: are in the top six but at the cutoff they've
• 31:33
  Speaker 2: missed the cut to use the golfing term, and the
• 31:36
  Speaker 2: question is did they actually improve or did they go backwards? Liam,
• 31:39
  Speaker 2: the Warritars in the Force, I know both teams close
• 31:41
  Speaker 2: to your heart.
• 31:43
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I think the war Tars improved from where they were.
• 31:46
  Speaker 4: But look this top six format for all Super Rugby's
• 31:50
  Speaker 4: upsets and jeopardy and it has been a fantastic season.
• 31:54
  Speaker 4: But the top six are basically the top six that
• 31:57
  Speaker 4: we've had for the past five years or so, right,
• 32:00
  Speaker 4: so reasonably predictable. And yes, the Australian teams have been
• 32:05
  Speaker 4: much more competitive and spreading that talent and the wake
• 32:09
  Speaker 4: of the Melbourne rebulves demise has improved Super Ragby. But
• 32:13
  Speaker 4: it's not born out in the playoff mix.
• 32:16
  Speaker 3: No, it's not the war Tars. I thought.
• 32:19
  Speaker 2: Kept chopping and changing your ten, they're ten. That's never
• 32:21
  Speaker 2: going to be the recipe to winning a Super Rugby title.
• 32:24
  Speaker 2: Can't figure out how taint abd was stuck on the
• 32:26
  Speaker 2: sidelines for so long the season or stuck on the
• 32:29
  Speaker 2: bench they went around different options. Dbit was clearly their
• 32:33
  Speaker 2: best ten and yet refused to pick them. So you
• 32:35
  Speaker 2: being injured didn't certainly help at the back ends of
• 32:38
  Speaker 2: the season as they needed wins, but they flattered to deceive.
• 32:41
  Speaker 2: I thought the war Atars and for the roster that
• 32:43
  Speaker 2: they've got having picked up a few players from the Rebels,
• 32:47
  Speaker 2: I thought were ultimately disappointing. The Force have been pretenders
• 32:51
  Speaker 2: for their entire history. You know, there's a lot of
• 32:54
  Speaker 2: quality players in the mix at the Western Force, but
• 32:59
  Speaker 2: they just don't have the key elements, you know, Donaldson,
• 33:01
  Speaker 2: I thought, I had a good season at ten, but
• 33:04
  Speaker 2: they were lacking, you know, a big four pack, a
• 33:07
  Speaker 2: lot of journeyman do I say it apart from Tizano
• 33:11
  Speaker 2: in that full pack, So yeah, I mean there was
• 33:14
  Speaker 2: some promising players, but again, the Western Force and the
• 33:20
  Speaker 2: wartor is probably hamstruying a little bit by their four packs.
• 33:23
  Speaker 4: Yeah, and it's a similar, same old, same old in
• 33:25
  Speaker 4: that the Australian teams were much better at home, so
• 33:29
  Speaker 4: the Force tough to be in Perth and the Warts
• 33:32
  Speaker 4: had some good victories at home and then they completely
• 33:36
  Speaker 4: ship the bed when they crossed the Tasman The Warts
• 33:39
  Speaker 4: blow on away at Eden Park and when you look
• 33:44
  Speaker 4: at that into this weekend, I'm pretty sure I'm right
• 33:46
  Speaker 4: and saying an Australian team has never won a playoff
• 33:50
  Speaker 4: game in New Zealand. So until those records and until
• 33:57
  Speaker 4: that gap is bridged, that that's almost like the final
• 34:00
  Speaker 4: frontier for super rugby, isn't it. And just what you're
• 34:04
  Speaker 4: saying about. An interesting side note about what we're talking about.
• 34:08
  Speaker 4: Before Riquiwane and rugby embracing at Star Power talked to
• 34:11
  Speaker 4: a number of people around that Blues game and their
• 34:15
  Speaker 4: disappointment that he wasn't there, and I think we see
• 34:18
  Speaker 4: that with Artie Severe and his home home coming to Wellington.
• 34:23
  Speaker 4: It's a big factor in bringing crowds along and putting
• 34:26
  Speaker 4: bums on seats, and while rugby is a team sport,
• 34:29
  Speaker 4: embracing that star power and promoting those personalities. I think
• 34:33
  Speaker 4: it can do a better job of that because that
• 34:36
  Speaker 4: does really bring people in, it does.
• 34:38
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and sure Lee would have got more bums on seats.
• 34:40
  Speaker 2: I'm sure on Saturday afternoon it was a pretty poor
• 34:44
  Speaker 2: crowd at Eden Park. There were some factors. Wasn't a
• 34:46
  Speaker 2: great day in Auckland. That would have been Auckland left
• 34:49
  Speaker 2: Ce's Grand Final day potentially if they'd made it, so
• 34:52
  Speaker 2: people may be held off tickling there. But it was
• 34:54
  Speaker 2: a must win game for the Blues and it was
• 34:55
  Speaker 2: a pretty poor crowd. But the crowd's have been poor
• 34:59
  Speaker 2: throughout this entire season, though very good last year when
• 35:01
  Speaker 2: they're on that winning run and it feels like almost, oh,
• 35:05
  Speaker 2: we've completed that now with one super Rugby don't need
• 35:07
  Speaker 2: to go back next year and so they need to
• 35:09
  Speaker 2: figure out that, you know, the derby games are Hurricanes, Crusaders,
• 35:13
  Speaker 2: atrociously bad crowds, games that are usually marquee fixtures for
• 35:17
  Speaker 2: the Blues. So it feels like almost winning the title
• 35:21
  Speaker 2: has been the worst possible thing that could happen for
• 35:23
  Speaker 2: them because the crowds have stayed away and gone well,
• 35:25
  Speaker 2: we saw that last year.
• 35:26
  Speaker 3: We don't need to see it again.
• 35:27
  Speaker 2: So until they figured that out, it's going to be
• 35:30
  Speaker 2: a tough old cell.
• 35:31
  Speaker 4: Yeah, potentially a bit of apathy there with winning the title,
• 35:35
  Speaker 4: but also it's been an underwhelming season for the Blues.
• 35:37
  Speaker 4: And when you've got other successful teams in your market
• 35:42
  Speaker 4: such as Aukann FC and the Warriors both going on
• 35:46
  Speaker 4: runs out Mount Smart Moaana Pacifica potentially offering a point
• 35:51
  Speaker 4: of difference across the bridge as well, the Blues are
• 35:54
  Speaker 4: looking over their shoulder.
• 35:55
  Speaker 5: I think they need to do a bit more to
• 35:57
  Speaker 5: sell themselves.
• 35:58
  Speaker 2: Yeah, getting away from it and Park would be good,
• 36:00
  Speaker 2: but unfortunately that is our national stadium. Right tipping time. Now,
• 36:05
  Speaker 2: let's just recap the last round of regular season if
• 36:08
  Speaker 2: we possibly could, Elliot Smith five from five Chiefs, Crusaders, Blues, Canes, Reds.
• 36:15
  Speaker 2: You drop the ball and checking the Brumbie. Sweet the Crusaders, Bumbies.
• 36:18
  Speaker 5: Leat me down.
• 36:19
  Speaker 2: So there is a six Bmies. There is a six
• 36:21
  Speaker 2: point gap. There are six games left in the regular as.
• 36:24
  Speaker 2: Six games left in the season. Oh well, and so
• 36:27
  Speaker 2: get them all. Well, we've got to put opposite for
• 36:30
  Speaker 2: everyone from here on and yeah, right, let's see how
• 36:35
  Speaker 2: we go Crusaders reads Friday nights the Apollo Project Stadium.
• 36:40
  Speaker 5: Yes, unless.
• 36:44
  Speaker 2: Possibly Crusaders maybe maybe maybe the last game at the
• 36:47
  Speaker 2: Polo Project Stadium if they lose.
• 36:49
  Speaker 4: Well, the Crusaders have also never lost the home playoff game,
• 36:52
  Speaker 4: is there right, that's correct? Yeah, good luck doubing against them.
• 36:56
  Speaker 2: Okay, well, I'm going to pick the Crusaders and they
• 36:58
  Speaker 2: are Chiefs Blues Saturday night.
• 37:03
  Speaker 5: Oh wow, I'm going to go. I'm going to go
• 37:06
  Speaker 5: the Blues there. Yeah, why not?
• 37:08
  Speaker 4: They've got nothing to lose, the proper sudden death and
• 37:11
  Speaker 4: they only lost by one point an Xavier Taile conversion
• 37:15
  Speaker 4: that hit the post in that regular season match earlier
• 37:18
  Speaker 4: in there, when they've been bang average for most of
• 37:22
  Speaker 4: the year.
• 37:22
  Speaker 5: They get up for the Chiefs, so they will get
• 37:24
  Speaker 5: up for this game. Not out of the question.
• 37:25
  Speaker 2: Okay, I'm going to go the Chiefs and the Brumbi's
• 37:27
  Speaker 2: Hurricanes to Elliott.
• 37:30
  Speaker 5: Get on that cane train.
• 37:32
  Speaker 2: Up the horses this weekend in Canberra. Cane train is
• 37:35
  Speaker 2: going to come to maybe temporary or maybe possibly full,
• 37:38
  Speaker 2: independent on how the rest of the games go this weekend.
• 37:41
  Speaker 2: Let's get into MVP Middle voting time Adista viap Out
• 37:46
  Speaker 2: on top twenty five points, twelve points clear of Boaden
• 37:48
  Speaker 2: barrett Is on thirteen and then third equal Damian McKenzie
• 37:52
  Speaker 2: and to Morthy Taver tavernaw w. I Liam, you're three
• 37:54
  Speaker 2: two ones.
• 37:55
  Speaker 4: If you'd be so kind, I'm going to purvive for three.
• 37:59
  Speaker 4: A herculean performance from him. Not often you see locks
• 38:03
  Speaker 4: striding arts spark memories of one Sam White Lock doing likewise.
• 38:09
  Speaker 4: Tupu scored from close range long range, So big performance
• 38:12
  Speaker 4: from him too. To Ta Mighty Williams, huge seventy minute
• 38:15
  Speaker 4: shift for a prop anytime that happens, impressive, he's really
• 38:20
  Speaker 4: coming in some good form. And one to Tavatavanawa, who's
• 38:24
  Speaker 4: been massive for the Landers at the back end this year.
• 38:27
  Speaker 4: And I see our stable mate Phil Gifford, he is
• 38:30
  Speaker 4: saying he is a must inclusion in the All Blacks.
• 38:33
  Speaker 3: What do you think about that?
• 38:35
  Speaker 4: I think he's got to go very close because he
• 38:38
  Speaker 4: is a point of difference his ball carrying. I think
• 38:42
  Speaker 4: he's got more turnovers by quite a long way than
• 38:45
  Speaker 4: anybody else in the comp this year.
• 38:46
  Speaker 5: And while that's not a core function of.
• 38:51
  Speaker 4: A midfielder, is an increasingly prevalent in the game. What's
• 38:57
  Speaker 4: his best position? Not too sure, but he's a guy
• 39:00
  Speaker 4: that you could bring off the bench and be a
• 39:02
  Speaker 4: bit of a game changer. And yeah, he's just he's
• 39:06
  Speaker 4: won out of the box. He's dynamic, powerful.
• 39:09
  Speaker 2: I don't think he's got the top end pace to
• 39:11
  Speaker 2: be a test match winger. I don't think there's a
• 39:14
  Speaker 2: lot of pace out there, to be honest, from all
• 39:17
  Speaker 2: Blacks contender wingers. At the moment, I would have him close.
• 39:22
  Speaker 2: I just do worry about some of the actual core
• 39:26
  Speaker 2: responsibilities and duties as a midfielder and whether his distribution
• 39:30
  Speaker 2: is up to it. His kicking games pretty good by
• 39:33
  Speaker 2: and large. He's very good at finding spaces. Turnover obviously
• 39:36
  Speaker 2: he's mentioned is good. I'm just not sure on the
• 39:38
  Speaker 2: core core facets of actually being a midfielder and whether
• 39:41
  Speaker 2: he's got that. But he's a point of difference and
• 39:44
  Speaker 2: when the always have struggled to put together a bench
• 39:47
  Speaker 2: that has impact in recent times, he would add some
• 39:49
  Speaker 2: real impact to the bench.
• 39:51
  Speaker 3: In Jusey twenty three.
• 39:52
  Speaker 4: Yeah, and I think if you're an all black coach
• 39:55
  Speaker 4: party or realm should be upscaling players and making them better.
• 39:58
  Speaker 4: So some of those deficiencies that you mention, that should
• 40:02
  Speaker 4: be a core function of an all Black coaching team
• 40:04
  Speaker 4: to bring certain players improve them, right, And if you're
• 40:08
  Speaker 4: looking at a David Havilli and Antoine Letter Brown are
• 40:12
  Speaker 4: very similar players. So having something different in your squad
• 40:16
  Speaker 4: does appeal. Was having a lot of upside.
• 40:19
  Speaker 2: My three two ones this week. Peter among A Jensen
• 40:21
  Speaker 2: gets my three back to some of that form that
• 40:23
  Speaker 2: we perhaps saw five years ago now when he made
• 40:27
  Speaker 2: his All Blacks one off All Black's appearance when he
• 40:30
  Speaker 2: was called in for injury for that test at Cooper's
• 40:32
  Speaker 2: Catch Park aka Eden Park. Tupa v gets my two
• 40:36
  Speaker 2: again as you mentioned, outstanding performance. Ethan black Adder gets
• 40:38
  Speaker 2: my one very very good for the Crusaders and that
• 40:41
  Speaker 2: opening forty and a noticeable drop off when he wasn't
• 40:44
  Speaker 2: out on the park in that second forty. So that's
• 40:46
  Speaker 2: our three to ones for another where we'll keep that
• 40:48
  Speaker 2: rolling through the plavs. It's not done yet. The official
• 40:50
  Speaker 2: Super Rugby one might be done, but this is the
• 40:53
  Speaker 2: actual proper one and we go right.
• 40:55
  Speaker 3: Through to the final.
• 40:56
  Speaker 5: That's all right, very coveted.
• 40:58
  Speaker 2: You can only be an MVP if you're actually right
• 40:59
  Speaker 2: at the point end of season. Surely you can't win
• 41:01
  Speaker 2: a regular season matters for nothing. How often we hear.
• 41:03
  Speaker 4: That that's right business end. Time to stand up, Come
• 41:07
  Speaker 4: get the medal.
• 41:07
  Speaker 2: Come get the rgby Direct medal that has been rightby
• 41:11
  Speaker 2: Direct for another week with our friends at Habit Health
• 41:14
  Speaker 2: tackling all your aches and pains from sports and work.
• 41:16
  Speaker 2: I thanks Last and Bars English. We'll be back next
• 41:19
  Speaker 2: week when six become four.
• 41:22
  Speaker 5: Up the Canes, up the Reds.
• 41:23
  Speaker 3: That's enough.
• 41:29
  Speaker 1: For more from News Talks at b Listen live on
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio