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Transcript

Rugby Direct - Episode 145 · Rugby Direct

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Get inside the game from every angle. It's Rugby Direct
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: with Elliot Smith powered by News Talks EDB.
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: Welcome into Rugby Direct, powered by Excess Solutions, elevating you
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: and your business to a higher level. Back for another
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: week to chat everything in the rugby world. My name
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: is Alligott Smith, News Talk MB, lead rugby commentator in Dublin.
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: And joining me Liam Napier, chief sports writer, rugby correspondent
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: for the New Zealand Herald. Liam back again and two
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: matches down of the All Blacks inter vid Silla Greetings.
• 0:53
  Speaker 3: Hello Eliot, ses two down, three to go and well
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: not all positive news but two from two and the
• 1:01
  Speaker 3: All Black train remains just on the tracks for now,
• 1:05
  Speaker 3: doesn't it.
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: Well I was going to ask you twenty four to
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: twenty two, are you a glass half full? Glass half empty?
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: Sorts of person? I guess the All Blacks got the
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: win in the end, which is what they're paid to
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: do and expected to do. But again they've sort of
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: won in spite of everything going on, rather than because
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: they put in a good performance.
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: The All Blacks are a very mercurial team, aren't they.
• 1:32
  Speaker 3: It's hard to gauge on them. But look, I think
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: the fact that they won has to be a glass
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: half full. And they overturned an eight points second half leads,
• 1:45
  Speaker 3: you know, almost blew. It could would have should have
• 1:48
  Speaker 3: for England again, just like it was in those two
• 1:51
  Speaker 3: tests in July some four months ago. But look, I
• 1:56
  Speaker 3: think from my perspective, the All Blacks were the better team.
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: They created a lot, they scored three tries to one.
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: But there were a lot of frustrations in that performance,
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: weren't there I think at twenty two turnovers, a lot
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: of handling eras, discipline issues in the first half, late
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: yellow card again. So they did everything possible to throw
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: it away and they really won it through some individual
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: brilliance Wallace, a tit mark to lee Is finishing, Damian McKenzie,
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: sideline conversion, some big performances off the bench which we
• 2:30
  Speaker 3: can touch on. But it was a real rocks and
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: diamonds performance from the All Blacks.
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: It certainly was discipline another one to throw on that
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: pot as well. It was poor at times. They couldn't
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: seem to adjust to the way that England were attacking
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: the tackling without the ball was a real issue, especially
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: in the first spell off Your Black's got three or
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: four penalties against them that way. It seemed like England
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: were running their runners in a manner where the All
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: Blacks basically had to make a decision around who they're
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: going to tackle. A lot of the times that was
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: an incorrect That was the way that England were attacking
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: their throwing runners into that space and confusing the space.
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: I thought quite well from England and drawing those penalties
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: out of the All Blacks. At one point that the
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: penalty count against the All Blacks was eleven two, got
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: back to eleven seven at the end of the game,
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: because the scrum turns into a weapon once offered, throwing
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: a fussy and passily or TOSSI came onto the park,
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: but again just struggling to find a cohesive performance from
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: the All Blacks and they just couldn't quite set the
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: platform despite being fourteen six up. Now you go, okay, well,
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: fourteen sex up. Wallace to TC and bakes that break
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: to provive he can stretch out and reel it in
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: and finish it. The All Blacks I think would be
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: up probably twenty one to nine, I think at that
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: point in time, and the game heading into halftime is done,
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: but they don't, and then they can see a couple
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: of penalties fourteen twelve different game heading into the halftime sheds,
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: they sort of took two steps forward during the game,
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: they had one step back, and then after halftime took
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: two or three steps back and somehow found themselves not somehow,
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: but found themselves down on the lead on the scoreboard
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: by virtue of some good, really good England play. So
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: we look at that eighty minute performance, it's really hard,
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: I think, to sort of assess where the All Blacks
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: are at because it was a win, yet they didn't
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: actually play that well for long stretches of that game.
• 4:33
  Speaker 3: No very Decko and hired, wasn't it. They did a
• 4:36
  Speaker 3: lot of things well and then they'd undo that good work.
• 4:39
  Speaker 3: Whether it was a penalty to keep England in touch,
• 4:44
  Speaker 3: You know that they could have, like you say, with
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: Tupouvai and the Wallace to tit instance, they could have
• 4:51
  Speaker 3: been up by ten fifteen points at halftime and could
• 4:54
  Speaker 3: have put them away by that sort of margin had
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: they finished a lot of those chances, but a lot
• 4:59
  Speaker 3: of drop ball, a lot of basic skill errors, and
• 5:03
  Speaker 3: that's not what you expect from the All Blacks. This
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: is a team that in previous iterations have led the
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: world for just a simple catch pass execution under pressure
• 5:14
  Speaker 3: where I think it was a sign again that the
• 5:17
  Speaker 3: English rush defense put them under a lot of pressure.
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: They did adjust at times their depth and did find
• 5:25
  Speaker 3: some holes with the switch move that Boden Barrett pulled
• 5:29
  Speaker 3: off around the ruck, with the will Jordan cut back,
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: just simple things like that to change the point of
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: attack worked well, but for large parts that rush defense
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: from England did put them under a lot of pressure,
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: coursed a lot of errors, particularly from the back line.
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: I think the midfield didn't have a great performance. I
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: think Jordie was short of a gallop coming back from
• 5:54
  Speaker 3: that knee injury in Riquewuaney. I think he had that
• 5:57
  Speaker 3: hand injury that he had to go off for. It
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: was spewing blood. Did come back, but he dropped a
• 6:03
  Speaker 3: lot of ball as well. All Blacks under the high
• 6:06
  Speaker 3: ball were found a bit vulnerable the new sort of
• 6:09
  Speaker 3: laws about not escorting that I think they were they
• 6:12
  Speaker 3: were real sitting ducks. Weren't they the high ball recipients.
• 6:18
  Speaker 3: Will Jordan must have been bloody saw because he basically
• 6:21
  Speaker 3: took a serious pounding. But then there was you know,
• 6:25
  Speaker 3: moments of brilliance, chip kicks that that came off Wallace
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: TC and Mark t Lea fully justified his inclusion over
• 6:35
  Speaker 3: Seva Reese in the wing. We've sort of been calling
• 6:37
  Speaker 3: for that all year, haven't we. But a bit strange
• 6:40
  Speaker 3: the faith that the All Blacks had maintained in Sevu
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: when Mark Talia was out in the cold, and he
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: really proved as his finishing prowess there. I don't think
• 6:49
  Speaker 3: they get over the line without him. So good aspects
• 6:53
  Speaker 3: of takeaway from that All Blacks performance, the scrum you
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: mentioned there and the bench, you know, massive concerns about
• 6:59
  Speaker 3: the second half performances this year. Five times in the
• 7:02
  Speaker 3: Rugby Championship they didn't score a point in the last quarter.
• 7:05
  Speaker 3: This time, the bench, huge off between Fassi, Pasilio Tossi,
• 7:11
  Speaker 3: the scrum, Patrick two Poloto was one of the best performers,
• 7:16
  Speaker 3: just hugely physical in the second half. But some big
• 7:20
  Speaker 3: worries I think Elliott for the All Blacks around the
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: line out that capitulated in the second half they had
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: this insistence on throwing long. I think they lost three
• 7:30
  Speaker 3: line out throws and a lot of those were in
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: you know, striking distance of the English line. And when
• 7:36
  Speaker 3: you look ahead to this week, losing Cody Taylor and
• 7:39
  Speaker 3: Bowden Barrett, two hugely senior influential figures in that team,
• 7:45
  Speaker 3: how big of a concern is that, Well, I.
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: Think it is pretty big because they drop off of
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: the currently available hookers in the All Blacks is quite significant,
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: from Cody Taylor to to George Bell is a major
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: drop off. Are laid on some big hits on the weekend.
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: Had you play seventy five minutes and I thought around
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: the park he was actually quite good. But when you
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: a core skill is line out of throwing, you have
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: to get that right. And more often than not, it's
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: not a strength of a sofa a mow as it
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: seems to throw long to the back of the line
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: at all. Beyond those sort of plays you know, fall
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: apart of it when when aa a moo is throwing in,
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: So you can't be as predictable as just going to
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: the front every time either when as a security blanket,
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: so they're gonna have to figure that out over the
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: course of the next four or five days, a sofa
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: are more and get some real practicing or strategies around that,
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: because look, it's not a surprise and when it's been
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: talking about plenty that a sofa. A Moore's big work
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: on as a hooker is his line out throwing around
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: the park. He's great, but you're in there as the hooker.
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: You need to be able to throw him straight. And
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: it's not like George Bower has played a lot of
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: Test rugby or indeed had the greatest of Crusader seasons
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: to justify starting him ahead of of a Moer either.
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: So that's a big concern I think starting this week.
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: So Cody Taylor a big loss for the All Blacks.
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: And when you have Sam MASONI taky your holes still
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: sidelines for the rest of the year. Yeah, the All
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: Blacks don't have a lot of great depth hook it
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: at the moment. In Boden Bearl I think is a
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: big loss as well, just as I thought he actual
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: had a pretty good game at ten. Some of the
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: kicking slightly went Australia was the one that went dead.
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: There was a week Grubber into the twenty two that
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: looked relatively aimless. But I thought he was relatively assured
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: at ten and that performance and would have got better.
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: I think having a run of games at ten under
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: his belt on this tour, so to have it stop
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: start through the HIA protocols is a bit frustrating. I
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: think they're big losses there.
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: What say you loom, yeah, big time. I think you
• 9:54
  Speaker 3: touched on it there with the line out. I think
• 9:55
  Speaker 3: they're going to have to get creative around that because
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: throwing long as okay on occasions, but it becomes predictable
• 10:02
  Speaker 3: and it is higher risk, and so you need to
• 10:05
  Speaker 3: look at variations around that with that, be to the
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: prop at the front or short line out or just
• 10:12
  Speaker 3: going quickly. You need to alleviate some of that burden
• 10:17
  Speaker 3: on armor. It certainly will be an area that Island
• 10:21
  Speaker 3: will target the All Blacks. It's one of their strengths.
• 10:24
  Speaker 3: They're set peace in general, so I expect them to
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: come hard for the All Blacks there. And I agree
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: about Boden. Just the contrast and what Damien McKenzie offered
• 10:34
  Speaker 3: through the first eight tests of this year, some brilliant
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: moments and then some baffling ones. And for a Test
• 10:41
  Speaker 3: against Ireland. I think you're only going to get you know,
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: three four genuine opportunities to really strike. You're going to
• 10:48
  Speaker 3: need that game management. That's been a concern around Damien.
• 10:52
  Speaker 3: So look he now that kick from the sideline. He's
• 10:55
  Speaker 3: performed well off the bench, but it's completely different kettle
• 10:59
  Speaker 3: of fish coming in to start to control the test,
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: to be that navigator. That's you know, Boden has provided
• 11:07
  Speaker 3: a call come here in recent weeks, so it is
• 11:10
  Speaker 3: a real contrast for the All Blacks stare and I
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: think I would like to see a couple of other
• 11:16
  Speaker 3: we tweaked Eliot, I think cam Rougard, I'd like to
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: see him come in and start at half back. I'm
• 11:21
  Speaker 3: not sure about you. I thought Cortez was just a
• 11:23
  Speaker 3: wee bit hesitance at halfback, struggled a touch with the
• 11:28
  Speaker 3: pressure that England brought to the breakdown. And Rougo's sister
• 11:32
  Speaker 3: a bit of a bigger body. I thought he did
• 11:34
  Speaker 3: make a big impact when he came off the bench.
• 11:36
  Speaker 3: So maybe flip those two around there and then Patrick
• 11:41
  Speaker 3: two Poloto. I think he was huge off the bench,
• 11:44
  Speaker 3: you know, I know to been massive this season, so
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: maybe there's a conversation to have about which way around
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: those two props start sorry locks and then the other
• 11:53
  Speaker 3: one Ethan the group missing last week, your black scrum
• 11:56
  Speaker 3: was actually under a fair amount of pressure for fifty
• 11:59
  Speaker 3: odd minutes before they made those changes. So you'd think
• 12:03
  Speaker 3: Ethan the Groups served his punishment. Do you expect him
• 12:06
  Speaker 3: to come back in and start this week and shore
• 12:09
  Speaker 3: up that scrummer bit?
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: I do. I look, I thought the weekend was going
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: to be a big opportunity for Tomighty Williams, but he
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: got picked a couple of times at scrum time, didn't
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: have quite the impact on the game that he would
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: have hoped. I thought it could have been a wee
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: transition moment in terms of that, because I think Ethan
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: de Grootz had a roll heavily quiet year and that
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: all black role obviously missed some of the tests through
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: injuries as well. But I thought the game was set
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: up in theory for to Mighty Williams to have a
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: stormer and really create some question marks around the pecking
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: order of the Lucier prop. But I don't think he
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: did that, And I think Ethan de Grootz having served
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: his punishment, at least according to what Scott Robertson said
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: last week, we'll be back in the mix for this week.
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: I agree, can't argue with too many of those tweets
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: that you suggested there. I wondered whether t J. Pettinara
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: maybe the contender off the bench to back up Cam Royguard.
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: I really liked the idea of Roy Gards starting against
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: Ireland and his ability to snipe around the edges. His
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: running game is excellent. I think he matches up quite
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: well against this Irish team. Corte Isratama didn't have probably
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: since he's taken on the starting role. Wasn't the best
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: of performances from Cortez Ratama, But I think maybe here
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: you get Peter Andara on the bench this week for
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: his defensive abilities. But can't argue too much more with that,
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: especially on a six day turnaround. Almost think you kind
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: of need to keep the hot hand as much as
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: you possibly can with those players that were there at
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: twickt him, and then you can maybe look at a
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: couple of other tweaks here and there for France. Given
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: the nature of the workload that is in front of you.
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: Let's talk about the Irish Test.
• 13:55
  Speaker 3: You know, a.
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: Grudge match in many ways it's developed into in recent
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: years on the back of twenty sixteen, the first win
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: in Chicago, a bit of bad blood around the return
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: match and Dublin a couple of weeks after that. There's
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: been other matches through there. The series in twenty twenty
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: two of course, which Ireland famously won and created havoc
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: in the All Blacks coaching staff and false changes there
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: and then the All Blacks winning the World Cup quarter
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: final mean there's no shortage of storylines between these two
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: teams in recent years. The backdrop to it is quite spectacular.
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: It's developed in quite the rivalry in recent years.
• 14:35
  Speaker 3: That's one of the great rivalries and world rugby, isn't that.
• 14:38
  Speaker 3: Elliott and the Springboks will always be the All Black's
• 14:41
  Speaker 3: greatest rival. But I think in terms of animosity or
• 14:49
  Speaker 3: feeling not quite mutual dislike. I've got a number of
• 14:54
  Speaker 3: Irish friends and the media continued as well, But there've
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: been so many heated battles and exchanges in recent years,
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: haven't they haven't there and on the pitch as well.
• 15:06
  Speaker 3: When you go back to that series in New zeal
• 15:08
  Speaker 3: Allen's and Peter o'manny calling Sam Kine a ship, Richie
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: mccaor and then the World Cup quarterfinal with Riquewane telling
• 15:17
  Speaker 3: six and to get on the plane and joy enjoy retirement.
• 15:20
  Speaker 3: So there's been a lot of back and forward, a
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: lot of genuine heat between the players. It's not manufactured
• 15:27
  Speaker 3: by us in the media or the fans. There's genuine
• 15:31
  Speaker 3: heats there. And while some of those players have moved on,
• 15:35
  Speaker 3: some of them are still very much front and center
• 15:39
  Speaker 3: and above all we else. It's just the closeness of
• 15:44
  Speaker 3: the contests and the intenseness of the matches that that
• 15:50
  Speaker 3: World Cup quarterfinal was one of the greatest matches and
• 15:54
  Speaker 3: World Cup history wasn't It could have gone either way,
• 15:57
  Speaker 3: the All Black's defending their line at the death for
• 16:01
  Speaker 3: what was it fifteen twenty odd phases, Sam Whitelocke getting
• 16:05
  Speaker 3: the turnover to win the match, just the emotion at
• 16:08
  Speaker 3: the and also I think the nature of the rivalry
• 16:12
  Speaker 3: has evolved significantly since twenty sixteen, because the backdrop to
• 16:16
  Speaker 3: that match in the World Cup was Ireland were hot
• 16:20
  Speaker 3: favorites and you go back, you know, six odd years
• 16:24
  Speaker 3: or so, that was unthinkable. And also just the level
• 16:29
  Speaker 3: of confidence among the Irish fans before that World Cup
• 16:33
  Speaker 3: quarterfinal was like nothing I've ever witnessed before from an
• 16:37
  Speaker 3: Irish rugby supporters group. They had that match won. There
• 16:42
  Speaker 3: was no question in their minds that they were winning
• 16:45
  Speaker 3: their first World Cup quarterfinal progressing beating the All Blacks.
• 16:49
  Speaker 3: There was just no sense of doubts at all and
• 16:53
  Speaker 3: the deflation afterwards was palpable, wasn't it Because there was
• 16:59
  Speaker 3: just that level of expectation that Ireland were going to
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: win that match from their fans and there were so
• 17:04
  Speaker 3: many of them traveling to fronts. So that match which
• 17:09
  Speaker 3: really changed the complexion of the World Cup and there's
• 17:13
  Speaker 3: no doubt that this Irish group will be helping on
• 17:17
  Speaker 3: revenge and carrying a lot of hurt from that result.
• 17:21
  Speaker 3: And look, they've done the All Blacks no favors either,
• 17:24
  Speaker 3: have they? With the six day turnaround Friday Nights, this
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: match sold out as soon as it's was put on sale.
• 17:32
  Speaker 3: As soon as the tickets went out to the Irish clubs,
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: they were snapped up. So it will be an absolutely
• 17:38
  Speaker 3: amazing atmosphere and a really you know, spectacular match again,
• 17:44
  Speaker 3: I'm sure.
• 17:45
  Speaker 2: Indeed all right, Liam, who wins Friday Night my time
• 17:50
  Speaker 2: Saturday morning in New Zealand.
• 17:53
  Speaker 3: Look, I'm in the Tip Islands Elliott's. I was reasonably
• 17:56
  Speaker 3: confident that the All Blacks would win last week at Twickenham,
• 17:59
  Speaker 3: but I just think they've got a lot against them
• 18:03
  Speaker 3: this week. The injuries, I think really hurt their chances.
• 18:06
  Speaker 3: As we've already touched on, I think Ireland are fresh.
• 18:09
  Speaker 3: The sixth day turnaround is tough, and Ireland of the
• 18:13
  Speaker 3: world's number one team. This is This is not you know, Australia, Argentina, England.
• 18:20
  Speaker 3: This this is Ireland and in their own backyard they
• 18:23
  Speaker 3: are incredibly tough to beat. I think the All Blacks
• 18:25
  Speaker 3: have lost their last two in Dublin. Correct me if
• 18:28
  Speaker 3: I'm wrong there. And Andy Farrell is a very studie coach. Look,
• 18:33
  Speaker 3: I think if the All Blacks perform to their best
• 18:35
  Speaker 3: and get rid of those eras that we talked about,
• 18:39
  Speaker 3: they are real. They are real chants. But I think
• 18:41
  Speaker 3: the tab has the All Blacks two fifty and Ireland
• 18:46
  Speaker 3: one fifty. I think that's pretty accurate.
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think Ireland certainly going his favorites for this one.
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: I've tipped the All Blacks and people go, how do
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: you think this tour is going to play out. I've
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: actually thought they're gonna win. I've said, you know, I
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: think they're going to beat England and I think they're
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: going to beat Ireland and maybe drop the game against
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: France next week. So I'm going to stick with that
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: for the time being. We'll see how it plays out
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: on Saturday morning, Usal on time, Live Tree on gold
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: Sport News Talk, ZMB and iHeartRadio can follow live blog.
• 19:13
  Speaker 2: It's INZID Herald dot co dot NZ as well in
• 19:15
  Speaker 2: all the match reaction on the New Zealand Herald site soon.
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: I was also told today the Rayburn shield the lineal
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: Rugby shields, the mythical beast that it is and go
• 19:25
  Speaker 2: right back into the Rugby Director archives to hear more
• 19:28
  Speaker 2: about that. That match, that trophy on the line this
• 19:31
  Speaker 2: week Island the current holders to something else to play for.
• 19:35
  Speaker 2: We'll take quick break here on Rugby Direct. Back with
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: the second half after this.
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: This is Rugby Direct, a podcast for real rugby fares.
• 19:51
  Speaker 3: Powered by News Talks V.
• 19:52
  Speaker 2: You're back with Rugby Direct powered by Excess Solutions.
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: Now.
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: Reports Liam and the South Afragan Outlet report of a
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: speculation of an IPL style tournament with the United States.
• 20:06
  Speaker 2: Links details fairly thin on the around, but described as
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: the best of the best in i PL sort of
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: style tournament. You've been a big ten nice Super Kings
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: fan for as long as I can remember, So does
• 20:18
  Speaker 2: this get the blood pumping?
• 20:21
  Speaker 3: No, it certainly does not, Elliott, And look, this has
• 20:24
  Speaker 3: been around the concept, hasn't it for you know a
• 20:28
  Speaker 3: good four years. There was talk about it being in
• 20:31
  Speaker 3: London I think last time, and Steve Hanson and various
• 20:34
  Speaker 3: other you know rugby identities coaches were paid to promote
• 20:41
  Speaker 3: us and get involved. So it's interesting to see where
• 20:44
  Speaker 3: it goes that the IPL has caused well T twenty
• 20:50
  Speaker 3: cricket has caused a massive disruption, hasn't it to the
• 20:53
  Speaker 3: international game of cricket? And there's a real sea change
• 20:57
  Speaker 3: in terms of players going for the money and not
• 21:01
  Speaker 3: playing for their country. So if this does come off
• 21:04
  Speaker 3: as has been reported, it would be a massive issue
• 21:08
  Speaker 3: for international rugby to tackle hit on because ultimately the
• 21:13
  Speaker 3: players are putting their bodies on the line and a
• 21:16
  Speaker 3: lot of them will sell to the highest bidder and
• 21:18
  Speaker 3: I don't think you can blame them for that. And
• 21:19
  Speaker 3: a sport as tough as rugby. So if it does
• 21:24
  Speaker 3: get pulled off and the figures are correct, is you know,
• 21:27
  Speaker 3: talk about nine hundred thousand for one player to go
• 21:31
  Speaker 3: and play in this twelve tournament. That's a staggering figure
• 21:35
  Speaker 3: for a short amount of time. I think it would
• 21:37
  Speaker 3: cause massive issues.
• 21:39
  Speaker 2: I think so, And to be honest, it feels like
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: rugby has been waiting for this moment and trepidation. Cricket
• 21:47
  Speaker 2: obviously has had it. We've had to lived golf as well,
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: and while this isn't sort of Saudi backed, it feels
• 21:55
  Speaker 2: like something was like this was coming for rugby at
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: some point. I guess the model is slightly different. Players
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: spread out as is anyway in France and England and
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: Japan in terms of that financial boon for a lot
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: of Kiwi players, so maybe that is going to limit
• 22:17
  Speaker 2: some of the damage. But I think it is worrying
• 22:19
  Speaker 2: for international rugby if this becomes off the ground and
• 22:24
  Speaker 2: is able to create some players, because ultimately money dictates
• 22:27
  Speaker 2: so many decisions and you'd hate to see international rugby
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: dwarfs or hurt by something like this concept. I do
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: think there is enough still an international rugby to keep
• 22:39
  Speaker 2: players from making that decision the World Cups and Lions
• 22:43
  Speaker 2: Tours and whatever else it might be. But it's something
• 22:47
  Speaker 2: that I think Ruggy bosses are going to have to
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: be cognizant of over the next few years.
• 22:51
  Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure. I think it's a massive issue and
• 22:55
  Speaker 3: it'd be interesting to know who's the financial backup, where's
• 22:57
  Speaker 3: the money coming from? Because it's head turning, isn't it?
• 23:01
  Speaker 3: And as it sustainable, is it going to last? Is
• 23:03
  Speaker 3: it actually going to get off the ground. There's a
• 23:05
  Speaker 3: lot of questions around this, but like you say, money
• 23:07
  Speaker 3: talks and those are pretty big sums being thrown around.
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: Yeah, hopeful it's not Allen Stanford right. Topic number two
• 23:15
  Speaker 2: in the Final four Johnny Sexton in the Ireland coaching
• 23:19
  Speaker 2: set up. I believe he's helping out the tens specifically
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: and the playmakers for this week. Just adds a little
• 23:26
  Speaker 2: bit of extra spice to proceedings this week. Having Johnny
• 23:30
  Speaker 2: still in the mix. Is everyone heads to.
• 23:33
  Speaker 3: A either, Sure it does, Elliott's you don't have to
• 23:37
  Speaker 3: go back too far to hear Johnny's thoughts on Riquewhanny
• 23:42
  Speaker 3: and the whole rugby world. He came out and fired
• 23:44
  Speaker 3: a few shots in his book, didn't he? And you know,
• 23:47
  Speaker 3: I guess that's what you want when you're selling an autobiography.
• 23:50
  Speaker 3: But no surprise that someone of Johnny's elk is involved
• 23:55
  Speaker 3: in the Irish coaching team. I think he'd be silly
• 23:57
  Speaker 3: not to tap into his nausis and as an analyst,
• 24:00
  Speaker 3: as a mentor for the tens. It sounds like he
• 24:02
  Speaker 3: is actually heavily involved, but it certainly ads a bit
• 24:06
  Speaker 3: of spice given how things played out at the World Cup.
• 24:10
  Speaker 3: My advice would be to keep him off the pitch
• 24:12
  Speaker 3: so he doesn't go abusing referees or get up and
• 24:15
  Speaker 3: recol one his grill because then more from rugby to
• 24:19
  Speaker 3: UFC pretty rapidly.
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: Topic number three in the final four is what of TSI,
• 24:24
  Speaker 2: the most assured All Blacks debutante in the last decade?
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: How good was he on the weekend?
• 24:31
  Speaker 3: It's doing it every week, Elliott, it really is. I
• 24:35
  Speaker 3: haven't seen him for a couple of weeks, and I
• 24:36
  Speaker 3: guess you can forget about the breadth of his skill,
• 24:40
  Speaker 3: his confidence. It's easy to forget just how how shorter
• 24:47
  Speaker 3: period that he's been in this All Black team, only
• 24:50
  Speaker 3: a couple of months. Going back to his first starts
• 24:53
  Speaker 3: in Cape Town, his footwork at the line, his involvement
• 24:58
  Speaker 3: on the carry, his line out work. He created that
• 25:01
  Speaker 3: first try for Mark Tala by sucking into defenders and offloading.
• 25:05
  Speaker 3: He fired that ball back on the inside after a
• 25:07
  Speaker 3: massive break that tuper I couldn't quite gather. And yeah,
• 25:11
  Speaker 3: I think you're right, Lewis Herman Watts, one of our
• 25:15
  Speaker 3: sort of former friends and colleagues who's now in London,
• 25:17
  Speaker 3: that sent me a tweet saying he's the best rookie
• 25:20
  Speaker 3: since And I said Aaron Smith and that was going
• 25:23
  Speaker 3: back to twenty twelve. And what about you? Is there
• 25:26
  Speaker 3: anyone that he could throw up that has made a
• 25:30
  Speaker 3: more swift impression on the international scene. You know, you'd
• 25:34
  Speaker 3: have to think Wallas the teaser. Just hand him that
• 25:36
  Speaker 3: the World Breakthrough Player of the Year award, now, right.
• 25:39
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think so. I'm really battling to think of
• 25:42
  Speaker 2: players that have made such an immediate impact. I mean,
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: Cam Roy guards developed well as a Test footballer and
• 25:50
  Speaker 2: took his opportunities when he's been given them. Think back
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: to someone like Nearhi Milner's scudder in twenty fifteen, who
• 25:58
  Speaker 2: played Test rugby like he played it. All of his life.
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: Unfortunately it burned out pretty quickly for Milner's scudder with injuries,
• 26:05
  Speaker 2: but he's someone to go back to. But that Aaron
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: Smith can parison is very very apt because you expect
• 26:11
  Speaker 2: players to take their time to develop into Test footballs.
• 26:14
  Speaker 2: You don't expect them to have it from the word go.
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: Wallace the t T, much like Aaron Smith, appears destined
• 26:22
  Speaker 2: to be a Test footballer for a very very long
• 26:24
  Speaker 2: time and on the back of what we've seen in
• 26:27
  Speaker 2: his test matches to date, and I hope that is
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: indeed the case, because he could be you know, a
• 26:31
  Speaker 2: very very long term All Black. Without wanting to put
• 26:34
  Speaker 2: you know, too much on his shoulders at this young age,
• 26:36
  Speaker 2: but you know, I think that Aaron Smith the comparison
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: is absolutely bang on. And Wallace the TT, you know,
• 26:43
  Speaker 2: if he has we had Aaron Smith on the podcast
• 26:45
  Speaker 2: ear the end of the year, if he can play
• 26:46
  Speaker 2: one hundred tests with the All Blacks, I think he'll
• 26:48
  Speaker 2: be doing pretty well.
• 26:50
  Speaker 3: And that's right, and that's something to look forward to,
• 26:51
  Speaker 3: isn't it. When you get to one hundred tests for
• 26:53
  Speaker 3: the All Blacks, you get the accolade and the respect
• 26:57
  Speaker 3: of coming on Ruggay Direct, so it's something something for
• 26:59
  Speaker 3: him to look forward to in his later career.
• 27:02
  Speaker 2: Absolutely that is part of the deal. Get the silver
• 27:05
  Speaker 2: cap and the appearance on Rugby e Wrecks and final topic,
• 27:10
  Speaker 2: in fact, it's a few topics. Who will win the
• 27:12
  Speaker 2: fixtures this weekend outside of Ireland and the All Blacks
• 27:16
  Speaker 2: weigame of predictions for that moment ago, let's run through
• 27:19
  Speaker 2: these liam Saturday Local Times that Sunday morning, New Zealand,
• 27:24
  Speaker 2: England and Australia at Alion Stadium, Twickenham.
• 27:29
  Speaker 3: Yes, back to Twickers. Look, Australia's got will skelt him
• 27:32
  Speaker 3: back in the mix, but that will not be much
• 27:35
  Speaker 3: enough to get them over the line.
• 27:37
  Speaker 2: I think Australia wins that match. Joey sewer Lee if
• 27:41
  Speaker 2: he plays will Skeleton. It's all come together in the
• 27:45
  Speaker 2: words you love Ehlee and Argentina. You are Motherland of
• 27:52
  Speaker 2: sorts against Argentina.
• 27:55
  Speaker 3: That's the beautiful Homelands just makes the heart sing. Elliott,
• 27:59
  Speaker 3: take me back to Italy now, look, Italy on the rise?
• 28:04
  Speaker 3: Aren't they improving? It's always a bit of an unpredictable
• 28:08
  Speaker 3: fiction that but I think you'd have to go with
• 28:11
  Speaker 3: the Pomas just on the basis of what they put
• 28:14
  Speaker 3: out during the Raby Championships, some big victories over the
• 28:16
  Speaker 3: spring Box at home and the All Blacks in New Zealand,
• 28:20
  Speaker 3: so I'll tip them to start their tour on a
• 28:22
  Speaker 3: positive note.
• 28:23
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm going to disappoint a friend of leader as well.
• 28:26
  Speaker 2: I'm going to go with Argentina. Pablo Mateta out with
• 28:30
  Speaker 2: suspension for this game, but I still think Argentina will
• 28:33
  Speaker 2: be too strong. France and Japan at Star de France
• 28:37
  Speaker 2: look hard to go past the home side, isn't it.
• 28:40
  Speaker 3: Yeah again, France are unpredictable, weren't they when they play
• 28:44
  Speaker 3: opposition that are beneath them? And I think Japan certainly
• 28:48
  Speaker 3: are that. But surely they don't lose at home to
• 28:52
  Speaker 3: Japan and the state that they are. And currently with
• 28:55
  Speaker 3: Bertie Jones.
• 28:56
  Speaker 2: We move on now to Sunday in Europe and Wales
• 29:00
  Speaker 2: hosting Fiji in Cardiff. This is a really tricky game
• 29:05
  Speaker 2: to pick. I think Fiji it's been a little up
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: and down this year, blown out by Scotland's on the weekends.
• 29:13
  Speaker 2: But do they go to Cardiff and get the win?
• 29:18
  Speaker 3: I think they'll push Wales for sure, and they should
• 29:21
  Speaker 3: be better for a head out in Scotland, but that
• 29:24
  Speaker 3: was quite a big margin that the Scot's put on
• 29:27
  Speaker 3: them in Edinburgh, so lo I'll tip Wales, but I
• 29:32
  Speaker 3: wouldn't be putting any money on that match because hard
• 29:36
  Speaker 3: to know where Wales are at and what they're going
• 29:39
  Speaker 3: to bring as well and.
• 29:40
  Speaker 2: Gets you trust. I'm going to go Wales as well.
• 29:43
  Speaker 2: And the final match of this weekend see Scotland's at
• 29:47
  Speaker 2: murray Fields hosting South Africa. What do you reckon?
• 29:54
  Speaker 3: Oh? I think this will be tight, Elliott, Scotland's not
• 29:57
  Speaker 3: an easy place to go, but I'm going to tip
• 30:00
  Speaker 3: South Africa to start their tour. I know they've got
• 30:02
  Speaker 3: a few injury concerns and rust you'll be juggling that
• 30:06
  Speaker 3: squads and have a few excuses up his sleeve just
• 30:10
  Speaker 3: in case. But I think the box to win that.
• 30:13
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm going to go to Scotland to lose. South
• 30:15
  Speaker 2: Africa to win. I have seen some online suggestions that
• 30:21
  Speaker 2: the Scotts are very very confident, but I just can't
• 30:26
  Speaker 2: see it this weekend. I think South Africa will be
• 30:30
  Speaker 2: too good at Murrayfield and get the job done against
• 30:34
  Speaker 2: the Scotts. They're all about. Do us for Rugby Direct
• 30:37
  Speaker 2: for another week, Liam, big weekend of rugby awaits, so
• 30:41
  Speaker 2: look forward to catching up again in a week's time.
• 30:45
  Speaker 3: That's it. Go well, Elli, enjoy the call and get
• 30:48
  Speaker 3: stuck into a feel the points of the good stuff
• 30:51
  Speaker 3: and try stay safe and temple Barrow. I know you'll
• 30:54
  Speaker 3: be highly popular and learn in some deep dark rooms.
• 31:01
  Speaker 2: All right, Okay, we'll leave on that note. Has been
• 31:04
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• 31:08
  Speaker 2: business to a higher level.
• 31:16
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• 31:19
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• 31:22
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