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Rugby Direct - Episode 161 · Rugby Direct

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks b follow
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: this and our wide range of podcast now on iHeartRadio.
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: Straight down the middle.
• 0:20
  Speaker 3: Of dry.
• 0:23
  Speaker 4: Try.
• 0:24
  Speaker 3: Welcome in to Rugby Direct.
• 0:26
  Speaker 5: John r Hen Health Technique, all your aches and pains
• 0:28
  Speaker 5: from the sports and another alien Disappearances, Joseph Lee or
• 0:39
  Speaker 5: Joey Marno the man that can do it All across
• 0:42
  Speaker 5: Rugby and Rugby League Podcast. Nick Bailey, Great, have you
• 0:45
  Speaker 5: in for Liam Napier this week? Welcome on and again,
• 0:48
  Speaker 5: Oh what.
• 0:48
  Speaker 4: An introduction Smith here, Thanks for that. I'm sure I'm
• 0:51
  Speaker 4: not sure if that NS and me listeners across the
• 0:53
  Speaker 4: podcast stable are enjoying me jumping between codes week to
• 0:56
  Speaker 4: week from the Big League Podcast back to Rugby Direct,
• 0:58
  Speaker 4: but I'm happy to be here and speaking of habit, health,
• 1:02
  Speaker 4: aches and pains from sport and work, probably leisure as well.
• 1:04
  Speaker 4: For Liam Napier, I hope he's doing okay after Nral's Magic.
• 1:07
  Speaker 5: Ground from him for a good twenty four plus hours.
• 1:10
  Speaker 5: So hopefully we'll report back for Judy at some point
• 1:13
  Speaker 5: this week and be on deck for the podcast next week.
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: I'm sure he had a great week.
• 1:16
  Speaker 5: It looked like a great weekend over there, and I suppose,
• 1:20
  Speaker 5: you know, if you're Super Rugby, you're trying to figure
• 1:22
  Speaker 5: out the lessons of how you apply that to Super Round,
• 1:24
  Speaker 5: which is obviously taking a break this year. I just
• 1:26
  Speaker 5: don't know that you can replicate that across Super Rugby.
• 1:28
  Speaker 5: I think they're trying to find something that's just not
• 1:31
  Speaker 5: going to quite work.
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: It'll be interesting to see.
• 1:34
  Speaker 4: I heard some comments from Super Rugby chair Kevin malloy
• 1:37
  Speaker 4: on Weekend Sport with Jason Pine just yes, they certainly
• 1:40
  Speaker 4: is in the thinking, whether that be down my way
• 1:42
  Speaker 4: Smith at christ Church to help open Tokaha next year.
• 1:45
  Speaker 4: I feel like there's a lot that makes a fair
• 1:47
  Speaker 4: amount of sense for mine or fig where they absolutely
• 1:50
  Speaker 4: adore their rugby. Of course there's some logistical challenges here,
• 1:53
  Speaker 4: but the NRL is certainly onto a winner there with
• 1:55
  Speaker 4: major round.
• 1:56
  Speaker 3: Has to be said, they certainly are.
• 1:57
  Speaker 5: Well, let's get into the round that was in Super
• 1:59
  Speaker 5: Rugby Pacific and the most recent game that rounded out
• 2:03
  Speaker 5: the round, but a Sunday afternoon footy which is always
• 2:06
  Speaker 5: a treat under the roof in Dunedam probably the best
• 2:09
  Speaker 5: game of the round, to be honest with you, Mina
• 2:11
  Speaker 5: Pacific at beating the Highland is thirty four twenty nine. Look,
• 2:16
  Speaker 5: I think you look at this Muana side and they
• 2:19
  Speaker 5: are continuing to upset the apple cart. Now, whether it's
• 2:23
  Speaker 5: good enough to make the playoffs, we'll get onto that
• 2:25
  Speaker 5: in a week while on the podcast. But what they're
• 2:27
  Speaker 5: doing is showing up every week, which is what we've
• 2:29
  Speaker 5: asked for them in recent years. And they've going down
• 2:32
  Speaker 5: to the need in which they haven't done, you know,
• 2:34
  Speaker 5: particularly well in previous years, and kept at it and
• 2:37
  Speaker 5: got the win. And I thought they were the better
• 2:39
  Speaker 5: team yesterday afternoon and deserving of that win. You've got
• 2:42
  Speaker 5: to give a lot of credit to Artie sa Via
• 2:44
  Speaker 5: wonderful try, you know, the double grubber, Regather scoring in
• 2:48
  Speaker 5: the corner, but everything else that he did across the game.
• 2:51
  Speaker 5: He has been so influential on this team this year
• 2:53
  Speaker 5: and kept talking about it, but it's hard to understate
• 2:56
  Speaker 5: just how valuable his presence has been to the side.
• 2:58
  Speaker 5: What did you make of that game.
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: Nick, eh? The South Island Slayers.
• 3:02
  Speaker 4: Aren't they Minor Pacifica or was it last month beating
• 3:04
  Speaker 4: the Crusaders down my way and now down a bit
• 3:07
  Speaker 4: further down Stie High One and getting the job done
• 3:09
  Speaker 4: over Jamie Joseph's side.
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: Look, I thought they were deserved.
• 3:12
  Speaker 4: Victors, and you summed it up brilliantly around the impact
• 3:15
  Speaker 4: that Ardie sav has and I know on this podcast
• 3:17
  Speaker 4: when Leans usually in this seat, you guys are waxing
• 3:19
  Speaker 4: lyrical about his influence both on and off the field.
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: But the way his body at work on both sides
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: of the ball.
• 3:26
  Speaker 4: He is in another stratosphere at the moment, and it
• 3:29
  Speaker 4: was almost as if I know a lot of the
• 3:31
  Speaker 4: headlines in the highlight moment with the Chip and Chase.
• 3:34
  Speaker 4: You know, it's obviously he wanted that that Chip and
• 3:36
  Speaker 4: Chase Trice somewhere on his resume after the one that
• 3:38
  Speaker 4: got scrubbed out the week before. But that's just I
• 3:41
  Speaker 4: guess a footnote really on his full performance, like, well,
• 3:45
  Speaker 4: what have we got here? Eighty one meters for nineteen carries,
• 3:48
  Speaker 4: three defenders, beat in three clean breaks are just an
• 3:51
  Speaker 4: all round inspiration and the way he's able to then
• 3:54
  Speaker 4: exert more out of the rest of the team just
• 3:57
  Speaker 4: can't be understated. And I think that loose forward trio
• 3:59
  Speaker 4: as a three with Miracle Fire, Lungey and Tupo Thayoloa,
• 4:04
  Speaker 4: who could have easily been in a Highlands juty this
• 4:07
  Speaker 4: season given he was playing for the Seat Up and
• 4:08
  Speaker 4: Stags and NPC last year. They're right up there in
• 4:11
  Speaker 4: terms of a loose forward trail in Super Rugby Pacific
• 4:14
  Speaker 4: full stop. So look, we'll get to the Highlanders in
• 4:17
  Speaker 4: a sec. But Moana give them a ton of credit.
• 4:20
  Speaker 4: I love the way they go about their player. I
• 4:21
  Speaker 4: love seeing some of their outside backs like Kyra and
• 4:24
  Speaker 4: Thomoyflau and open space. They're just their box office appointment viewing.
• 4:30
  Speaker 4: And they're very much now in the playoff picture. They've
• 4:33
  Speaker 4: got a terribly difficult run home with the last three games,
• 4:35
  Speaker 4: which we'll get to, but the fact that they're just
• 4:37
  Speaker 4: there in the top six at the minute, in that
• 4:40
  Speaker 4: sixth position, it's a success story for the season for sure.
• 4:44
  Speaker 3: That's right.
• 4:45
  Speaker 5: And they lose yesterday, they're probably out of the playoff mix,
• 4:47
  Speaker 5: aren't they, because it's just too much work to do
• 4:49
  Speaker 5: over the closing rounds of the competition. And you know,
• 4:52
  Speaker 5: Jack Taylor scores with seven eight minutes to go, converted
• 4:55
  Speaker 5: by robins and you go, yeah, this is maybe not
• 4:58
  Speaker 5: going to be their day. But then Milani Matavel who
• 5:01
  Speaker 5: came off for the bench and had a real impact.
• 5:03
  Speaker 5: I thought with that charge down. Now I've gone back
• 5:06
  Speaker 5: and watched it a couple of times, I think Robinson
• 5:07
  Speaker 5: that time to pull out probably should have seen Mazavel
• 5:10
  Speaker 5: in his eye line of vision and maybe pulled out
• 5:13
  Speaker 5: of it and not kicked it or just taken the tackle.
• 5:16
  Speaker 5: He's probably going to rue that. But great vision from
• 5:19
  Speaker 5: the replacement half back from one just to see that
• 5:22
  Speaker 5: opportunity coming through, got the balance and then the dive
• 5:26
  Speaker 5: in the corner was pretty special as well, and they
• 5:29
  Speaker 5: closed it up from there. And just that they have
• 5:31
  Speaker 5: a sense that of a never say die attitude and
• 5:34
  Speaker 5: it hasn't always turned into victories the seats in Mauana Pacifica,
• 5:37
  Speaker 5: but you look back at some of the performances they
• 5:39
  Speaker 5: probably should have been in the hound as earlier on
• 5:41
  Speaker 5: in the comp when they were twenty one points down
• 5:43
  Speaker 5: at halftime, they came back and stormed back against the Hurricanes.
• 5:47
  Speaker 5: From memory, the Chiefs they are forty three seven down
• 5:49
  Speaker 5: and maybe should have ended that game with, you know,
• 5:52
  Speaker 5: actually a losing bonus point. They didn't get it on
• 5:54
  Speaker 5: that occasion, but they've been the masters of the second spell,
• 5:57
  Speaker 5: but they also just don't know when they're beaten. That's
• 5:59
  Speaker 5: a really strong quality to have for Mowana given in
• 6:02
  Speaker 5: recent seasons the cops and pastings and the heads have
• 6:05
  Speaker 5: gone down completely agree.
• 6:07
  Speaker 4: And on the other side of the the equation the
• 6:09
  Speaker 4: Highlander is they're sort of finding ways to lose at
• 6:12
  Speaker 4: the moment, or finding ways where they're not icing the
• 6:14
  Speaker 4: big moments like the Tane Robinson clearance Kirk which ends
• 6:18
  Speaker 4: up a charge down trying the corner to the replacement
• 6:20
  Speaker 4: half back, and you've got to feel a little bit
• 6:22
  Speaker 4: for Jamie Joseph sid They're already up against it in
• 6:25
  Speaker 4: terms of attracting players down south to the southernmost franchise
• 6:29
  Speaker 4: in the country. They're investing a lot in youth and
• 6:33
  Speaker 4: trying to surround some young players with some veterans, but
• 6:36
  Speaker 4: it just isn't quite working for them at the moment,
• 6:39
  Speaker 4: and now they're very much a danger with their run
• 6:42
  Speaker 4: home Hurricanes Crusaders' chiefs after the bye this week of
• 6:47
  Speaker 4: being wooden Spooners, which when you reflect back a couple
• 6:49
  Speaker 4: of months ago, there was all this conversation and chatter
• 6:52
  Speaker 4: run oh the Highlanders have they turned a corner.
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: How good's Tamathya.
• 6:55
  Speaker 4: Tabatavanaha going at second five eighth's that's sort of forgotten
• 6:59
  Speaker 4: about now and some real conversations to be had about
• 7:02
  Speaker 4: the Highlanders and where they track moving forward into twenty
• 7:05
  Speaker 4: twenty six.
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 7:06
  Speaker 5: Absolutely, And they seem to be falling off a cliff
• 7:09
  Speaker 5: a little bit. I don't know what that is necessarily
• 7:12
  Speaker 5: down to it, but they're not playing as a team.
• 7:14
  Speaker 5: They look really clunky. You know that the bright spot
• 7:17
  Speaker 5: in recent weeks has been the return of Jackie running
• 7:19
  Speaker 5: away to Vockie Nepkins for them, but they just look
• 7:24
  Speaker 5: really clunky whatever they do, whether it's a line out,
• 7:27
  Speaker 5: set piece and just across the park, they're not playing
• 7:30
  Speaker 5: in rhythm with each other. And they're missing, you know,
• 7:34
  Speaker 5: a partner for Fabian hond at Locke. They seem to
• 7:37
  Speaker 5: specialize in not picking back up locks on the bench.
• 7:40
  Speaker 5: I'm just not sure if some of the strategy around
• 7:42
  Speaker 5: that obviously had injuries, but they don't look like a
• 7:45
  Speaker 5: cohesive unit at the moment, and things just seem to
• 7:48
  Speaker 5: be unraveling a little bit for the Highlanders, and it's that.
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: First five eighth position ultimately too. Elliott isn't it.
• 7:53
  Speaker 4: I know they've put a fair bit of faith and
• 7:56
  Speaker 4: the young fella the names just escaping the top of
• 7:59
  Speaker 4: the head, Cam Miller obviously, Tane Robinson. They've kind of
• 8:02
  Speaker 4: gone back and forth there. They've got a lot of
• 8:05
  Speaker 4: depth all of a sudden at halfback. Have really been
• 8:07
  Speaker 4: impressed by the emerge. It's a hasty as well as
• 8:09
  Speaker 4: fuck a tava. They've got young Dylan Pledger over the
• 8:11
  Speaker 4: New Zealand under twenties at the moment, but ultimately in
• 8:14
  Speaker 4: this competition to be successful or be competitive, you really
• 8:18
  Speaker 4: need a game driver in that ten jersey and they
• 8:20
  Speaker 4: yet to find one at the minute.
• 8:21
  Speaker 5: They are, but the Hurricanes back to Saturday night, seem
• 8:24
  Speaker 5: to have found one thirty five seventeen over the Chiefs
• 8:27
  Speaker 5: and it's not all down to Ruben Love, but boy
• 8:30
  Speaker 5: here is making an impact in that ten jersey. And
• 8:33
  Speaker 5: conversely for the Chiefs, I think Jacob has been playing well,
• 8:37
  Speaker 5: but they're really missing McKenzie as that second playmaker option
• 8:39
  Speaker 5: in that back line, whether he's playing fifteen or ten.
• 8:43
  Speaker 5: We've just seen in the last week or two even
• 8:45
  Speaker 5: against the Force, but especially against the Hurricanes, boy them
• 8:49
  Speaker 5: as Damien McKenzie and the Hurricanes took full advantage. That
• 8:52
  Speaker 5: was clearly the Hurricanes' best effort of the season. And
• 8:56
  Speaker 5: you know we talked about leaving maybe before being on
• 8:58
  Speaker 5: this podcast, and then what he would say, the cane
• 9:00
  Speaker 5: train is just beginning to gather a little bit of steam.
• 9:03
  Speaker 4: Nick Oh, is it what all of a sudden the
• 9:06
  Speaker 4: Hurricanes are looking like that team that you don't want
• 9:08
  Speaker 4: to face first round and the playoffs, And I know
• 9:11
  Speaker 4: the Rugby Direct drums were beating for Ruben Love to
• 9:14
  Speaker 4: be instored at first five eighth for quite some time.
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: Clark laidlaw.
• 9:18
  Speaker 4: In fact, I think the last time I came on
• 9:19
  Speaker 4: the podcast as well, we were chatting about it too,
• 9:22
  Speaker 4: and that was not dismissing anything that Riley Hohap is
• 9:25
  Speaker 4: capable of.
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: It was just looking for a bit more butt X factor.
• 9:28
  Speaker 4: They needed to chance they're um given their ladder position,
• 9:31
  Speaker 4: and what a master stroke it's proven to be so far.
• 9:33
  Speaker 4: Not only that from Ruben Love and the goalkicking was
• 9:36
  Speaker 4: really slick to but I think the emergence or the
• 9:39
  Speaker 4: faith being put in Callum Harken at fullback speaking of
• 9:43
  Speaker 4: those dual playmakers, has then just taken the Hurricanes attack
• 9:47
  Speaker 4: to another level. Yes, I've also got camroy guard sniping
• 9:50
  Speaker 4: in and around the ruck. I really like their midfield
• 9:52
  Speaker 4: combination as well with Riley Higgins and Billy Proctor. But
• 9:55
  Speaker 4: that ten to fifteen axis, you know, we saw the
• 9:58
  Speaker 4: hark in fifty twenty two which was a real momentum
• 10:02
  Speaker 4: swinger as well, just kept the foot on for the Canes.
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: They've found something there.
• 10:06
  Speaker 4: I know they've got Brett Cameron coming back from a
• 10:08
  Speaker 4: set is knee injury, playing a bit of club rugby.
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: But all of a sudden they've.
• 10:11
  Speaker 4: Gone from some real issues around their game drivers to
• 10:14
  Speaker 4: landing on a really slick ten to fifteen combination with
• 10:17
  Speaker 4: their incumbent ten returning from injury come the business end
• 10:21
  Speaker 4: of the season. But heck of a knight for the
• 10:23
  Speaker 4: Canes could have easily gone the other way. You know,
• 10:25
  Speaker 4: they lose their X factor player on the flanks and
• 10:29
  Speaker 4: Kenny in the hollow to what appears to be a
• 10:30
  Speaker 4: serious knee injury. They had a couple of moments there,
• 10:34
  Speaker 4: you know, Billy Proctor intercept that Daniel Rohner gets his
• 10:38
  Speaker 4: second try the night seventeen nine at half time.
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: It's just the credits I know we're speaking a.
• 10:41
  Speaker 4: Lot about the attack, but to hold a Chiefs team
• 10:45
  Speaker 4: like that, irrespective of being without Damien McKenzie, but to
• 10:47
  Speaker 4: hold them scoreless in the second half, I think that's
• 10:50
  Speaker 4: what will impress Clark Laidlaw the most. You know, that's
• 10:53
  Speaker 4: a that's a real sign of encouragement there for the
• 10:56
  Speaker 4: Hurricanes as they build towards the playoffs, and they are, if.
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: Not the hot team at the moment, certainly right up there.
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 11:04
  Speaker 5: I thought what was smart in that first spell is
• 11:06
  Speaker 5: they didn't get too worried. Obviously they can see that
• 11:08
  Speaker 5: just on half time again to set, but they keep
• 11:11
  Speaker 5: the school board tacking over and we don't often see
• 11:13
  Speaker 5: that in super rugby that you know, they were happy
• 11:15
  Speaker 5: to set all for keeping the school board going up
• 11:17
  Speaker 5: in threes. Reuben Love knocking over that early penalty goal,
• 11:19
  Speaker 5: then they considered the first of the road to tries
• 11:22
  Speaker 5: and then they just you know, tapped over another penalty
• 11:24
  Speaker 5: goal a couple in quick succession, and had that nine
• 11:27
  Speaker 5: to seven lead before that Jacob penalty and then the
• 11:31
  Speaker 5: converted try on halftime. But what they did was just
• 11:34
  Speaker 5: kept that pressure going on the Chiefs and we haven't
• 11:36
  Speaker 5: often seen that in Super rugby this season. There's just
• 11:39
  Speaker 5: a little bit of school board pressure and you know,
• 11:41
  Speaker 5: taking your shots at goal. It's very very rare we
• 11:43
  Speaker 5: see that and I really actually liked it from the Hurricanes.
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it was very discipline, wasn't it.
• 11:48
  Speaker 4: And as you say, just applying that school board pressure
• 11:51
  Speaker 4: and not letting it get beyond arms reached that all
• 11:53
  Speaker 4: of a sudden you're chancing your arm and you're chasing
• 11:56
  Speaker 4: the game.
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: And I thought just.
• 11:58
  Speaker 4: Their ability to keep the ball alive as well, like
• 12:02
  Speaker 4: they're so often they'd bend the defensive line of the Chiefs,
• 12:05
  Speaker 4: but then it was just a late offload when a
• 12:08
  Speaker 4: player was going down in the contact to just keep
• 12:11
  Speaker 4: putting applying that pressure. Yeah, that back line is just
• 12:15
  Speaker 4: full of some serious talent. And how about Baal and
• 12:20
  Speaker 4: Sullivan A he's probably thinking I might come on for
• 12:22
  Speaker 4: half an hour in the midfield or something like that,
• 12:24
  Speaker 4: gets his boarding passer up very early in the piece
• 12:26
  Speaker 4: after that Naholo injury, and look, I know he's just
• 12:29
  Speaker 4: on the end of the chain for a couple of them.
• 12:31
  Speaker 4: I've thought the second trol is a really strong finish,
• 12:33
  Speaker 4: but for him to get over for all four tries.
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: He'd be pretty happy with that too.
• 12:37
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 12:37
  Speaker 5: Look, I think he's a quality player ballin Suarvan and
• 12:41
  Speaker 5: he obviously he's been the midfield Billy Proclet comes back,
• 12:43
  Speaker 5: he loses that spot, but he's such a versatile player
• 12:47
  Speaker 5: that I think he can really add to this Hurricane siding.
• 12:49
  Speaker 5: You mentioned the top when we was talking about this game.
• 12:52
  Speaker 5: We'll get to the Plaff makes a wee bit later
• 12:53
  Speaker 5: in the pod. But you just do not want to
• 12:55
  Speaker 5: play this Hurricanes team at the moment. They're going to
• 12:57
  Speaker 5: buy They're going to freshen up over the next week
• 12:59
  Speaker 5: or so. They've got a couple of tricky games to
• 13:01
  Speaker 5: come before the season closes out, but they just you know,
• 13:04
  Speaker 5: the Highlanders obviously to welcome to the Capitol, they've got
• 13:07
  Speaker 5: to go visit the Reds in Brisbane, which should be
• 13:10
  Speaker 5: an interesting game in the context of the clubs. And
• 13:12
  Speaker 5: they close out against Milana. But with the momentum they're
• 13:15
  Speaker 5: beginning to get in this competition when we get to playoffs,
• 13:17
  Speaker 5: you don't want to be playing this Hurricanes team.
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: Certainly don't.
• 13:21
  Speaker 4: And you look at maybe where we project them to
• 13:23
  Speaker 4: finish at the moment. I actually personally have them winning
• 13:26
  Speaker 4: those three games. Certainly the Highlanders game the Reds one
• 13:29
  Speaker 4: will be tricky, as will Mowana. It'll be interesting to
• 13:30
  Speaker 4: see by that point final round the regular season if
• 13:33
  Speaker 4: Moana is run is done, or if they've managed to
• 13:37
  Speaker 4: win another one of these New Zealand Derby's on the
• 13:39
  Speaker 4: road home. But look there at this point in time
• 13:42
  Speaker 4: could be facing a Chiefs or a Crusaders round one
• 13:46
  Speaker 4: of the competition. You think all the work those two
• 13:48
  Speaker 4: teams are put in to get up there at the top,
• 13:50
  Speaker 4: and you look down and all g whiz arguably playing
• 13:53
  Speaker 4: the form team and the competition at the moment, which
• 13:56
  Speaker 4: you know they're always capable on paper, aren't they. Ali
• 13:58
  Speaker 4: At the Hurricanes, you know those players. It was just
• 14:01
  Speaker 4: about finding that right blend, that right mix, having that confidence,
• 14:05
  Speaker 4: and we need to give credit to it. We're talking
• 14:07
  Speaker 4: a lot about the backs and Roy Guard and love
• 14:09
  Speaker 4: and hearken that there loose Ford trio very impactful. I
• 14:14
  Speaker 4: thought Tyrel Lomax was really strong again as well. So look,
• 14:18
  Speaker 4: there's a lot of encouraging signs if you're a Hurricane.
• 14:21
  Speaker 5: Supporter, I certainly and a bit more encouraging for the
• 14:23
  Speaker 5: Blues forty nineteen over the Force on Friday night at
• 14:28
  Speaker 5: Eden Park. Look, I don't think this was a vintage
• 14:29
  Speaker 5: Blues performance by any stretch of the imagination, but they
• 14:32
  Speaker 5: got what they needed out of it. They needed the
• 14:34
  Speaker 5: bonus point. They got that and just got some confidence
• 14:38
  Speaker 5: back in the in the mix after what had been
• 14:42
  Speaker 5: a tricky few weeks, especially that poor performance against the
• 14:44
  Speaker 5: Reds at sun Corpse Stadium the week prior, largely case
• 14:48
  Speaker 5: of job done for the Blues. They almost threw away
• 14:51
  Speaker 5: that bonus point at the end when Angus had the
• 14:54
  Speaker 5: old topoken to touch and missed wild swing and the
• 14:57
  Speaker 5: Force get the ball back and get a penery thought on,
• 14:59
  Speaker 5: is this going to cost the Blues a bonus point?
• 15:02
  Speaker 5: And look, in the context of that season, that could
• 15:03
  Speaker 5: have been huge, And speaking to Simon Cron, the Force
• 15:06
  Speaker 5: coach after the game, he's like, that would I did
• 15:08
  Speaker 5: see it on wanting to deny the Blues the bonus
• 15:10
  Speaker 5: point because in the race for playoff spots, every point,
• 15:13
  Speaker 5: every competition point, is so big. But it just wasn't
• 15:16
  Speaker 5: to be in the end. Yeah, not vintage Blues by
• 15:19
  Speaker 5: any stretch of the imagination, but a game that could
• 15:22
  Speaker 5: have gone Ryan again.
• 15:24
  Speaker 3: They were leading.
• 15:25
  Speaker 5: At halftime fourteen twelve seven. I think it was scored
• 15:28
  Speaker 5: just after the break the Force they struggled to shut
• 15:31
  Speaker 5: them down, but it was really the last twenty twenty
• 15:33
  Speaker 5: five minutes where they just took charge and put the
• 15:36
  Speaker 5: game beyond reach for the Western Force.
• 15:38
  Speaker 4: That Angus Tart of our moment was when you look
• 15:41
  Speaker 4: at when you look at the ladder, there is nothing
• 15:43
  Speaker 4: separating the Blues in the Force, so that could have
• 15:45
  Speaker 4: easily been a swing the other way if the Force
• 15:48
  Speaker 4: had gone on to deny the Blues a bonus point there.
• 15:50
  Speaker 4: So yeah, a huge sigh of relief for Angus Tarl.
• 15:54
  Speaker 4: Just before we get into the Blues. I just want
• 15:55
  Speaker 4: to mention Harry Potter. Over the last couple of weeks
• 15:59
  Speaker 4: he is I used to just think maybe it was
• 16:02
  Speaker 4: because of his name that his name would just be
• 16:04
  Speaker 4: constantly brought up in commentaries, and you know, obviously it's
• 16:07
  Speaker 4: a pretty unique name given the book and movie series.
• 16:12
  Speaker 4: But like every time he touches the ball, something happens
• 16:15
  Speaker 4: and around him, and they need to give him more opportunities.
• 16:18
  Speaker 4: So just a quick shout out to Harry Potter.
• 16:20
  Speaker 5: Completely agree he's been outstanding and he makes something happen.
• 16:24
  Speaker 5: So he does to pop up everywhere on the park
• 16:26
  Speaker 5: and that tray screens achieves the previous week from the restart.
• 16:30
  Speaker 5: Incredible to show that pace. So I think he has
• 16:33
  Speaker 5: to be in the Australian mix for the line series.
• 16:37
  Speaker 5: The form that he's in, they could do a lot
• 16:38
  Speaker 5: worse than selecting him on one of those wings.
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: Spiders on at the moment. He's a serious talent.
• 16:44
  Speaker 4: But yeah, on the Blues, it was quite interesting smoothly
• 16:46
  Speaker 4: looking at the deepest statistics in this game, and it
• 16:48
  Speaker 4: was almost as if the Blues maybe took a look
• 16:51
  Speaker 4: at what the Crusaders did last week against the Highlanders
• 16:53
  Speaker 4: in terms of backing themselves without the ball, backing their defense,
• 16:57
  Speaker 4: backing their kicking game, and said we might try that too.
• 17:00
  Speaker 4: You know, the Force had was it sixty one percent
• 17:03
  Speaker 4: of possession, sixty percent of territory. Blues ended up making
• 17:07
  Speaker 4: one hundred and ninety ten tackles to the Forces ninety three.
• 17:10
  Speaker 4: So as you say it wasn't vintage from the Blues,
• 17:13
  Speaker 4: they did what was required.
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: They turned the screws late.
• 17:17
  Speaker 4: They went back to what has been successful for them
• 17:20
  Speaker 4: over the last eighteen or so months in terms of
• 17:23
  Speaker 4: that direct style of play in and around the ruck
• 17:26
  Speaker 4: and just I guess sort of constantly applying that pressure
• 17:30
  Speaker 4: until the defense wilts and they got the bonus point ultimately,
• 17:34
  Speaker 4: so that they've given themselves a chance. Look, they've got
• 17:37
  Speaker 4: an interesting run home with a trip now to face
• 17:41
  Speaker 4: the Drawer over there in Fiji, who of course beat
• 17:45
  Speaker 4: the Reds and the Weekend Read's a pretty handy team
• 17:47
  Speaker 4: at the minute as well. So the draw very much
• 17:49
  Speaker 4: have an opportunity to continue their spoiling run given they're.
• 17:53
  Speaker 2: Out of the playoff picture.
• 17:54
  Speaker 4: But yeah, if you're a Blues fan, I don't think
• 17:57
  Speaker 4: you can be crowing that we're back or anything like that,
• 18:00
  Speaker 4: but a step in the right direction. It's just whether
• 18:03
  Speaker 4: now they can build on that momentum. Because for me, anyway,
• 18:06
  Speaker 4: I thought when they only would just be in by
• 18:08
  Speaker 4: James O'Connor penalty down my way against the Crusaders a
• 18:11
  Speaker 4: few weeks ago, I thought, well, there was a lot
• 18:12
  Speaker 4: to like actually about that Blues performance. They should have
• 18:14
  Speaker 4: actually beaten the Crusaders down here in christ which yet
• 18:17
  Speaker 4: they go over to Brisbane the next week and the
• 18:19
  Speaker 4: wheels fell off, so for Vern Cotter, it's now about stability,
• 18:23
  Speaker 4: looking at the reviews, seeing what worked well and trying
• 18:26
  Speaker 4: to apply that and build some pressure as they go through.
• 18:29
  Speaker 2: With Drewer mowana Ge.
• 18:31
  Speaker 4: That's going to be a cracking game in a couple
• 18:33
  Speaker 4: of weeks, then a bye and then the Wireta's at.
• 18:35
  Speaker 5: Home absolutely, and look, we mentioned to see where they
• 18:38
  Speaker 5: get Caleb Clark maybe back this week for the trip
• 18:40
  Speaker 5: to Fiji. They obviously one have Mark Dalaire for a
• 18:45
  Speaker 5: couple more weeks yet, but if they can get Caleb
• 18:47
  Speaker 5: Clarke back in that changes the back line a little bit.
• 18:49
  Speaker 5: They can move Aj Lamb probably back to midfield, which
• 18:53
  Speaker 5: I think is a stronger mix in him. In twelve
• 18:55
  Speaker 5: he came off the bench shot on the weekend. Vancotta
• 18:57
  Speaker 5: reluctant to give too many details. They made a switch
• 19:00
  Speaker 5: at training on Thursday, so whether it was a off
• 19:02
  Speaker 5: field matter, I'm not entirely sure. He came off the
• 19:05
  Speaker 5: bench when he was originally listed to starter on the
• 19:07
  Speaker 5: left wing. If you gets some consistency going build some momentum. Again,
• 19:12
  Speaker 5: we talk about the Hurricanes and they've got more momentum
• 19:14
  Speaker 5: in the Blues habit at this point, but not aside
• 19:17
  Speaker 5: you'd want to face in week one, especially if you've
• 19:20
  Speaker 5: got that one or two home seating in the playoffs.
• 19:22
  Speaker 5: You wouldn't want to welcome the Blues to town.
• 19:24
  Speaker 2: No, you wouldn't.
• 19:25
  Speaker 4: They've got enough playoff experience within that mix to after
• 19:29
  Speaker 4: last year. So yeah, they're a dangerous prospect. I'm still
• 19:33
  Speaker 4: far from convinced, and certainly I'm sure there's even some
• 19:39
  Speaker 4: up your way, Ali who would agree that they're not
• 19:41
  Speaker 4: in the position obviously that they would have thought they
• 19:44
  Speaker 4: would have been in after the success they had last year.
• 19:47
  Speaker 4: But they're in with a chance, as are many teams.
• 19:49
  Speaker 4: But yeah, they'd have to be one, maybe just one
• 19:51
  Speaker 4: pig below the Hurricanes I want want to face, and
• 19:53
  Speaker 4: they're opening run in the playoffs, all.
• 19:55
  Speaker 5: Right, They's tack ad break here on rug Bitterrick come
• 19:56
  Speaker 5: back with the second half of the podcast after this
• 19:59
  Speaker 5: with our friends at Habit Health.
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: This is Rugby Direct, a podcast for real rugby fans.
• 20:09
  Speaker 5: Every try to drive, had sixty second, every tackle to
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• 20:20
  Speaker 5: You're back with Rugby Direct powered by Habit Health. Time
• 20:23
  Speaker 5: now for our Final four for Rugby Top Berks, myself
• 20:26
  Speaker 5: and Nick debate them. Topic number one, Nick must if
• 20:29
  Speaker 5: you saw this last week, but changes to the World
• 20:32
  Speaker 5: seven Series from next season now. There's been some financial
• 20:36
  Speaker 5: issues plaguing the series since they went to this new
• 20:39
  Speaker 5: format a couple of years ago. Trimmed it down, but
• 20:42
  Speaker 5: what it hasn't done is trim the costs, which was
• 20:45
  Speaker 5: largely sort of why they did. It's become a more
• 20:47
  Speaker 5: streamlined sort of model. I think they had up to
• 20:49
  Speaker 5: twelve thirteen World Series tournaments at one stage. Obviously New
• 20:53
  Speaker 5: Zealand used to be on the calendar. They've gone back
• 20:55
  Speaker 5: to seven teams sorry seven series, so six plus a
• 20:58
  Speaker 5: World Championship, which is ongoing at the moment in Los Angeles.
• 21:02
  Speaker 5: They've decided that's not enough and they're going to go
• 21:05
  Speaker 5: to the top eight teams in the world play the
• 21:07
  Speaker 5: top tier, and teams eight downwards going to a second
• 21:11
  Speaker 5: tier that feeds potentially into the top tier in a
• 21:15
  Speaker 5: World Championship. Bit convoluted, but ultimately one of the other
• 21:19
  Speaker 5: changes is two day events, and we're going to see
• 21:22
  Speaker 5: more of the top teams play each other because there's
• 21:24
  Speaker 5: only going to be eight teams at every of the
• 21:26
  Speaker 5: top tier World Series events. There's all sorts of flow
• 21:30
  Speaker 5: charts and diagrams if you want to dive a little
• 21:32
  Speaker 5: bit more deeply into this. But what do you make
• 21:34
  Speaker 5: of these changes?
• 21:35
  Speaker 4: N'tick still no valelves for Sevens in their marketing, so
• 21:39
  Speaker 4: a bit concerned that that wasn't top of the list
• 21:41
  Speaker 4: in terms of changes, but no, look at it does
• 21:42
  Speaker 4: very much feel like last chance saloon for the Sevens.
• 21:45
  Speaker 4: I know they're obviously part of the Olympic program and
• 21:46
  Speaker 4: have been since Rio in twenty sixteen, but yeah, it
• 21:51
  Speaker 4: was interesting, but perhaps massaging of this announcement because ultimately
• 21:56
  Speaker 4: you still have your six tournaments so this year for examples,
• 21:59
  Speaker 4: do buy Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Singapoint and
• 22:02
  Speaker 4: at the moment as we record this podcast, the Los
• 22:05
  Speaker 4: Angeles Final. So it's very much that X plus one
• 22:09
  Speaker 4: for the top tier, and then there's going to be
• 22:10
  Speaker 4: another six tournaments for tiers two and three.
• 22:13
  Speaker 2: I guess my biggest question is who.
• 22:15
  Speaker 4: Outside of you know, the real hardcore fans of those
• 22:20
  Speaker 4: teams ranked nine to sixteen is tuning into those tournaments
• 22:24
  Speaker 4: both at venue and on the broadcast, and maybe it's
• 22:28
  Speaker 4: just me and the fact that my interest has dimmed
• 22:32
  Speaker 4: a little bit following on from I guess the halcyon
• 22:35
  Speaker 4: days of Wellington and to Hamilton are now no longer
• 22:37
  Speaker 4: a presence here. And look, I don't want to take
• 22:40
  Speaker 4: anything away from the Black Fans seven success as well.
• 22:42
  Speaker 4: They're probably the main reason that i'd tune in and
• 22:46
  Speaker 4: see how they're going because some of the rugby seven's
• 22:49
  Speaker 4: rugby they play is top tier, you know, arguably better
• 22:53
  Speaker 4: than watching some of the men's games. So it's an
• 22:56
  Speaker 4: interesting conundrum. I wonder I'll send it back to you, Elliott,
• 22:59
  Speaker 4: but if they weren't in the Olympics cycle, they're coming
• 23:02
  Speaker 4: up Olympic cycle twenty twenty eight, would they just run
• 23:04
  Speaker 4: a line through sevens and go It's been a great run,
• 23:07
  Speaker 4: but something has to give and we're not a bottomless
• 23:09
  Speaker 4: pit of money.
• 23:10
  Speaker 5: Well, I think that's a very very good question, and yeah,
• 23:14
  Speaker 5: I think they might, honestly, and World Rugby has tried
• 23:17
  Speaker 5: to make sevens work, tried to make this World Series
• 23:20
  Speaker 5: work for a number of years, and you're right, they're
• 23:22
  Speaker 5: not a bottomless pit of cash. The Olympics was supposedly
• 23:25
  Speaker 5: going to be the start of something for sevens and
• 23:29
  Speaker 5: it was all sorts of talk about how players are
• 23:31
  Speaker 5: going to cross codes and go and play the chase
• 23:34
  Speaker 5: of Olympic medal.
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: Look.
• 23:35
  Speaker 5: I can remember being on the Sports Tesk and Sean
• 23:37
  Speaker 5: Johnson was asked about it, would he want to make
• 23:39
  Speaker 5: an Olympic middle That's never happened. None of those players
• 23:41
  Speaker 5: have crossed over and it's still been seen there as
• 23:44
  Speaker 5: rather niche when we had Antone de Pont make it,
• 23:46
  Speaker 5: but that was for a home World sorry home Olympics
• 23:49
  Speaker 5: and Paris in twenty twenty four, and that was huge
• 23:52
  Speaker 5: and it was great.
• 23:53
  Speaker 3: But it's not going.
• 23:53
  Speaker 5: To see more all blacks crossover and play sevens at
• 23:57
  Speaker 5: LA twenty eight. So the World Series, they just do
• 24:00
  Speaker 5: not quite know what to do with it. And as
• 24:02
  Speaker 5: long as there's in the sevens and I think the
• 24:04
  Speaker 5: World Series survives, But I think the Olympic spot is
• 24:08
  Speaker 5: the question. You know, there's flag football potentially coming in
• 24:12
  Speaker 5: or for the next Olympics and all sorts of challenges
• 24:15
  Speaker 5: for it that I just don't know they can necessarily
• 24:17
  Speaker 5: guarantee that sevens will be at the Olympics. I think
• 24:21
  Speaker 5: wild rugby obviously love to keep it there, but they
• 24:23
  Speaker 5: just can't quite figure it out. And maybe if it
• 24:24
  Speaker 5: wasn't at the Olympics, you'd be reduced to maybe just
• 24:27
  Speaker 5: keeping say a Hong Kong event or a Dubai and
• 24:30
  Speaker 5: maybe two or three events a year, and that wouldn't
• 24:32
  Speaker 5: be great for the blackfan sevens program, which has been
• 24:35
  Speaker 5: so so good in recent times. But I just get
• 24:37
  Speaker 5: the feeling that world rugby don't know what to do
• 24:40
  Speaker 5: with it.
• 24:41
  Speaker 4: Yeah, completely agree, and I as you made me think
• 24:43
  Speaker 4: around whether franchising sevens is the way to go. But
• 24:48
  Speaker 4: like what we're having with Tea twenty cricket at the moment,
• 24:50
  Speaker 4: you know, you get all these bilateral international series that
• 24:53
  Speaker 4: don't really shift the needle, But then you've got an
• 24:55
  Speaker 4: Indian Premier League or a competitions over in the UK.
• 25:00
  Speaker 4: Could a franchise again, who's funding that?
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: I don't know?
• 25:02
  Speaker 4: But could that sort of create some interest? And then
• 25:05
  Speaker 4: you're one and only international sevens is the Olympics and
• 25:09
  Speaker 4: if it still exists the Commonwealth Games. I'm not so sure,
• 25:12
  Speaker 4: but I think some big decisions that have been made,
• 25:14
  Speaker 4: it feels like a real fork in the road moment
• 25:16
  Speaker 4: for sevens.
• 25:17
  Speaker 5: It certainly does topic two. The Black Ferns announced their
• 25:19
  Speaker 5: squad for the Pack four, which she gets underway well
• 25:22
  Speaker 5: this weekend from a New Zealand perspective, at least when
• 25:24
  Speaker 5: they play Australia at in Newcastle on Saturday afternoon. No
• 25:27
  Speaker 5: Renee Homes, no Ruby Towey, no Chelsea Bremner, all filling
• 25:31
  Speaker 5: the axe from Allen Bunting. What do you make of
• 25:34
  Speaker 5: these selections? Look, I looked at it and thought, I
• 25:37
  Speaker 5: don't know if Ruby Tooey is in the top mix
• 25:40
  Speaker 5: of outside backs in New Zealand at the moment. Didn't
• 25:45
  Speaker 5: think she had a great or picky campaign. Renee Holmes,
• 25:47
  Speaker 5: I don't think I had a great or peacky campaign.
• 25:49
  Speaker 5: But she's been there, done that for the Black Ferns
• 25:50
  Speaker 5: and offers the goalkicking as well, so I was a
• 25:52
  Speaker 5: little bit more surprised to see her there. But I
• 25:54
  Speaker 5: genuinely didn't know if Bunting would be brave enough to
• 25:59
  Speaker 5: cut Toey, but he has been and now it's a
• 26:02
  Speaker 5: long way back for her to get a spot at
• 26:03
  Speaker 5: the World Cut. What have you made of these selections?
• 26:06
  Speaker 4: Yeah, it is a long way back because you look
• 26:08
  Speaker 4: at it, well, I guess it's far aparmer Carp, isn't it.
• 26:10
  Speaker 4: That's the only way you can really shift the needle.
• 26:12
  Speaker 4: And then how much can you gain from their compared
• 26:15
  Speaker 4: to how many inroads can be made by the current
• 26:17
  Speaker 4: Black Ferns mix in the in the pack four before
• 26:20
  Speaker 4: the World Cup. But I feel they had to pick Braxton,
• 26:24
  Speaker 4: Sirence and McGhee, so you had to make room a
• 26:27
  Speaker 4: concession there for at least one player. And then the
• 26:30
  Speaker 4: fact that Porsche Woodman Wickliffe was listed as an outside
• 26:34
  Speaker 4: back as opposed to a midfielder.
• 26:37
  Speaker 2: Again, you had to make room.
• 26:38
  Speaker 4: For Porscha Woodman Wickcliffe in your mix if you plan
• 26:41
  Speaker 4: on playing her on the wing. And as you say,
• 26:44
  Speaker 4: based on the ope key form alone, I feel like
• 26:46
  Speaker 4: that was the right call to bring Sirence and McGhee
• 26:50
  Speaker 4: and Woodman and Wickcliffe in and Tilley and Holmes out.
• 26:53
  Speaker 4: It will be interesting to see the point you made
• 26:56
  Speaker 4: the elliot around Renee Holmes at fullback. I just looked
• 26:58
  Speaker 4: at again looking through that list, and that's probably where
• 27:01
  Speaker 4: I wonder, outside of Sorrence and McGee, who are they
• 27:03
  Speaker 4: thinking as back up fullback? So of any of them,
• 27:07
  Speaker 4: I feel like Renee Holmes has the greater chance of
• 27:10
  Speaker 4: maybe getting back in over Toy, which is a pretty
• 27:14
  Speaker 4: big cool given Ruby Toy standing in the women's game.
• 27:16
  Speaker 2: It is.
• 27:16
  Speaker 5: Yeah, I'm intrigued. I if Braxton's sign and McGee is injured,
• 27:21
  Speaker 5: where that Mex goes for fullback is really interesting. I
• 27:26
  Speaker 5: wonder whether Callie brazy It might be asked to play fullback.
• 27:29
  Speaker 5: Potentially she's a traveling reserved to Newcastle. Intrigued to see
• 27:34
  Speaker 5: where they go to with that.
• 27:36
  Speaker 4: I think I heard Alan Barling story say Rissy pory Lane,
• 27:40
  Speaker 4: who's obviously away with the Sevens, is sort of a
• 27:42
  Speaker 4: hybrid nine fifteen option in his mind. So that's where
• 27:46
  Speaker 4: this versatility of these sevens players come. Obviously we're waiting
• 27:49
  Speaker 4: to see how Georgia Miller slots back and listed there
• 27:51
  Speaker 4: is a loose forward, but yeah, still some decisions to
• 27:55
  Speaker 4: be made or I'm fascinated by how it all unfolds
• 27:57
  Speaker 4: over the coming weeks.
• 27:58
  Speaker 5: Yes, indeed, so am I and topic at number three,
• 28:01
  Speaker 5: let's after round twelve give us your super Rugby top
• 28:04
  Speaker 5: six and finishing order. Nick, I want to hear how
• 28:07
  Speaker 5: you're thinking with just a few rounds to go.
• 28:10
  Speaker 4: Well, look if Jack Mesley or Kevin Malowy is listening
• 28:13
  Speaker 4: to this edition of the Rugby Direct podcast. Just have
• 28:15
  Speaker 4: a look on the NRL dot com website. They've got
• 28:17
  Speaker 4: this thing called a ladder predictor that would be great
• 28:20
  Speaker 4: to do.
• 28:20
  Speaker 2: Rather than my notes here where I was manually.
• 28:23
  Speaker 4: Trying to figure out how many points each team is
• 28:26
  Speaker 4: going to win in the next three or four weeks.
• 28:28
  Speaker 4: But I've done my best look, I think, and probably
• 28:32
  Speaker 4: maybe call me bys whatever being based down here in Christs,
• 28:35
  Speaker 4: but I think the Crusaders are going to finish top.
• 28:37
  Speaker 4: It's level at the moment with the Chiefs, but they
• 28:39
  Speaker 4: do have the.
• 28:40
  Speaker 2: Benefit of a game in hand.
• 28:42
  Speaker 4: I do see them dropping one of those four, whether
• 28:45
  Speaker 4: that's the Chiefs this weekend, whether that's the Waretas has
• 28:48
  Speaker 4: been an unhappy hunting ground in Sydney, or even the Brumbies.
• 28:51
  Speaker 4: It isn't the easiest run home, but I back them
• 28:54
  Speaker 4: to finish top and then I've got the Chiefs second.
• 28:59
  Speaker 4: They either lose this weekend or even if they do win,
• 29:04
  Speaker 4: as I say, toss of a coin, maybe points differential.
• 29:06
  Speaker 4: It does come down to between the Crusader and the Chiefs.
• 29:08
  Speaker 4: But I'm backing them to beat Mowana and the Highlanders.
• 29:12
  Speaker 4: The Brumbies of course have beat them tars at the weekend.
• 29:15
  Speaker 4: I'm backing them to to win at least two of
• 29:16
  Speaker 4: the three and again wouldn't shock me if they beat
• 29:19
  Speaker 4: the Crusaders and Cameras. I've got them third. The big
• 29:22
  Speaker 4: mover of the last fortnight is the cane train. Hopefullyam
• 29:26
  Speaker 4: Napier's enjoying this on the flight back home. But look,
• 29:29
  Speaker 4: I've got them beating the Highlanders, I've got them beat
• 29:33
  Speaker 4: even beating the Reds in Brisbane, and I've got them
• 29:36
  Speaker 4: beating Maana. So they're fourth for mine. The Reds dropped
• 29:40
  Speaker 4: to fifth. They've got enough points in the bag though
• 29:43
  Speaker 4: to hold on. I think they'll win one of their
• 29:45
  Speaker 4: last four and in sixth position at the moment.
• 29:51
  Speaker 2: Hold on to your hats the Blues.
• 29:54
  Speaker 3: I'm one.
• 29:56
  Speaker 2: Yeah, tough scene.
• 29:57
  Speaker 4: Apologies for all our faithful fans, listeners and supporters of Majana.
• 30:01
  Speaker 4: I think they'll do enough even if they drop a
• 30:04
  Speaker 4: game from here, so the Blues run home. They got
• 30:07
  Speaker 4: the drawer that crucial game against Moana and the Waratas,
• 30:10
  Speaker 4: who can't win anywhere outside of New South Wales.
• 30:13
  Speaker 2: So that's my sex. Unfortunately for Milana.
• 30:16
  Speaker 4: I just feel, you know, when we reflect back to
• 30:19
  Speaker 4: earlier in the podcast and we were talking about some
• 30:22
  Speaker 4: of those games against the Highlanders for example, the Hurricanes,
• 30:25
  Speaker 4: or even that Chiefs won and Poker Co they shouldn't
• 30:26
  Speaker 4: have won.
• 30:27
  Speaker 2: They should have won.
• 30:28
  Speaker 4: Perhaps they did so much poor work in that first
• 30:31
  Speaker 4: forty to make it an insurmountable task. But it's just
• 30:34
  Speaker 4: that that run home Blues at home, Chiefs away, Hurricanes away.
• 30:42
  Speaker 4: For me, they're just going to fall short, but it's
• 30:46
  Speaker 4: gonna be a fantastic finish and that's what we want
• 30:48
  Speaker 4: in this competition. There's going to be a lot of
• 30:49
  Speaker 4: interest in these next three weeks because nothing is guarantee.
• 30:54
  Speaker 2: That's just one man's prediction about you.
• 30:56
  Speaker 3: We've got.
• 30:56
  Speaker 5: I've got the same top six as you, just in
• 30:58
  Speaker 5: a slightly different order. I've gone Chiefs to round out top.
• 31:02
  Speaker 5: I think the Crusaders will drop points, whether it's this week,
• 31:05
  Speaker 5: Similar to you, I think they've got at least one
• 31:07
  Speaker 5: game or a loss coming up in that last four games.
• 31:11
  Speaker 5: It's a tricky ish run home for them, whether it
• 31:14
  Speaker 5: comes this week or against the Brumbies or Wartas away.
• 31:16
  Speaker 5: So I got the Chiefs top the Crusaders, second the
• 31:18
  Speaker 5: Brumbies and third Hurricanes. Fourth Blues I've got making it
• 31:22
  Speaker 5: in fifth and the Reds to come home in sixth
• 31:25
  Speaker 5: at the end.
• 31:26
  Speaker 3: So no Mowana.
• 31:28
  Speaker 5: But boy, if they can beat the Blues at home
• 31:31
  Speaker 5: in a couple of weeks time, the seventeenth, I believe
• 31:34
  Speaker 5: it is at North Harbor Stadium, which has turned into
• 31:36
  Speaker 5: a little bit of a fortress for them, then that
• 31:38
  Speaker 5: shakes up the whole race in itself, so there is
• 31:40
  Speaker 5: more water to go under the bridge. But as it stands,
• 31:43
  Speaker 5: I think the Blues will make it and Mawana with
• 31:45
  Speaker 5: that Chiefs, Hurricanes Blues run in just a little bit
• 31:49
  Speaker 5: too much ground to make up unfortunately.
• 31:51
  Speaker 4: And look, don't rule out the drawer beating the Blues
• 31:54
  Speaker 4: this week. I'm just going to say that here, and
• 31:56
  Speaker 4: I'm either going to look like a genius or an
• 31:58
  Speaker 4: idiot in seven days time. But they're on their day
• 32:02
  Speaker 4: and better in Laotoka, but still equally pretty handy and suver.
• 32:09
  Speaker 4: That's no gimmy for the Blues, so just watch out
• 32:11
  Speaker 4: for that one this week.
• 32:12
  Speaker 5: Nd he was a cracking win. They got over the
• 32:14
  Speaker 5: Reds as well. Last minute try to get the job
• 32:16
  Speaker 5: done over the weekend, which has them in fifteenth in
• 32:20
  Speaker 5: the latter and so that is remarkable to be bottom
• 32:22
  Speaker 5: and have fifteen points on the board. Final topic in
• 32:24
  Speaker 5: the Final four, Jordy Barrett stint at Leinster won't win
• 32:27
  Speaker 5: the Champigins cut but hasn't been worth it. So Len's
• 32:30
  Speaker 5: obviously losing to Northampton, which is I've seen some people
• 32:33
  Speaker 5: call it one of the biggest shocks in European Champions
• 32:35
  Speaker 5: Cup history. I think Leinster were twenty point favorites according
• 32:40
  Speaker 5: to some of the stats and the bookies. They dropped
• 32:43
  Speaker 5: that game and a little bit of a chatter that
• 32:45
  Speaker 5: maybe ended and the conditioning program meant that Jordy Barrett
• 32:49
  Speaker 5: couldn't start. He came off the bench played the last
• 32:51
  Speaker 5: half hour from a couple of commentators suggested that maybe
• 32:55
  Speaker 5: he was still mad at the match despite any coming
• 32:57
  Speaker 5: on for half an hour, But would you classify the
• 32:59
  Speaker 5: stint has been worth it for Jordy Barrett.
• 33:03
  Speaker 4: Like I listened to Jordy again Weekend Sport with Jason
• 33:06
  Speaker 4: Pine a few weeks ago and look, I'll take his
• 33:09
  Speaker 4: comments at face value. He feels like he wanted to
• 33:12
  Speaker 4: go over there test himself in a new environment, grow
• 33:15
  Speaker 4: his game.
• 33:16
  Speaker 2: And come back a better player.
• 33:17
  Speaker 4: And as of a few weeks ago, his comments were, Yep,
• 33:21
  Speaker 4: I've ticked those boxes. And by all accounts of those
• 33:25
  Speaker 4: who follow the game closer in the Northern Hemisphere, he's
• 33:28
  Speaker 4: been a sensation. Has been quite interesting though, hasn't it
• 33:30
  Speaker 4: Smithy around? There's been a little bit of commentary and
• 33:33
  Speaker 4: maybe misguided commentary around. You know, he's been playing week in,
• 33:35
  Speaker 4: week out and he's going to be a bit naked
• 33:38
  Speaker 4: or spent by the time he gets back for a
• 33:40
  Speaker 4: potential All Blacks series against France in July. But if
• 33:43
  Speaker 4: you look a bit closer, he had the best part
• 33:44
  Speaker 4: of eight weeks off during the Six Nations, so it
• 33:48
  Speaker 4: will be interesting. I guess the proof will ultimately be
• 33:50
  Speaker 4: when he comes back and what is a real stacked
• 33:53
  Speaker 4: midfield picture to see what type of form Jordi Barrett is.
• 33:57
  Speaker 4: But look, I'm all for these experiences if it helps
• 34:01
  Speaker 4: keeping our top tier talent in New Zealand long term,
• 34:06
  Speaker 4: and look, I personally wouldn't mind. Where were actually chatting
• 34:09
  Speaker 4: to a couple of Crusaders senior Crusaders players at a
• 34:11
  Speaker 4: media session a couple of weeks ago. I won't name names,
• 34:13
  Speaker 4: but they were saying I'd love to see it go
• 34:15
  Speaker 4: the other way, where they get a you know, a
• 34:17
  Speaker 4: Sam Prendergas for example, comes down and plays for the
• 34:20
  Speaker 4: Highlanders for a season, you know, Like I think that
• 34:23
  Speaker 4: would spark even greater interest and transfer movement and rugby,
• 34:28
  Speaker 4: and it doesn't necessarily have to just be a one
• 34:30
  Speaker 4: way strict well.
• 34:31
  Speaker 5: One of the most successful has been Publo Meteta, who
• 34:33
  Speaker 5: came in twenty twenty two and did that season with
• 34:35
  Speaker 5: the Crusaders because he wanted experience, you know, the New
• 34:40
  Speaker 5: Zealand style of rugby, and I thought it was great
• 34:42
  Speaker 5: for the comp there. Yes, they're only coming for one
• 34:44
  Speaker 5: season and it's the short term attachment, but I think
• 34:48
  Speaker 5: ultimately creates interest in the comp interest in everything. Henry
• 34:51
  Speaker 5: Pollock's been a real staff for an English rugby on
• 34:54
  Speaker 5: the rise. If you want to come and improve his
• 34:57
  Speaker 5: game and go to the Hurricanes or go to the
• 34:59
  Speaker 5: Crusade wherever it might be, that's going to create interest.
• 35:01
  Speaker 5: So but I think ultimately we might see more of
• 35:03
  Speaker 5: it in world rugby, which can only be a good thing.
• 35:07
  Speaker 5: Let's get into our being. Liam had a good week.
• 35:10
  Speaker 5: He picked four of five, got the Reds drew a
• 35:14
  Speaker 5: game wrong, but else where he was correct with the Blues, Canes,
• 35:16
  Speaker 5: Brumbies and Mowana. I picked the Chiefs and the Highlanders
• 35:22
  Speaker 5: to get victories and they did not. So he's closed
• 35:24
  Speaker 5: the gap to five points, thirty nine and a half
• 35:26
  Speaker 5: to thirty four and a half. So pressure's on you
• 35:28
  Speaker 5: here this week, Nick, to see how whether you can
• 35:31
  Speaker 5: keep some of the He's on me.
• 35:34
  Speaker 4: Only only the four games, so yeah, I got much
• 35:38
  Speaker 4: much runway here, but I'll do my best.
• 35:39
  Speaker 2: Lamb.
• 35:40
  Speaker 5: Well, you picked earlier a couple of moments ago drew
• 35:43
  Speaker 5: a Blues You suggested look out for a drawer up.
• 35:46
  Speaker 5: See any willing to lock that in?
• 35:47
  Speaker 4: Yeah?
• 35:48
  Speaker 2: I lock it in, you know, So I'll stay true
• 35:49
  Speaker 2: to my word. I think.
• 35:52
  Speaker 4: The nature of the Blues season being a little bit
• 35:54
  Speaker 4: up and down. I just get I'm still unconvinced, and
• 35:59
  Speaker 4: I haven't really been convinced in them all year. And
• 36:02
  Speaker 4: I don't think the force, you know, despite their their improvement,
• 36:08
  Speaker 4: are a real line in the sand. You know, when
• 36:11
  Speaker 4: if you beat them by X amount of points, all
• 36:13
  Speaker 4: of a sudden, you're a good team.
• 36:14
  Speaker 5: So toss d I'm going the Blues to get it
• 36:18
  Speaker 5: done in a close one live on Godsport and my
• 36:20
  Speaker 5: Heart Radio. Warritars and Reds stat against state made against
• 36:23
  Speaker 5: mate Sydney the venue for this one. The war retar
• 36:28
  Speaker 5: is very disappointing on the weekend against the Brumbies. But
• 36:30
  Speaker 5: do they bounce back against their old rivals.
• 36:34
  Speaker 4: This is a tough one for mine, given both teams
• 36:36
  Speaker 4: were a little bit disappointing and the Reds sets a
• 36:39
  Speaker 4: long road trip home from Suva back to Brisbane, back
• 36:43
  Speaker 4: to Brisbane and then down to Sydney, and just given
• 36:46
  Speaker 4: the home record of the Waratars, I think that may
• 36:51
  Speaker 4: give them the edge if I had.
• 36:52
  Speaker 2: To make a pick, which I do, That's why I'm here.
• 36:54
  Speaker 5: So yeah, Tars, I'm going to visit as the Reds
• 36:57
  Speaker 5: to win that one. Looking forward to this one. Crusaders
• 36:59
  Speaker 5: cheap seven o five on Saturday night at Apollo Project
• 37:03
  Speaker 5: stating a hum in christ Church. Or check the forecast,
• 37:06
  Speaker 5: it's going to be three degrees Saturday nights.
• 37:10
  Speaker 3: Nick, what do you reckon?
• 37:12
  Speaker 4: Well, look, just firstly as a recommendation, because you are
• 37:14
  Speaker 4: calling this one, Elliott while you're down here and I'm
• 37:17
  Speaker 4: hopefully going to be sunning myself on the Sunshine coast.
• 37:20
  Speaker 2: M yeah, pack up all your layers electric.
• 37:25
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I was about to say for our listeners radio
• 37:27
  Speaker 4: sport listeners. Back in the day Corey Flynn used to
• 37:30
  Speaker 4: pack an electric blanket on occasion might be required. Just
• 37:34
  Speaker 4: the nature of that window as it just gets through
• 37:38
  Speaker 4: in the corner of the standard there up into our
• 37:39
  Speaker 4: commentary position.
• 37:40
  Speaker 2: But you'll love it.
• 37:41
  Speaker 3: How excited if next year it's going to be unreal?
• 37:45
  Speaker 2: Absolutely unreal? Cannot wait?
• 37:47
  Speaker 4: But yeah on this one fascinating contest, isn't it, and
• 37:51
  Speaker 4: probably will determine who finishes top spots. We haven't really
• 37:54
  Speaker 4: got to it, but you know, Takim a confirmation season
• 37:57
  Speaker 4: ending knee knee injury and subsequent surgery coming up to
• 38:01
  Speaker 4: repair his acl Like I thought Rivers Rayhanna was steady
• 38:06
  Speaker 4: enough against the Highlanders.
• 38:07
  Speaker 2: But the Highland aren't the chiefs.
• 38:09
  Speaker 4: And I'm really intrigued come Wednesday afternoon when we see
• 38:12
  Speaker 4: all the teams. Do they stick with Ray Harner as
• 38:15
  Speaker 4: a starter and O'Connor as a closer or do they
• 38:18
  Speaker 4: look to reverse that? But I will keep my faith
• 38:22
  Speaker 4: in the Crusaders at home.
• 38:25
  Speaker 3: Just I think the Chiefs.
• 38:27
  Speaker 5: Look, the Crusaders got beaten by them, what almost fifty
• 38:30
  Speaker 5: points earlier in the comp They've improved obviously since then.
• 38:33
  Speaker 5: But I think the Chiefs with Damie McKenzie back, Wallace
• 38:36
  Speaker 5: a teed might start this week after a couple of
• 38:39
  Speaker 5: weeks off the bench.
• 38:40
  Speaker 3: I think the Chiefs in a close one. I'm looking
• 38:42
  Speaker 3: forward to it.
• 38:43
  Speaker 4: Gee, this is a real swing week all of a sudden,
• 38:45
  Speaker 4: isn't it is? In competition?
• 38:47
  Speaker 5: It could be dangerous for my lead and the Force
• 38:50
  Speaker 5: and the Brumbies to round out a shortened week of
• 38:53
  Speaker 5: Super rugby this one in Perth on Saturday night. Now
• 38:57
  Speaker 5: the Force now on the outside looking in of the playoffs.
• 39:00
  Speaker 5: But if they win that, look it's all go again.
• 39:03
  Speaker 5: So what do you reckon to The Force went at home?
• 39:06
  Speaker 4: Well, just based on the final four before, I've got
• 39:09
  Speaker 4: the Brumbies winning out.
• 39:10
  Speaker 2: So that includes this one.
• 39:13
  Speaker 4: I thought after the loss they had against Hurricans, they
• 39:17
  Speaker 4: were very impressive against the Tars and I expect that
• 39:20
  Speaker 4: momentum to extend this week through in this game in Perth.
• 39:24
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm with you. I'm going to give you the
• 39:25
  Speaker 3: same one. That one. I think the Brumby's to win
• 39:27
  Speaker 3: that one.
• 39:27
  Speaker 5: In Perth Rugby Deric Metal voting time, Artie Savier out
• 39:31
  Speaker 5: on top on thirteen vote and Barrett on twelve. Will
• 39:33
  Speaker 5: Jordan in third on nine points. Nick, your three two
• 39:38
  Speaker 5: ones if you'd be so kind.
• 39:39
  Speaker 4: Yeah, three two ones for mine, and look, rugby direct
• 39:44
  Speaker 4: medal leader is going to push a bit clear via
• 39:46
  Speaker 4: me because I've got three points for Artie Savia. We
• 39:49
  Speaker 4: wax lyrical at the top, but he was sensational again
• 39:54
  Speaker 4: and the miner's position and.
• 39:57
  Speaker 2: Sixth on the ladder at the moment. A large part
• 39:59
  Speaker 2: of that.
• 40:00
  Speaker 4: Is through his influence. So three points for Artie Savia.
• 40:03
  Speaker 4: I got two for Ruben Love, who looks very much
• 40:07
  Speaker 4: at home as a ten and I'm I think it's
• 40:09
  Speaker 4: going to do his all blacks credentials or selection potential
• 40:13
  Speaker 4: all the world of good his versatility, but he is
• 40:17
  Speaker 4: riding a waiver of confidence at the moment, goal kicking
• 40:19
  Speaker 4: very slick, Love that crossfield kick and just the confidence
• 40:23
  Speaker 4: of him at ten. So he gets my two with
• 40:26
  Speaker 4: a big win over the Chiefs and that was the
• 40:27
  Speaker 4: big statement win for me of the week. So my
• 40:30
  Speaker 4: one I start tossing up between a number of hurricanes players,
• 40:34
  Speaker 4: but I've ended up landing on Callum Harkin just because
• 40:38
  Speaker 4: I think it's a real story of perseverance. Didn't get
• 40:41
  Speaker 4: a super rugby contract at the beginning of the year.
• 40:42
  Speaker 4: I thought he was actually very impressive in NPC. Has
• 40:45
  Speaker 4: fought his way back in through circumstance and injury, and
• 40:48
  Speaker 4: again he looks very slick at fifteen and a real
• 40:52
  Speaker 4: point of difference from his kicking game and running game.
• 40:55
  Speaker 4: And yeah he gets my one point might be the
• 40:58
  Speaker 4: first point for him or the Rugby Direct medal, but
• 41:01
  Speaker 4: he's on the board.
• 41:01
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I thought he was excellent.
• 41:03
  Speaker 5: Again. It was great hearing the clip from him this
• 41:05
  Speaker 5: week that last week rather than Collie Adam Cooper when
• 41:08
  Speaker 5: he spoke to him after all those wins in Wellington
• 41:11
  Speaker 5: last week and he said he probably still would have
• 41:13
  Speaker 5: been out on the building site because that's his trade
• 41:16
  Speaker 5: and his old boss wasn't favorable to calling it a
• 41:19
  Speaker 5: day too early, so if it wasn't rugby, he was
• 41:23
  Speaker 5: doing here. But he's probably on the building site, still
• 41:24
  Speaker 5: out in the wins, so he's quite grateful to be
• 41:27
  Speaker 5: chucking the ball around.
• 41:27
  Speaker 3: I thought that was great.
• 41:28
  Speaker 5: Our threes and twos are exactly the same, Artie Savia,
• 41:32
  Speaker 5: What more can you say? I think he's the best
• 41:33
  Speaker 5: player in the world at the moment, probably alongside Antilino
• 41:36
  Speaker 5: point obviously injured, but just the whole array of skills
• 41:39
  Speaker 5: we saw from him in that Moana game. He was exceptional.
• 41:42
  Speaker 5: So he is going to extend out with two three
• 41:45
  Speaker 5: pointers this week. Rubin Love gets my two as well,
• 41:48
  Speaker 5: and I'm giving one to Boden. Barrett pulled the strings
• 41:50
  Speaker 5: in that game against the Force for the Blues and
• 41:54
  Speaker 5: we'll keep them really alive in the playoff mix and
• 41:56
  Speaker 5: did what they needed to do, So Boden gets my one.
• 42:00
  Speaker 3: Well update you next week, I can tell you.
• 42:02
  Speaker 5: Artie Savia is right out in front of this rugby
• 42:06
  Speaker 5: director MVP medal vote. That about does us for rank
• 42:09
  Speaker 5: be direct for a week? Nick, thanks for stopping by.
• 42:11
  Speaker 5: I appreciate your time as always, and you enjoy a
• 42:14
  Speaker 5: well deserved break across the ditch.
• 42:16
  Speaker 4: Thank you very much, Elliott, and enjoy the comforts of
• 42:20
  Speaker 4: Apollo Orange Theory projects, Ami, whatever it's called these days,
• 42:24
  Speaker 4: You're in for a treat.
• 42:25
  Speaker 2: Saturday Night Night shall be a cracking game. Can't wait
• 42:26
  Speaker 2: to churn it.
• 42:27
  Speaker 3: Looking forward to that on gold Sport on iHeartRadio. Just
• 42:29
  Speaker 3: a quick programming note.
• 42:30
  Speaker 5: We'll be back next Wednesday. Slightly delay podcast next week,
• 42:35
  Speaker 5: but we look forward.
• 42:35
  Speaker 3: To joining you again. Then.
• 42:37
  Speaker 5: Thanks to Last and Bars English and I thanks it
• 42:39
  Speaker 5: as always to Habit Health, tackling all your aches and
• 42:41
  Speaker 5: pains from sports and work.
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: For more from news Talks at b Listen live on
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
• 42:53
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