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Transcript

Rugby Direct - Episode 158 · Rugby Direct

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
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• 0:19
  Speaker 2: Strike down the Middle.
• 0:20
  Speaker 3: Of Dry Dickney Score, Please come this boy, tryse pa.
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Get inside the game from every angle. It's Rugby Direct
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: with Elliot Smith and Leam Napier, powered by News Talks EDB.
• 0:37
  Speaker 3: Welcome into Rugby Direct, powered by Habit Health, tackling all
• 0:40
  Speaker 3: your aches and pains from sport and work back for
• 0:42
  Speaker 3: another week. Elliott Smith and with me this week. Great
• 0:46
  Speaker 3: pleasure to welcome in Nick Bewley. Crusaders commentator Liam Napier
• 0:50
  Speaker 3: did leave at twenty four hours after the Crusaders beat
• 0:52
  Speaker 3: the Hurricanes to say he didn't want to join me
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: on the podcast this week. The night he's got family,
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: family wedding and day he's been out of action for
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: the weekend. But great pleasure to welcome in Nick Bewley
• 1:01
  Speaker 3: to come in for the week on Rugby Direct.
• 1:04
  Speaker 4: House things gooda Elliott, You're always happy to suthern at
• 1:08
  Speaker 4: whatever notice. Yeah, another great week of super rugby, wasn't it.
• 1:12
  Speaker 4: Of course the Crusader's now sitting pretty at the top
• 1:15
  Speaker 4: of the table. We even sort of surprised myself really
• 1:18
  Speaker 4: as to the position therein currently, the Chiefs losing to
• 1:22
  Speaker 4: the Waratahs, the Brumby's surprising the Reds in Brisbane. It
• 1:26
  Speaker 4: was a pretty good round of Super Rugby Pacific and
• 1:29
  Speaker 4: what's been a great season.
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: It certainly has. We'll get to that in a moment.
• 1:32
  Speaker 3: But the Super Rugby Orpicky Final first and foremost on
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: Saturday night to round out the women's Super Rugby season,
• 1:40
  Speaker 3: at least from a New Zealand perspective. Still the crossover
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: game to come on Thursday. But the Blues too good
• 1:45
  Speaker 3: for Matter two in the year Matters who started really
• 1:47
  Speaker 3: strongly and had a couple of chances to force extra time.
• 1:52
  Speaker 3: It was a game of momentum swings, i felt, but
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: the Blues perhaps just dominated those bigger moments a little
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: bit more and you know, on the whole of the season,
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: probably deserved the crown. What did you make of the
• 2:04
  Speaker 3: Super Rugby or Picky Final?
• 2:06
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I'd agree with that sentiment. It fell like the
• 2:08
  Speaker 4: Blue even though the Mutter two got the job done
• 2:11
  Speaker 4: over them and fung it a in the regular season,
• 2:13
  Speaker 4: they were the team to beat throughout and as we
• 2:16
  Speaker 4: know across whether it's opake or super ropy pacific. It
• 2:19
  Speaker 4: just it is fine Margins when two tough opponents are
• 2:23
  Speaker 4: going hammer and tong. And it came down to those moments,
• 2:26
  Speaker 4: as you say, like Muttitude did really well.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: I thought to jump out to an early lead.
• 2:30
  Speaker 4: But I look back at like that the Hannah King
• 2:33
  Speaker 4: kicked for touch, which goes dead.
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: That was a bit of a moment there.
• 2:36
  Speaker 4: You go back to a scrum and then mutter iiO
• 2:39
  Speaker 4: and their electric backline playmakers like Rujete Demant and Paul
• 2:44
  Speaker 4: Showoodman Wickcliffe shaking off Grace Brookers. She helped set up
• 2:47
  Speaker 4: that first try for Demant, and the more the Blues
• 2:51
  Speaker 4: I guess grew into the contest after that twelve nel
• 2:54
  Speaker 4: deficit they faced early, it just felt like a matter
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: of time that they were going to push themselves clear.
• 3:00
  Speaker 4: It was a pretty frantic finish a couple of cards
• 3:03
  Speaker 4: as well. Wasn't great to see those high contact incidents,
• 3:08
  Speaker 4: But on the whole I thought the Blues were deserved
• 3:11
  Speaker 4: victors that they won the key moments. I'll tell you
• 3:14
  Speaker 4: what if I was Alan Bunting, I'll be trying to
• 3:16
  Speaker 4: convince Porscha Woodman, whitl to go around for one last
• 3:20
  Speaker 4: World Cup. I thought she was sensational both sides of
• 3:23
  Speaker 4: the ball, some heavy contact on her midfield opponents, but
• 3:27
  Speaker 4: then just her ability with ball in hand to then
• 3:31
  Speaker 4: not only in the carry, but to be able to
• 3:33
  Speaker 4: unleash the likes of Caitlin Vajacolo out wide I thought
• 3:36
  Speaker 4: was superb. So Kurdos to the Blues. It's not easy
• 3:40
  Speaker 4: going back to back. You just gotta ask their men.
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right, absolutely, We'll get into that very very surely.
• 3:47
  Speaker 3: In terms of that World Cup, you're right. I mean
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: the nrol's loss could be the Black Fans gain. I'd
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: be asking the question if she is wanting to go
• 3:54
  Speaker 3: to a World Cup because the kind of form that
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: she showed in that final shows she loves the big stage.
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: And before the final, I was like, before the announcer
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: teams like, how do you use Portia wooden Wickliff. You
• 4:05
  Speaker 3: came off the bench the previous week. Maybe you get
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: her in for the last thirty thirty five minutes given
• 4:10
  Speaker 3: her perhaps lack of fifteen's experience in recent times, but
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: how she just played, you know, dominant for the entire
• 4:16
  Speaker 3: time she was on the field and just a reminder
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: of how good she is, the greatest to probably ever
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: do it. You know, in the fifteens, all the sevens game.
• 4:25
  Speaker 3: A couple of names have been thrown up, obviously for
• 4:28
  Speaker 3: the Black Fans. Braxton Sorrens McGee I thought was fantastic
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: throughout the season, but that big long range trying the
• 4:33
  Speaker 3: final top for Basin as well, and I almost wonder
• 4:36
  Speaker 3: whether Alan Bunting needs to go with some of that
• 4:38
  Speaker 3: youth as they select the team for the Black Fans
• 4:41
  Speaker 3: for the World Cup in the next week.
• 4:43
  Speaker 4: While he's got some good problems on his hands, Alan
• 4:46
  Speaker 4: Bunting in terms of strength and depth, I completely agree
• 4:49
  Speaker 4: with some of the youngsters coming through, and I've seen
• 4:51
  Speaker 4: a bit more of Mutta two than I have the Blues.
• 4:53
  Speaker 4: But I thought Kaypo Olson Baker had another really standout
• 4:56
  Speaker 4: season than you think of the loose for depth there
• 5:00
  Speaker 4: with Leana mcairly.
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: To Leila Sati, some real combinations to.
• 5:07
  Speaker 4: Come to grips with us over the course of the
• 5:09
  Speaker 4: next few months as Alan Bunting plots that World Cup triumph.
• 5:13
  Speaker 4: But yeah, it's always riding that balance, isn't it between
• 5:16
  Speaker 4: use and experience, And I think with Porscha women and
• 5:20
  Speaker 4: Wickcliffe is at our understanding anyway, the NRLW deal with
• 5:24
  Speaker 4: newcasts who is now dead in the water because.
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: Of this ambassadorial role with the Rugby World Cups.
• 5:29
  Speaker 4: I'm just going to be there just lace the boots,
• 5:32
  Speaker 4: of course, should be an option, I reckon absolutely.
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: Let's get into the men's round of super Rumpy Pacific
• 5:37
  Speaker 3: and stut with the most recent match at least involving
• 5:40
  Speaker 3: a New Zealand team, and that was the Highlanders forty
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: three twenty over the Fiji and drew it.
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: Nick.
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: You look at that scoreline, you go, comfortable win for
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: the Highlanders. But boy, for the first twenty minutes of
• 5:51
  Speaker 3: the second spell, the Drewer really came back into it
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: and good Jack Taylor try sort of put the Highlanders
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: back beyond arm's reach. But the Hinders almost gave themselves
• 6:03
  Speaker 3: a little bit of a skier there when it was
• 6:05
  Speaker 3: perhaps unnecessary to do so, and let the drawer back
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: in the content.
• 6:09
  Speaker 4: If there's any team, even forgiving their ladder position that
• 6:13
  Speaker 4: you don't want to give a sniff into a game,
• 6:15
  Speaker 4: perhaps outside of minor PACIFICA, it would have to be
• 6:17
  Speaker 4: the Fijian drawer. And yeah, the Highlanders were guilty of
• 6:20
  Speaker 4: just letting their foot off the gas a little bit.
• 6:24
  Speaker 4: Think of, you know, the moments just immediately after halftime
• 6:28
  Speaker 4: the Drawer what has scored three tries in the space
• 6:30
  Speaker 4: of eight and nine minutes get them back into the contest.
• 6:32
  Speaker 4: Twenty four points to twenty started to get a little
• 6:35
  Speaker 4: bit icy, but the Highlanders, credit to them.
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: They went to their strengths or the Drewers weaknesses and
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: around the line out drive. They got through a mountain
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: of work.
• 6:43
  Speaker 4: Looking at some of these postgame statistics and the Highland
• 6:46
  Speaker 4: has only had forty percent of position forced into two
• 6:50
  Speaker 4: hundred and thirteen tackles to the Drewers, sixty three guys
• 6:54
  Speaker 4: like Hugh rent In twenty seven tackles Fabean holand twenty
• 6:57
  Speaker 4: five tackles like that's a mountain of work on the
• 7:00
  Speaker 4: defensive side.
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: But the Highland is just that that was one they
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: had to put away right and bank the points.
• 7:05
  Speaker 4: It's got to this point in the season now they've
• 7:07
  Speaker 4: got a a very tricky run home. I think if
• 7:11
  Speaker 4: we count Mowana as a New Zealand side, they've basically
• 7:14
  Speaker 4: got Darby's from here on in Chiefs Crusaders Mowana Cain's
• 7:18
  Speaker 4: Crusaders again, Chiefs again. If they weren't going to win
• 7:22
  Speaker 4: that one, Like I personally feel like there's almost a
• 7:26
  Speaker 4: line through them already, but it would have been a
• 7:28
  Speaker 4: line and ink had they somehow managed to not get
• 7:32
  Speaker 4: the job done against the Drillers. So a much needed
• 7:35
  Speaker 4: win for the Highlanders after a run of losses against
• 7:37
  Speaker 4: Australian opposition, and they just give themselves a little bit
• 7:40
  Speaker 4: of life in a campaign that has been teetering.
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: It has been teetering. Positive out of it. Jackie Rodemo
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: Tavuki Nipkins back from injury, looked assured for that performance.
• 7:52
  Speaker 3: I thought he was really really good one handling her aside.
• 7:55
  Speaker 3: But I'm just a reminder of his class after that
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: Nick injury. And you know he was in the All
• 7:59
  Speaker 3: Blacks conversation a little bit over the last year or so,
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: and you know, if he can find some form again,
• 8:05
  Speaker 3: he may well get back into that mix. And good
• 8:07
  Speaker 3: to se him back out on the park.
• 8:09
  Speaker 4: Yeah, just a really encouraging story, isn't it, Because when
• 8:12
  Speaker 4: you think neck injury, you know, it's pretty scary stuff.
• 8:15
  Speaker 4: And I heard him speak in an interview come back
• 8:18
  Speaker 4: through Tayati Club Rugby and Otago about just mind over
• 8:22
  Speaker 4: matter in many ways in terms of just getting confidence
• 8:25
  Speaker 4: back into the contact, particularly on the defensive side. Six
• 8:28
  Speaker 4: months sidelined and yeah, he came back and didn't really
• 8:33
  Speaker 4: look out of place in a super rugby environment.
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: That's game one, So I think you're absolutely right.
• 8:38
  Speaker 4: He'll take a lot of confidence from that building into
• 8:42
  Speaker 4: the remainder of the season. And his combinations with the
• 8:46
  Speaker 4: likes of Jonah Naduki as well, I thought was very impressive.
• 8:50
  Speaker 4: The Highland has had some strike there, you know, Caleb
• 8:52
  Speaker 4: Tounguyto as well. It's just going to be a matter
• 8:55
  Speaker 4: of getting those outside back some quality ball, particularly against
• 8:59
  Speaker 4: these other New Zealand teams that they will face in
• 9:02
  Speaker 4: the next six or so weeks.
• 9:04
  Speaker 3: Indeed, Blues in more Ona Pacific thirty six seventeen the
• 9:07
  Speaker 3: way of the Blues look. The Blues I thought just
• 9:12
  Speaker 3: did the job they needed to do and Mwana made
• 9:15
  Speaker 3: some curly selection calls for this game, dropping Patrick Palegreeni
• 9:20
  Speaker 3: to the bench. They were without Jonathan Tomatine through injury,
• 9:25
  Speaker 3: but the Blues just kind of rolled their sleeves up,
• 9:27
  Speaker 3: went back to the kind of rugby they played last year,
• 9:31
  Speaker 3: dominated position, especially in the first bell I think it
• 9:33
  Speaker 3: was two thirds position they had at the halftime break
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: and really just didn't allow Mawana the bull and the
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: position to construct anything throughout the contest. And even without
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: halftime lead that the Blues had I think twenty four
• 9:46
  Speaker 3: to five, it was you know, they thought, well, one
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: has had opportunities in previous games to come back. When
• 9:53
  Speaker 3: they get a roll on, they're very, very hard to stop.
• 9:55
  Speaker 3: But they just couldn't find a way back into the
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: contest and the Blues I think were just too good
• 10:01
  Speaker 3: and you know, a couple of wins on the bounce.
• 10:03
  Speaker 3: Now for the Blues, I'm not saying they're necessarily back,
• 10:06
  Speaker 3: but it was the kind of performance they need to
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: put out against Mowana Bank to win and got the
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: job done and you know they can look ahead and
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: out of this Crusaders game this week. What did you
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: make of it?
• 10:17
  Speaker 4: Yeah, we've got on the Blues side first, and as
• 10:20
  Speaker 4: you mentioned, you know here on rugby direct, they were
• 10:22
  Speaker 4: direct and that was the blueprint in many ways to
• 10:26
  Speaker 4: how they won the title last year. Yes, they haven't
• 10:28
  Speaker 4: quite had the pieces to be able to do that.
• 10:31
  Speaker 4: But I thought guys like Ricky Rickattally, I thought Hoskins Stitut,
• 10:34
  Speaker 4: who probably arguably had one of his best games of
• 10:36
  Speaker 4: the season.
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: You look at the nature of how those.
• 10:39
  Speaker 4: Tries were scored outside of a little bit of individual
• 10:42
  Speaker 4: brilliance chip and chase kick from Bowden Barrett, and it
• 10:44
  Speaker 4: was Ricket Tally, tepul Or Toutu Eckland, Curt Eckland when
• 10:49
  Speaker 4: he came on, and Mark Talayre sort of sniffing and
• 10:51
  Speaker 4: around the ruck. You know, five of their six tries
• 10:53
  Speaker 4: it was just you know, they suffocated Moana. They made
• 10:57
  Speaker 4: they created pressure for Moana to either make errors or
• 11:03
  Speaker 4: their discipline got a little bit shoddy in as you say,
• 11:05
  Speaker 4: it was just completely dominant in that first half and
• 11:09
  Speaker 4: they'll take a great deal of confidence from that. That's
• 11:11
  Speaker 4: the first time this year the Blues have one and
• 11:13
  Speaker 4: back to back weeks. You know, it's been that sort
• 11:15
  Speaker 4: of season for them. And you look at their run
• 11:18
  Speaker 4: ahead sort of complete contrast to the Highlanders, right they
• 11:22
  Speaker 4: they've kind of got through outside of this Good Friday
• 11:25
  Speaker 4: contest down my Way and christ Church, the Crusaders, they've
• 11:28
  Speaker 4: they've pretty much got through those new Zealand Derby's they've
• 11:32
  Speaker 4: got the Reds which will be difficult over in Brisbane,
• 11:34
  Speaker 4: but then the force at home.
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: They do have a trip to Fiji, but.
• 11:38
  Speaker 4: Then they have Muana again and the Waratahs at Eden
• 11:41
  Speaker 4: Park can't seem to win outside of Sydney. So look,
• 11:44
  Speaker 4: even with the ladder position that they are, so I'm
• 11:47
  Speaker 4: on the outside of the six looking in, I think
• 11:49
  Speaker 4: they'll take a great deal of confidence. They seem to
• 11:51
  Speaker 4: have found what best works for them. It's not entirely
• 11:55
  Speaker 4: pretty or full of you know, it's going to fill
• 11:57
  Speaker 4: up a highlight package, but it's proving very effective just
• 12:01
  Speaker 4: on the Maana side. And I saw firsthand, you know,
• 12:04
  Speaker 4: how brutal and clinical they can be against the who
• 12:08
  Speaker 4: say it is down here in christ Church a few
• 12:09
  Speaker 4: weeks ago. There's still an issue there isn't there around
• 12:14
  Speaker 4: their starts, and for whatever reason, I don't know if
• 12:17
  Speaker 4: they have ton of Ermanger and co. Thought they had
• 12:20
  Speaker 4: potentially solved that issue and that's why they went with
• 12:24
  Speaker 4: more punch off the bench. But yeah, I completely agree
• 12:28
  Speaker 4: with you with your original point around Garden Baship and
• 12:30
  Speaker 4: PALEGREENI And that's not taking anything away from Jackson Garden, Bashett.
• 12:33
  Speaker 4: It's more a case of how influential Patrick PALEGRENI has
• 12:37
  Speaker 4: been and steering this team around the park. And you know,
• 12:39
  Speaker 4: I'm not saying one guy would have changed the outcome
• 12:42
  Speaker 4: of a contest like that, but it's just something I
• 12:44
  Speaker 4: think they'll reflect on heading into the Brumbis at home
• 12:48
  Speaker 4: this week. Minor pacificare and go. We probably haven't quite
• 12:52
  Speaker 4: got that right yet to be able to afford to
• 12:54
  Speaker 4: get too cute with our selections.
• 12:56
  Speaker 3: That's right, And you know, a Ton was asked about
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: their post game and said that Pellegrini was feeling the
• 13:02
  Speaker 3: effects of I think it was four straight starts and
• 13:05
  Speaker 3: the way that he's played, you know, the body just
• 13:07
  Speaker 3: coming into Super rugby for the first time and feeling that.
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: But you know, it's a big game against the Blues.
• 13:13
  Speaker 3: You want your best players on the park and he
• 13:15
  Speaker 3: didn't get it back onto the park until the last
• 13:18
  Speaker 3: twenty five minutes of the contest. And by that point,
• 13:21
  Speaker 3: even though the score but was perhaps still within reach,
• 13:24
  Speaker 3: you know, compared to you know, like previous weeks when
• 13:26
  Speaker 3: the Mountain comebacks, it felt like the game was actually
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: out of reach. On this occasion, they've got an interesting
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: running as well, Nock. We looked at the Blues running
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: the Brumbies this week in Pokacoe. Then they're at North
• 13:37
  Speaker 3: Harbor Stadium for the drawer in the following week, then
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: to Dunedin. Then the Blues has just said back at
• 13:42
  Speaker 3: home then the Cheeks and Hurricanes to finish, So you
• 13:46
  Speaker 3: would suspect that they're probably going to need to win
• 13:50
  Speaker 3: probably two, if not three of those New Zealand Derby's
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: at the back end of the comp to be in
• 13:56
  Speaker 3: the playoff mix. They're currently in tenth, so they've got
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: a bit of work to do and it starts with
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: this game against the Brumbies this week.
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 14:04
  Speaker 4: Absolutely, they're on fifteen competition points, the five outside the
• 14:09
  Speaker 4: force who are in sixth. But you know you can
• 14:13
  Speaker 4: throw a blanket basically over teams three to ten and
• 14:16
  Speaker 4: you know the Brumbies are third on twenty three points,
• 14:18
  Speaker 4: miana tenth as you sound, fifteen, so that those are
• 14:22
  Speaker 4: the ones in many ways against the Brumbies, like that's
• 14:24
  Speaker 4: a real swing game for Then the drawer after that
• 14:27
  Speaker 4: is at home in particular as a non negotiable, and
• 14:30
  Speaker 4: then you've got those.
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: Those porn New Zealand Derbies to close things out.
• 14:35
  Speaker 4: Look, they for mine a sort of a possibility rather
• 14:40
  Speaker 4: than a probability of making the six. But as we've
• 14:43
  Speaker 4: seen on their day and in particular, if they can
• 14:46
  Speaker 4: piece it together for almost anything over forty minutes, really
• 14:50
  Speaker 4: they can beat the best of them. So look, I
• 14:56
  Speaker 4: won't rule out Mona completely, but it's getting to that
• 14:58
  Speaker 4: point now where it's going to have to happen soon.
• 15:01
  Speaker 3: Indeed, let's go to Friday Night Wartar's twenty one Chiefs fourteen.
• 15:05
  Speaker 3: I don't think many would have seen this coming, but
• 15:08
  Speaker 3: very good performance from the war Retars and very poor
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: from the Chiefs. In fact, the Chiefs, to be honest,
• 15:16
  Speaker 3: we're lucky it was still within Grass were sending it
• 15:19
  Speaker 3: to super point right at the end of the game.
• 15:21
  Speaker 3: I don't think I've seen Damian McKenzie play as poor
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: as that at this level and above. He was I
• 15:29
  Speaker 3: think dreadful really to put it mildly on the weekend
• 15:33
  Speaker 3: six handling eras in the ends, and with the kind
• 15:37
  Speaker 3: of ball that the Chiefs had sixty forty. They spent
• 15:41
  Speaker 3: a lot of time in the Wara Tars half, but
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: that has made far too many mistakes to really mount
• 15:46
  Speaker 3: a serious contest. The one thing they did when was
• 15:49
  Speaker 3: the penalty account the Wartars conceding eighteen to the Chiefs five.
• 15:53
  Speaker 3: But this was a weird old game. But the thing
• 15:57
  Speaker 3: that probably people are going to remember is that incredible
• 16:00
  Speaker 3: end of the Earth try. The war Retars scored, and
• 16:04
  Speaker 3: you know, credit to them, they were good enough on
• 16:06
  Speaker 3: the night to knock over what was the competition's top team.
• 16:10
  Speaker 4: I'll just get to the McKenzie point first and then
• 16:12
  Speaker 4: I want to give some love to the warre Tars.
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: Credit to them, but that was another one for mine.
• 16:17
  Speaker 4: We've just talked about the garden Bash at PALEGREENI situation
• 16:21
  Speaker 4: at Moana, the Blues who probably found this out at
• 16:25
  Speaker 4: this point. So I know that there's been some injury issues,
• 16:27
  Speaker 4: but Boden Barratt's clearly their guy at ten. And I
• 16:31
  Speaker 4: know the Crusaders, through all sorts of adversity last year,
• 16:35
  Speaker 4: had to finally figure out their first five conundrum. But again,
• 16:39
  Speaker 4: and forgive me if there was some more clarity around
• 16:43
  Speaker 4: this selection puzzle, but they seem to have found something
• 16:47
  Speaker 4: once or even added to their game once Shawn Stevenson
• 16:50
  Speaker 4: came back from Japan, he was at fullback, Mackenzie was
• 16:54
  Speaker 4: at ten. There just seemed to be a bit more
• 16:55
  Speaker 4: clarity around roles and responsibilities. Then they've got a situation
• 17:00
  Speaker 4: now where they've gone Stevenson to the right wing, Josh
• 17:03
  Speaker 4: Jacob to ten, Mackenzie to fall back. What do they
• 17:06
  Speaker 4: have Amon in Nadawa coming off the bench. And I
• 17:09
  Speaker 4: completely understand in a long season you've got to manage
• 17:12
  Speaker 4: your players, but I suppose really it wasn't really a
• 17:16
  Speaker 4: management of them in this situation because they were all there,
• 17:19
  Speaker 4: just in different jerseys, and I just felt that Mackenzie. Look,
• 17:23
  Speaker 4: the kick pressure in particular from the waratars was superb.
• 17:27
  Speaker 4: Some of it was unforced, absolutely, but you know they
• 17:30
  Speaker 4: didn't miss him all night. And you definitely see players
• 17:34
  Speaker 4: of all class levels, world class and below, they have
• 17:37
  Speaker 4: those nights where they don't feel like they're quite getting
• 17:40
  Speaker 4: into the.
• 17:41
  Speaker 2: Game as much.
• 17:41
  Speaker 4: Every time they're taking a high ball they're getting absolutely
• 17:44
  Speaker 4: belted by a loose forward coming through. And again I
• 17:48
  Speaker 4: think it's one on reflection that they'll probably concede they
• 17:51
  Speaker 4: didn't get right. This is not to say that Josh
• 17:54
  Speaker 4: Jacob isn't a quality player, and he's certainly a player
• 17:57
  Speaker 4: on the rise with a lot of upside, But I
• 18:00
  Speaker 4: think at this point of the season tinkering in and
• 18:03
  Speaker 4: around those selections, particularly in those game drivers, is probably
• 18:07
  Speaker 4: ill advised when you want to start creating some momentum.
• 18:11
  Speaker 4: But just on the Tars we were talking about moments
• 18:14
  Speaker 4: earlier and Joseph Suali, I think he really set the
• 18:19
  Speaker 4: tone for that game, you know, the individual piece of
• 18:22
  Speaker 4: brilliance for his first ever super Ragby tried to get
• 18:24
  Speaker 4: things going and then had a huge role in that
• 18:28
  Speaker 4: try from inside their own end goal finished off? Was
• 18:32
  Speaker 4: it by the winger and all the halfback sorry to
• 18:35
  Speaker 4: get them out to that point. So I don't know
• 18:38
  Speaker 4: what the Warratars need to do to try and replicate
• 18:41
  Speaker 4: that type of form. Beyond the confines of SFS in Sydney,
• 18:47
  Speaker 4: They've now won five there, cant went away. They've got
• 18:51
  Speaker 4: a points differential of negative forty. But it was a
• 18:55
  Speaker 4: big win for them to kind of get things back
• 18:57
  Speaker 4: on track because they came over to New Zealand looked
• 18:59
  Speaker 4: really poor against the Hurricanes in particular, and then obviously
• 19:06
  Speaker 4: got just melted by Mowana over the the course of
• 19:09
  Speaker 4: the second half.
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: There at North Harbor Stadium.
• 19:11
  Speaker 4: So they've righted a few wrongs and we wait to
• 19:14
  Speaker 4: see now whether they can be some form have find
• 19:18
  Speaker 4: some form of consistency.
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 19:19
  Speaker 3: Absolutely, And look there was some odd moments in that
• 19:24
  Speaker 3: game as well. Lolacoe Foketty's try overturned by the TMO
• 19:28
  Speaker 3: despite being awarded on the ground and didn't look like
• 19:31
  Speaker 3: sufficient evidence to overturn it. Yet the TMO again intervenes
• 19:36
  Speaker 3: in something that they weren't asked to and changes the ruling,
• 19:40
  Speaker 3: and that would have made it nineteen nil with a
• 19:43
  Speaker 3: kick to come from the touch line at that point
• 19:46
  Speaker 3: of the game, and you know, probably at that point
• 19:48
  Speaker 3: it might have been curtains long before it actually was
• 19:52
  Speaker 3: for the Chiefs. So yeah, there were some interesting decisions
• 19:54
  Speaker 3: from the referees on the night of interesting CEA if
• 19:56
  Speaker 3: anything further comes out of it, But the Chiefs handed
• 19:59
  Speaker 3: loss in Sydney earlier on on Friday night. It was
• 20:03
  Speaker 3: the Crusaders being the Hurricanes thirty one twenty four, an
• 20:07
  Speaker 3: odd old game and any respects the Crusaders getting out
• 20:10
  Speaker 3: to what appeared to be a comfortable lead and then
• 20:13
  Speaker 3: the old brain melt started happening with discipline eluded the
• 20:17
  Speaker 3: Crusaders and it got very very squeaky bum time for
• 20:22
  Speaker 3: most part of this game, though the Crusaders I thought
• 20:24
  Speaker 3: laid a pretty good platform in this contest and dominated
• 20:28
  Speaker 3: most of it. But I suppose you linger on the
• 20:30
  Speaker 3: last ten to fifteen also minutes neck and the contest
• 20:34
  Speaker 3: that became in those closing quarters.
• 20:37
  Speaker 2: Yeah, as you say, funny old game.
• 20:39
  Speaker 4: And in many ways, I think the Crusaders, you know,
• 20:41
  Speaker 4: with a complacency crept in or they got a little
• 20:44
  Speaker 4: bit too comfortable leading at what thirty one points to ten.
• 20:48
  Speaker 4: And this has been not so much an issue this season,
• 20:52
  Speaker 4: but it's something that over the course of my time
• 20:55
  Speaker 4: covering the Crusaders, as they've always.
• 20:57
  Speaker 2: Really flirted with that off sideline, haven't they.
• 21:00
  Speaker 4: And some referees are willing to perhaps give them the
• 21:04
  Speaker 4: benefit of the doubt, others not so much. And James
• 21:08
  Speaker 4: on Friday Night really didn't miss them late. And to
• 21:13
  Speaker 4: be honest, you've got to adjust, and sometimes that's what
• 21:16
  Speaker 4: the Crusaders have been guilty of struggling with. And you
• 21:20
  Speaker 4: know when they lost Ethan Blackadder and then what ninety
• 21:23
  Speaker 4: seconds later Antonio Chalfont, the same type of infringements deep
• 21:27
  Speaker 4: on their twenty two I couldn't really argue with the calls,
• 21:30
  Speaker 4: so yep, they made it very, very nerve racking for
• 21:34
  Speaker 4: those here in the mainland. But look, I think if
• 21:38
  Speaker 4: we go back to minutes sort of ten to sixty,
• 21:43
  Speaker 4: it was incredibly dominant and on the back of a
• 21:48
  Speaker 4: really strong foundation up front. I thought, I know, we're
• 21:51
  Speaker 4: going to probably get into it and the MVPs a
• 21:53
  Speaker 4: little bit later on, but there was a lot of
• 21:55
  Speaker 4: talk around Scott Barrett and where he is in his season.
• 21:58
  Speaker 4: At the moment, I thought, not only his influential hand
• 22:02
  Speaker 4: in one of the Yuana Mohnanu tries and the Schaffee
• 22:05
  Speaker 4: hockey tries, but his work defensively at lineout time has
• 22:08
  Speaker 4: breakdown clearance work is defensive work was right up there
• 22:11
  Speaker 4: of what you'd expect anyway of an All Blacks captain.
• 22:13
  Speaker 4: So he silenced a few critics. And it's worth mentioning
• 22:17
  Speaker 4: too that the Crusaders, you know, did it with a
• 22:19
  Speaker 4: little bit of adversity. They had at one point I
• 22:22
  Speaker 4: think they had James O'Connor playing second five. Kimino was
• 22:26
  Speaker 4: offer for a little bit. They lost Fletcher Newell, they
• 22:29
  Speaker 4: lost David Harvilly. So they didn't have it all their
• 22:32
  Speaker 4: own way. But in many ways this season, compared to
• 22:36
  Speaker 4: last anyway they've they've sort of been able to overcome
• 22:39
  Speaker 4: those those obstacles, be very clear about who they are
• 22:43
  Speaker 4: and how they want to play and at least get
• 22:45
  Speaker 4: out to Leeds where they feel like, you know that
• 22:50
  Speaker 4: they can still be in the control of their own destiny.
• 22:52
  Speaker 4: So credit to the Crusaders, I guess on the other side,
• 22:55
  Speaker 4: with the Hurricanes, it sort of leaves them in a
• 22:58
  Speaker 4: state of I'm not sure of a state of flux,
• 23:00
  Speaker 4: but still just sort of you know, one step forward,
• 23:02
  Speaker 4: two six back for them this year and you know
• 23:04
  Speaker 4: now they've they've got a two week road trip over
• 23:06
  Speaker 4: to Australia taking on the Force and the Brumbies before
• 23:11
  Speaker 4: Chiefs Highlanders, and then back over to Australia to face
• 23:14
  Speaker 4: the Reds and Brisbane and then Malana, and you know
• 23:17
  Speaker 4: they're not out of it by any stretch. You got
• 23:19
  Speaker 4: four points outside of the playoff positions, but it just
• 23:22
  Speaker 4: feels like, you know, momentum is so critical in this competition.
• 23:25
  Speaker 4: The Blues seem to have found it now. The Canes
• 23:28
  Speaker 4: just struggling to kind of piece things together to ultimately
• 23:31
  Speaker 4: build their confidence back up. So yeah, interesting time for
• 23:36
  Speaker 4: Clark Laidlaw and his team, you know, given how well
• 23:40
  Speaker 4: it went for him a year one.
• 23:42
  Speaker 3: Absolutely, and you know they'll look back at the last
• 23:44
  Speaker 3: couple of weeks ago. Those are both games that potentially
• 23:48
  Speaker 3: we could have won. I mean, they've got themselves into
• 23:49
  Speaker 3: a thirty one ten hole the other night, but came
• 23:52
  Speaker 3: back and could have forced super point the game before
• 23:57
  Speaker 3: one point lost to the Blues, a game that potentially
• 24:01
  Speaker 3: they could have won on another night as well. So
• 24:03
  Speaker 3: you've got those margins and New Zealand Derbies are so
• 24:06
  Speaker 3: fine and they just seem to be lacking a little
• 24:09
  Speaker 3: bit of direction. Riley hoo heepper. Again, I do not
• 24:12
  Speaker 3: think is the answer at ten. We talked a bit
• 24:14
  Speaker 3: last week on the podcast about Ruben Love should he
• 24:17
  Speaker 3: move into ten. Felt Clark Laidlaw, whether he was just
• 24:20
  Speaker 3: having a little bit of fun and throwing out a
• 24:22
  Speaker 3: bit of bait for the media because he wasn't even
• 24:25
  Speaker 3: supposed to be doing media that day, is my understanding.
• 24:28
  Speaker 3: The day before the teams and name suggested that Ruben
• 24:30
  Speaker 3: Love was right in the mix to start at ten.
• 24:32
  Speaker 3: They went with Riley houll Hepper. He played fifty one minutes,
• 24:35
  Speaker 3: the Crusaders didn't score after fifty one minutes. The Hurricanes
• 24:37
  Speaker 3: looked a lot better in those closing stages. Now the
• 24:40
  Speaker 3: game had broken up a little bit, and I'm not
• 24:42
  Speaker 3: piling on Riley hou Heepper, but I just do not
• 24:45
  Speaker 3: think that he is the kind of first five that
• 24:48
  Speaker 3: is going to deliver those wins and those tight New
• 24:50
  Speaker 3: Zealand derbies.
• 24:52
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 24:52
  Speaker 4: I tend to agree. And they're at a point now
• 24:55
  Speaker 4: where they're going to have to take some risks, and
• 25:00
  Speaker 4: you know, Riley Hohepper is a sort of various stute,
• 25:03
  Speaker 4: steady hand perhaps to you know, even to come on
• 25:07
  Speaker 4: and defend the lead once you've gotten into a position
• 25:10
  Speaker 4: on the ol mark where we just need someone to
• 25:13
  Speaker 4: kind of just play the percentages. But it feels like,
• 25:16
  Speaker 4: you know, if Reuben loves up for it, he should
• 25:19
  Speaker 4: be give him an opportunity.
• 25:20
  Speaker 2: I thought.
• 25:20
  Speaker 4: Actually, Callum Harkin came on and as you say, the
• 25:23
  Speaker 4: game was a little bit open, but that sort of
• 25:24
  Speaker 4: suited his strengths.
• 25:26
  Speaker 2: So yeah, one to consider for Clark Laidlaw.
• 25:28
  Speaker 4: It's obviously such a critical position, the first five position,
• 25:32
  Speaker 4: and all teams are sort of grappling with the balance
• 25:35
  Speaker 4: of it, but probably none more so with the canes
• 25:37
  Speaker 4: given there without you know, your Brett Cameron's your focal
• 25:41
  Speaker 4: point was you know, if he wasn't and you're going
• 25:43
  Speaker 4: to be starting all of these games.
• 25:44
  Speaker 3: Yea a bit of a whisper as well. Britt Cameron
• 25:46
  Speaker 3: might be able to be back for the back end
• 25:47
  Speaker 3: of the Hurricane season if all goes to plan with
• 25:51
  Speaker 3: his knee injury, so that's good news for them. Another
• 25:54
  Speaker 3: word is what Brumby's beating the Reads fitting on twenty
• 25:56
  Speaker 3: six bit of an upset on the weekend, although I
• 25:58
  Speaker 3: did pick it in the tripping comp last week. But
• 26:02
  Speaker 3: you know the magic of this competition this year is
• 26:04
  Speaker 3: that it's so up and down and you just do
• 26:08
  Speaker 3: not no you know who's going to win week to
• 26:10
  Speaker 3: week and the Chiefs losses as proof of that, the
• 26:12
  Speaker 3: Reds losing at home to the Brumbies as proof of that.
• 26:15
  Speaker 3: And it makes for congested standings after nine rounds.
• 26:19
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I think it has. You know, it's real shot
• 26:23
  Speaker 4: in the arm to the competition this year. You know,
• 26:27
  Speaker 4: when you look over to the closest sort of rugby
• 26:31
  Speaker 4: code rival and NRL, and they've been able to hang
• 26:33
  Speaker 4: their hat on that unpredictability and jeopardy for so long,
• 26:36
  Speaker 4: and it feels like for some at least, you know,
• 26:39
  Speaker 4: sort of casual observers, a super rugby Okay, the Crusader
• 26:42
  Speaker 4: is going to win here, all the Chiefs or the Blues.
• 26:44
  Speaker 4: But you look at this table and it just as
• 26:47
  Speaker 4: a reflection of how tight this competition is, which is
• 26:50
  Speaker 4: perfect for people like us in terms of trying to
• 26:52
  Speaker 4: you know, promote the game and cover the game and
• 26:56
  Speaker 4: all the storylines and narratives that come with it. But
• 26:59
  Speaker 4: absolute nightman for those and tipping competitions and trying to
• 27:03
  Speaker 4: run multis through and gambling responsibly. So look, it's it's
• 27:07
  Speaker 4: been it's been great, and it now allows us as
• 27:11
  Speaker 4: we enter sort of this business end of the season
• 27:13
  Speaker 4: with six rounds to go, so many f sputs and maybes,
• 27:16
  Speaker 4: rather than you know, things are guaranteed and we're just
• 27:18
  Speaker 4: playing to to see out the regular season.
• 27:21
  Speaker 3: That's right. We'll take a break, come back with more
• 27:23
  Speaker 3: here on Rugby Direct with our friends at Habit Health.
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: This is Rugby Direct, a podcast for real rugby fans.
• 27:33
  Speaker 3: Every try, try ten sixty sec every tackle, tack tackles,
• 27:37
  Speaker 3: get up again.
• 27:41
  Speaker 2: Afore I'm not It's Rugby Direct, Ladies, talk to me.
• 27:44
  Speaker 3: You're back with Rugby Direct. Sick and half of the
• 27:46
  Speaker 3: podcast time now for the final four to four Rugby
• 27:49
  Speaker 3: top perks myself and Nick to bake them. Topic number one.
• 27:53
  Speaker 3: My ruse last week said Super Rugby or Picky in
• 27:56
  Speaker 3: its current format is not sustainable when the players come
• 28:00
  Speaker 3: in basically on a Wednesday, have to try and get
• 28:02
  Speaker 3: ready for a Saturday game. Where do you see the
• 28:05
  Speaker 3: future of Super Rugby or Picky going neck in this competition?
• 28:09
  Speaker 3: And is she right and that it's not sustainable?
• 28:13
  Speaker 4: Well, I'll take your word for it at face value,
• 28:16
  Speaker 4: because she's very much living it. But it's tricky, isn't it?
• 28:19
  Speaker 4: Because if there was a simple solution, it would have
• 28:23
  Speaker 4: been unearthed and executed by now you feel, and you
• 28:26
  Speaker 4: know obviously it comes down to bottom line and costs
• 28:28
  Speaker 4: and resources and on that point, you know, that's.
• 28:32
  Speaker 2: Where the broadcast side of it comes in.
• 28:34
  Speaker 4: I guess we're all sort of waiting to see where
• 28:36
  Speaker 4: that lands with Sky and New Zealand rugby and talk
• 28:40
  Speaker 4: of design and that'll ultimately have a pretty big impact
• 28:43
  Speaker 4: on the future of Super Aby Open as well, and
• 28:46
  Speaker 4: it will be interesting too to see what the numbers,
• 28:49
  Speaker 4: if any, the Sky release on the twenty twenty five season.
• 28:52
  Speaker 4: I've seen the recall last year that they mentioned. It
• 28:54
  Speaker 4: was modest increase in terms of interest sort of week
• 28:58
  Speaker 4: to week, but there's no doubt like the players are
• 29:01
  Speaker 4: clamoring for more in terms of more games or being
• 29:05
  Speaker 4: close to fully professional or at least having the full
• 29:07
  Speaker 4: Monday a Saturday to get readies. And especially when you
• 29:12
  Speaker 4: look to England Elliott where you know I know some
• 29:16
  Speaker 4: players live McGovern for example, who played a bit for
• 29:18
  Speaker 4: much to two last year. She's since gone back to
• 29:20
  Speaker 4: play for the exit of the Chiefs. You look at
• 29:21
  Speaker 4: their competition, I think it's eighteen rounds. It's October to March,
• 29:26
  Speaker 4: so it is doable a lot. I don't know where
• 29:29
  Speaker 4: it's going to go, but probably Thursday will be a
• 29:32
  Speaker 4: really interesting indication of the viability of a trans Tasman
• 29:37
  Speaker 4: competition or the two Opeke and Super ABW and Australia
• 29:40
  Speaker 4: coming together, because if the Blues the Wartars coming across
• 29:44
  Speaker 4: the Tasman in this sort of cross competition final on Thursday,
• 29:49
  Speaker 4: if the Blues. You know, hypothetically, if they wallop the
• 29:52
  Speaker 4: war Retars, that is not good for the viability of
• 29:57
  Speaker 4: a fully fledged trans Tasman round robin competition. And I
• 30:01
  Speaker 4: guess I look at take a step back into the
• 30:04
  Speaker 4: International Games. You know, the Black Ferns for many years
• 30:08
  Speaker 4: now have been well untarily on top of the Wallaroos.
• 30:12
  Speaker 4: So I just wonder, I guess if that is what
• 30:14
  Speaker 4: we're all hoping for, whether there is enough there's going
• 30:19
  Speaker 4: to be enough for that jeopardy and parody that we've
• 30:22
  Speaker 4: just been discussing on the men's side. I guess you
• 30:24
  Speaker 4: have to start somewhere, But I do wonder if we
• 30:27
  Speaker 4: just go all in on that, and then next year
• 30:32
  Speaker 4: when the Chiefs Malawa host the Waratahs and it's fifty
• 30:36
  Speaker 4: to nil, whether there's going to be enough interest.
• 30:38
  Speaker 3: Well, that's it, Isn't it An expansion for the sake
• 30:40
  Speaker 3: of expansion, isn't good? And super rugby the men's comp
• 30:44
  Speaker 3: has learned that the hard way in the past and
• 30:46
  Speaker 3: is now having to constrict and change things around their approach.
• 30:52
  Speaker 3: The Black Fans have never lost to the Wallaroos in
• 30:54
  Speaker 3: the international stage. I think there's a gulf between the
• 30:57
  Speaker 3: two sides at domestic level. I know the war Tars
• 31:01
  Speaker 3: women beat Chiefs in pre season this year, but I
• 31:06
  Speaker 3: still think in the competition Sensor is still a gulf
• 31:08
  Speaker 3: between both of these two countries. So I don't know
• 31:12
  Speaker 3: that necessarily throwing them all in the one potter is
• 31:14
  Speaker 3: the right step either. So there's gonna be some inter
• 31:16
  Speaker 3: intercession that you're right. It's sort of a holding pattern
• 31:19
  Speaker 3: competition at the moment until we get some clarity on
• 31:21
  Speaker 3: the broadcast deal and the way forward and where it sits.
• 31:24
  Speaker 3: And I know there's been murmurings as well around potentially
• 31:28
  Speaker 3: shifting of an international calendar for the women's game, the
• 31:31
  Speaker 3: Pack four and where that feeds into WXV as well,
• 31:34
  Speaker 3: So holding pattern for the women's game as it stands,
• 31:37
  Speaker 3: and I think they'd just chug on with Super Rugby
• 31:40
  Speaker 3: or Picky for the time being until they hear here otherwise.
• 31:44
  Speaker 3: Topic number two World Rugby last week finding no reason
• 31:47
  Speaker 3: to outlaw the seven to one split. So should New
• 31:51
  Speaker 3: Zealand try it? Because it hasn't been seen in both
• 31:54
  Speaker 3: the All Blacks level or as Super Rugby. What are
• 31:57
  Speaker 3: we missing out on?
• 31:59
  Speaker 2: Look?
• 32:00
  Speaker 4: I personally don't think it fits the fabric or the
• 32:04
  Speaker 4: DNA of how we go about playing our rugby in
• 32:07
  Speaker 4: this country. Personally, like it clearly suits South Africa and
• 32:12
  Speaker 4: the way they want to play. And look, I'm sure
• 32:14
  Speaker 4: it's something that somewhere in Scott Robertson's mind he's mindful of,
• 32:20
  Speaker 4: because you don't want to fall behind the pack and
• 32:24
  Speaker 4: not be all of you know, across all the trends
• 32:27
  Speaker 4: that all of a sudden you know you're trying to
• 32:29
  Speaker 4: play another way. And I guess that's where criticism of
• 32:32
  Speaker 4: the style of Super rugby Pacific versus getting into the
• 32:34
  Speaker 4: Test arena is coming in the past. You know, it's
• 32:36
  Speaker 4: a bit more frivolous and ad hoc and giving them
• 32:38
  Speaker 4: the ball plenty of width, and then we come into
• 32:41
  Speaker 4: the Test arena and our top line players aren't quite
• 32:43
  Speaker 4: prepared for the abrasiveness and the directness of a South
• 32:47
  Speaker 4: Africa or in Ireland for example. But I Cunting Recallsmeyther
• 32:51
  Speaker 4: the last time we saw a six two split alone
• 32:54
  Speaker 4: lett alone a seven to one split.
• 32:55
  Speaker 2: So while I'm.
• 32:57
  Speaker 4: Not dismissing World Rugby, I don't think they needed to
• 33:00
  Speaker 4: outlawer it or anything like that.
• 33:02
  Speaker 2: I just don't think it's going to ever be really
• 33:06
  Speaker 2: on the radar for us. That's just my personal view.
• 33:10
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think the mu Zeale might look at it
• 33:12
  Speaker 3: in a different sense in that if you could load
• 33:15
  Speaker 3: up with loose forwards who would also be capable of
• 33:18
  Speaker 3: playing in the back line and sort of a hybrid player,
• 33:22
  Speaker 3: potentially might look at it that way, and you know
• 33:26
  Speaker 3: you could have you know, say worst comes to worse,
• 33:29
  Speaker 3: you could move an ardisrv out from number eight into
• 33:33
  Speaker 3: midfield or something like that if if you couldn't all
• 33:36
  Speaker 3: utilize them in the forward packer at a certain time,
• 33:39
  Speaker 3: or you had injuries in the back line. You know,
• 33:41
  Speaker 3: there's players like Adam Lennox and Leroy Carter who was
• 33:45
  Speaker 3: capable of playing both half back and win. Yeah, absolutely
• 33:51
  Speaker 3: that worst comes to worst. So instead of like I'm
• 33:53
  Speaker 3: going with the I suppose the South African style of
• 33:56
  Speaker 3: a seven one, you can go with the more utility
• 33:59
  Speaker 3: version of it and utilize those powerful players that are
• 34:03
  Speaker 3: great ball carriers as well. Scott Robertson said when we
• 34:07
  Speaker 3: had him on the Pops with Mark Robinson a month
• 34:10
  Speaker 3: or so ago, that it's something they have considered, but
• 34:12
  Speaker 3: at this point in time they haven't rolled it out,
• 34:15
  Speaker 3: but you know, I guess never say never, and maybe
• 34:18
  Speaker 3: there will be a time with the All Blacks.
• 34:20
  Speaker 2: Do do it?
• 34:20
  Speaker 3: Topic number three news last week Joey marn who is
• 34:23
  Speaker 3: reportedly seeking a release from his Rusting ninety two contract
• 34:27
  Speaker 3: that he is yet to start to come back to
• 34:30
  Speaker 3: either Sydney or in New Zealand. That opens up some
• 34:33
  Speaker 3: options around the NRL. The Roosters have said that they
• 34:36
  Speaker 3: probably can't take him back at this point in time.
• 34:41
  Speaker 3: The Warriors loom is an option of course super rugby
• 34:43
  Speaker 3: clubs as well. So Neck, what does your gut feel say?
• 34:46
  Speaker 3: Where does Joey marnin who Land? That is indeed, if
• 34:49
  Speaker 3: only two are great fag generous enough to release him
• 34:52
  Speaker 3: from his contract.
• 34:54
  Speaker 2: That's it, isn't it.
• 34:56
  Speaker 4: Look, I think if I've learned anything from my time
• 34:59
  Speaker 4: in sports media at this part of the world, when
• 35:02
  Speaker 4: it comes to these reports that come out of Australia
• 35:05
  Speaker 4: and look, sometimes they do bear of fruits, but there
• 35:10
  Speaker 4: is a lot of wheeling and dealing and agents calling
• 35:14
  Speaker 4: up reporters and trying to create conversation and keeping the
• 35:18
  Speaker 4: gravy train ticking over and just for a sake of content,
• 35:21
  Speaker 4: on a quiet week like. I'm not saying that this
• 35:23
  Speaker 4: is the case here, but we haven't heard from from
• 35:25
  Speaker 4: Joey Marnu himself. But look, in a completely hypothetical situation,
• 35:30
  Speaker 4: my gut feeling, even though the Sydney Roosters, I think
• 35:34
  Speaker 4: Trent Robinson might have even spoken over the weekend about saying,
• 35:38
  Speaker 4: you know that they probably couldn't fit him in.
• 35:41
  Speaker 2: They have found ways in the past of.
• 35:44
  Speaker 4: Yeah, the old salary sombrero, the third party deals, Nick
• 35:47
  Speaker 4: Poliitis finds an old jag out the back of the
• 35:51
  Speaker 4: garage or something like that.
• 35:52
  Speaker 2: So look at that.
• 35:53
  Speaker 4: That would probably be my gut feel if it's very much,
• 35:56
  Speaker 4: you know, I want to be in New Zealand, and look,
• 35:59
  Speaker 4: the Warriors just just on salary cap positioning, having lost
• 36:04
  Speaker 4: what Shawn Johnson, Tay Harrison, Adam Fanola, Blake. Yes, have
• 36:06
  Speaker 4: brought James Fisher Harrison, but they've got some cap to spend.
• 36:10
  Speaker 4: It could be a possibility. I think it's a pretty
• 36:14
  Speaker 4: slim one. But if it's if he comes back to
• 36:17
  Speaker 4: New Zealand, my upfield would be it'll be to give
• 36:20
  Speaker 4: this rugby thing a red hot crack when he's coming
• 36:24
  Speaker 4: up twenty nine in June.
• 36:26
  Speaker 2: Will it comes two years away?
• 36:28
  Speaker 4: Does he have one real goal of that, you know,
• 36:31
  Speaker 4: like a sunny Billilliams has in the past, get himself
• 36:33
  Speaker 4: in the chiefs environment toccodoor boy. Maybe that's the most likely,
• 36:39
  Speaker 4: but I'm not going to get too carried away, and
• 36:43
  Speaker 4: I see something a little bit more concrete, but is
• 36:45
  Speaker 4: an interesting one as a talking point. I think it
• 36:47
  Speaker 4: would be a luxury for New Zealand rugby as opposed
• 36:50
  Speaker 4: to a necess It is a lot of a lot
• 36:53
  Speaker 4: of really good midfielders around at the moment. Of course,
• 36:55
  Speaker 4: Jordi Barrett to come back in the mix from his
• 36:57
  Speaker 4: time over in Ireland, so it would certainly create a
• 37:00
  Speaker 4: lot of conversation.
• 37:01
  Speaker 3: Put it that way, it would. I've seen a bit
• 37:03
  Speaker 3: of him playing for Toyota in Japan and they are
• 37:06
  Speaker 3: having a dreadful old season as stands, but he's been
• 37:10
  Speaker 3: on the wing for them, the right wing by and large,
• 37:12
  Speaker 3: and he's been I think quite good, really breaking a
• 37:15
  Speaker 3: lot of tackles since we adapting to rugby. I like
• 37:18
  Speaker 3: the way he was going about it is almost following
• 37:19
  Speaker 3: that sunny Bill Williams blueprint of having a couple of
• 37:22
  Speaker 3: seasons abroad out of the limelight, apart from the bit
• 37:26
  Speaker 3: where he walked out on his contract, Sonny Bill, but
• 37:29
  Speaker 3: building that way and then when you ready come and
• 37:31
  Speaker 3: have a crack. But maybe he feels like he's ready
• 37:33
  Speaker 3: now or his homesick or whatever it is, and is
• 37:36
  Speaker 3: going to accelerate that plan. I saw an interview with
• 37:38
  Speaker 3: him on Forkuta Mauldi TV not so long ago, in
• 37:41
  Speaker 3: fact a couple of weeks ago, suggesting that the All
• 37:43
  Speaker 3: Blacks were a real goal. So that certainly seems part
• 37:45
  Speaker 3: of the conversation. So yeah, watch the space topic number four,
• 37:48
  Speaker 3: how many teams outside the Super Ragby Pacific Top Sex
• 37:50
  Speaker 3: will be in the top six at the end of
• 37:53
  Speaker 3: the season. So the Highlanders, Hurricanes, Blues, more Wia, PACIFICA
• 37:56
  Speaker 3: and the Fiji and Drew all on the outside looking in.
• 38:00
  Speaker 3: How many of those teams will crack the Top Sex neck.
• 38:05
  Speaker 4: I'm going to say one with no real confidence. I
• 38:10
  Speaker 4: don't think it's going to be any more than two.
• 38:12
  Speaker 4: But I've got one team in mind dropping out and
• 38:17
  Speaker 4: one team in mind coming back in. And sorry to
• 38:21
  Speaker 4: our faithful listeners in Western Australia, but I just look
• 38:26
  Speaker 4: at the forces position and they're run in, and I
• 38:29
  Speaker 4: look at the Blues position and they're run home, and
• 38:33
  Speaker 4: there's a been a four point gap between those two,
• 38:36
  Speaker 4: and I think those are going to be the two
• 38:38
  Speaker 4: that switch in and out.
• 38:40
  Speaker 2: I don't know what the Waratahs are. Eight rounds into
• 38:43
  Speaker 2: the season.
• 38:44
  Speaker 4: They look like they can win the title at home
• 38:47
  Speaker 4: and then they look awful anywhere else outside of Sydney.
• 38:51
  Speaker 4: They're currently fifth, so they might be the other casualty,
• 38:55
  Speaker 4: and then it would have to be one of I'm
• 38:58
  Speaker 4: going to put a line through that. I sort of
• 39:00
  Speaker 4: alluded to it at the beginning when we talked about
• 39:02
  Speaker 4: the Highlanders drawer. I just think with that run and
• 39:05
  Speaker 4: I think that there's just a gulf in class ultimately
• 39:09
  Speaker 4: still between them and the other New Zealand Foundation sides.
• 39:11
  Speaker 4: I know the Highland is at seventh, so if it
• 39:14
  Speaker 4: was going to be one more for me anyway, it
• 39:16
  Speaker 4: would be one of the Canes or Mowana jumping in.
• 39:20
  Speaker 4: But it's so tight and that's a fantastic place for
• 39:25
  Speaker 4: the comp to be in.
• 39:25
  Speaker 3: It really is. The big game that looms for me
• 39:28
  Speaker 3: is the Hurricanes Brumbies the day after Anzac Day, because
• 39:31
  Speaker 3: they haven't had a lot of success in the Aussie
• 39:34
  Speaker 3: capital the last couple of years. I think if they
• 39:36
  Speaker 3: win that then they could well be on their way.
• 39:38
  Speaker 3: The Hurricanes. They lose that, I think they probably will
• 39:41
  Speaker 3: miss the top six. So as it stands, I'm going
• 39:43
  Speaker 3: one like you at this point in time. Let's get
• 39:46
  Speaker 3: into our tipping. Last week, Lem and I tip the
• 39:50
  Speaker 3: same apart from the Brumbies and Reds where I picked
• 39:53
  Speaker 3: the Brumbies for an upset. So he gets three, I
• 39:56
  Speaker 3: get four. I lead by seven thirty twenty three. You're
• 40:00
  Speaker 3: in charge of his tips this week, Nick, Crusaders Blues
• 40:02
  Speaker 3: the game you'll be calling gold Sport iHeartRadio Friday night.
• 40:06
  Speaker 4: See no pressure being taken on the mantle of someone
• 40:09
  Speaker 4: with a seven game deficit, A poor old Liam. Look,
• 40:15
  Speaker 4: this is a it'll be a cracking contest because by
• 40:17
  Speaker 4: no means you know it's not one v nine. I
• 40:20
  Speaker 4: know it is on the table, but there you know
• 40:22
  Speaker 4: that the Blues will still be hurting in the back
• 40:24
  Speaker 4: of their mind from how poor they were in this
• 40:26
  Speaker 4: reverse fixture what three three or so weeks ago at
• 40:29
  Speaker 4: Eton Park and as as well as the Crusaders have
• 40:33
  Speaker 4: played comparative lead to last year. I still think by
• 40:37
  Speaker 4: no means are they the finished product. And you know,
• 40:40
  Speaker 4: if David Harvilly is out, which it sounds like he
• 40:43
  Speaker 4: will be, there's some question marks there too, in terms of,
• 40:46
  Speaker 4: you know, how they go about their midfield and taking
• 40:50
  Speaker 4: that pressure off the lights of Taha Kima and in
• 40:53
  Speaker 4: terms of driving the game. So I'm going to say
• 40:56
  Speaker 4: the Crusaders, but it wouldn't shock me if you know
• 41:01
  Speaker 4: I'm calling a Blues victory.
• 41:02
  Speaker 3: I'm going the Crusaders in a tight one as well.
• 41:04
  Speaker 3: Fiji and Drawer against the warr Tas in Fiji Saturday afternoon.
• 41:09
  Speaker 2: Is this one? Is it Laoutoka? It is Lautoka, Chief Parker.
• 41:13
  Speaker 4: I'm just going to say, just these are the two
• 41:15
  Speaker 4: most jekylin high teams and terms of home and away Fiji.
• 41:19
  Speaker 4: Drawer can beat anyone in Lautoka and Martars can't win
• 41:22
  Speaker 4: out of Sydney. So just based on those that are
• 41:25
  Speaker 4: those facts alone, and I'm going to go with the Drawer.
• 41:27
  Speaker 3: I'm going to Taz to win that one. More on
• 41:29
  Speaker 3: a Pacific Brumby's looking forward to the calling this one
• 41:31
  Speaker 3: and book a koeie on Saturday afternoon to Mawana bounce
• 41:35
  Speaker 3: back next. I think they do.
• 41:37
  Speaker 4: Personally I'm going to say they do too. But yeah,
• 41:44
  Speaker 4: this is this is a real tricky game. I haven't
• 41:46
  Speaker 4: got a very good read on the Brumbies either, but
• 41:50
  Speaker 4: you know, for them to beat the Reds in Brisbane,
• 41:52
  Speaker 4: that's that's really impressive and.
• 41:56
  Speaker 2: You know it could go either way. But y'all, i'll
• 41:58
  Speaker 2: tip my onna.
• 41:59
  Speaker 3: Chiefs Thailand is seven o five in Hamilton.
• 42:04
  Speaker 4: Chiefs thinks there will be some pretty honest conversation if
• 42:09
  Speaker 4: they're not already have had have been have been had
• 42:12
  Speaker 4: over the weekend on the on the flight home from Sydney,
• 42:15
  Speaker 4: and I think they're a pretty dangerous team off offer loss.
• 42:20
  Speaker 2: After some stern words from Clayton.
• 42:22
  Speaker 3: Mcviell, Hurricanes are also coming off a loss, in fact
• 42:25
  Speaker 3: two losses. They play the Force in perthirth game of
• 42:27
  Speaker 3: a two game Aussie swing. You were mean to our
• 42:31
  Speaker 3: Western Australian listeners before. So for those in the minds
• 42:35
  Speaker 3: in cal Gooley and everywhere else in Perth, do they
• 42:39
  Speaker 3: get the win this week?
• 42:41
  Speaker 4: Well, here you go tell all those faithful listeners in
• 42:44
  Speaker 4: a completely different time zone.
• 42:46
  Speaker 2: But yeah, I'm going to say your team.
• 42:50
  Speaker 4: I think this is the perfect sort of game for
• 42:52
  Speaker 4: the Western Force and and I think the Hurricanes are
• 42:56
  Speaker 4: just it'll depend on those selections. I think, you know,
• 43:01
  Speaker 4: I personally think they need to take some risks around
• 43:03
  Speaker 4: that ten position. But I think the four have a
• 43:09
  Speaker 4: you know, they have a semblance of a of a
• 43:11
  Speaker 4: really good team. They're just it's quite inconsistent. But I
• 43:14
  Speaker 4: think that's a really tough place to go and play.
• 43:16
  Speaker 4: I know you mentioned before, Elliott around that Caines Brumbies
• 43:19
  Speaker 4: game that's the week following, But yeah, why not, I'll
• 43:24
  Speaker 4: tip the Force. Lamb's got some grunt to.
• 43:26
  Speaker 3: Make there we go. That's our tip. I'm going to
• 43:28
  Speaker 3: go to Hurricanes to win that one. In Perth Rugby
• 43:30
  Speaker 3: Direct Metal voting time three two ones eightything has a
• 43:34
  Speaker 3: five point gap on the field and thirteen points to
• 43:36
  Speaker 3: a t Nawa and Palegreeny title on eight and then
• 43:38
  Speaker 3: Bote and Barrett in on seven. Neck your three to
• 43:42
  Speaker 3: two ones. Who gets points this week?
• 43:45
  Speaker 2: I am going to give three points to Scott Barrett.
• 43:50
  Speaker 4: Look, I think, you know, irrespective of all the attention
• 43:53
  Speaker 4: that was around him from some you know, outside noise,
• 43:57
  Speaker 4: I thought that was a really strong performance, clearly his
• 44:00
  Speaker 4: best of the season. I think I touched on it before,
• 44:03
  Speaker 4: but really nice line break to set up you anamnu,
• 44:06
  Speaker 4: the presence of mind to reckon.
• 44:08
  Speaker 2: There was no half back there when they just made
• 44:10
  Speaker 2: that break.
• 44:11
  Speaker 4: He just shifts a little narrow pass to Schaffee Harckey
• 44:14
  Speaker 4: to dive over. So a couple of triass but has
• 44:16
  Speaker 4: worked just in general around the park. Super physical, got up,
• 44:20
  Speaker 4: stole a couple of lineouts at some crucial moments, just
• 44:22
  Speaker 4: when the Canes look to be building.
• 44:24
  Speaker 2: So he gets my three and brother Bowden is going
• 44:29
  Speaker 2: to nab my two.
• 44:31
  Speaker 4: I just think there's you know, it's pretty clear he's
• 44:34
  Speaker 4: the premiere ten at the Blues. Yes he's been out
• 44:37
  Speaker 4: with injury, but his game control, his safety under the
• 44:42
  Speaker 4: high ball, his variety of kicks, individual brilliance to do
• 44:48
  Speaker 4: that little chip and chase kick through to score against Mowana,
• 44:52
  Speaker 4: So credits to Boden Barrett. He's going to get my
• 44:54
  Speaker 4: two and because a bit of a toss up for
• 44:56
  Speaker 4: mine between a couple of hookers. I thought Ricky ricatally
• 44:59
  Speaker 4: really came back to that Blues environment. Strong, super clinical,
• 45:05
  Speaker 4: you know, his core roles in the line out of that.
• 45:07
  Speaker 4: But one of the stories of the Crusader season has
• 45:10
  Speaker 4: been Yoanni Mohinannu, Like, this is a guy who probably
• 45:13
  Speaker 4: wasn't going to get very very little game time if
• 45:17
  Speaker 4: it wasn't for George Bell being injured for the season,
• 45:20
  Speaker 4: and if it wasn't for Cody Taylor missing game time,
• 45:23
  Speaker 4: and he's come in and made.
• 45:24
  Speaker 2: Every post winner. He's like a mini I suffer on
• 45:27
  Speaker 2: my ways. He's deadly over the ball and he's.
• 45:31
  Speaker 4: Benefiting from a lot of great work and those line
• 45:33
  Speaker 4: out drives in terms of scoring tries. But the one
• 45:36
  Speaker 4: you know, being the right place at the right time
• 45:38
  Speaker 4: to be there for that Scott Barrett Pastor to score
• 45:41
  Speaker 4: one in midfield. Yeah, he's having a cracking season and
• 45:45
  Speaker 4: the Crusaders are in a good spot there depth wise,
• 45:47
  Speaker 4: it hooker.
• 45:47
  Speaker 3: They are indeed now three two ones are similar. I've
• 45:50
  Speaker 3: gone Bern and Beart for three. Actually, I thought he
• 45:52
  Speaker 3: was very very good and the way that he's playing
• 45:54
  Speaker 3: at the moment clearly the best ten I think in
• 45:57
  Speaker 3: the country. Scott Barrett gets my two similar words to you.
• 46:00
  Speaker 3: I thought he was very very good. Again, responding to
• 46:03
  Speaker 3: the question of taken it, I don't know if it
• 46:05
  Speaker 3: was because of the criticism, but we sort of had
• 46:07
  Speaker 3: him way Cup for the season now and hopefully more
• 46:11
  Speaker 3: of those performances to come. And Jakob brother my t
• 46:13
  Speaker 3: Voki Nipkins gets my one point great return from him,
• 46:17
  Speaker 3: very very impressed and luking the way that he played,
• 46:20
  Speaker 3: so hopefully more of that to come. And I'll tell
• 46:22
  Speaker 3: you what, Jordy Barrett playing for linkstro on the weekend
• 46:25
  Speaker 3: was man of the match to their performance. So if
• 46:27
  Speaker 3: you look at that Bowden, Scott and Jordie, three performances
• 46:31
  Speaker 3: of class over the weekend from the Barrett family across
• 46:33
  Speaker 3: the globe.
• 46:34
  Speaker 4: One of the great rugby families, aren't they the Barretts. Yeah,
• 46:38
  Speaker 4: they shouldn't be buhying bears anywhere in the country.
• 46:41
  Speaker 3: Absolutely not. Nick, thank you for joining us on Rugby
• 46:43
  Speaker 3: Direct this week. Always a pleasure to have you on.
• 46:45
  Speaker 3: We'll catch up again soon.
• 46:47
  Speaker 2: Appreciate it.
• 46:47
  Speaker 4: Elliott, No, it's been a great fun and you're looking
• 46:50
  Speaker 4: forward to this week, this Easter weekend slate starting with
• 46:52
  Speaker 4: Crusaders Blues down My Way.
• 46:54
  Speaker 2: It's going to be a cracker.
• 46:55
  Speaker 3: You can hear that on Gold Sport and iHeartRadio. Friday Night,
• 46:57
  Speaker 3: Good Friday and night. So that has been ragby Direct
• 46:59
  Speaker 3: with Habit Health tackling all your aches and pains from
• 47:01
  Speaker 3: sport and work. Thanks to Lars and Bars English for
• 47:03
  Speaker 3: pulling this all together. We'll see you next week m hmm.
• 47:09
  Speaker 1: For more from Newstalk st B, listen live on air
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
• 47:15
  Speaker 1: go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio