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Transcript

Rugby Direct - Episode 134 · Rugby Direct

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
• 0:12
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• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Yet inside the game from every angle. It's Rugby Direct
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: with Elliott Smith powered by Newstalks EDB.
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: Welcome into Rugby Direct powered by Forklift Solutions, lifting you
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: and your business to a higher level.
• 0:31
  Speaker 3: We're back for another week back in.
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: Auckland, Elliott Smith with me, Liam Napier from the New
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: Zealand Heralds and Liam Well. The All Blacks are spitting
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: after their first loss under head coach Scott Robertson going
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: down thirty eight thirty to Argentina in Wellington.
• 0:49
  Speaker 3: I don't think a loss that many predictors.
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: Again, Argentina put in New Zealands on the back foot
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: at home and claiming the win. Your reaction, I guess
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: to that defeat first and foremost from an All Blacks perspective.
• 1:03
  Speaker 4: My reaction look fairly shocked. I think is probably the
• 1:07
  Speaker 4: best way to summon up ellis windy and whild week
• 1:10
  Speaker 4: in Wellington, wasn't it, as you mentioned, a result that
• 1:14
  Speaker 4: nobody saw coming. Really the Pumas, I'm certain, clearly had
• 1:18
  Speaker 4: belief that they could pull that off. And pull it off.
• 1:20
  Speaker 4: They did. Look, I guess there were on reflection signs
• 1:24
  Speaker 4: that this All Black team were a bit shaky and
• 1:27
  Speaker 4: vulnerable throughout July, that the romp against Fijis side in
• 1:31
  Speaker 4: San Diego. They were very unconvincing against England's actually had
• 1:36
  Speaker 4: some criticism for being too hard on them. You know,
• 1:39
  Speaker 4: I'm saying that they had some escapes. Well, look, there
• 1:44
  Speaker 4: were clearly vulnerabilities there and they've been brought to a
• 1:47
  Speaker 4: head again. This is a massive reality check, isn't it.
• 1:51
  Speaker 4: I think when you take a step back, this is
• 1:53
  Speaker 4: a group that is finding their feet. They haven't been
• 1:55
  Speaker 4: together that long. But look, Razor Robson came in. He's
• 2:00
  Speaker 4: been painted as a bit of a messiah in some
• 2:03
  Speaker 4: parts after what he did with the Crusaders phenomenal record.
• 2:06
  Speaker 4: How much of a reality check is this for Razor
• 2:09
  Speaker 4: and his coaching group.
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: Well, I think it has to be a severe one
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: for them because they were out coached, outplayed on the
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: weekend and for me, I'm struggling to see what the
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: game plan is from the All Blacks perspective. England got
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: them into an army wrescole convincingly in that both of
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: those two tests and New Zealand couldn't escape Fiji aside,
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: the same thing happened against Argentina. The opposition teams at
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: the moment seem to have a very very good way
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: of bringing New Zealand into an arm wrestole, realizing that
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: the All Blacks don't like it. The All Blacks want
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: to play with front football, they want to play fast,
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: and when the All Blacks can't, they struggle to get
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: their game going. Other teams seem more comfortable playing in
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: the arm wrestle than the All Blacks seem to be,
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: So I think there needs to be from an All
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: Blacks perspective, you almost need to walk towards it. Now
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: you have this theme this together together, we walk well,
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: you almost need to walk towards that arm wrestle and go.
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: If this is what we're going to be dragged into,
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: here's how we do it. Here's how we get out
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: out of it. But what we saw on the weekend
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: was a lot of scrambling from the All Blacks, a
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: lot of unconvincing kicking, a lot of headless and brainless
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: passing at times from the All Blacks. That one that
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: stands out to me is that one around the sixty
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: sixth minute where there were two passes back from about
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: fifty meter mark after a lineout steal I think mom
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: was SV and then another one went back into the
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: end goal. Recora Juana has to force it in their
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: goal Argentine to get the ball and then score eventually
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: from that. So they lack an ability I think when
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: they do get into an arm wrestil. Now, obviously they
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: got two wins against England and managed to win the
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: arm wrestle in the end on Saturday night, they didn't
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: against Argentina. So one was struggling to see what the
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: game plan is from the All Blacks, and two when
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: they had drawn into an arm wrestle against opposition, they
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: are struggling to find a way to get out of it.
• 4:00
  Speaker 4: There's a few things to unpack, it, aren't they. I
• 4:03
  Speaker 4: I think there's a lack of leadership. Where I see
• 4:07
  Speaker 4: that most evident is at the back end of that game. Now,
• 4:10
  Speaker 4: against England, the All Blacks found a way to escape
• 4:12
  Speaker 4: at Eden Park. It was Boden Barrack pretty much single
• 4:15
  Speaker 4: handedly pulling them out of the bag there. But in Dunedin,
• 4:20
  Speaker 4: had Marcus Smith kick better, they could have well lost
• 4:23
  Speaker 4: both of those tests against England.
• 4:24
  Speaker 5: It really was that fraud.
• 4:26
  Speaker 4: Now you go to Wellington and against the Pumas and
• 4:30
  Speaker 4: the All Blacks have been together longer. It's only five
• 4:33
  Speaker 4: weeks or so, but the minimum expectation was progress they
• 4:38
  Speaker 4: and they regressed in several areas against England. They were
• 4:41
  Speaker 4: very proficient under the high ball. England targeted them there
• 4:45
  Speaker 4: and the wings were good. Their kicking game at times
• 4:48
  Speaker 4: was good. And then you look at the Pumas and
• 4:52
  Speaker 4: either they didn't plan for it, they didn't execute. They
• 4:54
  Speaker 4: could not escape their twenty two at times with the
• 4:57
  Speaker 4: Pumas long deep kickoffs. TJ Perrenara running taking a number
• 5:02
  Speaker 4: of steps with his box kick got charged twice. There
• 5:05
  Speaker 4: was another occasion where they were throwing the ball wild
• 5:09
  Speaker 4: offloads and they're twenty two to try and get out.
• 5:12
  Speaker 4: I think it was Mark t Leah caught the ball.
• 5:14
  Speaker 4: So that's a clear area of focus. But the lack
• 5:18
  Speaker 4: of leadership I think in the you we speaking about
• 5:22
  Speaker 4: those passes. Artie Severe and Damian McKenzie made those passes.
• 5:25
  Speaker 4: They weren't Wallace a Titi and Cortez Ratima. Those are
• 5:29
  Speaker 4: two of your most experienced figures on the park, influential
• 5:34
  Speaker 4: characters and those uncharacteristic eras sever Reese with the tap
• 5:38
  Speaker 4: back just before halftime. These are unforced eras. This is
• 5:42
  Speaker 4: not the Puma's applying huge amount of heat in certain areas,
• 5:45
  Speaker 4: and they did that, but these are unforced eras brain
• 5:49
  Speaker 4: explosions from the All Blacks and we shouldn't be seeing
• 5:51
  Speaker 4: that at this level. So I think a real spotlight
• 5:55
  Speaker 4: on the on field leadership. Are the All Blacks implementing
• 5:59
  Speaker 4: a game plan? Is there a disconnect between players and coaches?
• 6:02
  Speaker 4: Is it an accuracy or execution thing. There's a number
• 6:06
  Speaker 4: of things for them to amend in the space of
• 6:09
  Speaker 4: seven days.
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: There are, and I think we'll get into the selection
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: stuff in a moment or two, but I think that
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: game plan is not really becoming clear. You'd think by
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: game four you'd know, Okay, this is the way the
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: All Blacks want to play. And we tooked a couple
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: of months back before they even played their first test
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: around what we saw from Scott Robinson and the Crusaders,
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: and that wasn't a run at all cost strategy. It
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: was based on forward work, It was based on getting
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: in the right areas of the ground and using the
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: strengths there like the line out drive like the scrum
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: and getting into the right areas of the ground initially
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: and then backing your backs to do the work once
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: you were there. But there wasn't a flashy thing. Now
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: it seems like they're trying to get out of trouble,
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: the battling to get out of trouble. When they do,
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: it's more a sigh of relief than anything, and they
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: don't progress after that. It's more like, Okay, well we've
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: managed to get out of that hole, but there's no
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: thought of how do we actually get into the twenty two,
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: how do we build some attack. I think the opportunities
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: to sustain pressure or build pressure in the twin too
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: were few and far between. From the All Blacks in Wellington.
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: They just didn't do it for long enough, and when
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: they did, Mark t Lee was rewarded with a try
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: when the Fords went up the middle. And I suppose
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: this is an good opportunity as any to get into
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: some potential changes, but I think they're missing a ball
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: carrier in the Fords.
• 7:25
  Speaker 3: We saw. I thought Sam Dowry played very well in
• 7:27
  Speaker 3: the line out and.
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: Also carried wise, but I think Ethan blackadd had a
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: quiet testalled and Papali as well. I think they're missing
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: a ball carrier there now, whether that's Samma penny Fee
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: now for me and I don't know whether they would
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: think about doing this, but I think they should seriously
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: consider it as moving Ardie Savia to open side Flanka
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: and bring in Wallace a TT at number eight. For me,
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: that gives you a dynamic ball carrier in Wallace to TT.
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: But you've still got Ardi there. He can do a
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: lot of the work. It doesn't all fall on his shoulders.
• 7:58
  Speaker 3: A lot of that.
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: On Saturday night we saw him making a lot of
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: carries trying to get some go forward for the team
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: with Wallacer TT there. He's a player capable of doing so.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: We saw that during the Chief season, very very young.
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: But I think it's worthy of a consideration at least
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: to go with that because the Fords just aren't punching
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: Ford hard enough to build that sustained pressure and get
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: the all blacks at front football and getting over the
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: advantage line. They've been pushed backwards more often than not.
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: There were times on the weekend where they would get
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: near to the twenty two one attack and then all
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: of a sudden they be pushed back to the ten
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: meter mark one halfway. So for me that's mitigated some
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: What if you bring in some more ball carriers and
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: that loose for trier a.
• 8:36
  Speaker 4: Couple of points to pick up on there. I'll start
• 8:38
  Speaker 4: with the loose forwards. I agree with you that the
• 8:41
  Speaker 4: balance and composition of the All Blacks loose forwards is
• 8:45
  Speaker 4: not right. And Dalton Papa le ethan blackheader, and Luke
• 8:51
  Speaker 4: Jacobson who was unavailable with hamstring injury at the weekend
• 8:55
  Speaker 4: are very similar players. They are great defenders, they high
• 8:59
  Speaker 4: work great, but they are not big ball carriers. And
• 9:03
  Speaker 4: with Ardie, I thought played well at the weekends from
• 9:06
  Speaker 4: a ball carrying perspective, but that the composition is out there,
• 9:11
  Speaker 4: so I agree with you that that needs a serious look.
• 9:16
  Speaker 4: Do they look at Sam Kine. He's not necessarily a
• 9:19
  Speaker 4: ball carrier, but he is a very abrasive character. And
• 9:24
  Speaker 4: one area where the All Blacks have consistently struggled this
• 9:26
  Speaker 4: year against England and the Pumas is the breakdown. They
• 9:29
  Speaker 4: knew the Pumas were coming there and they couldn't counter it.
• 9:34
  Speaker 4: That the Pumas had great success on turnover possession. They
• 9:38
  Speaker 4: scored their first try off a turnover. Pablo Monteta went
• 9:43
  Speaker 4: across the field and delivered the short ball for their
• 9:46
  Speaker 4: first try. Their second try came off counter attack as well,
• 9:50
  Speaker 4: so very good in transition. But they found a lot
• 9:52
  Speaker 4: of success slowing the All Blacks ball, frustrating them in
• 9:55
  Speaker 4: that regard. So they need to amend their breakdown and
• 9:59
  Speaker 4: that's not a new issue for this All Black group.
• 10:02
  Speaker 4: And the second is when we look at ball carriers,
• 10:05
  Speaker 4: it's not just the loose forwards, and so you probably
• 10:08
  Speaker 4: seeing someone like a Patrick to Polotu as well in
• 10:11
  Speaker 4: the second row. Like you say, Sam Darry was excellent.
• 10:13
  Speaker 4: I think the All Blacks won their first fourteen lineouts,
• 10:17
  Speaker 4: so their lineout was exceptional, but then it completely shat
• 10:20
  Speaker 4: the beds when it mattered most in the last quarter
• 10:23
  Speaker 4: when a suffer more come on came on, missed two
• 10:26
  Speaker 4: lineout throws. Now, the All Blacks have a specialist lineout
• 10:29
  Speaker 4: throwing coach in Corey Flynn, so this is an area
• 10:33
  Speaker 4: that should be proficient.
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah, but has never been a great lineout thrower. That's
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: always been a weakness of him. And to go right,
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: you're working with Corey Flynn. It's not magically going to
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: sort that out in a matter of three weeks.
• 10:45
  Speaker 5: It's not. But let me put this to and look.
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: It's all like the Hurricanes are ebited. This mine out
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: set peak coach.
• 10:49
  Speaker 4: This might be harsh, but if a halfback couldn't hit
• 10:52
  Speaker 4: his target, would he be in the All Blacks?
• 10:54
  Speaker 3: No? And that's the thing with it.
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: I think that there's a very shallow depth in terms
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: of hooker at the moment with the SAMASONI Takeyah out
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: injured as well. Atom a great ball carrier, impressive ball carrier,
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: but lineout throwing has been a weakness to his entire career.
• 11:09
  Speaker 3: It's always the knock on them.
• 11:10
  Speaker 5: Yep, totally.
• 11:11
  Speaker 4: And when you're on the bench, in particular as a hooker,
• 11:15
  Speaker 4: you are going to be coming on in these pressure
• 11:17
  Speaker 4: moments when there's two points in a match, when you
• 11:20
  Speaker 4: need to come back, when the set piece is extremely important,
• 11:24
  Speaker 4: and when we talk about the passing moment, the lineouts
• 11:29
  Speaker 4: were just as fundamental. And the All Blacks losing this
• 11:31
  Speaker 4: game two miss lineout throws when they were looking to
• 11:35
  Speaker 4: build field position and pressure completely took their foot off
• 11:38
  Speaker 4: the throat, So that's another area of concern. And just
• 11:41
  Speaker 4: one other point I want to pick up on that
• 11:43
  Speaker 4: you made there. The All Blacks looked their best when
• 11:45
  Speaker 4: they went up the guts, ye when they went pick
• 11:48
  Speaker 4: and drive close to the ruck when in the heart
• 11:50
  Speaker 4: of the of the pomas around the fringes, quick picking
• 11:53
  Speaker 4: drives direct. Mark Tala scored off at Antonlina Brown's try
• 11:58
  Speaker 4: came after the All Blacks made some real inroads up
• 12:01
  Speaker 4: the guts. So maybe they're guilty of actually trying to
• 12:03
  Speaker 4: play too much rugby at times and they just need
• 12:06
  Speaker 4: to tuck and drive and be a bit more simplus
• 12:09
  Speaker 4: a bit more aggressive, a bit more direct, because that's
• 12:12
  Speaker 4: when they actually look their best.
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: It is, but they weren't getting into the right areas
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: of the ground either. Then that goes back to the
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: kicking of both Tja Padanara and Damien McKenzie. Now I
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: think McKenzie's head four tests now to stamp his mark
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: on the team.
• 12:25
  Speaker 3: I don't think it's working.
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: Scott Robertson said yesterday that they will stick with him.
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: He's back to him into stay at ten for the
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: time being, but that they're lacking a lot through the
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: kicking game at the moment, and you see Jordie's in
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: there as well with kicking and Bote and Barrett as well,
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: but they're just not getting into the right areas of
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: the grant And that falls back into that nineteen twelve
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: fifteen of the All Blacks team to get them out
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: of their own twenty two and get them into the
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: opposition half. It's just not clicking at the moment from
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: a All Black suspective. And you know, they talk about
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: game management being a work on for Damien McKenzie, which
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: is all well and good, but he's played fifty one
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: tests now. He's played a lot, and I know he's
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: spent a lot of it coming off the bench, But
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: you shouldn't be going game management to work on when
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: you've clocked more than fifty tes thity country.
• 13:16
  Speaker 5: I agree.
• 13:16
  Speaker 4: The problem is the All Blacks don't have too many
• 13:18
  Speaker 4: levers to pull here. It's basically him or Boden, Barrett
• 13:21
  Speaker 4: and Bowden hasn't played ten for the All Blacks really
• 13:24
  Speaker 4: for the best part of two years, so there's no
• 13:27
  Speaker 4: guarantees that he's going to come in and flick the
• 13:30
  Speaker 4: switch either. So look, Damian McKenzie did some good things
• 13:33
  Speaker 4: in that game. There was a chip and chase for
• 13:36
  Speaker 4: Sam Darry's opening try, he delivered the skip ball for
• 13:39
  Speaker 4: Antolina Brown's try. I thought he did have some better
• 13:43
  Speaker 4: kicking moments in that match.
• 13:45
  Speaker 5: Later on. He drilled the ball long and deep a
• 13:48
  Speaker 5: couple of times.
• 13:49
  Speaker 4: But I agree he's not the commanding presence and that
• 13:54
  Speaker 4: is costing the All Blacks, and I think there's issues
• 13:56
  Speaker 4: outside him as well. Jordi Barrett looks a bit off.
• 13:59
  Speaker 4: His impacts been really nullified so far this year. He's
• 14:03
  Speaker 4: finding and even looking for contact a lot rather than
• 14:07
  Speaker 4: running at weakshows. So whether that's you know, changing in
• 14:12
  Speaker 4: midfield partnerships, it could be multiple voices when you look
• 14:16
  Speaker 4: at Lea McDonald and Jason Holland effectively you know, two
• 14:20
  Speaker 4: backs coaches.
• 14:21
  Speaker 5: Maybe some mixed messaging there, I'm not sure.
• 14:25
  Speaker 4: So if we broaden the conversation out there, we're looking
• 14:29
  Speaker 4: at ten right with Damian McKenzie, Boden Barrett, and you
• 14:32
  Speaker 4: have to bring in Will Jordan to that conversation. I
• 14:36
  Speaker 4: think the All Blacks will try and include all three
• 14:38
  Speaker 4: of them this week, and perhaps they've been very clear
• 14:41
  Speaker 4: that they looked at Will Jordan as a fallback first,
• 14:44
  Speaker 4: but I would not be surprised to see him start
• 14:46
  Speaker 4: on the wing. He came on, played thirty minutes at
• 14:48
  Speaker 4: the weekend and again the All Blacks looked their best
• 14:51
  Speaker 4: when he was on the park, challenging the fringes. A
• 14:54
  Speaker 4: couple of inside balls they got denied Damien McKenzie's try
• 14:58
  Speaker 4: for the Ford pass. I think there was actually an
• 15:01
  Speaker 4: obstruction for Fletcher news around that as well, but he
• 15:05
  Speaker 4: brought real impacts. So for me this weekend be looking
• 15:08
  Speaker 4: at Will Jordan and Caleb Clark on the wings. I
• 15:12
  Speaker 4: think Jordan has to come into this team because the
• 15:14
  Speaker 4: attack is really struggling to find that spark and penetration
• 15:18
  Speaker 4: as well.
• 15:19
  Speaker 3: So you wouldn't have Mark t Leer in this week.
• 15:21
  Speaker 4: No, I don't think so severe Reese I wouldn't have
• 15:25
  Speaker 4: selected last week. And I just think they need to change.
• 15:30
  Speaker 4: Mark to Leer didn't offer a lot for me at
• 15:31
  Speaker 4: the weekend. There's that's perhaps been a bit knee jerk.
• 15:35
  Speaker 4: You know, Mark de Leier has been in good form,
• 15:37
  Speaker 4: but I just think that they need to find some sparks,
• 15:39
  Speaker 4: some changes.
• 15:43
  Speaker 2: From what you say, from what we've had from Scott
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: Scott Robertson and Dame McKenzie is going to remain at ten.
• 15:48
  Speaker 3: What about halfback?
• 15:51
  Speaker 4: That's very straightforward for me. I personally, I wouldn't have
• 15:55
  Speaker 4: started TJ last week and there's a number of reasons
• 15:58
  Speaker 4: for that. I thought he the difference in speeds both
• 16:03
  Speaker 4: to the base and with pass was very evident when
• 16:07
  Speaker 4: Cortes are to ma and Noah Hotham came into the
• 16:09
  Speaker 4: mix after his injury in the first Test against englm
• 16:13
  Speaker 4: TJ's also leaving at the end of the year, so
• 16:15
  Speaker 4: to start a guy and stick with him doesn't make
• 16:19
  Speaker 4: a lot of sense.
• 16:21
  Speaker 2: T J Penina has played his best rugby for the
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: All Blacks when he's come off the bench. He's played
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: the majority of his career behind Aaron Smith, and I
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: think he's only started maybe a quarter. Roughly of his
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: tests have been starts, the rest have come off the bench.
• 16:34
  Speaker 2: He's been that changed for the All Blacks. It's a
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: different kettle of fish starting, especially doing it as you say,
• 16:39
  Speaker 2: at the back end of his All Blacks career. For me,
• 16:42
  Speaker 2: you start with Quartez Raetimer and you bring on t
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: J Peninara as quite unquite an insurance policy off the bench.
• 16:48
  Speaker 5: Who can we very experienced had to bring.
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: Close out a game. That's for me the way you
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: go about it. You've got Noah Hotham who's waiting in
• 16:55
  Speaker 2: the wings as well. But for where you got the moment,
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: I think t J Peninah is the kind of player
• 16:59
  Speaker 2: that you bring off the bench and just settle things
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: down or whatever you the tempo of the game needs
• 17:04
  Speaker 2: at a certain point. That's been his skill set. He's
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: been very very good at at then asking him to
• 17:08
  Speaker 2: start and yus he's waited a long time for it.
• 17:11
  Speaker 2: Starts in All Blacks Jersey behind Aaron Smith, who I
• 17:14
  Speaker 2: think we usually touched on.
• 17:15
  Speaker 3: We had him on the pod. You know.
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: It was very very lucky with injuries, didn't have many
• 17:18
  Speaker 2: during his career, so he's had to wait for the chance.
• 17:21
  Speaker 3: I get that.
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: But his success has been closing out games and that's
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: where I think he should be selected this week is
• 17:29
  Speaker 2: in that twenty one Jersey to close out the game.
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: Depending on how it looks. Full pack for you look,
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: I would like to see a black out of Sava
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: and well so Tt loose Ford Triger. I don't know
• 17:39
  Speaker 2: if they will go with that, but I think that's
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: worth considering. As I touched on before, what other changes
• 17:43
  Speaker 2: may be to the pack do you think could be
• 17:44
  Speaker 2: in the offing this week?
• 17:46
  Speaker 4: Yeah, just going back to the TJ Courtiez debate, I
• 17:50
  Speaker 4: agree about the way around. I'd go Courtiz to start
• 17:55
  Speaker 4: TJ off the bench calm heads, but they're also they
• 17:59
  Speaker 4: both left foots, so Courtiers come in and the red
• 18:04
  Speaker 4: hot focus for the All Blacks this week is on
• 18:06
  Speaker 4: the kicking strategy, which they didn't get right. That does
• 18:08
  Speaker 4: place a lot of pressure on Cortez, young guy and experienced.
• 18:13
  Speaker 4: The Puma's going to come, you know, a lot of
• 18:16
  Speaker 4: pressure on him. So the All Blacks, their four pack
• 18:18
  Speaker 4: needs to get their blockers in so the halfbacks can clear.
• 18:22
  Speaker 4: And while he's great support play, good runner, very sharp
• 18:26
  Speaker 4: from the base, kicking is probably an ongoing work on
• 18:30
  Speaker 4: for him and Noah Hotham, so very interesting to see
• 18:33
  Speaker 4: how that plays out. I agree with you about the
• 18:35
  Speaker 4: loose Fords. I wouldn't mind some of Penny coming in
• 18:40
  Speaker 4: just for a bit of size. I thought he was
• 18:42
  Speaker 4: a bit of a scapegoat against England from a physicality perspective.
• 18:45
  Speaker 4: He was meant to be that enforcer and didn't bring that,
• 18:49
  Speaker 4: but name me one all black Ford that consistently physically
• 18:53
  Speaker 4: dominated that series against England didn't have one exactly. So
• 18:58
  Speaker 4: again he paid the price I think for that. So
• 19:03
  Speaker 4: I think whether he's on the bench or starting on,
• 19:07
  Speaker 4: like to see Sumer Penny coming to the mix, the
• 19:10
  Speaker 4: Alblacks don't really have anywhere else to turn in terms
• 19:13
  Speaker 4: of their locks, and I think to be fair, their
• 19:15
  Speaker 4: locks were good to Yeah.
• 19:16
  Speaker 3: I thought Darien had good games.
• 19:18
  Speaker 4: Yeah, And there was a lot of variety with the
• 19:20
  Speaker 4: liner I mentioned before they won their first fourteen that
• 19:22
  Speaker 4: was with blackhead a severe Darry Tupouvai basically their whole
• 19:29
  Speaker 4: four pack winning ball at lineout times. So Tupouva tacked
• 19:33
  Speaker 4: that box. In terms of running the line out, Sam
• 19:36
  Speaker 4: Darry was the key target and he was very impressive.
• 19:39
  Speaker 4: I don't think you can fault the front row. There
• 19:41
  Speaker 4: wasn't a scrum for sixty minutes, which is busiz.
• 19:43
  Speaker 2: We haven't touched on that. It was very very odd
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: and you look at the All Blacks in the Test
• 19:48
  Speaker 2: against England. They used that scrum as a weapon and
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: they use it to get themselves up the fields, earned penalties,
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: they and they just didn't get them on the weekends.
• 19:57
  Speaker 2: Now whether that was just an anomaly in terms of
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: just not being called, but it was quite bizarre seeing
• 20:03
  Speaker 2: Ethan to group and Tri Loomis trudge off the field
• 20:06
  Speaker 2: without having a scrum to worry about. And I saw
• 20:08
  Speaker 2: and the group say it was on the All Blacks
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: social media channels. He found it a hard game to
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: get into because there were no scrums and you can't
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: manufacture scrums, it can't make them happen to an extent
• 20:18
  Speaker 2: of opposition ball, but not having that using the game
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: was very very unusual.
• 20:23
  Speaker 5: A bizarre.
• 20:24
  Speaker 4: I can't really remember a test like it, and so
• 20:28
  Speaker 4: very hard for a prop to get into a game
• 20:30
  Speaker 4: without locking horns and getting down to you know what
• 20:35
  Speaker 4: they know and love. So I wouldn't make any changes
• 20:38
  Speaker 4: in the front row. Before we come to the All
• 20:41
  Speaker 4: Black's back line, I guess the bench probably lacked impact
• 20:44
  Speaker 4: other than Will Jordan, and that's where we probably expected
• 20:47
  Speaker 4: the All Blacks to come over the top of the Pumas.
• 20:49
  Speaker 4: And in fact it was the Pumas bench likes of
• 20:51
  Speaker 4: August and Crevy and others who really brought impact for them.
• 20:55
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it was it was Crevy and Josh Glovey in
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: terms of their props. So I thought came on and
• 21:01
  Speaker 2: really added size and impacts. Craevy was everywhere. I thought
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: when he came on the part, he's thirty nine years
• 21:09
  Speaker 2: of age and he was just getting everywhere around it. Yeah,
• 21:13
  Speaker 2: I thought, Actually the bench when they selected it the
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: all Blacks, you go, okay, there's some explosiveness near with
• 21:18
  Speaker 2: Will Jordan, who is probably only a short term option
• 21:21
  Speaker 2: on the bench. Rico Yuwani, you could impact causes ms TSI,
• 21:26
  Speaker 2: but they just it's offer on more. It just didn't happen,
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: just didn't click, and with the lineup beginning to struggle
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: when Alma came on, things just didn't really get going.
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: So do you put Boden Barrett back to that bench
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: roll where he came in for the two tests against
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: England and maybe look to Peter Fetter come back in
• 21:44
  Speaker 2: at fifteen again, put Will Jordan back on the on
• 21:47
  Speaker 2: the right wing. Petter Fetta, we don't know if he's
• 21:49
  Speaker 2: fit again. Didn't sound like a major issue injury issue,
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: but maybe Peter Fetter's worth of another look, or do
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: you bring him off the bench. I think there is
• 21:56
  Speaker 2: an issue around the bench that it looked more explosive
• 22:00
  Speaker 2: than it actually delivered. But they need to get that
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: mix right.
• 22:03
  Speaker 5: And even the timing of it.
• 22:04
  Speaker 4: I think Rico Jani and Wallace the TT only you know,
• 22:08
  Speaker 4: ten to fifteen minutes. I'd like to see Setisi come
• 22:12
  Speaker 4: on a bit earlier. From an impact point of view.
• 22:14
  Speaker 4: What about the back club we've talked about, you know,
• 22:17
  Speaker 4: McKenzie at ten. One of the big selection talking point
• 22:21
  Speaker 4: last week was Antelena Brown and at center over Riquowhani,
• 22:25
  Speaker 4: who had been the first choice center for the past
• 22:30
  Speaker 4: four years. Essentially, do you envision any changes throughout the
• 22:34
  Speaker 4: back club look?
• 22:36
  Speaker 3: I think.
• 22:39
  Speaker 2: I think it on the wings or hide stick with
• 22:41
  Speaker 2: Mark Khalaire. I'd stick with him there, but we could
• 22:43
  Speaker 2: move him across to the.
• 22:46
  Speaker 3: Look. You stick with him at left wing, you can
• 22:48
  Speaker 3: move him to the right wing. He's that capable.
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: But it depends around what you do with Will Jordan,
• 22:51
  Speaker 2: where you play him a right wing, where you start
• 22:52
  Speaker 2: Ham at fullback. Severy Reese I think probably just needs
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: a wee bit of a break, but again he's the
• 22:58
  Speaker 2: kind of player now they're pretty reluctant to use a
• 23:01
  Speaker 2: specialist winger on the bench. We've seen a few times
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: as the Crusaders. The view sever Reese as someone that
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: can inject in the last twenty two five minutes. He's
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: a kind of player that you can get over the ball.
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: He can just be that spark that maybe a look
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: to him. It handicaps you to an extent because you
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: don't get that utility value out of him, but maybe
• 23:19
  Speaker 2: you could look to bring him off the bench. For
• 23:22
  Speaker 2: Angelina Brown, I thought he had a good game without
• 23:24
  Speaker 2: being spectacular. It was a solid game for him, but
• 23:29
  Speaker 2: he got found out for the first try defensively wise,
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: so I think that's a work in progress.
• 23:34
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I think he did enough to warrant another start.
• 23:36
  Speaker 4: It would be harsh to single out he made a
• 23:39
  Speaker 4: couple of line breaks, but you've got skin for that
• 23:41
  Speaker 4: Perma's opening try. So I don't think you want to
• 23:44
  Speaker 4: be chopping and changing combinations every week. But I think
• 23:48
  Speaker 4: that the Wings definitely need a look. And you mentioned
• 23:50
  Speaker 4: Peter Festa. I think that's that's a worthy conversation, but
• 23:54
  Speaker 4: I would be surprised if Boden Bear isn't. Then that
• 23:56
  Speaker 4: makes purely from a kicking vision perspective, which is going
• 24:01
  Speaker 4: to be a big focus for the All Blacks.
• 24:02
  Speaker 2: That'll do us So our first half of our podcast
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: with Rugby Direct, powered by friends at Forklift Solutions.
• 24:07
  Speaker 3: Back with the Sea half after this.
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: This is Rugby Direct, a podcast for real rugby fans.
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: Rugby Direct, Howard Babies Talk.
• 24:22
  Speaker 2: We're back now on Rugby Direct with our final four.
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: Let's get into these four rugby topics. Myself and Liam
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: Buller have a NATA about them all. Let's change focus
• 24:31
  Speaker 2: from the Internationals for a half moment. The highlights of
• 24:34
  Speaker 2: the opening ground of the Far Apartment Cup and the NPC.
• 24:37
  Speaker 2: What stood out to you, Liam.
• 24:38
  Speaker 4: Go oh great victory for title favorites as tipped by
• 24:42
  Speaker 4: yours truly well Itton that Ediden park.
• 24:44
  Speaker 3: Over the team that I tipped his title favorite talking.
• 24:46
  Speaker 4: Yes, come up to the nine and produce a very
• 24:50
  Speaker 4: impressive performance. So great to see the Lions get off
• 24:53
  Speaker 4: to a good start. I watched Tartanuki Counties as well.
• 24:57
  Speaker 4: Josh Jacob resigned with the chief recently. Very impressive performance
• 25:02
  Speaker 4: from him and kenninga Hoolo on the wing south end.
• 25:05
  Speaker 4: Look it looked like they'd won the comp and then
• 25:07
  Speaker 4: the cargo Stag Day was going off with their victory
• 25:10
  Speaker 4: over Southlands. Great to hear Steve Divine bag Canterbury's five
• 25:16
  Speaker 4: rolling Wall tries in christ Church and and the far
• 25:20
  Speaker 4: a Palmer Cup big win from one umber two and
• 25:23
  Speaker 4: another title favourite tiped Auckland winning so and Canterbury lost.
• 25:26
  Speaker 5: So a great day all round.
• 25:29
  Speaker 2: Okay, thanks link, but didn't didn't agree with Steve Divine's
• 25:33
  Speaker 2: comments on the rolling War. I thought it was a
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: thing of beauty seeing the Canada the Red and Black
• 25:36
  Speaker 2: Pack just surge over the tunny fur. I thought a
• 25:41
  Speaker 2: very interesting round. Southland winning on Stag Day over Ottiga
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: was genuine highlight. Can they back it up and get
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: the shield this weekend? It'd be great to see Hawks
• 25:49
  Speaker 2: Bay lose the shield. Treated it like rubbish. Couldn't happen
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: soon enough. So look if it's the Stags, good luck.
• 25:59
  Speaker 3: To them this week.
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: And the other thing that stood out to me as well,
• 26:03
  Speaker 2: we've got a storm week game Bay of plenty counties
• 26:05
  Speaker 2: on Wednesday night, but from a far Apartmer Cup Canterbury
• 26:08
  Speaker 2: would be one of the title favorites. Losing to County's
• 26:11
  Speaker 2: Monaco and losing relatively comfortable as well. Big big score
• 26:16
  Speaker 2: line forty seven to twenty four. The counties Manicer Heap
• 26:19
  Speaker 2: applying a bit of pressure on Canterbury. So good start
• 26:21
  Speaker 2: for them and not such a great one for Canterbury.
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: Topic number two in the final four. Can anyone stop
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: the spring Box and the Rugby Championship? No, no, they can't.
• 26:33
  Speaker 4: Look, the Springboks are a better team now than they
• 26:37
  Speaker 4: were at the World Cup. The inclusion of Tony brown
• 26:41
  Speaker 4: sasha their first five that came in at the weekend.
• 26:43
  Speaker 4: He shanked his first penalty, which is a bit of
• 26:45
  Speaker 4: a shocker, but he brought another dimension to that team
• 26:49
  Speaker 4: and look it was completely one way traffic, wasn't it
• 26:52
  Speaker 4: And it was a real we're talking about rarely checked
• 26:54
  Speaker 4: for the All Blacks. Well, Joe Schmidt put the Wallabies
• 26:59
  Speaker 4: back in their place and it shows just where the
• 27:02
  Speaker 4: welch you're at as well. After that, very very impressive,
• 27:06
  Speaker 4: very imposing, domineering performance from the spring Box. Interesting to
• 27:11
  Speaker 4: see where they go with a selection where they get
• 27:13
  Speaker 4: a bit experimental. But look that just really shines the
• 27:18
  Speaker 4: spotlight on how important this week is for the All
• 27:20
  Speaker 4: Blacks because that two test tour of South Africa is
• 27:24
  Speaker 4: now looking increasingly daunting.
• 27:26
  Speaker 3: It is very impressive.
• 27:27
  Speaker 2: I thought the springbox is a great first try with
• 27:30
  Speaker 2: the line out split and that we passed back over
• 27:32
  Speaker 2: the top. I thought that was innovation that we don't
• 27:34
  Speaker 2: often see in this era of test rugby. Credit to
• 27:37
  Speaker 2: Russia Rasmus and his coaching team that are willing to
• 27:39
  Speaker 2: bring innovation into rugby. Sometimes you go seven to one bench,
• 27:44
  Speaker 2: it's a bit ridiculous, but at least they're thinking outside
• 27:46
  Speaker 2: the box. And Test rugby has become so homogenized, so
• 27:50
  Speaker 2: stale is not the word, but just predictable that when
• 27:53
  Speaker 2: you've got a coach challenging the norm, I think you've
• 27:55
  Speaker 2: got to embrace that. We saw chesleyn Colby feeding the
• 27:58
  Speaker 2: set peace all sorts of little things that he's thinking
• 28:02
  Speaker 2: outside the box and trying and find ways and space
• 28:05
  Speaker 2: is at such a premium on the park at the moment.
• 28:07
  Speaker 2: Defensive system are so good. You've got to think outside
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: the box and I think credit to Rassi Erasmus, they
• 28:12
  Speaker 2: found a way to do it.
• 28:14
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 28:14
  Speaker 4: Look, and when we talk about you know Wellington being
• 28:17
  Speaker 4: a curse for the All Blackstone one in seven and
• 28:20
  Speaker 4: the Capitol haven't won there in six years, Well, the
• 28:23
  Speaker 4: Springboks have a horrific record in Australia, They've only won
• 28:27
  Speaker 4: thirty percent of their tests there. Some Cork Stadium was
• 28:30
  Speaker 4: a bit of a graveyard. It's the favorite spot from
• 28:33
  Speaker 4: a wallaby's perspective. Well, it almost looked and felt like
• 28:37
  Speaker 4: you're in South Africa with the amount of spring Box
• 28:39
  Speaker 4: fans and they completely put that to bed. So another
• 28:43
  Speaker 4: brick in the wall for a very impressive Springbox team.
• 28:47
  Speaker 2: Off to Perth this week as well, which is basically
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: South Africa in New Zealand.
• 28:51
  Speaker 3: A lot of New Zealander and South Africans there.
• 28:53
  Speaker 5: But the north shore of Auckland.
• 28:54
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right, so they'll get a good crowd I'm
• 28:56
  Speaker 2: sure at Perth Stadium. Topic three, what was the deal
• 28:59
  Speaker 2: with the crowd in Wellings? And I know people were
• 29:00
  Speaker 2: surprised by that. Look for me, I don't think it
• 29:04
  Speaker 2: was necessarily a surprise. It wasn't sold out. It does
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: reflect that there are some big challenges out there in
• 29:11
  Speaker 2: the rugby marketplace, but also the cost of living, you know,
• 29:14
  Speaker 2: Wellington with the big public sector doing it tough at
• 29:17
  Speaker 2: the moment and when I guess on the surface of it,
• 29:21
  Speaker 2: it is disrespectful to Argentina but there is that historic
• 29:24
  Speaker 2: rivalry with Australia. If you are a family that can go,
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: we can afford to go to one test this year,
• 29:29
  Speaker 2: which one do you go to? You peck Australia even
• 29:31
  Speaker 2: though they have not won in New Zealand saw for
• 29:34
  Speaker 2: such a long time. But there's just that historic thing
• 29:36
  Speaker 2: that you go with the Wallabies rather than Argentina. Maybe
• 29:39
  Speaker 2: results like Saturday Night will help do it, but there's
• 29:42
  Speaker 2: so many factors at play, the job losses in Wellington,
• 29:46
  Speaker 2: the rugby market as a whole, I don't know that
• 29:48
  Speaker 2: it can sustain two tests in a city outside of Auckland.
• 29:52
  Speaker 2: And also it's very very hard to get people to
• 29:54
  Speaker 2: leave the house in general, and they're battling to try
• 29:58
  Speaker 2: and present Argentina as a draw card. As I say,
• 30:00
  Speaker 2: results like Saturday Night might help that for Eden Park
• 30:03
  Speaker 2: this weekend, but also for beyond in future seasons.
• 30:06
  Speaker 4: Yeah. I think you make some good points here about
• 30:08
  Speaker 4: the economic realities that we're living in right now.
• 30:11
  Speaker 5: You can't get away from that.
• 30:12
  Speaker 4: There's you know, people genuinely struggling, but in saying that
• 30:17
  Speaker 4: they were hawking off tickets for as low as fifty
• 30:19
  Speaker 4: bucks to the stems so cut price prices, you know
• 30:23
  Speaker 4: midweek there I think there were ten thousand tickets still
• 30:26
  Speaker 4: available on the Thursday, and it does speak to I
• 30:31
  Speaker 4: think an apathy and probably an arrogance among all black
• 30:35
  Speaker 4: fans when it comes to Argentina, who are a tough cell.
• 30:38
  Speaker 4: And I think New Zealand Rugby failed mister trick in
• 30:42
  Speaker 4: this regard. Like you say two Cess and Wellington, they
• 30:46
  Speaker 4: should have taken this game to Napier, Nelson, Hamilton, christ
• 30:53
  Speaker 4: Church somewhere else because the rally of the Pumas there
• 30:58
  Speaker 4: are a tough cell and they always have been perhaps
• 31:01
  Speaker 4: always will be unless they keep winning like this. And
• 31:04
  Speaker 4: Eden Park this week will not be sold out for
• 31:06
  Speaker 4: the same reason. And I think they've sold over twenty
• 31:10
  Speaker 4: five thousand, so they will get a better crowd. But
• 31:12
  Speaker 4: you get twenty five thirty thousand to eaton Park and
• 31:15
  Speaker 4: it still looks pretty average from a TV perspective. So
• 31:19
  Speaker 4: those are bad optics for a normal extent. It's the optics,
• 31:22
  Speaker 4: isn't it, Because what do they get in the end?
• 31:25
  Speaker 4: Twenty five thousand for look, that's probably they get. There's
• 31:29
  Speaker 4: a better crowd than they'd get in sand Napier or Nelson.
• 31:31
  Speaker 4: Maybe not so much at Hamilton, which will probably about
• 31:33
  Speaker 4: exactly what they get if they sold it out into Hamilton,
• 31:36
  Speaker 4: better than christ Church.
• 31:37
  Speaker 2: But it's the optics. It's the empty state seats that
• 31:39
  Speaker 2: people look at. It doesn't matter that they've actually probably
• 31:43
  Speaker 2: got more tickets and bums through the abums on seats
• 31:46
  Speaker 2: than those venues.
• 31:46
  Speaker 3: So yeah, I think they just kind of got it wrong.
• 31:49
  Speaker 2: Now, I think I don't know how with a venue
• 31:51
  Speaker 2: availability played a role into this, but you could probably
• 31:54
  Speaker 2: go there's a more of an except population with England.
• 31:57
  Speaker 2: You might have had one of those England tests in Wellington,
• 31:59
  Speaker 2: you played Argentina and Dunedin and just changed it up
• 32:01
  Speaker 2: that way. Now I don't know venue availability, but there
• 32:04
  Speaker 2: are ways you could sort of change things around to
• 32:07
  Speaker 2: make it look a bit better.
• 32:08
  Speaker 5: Certainly a rethink needed in the future.
• 32:11
  Speaker 2: Speaking of rethink, you read it a topic four, read
• 32:14
  Speaker 2: a recall or start calling Twickenham Alian Stadium.
• 32:18
  Speaker 5: No, that's a hard note for me.
• 32:21
  Speaker 4: It's one of my favorite rugby venues and I suspect
• 32:25
  Speaker 4: no one outside the corporate world will be calling it's
• 32:29
  Speaker 4: what Alian's Twickenham. I think it will be Twickenham until
• 32:33
  Speaker 4: the day I die.
• 32:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's hard, it's a it's a you know,
• 32:38
  Speaker 2: it just doesn't feel right, doesn't Twickenham the amount of
• 32:42
  Speaker 2: they get through the gates at ticking'am, But it shows
• 32:43
  Speaker 2: that they're on financial straits that they have to hock off,
• 32:46
  Speaker 2: you know, Twickenham they are looking to maybe even sell
• 32:49
  Speaker 2: the whole thing as a joint last year I think
• 32:51
  Speaker 2: it was, but then and move into Wimbley. They decided
• 32:54
  Speaker 2: against that in the end, but shows that even you know,
• 32:58
  Speaker 2: the r if You are not immune to some of
• 33:01
  Speaker 2: these financial issues presented in our game at the moment.
• 33:05
  Speaker 2: And they're going with Alion Stadium. You're right, no one's
• 33:07
  Speaker 2: going to call it that outside of Alians and the
• 33:09
  Speaker 2: rif You. But it just does show you some of
• 33:11
  Speaker 2: the issues that they have getting money through the gate.
• 33:13
  Speaker 2: They've turned down the nation's championship proposal from Katza. It's
• 33:18
  Speaker 2: funny because Alians doesn't have a clean corporate history themselves,
• 33:21
  Speaker 2: but it seem there's a lot better to get the
• 33:22
  Speaker 2: money in that way then go to Doha.
• 33:25
  Speaker 4: Yeah, and I think when you've got a big venue
• 33:27
  Speaker 4: like that, there are realities in terms of upkeep ticking
• 33:30
  Speaker 4: them has been around forever in a day, so I'm
• 33:33
  Speaker 4: sure it needs refurbishments and all those sorts of things.
• 33:37
  Speaker 4: Forsyth Bar Internedin just had or as in the process
• 33:41
  Speaker 4: of going through a big makeover, which is costly but
• 33:45
  Speaker 4: needs to be done to attract players and deliver the
• 33:48
  Speaker 4: sort of standards the All Blacks are out and the
• 33:51
  Speaker 4: n z CIS and Upper Heart which is not cheap,
• 33:55
  Speaker 4: but those are the sort of level of professionalism facilities
• 34:00
  Speaker 4: that that players demand these days. But yeah, in terms
• 34:03
  Speaker 4: of naming rights, I will always call Mount Smart Mount Smart,
• 34:07
  Speaker 4: not go Meetia, you know, call it Ericson, Ericson. So yeah,
• 34:13
  Speaker 4: in a sense, it's easy money, but you mess with
• 34:16
  Speaker 4: tradition in a sport like a conservative sport like rugby
• 34:20
  Speaker 4: at your peril to a degree. And it does speak
• 34:23
  Speaker 4: to the fact that there are if you were one
• 34:25
  Speaker 4: of those six nations that were supportive of taking the
• 34:28
  Speaker 4: money and cutter and the financial pain across the world game.
• 34:33
  Speaker 3: Absolutely and look, Alice Park has had name changed.
• 34:36
  Speaker 2: I think it was cock Kola for a bit, Emerancy
• 34:38
  Speaker 2: Aliones At the moment, I think it's still the naming
• 34:40
  Speaker 2: right spots sponsor, but everyone calls it Alice Park and
• 34:44
  Speaker 2: I come back as the kid Lancaster part being changed
• 34:46
  Speaker 2: to Jade Stadium. I think people started calling at Jade
• 34:48
  Speaker 2: Stadium after a while, but it's you know, those habits
• 34:50
  Speaker 2: are hard to kill, and especially when an a chonic
• 34:52
  Speaker 2: name of a stadium like it took in them. I
• 34:54
  Speaker 2: just don't see it happening.
• 34:55
  Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean, we do live in the professional world.
• 34:58
  Speaker 4: There was a lot of controversy around the All Blacks
• 35:01
  Speaker 4: putting veryous sponsorship names and across their jerseys, but that's
• 35:08
  Speaker 4: the reality of funding the sport as well as a
• 35:11
  Speaker 4: big behemoth of business that these are commercial requirements, but
• 35:18
  Speaker 4: they come at a cost to a degree.
• 35:20
  Speaker 2: Speaking of commercial requirements, always grateful for the support of
• 35:24
  Speaker 2: solutions elevating you and your business to a higher level
• 35:26
  Speaker 2: seamless and you're very.
• 35:28
  Speaker 4: Good at that and very welcoming of anyone else that
• 35:32
  Speaker 4: wants to get on board. But particularly cold and flu
• 35:35
  Speaker 4: at this time of year, tomato juice or.
• 35:40
  Speaker 5: Maybe a hot tidy you might do the trick.
• 35:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we're open to all offers. I'm sure we can
• 35:44
  Speaker 2: carve out something as well. Thanks to Last and bar
• 35:47
  Speaker 2: as English this has been Rugby Direct. We will see
• 35:50
  Speaker 2: you next week for another edition of Rugby Direct.
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: For more from news talks, there'd be listen live on
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio