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Transcript

Rugby Direct: Episode 222 · Rugby Direct

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks at b
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: Follow this and our Wide Ranger podcast now on iHeartRadio, Straight.
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: Down the Middle of tru Guy, try to get inside
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: the game from Every End Goal.
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: It's Rugby Direct with Elliott Smith and Liam Napier powered
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  Speaker 1: by News Talks.
• 0:37
  Speaker 3: Ed B Rugby Direct powered by Habit Health Physio Book
• 0:40
  Speaker 3: Today and Stay in the Game. Elliott Smith with me
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: Liam Napier, Episode two to two of Rugby Direct. Nathan nastal
• 0:49
  Speaker 3: or Richie Beno, what even takes your fancy? Who would
• 0:53
  Speaker 3: have thought we made it to triple two? Liam Welcoman, Yeah,
• 0:56
  Speaker 3: there you go, big.
• 0:57
  Speaker 4: Nathan nest still fan Actually is my favorite cricketer, grown
• 1:01
  Speaker 4: up hell of an earlliens. That was, wasn't it? I
• 1:04
  Speaker 4: think we were there to witnessed.
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: That wasn't there a witness It was the dad my
• 1:07
  Speaker 3: told birth party. We went to minigolf in the city
• 1:10
  Speaker 3: and I remember hearing it on the radio as we got
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: back and he was talking them around.
• 1:13
  Speaker 4: What on occasions?
• 1:14
  Speaker 3: Absolutely, it's mini golf. I think it was called Tiger
• 1:17
  Speaker 3: in the Woods mini golf.
• 1:18
  Speaker 4: Sovery twelve birthday.
• 1:21
  Speaker 3: Thank you very much. Twenty four years ago. Now let's
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: get into the weekend that was in Super Rugby and
• 1:28
  Speaker 3: a busy weekend and as we always do, focus on
• 1:30
  Speaker 3: the New Zealand teams and work our way backwards. Blues
• 1:34
  Speaker 3: forty five Wina PACIFICA nineteen. This game was really in
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: the balance after around halftime fourteen twelve the Blues took
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: the lead into the break. Moana had played really really
• 1:44
  Speaker 3: well in that first thirty five is short of minutes,
• 1:48
  Speaker 3: but the lapses began to come early in the second spell.
• 1:52
  Speaker 3: Tweet A Logi scores early in the second spell and
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: the game is essentially done once the Blues were able
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: to kick away. Plenty of heart from Malwana, but heart
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: only gets you so far, and this is continuing to
• 2:04
  Speaker 3: be a very long and probably final season four. Then
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: what did you make of it?
• 2:09
  Speaker 4: It was nice to see the spring box move emulated.
• 2:13
  Speaker 4: They line out drive more and they had another switch
• 2:18
  Speaker 4: move that was executed really well, so nice to see
• 2:21
  Speaker 4: some creativity from Wyana. It was already scrappy first half
• 2:25
  Speaker 4: from the Blues and then I guess the second half
• 2:29
  Speaker 4: largely went to scripted in it the Blues doing what
• 2:32
  Speaker 4: they do best, going through the middle, using hoskinstitute to
• 2:35
  Speaker 4: Patrick two Plot and others to really go through the
• 2:39
  Speaker 4: front door of Wayana and kick clear. I thought Stephen
• 2:42
  Speaker 4: Peterfetter back in the ten jersey played well, so nice
• 2:47
  Speaker 4: to see him back. But yeah, it's a pretty tough
• 2:50
  Speaker 4: situation from Wjuana. Competitive for forty minutes, but that's never
• 2:55
  Speaker 4: going to be.
• 2:55
  Speaker 3: Enough, No it's not. And look that there were promising signs.
• 2:58
  Speaker 3: I thought their attack was really direct in that first spell.
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: They managed to get a bit of pay out. The
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: Blues put a bit of pressure on at scrum time.
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: The set piece held up well but just all got
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: a little bit flaky after halftime and you can tell
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: the heart was in it from Wana pacifica as I said,
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: but they just don't have the quality across the park
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: and you've got players like Miracle Fire Lungy turning in
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: week in week Outspo tay Lower. I thought William Harvelli
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: was pretty astute at ten actually, you know, in place
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: of Patrick Palagreney, who I don't think it has been
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: as good as he was last year. But they don't
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: have a lot going on for them in their back line.
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: I think it's here to say They've got some players
• 3:37
  Speaker 3: that are probably past their best in terms of Super
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: rugby or probably not quite at super rugby level. But
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: the set piece has been an issue for them the season.
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: I thought they actually held up relatively well, but thom
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: Is sticking. One win the season was in their first game.
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: They have the Hurricanes at home this week. There's going
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: to be another tough game. Red's Rumby still to come
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: from memory. So look, I'm surprised if they can get
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: another win this season. I can't see where it comes from.
• 4:03
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I can't see it. They might be able to
• 4:05
  Speaker 4: stir the emotion and their last round match that that will,
• 4:10
  Speaker 4: for all intensive purposes be their last match ever unless
• 4:13
  Speaker 4: some White Night consortium is found. But it's been a
• 4:18
  Speaker 4: tough season for Wana, coming off the back of you know,
• 4:22
  Speaker 4: really revolutionary season last year on the cups of the playoffs.
• 4:26
  Speaker 4: What about the Blues, I still feel like they are
• 4:29
  Speaker 4: flattering to deceive the second on the table, well positioned
• 4:34
  Speaker 4: for a title push, but there's there's still those hugely
• 4:40
  Speaker 4: unconvincing performances or patches within games. We've seen them collapse
• 4:45
  Speaker 4: late against the Highlanders and at Super rounds and the
• 4:49
  Speaker 4: Reds they pulled those wins out of the bag. But
• 4:53
  Speaker 4: even against Moana, you know, play well for forty minutes,
• 4:57
  Speaker 4: is that going to be enough at the back end.
• 4:58
  Speaker 4: It's a real juxtaposition with the Blues and hard to
• 5:02
  Speaker 4: know quite what to make of them.
• 5:04
  Speaker 3: Absolutely, either their timing, they're run really well and they're
• 5:06
  Speaker 3: keeping a bit in reserve for the latter part out
• 5:08
  Speaker 3: of the season. And maybe that's not the worst thing.
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: I mean, the second on the ladder orbit having played
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: a game more than the Chiefs and they've done it
• 5:15
  Speaker 3: without being that convincing in a number of their fixtures
• 5:19
  Speaker 3: and as it stands ere they're in line with that
• 5:22
  Speaker 3: break between third and fourth for a home playoff in
• 5:25
  Speaker 3: week one, which is vital. But I think there are
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: question marks over the best makeup of the Blues team
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: and still hasn't been settled with what three yearsh runs
• 5:33
  Speaker 3: to go in the regular season. There are question marks
• 5:36
  Speaker 3: over I think their midfield and what the best combination
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: is there. We saw Zabi to Ali move into thirteen
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: on the weekend, petergar Kis played a bit of twelve,
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: a J Lamb came off the bench. I know Van
• 5:47
  Speaker 3: Kottas suggested last week into that Sullivan might get a
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: run in the midfield at some point the Season's keep
• 5:53
  Speaker 3: an eye up for that, so they may look to
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: move Peta Feedza back to fullback le Bdon Barrett and
• 5:58
  Speaker 3: play you know, I guess three playmakers in the back line.
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: But I think there are still question marks over that
• 6:04
  Speaker 3: they're wings. They've had a couple of injuries there. Caleb
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: Clark back on the week, kens Banks played relatively well,
• 6:10
  Speaker 3: but I think there are a lot of questions over
• 6:13
  Speaker 3: what the best makeup is of the Blues and that
• 6:15
  Speaker 3: probably extends to their front row as well, with off
• 6:19
  Speaker 3: the towing a FASTI engine. While they've had injuries as well,
• 6:22
  Speaker 3: I don't think it. I think there's also been question mark.
• 6:24
  Speaker 3: So but what is actually the best Blues twenty three
• 6:28
  Speaker 3: to try and beat the top teams in this comp
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: in terms of the Hurricanes and the Chiefs.
• 6:32
  Speaker 4: Yeah, absolutely, I'm not sure. I like that Sullivan to
• 6:35
  Speaker 4: midfield move. Getting them closer to the action is good,
• 6:39
  Speaker 4: more ball on hands, but it's a bit late in
• 6:42
  Speaker 4: the piece to be trying some sort of experiment, and
• 6:44
  Speaker 4: it's sort of smacks of trying to pigeonhole all your
• 6:47
  Speaker 4: best players on the park. I do like the Perefeta
• 6:52
  Speaker 4: Barrett combination to playmakers to contrasting playmakers does give you
• 6:58
  Speaker 4: an array of kicking and passing options. But I think
• 7:02
  Speaker 4: Sullivan's probably having his best season for a long time
• 7:05
  Speaker 4: for the Blues and messing with that is a risk.
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: Yeah, he hasn't had a lot of time. He's been
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: injured for a couple of seasons now and had a
• 7:14
  Speaker 3: lot of pressure on that regard. So yeah, I'm not
• 7:17
  Speaker 3: sure moving him this late in a campaign, as you say,
• 7:21
  Speaker 3: is optimal for the Blues. But again, they haven't really
• 7:24
  Speaker 3: settled on that first choice team either, so I'm intrigued
• 7:29
  Speaker 3: to see what they do this week for the Crusaders
• 7:31
  Speaker 3: in christ Church, and maybe they do look at Sullivan
• 7:32
  Speaker 3: at thirteen. Not sure how they'll go, but yeah, the
• 7:35
  Speaker 3: Blues is currently second on the latter two points off
• 7:38
  Speaker 3: the lead, but they've played a game extra then the Hurricanes,
• 7:41
  Speaker 3: who will get to shortly the drawer. Beating the Highlander
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: is twenty four to fourteen, good win for the drawer.
• 7:47
  Speaker 3: This was a ropye performance from the Highlanders and bar
• 7:51
  Speaker 3: Weather was pretty good. You can't blame it on the
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: local conditions. I don't think the Highlanders are just don't
• 7:59
  Speaker 3: seem to have any planned bees. They seem to be
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: lacking in Polish. I don't know whether it's a coaching
• 8:05
  Speaker 3: issue or whatever it is, or a roster issue. They've
• 8:07
  Speaker 3: had a lot of of you unsettled lineups this year,
• 8:11
  Speaker 3: I guess, with injuries and various other things, and obviously
• 8:14
  Speaker 3: haven't been out of put out hooland or pledge you
• 8:15
  Speaker 3: for that matter. But they look like a team that
• 8:18
  Speaker 3: is lacking on the finer details and came home to
• 8:22
  Speaker 3: roost on the weekend.
• 8:24
  Speaker 4: Yeah, the Highlanders have obvious roster challenges, don't they recruitment
• 8:27
  Speaker 4: and it is going to be great for the next
• 8:29
  Speaker 4: year to get the likes of the chiefs ten Jacob.
• 8:35
  Speaker 4: I think he'll make a world of difference. But there
• 8:39
  Speaker 4: is a real lack of evolution and accuracy and what
• 8:43
  Speaker 4: they're trying to do. Maybe they're running out a bit
• 8:46
  Speaker 4: of steam as well. It is difficult going to Fiji,
• 8:49
  Speaker 4: even in good conditions. That's sweltering hot. That does take
• 8:53
  Speaker 4: a massive toll on your legs at the back end
• 8:55
  Speaker 4: of games. But just as simple skills are really letting
• 8:58
  Speaker 4: them down at time that the accuracy, So yeah, I
• 9:02
  Speaker 4: think you can pretty much draw a line through the
• 9:04
  Speaker 4: Holders at this point of the year. I can't see
• 9:06
  Speaker 4: them making the playoffs. They don't. I think they've got
• 9:09
  Speaker 4: to play the Chiefs and maybe even the Canes or
• 9:13
  Speaker 4: one up. Yeah, and they're run home so long way
• 9:17
  Speaker 4: off getting to that top six. And you know they
• 9:22
  Speaker 4: finished Wooden Spooners last year. They could end up tenth again,
• 9:28
  Speaker 4: just above Moana because the Force is starting to find
• 9:30
  Speaker 4: some form as well.
• 9:31
  Speaker 3: Force coming home with a whit sale in this competition.
• 9:34
  Speaker 3: Just on that before we do get to the Force.
• 9:36
  Speaker 3: I don't really have anything excerant out about the hind
• 9:38
  Speaker 3: And I thought they were really poor, so poor and
• 9:40
  Speaker 3: didn't have a lot of energy, So I don't really
• 9:42
  Speaker 3: have a lot to say about that. But the Force
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: twenty seventeen over the warrit Ha's quick word on them,
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: Zach Lomax Win's the Battle of the former New South
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: Wales origin players over Joseph Akuso SUWALII. They're playing some
• 9:54
  Speaker 3: nice rugby at the moment, the Wistern Force.
• 9:56
  Speaker 4: This is a pretty terrible game, YEP, but to low
• 9:59
  Speaker 4: quality teams. But Big went away from home for the
• 10:01
  Speaker 4: Force and Look, they have improved drastically this year. I
• 10:05
  Speaker 4: think they've recruited well. I think Summon Crons starting to
• 10:09
  Speaker 4: get some pay after being there a few years. You're
• 10:11
  Speaker 4: adding a touch of class and Zach Lomax starting to
• 10:15
  Speaker 4: make a difference. So look, don't write the Force off.
• 10:20
  Speaker 4: They could sneak into the playoffs. So I think they
• 10:22
  Speaker 4: have four games to play in their run home and
• 10:25
  Speaker 4: not out of the question yet. And just a word
• 10:30
  Speaker 4: on suiy Lee. What the hell are the Wartas doing?
• 10:33
  Speaker 4: He claimed the opening kickoff I think it was, and
• 10:36
  Speaker 4: then made single figure meters They center is not his position.
• 10:42
  Speaker 4: I saw someone on Twitter actually suggesting that the Wallabies
• 10:45
  Speaker 4: should look at Tom Wright at first five, which I
• 10:48
  Speaker 4: don't mind giving their first five stocks with suiy Lee
• 10:50
  Speaker 4: at fullback. That would be a real interesting experiment. But
• 10:55
  Speaker 4: just in terms of suiy Lee, you've got this phenomenal
• 10:57
  Speaker 4: attacking talent. You're not using him in the air, You're
• 11:00
  Speaker 4: not using him with ball in hands. What a waste
• 11:03
  Speaker 4: for a guy that's collecting such a massive paycheck too.
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: Absolutely. Jammie pandam colleague friend of the Pod and The
• 11:11
  Speaker 3: Daily Telegraph wrote a fairly withering take of that's over.
• 11:15
  Speaker 3: I think it was on Saturday. Not his position needs
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: to go back to fullback. I know they've got some
• 11:20
  Speaker 3: riches there around Jorganzer and they've got you know, other
• 11:24
  Speaker 3: players to accommodate. Said, Harvey's having a great season.
• 11:26
  Speaker 4: Yeah, real talent.
• 11:27
  Speaker 3: Yeah, but I think you still need to prioritize SULII
• 11:31
  Speaker 3: and because the investment Rugby Australia has made them that
• 11:34
  Speaker 3: needs to be a success and needs to be playing
• 11:36
  Speaker 3: getting more touches on the ball. So they need to
• 11:39
  Speaker 3: figure something out. But that they were diabolical on the
• 11:43
  Speaker 3: weekend and I can't put this off too much longer.
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: Hurricanes thirty eight, Crusaders thirty one. Look, it was a
• 11:49
  Speaker 3: great game. It was very entertaining and I think ultimately,
• 11:52
  Speaker 3: big picture, the Hurricanes were probably about a try if
• 11:55
  Speaker 3: not a little bit more better than the Crusaders on
• 11:58
  Speaker 3: the night. Good win for the Hurricanes. Crusaders though, I
• 12:02
  Speaker 3: think we'll take a little bit out of it, but
• 12:04
  Speaker 3: ultimately just weren't good enough. That that too tie strike
• 12:06
  Speaker 3: from the Hurricanes just before time game was itting, you know,
• 12:10
  Speaker 3: even keel the break bang bang twenty four ten they
• 12:12
  Speaker 3: go in to the sheds, could have blown out after that,
• 12:15
  Speaker 3: but the Crusaders did come you know home and put
• 12:19
  Speaker 3: some pressure on for a grand stand finish, but ultimately
• 12:22
  Speaker 3: right Team one Hurricanes were too good.
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 12:24
  Speaker 4: I considered skipping breakfast today so I can really really
• 12:28
  Speaker 4: dine out on this free lunch.
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: Yeah sure, sure, sure, yeah, when we're going pray go
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: I when you speak yards closed down, I'm not sure
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: what kind of pool you've got to get some of
• 12:38
  Speaker 3: the bookings at Amano or depot wherever else the big
• 12:41
  Speaker 3: sort of see in the city.
• 12:43
  Speaker 4: Calls credit carder hammering. No. Look, it was an entertaining
• 12:47
  Speaker 4: game and intriguing in many aspects. I thought the Crusaders
• 12:51
  Speaker 4: in the first half didn't want to play any rugby.
• 12:54
  Speaker 4: They kicked away a lot of position and the Hurricanes
• 12:56
  Speaker 4: were content to largely kick back to them. And it
• 12:59
  Speaker 4: was only at the back end of that half where
• 13:01
  Speaker 4: they decided, hey, let's actually have a crack that they
• 13:04
  Speaker 4: got some pay So a lot of kicking in that
• 13:06
  Speaker 4: in that first twenty thirty minutes, and I think the
• 13:10
  Speaker 4: Crusaders won that battle. And perhaps that's an area where
• 13:15
  Speaker 4: other teams will look to target the Hurricanes, whether it's
• 13:17
  Speaker 4: under the high ball or just forcing them to play
• 13:20
  Speaker 4: some rugby. I thought the Crusaders defended really well, so
• 13:23
  Speaker 4: that was a clear strategy. Kicked the ball to the
• 13:24
  Speaker 4: Hurricanes back our defense and it worked for them early
• 13:29
  Speaker 4: and as you say, those that bang bang strike changed
• 13:31
  Speaker 4: the complexion of the game from there. I never really
• 13:34
  Speaker 4: felt like the Hurricanes were going to be run down.
• 13:36
  Speaker 4: They were always had a buffer, but a Crusaders team
• 13:40
  Speaker 4: heavily down on troops. They had a number of different
• 13:42
  Speaker 4: late changes with Brandon in or pulling out. I think
• 13:45
  Speaker 4: showed a lot of heart and they are going to
• 13:47
  Speaker 4: get a lot of players back in the coming weeks,
• 13:50
  Speaker 4: but they need them back now because it is an
• 13:53
  Speaker 4: incredibly tough run home if they are going to sneak
• 13:55
  Speaker 4: into those playoffs.
• 13:56
  Speaker 3: Yeah, they've got the Blues this week, there gonna buy.
• 13:58
  Speaker 3: They've got the Chiefs and Hurricanes to come again. Both
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: of those are in christ Jurch. But yeah, they have
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: a little bit of work to do on the run home.
• 14:07
  Speaker 3: The Crusade I thought, yeah, as you say that, a
• 14:09
  Speaker 3: performance with heart from the Crusaders twenty four tend down
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: the break. Hurricane score next could really blow on out,
• 14:16
  Speaker 3: but they went to it for tat and the second spell.
• 14:19
  Speaker 3: Couple of controversial moments late in the game.
• 14:23
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't like bagging refs, but James Dolman had
• 14:25
  Speaker 4: a dead set shocker in that game.
• 14:27
  Speaker 3: It was poor.
• 14:27
  Speaker 4: The breakdown was a free for all, a couple of
• 14:30
  Speaker 4: very dubious tries. I'm not convinced with my eyepatch on
• 14:34
  Speaker 4: that it was a definitive four pass, so.
• 14:36
  Speaker 3: It looks like it was from where I was sitting,
• 14:38
  Speaker 3: but okay.
• 14:39
  Speaker 4: And then Dominic Gardener looked like he was short.
• 14:41
  Speaker 3: Probably Canes will both tries out and it's still the
• 14:43
  Speaker 3: same result as me exactly.
• 14:44
  Speaker 4: I don't think it figured the result. But not a
• 14:47
  Speaker 4: great night for James Dolan.
• 14:49
  Speaker 3: No, I'd have to go back and check that line out. Cool,
• 14:51
  Speaker 3: he made late, but it was against that he caught
• 14:53
  Speaker 3: it against the Hurricanes, not straight but under the rules
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: there was no context, and I think the Hurricanes did
• 15:01
  Speaker 3: throw a jumper up so that yeah, they should. I
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: can't remember exactly how it played out, but I think
• 15:05
  Speaker 3: he did get that one wrong. But I have to
• 15:06
  Speaker 3: go back and look at it. There was a and
• 15:08
  Speaker 3: the ruck from the Hurricanes at one point. Just an
• 15:11
  Speaker 3: incredibly baffling performance. From James Dolman. Yeah.
• 15:14
  Speaker 4: Yeah, as I say, I don't think of affect the result,
• 15:16
  Speaker 4: but not a great officiating performance. Just on the Hurricanes,
• 15:21
  Speaker 4: it's been that that's been a tough stretch for them, yep.
• 15:25
  Speaker 4: And maybe there was a wee bit of fatigue in
• 15:28
  Speaker 4: that they played the what the Chiefs away from home
• 15:34
  Speaker 4: week Yeah, and maybe another New Zealand team even before that.
• 15:37
  Speaker 4: So tough stretch for them. They've largely escaped injury free.
• 15:43
  Speaker 4: This was I think it wasn't their best performance of
• 15:45
  Speaker 4: the year. They were they were forced to play difference
• 15:52
  Speaker 4: and that's good for them. I think in the second
• 15:54
  Speaker 4: half they got a lot of pay attacking the short side,
• 15:57
  Speaker 4: so they did make some tactical tweaks. But I think
• 16:03
  Speaker 4: there is more to come and they need to get
• 16:06
  Speaker 4: better because they were on the cusp there and they
• 16:09
  Speaker 4: should have put that game to bed. And when you
• 16:11
  Speaker 4: go back to the Chiefs performance and Hamilton, that was
• 16:14
  Speaker 4: another game they had not totally in control, but it
• 16:17
  Speaker 4: was there for the taking and they blew it late.
• 16:19
  Speaker 4: They didn't close it out. And so for a team
• 16:22
  Speaker 4: that is maturing and has been together for a long time,
• 16:26
  Speaker 4: they need to take those learning experiences and you know,
• 16:29
  Speaker 4: take improvements and make make amends and make sure come
• 16:32
  Speaker 4: playoff time where they've failed in the last four years,
• 16:36
  Speaker 4: that they put those into fruition.
• 16:37
  Speaker 3: Yeah. I think the Crusaders as well look a lot
• 16:39
  Speaker 3: better with Rivers Rayhana at ten than they do with
• 16:41
  Speaker 3: Taha Kimida.
• 16:43
  Speaker 4: Yeah. I think Kimada is a much more potent attacking threa,
• 16:48
  Speaker 4: isn't he. He challenges the line. He's got quite a
• 16:50
  Speaker 4: good array of passing game, but doesn't have the same
• 16:53
  Speaker 4: game control.
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: Yeah. Rivers Rayhanna, I think is a very good game control.
• 16:57
  Speaker 3: We saw that last year in the playoffs when he
• 16:59
  Speaker 3: started with Kimmitda injured, that tight game against the Blue
• 17:03
  Speaker 3: semi final, then the final against the Chiefs, you know,
• 17:05
  Speaker 3: one score games, he was able to control it. I
• 17:08
  Speaker 3: thought that did look a lot better when he came
• 17:10
  Speaker 3: on the park at halftime and managed just to steer
• 17:13
  Speaker 3: things a bit more direct. I thought from the Crusaders, what.
• 17:17
  Speaker 4: About Lester fining and look who's second week at open
• 17:19
  Speaker 4: side flanker man. He looked the part. He did a
• 17:23
  Speaker 4: highly involved He got a couple of crucial breakdown turnovers,
• 17:27
  Speaker 4: which I think is the biggest area of question in
• 17:31
  Speaker 4: his game. Haven't going from the midfield to the loose forwards,
• 17:35
  Speaker 4: just the intricacy he's around getting those movements right.
• 17:40
  Speaker 3: Took a line out earlier in the game.
• 17:41
  Speaker 4: Yeah, he's really doing it all and you'd have to
• 17:44
  Speaker 4: think the Crusaders persists with that now I.
• 17:46
  Speaker 3: Think they will. I yeah, technically there's a couple of
• 17:50
  Speaker 3: probably things he needs to work on on positioning, but
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: what it is doing and it happened the same against
• 17:54
  Speaker 3: the Blues last week. He is getting far more touches
• 17:56
  Speaker 3: with the ball. I mean know how dangerous he can
• 17:58
  Speaker 3: be whenever he gets the ball. And the way that
• 18:02
  Speaker 3: rugby is now and the way that attacking systems work,
• 18:07
  Speaker 3: I I think back lines don't get as much opportunity
• 18:11
  Speaker 3: to create havoc as they maybe did ten years ago.
• 18:15
  Speaker 3: You think of a and the kind of ball that
• 18:17
  Speaker 3: he would get for the Hurricanes and be all black.
• 18:20
  Speaker 3: So a destructive player like firing a Nuoku may not
• 18:23
  Speaker 3: have the out and out skill set of a You know,
• 18:26
  Speaker 3: Richie mccorr a is a seven or a Duplessikrifi is
• 18:29
  Speaker 3: a seven who played against on the weekend, But he
• 18:31
  Speaker 3: gets more touches on the ball and can bend the
• 18:33
  Speaker 3: defensive line. I think that's where rugby union has gone
• 18:37
  Speaker 3: over the last especially five years, but maybe ten years.
• 18:40
  Speaker 3: Is that you think of an open side ten years
• 18:42
  Speaker 3: ago and the way back line played ten years ago,
• 18:44
  Speaker 3: they're completely different now. And if this is the kind
• 18:47
  Speaker 3: of passage that rugby needs to go through and building
• 18:50
  Speaker 3: these players to play in a hybrid role, then I'm
• 18:53
  Speaker 3: all for it.
• 18:54
  Speaker 4: It was a very good point around the perception of
• 18:57
  Speaker 4: what a center should be delivering because look at Riquewani
• 19:02
  Speaker 4: lest of fining a Nuku, Joseph sweet Leey, Billy Procter.
• 19:07
  Speaker 4: We don't see men any scything breaks and massive breakouts
• 19:12
  Speaker 4: attacking performances from midfielders. Quinti Pier has had his moments
• 19:17
  Speaker 4: this year, but that's largely come at twelve, sometimes at thirteen.
• 19:22
  Speaker 4: But the way in which defenders rush up and shut
• 19:26
  Speaker 4: down time and space. Midfielders are often used as decoys
• 19:30
  Speaker 4: or deception with the ball going behind to create more
• 19:32
  Speaker 4: space for the playmakers to use their outside men and
• 19:35
  Speaker 4: chase that space as generally on the edge rather than
• 19:37
  Speaker 4: the midfield. So you're right him less to be more
• 19:41
  Speaker 4: involved as working for the Crusaders, and that's because that
• 19:45
  Speaker 4: dynamic has shifted big time in the past what five,
• 19:48
  Speaker 4: maybe even ten years.
• 19:49
  Speaker 3: And if you weigh it up and go, okay, it's
• 19:51
  Speaker 3: not going to give you what a Johnny Lee or
• 19:54
  Speaker 3: Tom Christy who's left the Crusaders previously who I think
• 19:56
  Speaker 3: now are missing this season incidentally, But he's not going
• 19:59
  Speaker 3: to give you that, But he's gonna give you something
• 20:00
  Speaker 3: else and maybe you go benefits actually outweigh the negatives there.
• 20:03
  Speaker 4: Yeah, and it's about loose forwards. I think is very
• 20:06
  Speaker 4: much about complementary skills. You bring back an Eathan Blackadder
• 20:09
  Speaker 4: who does that tilis defending, and you've got Christian Leo
• 20:12
  Speaker 4: Wada at the back who gives you the ball carrying.
• 20:15
  Speaker 4: So Leicester I think fits in that makes pretty well.
• 20:17
  Speaker 3: He does. Just another word on the Hurricanes, Wanna Durns
• 20:20
  Speaker 3: is playing some exceptional rugby. You laughed when I said
• 20:23
  Speaker 3: he's one of the best locks in the world. How
• 20:25
  Speaker 3: are you feeling now?
• 20:27
  Speaker 4: I probably wouldn't go that far, but he has been
• 20:30
  Speaker 4: a revelation for the Hurricanes and he I think in
• 20:35
  Speaker 4: this competition he would be the best lock at stealing
• 20:38
  Speaker 4: opposition ball. He reads it really well, he gets up,
• 20:42
  Speaker 4: he can tests. So he's been a massive asset to
• 20:45
  Speaker 4: the Hurricanes, and yeah, I wish we could keep no longer.
• 20:48
  Speaker 3: Yeah, there's some conversations that we had there. Although when
• 20:51
  Speaker 3: I was looking and seeing when did he last play
• 20:53
  Speaker 3: for Japan back into last year, I mean, the allback's
• 20:56
  Speaker 3: got plenty of locks at the moment into twenty eight.
• 20:58
  Speaker 3: But he's playing a good rugby and he's still very young.
• 21:01
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 21:02
  Speaker 3: Yeah, but Malcolm Gelli's we had on a couple a
• 21:04
  Speaker 3: couple of weeks ago. He's got pockets. You know. It
• 21:07
  Speaker 3: could compete with Sheba surely.
• 21:09
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I'd have pretty deep I think, but.
• 21:12
  Speaker 3: An interesting ground of super rugby as a whole. Also,
• 21:15
  Speaker 3: the Reds beating the Brumbies and you look at the
• 21:16
  Speaker 3: playoff picture now Napes Hurricanes out on top on forty,
• 21:20
  Speaker 3: Brumbies closing out the top six on twenty five. Then
• 21:22
  Speaker 3: you've got the drawer banging on the door on twenty
• 21:25
  Speaker 3: waratars twenty Highland is twenty in ninth force and eighteen
• 21:28
  Speaker 3: and then more all the way back in eleven. It's
• 21:31
  Speaker 3: congested and we're touched on the Crusaders and whether they
• 21:33
  Speaker 3: can still remain with those tough games they've got going.
• 21:36
  Speaker 3: Not a lot of runway either, so there's going to
• 21:38
  Speaker 3: be a real squeeze in these final weeks of the season.
• 21:41
  Speaker 4: Absolutely, I think that top three is locked in.
• 21:44
  Speaker 3: Yeah, there's just too much of a gap between.
• 21:46
  Speaker 4: Not necessarily in their order, but the Hurricanes, Blues and
• 21:49
  Speaker 4: Chiefs will be will make up that top three and
• 21:52
  Speaker 4: then it's reasonably contestable. I think. I think the Force,
• 21:57
  Speaker 4: Waratars Drawer, Brumbies, Crusaders, they're all fighting it out for
• 22:02
  Speaker 4: that last spot.
• 22:02
  Speaker 3: Yeah, and what may hurt the Crusaders for example when
• 22:05
  Speaker 3: I touched on the s couple of times, is they've
• 22:07
  Speaker 3: obviously those derbies, but the Force of Australian games and
• 22:11
  Speaker 3: you know doesn't seem to have any favorite. I'm think
• 22:12
  Speaker 3: they've got across the Tasman again, so you know though
• 22:15
  Speaker 3: they could you pick up some wins there the Western
• 22:18
  Speaker 3: Force and come home with a witsale quip.
• 22:21
  Speaker 4: We'll touch more on the Crusaders and Thursday's pod.
• 22:23
  Speaker 3: Yeah, we've got a letter into the mail bag as
• 22:27
  Speaker 3: well on that, so we'll touch on that and any
• 22:28
  Speaker 3: feedback and letters for the mail bag. We'll get through
• 22:31
  Speaker 3: a few I reckon on Thursday Rugby Direct at Newstalk
• 22:33
  Speaker 3: zb dot co door in Zo. We can file them
• 22:35
  Speaker 3: our way on social media where eve a quick break
• 22:38
  Speaker 3: back with more after this on rag betterck You're back
• 22:40
  Speaker 3: with Rugby zeroik powered by Habit Health phys the time
• 22:43
  Speaker 3: for the final four for rugby Topics. Liam. We've had
• 22:47
  Speaker 3: the announcement the last couple of weeks Ireland to play
• 22:50
  Speaker 3: Japan and Newcastle as part of the new Nations Championship.
• 22:54
  Speaker 3: Great for the Novocastrians, I'm not sure it's great for
• 22:57
  Speaker 3: the integrity of the Nations Championship. You got Fiji playing
• 23:03
  Speaker 3: in the UK their home games, which I actually seem
• 23:05
  Speaker 3: pretty happy about. You know, they're going to get more
• 23:07
  Speaker 3: of a gate, they're going to get more funding as
• 23:09
  Speaker 3: a result of that. But the japan one, and I
• 23:12
  Speaker 3: know Eddie Jones spoke about this last week he was
• 23:14
  Speaker 3: pretty frustrated by play home games away from home. This
• 23:18
  Speaker 3: was always going to be a tricky part of this
• 23:19
  Speaker 3: competition when they announced it is the amount of traveling involved.
• 23:23
  Speaker 3: There's obviously squeezes coming on with the war in Iran
• 23:26
  Speaker 3: around travel in costs of various things, but outside of
• 23:31
  Speaker 3: a world Cup and you know COVID sort of situations.
• 23:36
  Speaker 3: I'm not sure that Ireland, Japan and Newcastle really gets
• 23:39
  Speaker 3: the blood going.
• 23:40
  Speaker 4: I really like this from Eddie Jones coming out and
• 23:43
  Speaker 4: hitting people between the eyes with no holds barred honesty.
• 23:48
  Speaker 4: And you know, maybe he's built a bit of a
• 23:51
  Speaker 4: bunker in Japan where he feels safe to fire shots.
• 23:54
  Speaker 4: He'd come out and said, look, the only reason we're
• 23:57
  Speaker 4: playing in Ireland and Australia is because Ireland have much
• 24:01
  Speaker 4: more say around the world rugby table. And I think
• 24:03
  Speaker 4: he's right. Yeah, and it does undermine the names Championship
• 24:09
  Speaker 4: and there's not a lot of positivity or around that
• 24:11
  Speaker 4: comp at the moment in year one. Why should Japan
• 24:15
  Speaker 4: have to go all the way to Australia just to
• 24:19
  Speaker 4: make Islands travel? Should you easier?
• 24:20
  Speaker 3: Well, this is part of them being invited partners into
• 24:24
  Speaker 3: this competition. It's the sands Are Nations, it's the Sick Nations,
• 24:26
  Speaker 3: and then these two Fiji and Japan have been invited
• 24:29
  Speaker 3: and you know, thanks for coming from the invitation, but
• 24:31
  Speaker 3: you don't get much say in exactly how this is
• 24:33
  Speaker 3: going to play out.
• 24:35
  Speaker 4: Yeah, if you want to join the big boys, you
• 24:38
  Speaker 4: sit at the back of the queue and watch. I
• 24:42
  Speaker 4: can understand it from Fiji's perspective. Like you say, I
• 24:44
  Speaker 4: don't think their arm's been twisted to move their games.
• 24:48
  Speaker 4: It works for them from a financial point of view,
• 24:49
  Speaker 4: but it would be nice if they could have at
• 24:51
  Speaker 4: least one game at home playing fund of your people showcase.
• 24:58
  Speaker 4: You know, you look at the drawer and that unique
• 25:01
  Speaker 4: rugby Atmisphere there. I know rugby is a financial beast,
• 25:05
  Speaker 4: but yeah, the Japan's go to Australia doesn't make any sense.
• 25:10
  Speaker 4: I can't imagine that's going to be a bigger gate.
• 25:12
  Speaker 4: So it's purely about appeasing island.
• 25:13
  Speaker 3: But reducing the travel before they go on and play
• 25:17
  Speaker 3: the All Blacks of Edon Park. It's just, you know,
• 25:20
  Speaker 3: great for the carbon footprint.
• 25:21
  Speaker 4: I was sort of undermines the integrity of it, doesn't it.
• 25:23
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it does a little bit. It's a
• 25:26
  Speaker 3: globe trotting competition. You know, this has been signed off.
• 25:29
  Speaker 3: Surely there needs to be some concessions that go, Okay,
• 25:32
  Speaker 3: you actually are going to have to fly, you know,
• 25:33
  Speaker 3: week to week, and maybe you adjust your squads in
• 25:36
  Speaker 3: various things.
• 25:37
  Speaker 4: Yeah, and look, I'll acknowledge that the North has a
• 25:41
  Speaker 4: very arduous task and playing three different games in three
• 25:44
  Speaker 4: different countries, or that's how it was meant to be
• 25:47
  Speaker 4: when they come south in July. But everyone knew that
• 25:50
  Speaker 4: when they signed up to it.
• 25:51
  Speaker 3: Yeah, and look, the travel for some hemocup teams when
• 25:54
  Speaker 3: they go up north is far reduced. It's a train
• 25:56
  Speaker 3: ride or it's a flight whatever it might short flight,
• 25:59
  Speaker 3: definitely different. But yeah, it just doesn't sit well with me.
• 26:02
  Speaker 3: Top number two Scotland. The recruitment. We talked about Riley
• 26:04
  Speaker 3: Higgins on the Pod last week. They've been very obvious
• 26:06
  Speaker 3: with what they're doing. Louie Chapman, albit of Crusader's third
• 26:10
  Speaker 3: string halfback, is now being targeted and signed with Edinburgh.
• 26:13
  Speaker 3: He is Scottish qualified. Is this just smart from Scotland
• 26:16
  Speaker 3: or what do you think of this? Look part of me? Yes,
• 26:22
  Speaker 3: I know they've got the heritage and you know, perhaps
• 26:24
  Speaker 3: people will say, well, you know New Zealand's done that
• 26:26
  Speaker 3: with the Islands and getting some of the talent through here,
• 26:29
  Speaker 3: but I don't know that this is what international rugby
• 26:33
  Speaker 3: was built for.
• 26:35
  Speaker 4: No, it doesn't sit well with me. Look, I can
• 26:38
  Speaker 4: fully understand it from these players' perspectives and Scotland as well,
• 26:43
  Speaker 4: they're working within the parameters that are there. They're targeting
• 26:47
  Speaker 4: guys that are young. Riley Higgins is what twenty three,
• 26:50
  Speaker 4: Louis Chapman five, and their paths are largely blocked. Are talented,
• 26:57
  Speaker 4: but they're probably never going to be All Blacks. Riley
• 27:02
  Speaker 4: Higgins maybe an outside chance. He was in that the
• 27:04
  Speaker 4: All Blacks fifteen. Yeah, hasn't played a lot this year.
• 27:07
  Speaker 4: I think he is a real talent. So Scotland's this
• 27:12
  Speaker 4: is nothing new either. They've what Fergus Burke and a
• 27:16
  Speaker 4: number of different others in their ranks and they're trying
• 27:21
  Speaker 4: to bolster their talents. And yeah, there is an argument
• 27:24
  Speaker 4: that the All Blacks benefit greatly from the Islands, but
• 27:27
  Speaker 4: I think that's probably world rugby as well. When you
• 27:29
  Speaker 4: look at England, France, South Africa and Argentina are probably
• 27:35
  Speaker 4: the two most homegrown test nations. I don't know how
• 27:40
  Speaker 4: you prevent it. It's already what a five year residency,
• 27:43
  Speaker 4: so it's a zrea. Yeah, so it's a long stint
• 27:46
  Speaker 4: for these guys to become eligible. But if you go
• 27:49
  Speaker 4: young and you've.
• 27:50
  Speaker 3: Got to pass, that allows you to play straight away.
• 27:53
  Speaker 4: Yeah, why would you not?
• 27:54
  Speaker 3: Absolutely? Yeah, the island things also overplayed. You hear it
• 27:58
  Speaker 3: a lot from the north, but there's also cultural factors
• 28:01
  Speaker 3: of play, and there's a lot of natural travel and
• 28:05
  Speaker 3: movement from the Islands to New Zealand. People base themselves here,
• 28:08
  Speaker 3: and yet I think there's an undertone there that I'm
• 28:12
  Speaker 3: not always comfortable with when some of the accusations come
• 28:15
  Speaker 3: from up north around that. But they certainly have also
• 28:17
  Speaker 3: been scenarios where players that have come and have just
• 28:20
  Speaker 3: been given the red carpet right here in New Zealand.
• 28:23
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I think the difference is I don't know that
• 28:26
  Speaker 4: New Zealand rugby as involved with Hamilton Boys going over
• 28:30
  Speaker 4: to Samo and bringing over a player for their first fifteen.
• 28:35
  Speaker 4: That's at arms length. It's very separate and those players
• 28:39
  Speaker 4: may progress, they may not. But you're right, there are
• 28:42
  Speaker 4: all sorts of pools in terms of job opportunities and
• 28:47
  Speaker 4: lifestyle that bring Auckland's the biggest Polynesian city in the world,
• 28:54
  Speaker 4: and that's not from a rugby perspective. That those people
• 28:59
  Speaker 4: come for lifestyle reasons and that does filter through into
• 29:03
  Speaker 4: sporting opportunities as well.
• 29:04
  Speaker 3: Absolutely, topic number three confirmation of the weekend in South
• 29:09
  Speaker 3: Africa Rugby Magazine that the RGR Rugby's greatest rivalry will
• 29:14
  Speaker 3: have a winner later in the year, so it won't be, say,
• 29:18
  Speaker 3: for example, if it's locked to wall in terms of
• 29:20
  Speaker 3: games one, there will be a mechanism to decide an
• 29:25
  Speaker 3: ultimate winner of the trophy, a champion of the trophy.
• 29:29
  Speaker 3: One do you like this? Would you rather have a draw?
• 29:32
  Speaker 3: And two? How shouldn't be decided?
• 29:35
  Speaker 4: I wouldn't be adverse to a draw, although I think
• 29:39
  Speaker 4: back to the Line series of twenty seventeen that was
• 29:43
  Speaker 4: very bizarre, and I think if you ask the players
• 29:47
  Speaker 4: who were involved in that, they would have wanted. Certainly
• 29:50
  Speaker 4: the All Blacks died wanted some form of way they
• 29:54
  Speaker 4: could determine the outcome of the series, whether that was
• 29:56
  Speaker 4: extra time or a decider or however that looked. So
• 30:02
  Speaker 4: I think if you asked the players, they would want
• 30:04
  Speaker 4: some form of way to decide the series. I think
• 30:06
  Speaker 4: the easiest way is extra time, and then you could
• 30:10
  Speaker 4: look at metrics slack greatest combined score or something like that.
• 30:15
  Speaker 4: What do you reckon?
• 30:16
  Speaker 3: Would you go golden point extra time? We got super
• 30:19
  Speaker 3: point at the moment and Super Rugby could be rivalry point.
• 30:24
  Speaker 4: I think to decide a series, you'd have a full
• 30:28
  Speaker 4: ten minutes each way and whoever otherwise you probably just
• 30:33
  Speaker 4: predetermine a drop goal shootout.
• 30:35
  Speaker 3: I'd got aggregate score over the course of the series,
• 30:37
  Speaker 3: and if that was so, no extra time, no extra time,
• 30:40
  Speaker 3: because I think extra time is it's a strong enough mechanism,
• 30:45
  Speaker 3: I suppose, But I think if you were deciding eight series,
• 30:48
  Speaker 3: then it shouldn't come down to ten minutes or twenty
• 30:51
  Speaker 3: minutes on the day. It should come down to, you know,
• 30:54
  Speaker 3: the overall series and almost a countback scenario. So i'd
• 30:58
  Speaker 3: go countback first. If it was somehow locked on one
• 31:02
  Speaker 3: hundred and twenty six points or whatever it might be
• 31:03
  Speaker 3: each then then maybe you can play extra time after that.
• 31:06
  Speaker 3: But I would look to do that first aggregate points
• 31:08
  Speaker 3: because I think that decides the series rather than the
• 31:11
  Speaker 3: fourth game and then going on to an extra time
• 31:14
  Speaker 3: period after that.
• 31:14
  Speaker 4: It's probably a fair way of determining it. I really
• 31:17
  Speaker 4: don't like the first point scored or the first try scored,
• 31:21
  Speaker 4: because it's just such a naff thing in terms of
• 31:25
  Speaker 4: one match, let alone a whole series.
• 31:27
  Speaker 3: Yeah. Question four Are the war Tars the biggest myth
• 31:33
  Speaker 3: in rugby?
• 31:35
  Speaker 4: Well other than the Crusaders.
• 31:37
  Speaker 3: We can count through the titles if you want to
• 31:39
  Speaker 3: do this right now.
• 31:41
  Speaker 4: That was an easy one, that wasn't it.
• 31:43
  Speaker 3: The Wartars shouldn't even have a super Raby title of
• 31:45
  Speaker 3: Craig Gyber. Thank you very much.
• 31:46
  Speaker 4: Oh there we go.
• 31:47
  Speaker 3: Got on the phone apologized. Are they the biggest myth?
• 31:50
  Speaker 3: They've got the biggest talent, Paul. Most of the overseas
• 31:53
  Speaker 3: players that come back from the Wallabies abroad end up
• 31:56
  Speaker 3: signing with the war Tars. All the league players buy
• 31:59
  Speaker 3: and large Lomax and a couple others accepted head for
• 32:03
  Speaker 3: the war Tars. And they do nothing year after year.
• 32:06
  Speaker 3: I think the final I think it was it last year.
• 32:08
  Speaker 3: Year before on their roster they've just done nothing.
• 32:11
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I thought they were really set up this year.
• 32:14
  Speaker 4: They had very good recruitment. I really rate Dan McCalla
• 32:18
  Speaker 4: as a coach. I don't know what the issue is.
• 32:22
  Speaker 4: I think the Blues had issues for a long time.
• 32:25
  Speaker 4: Something about New Zealand's biggest city, you know, maybe that
• 32:30
  Speaker 4: the team culture is not the same. You have to
• 32:32
  Speaker 4: travel through traffic. Maybe the northern beaches are a problem
• 32:35
  Speaker 4: in Sydney, or the lifestyle is a bit enticing. You
• 32:39
  Speaker 4: don't have the same buy in that you do with
• 32:41
  Speaker 4: other teams. I don't know, but it is a continued
• 32:45
  Speaker 4: issue for the Waratars that year on year they have
• 32:49
  Speaker 4: stacks of talent and they've got a massive food pack
• 32:55
  Speaker 4: sidhave and you know what, Yeah, some of the best
• 32:59
  Speaker 4: talent in Australian rugby and they just can't put it together.
• 33:02
  Speaker 4: So yeah, there's a strong case they are the biggest
• 33:05
  Speaker 4: myth and rugby.
• 33:06
  Speaker 3: No bigger beach is in rugby. Riize MVP voting time
• 33:10
  Speaker 3: to run through. Last week we did trade scores though
• 33:13
  Speaker 3: I went for He for three over super round. I'm
• 33:16
  Speaker 3: Gardner for two and Rubin Love for one. You went
• 33:18
  Speaker 3: for He for three, Leister Fighting and Looking for two
• 33:20
  Speaker 3: and Rubin Love for one. Awful leads the overall standings
• 33:24
  Speaker 3: by six point sixteen from cam Rugad on ten, Quinta
• 33:27
  Speaker 3: Pyre on seven. Then a whole lot of players are
• 33:29
  Speaker 3: in behind those three. Who get your three two ones
• 33:32
  Speaker 3: from the weekend that was snapes.
• 33:33
  Speaker 4: We're going all forwards this week. Elliott's giving Xavier new
• 33:37
  Speaker 4: Mere my three. I think he's having a real breakthrough year.
• 33:40
  Speaker 4: Guy that's been on the cusp of the All Blacks.
• 33:43
  Speaker 4: He's doing it all, scrummaging, breakdown turnovers, playing big minutes.
• 33:47
  Speaker 4: I think he played close to eighty there recently. Two
• 33:51
  Speaker 4: to Patrick two Polo too big performance since his comeback
• 33:54
  Speaker 4: as captain, made a big difference to that Blues forward
• 33:57
  Speaker 4: pack and one to Leicester because his progression at openside
• 34:01
  Speaker 4: has surprised me.
• 34:02
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm going to go three for my man. Warner Dunes.
• 34:05
  Speaker 3: Very impressed by what he offered on the weekend. Again,
• 34:09
  Speaker 3: I think he has made a material difference. We can
• 34:11
  Speaker 3: talk about fIF and what he's been doing out wide,
• 34:15
  Speaker 3: but you look at Warner Dunes and that's more of
• 34:16
  Speaker 3: a material not in terms of tries, but just in
• 34:19
  Speaker 3: terms of the Hurricanes ball position, having the ball, all
• 34:22
  Speaker 3: that sort of thing, grunt work. He gets my three.
• 34:24
  Speaker 3: I've been very impressed by him. Two goes the way
• 34:28
  Speaker 3: of Callum Harkin, who I think is one of the
• 34:32
  Speaker 3: more underrated players in this competition. He's been very, very
• 34:35
  Speaker 3: good for the Canes this year. He gets my two
• 34:37
  Speaker 3: points and one goes the way of Anton Signa, who
• 34:40
  Speaker 3: I think is continuing to make every post a winner
• 34:42
  Speaker 3: and I think, you know, inviting some questions for the
• 34:45
  Speaker 3: all Black selectors. Enough with that.
• 34:48
  Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I don't think he's quite there yet, but
• 34:50
  Speaker 4: it's such a stacked, congested area. He's definitely knocking on
• 34:53
  Speaker 4: the door.
• 34:53
  Speaker 3: His consistency is what I'm really liking about his game
• 34:56
  Speaker 3: that probably hasn't been there previously. I did toss up
• 34:58
  Speaker 3: going Lester for one, but you've got that covert so right.
• 35:01
  Speaker 3: That'll do us for Rugby Directed for our Monday or
• 35:04
  Speaker 3: early week pod, we're back on Thursday. Don't forget get
• 35:06
  Speaker 3: into the mail bag as well. Well. I'm through a
• 35:07
  Speaker 3: few quis I think on Thursday, barring any other significant
• 35:10
  Speaker 3: rugby news to get into. There's a few already that
• 35:13
  Speaker 3: have parked up. I've seen them and formulating responses and
• 35:16
  Speaker 3: my hit.
• 35:17
  Speaker 4: Yeah, we're both looking forward to writing off the Crusaders
• 35:19
  Speaker 4: this year.
• 35:20
  Speaker 3: Both Rugby Director at Newstalk, ZB, dot co, dot m
• 35:23
  Speaker 3: Z to get in touched or on social media and
• 35:25
  Speaker 3: the other platforms that has been Rugby Director thanks to
• 35:28
  Speaker 3: Mark Kelly and of course we are powered by Habit healthherysio.
• 35:31
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• 35:36
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• 35:42
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