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Transcript

Rugby Direct - Episode 156 (1) · Rugby Direct

0:09
Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B.
0:12
Speaker 1: Follow this and our Wide Ranger podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
0:17
Speaker 1: Get inside the game from every angle. It's Rugby Direct
0:22
Speaker 1: with Elliott Smith, powered by News Talks EDB.
0:25
Speaker 2: Welcome into Rugby Direct, power by Habit Heath, tackling all
0:27
Speaker 2: your aches and pains from sport and work. There are
0:30
Speaker 2: plenty of aches and pains if you're a Crusaders fan.
0:32
Speaker 2: We will get to those in a moment. But first
0:34
Speaker 2: and foremost, Liam Napier Elliot Smith with the podcast as always, Liam,
0:39
Speaker 2: greetings to you.
0:40
Speaker 3: Greeting's Elliott. Great to be here, isn't it. It's a fantastic,
0:44
Speaker 3: beaming sunny day and the Canes are back and the
0:49
Speaker 3: Crusaders are not.
0:50
Speaker 2: The sun has not risen. I just want to clarify
0:53
Speaker 2: that point. We'll get to that in the moment. First,
0:55
Speaker 2: some news that's come out an hour or two before
0:57
Speaker 2: we've recorded this podcast, Big news when us you on
0:59
Speaker 2: Rugby Perspective. Liam Damien McKenzie resigns through until twenty twenty nine.
1:05
Speaker 2: The announcement landing this morning. This was a for me,
1:08
Speaker 2: at least a wee bit of a surprise I knew
1:10
Speaker 2: he's a contract after this season, questions about whether he's
1:13
Speaker 2: going to stay. He's already been to Japan on playing
1:16
Speaker 2: sabbaticals before, but he's extended and he's extended long term
1:20
Speaker 2: another four years with New Zealand Rugby. On the verge
1:24
Speaker 2: of turning thirty and thinking about three weeks or thereabouts,
1:27
Speaker 2: it's a hold for New Zealand Rugby. What a he
1:29
Speaker 2: mak of the deal?
1:30
Speaker 3: Yeah? Great piece of business, isn't it. We spoke to
1:34
Speaker 3: Razor a few weeks back and put it to him
1:36
Speaker 3: about the the fact that he was off contract and
1:39
Speaker 3: they were clearly desperate to keep him, and like you,
1:42
Speaker 3: I am surprised at the length of the deal. I
1:45
Speaker 3: thought a bit of uncertainty around s Richem m Wonga
1:48
Speaker 3: coming home where he sits in the pecking order. Last year,
1:51
Speaker 3: had the first seven Tests and was sort of dropped
1:55
Speaker 3: to the bench. Came back through injury with the Island
1:59
Speaker 3: victory and played very well on that. I thought, if
2:02
Speaker 3: he does resign, maybe through to the World Cup and
2:05
Speaker 3: then look to reassess. But the fact that his long
2:08
Speaker 3: term as a major win for Hiseana Rugby, I wouldn't
2:10
Speaker 3: be surprised if there is another sabbatical clause within that contract.
2:14
Speaker 3: Maybe claigt mcwellon looks to get him up to Munster
2:17
Speaker 3: for a weastern or back to Japan, but to lock
2:21
Speaker 3: in someone of McKenzie's talents, not just for the All
2:24
Speaker 3: Blacks but the Chiefs is a huge one and he
2:29
Speaker 3: is only going to get better at this stage of
2:31
Speaker 3: his career, starting to mature. Such a versatile, brilliant player.
2:36
Speaker 3: So yeah, great to seem stick around.
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Speaker 2: Well, I did hear from one of our researchers here
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Speaker 2: at Rugby, director Towers before we came into Rugby Studio
2:43
Speaker 2: twenty twenty eight sabbatical for Damien McKenzie, So that's been
2:46
Speaker 2: included there. But what it means is that he'll be
2:49
Speaker 2: in New Zealand rugby with the Chiefs twenty six twenty
2:51
Speaker 2: seven and building to that World Cup. And I think
2:54
Speaker 2: it's a sign from him that he wants that ting Jers,
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Speaker 2: he wants to be part of the All Black squad
2:59
Speaker 2: and perhaps last year had a little bit of a wobble,
3:03
Speaker 2: but we still wouldn't come back to them, and really
3:05
Speaker 2: I thought have an excellent interview tour and what I
3:09
Speaker 2: think it shows is that he's you know, he wouldn't
3:11
Speaker 2: be staying. I don't think if Scott Robinson didn't want
3:15
Speaker 2: him to stay. And so I think he shows he's
3:16
Speaker 2: a big part of those plans for the All Blacks
3:18
Speaker 2: that built towards that World Cup.
3:20
Speaker 3: Yeah, really put a stake in the ground, has an
3:22
Speaker 3: around where he wants to be, his intentions, his aspirations,
3:27
Speaker 3: and look, he's always been a talents from his time
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Speaker 3: in christ Church and you know he was always earmarked
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Speaker 3: as a future All Black first five. It's just finding
3:44
Speaker 3: that game management consistency that was the big thing for
3:47
Speaker 3: him last year and we saw it at times and
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Speaker 3: not at others, but that Island test is the real
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Speaker 3: benchmark that you want to see out of Damon McKenzie.
3:55
Speaker 3: And it is an interesting scenario about how that plays out,
3:59
Speaker 3: not just this year but in the years to come.
4:02
Speaker 3: I saw an interview Richie Wongo over the weekend with
4:05
Speaker 3: Sky and he's come out and see he definitively wants
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Speaker 3: to play in another World Cup. So all indications are
4:13
Speaker 3: he will come home and play for the All Blacks.
4:16
Speaker 3: So they're going to have Boden Barrett, Damian McKenzie Richie
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Speaker 3: Wanger all competing for that jersey. As you mentioned, McKenzie
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Speaker 3: will go offshore and maybe maybe the others will as well.
4:28
Speaker 3: But great to have that depth, isn't it because I
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Speaker 3: think increasingly that ten jersey is so influential in terms
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Speaker 3: of the balance of the team, the direction of the team.
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Speaker 3: So yeah, a great one to keep him around.
4:42
Speaker 2: You mentioned Richi and Wanger. That was my next question
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Speaker 2: because he's the I guess, the overarching figure in this
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Speaker 2: whole thing around his contract future. That's school at Sky interview.
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Speaker 2: You know, suggestions where it he's going to come back
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Speaker 2: a year earlier that couldn't be negotiated for for various reasons,
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Speaker 2: but it would be a surprise not to see him
5:00
Speaker 2: back in the New Zealand rugby folds. So then you've
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Speaker 2: got you know, Boden Barrett and Damian McKenzie and then
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Speaker 2: in theory Richie Wong all signed through to beyond the
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Speaker 2: next World Cup.
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Speaker 3: Yeah, how do you fit them on all in the
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Speaker 3: same all black team? I guess you know, particularly with
5:15
Speaker 3: Will Jordan playing so well, he's a lock at fullback.
5:18
Speaker 3: The other options there, one of them are playing ten,
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Speaker 3: another one's on the bench. And one of them's not
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Speaker 3: in the squad.
5:27
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's going to be fascinating to see how that
5:30
Speaker 2: works out over the coming it.
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Speaker 3: I think it is also a reflection of McKenzie's holistic life.
5:34
Speaker 3: He's pretty happy away from the field, reasonably new partner,
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Speaker 3: pretty well settled there and that makes a big difference
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Speaker 3: in terms of happy home life. You want to hang around,
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Speaker 3: and so that's another factor.
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Speaker 2: Indeed, looking forward to seeing how that unfolds the next week.
5:51
Speaker 2: While let's get into Super Rugby Round seven and Saturday
5:56
Speaker 2: nights more ONEA Pacifica forty five the Crusaders twenty nine.
6:01
Speaker 2: This was a very good performance from one of Pacifica.
6:03
Speaker 2: I've been paying the drum that if they play for
6:05
Speaker 2: even close to eighty minutes they're going to be dangerous.
6:07
Speaker 2: While they strung it together on Saturday night in christ Church,
6:10
Speaker 2: thought they were excellent. They put a lot of pressure
6:13
Speaker 2: on the Crusaders, made them force them into errors and
6:17
Speaker 2: then just on with their own side of the ball.
6:19
Speaker 2: Just we're confident with ball on hamdi Vias score early
6:22
Speaker 2: a couple of really nice fifty twenty twos. But the man,
6:25
Speaker 2: I think, I want to think the loudest, Patrick Palagrini,
6:27
Speaker 2: he has been an absolute game changer since Mouana gave
6:30
Speaker 2: him the nod to come off the bench against the Highlanders,
6:33
Speaker 2: he began to turn that game around. They ran out
6:35
Speaker 2: of time essentially in the end or the harmond is
6:37
Speaker 2: held on, depending on your point of view. And since
6:40
Speaker 2: then they've turned up for every performance. Hasn't been for
6:42
Speaker 2: the full eighty minutes, but that was pretty close to
6:44
Speaker 2: it on Saturday Night Big Time.
6:46
Speaker 3: And you mentioned that consistency because we've seen not incremental improvements,
6:53
Speaker 3: quite significant improvements from Mina this year, but it hasn't
6:56
Speaker 3: been for that full eighty and that's been the r
7:00
Speaker 3: kllies here. Even the week previous against the Chiefs were
7:04
Speaker 3: blowing off the park in the first half and then
7:06
Speaker 3: came back well in the second, so there was no
7:09
Speaker 3: real indication that they had their ability to go down
7:14
Speaker 3: and knock over a Crusaders team who did a number
7:16
Speaker 3: on the Blues at Eden Park. That's why this result
7:19
Speaker 3: was a massive upset. And you mentioned those performances there,
7:24
Speaker 3: miracle fire, Lungy, and I think what surprised me about
7:30
Speaker 3: Winer's performance has actually had real success against the Crusader's
7:34
Speaker 3: full pack went through the middle. It scored a lot
7:36
Speaker 3: of their points, breaking the Crusaders open around the fringes,
7:39
Speaker 3: and that's been a strength of the Crusaders. On reflection,
7:43
Speaker 3: maybe the Crusaders will regret resting guys like Sevia Reese Chalfoon,
7:48
Speaker 3: who's been a big performance, Christian Leo Weady, to Kimita
7:53
Speaker 3: maybe not to the same degree. Cody Taylor and to
7:56
Speaker 3: Mighty Williams came off the bench. David Heavily was a
7:58
Speaker 3: late withdrawal, So some big names there. Maybe they took
8:02
Speaker 3: miner lightly a little bit. Maybe there's a bit of complacency,
8:05
Speaker 3: but wine I fully deserved that victory. It's the biggest
8:09
Speaker 3: win in their history, only their ninth win in forty
8:13
Speaker 3: eight attempts, their third one over New Zealand opposition, and
8:17
Speaker 3: their first twice bet in the Canes, and their first
8:20
Speaker 3: win against New Zealand opposition away from home.
8:22
Speaker 2: Yeah. Look, I thought it was an excellent performance from
8:24
Speaker 2: one to PACIFICA. If we touched on the Crusaders, those
8:27
Speaker 2: names you mentioned, they didn't help. They missed David harvillly
8:29
Speaker 2: big time. I think the direction that he's had this
8:32
Speaker 2: year He's been an excellent form for the Crusaders. Is
8:34
Speaker 2: game management helping Takimita balance things out James Aconna's international
8:40
Speaker 2: first five. But I think they just did miss the
8:42
Speaker 2: direction that David Harvilli gets on the weekend. Levi Muer
8:45
Speaker 2: I think touched the ball three times in the first
8:47
Speaker 2: forty five minutes, making zero meters. They probably went a
8:51
Speaker 2: little bit too wide too early the Crusaders when they
8:54
Speaker 2: had the ball on attack and that led to errors
8:58
Speaker 2: and then they just couldn't hold onto the ball. They
9:00
Speaker 2: were building pression side. The twenty two then would become
9:02
Speaker 2: a little bit lazy in terms of possision, and that
9:06
Speaker 2: allowed wanted to turn things over. Think Solomon other Muddell's
9:10
Speaker 2: fifty twenty two that came out of nowhere tuned the game,
9:13
Speaker 2: and every time it felt like Crusaders were just inching
9:15
Speaker 2: forward and getting some momentum, the Crusaders would make an
9:19
Speaker 2: europe or Moan would get a turnover and get that
9:21
Speaker 2: momentum back. So look, I think that's a win from
9:24
Speaker 2: Moana Pacifica that puts the rest of the competition on notice.
9:27
Speaker 2: Obviously a bit. The Hurricanes a few weeks ago went
9:30
Speaker 2: backwards against the Chiefs apart from that second half performance,
9:32
Speaker 2: but this is the kind of win that makes teams
9:34
Speaker 2: sit up and take notice.
9:36
Speaker 3: Yeah, and the kind of performance that solidifies a lot
9:40
Speaker 3: of internal confidence because you need a result like that
9:44
Speaker 3: to galvanize a team. They've had Artie Severe come along
9:47
Speaker 3: and we've heard so much about his influence on and
9:50
Speaker 3: off the fields. A much stronger coaching team with Tanumager
9:54
Speaker 3: and Tom Coventry and Selelium Mapasua and others, and ask
9:58
Speaker 3: here among that group Stephen Jones as well as he
10:02
Speaker 3: still there. Yeah, so you know, it's a very much
10:06
Speaker 3: improved coaching team. But a performance like that away from
10:10
Speaker 3: home to go to christ Church is a difficult place
10:12
Speaker 3: to win. So it could be the making of Moana.
10:16
Speaker 3: And the Blues still have to play them.
10:18
Speaker 2: Twice they do, and once at North Harbor, which is
10:21
Speaker 2: becoming a home ground that their supporters are flopping to.
10:25
Speaker 2: So that's going to be fascinating. Yeah, probably slightly regretting
10:30
Speaker 2: the Type five piece of the Herald last week suggesting
10:33
Speaker 2: that I might have been wrong to doubt Rob Penny.
10:36
Speaker 2: Obviously it's only one week, but those signs of the
10:39
Speaker 2: Crusaders last year crept back in on Saturday night.
10:43
Speaker 3: They did, And it's funny how one result can change
10:47
Speaker 3: the complexion of a season, because the Crusaders now have
10:49
Speaker 3: to go to Fiji where the zero and two the
10:52
Speaker 3: toughest road trip in Super rugby, and if they drop
10:55
Speaker 3: that potentially then you're you know, yeah, the whole complexion
11:00
Speaker 3: of your season looks a lot different.
11:02
Speaker 2: Hurricanes, I think a week after that back in christ
11:04
Speaker 2: Church might be in sky stating hurt either way. So yeah,
11:06
Speaker 2: a tough couple of weeks coming up for the Krusian is.
11:08
Speaker 2: Let's go to Friday Night Brumby's and Highlanders Brumby thirty four,
11:12
Speaker 2: Highlanders twenty seven. The Rumby's just did a tad too good,
11:16
Speaker 2: too good in the key moments against the Highlanders, who
11:19
Speaker 2: pushed them for times in that game. But I think
11:23
Speaker 2: they missed an Ethan de Groot figure. The Highlanders on
11:27
Speaker 2: the weekend and Canberra is tough playce to go. The
11:30
Speaker 2: Brumby's just a little bit too good.
11:33
Speaker 3: Unfortunately, Hinds. It's a very similar theme. Could have would
11:36
Speaker 3: have should have beaten the Hurricanes a couple of points
11:38
Speaker 3: in that in Dunedin same against the Reds in Donedan
11:42
Speaker 3: and then they were right in this game that they
11:45
Speaker 3: probably should have been further behind at halftime. The Brumbies
11:50
Speaker 3: dominated that first half and the Highland is real Achilles
11:53
Speaker 3: Hill at the moment as the scrum it's costing them
11:56
Speaker 3: a lot of points field position. Tane Robinson didn't have
12:01
Speaker 3: a great night either, a couple of restarts went out
12:04
Speaker 3: on the fall A wee bit better in the second half,
12:06
Speaker 3: but I think it's probably time for a change there
12:08
Speaker 3: for the Honders. And yeah, a bit of a strange
12:10
Speaker 3: call to to rest Ethan the group when your scrum's
12:13
Speaker 3: under massive pressure.
12:14
Speaker 2: Not it's not on his side, no app pedies week before,
12:17
Speaker 2: but I just think get back and all black like
12:19
Speaker 2: him to get you out of trouble.
12:21
Speaker 3: Yeah, and like I said, it's not on his side
12:24
Speaker 3: of the scrum where the issues lie, but you'd have
12:28
Speaker 3: to think he's going to make a difference. So an
12:30
Speaker 3: odd call there from Jamie Joseph. And yeah, the Heighlanders
12:34
Speaker 3: now go to Perth and it's must Wan territory for them.
12:39
Speaker 3: I like elements of the Holanders game Sean with he's
12:41
Speaker 3: playing really well Thomas and Munger Jensen has been a
12:45
Speaker 3: big returnee for them in their mid midfield. But if
12:49
Speaker 3: you if you have a de stable iver's platform like
12:53
Speaker 3: your scrum, it is really difficult to remain competitive throughout
12:56
Speaker 3: the match.
12:57
Speaker 2: It's good you make the back line actually is maybe
12:59
Speaker 2: Robinson as side, but the backs, the midfield and the
13:02
Speaker 2: outside back's actually clicking quite nicely.
13:04
Speaker 3: Calib tonguey tail another two tries brilliant individual brilliance and Joan.
13:09
Speaker 2: And Artiki excellent.
13:11
Speaker 3: He looks old, he's always injured, but yeah, he's incredibly
13:17
Speaker 3: dangerous when he touched the book, touches the ball, makes
13:19
Speaker 3: good decisions. So yeah that the back line Robinson A
13:23
Speaker 3: side is performing well.
13:25
Speaker 2: Yeah. Tough trip this week Friday night, the early game
13:28
Speaker 2: the Hurricanes fifty seven Waratas twelve. I don't think anyone
13:31
Speaker 2: expected the margin of this, but the Hurricanes were just outstanding.
13:35
Speaker 2: I thought the warratar is extremely disappointing given the season
13:39
Speaker 2: that they'd had to date. The only dropped the one
13:42
Speaker 2: game heading into that week. Dad Joseph, of course will
13:45
Speaker 2: let you come back into the mix. Expected them to
13:47
Speaker 2: be a lot better. They weren't helped by a couple
13:49
Speaker 2: of Hias and players going off, but Henders just ran
13:54
Speaker 2: right over them. It was the Hurricanes rather ran right
13:56
Speaker 2: over a very good performance from the Canes.
13:58
Speaker 3: It was quite a statement performance, So hard to know
14:02
Speaker 3: how much to take out of that, but a big
14:05
Speaker 3: morale boosting victory for the Canes. You mentioned, I think
14:08
Speaker 3: it was the whole back three for the Waratars disintegrated.
14:12
Speaker 3: But look they still had a Warta Wallaby's laden forward pack,
14:17
Speaker 3: some really big units there and the Canes did a
14:20
Speaker 3: number on them up front. Bradon Yosse switched to blindside
14:24
Speaker 3: and a real standout performance from him, and yeah, that
14:28
Speaker 3: platform allowed the Hurricanes to play how they want to,
14:32
Speaker 3: you know, Ruben and love Flickball scored some brilliant tries.
14:36
Speaker 3: It was all too easy. And the war Tars their
14:40
Speaker 3: big issue is they've won at home and I've lost
14:43
Speaker 3: away and that's not sustainable.
14:46
Speaker 2: It's not good to see a lot of direction coming
14:48
Speaker 2: from Roley har Heepper Crusaders. You're welcome everything he knows
14:52
Speaker 2: last year and clearly putting that into the Hurricanes this year.
14:56
Speaker 2: But yeah, just a hard one to read from an
14:58
Speaker 2: nol'sis perspective, because the Wartars just didn't really show up.
15:03
Speaker 1: No, and.
15:05
Speaker 3: It was almost like possible. In the headliner stuff, everything
15:08
Speaker 3: the Hurricanes touch turns to gold and the Wartar has
15:12
Speaker 3: just had no answers and the Wartars now go play Maana,
15:15
Speaker 3: which is a bit of a scary prospect for them.
15:19
Speaker 3: And I think we learn a lot more about the
15:21
Speaker 3: Hurricanes and the Blues this week.
15:23
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's weir fascinating game this week end. Reds enforced
15:26
Speaker 2: the other game over the course of the weekend reads
15:28
Speaker 2: our top of the table and they have the Chiefs
15:31
Speaker 2: top of the table one v two clash this week.
15:33
Speaker 2: The Reds just building quite nicely the way they're going
15:37
Speaker 2: about their business this season. They had the drop to
15:39
Speaker 2: the Crusaders in christ Church, but they are pretty good
15:42
Speaker 2: in that game for large periods. And you know, I
15:46
Speaker 2: do like the way the Reds are just building under
15:47
Speaker 2: Lezkis currently.
15:49
Speaker 3: Yeah, well these widely Tip doesn't need to be the
15:51
Speaker 3: next Wallabies.
15:52
Speaker 2: Coach andlmalt Stuart Lancaster.
15:55
Speaker 3: Yeah, well yeah, we'll see where that goes. I suspect
15:58
Speaker 3: it's pretty much a dune deal there with Les. But look,
16:02
Speaker 3: top of the table clash this week Reds and Chiefs again.
16:05
Speaker 3: Will learn a lot more about where the Reds are
16:06
Speaker 3: out there. I think the Reds are won something like
16:09
Speaker 3: three of the last four regular season clashes against the Chiefs.
16:13
Speaker 3: The Chiefs are one two quarter finals, so when it
16:15
Speaker 3: really mattered, But it also felt like a bit of
16:20
Speaker 3: a reality check week in for the Aussies. I know
16:23
Speaker 3: that the Brumbies won, but they weren't overly impressive against
16:27
Speaker 3: the Hondas. The wartar is blown off the park and
16:30
Speaker 3: the Reds you know, struggling to beat the force. So
16:35
Speaker 3: I feel like the weekend before there was four Aussie
16:39
Speaker 3: teams in the top six and it's come back to
16:43
Speaker 3: the pack of it.
16:44
Speaker 2: As indeed, let's take a break here on rugby. Don't
16:47
Speaker 2: come back with the Sicond half of the podcast.
16:48
Speaker 1: After this, call yourself a real rugby fan. This is
16:51
Speaker 1: Rugby Direct, every try, every tackle, every big moment, it's
16:58
Speaker 1: Rugby direct By Talks.
17:01
Speaker 2: You're back with Rugby Direct, powered by Habit Heath, tackling
17:04
Speaker 2: all your aches and pains from sport and work. Time
17:07
Speaker 2: for the final four for rugby topics that Liam and
17:09
Speaker 2: I debated, I set topic one stadiums in Auckland Eden
17:15
Speaker 2: Park last week endorsed by the Auckland Council as all
17:20
Speaker 2: the two point one plan is the plane going forward
17:22
Speaker 2: is in the stadium network. What does that decision mean
17:25
Speaker 2: for rugby in New Zealand both from a super Rugby
17:28
Speaker 2: level NPC.
17:30
Speaker 3: Up to the All Blacks, well, it's deflating. The All
17:36
Speaker 3: Blacks have an amazing record at eden Park, fifty tests
17:41
Speaker 3: unbeaten going back to nineteen ninety four, that French loss
17:48
Speaker 3: and massive clash of the spring box there later this year.
17:53
Speaker 3: But it's a great disappointment because used on a Rugby
17:57
Speaker 3: completely backed the new design for the waterfront stadium, No
18:03
Speaker 3: doubts that was revenue driven with the idea of having
18:07
Speaker 3: an All Blacks hotel down there and clipping the ticket
18:11
Speaker 3: in other ways. But Eden Park's just not a great
18:15
Speaker 3: venue even from a pure viewing perspective. From an overball code,
18:23
Speaker 3: Mount Smart is better because you're closer to the action,
18:25
Speaker 3: you're on top of the game, and Eden Park's not
18:31
Speaker 3: fit for purpose from a modern viewing perspective. You're never
18:37
Speaker 3: going to sell it out for a super rugby game.
18:39
Speaker 3: How many times a year are you going to set
18:40
Speaker 3: out twice?
18:41
Speaker 2: Maybe twice for All Backs test and maybe a six
18:44
Speaker 2: sixty concert or whoever's shine up there. That's about it.
18:47
Speaker 3: And I feel like, why no, just a new precedent,
18:53
Speaker 3: A new stadium brings punters in because they want to
18:57
Speaker 3: experience it, they want a better atmosphere. And you know,
19:01
Speaker 3: there's so many issues with Eden Park from an accessibility
19:04
Speaker 3: point of view, where it is, you know, catering all
19:08
Speaker 3: these sorts of things, and yeah, you can spit shine it,
19:11
Speaker 3: you know, Polisher turd, but it's still going to be
19:15
Speaker 3: much the same. So look the All Blacks. You know,
19:18
Speaker 3: there's a lot of history there. But the fact New
19:20
Speaker 3: Zealand rugby back this new stadium, I think tells you
19:22
Speaker 3: everything you need to know about where rugby in this
19:26
Speaker 3: country wanted to go in Auckland.
19:28
Speaker 2: Yeah, and the history argument just doesn't wash with me.
19:31
Speaker 2: In the slide, well, look, I can't understand it. But
19:35
Speaker 2: no one's crowling for Carras Brook. No one's crowing for
19:38
Speaker 2: the old Lancaster Park with the new Christich Stadium on
19:41
Speaker 2: the doorstep next year Athletic Park in Wellington. Yes, you
19:44
Speaker 2: got great memories from these grounds, great record fifty unbeaten
19:47
Speaker 2: to Eden Park, but at some point that record's going
19:51
Speaker 2: to be broken, and what do you have at that point?
19:54
Speaker 2: Now that record's broken, you're back to zero. And yes,
19:56
Speaker 2: you've still got the memories of that great run and
19:58
Speaker 2: the World Cup victory in twenty eleven and grand now
20:00
Speaker 2: heading in the sixth for the black Caps in twenty
20:02
Speaker 2: fifteen and all those things. But those memories don't go
20:05
Speaker 2: away by going to a new stadium. And I think
20:08
Speaker 2: think in this country we're just a little bit too
20:12
Speaker 2: roast in to glasses looking back at history, when actually
20:15
Speaker 2: we should be a lot more forward looking than we are,
20:17
Speaker 2: thinking where do we want to be in ten and
20:18
Speaker 2: fifteen years time, twenty years time, not looking back to
20:20
Speaker 2: see how great the last ten to fifteen, twenty thirty
20:23
Speaker 2: years were, and that hamstrings a lot of progress. I
20:26
Speaker 2: think in this country. You look at the plans for
20:29
Speaker 2: the waterfrontary at the Waterfront Stadium, I look, the stadium
20:33
Speaker 2: is a stadium. You could redesign that however you wanted,
20:35
Speaker 2: But I think there would have been a much better option.
20:40
Speaker 2: Close to trainsport links, close to the downtown. There's going
20:42
Speaker 2: to be accommodation, restaurants put in there, everything like that.
20:45
Speaker 2: I think the Winyard point concept was great as well,
20:48
Speaker 2: and I'm not sure why that got booted so early.
20:51
Speaker 2: So look, real shame, real setback for sport and events,
20:55
Speaker 2: I think in New Zealand. Having said that, a few
20:58
Speaker 2: whispers going around that all might not be dead and
21:01
Speaker 2: apparently might be a bit of sort of Bargerrett will
21:05
Speaker 2: keep pushing on and keep going from that waterfront proposals.
21:09
Speaker 2: So watch the space. I don't think it's completely did
21:11
Speaker 2: as yet.
21:12
Speaker 3: It would have been a game changer. And look, put
21:14
Speaker 3: it this way, there's not too many reasons that Auckland
21:19
Speaker 3: does look to chrish Church with envy. But that stadium
21:24
Speaker 3: is going to be one and you know what, what's
21:27
Speaker 3: the capacity of that going to be?
21:28
Speaker 2: It can be thirty thousands yeah.
21:30
Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, so maybe not big all blacks tests, but
21:33
Speaker 3: from an atmosphere experience, that is going to blow Eden
21:37
Speaker 3: Park away. That stadium's going to be magic from its
21:40
Speaker 3: location to it's designed from the roof to everything. And
21:44
Speaker 3: that was a long time coming for christ Church as well.
21:48
Speaker 3: And that's a real modern stadium and that there's going
21:52
Speaker 3: to be a game changer and you're going to have
21:54
Speaker 3: concerts and big events flock there. But Auckland's mister trick.
22:00
Speaker 2: Yeah, get as lak yet Riverside very short orc from
22:04
Speaker 2: there to the new one New Zealand Stadium, Taka looking
22:08
Speaker 2: for to it next year, we'll be there. Topic two
22:11
Speaker 2: in the final four. Is there anyone in the Super
22:14
Speaker 2: Rugby Pacific competition you can definitely rule out from winning
22:18
Speaker 2: the title? The Red's on top on twenty three down
22:21
Speaker 2: to the drawer at bottom on seven, just ahead of
22:24
Speaker 2: the Blues on points differential, So the Blues is just
22:26
Speaker 2: a hit on points differential. Is there anyone you're willing
22:29
Speaker 2: to rule out at this point in time, Yes, yes
22:32
Speaker 2: there is. Who are they the force? Okay? There in
22:36
Speaker 2: the top six the drawer?
22:38
Speaker 3: Okay, where you got the waratas the Morat has a fifth? Yep,
22:43
Speaker 3: they're gone. And I don't think Moana can win the
22:46
Speaker 3: title and the Landers you don't think?
22:48
Speaker 2: I think. Look, I don't think Mowana will win the title,
22:51
Speaker 2: but I think they could and if they steak in
22:53
Speaker 2: to top six, they're going to be a dangerous team.
22:57
Speaker 3: Yeah.
22:57
Speaker 2: I would say Mowana are more dangerous than Highlanders coming
23:00
Speaker 2: down the stretch.
23:00
Speaker 3: Here, Yeah, I said, said the Landers are gone, so okay,
23:03
Speaker 3: there you go. I've gone one, two, three, four, five
23:06
Speaker 3: teams cannot win the.
23:07
Speaker 2: Time absolute you've taken the act there. I was gonna
23:10
Speaker 2: say the drawer because they kind of win, can't went
23:12
Speaker 2: away from home. They're the only team I've prepared to
23:14
Speaker 2: rule out of the stage. So I'm being a bit
23:15
Speaker 2: more conservative than you are. You've got gang ho and
23:18
Speaker 2: said that five of eleven teams at six weeks and
23:21
Speaker 2: cannot win. Ye stand by that bold statement. All right,
23:24
Speaker 2: we'll see how that goes. Speaking of seeing how that goes?
23:27
Speaker 2: Topic three, how's your tip for the final? And the
23:29
Speaker 2: first podcast of the season? Looking, can you remember how
23:31
Speaker 2: you picked up at the Blues and Wartars to make
23:34
Speaker 2: the final? You have to refresh my moment either. I
23:36
Speaker 2: was hoping you might come to the party.
23:38
Speaker 3: I think it's the chieftain.
23:39
Speaker 2: You did say the Chiefs and maybe the Blues the Chiefs.
23:41
Speaker 3: I don't know what I say. I'm just saying the
23:42
Speaker 3: Chiefs because they're the favorites.
23:44
Speaker 2: Now someone can check the tape for us. We're you
23:46
Speaker 2: also are looking pretty good if that was the tip
23:48
Speaker 2: the Boys Wartars five v. Ten At this point in
23:50
Speaker 2: the season, I suspect that may not be the final
23:53
Speaker 2: when all said and done in June.
23:55
Speaker 3: No, look, I think the point is it's still open,
23:58
Speaker 3: isn't it. And come the playoffs it could be upset Central. Yeah,
24:04
Speaker 3: and that's a lucky loser. Could be very valid because
24:10
Speaker 3: as Mowana has shown at the weekends and other results
24:13
Speaker 3: throughout the season, this competition is far more competitive than
24:17
Speaker 3: any in recent memory, and so when it does come
24:20
Speaker 3: down to the top six playoff, it is going to
24:23
Speaker 3: be an engrossing watch.
24:24
Speaker 2: Certainly is topic four in the final four. The Orpikie
24:27
Speaker 2: Final is still a week or so away. Fine a
24:30
Speaker 2: round coming up this weekend. The Blues on top by
24:32
Speaker 2: one point from Mutter two. The Blues play the Hurricanes
24:36
Speaker 2: poward this week, so should win that final should be
24:38
Speaker 2: at eden Park or it should be in Auckland, I
24:40
Speaker 2: should say. I don't think they're confirmed, but it's from
24:41
Speaker 2: the Eden Park. Interestingly, though, this was noted last week
24:44
Speaker 2: by someone here at rapid Rick Towers that the Orpicki
24:48
Speaker 2: Final has been moved to primetime, which they did flag
24:51
Speaker 2: I think before the start of the season. But now
24:53
Speaker 2: it's coming into focus a little bit more. It puts
24:55
Speaker 2: the match and focus seven oh five next weekend, same
25:00
Speaker 2: time as the Highlanders played the Druer. What are they
25:03
Speaker 2: doing here?
25:05
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm not too sure about the common sense around that,
25:10
Speaker 3: ol Packy correct me if I'm wrong. But has been
25:14
Speaker 3: played at the two pm slot every weekend? Why change that?
25:20
Speaker 3: Maybe the reasoning is around club rugby and wanted to
25:23
Speaker 3: get those people along, and I can understand that. But
25:26
Speaker 3: from an attendance viewership perspective, don't you want to maximize
25:31
Speaker 3: the eyeballs and have some consistency and your competition. If
25:36
Speaker 3: it's at seven pm, how many people are they going
25:40
Speaker 3: to get to even park?
25:41
Speaker 2: That's the question. How many people are going to watch
25:43
Speaker 2: it versus the Highland is drawer? Like, I know they're
25:45
Speaker 2: targeting a slightly different audience in terms of that or
25:47
Speaker 2: picky and that's great, but you also want the casual
25:50
Speaker 2: rugby fan that's more likely to probably go with the
25:53
Speaker 2: Highlanders drawer. If you can't play on the Saturday cause
25:56
Speaker 2: a club rugby, why not play on the Sunday afternoon
25:59
Speaker 2: two five. I know there's contracting commitments of various things,
26:02
Speaker 2: but surely once off Sunday afternoon. I know that the
26:04
Speaker 2: women's crossover final with Australia on the Thursday night. It
26:07
Speaker 2: would be a short time around. But I'm all for
26:12
Speaker 2: the promotion of women's rugby and we should be building
26:14
Speaker 2: that up. But this seems like a misfire from my
26:18
Speaker 2: point of view, and I'm not sure whether it's going
26:21
Speaker 2: to pay dividends. And look, the contrary thing is if
26:24
Speaker 2: they do play at Eden Park and there's not many
26:25
Speaker 2: people there, then that's going to be a bad look.
26:28
Speaker 3: It's a pretty soulless place Eden Park with not many people.
26:31
Speaker 3: You get twenty thousand there and it's still a half
26:33
Speaker 3: bes stadium. So yeah, I would have had it at
26:36
Speaker 3: two pm. The only thing I can think of is
26:38
Speaker 3: around club rugby and wanting to get people along, But
26:41
Speaker 3: I don't know if that's a significant enough factor to
26:45
Speaker 3: change that time slot. And yeah, the Hearlanded Dura is
26:49
Speaker 3: not a headline fixtion necessarily, but like you say, you
26:54
Speaker 3: want to maximize your casual fan maybe those who haven't
26:58
Speaker 3: tuned into the whole year and want to get along
27:00
Speaker 3: and sample the final. So I think that two pm
27:03
Speaker 3: slot would have been better.
27:04
Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely right, let's get into tipping. Good weekend for you,
27:07
Speaker 2: Liam three or four for you. The only one you
27:08
Speaker 2: missed was the Crusaders.
27:10
Speaker 3: Yes, should have stuck in my heart.
27:13
Speaker 2: So you got three or four. I missed the Crusaders
27:16
Speaker 2: and the Force. I picked them to bit the Reds,
27:18
Speaker 2: which they did not. So I lead overall, but you've
27:20
Speaker 2: closed the gap. Twenty one eighteen. Let's get into this
27:23
Speaker 2: week top of the table as we've touched on Chiefs
27:26
Speaker 2: Reads Friday night, seven.
27:27
Speaker 3: O five Chiefs. Yeah, I think it should be close
27:32
Speaker 3: and competitive.
27:33
Speaker 2: I think it should be, but I still beat to
27:34
Speaker 2: the Chiefs at home. I think they'll be good enough
27:36
Speaker 2: to win that game. The quad hitter on Saturday two
27:39
Speaker 2: five more onea Pacific against the war Tis.
27:41
Speaker 3: Yees Sunday, sorry, Saturday afternoon hopefully Balmie, North Harbor, north
27:48
Speaker 3: Shore as it always is. You'd expect a good turnout
27:52
Speaker 3: as well, wouldn't you after that performance and crush yet.
27:54
Speaker 3: So I'm gonna tap mowana there.
27:55
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm gonna tap one as well. I think they'll
27:57
Speaker 2: beat the Warrators the Drawer Crusaders four thirty five in Fiji.
28:02
Speaker 2: How did the Crusaders end up playing in Fiji about
28:05
Speaker 2: three years in a row and keep losing? What's going
28:09
Speaker 2: on with a draw here.
28:10
Speaker 3: It seems fair to me give you tip. I'm going
28:15
Speaker 3: to go the Duror.
28:17
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm going to go the Crusaders to win that one.
28:19
Speaker 2: Look forward to you on report on the ground, reports
28:21
Speaker 2: from over there.
28:22
Speaker 3: So I'll be in my Duror strip.
28:24
Speaker 2: Give you Crusaders much if you like. Blues Hurricanes seven
28:28
Speaker 2: o five. Real crunch game for the Blues, but also
28:32
Speaker 2: the Hurricanes in a way to back up what they
28:34
Speaker 2: did against the war Retars. They're on the edge of
28:36
Speaker 2: the Sex at the moment. The Blues are in tenth
28:39
Speaker 2: big game for both of these two teams. The Blues
28:41
Speaker 2: is supposed to get a few players back in this week.
28:43
Speaker 2: Is that enough to get them past the Hurricanes. Yeah?
28:45
Speaker 3: It meant to be some real big names coming back
28:47
Speaker 3: for the Blues, Boden Barretts and the Cavalry up front
28:51
Speaker 3: as well. But look, I will tip the Canes, but
28:56
Speaker 3: it is a very, very fifty to fifty.
28:57
Speaker 2: I'm going to the Blues to get home in that one.
28:59
Speaker 2: And then the Force in Perth against the Highlander is
29:02
Speaker 2: nine thirty five. Final game with a Saturday quad hitter.
29:05
Speaker 3: Yeah tough, wasn't it. Look I'm going to go the Landers,
29:08
Speaker 3: but again not with any great form of confidence.
29:11
Speaker 2: I'm going to force to get the job done in Perth.
29:14
Speaker 2: So a few different tips there along the way. Have
29:17
Speaker 2: MVP Metal time quick recap of the top standings to
29:21
Speaker 2: Monthya nawe out in front on eight. Then it's a
29:25
Speaker 2: five way type for second Artie Savier Quintepie, Will Jordan
29:28
Speaker 2: Duplaskrifi and Damien McKenzie and their miracle fire Lungey is
29:32
Speaker 2: in seventh at the moment on four points your three,
29:36
Speaker 2: two ones, I'll go first this week Artie Save gets
29:39
Speaker 2: my three. Just the difference he's made to that team,
29:43
Speaker 2: couple of tries on the weekend. Excellent player and I
29:47
Speaker 2: think we're just seeing that the kind of leadership that
29:50
Speaker 2: he brings to a team like more in a pacifica
29:53
Speaker 2: both on or off the park, and he's been an
29:55
Speaker 2: excellent form.
29:57
Speaker 3: Just on that point in question. Do you think the
29:59
Speaker 3: All Black's got it right with their with their captain
30:02
Speaker 3: and I mean their performance is particularly in Super Rugby
30:06
Speaker 3: currently speak to the holes a part, aren't it.
30:09
Speaker 1: Yeah?
30:09
Speaker 2: I don think Scott Barrett's having the greatest of Super
30:10
Speaker 2: Rugby seasons. I think it's different coach captaining an All
30:15
Speaker 2: Blacks team and the expectations around that and what you
30:19
Speaker 2: want out of it. Scott Robertson knows new Scott Barrett well.
30:24
Speaker 2: He installed him as captain. I think Artie Savier there
30:30
Speaker 2: was some questions around his game management, I think from
30:32
Speaker 2: a test perspective last year, and I think sometimes you
30:37
Speaker 2: also just want Artie to be Artie and just play
30:39
Speaker 2: the way he has, unencumbered by having to talk to referees,
30:41
Speaker 2: having to do those sort of things. So I get
30:44
Speaker 2: there was a groundswell for Artie Savier. I get his leader.
30:47
Speaker 2: He's still the vice captain of this team. For me,
30:50
Speaker 2: I think the decision was probably understandable you.
30:56
Speaker 3: I'm on the fence. I think we do need to
30:58
Speaker 3: see a lot more from Scott Barrett, both from a
31:00
Speaker 3: performance perspective, and I think there was a major adjustment
31:03
Speaker 3: for him in his first year as skipper, just the
31:07
Speaker 3: load of of it all off the field or the
31:10
Speaker 3: commitments there. I don't think it was a role that
31:13
Speaker 3: he with the or Blacks necessarily wanted, and it'll be
31:18
Speaker 3: one that he goes into, so I think Artie would
31:21
Speaker 3: have been better suited initially maybe Scott bat grows into overtime.
31:25
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's interesting as well. I don't think Scott's the
31:28
Speaker 2: most compelling interview subject in terms of the media. But
31:33
Speaker 2: you see some of those behind the scenes videos the
31:35
Speaker 2: All Blacks put out, and he's a lot more vocal there,
31:37
Speaker 2: sort of the team huddles things, talking to the team,
31:40
Speaker 2: rocking them up. Seen a few that have released there
31:42
Speaker 2: and you go, okay, well that's you know, there's a
31:44
Speaker 2: there's some leadership there, there's a bit there's a bit
31:46
Speaker 2: of charisma about that. So maybe the public face and
31:49
Speaker 2: the private face that are a wee bit different from
31:51
Speaker 2: from Scott Barrett. I don't know.
31:53
Speaker 3: Yeah, it does. He's not captaining the Crusaders. But something
31:56
Speaker 3: has happened in the last year or two though, hasn't it,
31:59
Speaker 3: Because he was the best lock or close to it
32:02
Speaker 3: in the world, you know Ebanez Tebeth and a like
32:04
Speaker 3: as well. But he has formed, has dipped significantly.
32:09
Speaker 2: He looks a little tired, and I wonder whether I
32:13
Speaker 2: con't try and I think whether he's got a sabbatical
32:15
Speaker 2: in his contract or not. But even just a bit
32:16
Speaker 2: of a rest. I mean, obviously he's a new All
32:19
Speaker 2: bleaxet and he shouldn't be needing rest necessarily, But I
32:21
Speaker 2: just wonder whether he's the kind of player that just
32:23
Speaker 2: needs a bit of a prolonged break. Didn't play a
32:25
Speaker 2: lot of rugby last year, but it was rehabs getting
32:27
Speaker 2: back onto the park. In terms of super rugby, I
32:30
Speaker 2: just wonder whether he just kind of needs a bit
32:32
Speaker 2: of refresh. I don't know what it is.
32:34
Speaker 3: Yeah, and simplify things. I think the easiest way to
32:38
Speaker 3: lead is to lead from the front interactions and so yeah,
32:41
Speaker 3: hopefully he can regain a bit of that as the
32:43
Speaker 3: season progresses.
32:44
Speaker 2: Yeah, Patrick Palagreen, he gets my two. Talked about him earlier,
32:47
Speaker 2: but what a signing from White at PACIFICA un hero
32:51
Speaker 2: of a player. I don't think anyone else would have
32:53
Speaker 2: been chasing him. But they've plucked him out from playing
32:55
Speaker 2: for Coventry and he is making every post a winner
32:59
Speaker 2: and the noticeable ups to it uptech since they basically
33:03
Speaker 2: traded him with Jackson Garden, baship has been really noticeable.
33:07
Speaker 2: So he gets my two. Balance Sullivan from the Hurricanes
33:10
Speaker 2: I thought it was very good on the week and
33:11
Speaker 2: gets my one.
33:12
Speaker 3: Nice. Yeah. Patrick Pellegrini gets my three. Just to the
33:16
Speaker 3: variety to his game, the fifty twenty two's, the long balls,
33:21
Speaker 3: the support play as you mentioned second division English club
33:24
Speaker 3: Rugby two. He mentioned postmatch that he grew up modeling
33:30
Speaker 3: his game idolizing James O'Connor, so to playing against his idols.
33:35
Speaker 3: Great story, isn't it three for him? Two to Artie
33:37
Speaker 3: Severe and one to Braden Yosse. Very impressed with his
33:42
Speaker 3: performance at Blindside for the King.
33:44
Speaker 2: Yeah, he'd had a quiet short of season to this point,
33:47
Speaker 2: a lot of wraps on the last year and probably
33:50
Speaker 2: hadn't got going this season. But that was a big
33:52
Speaker 2: performance of note, wasn't it. So he gets your one
33:55
Speaker 2: the sweet we'll tear that up and bring you the
33:57
Speaker 2: updated table next week. I can tell you Artie Savilla
33:59
Speaker 2: has moved to the front of the list. That'll about
34:03
Speaker 2: do us for rugby Dick for another week. I could
34:05
Speaker 2: have see our friends at Habit Health tackling all your
34:06
Speaker 2: aches and pains from sport and work. Big buller to you,
34:09
Speaker 2: Liam and enjoy your time in Fiji. To Let's go
34:13
Speaker 2: to you thanks to last and Bars English. We'll see
34:16
Speaker 2: you next time on Rugby Direct for
34:18
Speaker 1: More from News Talks, Ed b listen live on air
34:21
Speaker 1: or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
34:24
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