November 6, 2024 • 18 mins
On Sports Fix with D'Arcy Waldegrave and Jason Pine for Thursday 7 November 2024, former All Blacks Coach Laurie Mains talks about why Razor is keeping tight lipped on the Ethan de Groot drama.
D'Arcy delivers an opinion piece on where the Kiwis went wrong against Tonga.
Plus, the lads join the panel to discuss the return of Damien McKenzie to the 10 jersey.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News talks Ed. B
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
This is Sportsfix Howard by News.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Talks Ed be Hello there, and welcome into a fresh
episode of the Sports Fix podcast for Thursday, November the seventh.
I'm Jason Pine.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
My name is Darcy Walter Grave. Great to be back
in your radio again.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
It's great to be back together again, the two of us.
We always enjoy our time together on the sports.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Come in, give us a card. Here we go. Oh
that's so such a nice man.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
We should really have done this before we start a recording.
But here we are now embracing one another. Now that
that's done. Who are we hearing from on the Sports
Fix podcast today?
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Former All Black coach Laurie Mains. A lot to talk
about around the team, A lot to talk around discipline
and I suppose chat around do we have the right
to know when an All Black does something wrong and
then gets dropped? Is it our right to know this?
I'm really interested in how this operates. And of course
(01:11):
other team talked too with Lorry Mains.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Oh key to hear from Larry Wilkick. A few issues
around in the chamber, including an endorsement for Liam Lawson.
So heaps to get into.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Let's get into it in other news.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
As always, let's start with some of the big sports
stories around today. A reprieve for Damien McKenzie back in
the All Blacks number ten jersey for Saturday's Test against Ireland.
Boden Barrett ruled out with concussion. His coach Scott Robinson
x D mack can you get a bit of everything
from him?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
But when he's on he's world class and he showed
some great touches and just keep leaving themself.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Disappointment from kiwi's coach Stacy Jones over a missed call
by the officials during their loss to Tonga last weekend.
Shawn Johnson's late field goal attempt charged down but referee
Todd Smith missed second roller Ali Cartoua not being square
at the marker.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, they put their hand up and said they've got
an area wrong of it, but they said that they
couldn't go back and check the markers. I'm not too sure.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
That's some great areas and challenging and whatnot.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
And the breakdancing world sadly may have seen the last
of Raygun.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
I was going to keep competing for sure, but that
seems really difficult thing for me to do now, to
approach a battle. I still dance and I still break,
but you know that's like in my living room, my partner.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
We've got just the ticket. It's sports vix, how my
news talks Ivy.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
It's all about rugby on the show now, and we're
joined by a former All Black coach, Lorry Mains, as
we look towards Saturday morning's big pie fight in Ireland.
Welcome Lurry Mains. I trust you.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
Well that's the year, so I'm very well, thank you.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
This has got so much on it and when you
look back to what happened in a quarter final, and
of course everybody is very focused on that World Cup game,
there is so much for both sides to take away
from that game and to apply to the game coming
up on Saturday. Warning, is there a chance that the
Iris could get too tied up on revenge and the
(03:13):
All Blacks the same?
Speaker 5 (03:14):
Well, let's hope they do. I mean that game shouldn't
come into the preparations for this match. That era is
over for both teams, the era leading up to that
World Cup quarterfinal is over. Both of these teams should
be starting again to build for the next World Cup.
If Ireland going with a revenge attitude, I don't think
(03:36):
it'll work out well for them.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Looking at the lineups for the two teams, there's been
some adjustments, some changes forced by injury with Tyke Ferling
of course for the Iris, but no Boden Barrett, no
Cody Taylor. How much of a body blow is that?
Do you think Laurie to the run on fifteen, indeed
the entire twenty three.
Speaker 5 (03:56):
I think they'll miss Bowden, you know, whether it was
he was going to be starting or whether you know
he was going to come off the bench, he'll be missed.
And Cody Taylor, I think his form this year has
been simply outstanding, so he'll be missed as well. But
if Amua gets the lineouts right, he was a fantastic
(04:17):
player around the park against England and I'm sure they
worked very hard a week to get the lineouts right
and if that comes right then it won't be too
too big a blow to the All Blacks at all.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Another point around the selection here is prop Ethan. The
group misses out on the match day squad like he
did through disciplinary reasons. Last week, Robertson said it was
a performance decision to go with to Mighty Williams over
the group he was in there. He played well last week.
Talk to us even though you can't delve into it
(04:49):
because you're not Scott Robertson, you don't know what happened there.
It talked to us about internal discipline and the way
the All Blacks have kept this very much to themselves,
if not said too much, and it's it's been watertight.
Is that a positive? Is this the way the All
Blacks should deal with internal disciplinary issues?
Speaker 5 (05:09):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
It is.
Speaker 5 (05:10):
And I'm delighted that the whatever happened has not been
sniffed out by anyone. That that shows real strength of
character in the team and team spirit. And I'm delighted
and I'll be very happy if I never ever hear
what happened and I can see you know, Ethan Degruz
(05:34):
has been regarded as number one. He may be at
scrum time a shade better than to Mighty Williams. There's
not a lot in it, but last week I was
really impressed with Williams's work around the paddock. He's quite
explosive running with a ball and I thought he played
really well and he's deserved to be selected again.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
So you give someone an opportunity, I suppose it's there
to be taken, isn't it. And that's just the cruel
nature of selection in any team. And to Mighty got
given the opportunity took it.
Speaker 5 (06:08):
Yeah, well that's exactly what you want in the team.
And believe me, those All Blacks all respect each other
doing that very thing, and Ethan the group will respect
Mighty Williams if that's the reason he's selected again this
week because of his performance last week, I'm sure Ethan
will be right behind him, supporting him in that. That's
(06:30):
what the All Blacks are about.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Well, look slightly closer at the dark arts shortly on
that just around the public perception of this. They don't
know what happened, so in a vacuum people fill up
with all sorts of stuff. Did the public not have
a right to know what the problem was with Ethan
the grout?
Speaker 5 (06:48):
No? No, I think I think that that needs to
be kept in house. And I really respect the team
and it's the whole team and the greater team with
the management and everything have been tight looked about it,
and I think that's a good thing. I don't think
it was a agent there go. I you know, there
(07:11):
may have been a disciplinary slip which caused him not
being selected last week, and to Mighty Williams said, okay,
I've got to go. I want to play again next week.
So I am having a big game. And he did
have a big game.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
We know he's bossed, don't we. It's definitely Scott Robertson's team.
He's definitely made his mark on that. This is what's happening.
No league's coming out of it. So you said about
it management, But it's a big tick, isn't it? For
Razor Robinson?
Speaker 5 (07:37):
Well, it is, and we're starting to see in the
All Blacks the same sort of culture and development that
we saw with the Great Crusader sides that he coached.
And I'm sure this is what we all wanted to
see stepping up another level that Scott Robinson does the
same thing with the All Blacks, and I can see
(07:59):
it happening. And believe me, at international level, when you
have the quality of opposition that the All Blacks have
had this year, it doesn't happen overnight. And you know,
for me, he's tracking pretty well and I think we're
going to see a significant upturn next year. We may
even see it on the remainder of this tour, but
(08:22):
you know, the building blocks are definitely getting in place.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Coffee week, books, rugby, first thing on Saturday morning. Couldn't
ask for much more than that. Lourie mains always a pleasure.
Thanks very much for your insight, your expertise and your knowledge.
Speaker 5 (08:36):
Huge you appreciate it. Have been a pleasure to Darcy.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
This is Sportsfix, your daily does of sports news news talks.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
As good as Tonga were in beating the Kiwi last
week at Mounts Smart, you cannot avoid the facts that
the ki We should have won that game, and they
really fell apart in the last ten minutes. The first
forty minutes absolutely belonged to Tonga, the next thirty minutes
belonged to the Kiwi. It was looking like a grand
(09:08):
stand finish and then for some reason which I can't explain,
the key, we fell off the cliff. They've got some
extraordinary players, they've got some absolute game breakers. They had
the ball, they had the possession, they had what they needed,
but when it came to the crunch, the Kei. We
didn't have a master plan and if they did, I
(09:31):
didn't see it, or they executed it poorly. There were
numerous occasions at the end of that match, and yeah,
I know it's tragic that I rewatched it. At the
end of that match where the key we should have
flighted through the tongue in defense, I said, all credit
to the tongs for what they provided, but the key
we didn't do themselves any favors at all at the
(09:52):
end of that game. That was what you call clunky
and sadly, You've got to look to the coaching staff.
You've got to look to their head coach Stacy Jones,
You've got to look to his support staff and ask
what they were doing, what their plan was, and if
it was any different, how come they didn't instill that
plan into their players. Is an awful way for Shawn
(10:15):
Johnson to play his penultimate last game for the Kiwi.
I'm sure he'd rather go out on up and have
his final game be against Australia, but it wasn't to be.
It is disappointing and I hate to bring it up
because I love the Kiwi. Watching the replay, you can't
avoid it that was sloppy.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Time for us to pop inside the chamber and kick
around some of the big sports stories going around today.
All Blacks team naming in the early hours of this morning.
We woke up this morning to find just the two
changes to the side that got passed England a week
ago as one more and Damien Mackenzie in for the
concust Cody Taylor and Bowden Barrett at hooker and first five, respectively.
(11:02):
Did you expect there'll be more changes in the starting
fifteen beyond these two.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
I think there was a lot of talk earlier around
Ethan de Groot and whether he made his way back,
and again the starting loose said and not only did
he not get in there, he didn't even make the
twenty three. So I think there is some energy around
that decision. Where it came from Piney, we don't know,
but Robertson's basically saying it was a performance issue, and
(11:29):
I'm presuming there he wasn't playing last week, so he
couldn't perform. That's an issue, right, well?
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Or does it say okay, we're happy with to Mighty
Williams and once you've got the jersey on your back.
It's the only way that you're not going to have
it on your back is from non performance. So clearly
they were happy enough with the way to Mighty Williams played.
I thought they might have gone back to dgroot I
just wondered whether they might have gone back to the
more experienced player. They're not that Ethan de Grootz had
(11:56):
a massive year necessarily in the All Blacks Jersey or
in the Highlanders Jersey. I just wonder whether they might
have gone back to him, But clearly they've decided note
to Mighty Williams is our man. I also thought they
might change half back as well. I wondered whether Cam
Royguard would wear the nine jump. I'm not sure what
you think about the halfback spot.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Well, like Laurie Mains, it's a massive tick towards you
did nothing wrong, You're in the form, you've been playing well,
and maybe represents too much of a punt to throw
a guy like Roy Guard in in such a key
match up, but we know he provides the one to
off the bench. I think either all we would have
been okay and I don't have a problem with that.
(12:35):
I suppose going back to Ethan the grout within a vacuum,
we always find a way to fill it. So when
you come out and say things it's a performance issue
or it's an internal issue, immediately people go, well, what
is it? What did he do? Was it as simple
as he packed a sad after he got dumped and
Scott said, well, don't do that at my watch mate,
I'm not going to pick you neiquest time?
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Was it more?
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Was it less? Is it even any of our business party?
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Well? I guess I guess the You know, transparency is
a wonderful thing because then it does stop the vacuum
that you've just talked about there. If there's no vacuum
to fill with inaccuracies and half truths and general wonderings,
then I think that's a good thing. But then having
said that, though, you know, they often say, well, don't
(13:20):
air your dirty laundry in public. If indeed there's dirty
laundry to be had here, maybe it is kept internal.
I'm not sure that there's a right or wrong way.
But what we do know is Ethn de Groot's not
going to be playing on the weekend. He's missed the
twenty three, and I guess we'll at some stage, maybe
in the fullness of time, find out exactly exactly what's
going on there other positional things. I guess Damien McKenzie
(13:43):
the spotlight falls back on him in the ten jumper.
I think Scott Robertson described him as world class. Massive
test coming up for dmac it is.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Let's hope he's got his radar on like you did
last week when it comes to the conversions and it's
all on him. We know how much test rugby he
had earlier in the year before he was reserved by
Bowden Barrett. I'm still not entirely comfortable with him under
pressure to make the right decisions. But I'm a talk
back host in a thought radio station. I'm not a
(14:14):
coach and I'm not a player, so it doesn't matter.
But they've been trusted them. They're given him the keys again,
so they get in there and grind it up. You'd
expect big things, wouldn't you after losing his position coming
back and go all right, hold him a beer.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Yeah, Look, you've taken the words right out of my
mouth just about. I might have used different, slightly different words,
but you're so right. If I'm if I've been. I
don't know if he's been snubbed or overlooked or I mean,
certainly Boden Barrett was preferred to him last weekends. Yeah,
if I'm Dmac, I'm like, okay, I'll show you and
try and keep that spot for the for the France
(14:47):
Test that follows after this one. So yeah, there's a
there's a few. I mean, there'll be more talk on
this all Blacks tests between you and I tomorrow. As
far as prospects for the test to concern, we haven't
even talked about Ireland. But as far as the selection
is concerned, the continuation of a high degree of conservatism
by Scott Robertson in his first year in charge, we'll
wait and see how that plays out on the weekend.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
And so I've got to talk about Caleb Clark just
very very quickly, because I've had some texts in the
studio on Sports Talk for them saying, well with Caleb Clark,
as he got into this habit of deliberate or not
so deliberate knock ons, is this something he really has
to address or it's just the way he plays. And
they didn't call it again him last week, which I
(15:30):
think was fair enough. I think that's bullder dash myself.
What that guy provides is so big for this all
black side, and it's very different from his opposite wing,
if you will. What Taliah and Clark provide is wonderful
balance within the team.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Yet I totally agree, I totally agree. I have Caleb
Clark and the think he's the clear number one in
the eleven jumper as things stand right now, Hey, just
before we go, because I've used up just about all
the time in the chamber. But Ligham Lawson has got
an endorsement from Max for Stappan's dad. Does this mean anything?
Speaker 3 (16:04):
I don't know if any of the chat around the
paddock means a damn thing. When it comes to Formula one,
there's always someone pushing a barrow, but playing me Jospher
Stappan is instrumental in what happens with the Sun and
where he goes and where he stays. So he's willing
to climb in to the tumult and say we believe
Liam Lawson's the man. That's not a negative thing, right.
So the guts the matter here is it looks like
(16:27):
it's going to come down to and I'd be very
surprised if a doesen't uk Snoda versus Liam Lawson. Liam's
prude of the last three Grand Prix, that he can race,
he can race in the wet, he can get his
elbows out, He's not afraid of anybody. Sonoda is probably
going to disappear with the engine manufacturer Honda when they
go to Aston Martin. I'm not sure if they have
any choice but to put Liam Lawson in that seat.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Well, I am very much looking forward to seeing how
this plays out. If I've learned anything, and I've been
trying to upskill myself by listening to the lu likes
of yourself for McMurray and others about Formula one, it's
that nothing is certain. It doesn't feel as though anybody's
word is cast iron truth. So until we hear the
actual official word, I'll keep on enjoying Liam Lawson doing
(17:11):
what he's doing. And you and I, no doubt we'll
chat about it a lot more in the time to come.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
You stole it, Piney, drive it like you stole it.
That's all you need to know.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
That's a great phrase. That is a terrific phrase, and
that is us in the chamber for today.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Dissecting the sporting agenda. It's Sportsfix with Jason Pine and
Darcy Walter Grave.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
And that is all we have time for on the
Sports Fix podcast today. But don't worry, there'll be a
fresh episode dropping into your podcast feed and around about
the same time tomorrow. It'll happen automatically if you subscribe, and.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
If you have a thirst for more sport, listen to
the Wireless between seven and eight News Talk ZB Monday
through Friday of myself or Piney with Sports Talk and
unlike this podcast, you can actually climb in and have
your say as well. On eight hundred and eighty ten
eighty same with pine Man between twelve and three Saturday
Sunday with Weekend Sport. That's it done and dusted, right.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
See you tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
For more from ustalkset B listen live on air or
online and keep our shows with you wherever you go
with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
You're listening to a podcast from News talks Ed. B
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
This is Sportsfix Howard by News.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Talks Ed be Hello there, and welcome into a fresh
episode of the Sports Fix podcast for Thursday, November the seventh.
I'm Jason Pine.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
My name is Darcy Walter Grave. Great to be back
in your radio again.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
It's great to be back together again, the two of us.
We always enjoy our time together on the sports.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Come in, give us a card. Here we go. Oh
that's so such a nice man.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
We should really have done this before we start a recording.
But here we are now embracing one another. Now that
that's done. Who are we hearing from on the Sports
Fix podcast today?
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Former All Black coach Laurie Mains. A lot to talk
about around the team, A lot to talk around discipline
and I suppose chat around do we have the right
to know when an All Black does something wrong and
then gets dropped? Is it our right to know this?
I'm really interested in how this operates. And of course
(01:11):
other team talked too with Lorry Mains.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Oh key to hear from Larry Wilkick. A few issues
around in the chamber, including an endorsement for Liam Lawson.
So heaps to get into.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Let's get into it in other news.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
As always, let's start with some of the big sports
stories around today. A reprieve for Damien McKenzie back in
the All Blacks number ten jersey for Saturday's Test against Ireland.
Boden Barrett ruled out with concussion. His coach Scott Robinson
x D mack can you get a bit of everything
from him?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
But when he's on he's world class and he showed
some great touches and just keep leaving themself.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Disappointment from kiwi's coach Stacy Jones over a missed call
by the officials during their loss to Tonga last weekend.
Shawn Johnson's late field goal attempt charged down but referee
Todd Smith missed second roller Ali Cartoua not being square
at the marker.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, they put their hand up and said they've got
an area wrong of it, but they said that they
couldn't go back and check the markers. I'm not too sure.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
That's some great areas and challenging and whatnot.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
And the breakdancing world sadly may have seen the last
of Raygun.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
I was going to keep competing for sure, but that
seems really difficult thing for me to do now, to
approach a battle. I still dance and I still break,
but you know that's like in my living room, my partner.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
We've got just the ticket. It's sports vix, how my
news talks Ivy.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
It's all about rugby on the show now, and we're
joined by a former All Black coach, Lorry Mains, as
we look towards Saturday morning's big pie fight in Ireland.
Welcome Lurry Mains. I trust you.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
Well that's the year, so I'm very well, thank you.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
This has got so much on it and when you
look back to what happened in a quarter final, and
of course everybody is very focused on that World Cup game,
there is so much for both sides to take away
from that game and to apply to the game coming
up on Saturday. Warning, is there a chance that the
Iris could get too tied up on revenge and the
(03:13):
All Blacks the same?
Speaker 5 (03:14):
Well, let's hope they do. I mean that game shouldn't
come into the preparations for this match. That era is
over for both teams, the era leading up to that
World Cup quarterfinal is over. Both of these teams should
be starting again to build for the next World Cup.
If Ireland going with a revenge attitude, I don't think
(03:36):
it'll work out well for them.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Looking at the lineups for the two teams, there's been
some adjustments, some changes forced by injury with Tyke Ferling
of course for the Iris, but no Boden Barrett, no
Cody Taylor. How much of a body blow is that?
Do you think Laurie to the run on fifteen, indeed
the entire twenty three.
Speaker 5 (03:56):
I think they'll miss Bowden, you know, whether it was
he was going to be starting or whether you know
he was going to come off the bench, he'll be missed.
And Cody Taylor, I think his form this year has
been simply outstanding, so he'll be missed as well. But
if Amua gets the lineouts right, he was a fantastic
(04:17):
player around the park against England and I'm sure they
worked very hard a week to get the lineouts right
and if that comes right then it won't be too
too big a blow to the All Blacks at all.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Another point around the selection here is prop Ethan. The
group misses out on the match day squad like he
did through disciplinary reasons. Last week, Robertson said it was
a performance decision to go with to Mighty Williams over
the group he was in there. He played well last week.
Talk to us even though you can't delve into it
(04:49):
because you're not Scott Robertson, you don't know what happened there.
It talked to us about internal discipline and the way
the All Blacks have kept this very much to themselves,
if not said too much, and it's it's been watertight.
Is that a positive? Is this the way the All
Blacks should deal with internal disciplinary issues?
Speaker 5 (05:09):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
It is.
Speaker 5 (05:10):
And I'm delighted that the whatever happened has not been
sniffed out by anyone. That that shows real strength of
character in the team and team spirit. And I'm delighted
and I'll be very happy if I never ever hear
what happened and I can see you know, Ethan Degruz
(05:34):
has been regarded as number one. He may be at
scrum time a shade better than to Mighty Williams. There's
not a lot in it, but last week I was
really impressed with Williams's work around the paddock. He's quite
explosive running with a ball and I thought he played
really well and he's deserved to be selected again.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
So you give someone an opportunity, I suppose it's there
to be taken, isn't it. And that's just the cruel
nature of selection in any team. And to Mighty got
given the opportunity took it.
Speaker 5 (06:08):
Yeah, well that's exactly what you want in the team.
And believe me, those All Blacks all respect each other
doing that very thing, and Ethan the group will respect
Mighty Williams if that's the reason he's selected again this
week because of his performance last week, I'm sure Ethan
will be right behind him, supporting him in that. That's
(06:30):
what the All Blacks are about.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Well, look slightly closer at the dark arts shortly on
that just around the public perception of this. They don't
know what happened, so in a vacuum people fill up
with all sorts of stuff. Did the public not have
a right to know what the problem was with Ethan
the grout?
Speaker 5 (06:48):
No? No, I think I think that that needs to
be kept in house. And I really respect the team
and it's the whole team and the greater team with
the management and everything have been tight looked about it,
and I think that's a good thing. I don't think
it was a agent there go. I you know, there
(07:11):
may have been a disciplinary slip which caused him not
being selected last week, and to Mighty Williams said, okay,
I've got to go. I want to play again next week.
So I am having a big game. And he did
have a big game.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
We know he's bossed, don't we. It's definitely Scott Robertson's team.
He's definitely made his mark on that. This is what's happening.
No league's coming out of it. So you said about
it management, But it's a big tick, isn't it? For
Razor Robinson?
Speaker 5 (07:37):
Well, it is, and we're starting to see in the
All Blacks the same sort of culture and development that
we saw with the Great Crusader sides that he coached.
And I'm sure this is what we all wanted to
see stepping up another level that Scott Robinson does the
same thing with the All Blacks, and I can see
(07:59):
it happening. And believe me, at international level, when you
have the quality of opposition that the All Blacks have
had this year, it doesn't happen overnight. And you know,
for me, he's tracking pretty well and I think we're
going to see a significant upturn next year. We may
even see it on the remainder of this tour, but
(08:22):
you know, the building blocks are definitely getting in place.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Coffee week, books, rugby, first thing on Saturday morning. Couldn't
ask for much more than that. Lourie mains always a pleasure.
Thanks very much for your insight, your expertise and your knowledge.
Speaker 5 (08:36):
Huge you appreciate it. Have been a pleasure to Darcy.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
This is Sportsfix, your daily does of sports news news talks.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
As good as Tonga were in beating the Kiwi last
week at Mounts Smart, you cannot avoid the facts that
the ki We should have won that game, and they
really fell apart in the last ten minutes. The first
forty minutes absolutely belonged to Tonga, the next thirty minutes
belonged to the Kiwi. It was looking like a grand
(09:08):
stand finish and then for some reason which I can't explain,
the key, we fell off the cliff. They've got some
extraordinary players, they've got some absolute game breakers. They had
the ball, they had the possession, they had what they needed,
but when it came to the crunch, the Kei. We
didn't have a master plan and if they did, I
(09:31):
didn't see it, or they executed it poorly. There were
numerous occasions at the end of that match, and yeah,
I know it's tragic that I rewatched it. At the
end of that match where the key we should have
flighted through the tongue in defense, I said, all credit
to the tongs for what they provided, but the key
we didn't do themselves any favors at all at the
(09:52):
end of that game. That was what you call clunky
and sadly, You've got to look to the coaching staff.
You've got to look to their head coach Stacy Jones,
You've got to look to his support staff and ask
what they were doing, what their plan was, and if
it was any different, how come they didn't instill that
plan into their players. Is an awful way for Shawn
(10:15):
Johnson to play his penultimate last game for the Kiwi.
I'm sure he'd rather go out on up and have
his final game be against Australia, but it wasn't to be.
It is disappointing and I hate to bring it up
because I love the Kiwi. Watching the replay, you can't
avoid it that was sloppy.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Time for us to pop inside the chamber and kick
around some of the big sports stories going around today.
All Blacks team naming in the early hours of this morning.
We woke up this morning to find just the two
changes to the side that got passed England a week
ago as one more and Damien Mackenzie in for the
concust Cody Taylor and Bowden Barrett at hooker and first five, respectively.
(11:02):
Did you expect there'll be more changes in the starting
fifteen beyond these two.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
I think there was a lot of talk earlier around
Ethan de Groot and whether he made his way back,
and again the starting loose said and not only did
he not get in there, he didn't even make the
twenty three. So I think there is some energy around
that decision. Where it came from Piney, we don't know,
but Robertson's basically saying it was a performance issue, and
(11:29):
I'm presuming there he wasn't playing last week, so he
couldn't perform. That's an issue, right, well?
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Or does it say okay, we're happy with to Mighty
Williams and once you've got the jersey on your back.
It's the only way that you're not going to have
it on your back is from non performance. So clearly
they were happy enough with the way to Mighty Williams played.
I thought they might have gone back to dgroot I
just wondered whether they might have gone back to the
more experienced player. They're not that Ethan de Grootz had
(11:56):
a massive year necessarily in the All Blacks Jersey or
in the Highlanders Jersey. I just wonder whether they might
have gone back to him, But clearly they've decided note
to Mighty Williams is our man. I also thought they
might change half back as well. I wondered whether Cam
Royguard would wear the nine jump. I'm not sure what
you think about the halfback spot.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Well, like Laurie Mains, it's a massive tick towards you
did nothing wrong, You're in the form, you've been playing well,
and maybe represents too much of a punt to throw
a guy like Roy Guard in in such a key
match up, but we know he provides the one to
off the bench. I think either all we would have
been okay and I don't have a problem with that.
(12:35):
I suppose going back to Ethan the grout within a vacuum,
we always find a way to fill it. So when
you come out and say things it's a performance issue
or it's an internal issue, immediately people go, well, what
is it? What did he do? Was it as simple
as he packed a sad after he got dumped and
Scott said, well, don't do that at my watch mate,
I'm not going to pick you neiquest time?
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Was it more?
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Was it less? Is it even any of our business party?
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Well? I guess I guess the You know, transparency is
a wonderful thing because then it does stop the vacuum
that you've just talked about there. If there's no vacuum
to fill with inaccuracies and half truths and general wonderings,
then I think that's a good thing. But then having
said that, though, you know, they often say, well, don't
(13:20):
air your dirty laundry in public. If indeed there's dirty
laundry to be had here, maybe it is kept internal.
I'm not sure that there's a right or wrong way.
But what we do know is Ethn de Groot's not
going to be playing on the weekend. He's missed the
twenty three, and I guess we'll at some stage, maybe
in the fullness of time, find out exactly exactly what's
going on there other positional things. I guess Damien McKenzie
(13:43):
the spotlight falls back on him in the ten jumper.
I think Scott Robertson described him as world class. Massive
test coming up for dmac it is.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Let's hope he's got his radar on like you did
last week when it comes to the conversions and it's
all on him. We know how much test rugby he
had earlier in the year before he was reserved by
Bowden Barrett. I'm still not entirely comfortable with him under
pressure to make the right decisions. But I'm a talk
back host in a thought radio station. I'm not a
(14:14):
coach and I'm not a player, so it doesn't matter.
But they've been trusted them. They're given him the keys again,
so they get in there and grind it up. You'd
expect big things, wouldn't you after losing his position coming
back and go all right, hold him a beer.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Yeah, Look, you've taken the words right out of my
mouth just about. I might have used different, slightly different words,
but you're so right. If I'm if I've been. I
don't know if he's been snubbed or overlooked or I mean,
certainly Boden Barrett was preferred to him last weekends. Yeah,
if I'm Dmac, I'm like, okay, I'll show you and
try and keep that spot for the for the France
(14:47):
Test that follows after this one. So yeah, there's a
there's a few. I mean, there'll be more talk on
this all Blacks tests between you and I tomorrow. As
far as prospects for the test to concern, we haven't
even talked about Ireland. But as far as the selection
is concerned, the continuation of a high degree of conservatism
by Scott Robertson in his first year in charge, we'll
wait and see how that plays out on the weekend.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
And so I've got to talk about Caleb Clark just
very very quickly, because I've had some texts in the
studio on Sports Talk for them saying, well with Caleb Clark,
as he got into this habit of deliberate or not
so deliberate knock ons, is this something he really has
to address or it's just the way he plays. And
they didn't call it again him last week, which I
(15:30):
think was fair enough. I think that's bullder dash myself.
What that guy provides is so big for this all
black side, and it's very different from his opposite wing,
if you will. What Taliah and Clark provide is wonderful
balance within the team.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Yet I totally agree, I totally agree. I have Caleb
Clark and the think he's the clear number one in
the eleven jumper as things stand right now, Hey, just
before we go, because I've used up just about all
the time in the chamber. But Ligham Lawson has got
an endorsement from Max for Stappan's dad. Does this mean anything?
Speaker 3 (16:04):
I don't know if any of the chat around the
paddock means a damn thing. When it comes to Formula one,
there's always someone pushing a barrow, but playing me Jospher
Stappan is instrumental in what happens with the Sun and
where he goes and where he stays. So he's willing
to climb in to the tumult and say we believe
Liam Lawson's the man. That's not a negative thing, right.
So the guts the matter here is it looks like
(16:27):
it's going to come down to and I'd be very
surprised if a doesen't uk Snoda versus Liam Lawson. Liam's
prude of the last three Grand Prix, that he can race,
he can race in the wet, he can get his
elbows out, He's not afraid of anybody. Sonoda is probably
going to disappear with the engine manufacturer Honda when they
go to Aston Martin. I'm not sure if they have
any choice but to put Liam Lawson in that seat.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Well, I am very much looking forward to seeing how
this plays out. If I've learned anything, and I've been
trying to upskill myself by listening to the lu likes
of yourself for McMurray and others about Formula one, it's
that nothing is certain. It doesn't feel as though anybody's
word is cast iron truth. So until we hear the
actual official word, I'll keep on enjoying Liam Lawson doing
(17:11):
what he's doing. And you and I, no doubt we'll
chat about it a lot more in the time to come.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
You stole it, Piney, drive it like you stole it.
That's all you need to know.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
That's a great phrase. That is a terrific phrase, and
that is us in the chamber for today.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Dissecting the sporting agenda. It's Sportsfix with Jason Pine and
Darcy Walter Grave.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
And that is all we have time for on the
Sports Fix podcast today. But don't worry, there'll be a
fresh episode dropping into your podcast feed and around about
the same time tomorrow. It'll happen automatically if you subscribe, and.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
If you have a thirst for more sport, listen to
the Wireless between seven and eight News Talk ZB Monday
through Friday of myself or Piney with Sports Talk and
unlike this podcast, you can actually climb in and have
your say as well. On eight hundred and eighty ten
eighty same with pine Man between twelve and three Saturday
Sunday with Weekend Sport. That's it done and dusted, right.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
See you tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
For more from ustalkset B listen live on air or
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