On Sports Fix with Elliott Smith and Jason Pine for 7th July 2026, The Nations championship gets underway this weekend with the All Blacks facing France in Christchurch and the Wallabies host Ireland in Sydney. Aussie rugby commentator Christy Doran joins Elliott ahead of the first slate of matches. What can we expect from the Wallabies?
Piney offers his thoughts on the Portugal v Croatia match at the World Cup today
And the lads are in the chamber still chatting rugby ahead of the first test of the Dave Rennie era
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
This is Sportsfix Howard by News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Hello there, and welcome into the back end of your
working week, the front end of a big sporting weekend,
and a fresh episode of the Sportsbooks podcast for Friday,
July third. I'm Jason Pine, joined on the podcast today
by Elliot Smith. Elliott's going to have a chat to
Christy Douran, a very very well respected rugby writer from
(00:42):
across the Tasman, about the upcoming test weekend. Also on
the podcast today, Elliot and I will kick around some
thoughts about the first All Blacks test against France tomorrow
night in christ Church. And I've got some thoughts too
on an absolute epic at the Football World Cup, the
latest and sports news too, so let's get into it.
In other news, Let's get you going, as per usual,
(01:05):
a look at some of the big sports stories around today.
All Black Can coach jave Rennie confident the short time
the new team has had together won't be a barrier
to taking down France tomorrow night.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
We'll get the boys to a state where skill set
wise and conditioning wise, that seats us. Yeah, so it
may take a little bit of time, but as far
as being ready to play test match, we'll be ready
on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Stoppage time drama between two European heavyweights at the Football
World Cup today. Yeah, Gonzalo Ramos's ninety fourth minute header
has sealed Portugal. I come from behind two to one
win over Croatia in Toronto and twenty twenty one finalist
(01:50):
Matteo Berrettini's produced the biggest surprise of the day at Wimbledon,
beating twenty ath seed Arthur Feasts and four sets in
the second round. The Italian world number fifty one sets
he didn't let dropping the third set. Irkham for a
pleasing start.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
I found the right energy in the fourth and I
started to serve batter and then I was aggressive, especially
in the four, and I think that's how I got
the win. Leading a VIX, We've got just the ticket.
It's Sports Fix powered by News Talks Ivy Well.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Dave Rennie starting his All Blacks career tomorrow night. Someone
that followed him around when he was the Wallabies coach
not so long ago as freelance Australian rugby journalist Christy Doran,
and Christy was the right throughout the start of his
tenure in twenty twenty until the abrupt end in twenty
twenty two, so we thought let's go to Christi Doran
for a perspective on what we can expect from Dave Rinnie. Christy,
thanks so much of your time on the Sports X podcast.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
Pagrizz Elliott a bit of test Ruggy Nations Championship news format.
Well beside Dave Rennie's first fifteen and twenty three, I
think it's almost like Christmas.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Certainly feels like Christmas. And actually that's where I'll start
on Dave Rennie. Actually, Christy, with his tenure with the
All Black starting tomorrow night and his former ties with
the Wallabees, has there been much interest in your part
of the world given his former ties with the Australian side.
Speaker 5 (03:05):
I think people have been a little bit more interested
because of that. But I was fascinated by over any
first twenty three. I thought the selection of Dave Damian
McKenzie was a really interesting fullback when you've got Will
Jordan there on the right wing, and I just thought that,
you know, picked your best fullback and maybe gets for
he just showed out there, hasn't he. You've just been
(03:27):
a revelation this year. You know, it's picking a specialist
winger on the bench. How much time is he actually
going to get out there and steal it? I thought
that was a slightly odd core. The back roll of
the All Blacks isn't interesting on this year. I'm not
sure if he's not that. And I can't believe Tokiyaho
is not in the mix in the twenty three. I
(03:47):
think he's just been I know has been amazing. And
the leadership the Cody Taylor offers the Takyaho, it's pretty
tough into to miss out this one one.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Are there any listens Christy from Dave Ronie's Wallaby's tenure
that was a course cut short by Hamish Mcleanan. He
was replaced by Eddie Jones before the twenty twenty three
World Cup. Are there any listens from that tenure that
maybe All Blacks fans and our listeners should be looking
out for.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
Yeah, that's an interesting question. I think there are. I
think he didn't get his selection right, particularly in twenty
twenty two. Would kept on going back to the old
guard as well? The Deefa, his tenure went and maybe
that's because he was scared of losing a job. We
all know that there's a lot of coaches that are
under pressure to keep them. But at one point in
time it Wasn't reverting back to the old guard, and
(04:31):
then it was Kwake Cooper and then it was Bernard
Foley in Meanwhile, the other younger tens were getting in
and out of the side. So I would hope that
a Reuben Love who gets the first opportunity, doesn't just
get one or two tests, gets a long crack to
see how he goes. Because we know Boden Barratts and
the Roo View mirror, we know that Richie Longan is
still to come back. We know that James McKenzie has
(04:53):
been in and out of ten for his whole life.
So I'd love to see in the same way that
maybe Noelac wasn't given that huge extended run, I'd love
to see Reuben Love given that one.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
Give us a scenes, Christie where the Wallabies are as
they approached the campaign. I've got this, got this weird,
Joe Schmidt. Least because ceremonial hand over at some point
where the Wallaby's at as they start their campaign.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
Yeah, that was quite well described. It is weird and
it does feel bit ceremonial. But I'll tell you well,
Joe Schmidt won't be thinking about that at all because
he's win rate's not being brilliant with the Wallaby, so
he'll be desperate to turn it around. That's point A,
and then point B is as Island this weekend forty
odd thousand, the sfs here just up the road and
(05:38):
where I'm in Lara but in Paddington and everyone's going
to be you know, the bar is going to be full,
there's going to be a lot of IRUs, so you
know that the Wallabies are going to be up before us.
And it's a bit of a weird one because the
Wallaby is and none of these chantayers been playing because
they got booted out of Super Rugby in the qualifying finals.
Two of them didn't make it, so there's not been
any oddie rugby on this side of the ditch for
(05:59):
a while. The only three that have had any form
to speak of is Lanikata and Tom Hooper, who were
up at Exeter played the final of the English Premiership,
and then Taniela two two Po's Racing ninety two lost
to loose US what is it almost two weeks ago now,
so the form card is really hard to speak of
what they are are. There's a few black eyes that
(06:22):
have been running around the team hotel and they've been
speaking to the media in recent days. But I think
it's going to be a very close game. A lot
of these Australia Island matches certainly have been after sixty
seventy minutes. The Irish are in a five match winning
streak and it gates back to twenty eighteen when Schmidt's
Irish beat the Michael Checkers all of his team. So
(06:42):
it's going to be one heck of a game.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
It is, indeed, and Joe Schment's made a couple of
surprising selections as well, with joh Campbell at fullback this week.
What's the thinking behind that?
Speaker 5 (06:51):
Yeah, that news filtered out on Wednesday and his first
test since November twenty twenty two under Dave for Annie,
so he's had four years between drinks. He's just quite
simply going to show his their fullback this year. And
it was interesting that Max Shorgans and who played I
think six tests or four tests at fullback over the
last year or so, and he finished the year at fullback,
(07:14):
but he's only been considered as a winger at this
point of time, and Joseph did his best to say
that he's not a fullback at the moment in polite terms.
From an international point of view, Tom Wright's come back
from injury, his form has been patchy, so it made
sense to actually have Jock Campbell there. I think the
big you know, there's one or two decisions in the
(07:34):
pack where you could question a little bit Lonigan and
Carter Gordon. You can't really look past at that as
the halves with Jake Gordon uninjured. But the big core
I think is that there's no midfield cover on the bench,
and if there was an injury to either Leniktau or
Joseph Crusius Soul, who's going to cover And at this
(07:57):
point in time, Schmidt was saying that it could be
Tom Wright, who's never played in the midfield in his life.
So that's a big, big decision because they've already got
Ben Donaldson on the bench Tom Wright. There are a
couple of guys who can play full back. Obviously, Jonathan's
played ten for most of the year, but he wore
the fifteen jersey at their twenty twenty three World Cup,
so big Core, I'm not sure if you've got the
(08:17):
balance of the bench right.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
This is Sportsfix, your daily does of sports news, cowing
by News Talks eb.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
An absolutely remarkable game of football played out at the
World Cup this afternoon, Portugal Croatia in Toronto. Actually, at halftime,
I didn't think it was going to be a remarkable game.
It was Neil mil pretty cage. But the game woke
up after the break in utterly extraordinary fashion. Croatia went
wonderl up early in the second half. Lovely goal actually
(08:47):
by Ivan Peisich, who's thirty seven years old, a baby
though compared to Luca Modrich's teammate who's forty and Christiano Ronaldo,
who became the oldest player ever to start a knockout
game at the World Cup at the age of forty one. Anyway,
Parisitic put Croatia ahead, then they had a goal disallowed
for offside. Portugal's Leoo smacked one against the woodwork. Ronaldo
(09:12):
thought it equalizes, but he was denied by the off
side flag. And then after sixty two minutes, so thirty
minutes ago. Roberto Martinez, the Portuguese boss, made four substitutions,
four new players, but Ronaldo stayed on, and probably quite
luckily for him, because Portugal got a penalty. He converted
(09:32):
it and at the age of forty one years in
one hundred and forty seven days, he became the oldest
player to score in the knockout rounds at the FIFA
World Cup. Well, Croasti came back down the other end.
They got the ball in the net again, up goes
the flag offside again so that one doesn't count, and
then Ronaldo is taken off and he did not want
(09:54):
to go He looked over at Martinez when his number
went up, like a petulant child who's been told it's
time to go to bed. He did not want to
go off, but he had to late chances for both sides.
And then with four minutes gone in stoppage time and
unreal ball in from the left and one of those subs,
Gonzalo Ramos rose high and not at home the winner.
(10:16):
But we still weren't done. In the thirteenth minute of
added time, Croatia get the ball in the net again,
but this one has chalked off for offside. The final
whistle eventually blew in the nineteenth minute. The nineteenth minute
of added time, Portugal TiO Croatia one, Cristiano Ronaldo marches
(10:38):
on to the next round. Unfortunately, though, we might have
seen the end of another legend. Luka Modrich of Croatia
over two hundred caps for his country. He's forty. I
doubt he'll be going round again. Portugal doo much on.
They play Spain next though, so their World Cup might
only have been elongated by a few days.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
On the Sports Fix podcast, Let's Pop inside the Chamber.
Elliott Smith is with me. We've heard you talking to
Christy Door and really interest thoughts about Dave Rennie and
other bits and pieces. I've got a couple of questions
for you now, as our rugby editor and match commentator
tomorrow night. What sort of game should we expect from
the All Blacks. I know it's a wide ranging question
(11:22):
and probably tough to answer, but can you try.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
I'll do my best at Piney. Look, I think we
should expect the All Blacks to probably be a little
bit rusty. I think if we set those expectations there,
then we won't be let down entirely. I think that's
probably a good starting point. But we should expect is
the All Blacks to play with a clear game plan.
Now there's obviously going to be elements that will be
added over the course of the next seventeen games, over
(11:45):
the course of the year, but what you want to
see is an All Blacks team that knows what it
wants to achieve out of a game, knows its way
to the try line, knows a clear structure. And I
don't think we've seen that over the last couple of
seasons from Scott robertson. There were certainly points where it
looked like they were developing it and then they went
away from it again. So I think tomorrow night, in
the first Test of the year, we want to see
(12:07):
the All Blacks play in a way that you can
go yep. I may not see the full product now,
but I can see where it's going to land in
a few Test matches time. So that's sort of sitting
on a fence a little bit. But I think as
long as we see a step forward from the All
Blacks and that will be a positive sign.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
All right, A new full time leader Artie Savier. You've
been at his captain's run, which included a media opportunity
with Ardie Savia. How did he come across.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Yeah, really well, I'm always a big fan of Arty
and hearing from him, and he approaches the game in
a unique way and I think he looks at it
in a different way and he's clearly that he wants
to lead by example and we saw that with Mouana
pacifica last year and he looks captain's sides previously, captain
of the All Blacks previously. But what he did with
Mina was he was obviously so invested in being part
(12:53):
of that team that he took them on his shoulders. Now,
the All Blacks are a better team than Winna Pacific
and he shouldn't have to do it alone. But when
he's clearly invested in a project, we get the best
out of Ardie Savia and he rises to the occasion
when he is captain as well. And I think this
is a union challenge. It's eighteen months through to the
World Cup. You've been anointed as captain, Dave Renni has
come in. It's almost a head and run job. Dave
(13:15):
Rennie might stay beyond the twenty twenty seven World Cup.
Ardie Savie I suspect will not and I suspect this
will be his last eighteen months in world rugby. So
there's a clear finish line insight for Artie, I think,
and that almost works in a in a good way
for him. He can throw all his energy into the
next eighteen months and lead by example. And he just
you know, talks about it rugby in a refreshing way.
He talks about Rubin Love asked him, you know, you
(13:36):
know what are her messages to him? Is I don't
need to give it Ruben Love any messages. The kid's
got confidence oozing out of him. So that's refreshing to hear.
Other captains might have straight bad at it, might have
approached it in a different way. So I think he's
the captain this team needs Ardie Savier.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Okay Niche question now around goal kicking. There are a
couple of options, both of who kicked for their franchises,
both of who went to the Super Rugby Final. Ruben Love,
Damien McKenzie, Jordi Barrett also takes a decent place. Gack,
did you get any clue as to who will get
the duties tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
And not in the time that I was there. Look,
I'm a fan of the ten kicking buy and love
unless they're completely woful at it, you know, I think
it just adds to the ownership of the game. And
if you are owning the game by keeping the scooreboard
ticking over, whether it be by thre's or adding conversions,
then I think you've got a little bit more skin
in the game. And in terms of being a playmaker.
So while Jordi Barrett is an exceptional goalkick, and so
(14:26):
to is Damien McKenzie, I really love Ruben Love to
step up to the plate and go, hey, I'm going
to kick the goals as well as direct the team
around the park because ultimately, I think that presents a
better packages of ten. So you're not going to lose
anything by having a Barrett or mackenzie step up to
the plate. But hey, it's Love's team. He's been given
the keys while not give him the responsibility of kicking too.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Indeed, and we're here in christ it's your hometown. How
special is it to have the first all Blacks test
match at this brand new stadium. I don't know. Without
wanting to layer it on too thick. It is a
special day tomorrow, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
It really is. And look, the Crusaders have been omnipresent
throughout the last fifteen years since the earthquake of the
you know the Big Man issued back in February twenty eleven.
The All Blacks haven't been is omnipresent in christ judge
they were previously, but since the end they've come in
dribs and drabs, and that's completely understandable because the stadium
that was there temporarily was not fit to host international
(15:18):
rugby of the highest orders, so they've had to wait
the city and it will be very special to have
regular test rugby. I hope it's regular test rugby back
on these shores. And what a special venue it is
having been down for Super Round. It is a magnificent
venue that stands up alongside the world's best, I believe.
And yeah, we'll just signal something tomorrow night that Test
(15:39):
rugby is back in christ Church, and j I say
it all is almost right with the world.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Indeed, Yeah, I've spoken to a lot of people today
who are saying they couldn't get tickets.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Yeah, oh absolutely, yeah, and they I mean this is
the thing now with the stadium. They could only budget
twenty five thousand seats for the first time. Tomorrow they've
got the five thousand extra which brings it up to
three thousand capacity. They could have sold that out again,
so maybe they sold themselves a little bit short and
perhaps might have been able to add extra ten thousand
to the stadium. That's a problem that will have to
consider down the track. But regardless, going to be a
(16:08):
full house, full noise, and having looked at the stadium
this afternoon, it is immaculate and ready to go.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Oh, I can't wait, can't wait for a big occasion
for the All Blacks and for christ gigs. They'll do
us in the chamber for today.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Leading a fix. We've got just the ticket. It's Sports
Fix powered by News.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Talks V and that'll blow the final whistle on Sports
Fix for today. Thank you so much for tuning in,
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(16:46):
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Speaker 1 (16:53):
For more from News Talks, EDB, listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
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You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
This is Sportsfix Howard by News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Hello there, and welcome into the back end of your
working week, the front end of a big sporting weekend,
and a fresh episode of the Sportsbooks podcast for Friday,
July third. I'm Jason Pine, joined on the podcast today
by Elliot Smith. Elliott's going to have a chat to
Christy Douran, a very very well respected rugby writer from
(00:42):
across the Tasman, about the upcoming test weekend. Also on
the podcast today, Elliot and I will kick around some
thoughts about the first All Blacks test against France tomorrow
night in christ Church. And I've got some thoughts too
on an absolute epic at the Football World Cup, the
latest and sports news too, so let's get into it.
In other news, Let's get you going, as per usual,
(01:05):
a look at some of the big sports stories around today.
All Black Can coach jave Rennie confident the short time
the new team has had together won't be a barrier
to taking down France tomorrow night.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
We'll get the boys to a state where skill set
wise and conditioning wise, that seats us. Yeah, so it
may take a little bit of time, but as far
as being ready to play test match, we'll be ready
on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Stoppage time drama between two European heavyweights at the Football
World Cup today. Yeah, Gonzalo Ramos's ninety fourth minute header
has sealed Portugal. I come from behind two to one
win over Croatia in Toronto and twenty twenty one finalist
(01:50):
Matteo Berrettini's produced the biggest surprise of the day at Wimbledon,
beating twenty ath seed Arthur Feasts and four sets in
the second round. The Italian world number fifty one sets
he didn't let dropping the third set. Irkham for a
pleasing start.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
I found the right energy in the fourth and I
started to serve batter and then I was aggressive, especially
in the four, and I think that's how I got
the win. Leading a VIX, We've got just the ticket.
It's Sports Fix powered by News Talks Ivy Well.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Dave Rennie starting his All Blacks career tomorrow night. Someone
that followed him around when he was the Wallabies coach
not so long ago as freelance Australian rugby journalist Christy Doran,
and Christy was the right throughout the start of his
tenure in twenty twenty until the abrupt end in twenty
twenty two, so we thought let's go to Christi Doran
for a perspective on what we can expect from Dave Rinnie. Christy,
thanks so much of your time on the Sports X podcast.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
Pagrizz Elliott a bit of test Ruggy Nations Championship news format.
Well beside Dave Rennie's first fifteen and twenty three, I
think it's almost like Christmas.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Certainly feels like Christmas. And actually that's where I'll start
on Dave Rennie. Actually, Christy, with his tenure with the
All Black starting tomorrow night and his former ties with
the Wallabees, has there been much interest in your part
of the world given his former ties with the Australian side.
Speaker 5 (03:05):
I think people have been a little bit more interested
because of that. But I was fascinated by over any
first twenty three. I thought the selection of Dave Damian
McKenzie was a really interesting fullback when you've got Will
Jordan there on the right wing, and I just thought that,
you know, picked your best fullback and maybe gets for
he just showed out there, hasn't he. You've just been
(03:27):
a revelation this year. You know, it's picking a specialist
winger on the bench. How much time is he actually
going to get out there and steal it? I thought
that was a slightly odd core. The back roll of
the All Blacks isn't interesting on this year. I'm not
sure if he's not that. And I can't believe Tokiyaho
is not in the mix in the twenty three. I
(03:47):
think he's just been I know has been amazing. And
the leadership the Cody Taylor offers the Takyaho, it's pretty
tough into to miss out this one one.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Are there any listens Christy from Dave Ronie's Wallaby's tenure
that was a course cut short by Hamish Mcleanan. He
was replaced by Eddie Jones before the twenty twenty three
World Cup. Are there any listens from that tenure that
maybe All Blacks fans and our listeners should be looking
out for.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
Yeah, that's an interesting question. I think there are. I
think he didn't get his selection right, particularly in twenty
twenty two. Would kept on going back to the old
guard as well? The Deefa, his tenure went and maybe
that's because he was scared of losing a job. We
all know that there's a lot of coaches that are
under pressure to keep them. But at one point in
time it Wasn't reverting back to the old guard, and
(04:31):
then it was Kwake Cooper and then it was Bernard
Foley in Meanwhile, the other younger tens were getting in
and out of the side. So I would hope that
a Reuben Love who gets the first opportunity, doesn't just
get one or two tests, gets a long crack to
see how he goes. Because we know Boden Barratts and
the Roo View mirror, we know that Richie Longan is
still to come back. We know that James McKenzie has
(04:53):
been in and out of ten for his whole life.
So I'd love to see in the same way that
maybe Noelac wasn't given that huge extended run, I'd love
to see Reuben Love given that one.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
Give us a scenes, Christie where the Wallabies are as
they approached the campaign. I've got this, got this weird,
Joe Schmidt. Least because ceremonial hand over at some point
where the Wallaby's at as they start their campaign.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
Yeah, that was quite well described. It is weird and
it does feel bit ceremonial. But I'll tell you well,
Joe Schmidt won't be thinking about that at all because
he's win rate's not being brilliant with the Wallaby, so
he'll be desperate to turn it around. That's point A,
and then point B is as Island this weekend forty
odd thousand, the sfs here just up the road and
(05:38):
where I'm in Lara but in Paddington and everyone's going
to be you know, the bar is going to be full,
there's going to be a lot of IRUs, so you
know that the Wallabies are going to be up before us.
And it's a bit of a weird one because the
Wallaby is and none of these chantayers been playing because
they got booted out of Super Rugby in the qualifying finals.
Two of them didn't make it, so there's not been
any oddie rugby on this side of the ditch for
(05:59):
a while. The only three that have had any form
to speak of is Lanikata and Tom Hooper, who were
up at Exeter played the final of the English Premiership,
and then Taniela two two Po's Racing ninety two lost
to loose US what is it almost two weeks ago now,
so the form card is really hard to speak of
what they are are. There's a few black eyes that
(06:22):
have been running around the team hotel and they've been
speaking to the media in recent days. But I think
it's going to be a very close game. A lot
of these Australia Island matches certainly have been after sixty
seventy minutes. The Irish are in a five match winning
streak and it gates back to twenty eighteen when Schmidt's
Irish beat the Michael Checkers all of his team. So
(06:42):
it's going to be one heck of a game.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
It is, indeed, and Joe Schment's made a couple of
surprising selections as well, with joh Campbell at fullback this week.
What's the thinking behind that?
Speaker 5 (06:51):
Yeah, that news filtered out on Wednesday and his first
test since November twenty twenty two under Dave for Annie,
so he's had four years between drinks. He's just quite
simply going to show his their fullback this year. And
it was interesting that Max Shorgans and who played I
think six tests or four tests at fullback over the
last year or so, and he finished the year at fullback,
(07:14):
but he's only been considered as a winger at this
point of time, and Joseph did his best to say
that he's not a fullback at the moment in polite terms.
From an international point of view, Tom Wright's come back
from injury, his form has been patchy, so it made
sense to actually have Jock Campbell there. I think the
big you know, there's one or two decisions in the
(07:34):
pack where you could question a little bit Lonigan and
Carter Gordon. You can't really look past at that as
the halves with Jake Gordon uninjured. But the big core
I think is that there's no midfield cover on the bench,
and if there was an injury to either Leniktau or
Joseph Crusius Soul, who's going to cover And at this
(07:57):
point in time, Schmidt was saying that it could be
Tom Wright, who's never played in the midfield in his life.
So that's a big, big decision because they've already got
Ben Donaldson on the bench Tom Wright. There are a
couple of guys who can play full back. Obviously, Jonathan's
played ten for most of the year, but he wore
the fifteen jersey at their twenty twenty three World Cup,
so big Core, I'm not sure if you've got the
(08:17):
balance of the bench right.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
This is Sportsfix, your daily does of sports news, cowing
by News Talks eb.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
An absolutely remarkable game of football played out at the
World Cup this afternoon, Portugal Croatia in Toronto. Actually, at halftime,
I didn't think it was going to be a remarkable game.
It was Neil mil pretty cage. But the game woke
up after the break in utterly extraordinary fashion. Croatia went
wonderl up early in the second half. Lovely goal actually
(08:47):
by Ivan Peisich, who's thirty seven years old, a baby
though compared to Luca Modrich's teammate who's forty and Christiano Ronaldo,
who became the oldest player ever to start a knockout
game at the World Cup at the age of forty one. Anyway,
Parisitic put Croatia ahead, then they had a goal disallowed
for offside. Portugal's Leoo smacked one against the woodwork. Ronaldo
(09:12):
thought it equalizes, but he was denied by the off
side flag. And then after sixty two minutes, so thirty
minutes ago. Roberto Martinez, the Portuguese boss, made four substitutions,
four new players, but Ronaldo stayed on, and probably quite
luckily for him, because Portugal got a penalty. He converted
(09:32):
it and at the age of forty one years in
one hundred and forty seven days, he became the oldest
player to score in the knockout rounds at the FIFA
World Cup. Well, Croasti came back down the other end.
They got the ball in the net again, up goes
the flag offside again so that one doesn't count, and
then Ronaldo is taken off and he did not want
(09:54):
to go He looked over at Martinez when his number
went up, like a petulant child who's been told it's
time to go to bed. He did not want to
go off, but he had to late chances for both sides.
And then with four minutes gone in stoppage time and
unreal ball in from the left and one of those subs,
Gonzalo Ramos rose high and not at home the winner.
(10:16):
But we still weren't done. In the thirteenth minute of
added time, Croatia get the ball in the net again,
but this one has chalked off for offside. The final
whistle eventually blew in the nineteenth minute. The nineteenth minute
of added time, Portugal TiO Croatia one, Cristiano Ronaldo marches
(10:38):
on to the next round. Unfortunately, though, we might have
seen the end of another legend. Luka Modrich of Croatia
over two hundred caps for his country. He's forty. I
doubt he'll be going round again. Portugal doo much on.
They play Spain next though, so their World Cup might
only have been elongated by a few days.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
On the Sports Fix podcast, Let's Pop inside the Chamber.
Elliott Smith is with me. We've heard you talking to
Christy Door and really interest thoughts about Dave Rennie and
other bits and pieces. I've got a couple of questions
for you now, as our rugby editor and match commentator
tomorrow night. What sort of game should we expect from
the All Blacks. I know it's a wide ranging question
(11:22):
and probably tough to answer, but can you try.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
I'll do my best at Piney. Look, I think we
should expect the All Blacks to probably be a little
bit rusty. I think if we set those expectations there,
then we won't be let down entirely. I think that's
probably a good starting point. But we should expect is
the All Blacks to play with a clear game plan.
Now there's obviously going to be elements that will be
added over the course of the next seventeen games, over
(11:45):
the course of the year, but what you want to
see is an All Blacks team that knows what it
wants to achieve out of a game, knows its way
to the try line, knows a clear structure. And I
don't think we've seen that over the last couple of
seasons from Scott robertson. There were certainly points where it
looked like they were developing it and then they went
away from it again. So I think tomorrow night, in
the first Test of the year, we want to see
(12:07):
the All Blacks play in a way that you can
go yep. I may not see the full product now,
but I can see where it's going to land in
a few Test matches time. So that's sort of sitting
on a fence a little bit. But I think as
long as we see a step forward from the All
Blacks and that will be a positive sign.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
All right, A new full time leader Artie Savier. You've
been at his captain's run, which included a media opportunity
with Ardie Savia. How did he come across.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Yeah, really well, I'm always a big fan of Arty
and hearing from him, and he approaches the game in
a unique way and I think he looks at it
in a different way and he's clearly that he wants
to lead by example and we saw that with Mouana
pacifica last year and he looks captain's sides previously, captain
of the All Blacks previously. But what he did with
Mina was he was obviously so invested in being part
(12:53):
of that team that he took them on his shoulders. Now,
the All Blacks are a better team than Winna Pacific
and he shouldn't have to do it alone. But when
he's clearly invested in a project, we get the best
out of Ardie Savia and he rises to the occasion
when he is captain as well. And I think this
is a union challenge. It's eighteen months through to the
World Cup. You've been anointed as captain, Dave Renni has
come in. It's almost a head and run job. Dave
(13:15):
Rennie might stay beyond the twenty twenty seven World Cup.
Ardie Savie I suspect will not and I suspect this
will be his last eighteen months in world rugby. So
there's a clear finish line insight for Artie, I think,
and that almost works in a in a good way
for him. He can throw all his energy into the
next eighteen months and lead by example. And he just
you know, talks about it rugby in a refreshing way.
He talks about Rubin Love asked him, you know, you
(13:36):
know what are her messages to him? Is I don't
need to give it Ruben Love any messages. The kid's
got confidence oozing out of him. So that's refreshing to hear.
Other captains might have straight bad at it, might have
approached it in a different way. So I think he's
the captain this team needs Ardie Savier.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Okay Niche question now around goal kicking. There are a
couple of options, both of who kicked for their franchises,
both of who went to the Super Rugby Final. Ruben Love,
Damien McKenzie, Jordi Barrett also takes a decent place. Gack,
did you get any clue as to who will get
the duties tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
And not in the time that I was there. Look,
I'm a fan of the ten kicking buy and love
unless they're completely woful at it, you know, I think
it just adds to the ownership of the game. And
if you are owning the game by keeping the scooreboard
ticking over, whether it be by thre's or adding conversions,
then I think you've got a little bit more skin
in the game. And in terms of being a playmaker.
So while Jordi Barrett is an exceptional goalkick, and so
(14:26):
to is Damien McKenzie, I really love Ruben Love to
step up to the plate and go, hey, I'm going
to kick the goals as well as direct the team
around the park because ultimately, I think that presents a
better packages of ten. So you're not going to lose
anything by having a Barrett or mackenzie step up to
the plate. But hey, it's Love's team. He's been given
the keys while not give him the responsibility of kicking too.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Indeed, and we're here in christ it's your hometown. How
special is it to have the first all Blacks test
match at this brand new stadium. I don't know. Without
wanting to layer it on too thick. It is a
special day tomorrow, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
It really is. And look, the Crusaders have been omnipresent
throughout the last fifteen years since the earthquake of the
you know the Big Man issued back in February twenty eleven.
The All Blacks haven't been is omnipresent in christ judge
they were previously, but since the end they've come in
dribs and drabs, and that's completely understandable because the stadium
that was there temporarily was not fit to host international
(15:18):
rugby of the highest orders, so they've had to wait
the city and it will be very special to have
regular test rugby. I hope it's regular test rugby back
on these shores. And what a special venue it is
having been down for Super Round. It is a magnificent
venue that stands up alongside the world's best, I believe.
And yeah, we'll just signal something tomorrow night that Test
(15:39):
rugby is back in christ Church, and j I say
it all is almost right with the world.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Indeed, Yeah, I've spoken to a lot of people today
who are saying they couldn't get tickets.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Yeah, oh absolutely, yeah, and they I mean this is
the thing now with the stadium. They could only budget
twenty five thousand seats for the first time. Tomorrow they've
got the five thousand extra which brings it up to
three thousand capacity. They could have sold that out again,
so maybe they sold themselves a little bit short and
perhaps might have been able to add extra ten thousand
to the stadium. That's a problem that will have to
consider down the track. But regardless, going to be a
(16:08):
full house, full noise, and having looked at the stadium
this afternoon, it is immaculate and ready to go.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Oh, I can't wait, can't wait for a big occasion
for the All Blacks and for christ gigs. They'll do
us in the chamber for today.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Leading a fix. We've got just the ticket. It's Sports
Fix powered by News.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Talks V and that'll blow the final whistle on Sports
Fix for today. Thank you so much for tuning in,
for listening, for downloading, and for subscribing to Sports Fix,
and subscribers will find a freeh episode in your podcast
feed at around about the same time on Monday and
every weekday. And for more from News talksb Sport on
the radio, check out Sports Talk weeknights between seven and
(16:46):
eight and on the weekends Weekend Sport midday until three
on Saturday, same time on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
For more from News Talks, EDB, listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on Iartradio
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