November 16, 2025 • 20 mins
On Sports Fix with Jason Pine for 17th November 2025, a big step back for the All Blacks after being soundly beaten by England over the weekend. One of the many issues was a lack of attacking spark. Piney catches up with coach John Haggart to discuss how to fix a faltering attack.
Piney reflects on a strong showing from the All Whites, despite the loss to Colombia.
Plus, Clay Wilson joins the Chamber to discuss the shambles at the T100 event in Dubai, and how it cost Hayden Wilde.
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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 (00:21):
Hello there and welcome into the Sports Fix podcast. At
the start of a brand new working week. It is Monday,
November seventeen. I'm Jason Pine. Sports Fix has brought to
you an association with GJ. Gardner Homes, New Zealand's most
trusted home builder. Well, one sports story dominated them all
over the weekend, and that was the All Blacks lost
to England at Twickenham yesterday morning, which felt the end
(00:44):
of any chance of a Grand Slam, the first time
the All Blacks have lost to England in five years,
the first time they've lost to England at Twickenham in
well over a decade. And the reaction has been has
been very vehement, very very loud, very very passionate. So
where should we focus our attention when we look for
(01:06):
improvements and when we look for answers as to when
this All Black side is going to start to be
a cohesive, functioning unit under Scott Robertson, who, now let's
not forget, has had the team for two years. John
Hackett's on the show today. He played over one hundred
games at first and second five for Otago and then
moved into coaching and was successful at it too, as
(01:26):
an assistant with Canterbury these days a rugby commentator and analyst.
What's he seeing in terms of the team's attack or
jump into the chamber with Clay Wilson kicking around the
rugby and this shambles in the triathlon. I've got some
thoughts on the All Whites, latest outing and the latest
in sports news coming your way too, so let's get
into it.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
In other news.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
As always, let's kick things off with a look at
some of the big sports stories around today. A gloomy
bus ride from London to Cardiff for the All Blacks,
with dreams of a Grand Slam gone. Coach Scott Robertson
says spirits are low after their loss to England at Twickenham,
but they must respond.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
And knew how pul it was for us in the country.
An ego responsibility for the next week and what's the
energy that's going to be required to give him a
pretty pretty rushed him under the roof.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Super Cars driver Matt Pain intends to help Penright racing
teammate Kai Allen chase championship glory after having his own
hopes dashed during the Sanddown five hundred. Payne was in
position to secure a top four spot for the finale
in Adelaide this month, before a collision with Cam Waters
and the second race ended his ambition. Kai's our best
shot for a championship. You know, he's been really consistent
(02:37):
in the back end of the year, so yeah, I'm
going to try everything I can to help him and
All Whites. Coach Darren Baisley has acknowledged there's work to
do for his team on the attacking end. Following a
two to one loss to Columbia. New Zealand conceded early
after three minutes, but managed to equalize in the eightieth
before their opponents snatched an eighty eight minute winner.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
There's moments where we don't take advantage of our attacking,
you know, we get into the areas high and then
look for another Pars and another Pars and then it
breaks down. So you know, we've got to get into
the areas and take our shots, you know, and try
to score more goals.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Dissecting the sporting agenda, it's Sportsfix with Jason Vine.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
If you're listening to the Sports Fixed podcast, plenty of
reaction to the All Blacks loss to England at Twickenham
yesterday morning. I wanted to zero in a little bit
on the attack and how much work needs to be
done in that particular area. Let's bring in former Otago
centurion at first and second five and former assistant coach
with Canterbury these days, an analyst and commentator based in
(03:38):
christ Church, John Haggart. John, thanks for joining us in
overall terms. First of all, what is your assessment of
the All Blacks attack right now?
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Jee? Yeah, it's a bit of a challenging one, isn't it.
Certainly you go up North and you play some pretty
good teams. But you know, throughout the year, if you've
given it a grade out of teen, it would be
around about the six to Certainly attacks being average at
best A needs.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
To improve and we've got a wee way to go
in terms of the those improvements. What specifically needs to improve.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Well, I think you know there's nothing wrong to set
piece like the game. Yes, it's changed, but it hasn't
changed that much. The principles of the game are still
very much the same. Yeah, you win a good set
piece ball, you go forward, you try and identify and
correct space shift it quickly and go again. And I
think for us, it's the ability for us to identify
(04:35):
that space shift it quickly, recycle that ball and give
people opportunities, you know, whether they can either have a
one on one or at the least going to attack
a week's shoulder. So I think a lot of its,
it needs a lot of it's really scripted, you know.
I think we need to look at how we strike
to start with, and certain zones of the field we've
(04:56):
tend to be gone into this because we were in
this part of the field we like to okay, kick
the ball or put the ball in the end. Now
that's not one of our strengths, then why are we
trying to do it? So we need to look at
where our strengths lie and and put the ball into
into those players' hands as quickly as possible can.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Attacking formations strategies sometimes be too structured.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Well absolutely, I mean we talk about you know, playing
eyes up rugby. We play we have to, we have
to learn to play with a lot of chaos and
at the moment, because of our structure off in our
pods where we're missing the opportunities that are actually presented
in front of us. Whether it's sort of krick kicking behind,
it's a snap back on the blind side, what's a
(05:40):
peck can go through the middle. We actually have to
play what's in front of us, and you know, to
be fair on the all blacks, they get the finished products.
So we've got to look at our coaching system and
how we're playing. And you know, we're finding now that
we're playing nations that have come through the same sort
of systems the pathways is what we had, but physically
as strong and as effective as us, and in fact
sometimes a better coach than us. So we have to
(06:02):
you know, we have to be better in those spaces.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
So is there a balance to be struck between having
structure because you need it, you can't just you know,
be completely unstructured, but also striking that balance between as
you call it, eyes up rugby playing what you see
and allowing players who have the ability to create something
out of nothing in an unpredictable fashion to be able
to do that.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Well.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
I think in New Zealand we've got an absolute of artage.
You know, our DNA as such as that we like
to play with the ball in hand, and we'll like
to our flood play with tempo. No, then we need
to go away from that. I think we need to
probably get back to that and look at some of
the you know, our players, you know the strategies of
this world, and I find nucleus, you know, they get
the ball in their hands and they can do anything
for us. So yes, we have to have a bit
(06:46):
of structure, there's no doubt about that. But we also
have to be able to break, you know, when it
breaks down, just play rugby, and and I think we're
we're not as effective as that as we should be.
I think, you know, Raiser, for example, when I watched
the Crusaders who have things like you have tactics from there,
from inside the twenty two special line outs, We're not
(07:08):
probably seen quite enough of that at the internetal Remol.
I'm not sure whether it's because they are frozen a
little bit because of it seems to be so much
at stake, or whether it's just you know, they're not
prepared to try that.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
How challenging are modern day defenses to penetrate because they've
improved too haven't they.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Oh absolutely, And I think we forget the fact that,
you know, the dimensions of the rugue feel have not changed.
But if we look at the physical makeup of the
individual from you know, right back in the Invincibles, where
you know you're you're forward. If you have twelve stone
at best, he's your biggest man. Well, now you've got
your halfbacks that are bigger them than you know, seven
eighty kgs. So their ability to cover ground defensively has
(07:48):
increased so much so of course there's a whole lot
less space to attack because the defenses are so good,
and also with the analysis that defensive coaches put into
the game. So absolutely, admittedly it is very much, very
difficult to attack and find space, but sides are doing that.
Sides are able to analyze opposition and then find a
(08:09):
way through. And I think we're still we're still a
way way away from that ourselves to be able to
do that effectively.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
In terms of the responsibility within a coaching group, how much, say,
would a head coach typically have over the attack or
would they leave it almost entirely in the hands of
their specialist attack coach.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
That's a good question, Piney, I think It really depends
very much on the makeup of your coaching group, how
they get on individuals involved. So you know, I can't
speak for the all backs and how they would operate,
but you'd like to think that if you're responsible for
a portfolio such as Attack, then you're pretty much you know.
You go out there and you run it the way
you see it should happen. And of course there'll be
(08:50):
conversations going on in the background, and I'm sure raised
you trusts Attack, I'm sure he asks you questions, lots
of questions. And it's also not easy to always get
it right. You can go out with your disclaid plans,
but on the day of the opposition that you're playing,
have got a defense that's better than yours. It's counted
some of your so called A text strategy that you
(09:13):
wanted to put into place. Then you are going to
be on the back foot. So it doesn't always work,
and that's where you've got to have the experience of
the players on the field to say, hey, Plan A
is not working. What do we do now to try
and correct space? And it might be that they go
back to I don't know, a kicking in behind game
or an ability to go through the middle or rather
than go to the edge.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
So it just defends do you think modern day players
or the majority of modern day players can play what
they see, can make decisions on the field once they
reach provincial, super and then test level.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
I think it takes time. Years ago, the only thing
that you watched on television was rugby, and now a
young people today are growing up not watching the game
at all. It's the watching a game, it's NBA or
its league. So the ability for them to understand and
study of the game has probably been reduced. Yes, a
bit of there in professional environment, so they're getting probably
(10:06):
a lot more attention from coaches. But yeah, it's challenging,
and I think also we've got to give their players
time they're coming out. We picked a lot of players
at twenty twenty one, twenty two, Well most of those
boards will not play the this rugby until us sort
of you know, mid mid twenties to you know, late twenties,
and that's when they really can start understanding the game
and starting to rely on the experience to make the
(10:28):
right decisions.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Really interesting chatting rugby with you, John, Thank you so
much for taking the time that is John Haggart joining
us on the Sportsbooks podcast.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Sports Sex Sex Sex.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
There was late heartbreak in America yesterday for the All
Whites who in their latest match on their road to
the World Cup next year. These are friendly matches, of course,
as they prepare for the tournament they've already qualified for.
It went down two one two Columbia. Columbia are the
thirteenth ranked team in the world, so on the face
of it you say, wow, that's a close defeat. There's
(10:59):
a bit of honor in that. You dig a bit
deeper though, and you think the All Whites actually could
have got something out of this game. They fell behind
very very early on in the third minute, in fact,
they were one nil behind, but they got themselves back
into the game, and then with ten minutes to go
at the end they found an equalizer and involved as
saprech sing crossing it for substitute being old to poke
(11:19):
it into the net, and all of a sudden, New
Zealand in the eighties in the world rankings are drawing
one to one with Colombia, and they were less than
ten minutes to go, but in the eighty eighth minute,
a rather hopeful long ball wasn't dealt with by the
New Zealand defense. A Colombian striker nipped in and scored
the winning goal to make it to one. So as
(11:40):
you can see, yes, there is some honor and getting
so close to a thirteenth ranked side, but these are
the kinds of games the All Whites are going to
play at the World Cup next year. They're going to
come up against teams much more highly ranked than they are,
and with ten minutes to go and a point in
your possession, a point that could prove vital, pivotal in
(12:02):
getting out of the group for the very first time,
you have to find a way to hold on to it.
It continues a trend for the All Whites of getting close,
of getting close, but not quite close enough often enough.
You look at the results since they earned World Cup qualification.
They beat Ivory Coast one nil, great result, but then
losses to Ukraine two to one, to Australia one nil
(12:25):
and three to one, a one nil loss to Poland,
this two to one loss to Colombia, and amongst that
a one old draw with Norway. It would have been
a huge boost for the confidence of this side if
they could have somehow just hung on to claim a
one all draw against Columbia yesterday, completely replicating what they'll
need to do at the World Cup next year. The
(12:46):
positive side of things is that they're getting the opportunity
to play against these sides, and they get another chance
on Wednesday when it's Ecuador in New Jersey, who are
their latest opponents. Let's hope that they can take the
lessons from the Colombian loss and turn it into a
much more positive result against Ecuador.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
The Chamber is now in session on.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Spot on the Sports Fox podcast. Time to pop inside
the Chamber to kick around a couple of the big
sporting issues of the weekend, joined by news Talks. He'd
be Sports editor Clay Wilson. Well, the rumblings continue, Clay,
after what happened at Twickenham yesterday morning, New Zealand time,
no Grand Slam for the All Blacks. As you've had
(13:29):
the chance to ruminate and think about it and listen
to some discussion and no doubt involve yourself in some
as well. What is front of mind for you as
far as the All Blacks is concerned.
Speaker 5 (13:40):
I think it's the same thing that we've been talking
about for most of the season. Is just the inconsistency.
That's the word that keeps popping up, isn't it? And
not just within games, but across stretches of matches, across series.
Across the French series, we saw it, Across the Rugby
Championship we saw it. And now across this Northern tour
we're seeing the same thing. Patches and moments of really
(14:02):
really good stuff, great attacks and really resolute defense, and
then other patches in match is where that stuff just
seems to disappear. And you know, we haven't seen this
team really get any rhythm at all throughout this entire campaign,
have we, and really, for that matter, throughout the almost
two years that Scott Robertson and his team have been
(14:22):
in charge of the All Blacks. So that's really what's
what's front of mine for me is is you know,
I guess when you know they're going to play Whales
this weekend and you know, by all you know accounts,
they should should It's a game they should win and
win comfortably. We're not really going to have an answer
by the end of this year about is this where
(14:43):
does this team go? How much of the finished product
are they Because to me, there's still still a lot
of work to be done before you can say, well,
you know, they go into a World Cup and they're really,
you know, one of the one of the hot.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Favorites and Clay. We are a long way into the
World Cup cycle to be thinking this way. I said
exactly the same thing yesterday on the radio that I
haven't seen improvement, or I was going to say enough improvement.
I haven't seen improvements in the side. So it's now
a situation where I feel less confident at the All
(15:14):
Blacks going to the twenty twenty seven World Cup now
than I did when Razor took over, Because when Racer
took over, I think we all thought, right, Okay, he's
the obvious candidate, amazing stuff with the Crusaders. He's the
right man for the job. But halfway through a World
Cup cycle, as we contemplate Christmas twenty twenty five, most
All Blacks fans, i'm sure what have at the very
(15:36):
least wanted to know what the plan was, and I'm
not sure we do.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
Do we No, I don't think we do. The team
has been that inconsistent that it's really hard to know
what is what is this team? What? What does a
great All Blacks team under Scott Robertson, look like because
we just haven't seen it, and you know, I think
it's valid that people start talking about, you know, perhaps
not you know, is it time to is it time
(16:01):
to get rid of him? I don't think, you know,
you would go that far just yet, but I think
the conversation is there, and you can understand why some
people are are having it about, like you say, where
is this team going? And we're less certain now than
we were at the start about about this All Blacks
team and their their kind of World Cup credentials. So
I think there's a lot of valid conversations to be
(16:22):
had around that. And I'm sure there are around the
water coolers and the you know, the the lunch rooms
of this country because there's there's a lot of questions
still to be answered about where this team, where this
team is at, and where they can get to.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Yeah, look, I think where you know it would be
drawing a very long bow for them to make a change. Look,
maybe if they lost to Wales, we might have to
have that. That's different if that would happen in Cardiff
on the weekend. But look, I think they're you know,
they're kind of they're all in that, but they would need,
I think, to have some pretty a pretty high degree
(16:58):
of comfort, wouldn't they the powers that be at New
Zealand Rugby that there was a plan that Scott Robertson
could show them to say, right, here is how I'm
going to turn this around. Here is how I'm going
to get this team ready for Rugby World Cup twenty
twenty seven when that rolls around. Because client's twenty twenty
six in a couple of months, we're only going to
we're going to be talking about next year. So yeah,
(17:19):
I feel like we all need to see to see
some sort of plan. If not an evidence every week,
then certainly we need to need to know what it
is that thereafter Hey, just before you jump out, did
you did you catch up with what happened at this shembolock?
And that's the only word I can use. T one
hundred trifleon race in Dubai over the weekend. I couldn't
(17:40):
believe what I was seeing.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
I think anyone, I mean a chocolate fish and some
for anyone who actually understands everything that happened there because
there was so much going on, wasn't there's so much
chaos about our laps and how many who had done
this many laps and who hadn't. And you know, not
just on the bike leg, which we saw, which is
where the confusion started with Hayden wild but then you
(18:03):
know runners and when they were coming in, and you know,
we had the kind of hilarious, slightly hilarious, probably not
necessarily for the athlete situation of the first athlete across
the line, coming across, grabbing the tape and kind of
looking around to wonder, have I won this race or
what the heck is going on? It turns out he hadn't.
(18:26):
So good thing. He didn't celebrate too much, but amazing
that this can happen at this level. And I did
see Martin Vanreel, who was one of Hayden Wilde's great
rivals at this level of triathlon, tweeted or posted on
social media afterwards. I think it's the Professional Triathletes Organization
is the outfit that runs the PTO that runs these events.
He said, maybe we should just call them the t
(18:46):
the Triathletes Organization and take the professional out of the title,
which I thought was quite a good way to just
sum up how perhaps most of the athletes are feeling,
and you know, hated wild. You could visibly see it,
couldn't you. He was absolutely browsed off with what was happening.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
And rightly so, because, as you say, it's meant to
be a professional, a professional organization and running an elite event.
It was like a school cross country where the kid
who's been assigned, you know, to point them in the
right direction, you know, sort of wanders off and they go,
where do we go?
Speaker 5 (19:21):
Yeah, it was just unbelievable. This isn't this isn't you know.
This sport is like one of the most brutal, physically
taxing sports in the world. The last thing these athletes
who are on the brink of physical exhaustion need is
to be having some kind of shambles like this thrown
at them. How many lamps? You know, surely there's people
(19:41):
there that are telling them this is how many you know,
you've done or they've got it under control. But it
was far from that, Wasn't It kind of kind of
funny for us to look at. But as you sure
everyone can appreciate, the athletes will will be less than
less than impressed.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Less than impressed.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
It was.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
It was quite the site over the weekend. That's us
in the chamber today. Thanks for stopping in, Clay, No worries.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
We've got just the ticket. It's sports Vex, News Talks.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Is he.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
And that blows the final whistle on Sports Fix for today.
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(20:31):
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Speaker 1 (20:35):
For more from News Talks EDB listen live on air
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You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello there and welcome into the Sports Fix podcast. At
the start of a brand new working week. It is Monday,
November seventeen. I'm Jason Pine. Sports Fix has brought to
you an association with GJ. Gardner Homes, New Zealand's most
trusted home builder. Well, one sports story dominated them all
over the weekend, and that was the All Blacks lost
to England at Twickenham yesterday morning, which felt the end
(00:44):
of any chance of a Grand Slam, the first time
the All Blacks have lost to England in five years,
the first time they've lost to England at Twickenham in
well over a decade. And the reaction has been has
been very vehement, very very loud, very very passionate. So
where should we focus our attention when we look for
(01:06):
improvements and when we look for answers as to when
this All Black side is going to start to be
a cohesive, functioning unit under Scott Robertson, who, now let's
not forget, has had the team for two years. John
Hackett's on the show today. He played over one hundred
games at first and second five for Otago and then
moved into coaching and was successful at it too, as
(01:26):
an assistant with Canterbury these days a rugby commentator and analyst.
What's he seeing in terms of the team's attack or
jump into the chamber with Clay Wilson kicking around the
rugby and this shambles in the triathlon. I've got some
thoughts on the All Whites, latest outing and the latest
in sports news coming your way too, so let's get
into it.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
In other news.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
As always, let's kick things off with a look at
some of the big sports stories around today. A gloomy
bus ride from London to Cardiff for the All Blacks,
with dreams of a Grand Slam gone. Coach Scott Robertson
says spirits are low after their loss to England at Twickenham,
but they must respond.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
And knew how pul it was for us in the country.
An ego responsibility for the next week and what's the
energy that's going to be required to give him a
pretty pretty rushed him under the roof.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Super Cars driver Matt Pain intends to help Penright racing
teammate Kai Allen chase championship glory after having his own
hopes dashed during the Sanddown five hundred. Payne was in
position to secure a top four spot for the finale
in Adelaide this month, before a collision with Cam Waters
and the second race ended his ambition. Kai's our best
shot for a championship. You know, he's been really consistent
(02:37):
in the back end of the year, so yeah, I'm
going to try everything I can to help him and
All Whites. Coach Darren Baisley has acknowledged there's work to
do for his team on the attacking end. Following a
two to one loss to Columbia. New Zealand conceded early
after three minutes, but managed to equalize in the eightieth
before their opponents snatched an eighty eight minute winner.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
There's moments where we don't take advantage of our attacking,
you know, we get into the areas high and then
look for another Pars and another Pars and then it
breaks down. So you know, we've got to get into
the areas and take our shots, you know, and try
to score more goals.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Dissecting the sporting agenda, it's Sportsfix with Jason Vine.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
If you're listening to the Sports Fixed podcast, plenty of
reaction to the All Blacks loss to England at Twickenham
yesterday morning. I wanted to zero in a little bit
on the attack and how much work needs to be
done in that particular area. Let's bring in former Otago
centurion at first and second five and former assistant coach
with Canterbury these days, an analyst and commentator based in
(03:38):
christ Church, John Haggart. John, thanks for joining us in
overall terms. First of all, what is your assessment of
the All Blacks attack right now?
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Jee? Yeah, it's a bit of a challenging one, isn't it.
Certainly you go up North and you play some pretty
good teams. But you know, throughout the year, if you've
given it a grade out of teen, it would be
around about the six to Certainly attacks being average at
best A needs.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
To improve and we've got a wee way to go
in terms of the those improvements. What specifically needs to improve.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Well, I think you know there's nothing wrong to set
piece like the game. Yes, it's changed, but it hasn't
changed that much. The principles of the game are still
very much the same. Yeah, you win a good set
piece ball, you go forward, you try and identify and
correct space shift it quickly and go again. And I
think for us, it's the ability for us to identify
(04:35):
that space shift it quickly, recycle that ball and give
people opportunities, you know, whether they can either have a
one on one or at the least going to attack
a week's shoulder. So I think a lot of its,
it needs a lot of it's really scripted, you know.
I think we need to look at how we strike
to start with, and certain zones of the field we've
(04:56):
tend to be gone into this because we were in
this part of the field we like to okay, kick
the ball or put the ball in the end. Now
that's not one of our strengths, then why are we
trying to do it? So we need to look at
where our strengths lie and and put the ball into
into those players' hands as quickly as possible can.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Attacking formations strategies sometimes be too structured.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Well absolutely, I mean we talk about you know, playing
eyes up rugby. We play we have to, we have
to learn to play with a lot of chaos and
at the moment, because of our structure off in our
pods where we're missing the opportunities that are actually presented
in front of us. Whether it's sort of krick kicking behind,
it's a snap back on the blind side, what's a
(05:40):
peck can go through the middle. We actually have to
play what's in front of us, and you know, to
be fair on the all blacks, they get the finished products.
So we've got to look at our coaching system and
how we're playing. And you know, we're finding now that
we're playing nations that have come through the same sort
of systems the pathways is what we had, but physically
as strong and as effective as us, and in fact
sometimes a better coach than us. So we have to
(06:02):
you know, we have to be better in those spaces.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
So is there a balance to be struck between having
structure because you need it, you can't just you know,
be completely unstructured, but also striking that balance between as
you call it, eyes up rugby playing what you see
and allowing players who have the ability to create something
out of nothing in an unpredictable fashion to be able
to do that.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Well.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
I think in New Zealand we've got an absolute of artage.
You know, our DNA as such as that we like
to play with the ball in hand, and we'll like
to our flood play with tempo. No, then we need
to go away from that. I think we need to
probably get back to that and look at some of
the you know, our players, you know the strategies of
this world, and I find nucleus, you know, they get
the ball in their hands and they can do anything
for us. So yes, we have to have a bit
(06:46):
of structure, there's no doubt about that. But we also
have to be able to break, you know, when it
breaks down, just play rugby, and and I think we're
we're not as effective as that as we should be.
I think, you know, Raiser, for example, when I watched
the Crusaders who have things like you have tactics from there,
from inside the twenty two special line outs, We're not
(07:08):
probably seen quite enough of that at the internetal Remol.
I'm not sure whether it's because they are frozen a
little bit because of it seems to be so much
at stake, or whether it's just you know, they're not
prepared to try that.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
How challenging are modern day defenses to penetrate because they've
improved too haven't they.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Oh absolutely, And I think we forget the fact that,
you know, the dimensions of the rugue feel have not changed.
But if we look at the physical makeup of the
individual from you know, right back in the Invincibles, where
you know you're you're forward. If you have twelve stone
at best, he's your biggest man. Well, now you've got
your halfbacks that are bigger them than you know, seven
eighty kgs. So their ability to cover ground defensively has
(07:48):
increased so much so of course there's a whole lot
less space to attack because the defenses are so good,
and also with the analysis that defensive coaches put into
the game. So absolutely, admittedly it is very much, very
difficult to attack and find space, but sides are doing that.
Sides are able to analyze opposition and then find a
(08:09):
way through. And I think we're still we're still a
way way away from that ourselves to be able to
do that effectively.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
In terms of the responsibility within a coaching group, how much, say,
would a head coach typically have over the attack or
would they leave it almost entirely in the hands of
their specialist attack coach.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
That's a good question, Piney, I think It really depends
very much on the makeup of your coaching group, how
they get on individuals involved. So you know, I can't
speak for the all backs and how they would operate,
but you'd like to think that if you're responsible for
a portfolio such as Attack, then you're pretty much you know.
You go out there and you run it the way
you see it should happen. And of course there'll be
(08:50):
conversations going on in the background, and I'm sure raised
you trusts Attack, I'm sure he asks you questions, lots
of questions. And it's also not easy to always get
it right. You can go out with your disclaid plans,
but on the day of the opposition that you're playing,
have got a defense that's better than yours. It's counted
some of your so called A text strategy that you
(09:13):
wanted to put into place. Then you are going to
be on the back foot. So it doesn't always work,
and that's where you've got to have the experience of
the players on the field to say, hey, Plan A
is not working. What do we do now to try
and correct space? And it might be that they go
back to I don't know, a kicking in behind game
or an ability to go through the middle or rather
than go to the edge.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
So it just defends do you think modern day players
or the majority of modern day players can play what
they see, can make decisions on the field once they
reach provincial, super and then test level.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
I think it takes time. Years ago, the only thing
that you watched on television was rugby, and now a
young people today are growing up not watching the game
at all. It's the watching a game, it's NBA or
its league. So the ability for them to understand and
study of the game has probably been reduced. Yes, a
bit of there in professional environment, so they're getting probably
(10:06):
a lot more attention from coaches. But yeah, it's challenging,
and I think also we've got to give their players
time they're coming out. We picked a lot of players
at twenty twenty one, twenty two, Well most of those
boards will not play the this rugby until us sort
of you know, mid mid twenties to you know, late twenties,
and that's when they really can start understanding the game
and starting to rely on the experience to make the
(10:28):
right decisions.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Really interesting chatting rugby with you, John, Thank you so
much for taking the time that is John Haggart joining
us on the Sportsbooks podcast.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Sports Sex Sex Sex.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
There was late heartbreak in America yesterday for the All
Whites who in their latest match on their road to
the World Cup next year. These are friendly matches, of course,
as they prepare for the tournament they've already qualified for.
It went down two one two Columbia. Columbia are the
thirteenth ranked team in the world, so on the face
of it you say, wow, that's a close defeat. There's
(10:59):
a bit of honor in that. You dig a bit
deeper though, and you think the All Whites actually could
have got something out of this game. They fell behind
very very early on in the third minute, in fact,
they were one nil behind, but they got themselves back
into the game, and then with ten minutes to go
at the end they found an equalizer and involved as
saprech sing crossing it for substitute being old to poke
(11:19):
it into the net, and all of a sudden, New
Zealand in the eighties in the world rankings are drawing
one to one with Colombia, and they were less than
ten minutes to go, but in the eighty eighth minute,
a rather hopeful long ball wasn't dealt with by the
New Zealand defense. A Colombian striker nipped in and scored
the winning goal to make it to one. So as
(11:40):
you can see, yes, there is some honor and getting
so close to a thirteenth ranked side, but these are
the kinds of games the All Whites are going to
play at the World Cup next year. They're going to
come up against teams much more highly ranked than they are,
and with ten minutes to go and a point in
your possession, a point that could prove vital, pivotal in
(12:02):
getting out of the group for the very first time,
you have to find a way to hold on to it.
It continues a trend for the All Whites of getting close,
of getting close, but not quite close enough often enough.
You look at the results since they earned World Cup qualification.
They beat Ivory Coast one nil, great result, but then
losses to Ukraine two to one, to Australia one nil
(12:25):
and three to one, a one nil loss to Poland,
this two to one loss to Colombia, and amongst that
a one old draw with Norway. It would have been
a huge boost for the confidence of this side if
they could have somehow just hung on to claim a
one all draw against Columbia yesterday, completely replicating what they'll
need to do at the World Cup next year. The
(12:46):
positive side of things is that they're getting the opportunity
to play against these sides, and they get another chance
on Wednesday when it's Ecuador in New Jersey, who are
their latest opponents. Let's hope that they can take the
lessons from the Colombian loss and turn it into a
much more positive result against Ecuador.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
The Chamber is now in session on.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Spot on the Sports Fox podcast. Time to pop inside
the Chamber to kick around a couple of the big
sporting issues of the weekend, joined by news Talks. He'd
be Sports editor Clay Wilson. Well, the rumblings continue, Clay,
after what happened at Twickenham yesterday morning, New Zealand time,
no Grand Slam for the All Blacks. As you've had
(13:29):
the chance to ruminate and think about it and listen
to some discussion and no doubt involve yourself in some
as well. What is front of mind for you as
far as the All Blacks is concerned.
Speaker 5 (13:40):
I think it's the same thing that we've been talking
about for most of the season. Is just the inconsistency.
That's the word that keeps popping up, isn't it? And
not just within games, but across stretches of matches, across series.
Across the French series, we saw it, Across the Rugby
Championship we saw it. And now across this Northern tour
we're seeing the same thing. Patches and moments of really
(14:02):
really good stuff, great attacks and really resolute defense, and
then other patches in match is where that stuff just
seems to disappear. And you know, we haven't seen this
team really get any rhythm at all throughout this entire campaign,
have we, and really, for that matter, throughout the almost
two years that Scott Robertson and his team have been
(14:22):
in charge of the All Blacks. So that's really what's
what's front of mine for me is is you know,
I guess when you know they're going to play Whales
this weekend and you know, by all you know accounts,
they should should It's a game they should win and
win comfortably. We're not really going to have an answer
by the end of this year about is this where
(14:43):
does this team go? How much of the finished product
are they Because to me, there's still still a lot
of work to be done before you can say, well,
you know, they go into a World Cup and they're really,
you know, one of the one of the hot.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Favorites and Clay. We are a long way into the
World Cup cycle to be thinking this way. I said
exactly the same thing yesterday on the radio that I
haven't seen improvement, or I was going to say enough improvement.
I haven't seen improvements in the side. So it's now
a situation where I feel less confident at the All
(15:14):
Blacks going to the twenty twenty seven World Cup now
than I did when Razor took over, Because when Racer
took over, I think we all thought, right, Okay, he's
the obvious candidate, amazing stuff with the Crusaders. He's the
right man for the job. But halfway through a World
Cup cycle, as we contemplate Christmas twenty twenty five, most
All Blacks fans, i'm sure what have at the very
(15:36):
least wanted to know what the plan was, and I'm
not sure we do.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
Do we No, I don't think we do. The team
has been that inconsistent that it's really hard to know
what is what is this team? What? What does a
great All Blacks team under Scott Robertson, look like because
we just haven't seen it, and you know, I think
it's valid that people start talking about, you know, perhaps
not you know, is it time to is it time
(16:01):
to get rid of him? I don't think, you know,
you would go that far just yet, but I think
the conversation is there, and you can understand why some
people are are having it about, like you say, where
is this team going? And we're less certain now than
we were at the start about about this All Blacks
team and their their kind of World Cup credentials. So
I think there's a lot of valid conversations to be
(16:22):
had around that. And I'm sure there are around the
water coolers and the you know, the the lunch rooms
of this country because there's there's a lot of questions
still to be answered about where this team, where this
team is at, and where they can get to.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Yeah, look, I think where you know it would be
drawing a very long bow for them to make a change. Look,
maybe if they lost to Wales, we might have to
have that. That's different if that would happen in Cardiff
on the weekend. But look, I think they're you know,
they're kind of they're all in that, but they would need,
I think, to have some pretty a pretty high degree
(16:58):
of comfort, wouldn't they the powers that be at New
Zealand Rugby that there was a plan that Scott Robertson
could show them to say, right, here is how I'm
going to turn this around. Here is how I'm going
to get this team ready for Rugby World Cup twenty
twenty seven when that rolls around. Because client's twenty twenty
six in a couple of months, we're only going to
we're going to be talking about next year. So yeah,
(17:19):
I feel like we all need to see to see
some sort of plan. If not an evidence every week,
then certainly we need to need to know what it
is that thereafter Hey, just before you jump out, did
you did you catch up with what happened at this shembolock?
And that's the only word I can use. T one
hundred trifleon race in Dubai over the weekend. I couldn't
(17:40):
believe what I was seeing.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
I think anyone, I mean a chocolate fish and some
for anyone who actually understands everything that happened there because
there was so much going on, wasn't there's so much
chaos about our laps and how many who had done
this many laps and who hadn't. And you know, not
just on the bike leg, which we saw, which is
where the confusion started with Hayden wild but then you
(18:03):
know runners and when they were coming in, and you know,
we had the kind of hilarious, slightly hilarious, probably not
necessarily for the athlete situation of the first athlete across
the line, coming across, grabbing the tape and kind of
looking around to wonder, have I won this race or
what the heck is going on? It turns out he hadn't.
(18:26):
So good thing. He didn't celebrate too much, but amazing
that this can happen at this level. And I did
see Martin Vanreel, who was one of Hayden Wilde's great
rivals at this level of triathlon, tweeted or posted on
social media afterwards. I think it's the Professional Triathletes Organization
is the outfit that runs the PTO that runs these events.
He said, maybe we should just call them the t
(18:46):
the Triathletes Organization and take the professional out of the title,
which I thought was quite a good way to just
sum up how perhaps most of the athletes are feeling,
and you know, hated wild. You could visibly see it,
couldn't you. He was absolutely browsed off with what was happening.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
And rightly so, because, as you say, it's meant to
be a professional, a professional organization and running an elite event.
It was like a school cross country where the kid
who's been assigned, you know, to point them in the
right direction, you know, sort of wanders off and they go,
where do we go?
Speaker 5 (19:21):
Yeah, it was just unbelievable. This isn't this isn't you know.
This sport is like one of the most brutal, physically
taxing sports in the world. The last thing these athletes
who are on the brink of physical exhaustion need is
to be having some kind of shambles like this thrown
at them. How many lamps? You know, surely there's people
(19:41):
there that are telling them this is how many you know,
you've done or they've got it under control. But it
was far from that, Wasn't It kind of kind of
funny for us to look at. But as you sure
everyone can appreciate, the athletes will will be less than
less than impressed.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Less than impressed.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
It was.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
It was quite the site over the weekend. That's us
in the chamber today. Thanks for stopping in, Clay, No worries.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
We've got just the ticket. It's sports Vex, News Talks.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Is he.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
And that blows the final whistle on Sports Fix for today.
Thank you so much for listening in, for downloading, and
for subscribing. A fresh episode for subscribers to Sports Fix
will appear as if by magic in your podcast feed
tomorrow and right across from Monday to Friday week and
for more from News Talks, AB Sports Speaking of Monday
to Friday, Sports Talk seven to eight pm weeknights and
(20:31):
all the weekend's weekends Sport from midday till three Saturday
and again on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
For more from News Talks EDB listen live on air
or online and keep our shows with you wherever you
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