Cortez Ratima: All Blacks halfback ahead of the first Bledisloe Cup test against Australia

It’s test day – the All Blacks are set to take on the Wallabies in the first Bledisloe Cup test tonight at Eden Park.  

Our Eden Park record is on the line yet again and with the Rugby Championship open for the taking, this is a crucial test for the All Blacks as they look to get back on track.  

D'Arcy was joined by All Blacks replacement halfback Cortez Ratima to preview the game and get a feel for what went down in the All Blacks camp off the back of the devastating Springboks loss two weeks ago.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
S'b be coming up right here right now on Test Day. Well,
the Wallabies are right in the cross hairs, crosshairs. Excuse
me first, but it's a cup game tonight. That record
is on the line yet again, nervous much you probably
should be. Rugby Championship is also there for the taking.

(00:33):
It's such a toy competition and some of the numbers
coming out of this, honestly, they'll make you sick in
your mouth for an All Black fan. We'll cover that
off in about twenty minutes time, but for now we're
going to get to the playing of the game. We're
joined by half back off the Bench's name is Cortez.
He joins us. Now, Hey, Court is here?

Speaker 3 (00:53):
You going good?

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Happy days? No longer injured back in the All Black camp,
the exception of the horrible wreckage of two weeks ago.
There's a lot to be pleased about.

Speaker 3 (01:04):
For you, mate, Yeah, yeah, hundreds. It's just nice of
the back fitting healthy and being available for selection is
real nice.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
So yeah, the nature of the injury and the recovery
time playing a year one hundred percent, there's nothing to
stress about coming.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
Back, Yeah, one d per. Having those two weeks off
and then the extra couple of weeks through through the
breaks has really helped out and live my injury recover.
So yeah, nothing nothing to worry about. So pretty spoke
to back out there.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Absolutely. So if the unthinkable happens, and maybe cam Royd
guard goes down in the first kind of ten minutes,
so you might have to do a finley Christian go
on and play for the entire game you think about.

Speaker 3 (01:48):
That, Yeah, well touch with that doesn't happen, but yeah,
being named, I'll be ready, ready for anything. I guess what's.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
The nature of this week being it's been well pointed
out the media, the people at the pub, everybody about
all of the errors that the All Blacks made and
where they have to lift. But there must have been
like one or two focus points for you guys this week,
not that you are involved in that game, but the
message will be out there for all of you surely.

Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yeah, yeah, one hundred percent. Yeah, we had a good
long review on Monday, and yeah, probably two main points
come out of it was around sorting our set piece
and then our ability to defuse the contests in the air.
So yeah, well hopefully how we've been chipping away at

(02:34):
that all week and hopefully we can put that work tonight.

Speaker 2 (02:38):
Well, no one mentioned the mistackle count. Surely that'll be
right front. I mean that was pretty I could never
do it, but it must have been pretty embarrassing, right
for the team.

Speaker 3 (02:48):
Yeah, yeah, one hundred percent. And that comes down to
the individual.

Speaker 2 (02:52):
Really.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
We all have a role to play in our system,
but the one on one tackles that individual and it's
it's on us personally to fix.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
A lot of new guys changes in the team yourself.
But we've got Cody Taylor back, got Cam Roy guard back,
Caleb Clark's going to be there, Patrick to Palotu as
back as well, So there's some pretty hefty reserves to
come on and aren't they.

Speaker 3 (03:16):
Yeah, it's awesome to get a good boost of numbers
back into the camp and ye're just just having bodies
available and ready to players awesome. So yeah, and a
lot of the experience coming back as well, So it'll
be yeah, exciting.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
The energy around the camp. And I'd suggest that after
the game, not there in the shed afterwards, he maybe
a sneak down. I don't know. It would have been
pretty pretty poor. But it's just a team that looks
forward and doesn't dwell on the past. Have you actually
set a plan to go forward, not to like freak
out and lick wounds from a week and a half ago.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yeah, I guess it's it's hugely important we acknowledge the past,
that's for sure, and for us it's about acknowledging that
and I guess what we can do moving forward and
that'll be a tidy up our tackle percentage when in
the air minimizing is yeah.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, did the simple things wor right? What about no
Scott Barrett Scoot is not there, he'd be filthy because
he'd want to come back and go this is not
my team. We don't play like that. But shoulder injuries out,
so Adisavia grabs the captain's role. What does that do
within the side to the way people feel and what
can actually put down on the park.

Speaker 3 (04:27):
Do you think, Yeah, it's hugely got it for Scoot
hopefully he's back ASoP. But I guess the saying goes
and one man goes down and another man has to
stand up, So yeah, the energy is still there. Positive,
So yeah, we're just pretty excited to rip him. Boys
getting opportunity artists obviously you kip them, so we'll make

(04:49):
sure we get around him and you keep behind him.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
The part of the twenty three on the day. But
do you feel that loss as keenly as everybody else
does because you are part of that squat?

Speaker 3 (04:59):
Yeah, I was part of helping prepare the squad as well.
So yeah, is that that don't get to get out
there and play on the set, they definitely feel that
loss just as personally as the boys that we're out
there as well.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
You play from a place of revenge or controlled aggression
or I don't know what, what drives you into this match,
What's what's the fire up your backside?

Speaker 3 (05:24):
Of course is I think it comes down it's controlled
aggression hundred percent. When you're playing with anger or revenge
in mind, that could probably tend to go out of
system or not have as much self control and possibly
give away penalties. And so yeah, I think controlled aggression

(05:45):
is a good word for it. And yeah, we're just
really keen to get out there and put a performance
out there that New Zealand can be proud of.

Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah, discipline key always has always will be. The other
thing ooky you talked about the high ball is that
the last twenty minutes this has been a real heel
for this all black side of the last few season.
What have you done to address there? Can you?

Speaker 3 (06:08):
Yeah? I think for the guys coming on, it's about
being able to come on and at an impact, not overplaying,
but bringing energy and not trying to overdo things. So
we have a simple focus like that coming into their
last twenty I think Iran does their job, then everyone

(06:28):
will go all right.

Speaker 1 (06:30):
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