D'Arcy Waldegrave: Warriors or All Blacks – who should command your attention?

To Wah or not to Wah? 

Tonight Auckland city hosts international rugby union and a bit of Aussie club rugby league. On the face of it, and with that description, it should be a no-brainer around which fixture should command your attention. 

The All Blacks are number two in the world, taking on the number three ranked Irish in a game that defends the All Blacks’ almost unbelievable unbeaten Eden Park record. 32 years, 52 games without tasting defeat. Impressive.

The Warriors, near the top of the NRL ladder (3rd after last night's games) are hosting some roadkill at Mt Smart. The Dragons have all the fire of a cigarette butt at the bottom of a schooner, currently languishing in last place and lucky to be there. 

Plainly, fans of league will be front and centre with the NRL fixture, fans of union will be fully focused on the Nations Championship clash, but what about the undecided?

The All Blacks are frontrunners as their game kicks off at 7:10, the Wahs beatdown commences at 7:35.

A nose in front from the All Blacks – then the race tightens.

Off the playing surface, Wahs fans are a much more exciting proposition than All Blacks fans. The fear of loss chokes the environment up; the tension crushes the joy of the experience, at the ground and on telly.

Rugby fans find it hard to celebrate. League fans are triggered by anything, especially in a crowd, and there's no better crowd in NZ sport than the massive one at Mt Smart. This vibrancy smashes its way out of the telly and spills cheap beer on the floor.

On the playing surface, if the Irish win and topple the All Blacks’ tower of invincibility, that's not an upset at all. There is a sense that this new look All Blacks team should have enough to hold the Irish at arm's length, but we all know how frail the All Blacks’ grasp on significant results have been over the last few years, so losing the Eden Park streak isn't at all out of the question. Do really want to watch that?

Conversely, to beat down the emerald barbarians at the gate will bring enormous pride and a sense that Rennie might actually be on to something. Didn't work for Razor though, did it? His 2025 Eden Park South African defiance was remarkable, but the next week we saw possibly the worst performance in All Blacks living memory.

As for the Wahs, there's not a comp in the world as close as the NRL. The Dragons are toilet this year, but as we saw on Thursday night when the Bronco whipping boys conjured up a win versus the table topping Panthers, upsets are commonplace. So the Wahs could lose, but they could also open up a can of whup-ass on St George.

Still undecided? Try this... is a Warriors team on the way up a better experience than an All Blacks side still trying to find their lost mojo?

The choice is yours, whatever you decide, turn off your phone so social media or your mates don't wreck the delayed experience for you.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

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

Speaker 2 (00:11):
To WAH or not to wars Tonight, Auckland City hosting
International rugby Union and a bit of Aussie club rugby league.
So on the face of it, with that description, should
be a no brainer around which fixture you should command
your attention? Should command your attention All Blacks number two
in the world taking on the number three ranked Irish

(00:33):
team and again that defends the All Blacks almost unbelievable,
unbeaten Eden Park record thirty two years, fifty two games
with out tasting defeat. Now that's impressive. The Warriors, though
they near the top of the NRL ladder, are third
after last night's game, and they're hosting some roadkill at
Mounts Smart like the Dragons have all the fire of

(00:54):
a cigarette but at the bottom of a schooner, and
they're currently languishing in last place and like you to
be there. Plainly, fans of league will be front and
center for the NRL fixture. Fans of Union will be
fully focused on the nation's championship class, But what about
the undecided or as far as watching it, the abs
are front Runners right. Their game kicks off ten past seven.

(01:14):
The Wires beat down commences at seven thirty five, so
it knows in Front are ready for the All Blacks.
But then the race Titans off the playing surface. The
Wires fans are much more exciting proposition than the All
Blacks fans. That the fear of loss chokes the environment
up at All Black games. That tension crushes the joy
of the experience on the ground and on the TV

(01:37):
as well, and there's no vibrancy out there. Rugby fans
find it really hard to celebrate League fans tho. Triggered
by absolutely anything, especially in a crowd like the crowd
that turns up to watch the Warriors play. The mass
of it mount smarter something else. So this vibrancy, it
smashes its way out of the TV right and it

(01:58):
spills cheap beer all over your floor on the playing surface.
So if the Irish win and topple the AB's tower
of in vincent, that's not an upset at all. That
there's a sense that this new look All Black team
should have enough to hold the Iris at arms length.
But we all know how frail the AB's grasp on
significant results have been over the last few years. We're

(02:20):
really good at choking stuff up. It's quite depressing, so
losing the eden Park streak isn't at all out of
the question did you really want to watch that? Conversely,
to beat down the Emerald Barbarians at the Gate will
bring enormous pride in a sense that Rennie might actually
be onto something like It didn't work for Razor last year.

(02:41):
Did It's twenty twenty five eden Park South African defiance
was absolutely remarkable. The next week I saw possibly the
worst performance in living memory from the All Blacks, maybe
not even livering memory, maybe full stop. As for the Wires,
there's not a competition in the world as close as
the NRL. The Dragons are toilets this year, but as
we saw on Thursday night when the Bronco Whipping Boys

(03:04):
conjured up. When this is the tabletopping planthers, upsets are commonplace.
So the Wires could lose, but they could also open
up a can and whip us on. Saint George is
still undecided. Try this as a Warriors team on the
way up a better experience than an All Black side
still trying to find their lost mojo. The choice is yours.

(03:27):
But whatever you decide, turn off your phone so social
media all your mates don't wreck the delayed experience for you.
That'll do.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
For more from the Your Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk Said Be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio