Jason Holland: All Blacks assistant coach ahead of the Rugby Championship opener against Argentina

The All Blacks coaching crew feel they're finding their mojo in their second year in charge. 

Heading into tomorrow morning's Rugby Championship opener against Argentina in Cordoba, assistant coach Jason Holland says they have real confidence in the direction they're heading. 

He told D’Arcy Waldegrave that they’re really sure on how they want to play the game now, and what’s important in terms of who can do what on what parts of the field. 

“I think you can continue to see some real consistency.” 

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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 SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Jason, Good morning, welcome to the program. I trust you well.
I expect you're still a bit hurt about what happened
in Manama two last night.

Speaker 3 (00:19):
Yeah, morning, Darcy year Now it's yeah, I thought it
was in the bad boys must have gone to sleep,
haven't seen it, but yeah, I'm getting a bit of
grief here from our fuzio Carl Mack, who's a heart out.

Speaker 4 (00:32):
Of the cagele man. So yeah, it must have been
a good game.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, it's the NPC for you never know what's around
next corner. Another question for you not directly associated with
rugby's where's the name Alfie come from?

Speaker 4 (00:45):
Oh? Mate, it's how long are you got? It goes
a long way back to school to a TV character
who you who used to be in the eighties, who
you'll probably remember. So I'll let you figure that out
from there.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Okay, I will thank you, and I will remember we're
of the same vintage, right this team that's been named.
I talked yesterday and I've been going on since the
team was named about the fingerprints of Scott Robertson and
the coaching staff all over this selection. I think we've
seen a shift from last year, which was conservative, to
now a team that's been shaped by yougos in the

(01:19):
way that Scott wants it to. We've got firm positions,
players being packed in positions regularly, and some new ideas.
I mean, Billy Procter's in there. You've got to thank goodness,
Will Jordan's back permanently fallback, Rico's on the wing. This
this really is your team now, guys.

Speaker 4 (01:39):
Yeah, look, I think I think we've you know, we
were really sure on how we want to play the
game now what's important in our game around who can
do what or what parts of the field. So yeah,
you see some I think you can continue to see
some real consistency with when guys perform around around some
of those key things that you've just talked around and
you know twos that sex has been has been exciting

(02:03):
and as you say, Will Jordan has been pretty special
for things an example and building stuff around there is
the way we want to play the game.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
What are you expecting out of Argentina? Never beaten the
All Blacks in Argentina, but we didn't think they're going
to beat us over here either history has made to
be changed, is it? What do they bring?

Speaker 4 (02:23):
Yeah, I looked at the pressure. We've just had a
little taste of it. Actually, we've just had a bus
ride over to the Captain's run through Cordover and the
passion of the people around the streets both sides actually
some of them cheering and screaming us on and someone's
giving a bit of a bit of grief through the bus.
So the passion and they have for their team, and
they even had a game up here for a while,

(02:44):
so I expect to be a pretty awesome atmosphere. And
as we know, Argentina have grown really well through Felipe
and Kenny Lynn with his influence there and the way
they're playing the game, so you know that passionate the
physical and they're actually playing a really good sign of footage.
So yeah, it's going to be a hell of a game.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
I think Kenny Lynn, yet another new Zealander coaching overseas,
has spent a bit of time in the deeper South
than't he kinnelnd.

Speaker 4 (03:11):
Yeah, Yeah, he's been a lot of time in France
and you know when he was coaching Jenna the Landers
in the last couple of years. We had some good
conversations with him and he's a he's a smart coach
who's who likes to stall play a good style. So yeah,
we've seen that over the last the last year or
so with the Argentina. You know, that's scoring some good
tries and getting a good balance and how they play
with their big passionate forwards.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
You can't look too far into the future in the games,
but you guys must be aware of the All Blacks.
Appalling is probably a bit over the top, but the
record in the last twenty minutes it's been pretty poor.
Defensively average at best and on the take you've really
not scored. Is that something that's been addressed by you
guys this season.

Speaker 4 (03:54):
I think it's been something you know, for the last
twelve or thirty months we have you know, we've always
reviewed around around how we play and how we set
the boys up that come off off our zoo finch
to do a good job in a last twenty. So
it's always yeah, we always talk around our first twenty
and our last twenty and training and we make sure

(04:14):
that our game is set up through there and then
let the individuals do it. So yeah, one hundred percent.
Obviously games won and lost the obviously in that last
twenty and you know, we've we definitely set up scenarios
at training where we put them in those situations where
they tend to go or for to go and in
master to make sure that it's ticking match to the boys.

Speaker 2 (04:33):
Finally, Christy es today. See the ground hard and fast,
and that's what I heard from Will Jordan as well
when he was talking to Mike asking so it does.
It does present hopefully a very quick exchange, which is
what you guys are after, right speed, accuracy.

Speaker 4 (04:48):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, one hundred and seen. I think both
things will be keen on that.

Speaker 3 (04:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (04:55):
And I'm just looking out the window now and the
sun shining. It's hard ground, and yeah, it's all set
up all see it up to you know, really show
up some skill sets. But the reality is going to
be it's going to be in collision that you know,
the collision and the set piece that sits up the
ability to play with some width.

Speaker 5 (05:10):
So we're aware of that, and yeah, it's going to
be great, great fun, actually great fund the stadium we've
just been to, it's actually only ninety five ninety six
meters long and about right on the minimum as far.

Speaker 4 (05:24):
As WIT's too, so we'll see what happens with that,
how that affects the width of the game.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
The energy is going to be huge. Were just over
twenty four hours away from kick off, really looking forward
to it. Jason Holland a real pleasure or should I
call you elfie? Thanks for your time, regards to all
of the team and we'll catch you on the other side.
Let's get it done.

Speaker 4 (05:45):
Oh.

Speaker 1 (05:48):
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