Josh Lord: All Blacks Lock previews the Nations Championship clash against Ireland at Eden Park

Despite a shaky first half in last week’s clash with Italy at Wellington’s Hnry Stadium, the All Blacks managed to secure a 47-17 victory. 

However, they won’t have the luxury this week, taking on Ireland —the third ranked team in the world— at Eden Park, where they have a 52-match unbeaten streak on the line.  

Josh Lord is starting at lock for the All Blacks tonight, and joined D’Arcy to preview the clash. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

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 sed be.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Very shaky first half of the All Blacks because I
was playing in Wellington, right Aha, shouldn't laugh. They took
on Italy last weekend at Henry Stadium. They got the
win eventually, which is fine, forty seven to seventeen one.
It's pretty come from the long run, but they won't
have any luxuries this time around because the second team
in the world, the All Black's taken on the third
team in the world, which is the Irish, and of

(00:34):
course they've got that thirty two year unbeaten record at
Eden Park on the line. Josh Lord starting at Lock
tonight and he joins us.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
Now to Mari Josh, morning morning. How are you.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
I'm good. How are the nerves? Have you got the
fear about defending the record at Eden Park? I mean
you must have spoken about that. I'm sure I'm not
the first mongrel media guy to bring it up. But
how do you feel about this match going into it?
What's the tension like?

Speaker 3 (01:00):
It's been an exciting week obviously back home and at
the Fortress and pasts this weekend, and yeah, super excited
to go head to head with Ice.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
You must be excited and also a little concerned about
the fact, well, there's a chance you might end up
playing eighty minutes. The way the team's be configured with
Top playing out at six, not a lot of lot
cover going on. So how do you feel about that prospect?

Speaker 3 (01:29):
Yeah, well I guess well, yeah, someone's gonna have to
go heady obviously too. It's going to fill into the
lock spots what we've been training all weeks. So yeah,
we'll just see how we get on and yeah, we'll
prepare to do the tank for the boys.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
What's the general thought process behind Dave, Annie and as
coaching staff?

Speaker 3 (01:47):
Bean?

Speaker 2 (01:47):
What have they left with you to carry into this match.
I'm sure they don't want to confuse you with too
much information, but have they got a fairly precise request
from you guys as you play against the Irish?

Speaker 3 (02:01):
Yeah, I think it's just back in our instincts playing
heads up footy. I guess around their breakdown, we need
to be brutal, especially as the Ford The Ford pack
needs to be brutal, lay a good platform down for
the backs and they can work the magic out wide.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
This is something that you enjoy. You're not you have
to seeking guess this to you, Josh n it's.

Speaker 3 (02:25):
Bing and butter for us. I guess it's been in
the Ford pack.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
You know.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
We've got to lay a good platform down. Kind of
talked about it before and clean bodies carry hard. Yeah,
exactly about laying a platform for the backs and they
can work the magic.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, the team itself under Dave Rennie, the attitude of
you guys, the comfort if you will. How's it all
starting to fall into place now you've been together for
a while.

Speaker 3 (02:51):
Yeah, We've We've been building nicely obviously since we're going
into our third week now, so we're just still building
those combinations, going comfortable with each other and know what,
I guess every person offers. So yeah, we're looking forward
to the game coming up.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
How many surprises or things that have been different for
you as an All Black, what you're in your mid
teens now, test wise, what's been the If there has
been a major adjustment under this new regime, I.

Speaker 3 (03:19):
Think just just having the confidence and playing heads up forty.
You know, you've probably seen it in the last couple
of weeks. We've got exciting battler and we just want
to play. We just want to play footy, keep the
ball in hand and playing heads up for you, I
guess has been one of the main things I've taken
away from this in the last couple of weeks.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
So you're like, I don't say you're like a kid again,
but you are like a kid. You're tossing the ball around,
having some fun, trying to score tries and run. Isn't
it The essence of rugby must be loving this?

Speaker 3 (03:51):
Yeah? Yeah, absolutely. I think you know, growing up as
a kid, that's what you've always been told to do,
is to tuck the ball around and have a go.
And I think that's what makes New Zealand rugby quite
special and different to everyone else. And I think we're
really buying to the mindset of that. Well, obviously you
can't do that and there's so much other things that

(04:12):
need to happen first, and especially around the set piece
and the rucks, et cetera.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
You personally, what do you have to look Is there
any particular facet of your play that you're unhappy worth
or you know you can do slightly better? Insame with
the coach, what do they say to you about your
personal game?

Speaker 3 (04:27):
Josh. Yeah, I guess with the speed of play that
we're wanting to play it, I think it's it's a
bit of an area of growthful mind, especially the you know,
the repeative efforts and getting back. So I guess it's
a little bit of adjustment period for well, I guess
a lot of the a lot of the boys as well.

(04:48):
But I think it's quite an exciting period as well.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
You had to get fitter or something.

Speaker 3 (04:55):
Well, yeah, probably a little bit. But yeah, I guess
it's just that heads up footy, you know. You know
we probably typically we kick the ball out, we get
ready for the lineup, but it's probably just been a
step ahead getting ready for a quick quick throw in
the backs. Obviously playing with a lot of I guess
heads up footy and attacking all the space being genuine options.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
What are the iris, prasin? Are you one of these
kind of rugby geeks that spends time trawling over the
tape finding out what they offer?

Speaker 3 (05:27):
Yeah, especially around the lineout. You know, they've got a
pretty good set piece stress around their lineout scrums and
they like to morph from everywhere. So I guess, as
Afford myself, you know, we've got to nullify them anderously.
Still a bit of pool, and then we can let
our backs do the magic that they always do.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
Click and tell us a little bit about Patty two
Ice Patrick too. He must be snorting from the nostrils
to get out there. He'd be so keen, wouldn't He'd
be like a kid again.

Speaker 3 (06:00):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, he's he's been awesome to have around
the camp again for the last couple of weeks. Yeah,
it's pretty disappointed from me. Obviously got ruled out at
the end of the week in that first test, but yeah,
he's he's itching to go this weekend and he's trained
buddy well the last few weeks, so he's going to
be yea rearing to.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
Go get amongst. We'll be there shouting and screaming and
snorting and cheering all the way. Josh Lorda, it's a pleasure, mate,
Thanks very much for your time. Play hard, play fair
and play with your head up right.

Speaker 3 (06:31):
Yeah that's it, yep, thank you very much.

Speaker 1 (06:34):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk said Be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.