Patrick Tuipulotu: Blues skipper talks Super Rugby ahead of their clash against the Chiefs

Blues skipper Patrick Tuipulotu has set a major personal goal for himself for the Super Rugby Pacific season, ahead of tonight's opener against the Chiefs at Eden Park. 

The All Black is coming off leading his team to their first Super Rugby title in 21 years - returning early from a serious knee injury to play in the grand final. 

Tuipulotu hopes he can come through the season unscathed. 

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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 Min.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
It's up to seven extraordinary. How triggered one can get
with a tune, isn't it? Oh you are horrible. Anyway,
let's move away from PAP to the wonderment that is
Super Rugby Pacific. We're joined now by Patty two upsets,
Patrick twey Palottu, captain of the Blues.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Good morning, Patrick, Good morning Darcy.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
I take it you're well and just wee, but excited
after getting thrashed in pre season by somebody used to
call Stern Vern but after talking to him, decide he's
more mirthful than Stern.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
You're all preaked and ready to go yet, Yeah we are.
You're very excited at the who are online against the
Chiefs rematch of the final and you know they'll be
coming up and something over their shoulder trying to get
one back over us. But no preseason Yeah, being very tough.
I mean call the ol black started three weeks ago,
so liv ahead it as tough as other boys started

(01:07):
early in December.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
You needed that break, the all Blake break. I'm presuming
that was well taken.

Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yeah, much relaxed most of the time. It was a
big recovery focus for me. At the end of the
tour actually kind of get home and put the feed up.
But once I get got home, put the feed up,
already studying to mister Rugby. So it's good to get
in some game time now.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
So what about the injury. That's all okay, you managed
to get through that. Absolutely no drama at all. You're
one hundred and ten.

Speaker 3 (01:37):
Yep, yep, one hundred and ten. Go now. I was
just trying to stay on the field, so I said
there was part of my focus. Is part of my
focus this year, mainly in the recovery. It's probably never
enough just to do the basics, so I always got
to go and do more.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yeah, the captain, mate, you can't do the basics. You've
got to go up and beyond. You've got to be superman.
You got to climb in the phone box before you
get on the park.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
It's not on I thought.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
So you talked about chiefs coming up, you know, carrying
something bit of a chip on their shoulder. You've had
games where you've come back as a player wanting to
right the wrongs of the past. I'm not entirely sure
if that's the right attitude to take into games, the
whole revenge thing. Surely the Chiefs will just let last
year go. Well, will you remind them in the scrum?

Speaker 3 (02:31):
Well, we'll definitely be reminding them come game time as
soon as we cross that work moment. It's all line.
But I think as farther and the issues, I'll probably
acknowledge what happened in the past and try and focus
on doing something new to try and beat us.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
What's your primary focus coming from vern and the coaching staff.
Is it all about like hit, delete, do it all
over again, maintaining your position going for two in a row? Like,
how are you framing this year for the Blues?

Speaker 3 (03:00):
Yeah, that's been real good, and just being straight up,
we've got to keep our feet in the ground. Last
year is great, but we've got to keep evolving. Teams
know how we play now, and if we keep doing
the same thing and other teams get better, we won't
get the result we want. So part of our physical
game and trying to evolve that and yeah, having some

(03:22):
different I.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
Mean, and you boys, you got on board, And now
how are they behaving?

Speaker 3 (03:27):
Well, quite a few a lot of them for real,
well in preseason games. And they're actually back when I started,
coming out of school was probably a foreign thing. Where
these young guys now straight out of school into academies
and often leaping the academy and coming straight into the
super environment. They're very professional and doing the right things

(03:50):
at a young age. So all these young guys probably
making us whole guys look bad, but you're giving us
young Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
I don't need that though, right. You need someone biting
at your heels, you need someone chasing you, otherwise you
just drop.

Speaker 3 (04:02):
Yes, they provide great energy. And guys like Stray Clark,
you see him painting, he's just one hundred percent of
everything and keeping on us on our toes.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
Talking about you know, the younger guys and keeping people
on their toes. I expect sideline, Sam Darry will be
making a lot of noise because he ain't playing. I mean,
that is a that's not only a kick in the gut,
so the team's locking partner, but but for Sam Darry,
and you've experienced that, you know what it's like. You've
got to advice for him around that space.

Speaker 3 (04:34):
Yeah, well, he's he's a smart cookie and he's lost
for us. I think he ran our lineup real well
last year, and I think for them just to sort
of keep in contact and still have the head and
put where he can run the line out. And obviously
he's still studying, so being able to keep it in

(04:54):
mind off not being able to be out there on
the field with the study and as well as having
import around the lineup is probably key. But I still
will do all the things right and he's pretty good
at the moment. He's uh SUDERI and yeah on the recovery.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
If I put you in my super rugby team for
the new calm the fantasy camp, are you going to
let me down? Patrick?

Speaker 3 (05:19):
I don't know if they're classified inside knowledge, but that's
up to you.

Speaker 2 (05:25):
Okay, fine, I'll do it anyway. I'll come back and
buy you for it. And one last thing, preseason, you
played a couple of heavy hitters. You got one, you
got one last year, one win out of there. Is
there any big lesson from those two games that you
want to carry with you through to tonight's fixture.

Speaker 3 (05:42):
Probably just our aggresion levels and being able to start
with Hurricanes. You sort of going and by Hurricanes lost
last week, We're going and drips and drabs and didn't
really fly well. I was down to myself leading and
other leaders. We're keeping our tabs on it and being

(06:03):
able to give the boys a red up or pretty
much doing myself to get the boys going again. I
think no doubt being at Eton Park at home, anty
levels will be pretty high naturally, so just being able
to stay in a moment, keep playing some of the footage.

Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, and let's hope the crowd turns up on mass
because you won that title. It was a tremendous place
to be. It really was something else. Especially mister yoani A,
Kira and Rico's dad. I don't think I've seen a
happier dad in my entire life. So let's replicate that. Okay,
coming up tonight in Super Rugby, Patty tu ups Patrick

(06:42):
tweet plot to you. It's a public Cordy skipper off
the Blues. Thanks very much for your time, mate, You
go well of a great season.

Speaker 3 (06:47):
Awesome. Thank you very much.

Speaker 1 (06:48):
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