Tom Savage: North Harbour Captain ahead of the NPC clash against Hawke's Bay

The Bunnings NPC continues to roll on, the prime-time game this week a clash between North Harbour and Hawke’s Bay. 

D’Arcy Waldegrave caught up with North Harbour captain Tom Savage to preview the showdown and delve into how his side can build on their last two performances. 

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Episode Transcript

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

Speaker 2 (00:12):
After last night in Southend Minster, turn on a dime
G twenty two sip at halftime to win twenty nine
to twenty two studying. That's the NPC for you, and
we're going to focus more on NPC now North Harbor
after Hawks of Bay playing tonight. We're joined now by
Captain Tom Savage.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Good morning, Tom morning, How are you going very well?
Looking forward to this afternoon or this evening? Was the
point that's probably an understatement. The skipper of North Harbor
in the lock position, a lot to play for, like
there is every weekend, especially when you're on the other
side of the country. What are you planning for us?

Speaker 4 (00:47):
Mate? Yeah?

Speaker 5 (00:50):
I see, We've got a tougher way trip on our hands,
a team that's we're playing challenging against a team that's
gone too from two. Albeit we haven't other results gone
the way they wanted to the first couple of rounds.
We've we've been working hard in training and and learns
of valuable lessons in the next last couple of weeks,
so hopefully you can put on a good performance this evening.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
But it's not too late, is it. We're only early
doors in the NPC. But there comes a stage where
suddenly you're looking down the barrel of a gun and
they all become must win matches.

Speaker 4 (01:21):
But will win?

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Is that period?

Speaker 4 (01:22):
Do you think?

Speaker 2 (01:23):
When do you really start to panic? Or is it
you're already Tom.

Speaker 5 (01:27):
No, I wouldn't say we're miles away from panicking.

Speaker 4 (01:31):
We're aware the sort of the situation we're in, but
we'll go and gain my game.

Speaker 5 (01:36):
We'll stick to our process and be process driven around
that and the way we prepare and the way we
perform and stay consistent in that, and I believe if
we do that, the results, the results will start to come.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
How does this apply to you personally? In your game?
You're the way you build up what you have to
apply and work through. What's your process?

Speaker 5 (01:55):
Oh see, you've got You've got a lot through the
week in terms of physically out on the field, on
the training paddock and your team and individual crap. But
it's a bit of time in the book studying your
own plays and getting over what the opposition, what the
opposition offers.

Speaker 4 (02:09):
So yeah, there's a bit to it. It's a.

Speaker 5 (02:12):
It's a bit of a fine, fine and tuned art
this these this day and age and the way the
week goes. But yeah, we're being consistent in that we're
trying to find some good fixes in our game that
will hopefully build into a good performance this evening.

Speaker 2 (02:26):
Is there any facet of your game where believe you
have got dialed in where you can always improve You're
always looking for improvement, but is there an aspect around
the part where you're happy with where it sits right now?

Speaker 3 (02:37):
Tom?

Speaker 5 (02:39):
Yeah, I think for me it's the amount of we've
blooded a lot of youngsters in the last in the
last few weeks, eleven lads on debut in Round one,
just through circumstance, we didn't have a preseason game, so
these lads are getting some great experience out in there
some time and some time in the saddle, and.

Speaker 4 (02:57):
They'll be better week on week for that.

Speaker 5 (02:59):
Having those exciting youngsters mean we're where they're fit and that,
and they like to play good rugby, so I think
we can be a day team in attack. We tighten
up a few areas around the way we control control
the game and control territory, and I think we're going
to cause teams some damage.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
Nice to hear that positivity around the youth and what
you can actually bring them, what you're happy with. Let's
talk about the youth that the young is coming through.
Probably pretty hard to tie down these guys full of enthusiasm,
and who do you like the look of Is there
any particular individual that you go, Wow, this guy's got
some game.

Speaker 4 (03:33):
Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 5 (03:33):
I think you look in the in the forward pack,
just you Tristan likes a Tristan Cook and Jack Lee's
young type five forward coming.

Speaker 4 (03:41):
Into the game.

Speaker 5 (03:42):
The heaps of energy and physicality, just hungry to learn,
which has been awesome.

Speaker 4 (03:47):
And then you look out to the back.

Speaker 5 (03:48):
So I think one guy stood out in particular who's
been plugging there is like a young guy called Cam
Howe who's coming started in at fifteen for us off
off the back end of a really good club season,
and he's and he's doing some really good things in
training and in games. So I think if you if
you line that up with some of the some of
the experienced guys, We've got some of the guys that
have been in around the Harbor environment for a while

(04:08):
out in the back sort of your your market lears
and your k banks is from the experience.

Speaker 4 (04:13):
Forwards that we've got there as well.

Speaker 5 (04:14):
I think it's a good recipe for something that's going
to begin to work for us as a as the
season unfolds.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
Have you looked at the defensive capabilities or I suppose
what you're lacking there because at home to can see
that many points, that's a poke in the eye, isn't it.
Paramak touched you up.

Speaker 5 (04:31):
Huh, Yeah, it's It's not just some of it's a
discipline as well.

Speaker 4 (04:38):
So it's a bit of a discipline issue last week.

Speaker 5 (04:40):
If you, if you're ill disciplined, play the game in
the wrong areas, you're going to leave yourself susceptible to
conceding points. So when you're playing a good quality sign
like a Taranaki, if you if you give away a
penalty in the halfway and they kick you fifty meters
and they've got an opportunity five meters out from your
own line, they're going to be they're.

Speaker 4 (04:59):
Going to be hard to stop.

Speaker 5 (05:00):
So lessons in there, and not necessarily about a defensive effort,
because on the whole last one we defended for long
periods and really well more of a discipline and a
game management and a game control.

Speaker 4 (05:11):
Was lots of lessons that came out of that game.

Speaker 2 (05:14):
Looking forward to a NPC tremendous competition. Nice to see
that you've moved into a locking position from your tear
Away guys days on the flank. You've got to understand
what you've got and you've got to apply it. Good
on your Tom Savage, Thanks for your time.

Speaker 4 (05:29):
Awesome, brilliant, good to catch up.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
Thanks having me 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