November 7, 2024 • 6 mins
He has been shepherding the rugby public of NZ for 40 years and tomorrow he will call his 350th Test Match. But which was the best of the lot?
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
The Farmer Panel with Cortever Agroscience innovative products helping you
achieve exceptional results. So you've heard from Kevin Smiley Barrett
in Dublin. This is a bit of a cock up
by me on the panel today because our other member
of the Farmer Panel has been shepherding the rugby public
for forty years. His name is Grant. Thisbit and Grant. When
(00:30):
I teed this up last night, I was thinking, you're
in Dublin as well, but you're not. These days, you're
calling these tests from home. How difficult is it to
call a rugby test off a screen? And I note
that George Ford's last minute drop goal there was a
moment's hesitation until you got some sort of indication from
the television as to what had happened. Good afternoon, by
(00:53):
the way.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah good hey, Jamie. Look, it's not ideal obviously being
at the ground that gives you an an overview of
how things are looking. But I'm seeing only what you're
seeing at home. So you know, things like that George
Ford penalty, early drop kick attempt, and also the injury
(01:14):
to Cody Taylor and these sort of things, you don't
have an overview of what's actually happening, but as if
that's not ideal, but it's drum the economics these days.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Of course, Look as I said, because I've got to
paint you as a farmer on the farmer panel today.
I'm sure it's the first time you've ever been called
a farmer. Shepherding the rugby rugby public for forty years.
Your first test call was against Australia in nineteen eighty four.
You call your three hundred and fiftieth test tomorrow morning.
I think back on your career, and I've been following
(01:45):
rugby since the late sixties. Two tests spring to mind
for me. I'm going to throw them at you and
see what you make of them as the greatest all
black tests that I've been to. Nineteen ninety six Athletic
Park versus Australia. That's my number one. The two was
the Rugby World Cup Final ticking against Australia again in
twenty fifteen. You're probably going to say the Jonah Lomu.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Game, are you? Oh, that's up there. But if I
had to isolate too, Jamie, certainly i'd agree with you
on ninety six up to a point. I don't think
it's in my top two, but that was phenomenal given
the conditions and all the rest of it. Certainly the
World Cup final in two fifteen has to be I
think the ultimate highlight for me. It was just such
(02:27):
a great game of rugby. Often World Cup finals are
boring as all hell, but this one was a great game.
And of course the All Blacks one when Barretts scored
towards the end there, that was great. And I think
also the ninety six win in South Africa, where we
hadn't we've been gay to South Africa for Yonks, hadn't
been able to win the Test series, and finally it
presented itself in Pretoria. We had to win there because
(02:49):
I think the general consensus was that we weren't going
to win in Joe the week after, so we had
to win in Pretoria and we all know the drama
surrounding that and they got home. So I think if
I had to isolate two, I'd agree with you on
the two fifteen World Cup final, but I'd also go
to that match in Pretoria in nineteen ninety six.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Well, well, both on the same year, just different games
there one of the great one of the great bits
of commentary as well, you and Justin Marshall on that
Bowden Barrett try. I was lucky enough to be there.
It was a magnificent day at Twickenham. Sun was shining,
great crowd, great game of rugby.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, I think that was the key. It was a
great game of rugby. And as I said before, world
Cup finals can be deadly dull. I mean the one
at Eton Park and two eleven wasn't a great game
of rugby. We won it last year of course in
France when the Springboks couldn't score a try, but they
still won the World Cup. So to have a refreshing
World Cup final where neither team was particularly concerned about
(03:51):
moving the ball, they didn't have fear of losing, and
all the drama associated with it too, you know, the
yellow card, the fact that he's came right back into it,
and then the drama of the try at the end.
It was just a great game.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Hey, you've had some wonderful comments men alongside you. I've
mentioned Justin Marshall. I love his work, but I go
back to Mix. Mix was a champion back in the day.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Yeah, absolutely, he was absolutely passionate about the game, no
doubt about that and was colorful too. You know, he
gave it plenty and you know there were plenty of
people who didn't particularly like him, but they were equally
his number. There weren't too many gray areas, put it
that way, so mix was fantastic. The late John Drake,
of course, he was also great because he could explain
(04:39):
what was happening in the front row most of us couldn't.
And then of course Grant Fox, very very passionate about
the All Blacks, and latterly for the last ecod or
so Justin Marshall, who has been an absolute delight to
work with, a terrific player, and I think he's really
moved into the commentary box. It's like a glove fitting.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yes boy, absolutely all right, you've got three fifty or
you will have three fifty under the belt by tomorrow
and nisbo, you're still fit and healthy? How much longer?
How much gas you got left in the tank? As
Earl Curtain would.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Say, gas guess? Yeah, yeah, Well, I'll tell you what, Jamie.
It's not always your decision about when things are finish.
But I have got a contract the next year, so
I'll give it another go, and who knows what happens
during the next twelve months.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
It was great to have you down in Southland earlier
in the year celebrating my thirty years on the tools
and a river style. Will shed you enjoy your fortieth
celebrations sort of and your three hundred and fiftieth test tomorrow.
It's going to be a beauty. Do you give the
All Blacks a chance or Ireland a slight favorite?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Here? Yeah? I think they deserve to be slight favorites.
But I certainly give the All Blacks a chance because
you all Blacks win most of the time, don't they.
I mean that's expected of by the New Zealand rugby public.
They are the team in world rugby that's won the
highest percentage of Test matches, so they're always in it,
no question about that, and I give them in fact,
(06:10):
I think they'll win narrowly.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Good on you have a great call. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Cheers, Ami,
The Farmer Panel with Cortever Agroscience innovative products helping you
achieve exceptional results. So you've heard from Kevin Smiley Barrett
in Dublin. This is a bit of a cock up
by me on the panel today because our other member
of the Farmer Panel has been shepherding the rugby public
for forty years. His name is Grant. Thisbit and Grant. When
(00:30):
I teed this up last night, I was thinking, you're
in Dublin as well, but you're not. These days, you're
calling these tests from home. How difficult is it to
call a rugby test off a screen? And I note
that George Ford's last minute drop goal there was a
moment's hesitation until you got some sort of indication from
the television as to what had happened. Good afternoon, by
(00:53):
the way.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah good hey, Jamie. Look, it's not ideal obviously being
at the ground that gives you an an overview of
how things are looking. But I'm seeing only what you're
seeing at home. So you know, things like that George
Ford penalty, early drop kick attempt, and also the injury
(01:14):
to Cody Taylor and these sort of things, you don't
have an overview of what's actually happening, but as if
that's not ideal, but it's drum the economics these days.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Of course, Look as I said, because I've got to
paint you as a farmer on the farmer panel today.
I'm sure it's the first time you've ever been called
a farmer. Shepherding the rugby rugby public for forty years.
Your first test call was against Australia in nineteen eighty four.
You call your three hundred and fiftieth test tomorrow morning.
I think back on your career, and I've been following
(01:45):
rugby since the late sixties. Two tests spring to mind
for me. I'm going to throw them at you and
see what you make of them as the greatest all
black tests that I've been to. Nineteen ninety six Athletic
Park versus Australia. That's my number one. The two was
the Rugby World Cup Final ticking against Australia again in
twenty fifteen. You're probably going to say the Jonah Lomu.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Game, are you? Oh, that's up there. But if I
had to isolate too, Jamie, certainly i'd agree with you
on ninety six up to a point. I don't think
it's in my top two, but that was phenomenal given
the conditions and all the rest of it. Certainly the
World Cup final in two fifteen has to be I
think the ultimate highlight for me. It was just such
(02:27):
a great game of rugby. Often World Cup finals are
boring as all hell, but this one was a great game.
And of course the All Blacks one when Barretts scored
towards the end there, that was great. And I think
also the ninety six win in South Africa, where we
hadn't we've been gay to South Africa for Yonks, hadn't
been able to win the Test series, and finally it
presented itself in Pretoria. We had to win there because
(02:49):
I think the general consensus was that we weren't going
to win in Joe the week after, so we had
to win in Pretoria and we all know the drama
surrounding that and they got home. So I think if
I had to isolate two, I'd agree with you on
the two fifteen World Cup final, but I'd also go
to that match in Pretoria in nineteen ninety six.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Well, well, both on the same year, just different games
there one of the great one of the great bits
of commentary as well, you and Justin Marshall on that
Bowden Barrett try. I was lucky enough to be there.
It was a magnificent day at Twickenham. Sun was shining,
great crowd, great game of rugby.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, I think that was the key. It was a
great game of rugby. And as I said before, world
Cup finals can be deadly dull. I mean the one
at Eton Park and two eleven wasn't a great game
of rugby. We won it last year of course in
France when the Springboks couldn't score a try, but they
still won the World Cup. So to have a refreshing
World Cup final where neither team was particularly concerned about
(03:51):
moving the ball, they didn't have fear of losing, and
all the drama associated with it too, you know, the
yellow card, the fact that he's came right back into it,
and then the drama of the try at the end.
It was just a great game.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Hey, you've had some wonderful comments men alongside you. I've
mentioned Justin Marshall. I love his work, but I go
back to Mix. Mix was a champion back in the day.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Yeah, absolutely, he was absolutely passionate about the game, no
doubt about that and was colorful too. You know, he
gave it plenty and you know there were plenty of
people who didn't particularly like him, but they were equally
his number. There weren't too many gray areas, put it
that way, so mix was fantastic. The late John Drake,
of course, he was also great because he could explain
(04:39):
what was happening in the front row most of us couldn't.
And then of course Grant Fox, very very passionate about
the All Blacks, and latterly for the last ecod or
so Justin Marshall, who has been an absolute delight to
work with, a terrific player, and I think he's really
moved into the commentary box. It's like a glove fitting.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yes boy, absolutely all right, you've got three fifty or
you will have three fifty under the belt by tomorrow
and nisbo, you're still fit and healthy? How much longer?
How much gas you got left in the tank? As
Earl Curtain would.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Say, gas guess? Yeah, yeah, Well, I'll tell you what, Jamie.
It's not always your decision about when things are finish.
But I have got a contract the next year, so
I'll give it another go, and who knows what happens
during the next twelve months.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
It was great to have you down in Southland earlier
in the year celebrating my thirty years on the tools
and a river style. Will shed you enjoy your fortieth
celebrations sort of and your three hundred and fiftieth test tomorrow.
It's going to be a beauty. Do you give the
All Blacks a chance or Ireland a slight favorite?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Here? Yeah? I think they deserve to be slight favorites.
But I certainly give the All Blacks a chance because
you all Blacks win most of the time, don't they.
I mean that's expected of by the New Zealand rugby public.
They are the team in world rugby that's won the
highest percentage of Test matches, so they're always in it,
no question about that, and I give them in fact,
(06:10):
I think they'll win narrowly.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Good on you have a great call. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Cheers, Ami,
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