September 6, 2025 • 9 mins
Coach Scott Robertson has praised the All Blacks' response to their bad day in Buenos Aires.
The All Blacks have defended their formidable Eden Park record with a 24-17 win over South Africa, led by two first-half tries.
Former All Black Ant Strachan says this match was a 'test for the ages'.
"It's great for our game, because you want to keep promoting the high-level product, which it is."
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
So that was more like it from the All Blacks
last night, wasn't it.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
It's had a stands and the All Blacks stuff in
the Fortress twenty four to seventeen and at all time
chess match between these two nations, the All Blacks winned
by seven and claim their fifty first match unbeaten at
(00:39):
their homes.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
With his thoughts on the game, former All Black aunt
straun drawns me, now, good morning and morning take Tessa.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
How are you beautiful Mount Hobson.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
I love it. I loved the win and but I
was just saying I really loved the anticipation in the
build up to the game. It's good as a country
to get excited about something, isn't it. I mean, how
many times were you asked last week who you thought
would win?
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Wow? Yeah, you did right. It was a test for
the ages. I mean, we've had some really iconic matches
over the years between the All Blacks and South Africa,
but that's one had so much spice to it, and
I think some concern over the country about how this
All Black team would front up. So the interest across
the world really, but also obviously in New Zealand, wasn't me.
It's great for our game because we want to keep
promoting the high level product, which it.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Is now your colleague news talks, he'd bees. Elliott Smith
told me last week that he had a feeling that
the All Blacks would win. Were you feeling confident?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Yeah, pretty confidentially. I wrote a column in the Herald
during the week and just said, if the All Blacks
can fund up in that first twenty minutes and get
a little bit of a lead, it'll be a tough game,
but I think they can hold on and win. So
quietly confident, but I wasn't overtly confident.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
You can always tell with the All Blacks, I reckon
within the first ten minutes whether they're on or not.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Yeah, I think you're right, And it was great to
see a lot of these young men playing. You know,
they haven't played a lot of matches. We had some
experience all blocks out there, you know, Scott Robson in
his second year of his All Black tenure. You know,
lots of things at stake, you know, and pressure and
the expectation obviously with winning record at Eden Park, South Africa,
having lost since nineteen thirty seven, et cetera. I mean
(02:19):
it was massive and for them to front up and
deliver was impressive.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
What did you like about the performance.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Well, obviously the start was good, and I think also
they just took their opportunities early on. Sometimes they just
don't stick those opportunities, you don't take them and it's
like three or all or whatever coming into halftime. But
they created a little bit of a buffer, and I
mean across the park there were some really really good moments.
It wasn't the perfect test match probably technically and technically
to be honest, but each player contributed either an offensive
(02:48):
thing or a defensive thing, just sort of turned the
tables a little bit. And that's the Goth African team.
They roared back in the second half. They didn't give
up at all. So they had to hold onto this one.
And so you know a number of players. A Savier
was immense one hundred games, such a wonderful all black
and a wonderful person to create those couple of big
opportunities late in the game, arguably one in the test match.
(03:11):
So he was a standout for me.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
As you mentioned, a Springboks were not the usual clinical
salves last night. What do you think happened there?
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Well, you know, if you think about the expectation on
this all Black team, think about the South African team too,
because number one in the world. A lot of talk
around them being able to match us physically. Tony Brown
new back coach, offensive coach, new things and new pictures
for them, and I think their country and obviously the
South Africans living in New Zealand, we're very high in
terms of their expectation of a victory. So maybe the
(03:41):
way that pressure didn't help too much, and also just
some players are not quite probably at their best for
this particular game the top five weeks. Maybe they loose
forts didn't win as productive as as always, and of
course they didn't use the ball a lot. It was
a kicking game, let's be honest. Throughout the match, so
we didn't see a lot of their offensive stuff. As
(04:01):
I say that Tony Brown's implemented.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
It looked and sounded like there was a large contingent
of South African supporters there last night. Is there something
about the atmosphere at Eden Park which is hard to
deal with for the South Africans I'm talking about.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Yeah, Well, I've called most games at Eden Park All
Black Test matches since twenty eleven, and every single Test
match has something about the mystique I suppose of Eden Park.
The All Blacks love to play there. You know, it's
arguably the home of New Zealand Rugby, a lot of
supporters in the city and as you mentioned, I mean
they were quite balanced. There were a number of South
(04:38):
Africans obviously living in New Zealand, but also probably that
travel and they created an atmosphere supportive atmosphere for the
South Africans too. So yeah, I can't quite put my
finger on why we keep winning an eating park, but
it's a special place that we hold and let's hope
that the recle continues.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
What do the All Blacks need to focus on before
this coming weekend?
Speaker 4 (05:00):
I think overall just need to be a little bit
more clinical. This chroma was under pressure early on their
line out went that impressive in the first part. So
we always talk about set peace and being so important
to win that battle that certainly needs some work, and
also just to get times we'd probably just push the
envelope a little bit with the ball and of course
we made a few errors that created some some turnovers
(05:22):
as well. So yeah, I mean I think it's a
it's a general statement, but I think across the ball,
each player, each player just working on the on their
poor role, positional role, getting that right and obviously collectively
then putting in a better performance. Because the South Africans
will come back better, we know that. And of course
they've got a pretty record in wanting to two, so
they've got the odds in their favor there.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Oh, I'm pretty sure the spring Boks will not be
happy with the way things went last night and they're
going to come back. I think next week could be explosive.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Yeah, and look again, it just keeps adding value to
the wonderful game, you know. I mean there's lots of
sports now. The Black fans are going so well, you know,
rugby league in this country is growing just just in general,
the oval ball and New Zealand's you know, pretty good
right now. And you've just got to keep delivering and
and you know, fulfilling what the public want to see
and of course they love the black jersey and again
(06:12):
just another Test match, more pressure and of course it's
all black. First seal everges it doesn't get any better
than that.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Well, do you think that the razor was pretty relieved
with the result last night and that the whole coaching
team will have been. I imagine we look.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
He probably didn't see it too much. He has quite
emotional when you see him. They pan up into the box,
massive relief. I mean, it was a litmus test for
him and his coaching crew, and you know they deliver it.
As I say, it wasn't a perfect test match, but
it doesn't matter. You often hear the old cliche you
know you've got it, you've got to win ugly, and
you know, in some respects it was a bit like that.
(06:47):
But yeah, so much relief. I very proud of him actually,
because you know he's been under the bunk a little
bit and he's lost a few test matches, lost the
first Test Test and not just the other week. So
for him to get up and and when it was great,
it was great to see.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Are you I don't know you were across the All
Blacks and how they've kind of pulled up after that game.
Are there any more injury woes?
Speaker 4 (07:08):
I haven't heard any, but I'll tell you what it
was brutal and you'll expect nothing less against South African team.
They've played for the eightieth minute and they want to
hurt you physically. I mean, it's just one of those
things that it's a It's a gladiatorial sport, isn't it rugby?
And the two biggest teams going head to head like
two big bulls. To be honest, there's going to be
(07:29):
some sore bodies today, so the recovery is critical and
obviously just looking after the body's ahead of this weekend's
test match.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
So when you're sitting in the stands or you're calling
a game, man, do you ever thinking, gosh, I wish
I was down there on that field and amongst.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
This excuse my friends, but shit, though it's way too
physical for me. Back in the day we played pretty
physical game too, But I tell you what, the size
of the players now, the profile, the collision, yeah it's ferocious,
and yeah I'm not I think the commentary box is
the best place for me, Francesca.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Look, also a great game between Australia and Argentina. Australia
claimed the victory in the last play of the game.
Isn't it great? How close these contests are and the
unpredictability around the Rugby Championship.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Yeah, I think that also adds. I mean that the
test nets last night wasn't really about the Rugby Championship,
but of course all of these test matches and the
evolution of Argentina, the resurgence of this Australian team after
and it's on the back of an Episoude, wonderful coach
and Joe Schmidt he is leaving at the end of
the year. But I tell you what, he's just providing
a completely new direction for that Wallaby team and they're
(08:34):
going to be hard to beat when they come to
New Zealand and vice versa. And like you're saying, you know,
these close test match it's what we want. We don't
want to go to Eden Park and watch a sixty
to ten win, do we We want close all the
way through, lots of nuances and things that happened with
throughout the game that keep us interested. And yeah, it's
great and at the moment the championship is red.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Hot and strawn. Get on with your walk, enjoy the
rest of your walk. Thank you very much for your
time this morning. Appreciated for more from the Sunday session.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
With Francesca Rudger. Listen live to News Talks at B
from nine am Sunday, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
So that was more like it from the All Blacks
last night, wasn't it.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
It's had a stands and the All Blacks stuff in
the Fortress twenty four to seventeen and at all time
chess match between these two nations, the All Blacks winned
by seven and claim their fifty first match unbeaten at
(00:39):
their homes.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
With his thoughts on the game, former All Black aunt
straun drawns me, now, good morning and morning take Tessa.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
How are you beautiful Mount Hobson.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
I love it. I loved the win and but I
was just saying I really loved the anticipation in the
build up to the game. It's good as a country
to get excited about something, isn't it. I mean, how
many times were you asked last week who you thought
would win?
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Wow? Yeah, you did right. It was a test for
the ages. I mean, we've had some really iconic matches
over the years between the All Blacks and South Africa,
but that's one had so much spice to it, and
I think some concern over the country about how this
All Black team would front up. So the interest across
the world really, but also obviously in New Zealand, wasn't me.
It's great for our game because we want to keep
promoting the high level product, which it.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Is now your colleague news talks, he'd bees. Elliott Smith
told me last week that he had a feeling that
the All Blacks would win. Were you feeling confident?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Yeah, pretty confidentially. I wrote a column in the Herald
during the week and just said, if the All Blacks
can fund up in that first twenty minutes and get
a little bit of a lead, it'll be a tough game,
but I think they can hold on and win. So
quietly confident, but I wasn't overtly confident.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
You can always tell with the All Blacks, I reckon
within the first ten minutes whether they're on or not.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Yeah, I think you're right, And it was great to
see a lot of these young men playing. You know,
they haven't played a lot of matches. We had some
experience all blocks out there, you know, Scott Robson in
his second year of his All Black tenure. You know,
lots of things at stake, you know, and pressure and
the expectation obviously with winning record at Eden Park, South Africa,
having lost since nineteen thirty seven, et cetera. I mean
(02:19):
it was massive and for them to front up and
deliver was impressive.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
What did you like about the performance.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Well, obviously the start was good, and I think also
they just took their opportunities early on. Sometimes they just
don't stick those opportunities, you don't take them and it's
like three or all or whatever coming into halftime. But
they created a little bit of a buffer, and I
mean across the park there were some really really good moments.
It wasn't the perfect test match probably technically and technically
to be honest, but each player contributed either an offensive
(02:48):
thing or a defensive thing, just sort of turned the
tables a little bit. And that's the Goth African team.
They roared back in the second half. They didn't give
up at all. So they had to hold onto this one.
And so you know a number of players. A Savier
was immense one hundred games, such a wonderful all black
and a wonderful person to create those couple of big
opportunities late in the game, arguably one in the test match.
(03:11):
So he was a standout for me.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
As you mentioned, a Springboks were not the usual clinical
salves last night. What do you think happened there?
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Well, you know, if you think about the expectation on
this all Black team, think about the South African team too,
because number one in the world. A lot of talk
around them being able to match us physically. Tony Brown
new back coach, offensive coach, new things and new pictures
for them, and I think their country and obviously the
South Africans living in New Zealand, we're very high in
terms of their expectation of a victory. So maybe the
(03:41):
way that pressure didn't help too much, and also just
some players are not quite probably at their best for
this particular game the top five weeks. Maybe they loose
forts didn't win as productive as as always, and of
course they didn't use the ball a lot. It was
a kicking game, let's be honest. Throughout the match, so
we didn't see a lot of their offensive stuff. As
(04:01):
I say that Tony Brown's implemented.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
It looked and sounded like there was a large contingent
of South African supporters there last night. Is there something
about the atmosphere at Eden Park which is hard to
deal with for the South Africans I'm talking about.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Yeah, Well, I've called most games at Eden Park All
Black Test matches since twenty eleven, and every single Test
match has something about the mystique I suppose of Eden Park.
The All Blacks love to play there. You know, it's
arguably the home of New Zealand Rugby, a lot of
supporters in the city and as you mentioned, I mean
they were quite balanced. There were a number of South
(04:38):
Africans obviously living in New Zealand, but also probably that
travel and they created an atmosphere supportive atmosphere for the
South Africans too. So yeah, I can't quite put my
finger on why we keep winning an eating park, but
it's a special place that we hold and let's hope
that the recle continues.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
What do the All Blacks need to focus on before
this coming weekend?
Speaker 4 (05:00):
I think overall just need to be a little bit
more clinical. This chroma was under pressure early on their
line out went that impressive in the first part. So
we always talk about set peace and being so important
to win that battle that certainly needs some work, and
also just to get times we'd probably just push the
envelope a little bit with the ball and of course
we made a few errors that created some some turnovers
(05:22):
as well. So yeah, I mean I think it's a
it's a general statement, but I think across the ball,
each player, each player just working on the on their
poor role, positional role, getting that right and obviously collectively
then putting in a better performance. Because the South Africans
will come back better, we know that. And of course
they've got a pretty record in wanting to two, so
they've got the odds in their favor there.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Oh, I'm pretty sure the spring Boks will not be
happy with the way things went last night and they're
going to come back. I think next week could be explosive.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Yeah, and look again, it just keeps adding value to
the wonderful game, you know. I mean there's lots of
sports now. The Black fans are going so well, you know,
rugby league in this country is growing just just in general,
the oval ball and New Zealand's you know, pretty good
right now. And you've just got to keep delivering and
and you know, fulfilling what the public want to see
and of course they love the black jersey and again
(06:12):
just another Test match, more pressure and of course it's
all black. First seal everges it doesn't get any better
than that.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Well, do you think that the razor was pretty relieved
with the result last night and that the whole coaching
team will have been. I imagine we look.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
He probably didn't see it too much. He has quite
emotional when you see him. They pan up into the box,
massive relief. I mean, it was a litmus test for
him and his coaching crew, and you know they deliver it.
As I say, it wasn't a perfect test match, but
it doesn't matter. You often hear the old cliche you
know you've got it, you've got to win ugly, and
you know, in some respects it was a bit like that.
(06:47):
But yeah, so much relief. I very proud of him actually,
because you know he's been under the bunk a little
bit and he's lost a few test matches, lost the
first Test Test and not just the other week. So
for him to get up and and when it was great,
it was great to see.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Are you I don't know you were across the All
Blacks and how they've kind of pulled up after that game.
Are there any more injury woes?
Speaker 4 (07:08):
I haven't heard any, but I'll tell you what it
was brutal and you'll expect nothing less against South African team.
They've played for the eightieth minute and they want to
hurt you physically. I mean, it's just one of those
things that it's a It's a gladiatorial sport, isn't it rugby?
And the two biggest teams going head to head like
two big bulls. To be honest, there's going to be
(07:29):
some sore bodies today, so the recovery is critical and
obviously just looking after the body's ahead of this weekend's
test match.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
So when you're sitting in the stands or you're calling
a game, man, do you ever thinking, gosh, I wish
I was down there on that field and amongst.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
This excuse my friends, but shit, though it's way too
physical for me. Back in the day we played pretty
physical game too, But I tell you what, the size
of the players now, the profile, the collision, yeah it's ferocious,
and yeah I'm not I think the commentary box is
the best place for me, Francesca.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Look, also a great game between Australia and Argentina. Australia
claimed the victory in the last play of the game.
Isn't it great? How close these contests are and the
unpredictability around the Rugby Championship.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Yeah, I think that also adds. I mean that the
test nets last night wasn't really about the Rugby Championship,
but of course all of these test matches and the
evolution of Argentina, the resurgence of this Australian team after
and it's on the back of an Episoude, wonderful coach
and Joe Schmidt he is leaving at the end of
the year. But I tell you what, he's just providing
a completely new direction for that Wallaby team and they're
(08:34):
going to be hard to beat when they come to
New Zealand and vice versa. And like you're saying, you know,
these close test match it's what we want. We don't
want to go to Eden Park and watch a sixty
to ten win, do we We want close all the
way through, lots of nuances and things that happened with
throughout the game that keep us interested. And yeah, it's
great and at the moment the championship is red.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Hot and strawn. Get on with your walk, enjoy the
rest of your walk. Thank you very much for your
time this morning. Appreciated for more from the Sunday session.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
With Francesca Rudger. Listen live to News Talks at B
from nine am Sunday, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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