September 21, 2024 • 8 mins
The All Blacks came close to losing their lead - but managed to snatch a victory in the Bledisloe Cup opener in Sydney.
Razor's side led 28-7 but only just clung on for a 31-28 win to retain the Cup.
Newstalk ZB rugby correspondent Elliott Smith says the All Blacks shouldn't have struggled to hold onto their lead the way they did.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Edb Right, the All Blacks have retained the Bladerslowe Cup,
a thrilling finish to the match, holding on to win
thirty one twenty eight. The last twenty minutes is proving
an issue though, isn't it? As z'd b Rugby commentator
Elliott Smith had joins me now from Sydney.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Good morning, Good morning, Franchis Skiff.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
So my mother text me at about six seventeen last
night and she said, well, this is a much more
relaxing game to watch. So I text her back at
seven forty three with thirteen All Blacks on the field
that I asked her, is it still relaxing? And she
said no, So how are you feeling, Elliott? With about
ten minutes to play? What a comeback?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Oh? Look, incredible roller coaster of a game. And this
seems to be what the All Blacks are getting ourselves
into for fans, commentators, spectators watching, it's it's a roller
coaster at the moment because they really should have shut
out the Wallabies and beating them convincingly. The game should
have been done and really by halftime, and we should
(01:08):
have been quibbling over you know, how many points the
All Blacks won by, and that really should have been
the only thing to worry about in the second half,
but they left the door a job before the halftime
break for Australia. After that great start got out twenty one,
twenty eight to seven, Australia got back into the contest,
one of the tries particularly easy that Australia scored, and
the door was just a jar at halftime. There are
(01:29):
a few issues before the halftime break around the All
Blacks not creating, sorry taking enough of the opportunities they created,
and that problem got exacerbated after halftime. They created more
opportunities after the break, but the final finish just wasn't
good enough. There were errors, there were passes that went
Australia shouldn't have been thrown, and then they got themselves
into a little bit of a hole and all of
(01:50):
a sudden, you know, thirty one to fourteen lead became
thirty one to twenty one, but it felt a lot closer,
and then obviously the yellow cards didn't help as well,
and it closed right up to a three point game.
If the game had gone really another five minutes the
Wallabies might well have won that match. So the All
Black stuck themselves a whole, couldn't get out of it.
We should be talking this morning about an All Blacks
(02:11):
when probably in the vicinity of forty to fifty points
instead of won the match, escaped taking the Blurerslow Cup.
But it doesn't really feel like a Blurderslow Cup worthy
winning victory, does it.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Not so much. They've failed to score in the final
twenty of any match in the Rugby Championship. Their ability
to finish strongly is a big issue. Is that the bench?
Is it fitness?
Speaker 3 (02:34):
What is it? I think it's a combination of things.
I think it's around the game management. They're certainly not
getting what they want out of the bench. The starters
are being you know, setting up the platform for the
finishers and they're not quite delivering off the bench, and
I think that goes around some of the game management
and some of the senior players geving themselves into the
(02:56):
right area of the park and that should be where
you know, players like Damian McKenzie should be taking the
game by the scruff of the neck inside the final twenty,
directing the team around the park. It's a big work
on for Damien. We probably didn't see it again last night,
and that school board pressure just evaporated that the All
Blacks had as the second half went on. They didn't
(03:16):
get themselves into the right areas of the park. They
created opportunities, but they weren't able to finish them, and
I think if you have schoolboard pressure, then that creates
pressure obviously on the opposition. The All Blacks weren't able
to do that. They only got three points in the
second spell, So that problem, you know, was exacerbated again
last night. And whatever they seemed to tinker with, whatever
(03:38):
they seem to change, just doesn't seem to be able
to deliver the rewards. They seem to find themselves in strife.
However the game shakes out. You can pretty much guarantee
that they might have had the run of thing for
sixty minutes, but as soon as that clock takes over,
they're battling. So it's a major issue for this All
Blacks team because while it might have got them win yesterday,
(03:58):
it didn't and Johannesburg didn't in Cape Town and it
certainly won't be good enough. And twickt in Dublin or
in Paris later on the Yet did.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
The All Blacks excel? Did anyone excite you?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Oh? Look, I thought Cortez Ratama at halfback was exceptional.
A lot of snapping runs. Yeah he was. He was
very very good. Unfortunate not to finish what we would
have been a pretty spectacular try in to in from
the All Blacks. But he was just everywhere around the
park around great support lines, putting some great hits on
defense as well, one on Marinka caught and Betsy which
(04:31):
is a small man on big man that he can
be particularly proud of. So he's really improving week to week.
And is you know, making your repost to winners. Since
he came into the All Blacks and especially since he
was given the starting role wall Is Tatis, he continues
to improve across the course of the games he's getting
as well. He looks like a you know everyone's saying
a player for the future, fears like a player for
(04:54):
this moment right now that the All Blacks need him.
And two po vying Cody Taylor and Pressed as well.
And really those are the four players that are also
impressed on their tour of South Africa. It's those sort
of players standing up again. So just more from the
entire fifteen and twenty three, but that quartette were impressive again.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Elliott. After the first few All Blacks games under Scott Robinson,
commentator said they couldn't really see Robinson's impact on the
All Blacks yet, can we now?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Well, we saw a lot of attack during that game,
and a lot of free flowing rugby at times. We're
beginning to see parts of it. I think we haven't
seen the full game plan. I think that's where the
frustrations probably lie, is that we saw, you know, Scott
Robinson's crusader side, and it's an easy comparison to make,
but they were absolutely ruthless. Whenever they got an opportunity,
(05:47):
nine times out of ten they would finish an opportunity
for a try scoring moment. They put on pressure when
they got into the opposition twenty two, you know, put
on a lot of pressure the year and turned that
into points more often than not. What we're not seeing
at All Blacks level is that translating They were ruthless
his crusader sides at super rugby level enough to win
them seven state championships, but at test level, the margins
(06:10):
are so much more finer that we're not seeing perhaps
the game plan implemented. I know there's a bit of
frustration they haven't been able to do it. You know,
there's a bit of a glass half full approach from
the All Blacks last night when they spoke to media.
But the margins are so thin and test level that
you've got to take every opportunity given to you and
probably just not seeing that yet from Scott Robinson on
(06:30):
both sides of the ball, attack and defense.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Obviously we've got another test against Australia this coming Saturday,
but then we've got this end of year tour. Is
this a good challenge for the All Blacks these games?
Speaker 3 (06:41):
I think so. Look, you know the six more games
to go this year. You know next week in Wellington
hasn't been a happy hunting ground for them recently, but
perhaps a chance to just make a few tweaks and
see a bit more of the players that we haven't
seen so far this season, test out some new combinations
and then the interview too is going to be really
fascinating and it all centers around a big three week
(07:02):
block where the All Blacks go from Twicken into a
Viva Stadium in Dublin, who start to France in three
really tough tests. It's going to be interesting to see
what kind of sod Scott Robertson selects. Does he go
bigger and select a more expanded squad and perhaps try
some unproven players, which is what All Blacks coaches have
done in the past. With five test matches in five weeks,
(07:23):
look to learn a bit more about some younger players.
But the All Blacks, you know, at this point in time,
you know, the won the Bladders Low Cup. They've got
another test next week, but there's some big matches to
come this year and there's a lot to learn about
some of these players in this All Blacks environment and
especially where they go to the In the past of
twenty twenty seven, a lot of the players you know,
t Depettarra, Sam Kaine will finish up their All Blacks
(07:44):
careers this year. It's not immediately obvious who the success
that there. Sam Kaine is an open side flanker either,
so there are some real questions to be answered towards
the back end of this All Black season, around selection,
around game planer, around you know, how they All Blacks
set themselves up not only for twenty twenty seven, but
from some big challenges to come over the next couple
of years.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
To Elliott Smith always, thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Jeers, friendships, good for more from the Sunday Session with
Francesca Rudkin. Listen live to News Talks A 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.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Edb Right, the All Blacks have retained the Bladerslowe Cup,
a thrilling finish to the match, holding on to win
thirty one twenty eight. The last twenty minutes is proving
an issue though, isn't it? As z'd b Rugby commentator
Elliott Smith had joins me now from Sydney.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Good morning, Good morning, Franchis Skiff.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
So my mother text me at about six seventeen last
night and she said, well, this is a much more
relaxing game to watch. So I text her back at
seven forty three with thirteen All Blacks on the field
that I asked her, is it still relaxing? And she
said no, So how are you feeling, Elliott? With about
ten minutes to play? What a comeback?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Oh? Look, incredible roller coaster of a game. And this
seems to be what the All Blacks are getting ourselves
into for fans, commentators, spectators watching, it's it's a roller
coaster at the moment because they really should have shut
out the Wallabies and beating them convincingly. The game should
have been done and really by halftime, and we should
(01:08):
have been quibbling over you know, how many points the
All Blacks won by, and that really should have been
the only thing to worry about in the second half,
but they left the door a job before the halftime
break for Australia. After that great start got out twenty one,
twenty eight to seven, Australia got back into the contest,
one of the tries particularly easy that Australia scored, and
the door was just a jar at halftime. There are
(01:29):
a few issues before the halftime break around the All
Blacks not creating, sorry taking enough of the opportunities they created,
and that problem got exacerbated after halftime. They created more
opportunities after the break, but the final finish just wasn't
good enough. There were errors, there were passes that went
Australia shouldn't have been thrown, and then they got themselves
into a little bit of a hole and all of
(01:50):
a sudden, you know, thirty one to fourteen lead became
thirty one to twenty one, but it felt a lot closer,
and then obviously the yellow cards didn't help as well,
and it closed right up to a three point game.
If the game had gone really another five minutes the
Wallabies might well have won that match. So the All
Black stuck themselves a whole, couldn't get out of it.
We should be talking this morning about an All Blacks
(02:11):
when probably in the vicinity of forty to fifty points
instead of won the match, escaped taking the Blurerslow Cup.
But it doesn't really feel like a Blurderslow Cup worthy
winning victory, does it.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Not so much. They've failed to score in the final
twenty of any match in the Rugby Championship. Their ability
to finish strongly is a big issue. Is that the bench?
Is it fitness?
Speaker 3 (02:34):
What is it? I think it's a combination of things.
I think it's around the game management. They're certainly not
getting what they want out of the bench. The starters
are being you know, setting up the platform for the
finishers and they're not quite delivering off the bench, and
I think that goes around some of the game management
and some of the senior players geving themselves into the
(02:56):
right area of the park and that should be where
you know, players like Damian McKenzie should be taking the
game by the scruff of the neck inside the final twenty,
directing the team around the park. It's a big work
on for Damien. We probably didn't see it again last night,
and that school board pressure just evaporated that the All
Blacks had as the second half went on. They didn't
(03:16):
get themselves into the right areas of the park. They
created opportunities, but they weren't able to finish them, and
I think if you have schoolboard pressure, then that creates
pressure obviously on the opposition. The All Blacks weren't able
to do that. They only got three points in the
second spell, So that problem, you know, was exacerbated again
last night. And whatever they seemed to tinker with, whatever
(03:38):
they seem to change, just doesn't seem to be able
to deliver the rewards. They seem to find themselves in strife.
However the game shakes out. You can pretty much guarantee
that they might have had the run of thing for
sixty minutes, but as soon as that clock takes over,
they're battling. So it's a major issue for this All
Blacks team because while it might have got them win yesterday,
(03:58):
it didn't and Johannesburg didn't in Cape Town and it
certainly won't be good enough. And twickt in Dublin or
in Paris later on the Yet did.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
The All Blacks excel? Did anyone excite you?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Oh? Look, I thought Cortez Ratama at halfback was exceptional.
A lot of snapping runs. Yeah he was. He was
very very good. Unfortunate not to finish what we would
have been a pretty spectacular try in to in from
the All Blacks. But he was just everywhere around the
park around great support lines, putting some great hits on
defense as well, one on Marinka caught and Betsy which
(04:31):
is a small man on big man that he can
be particularly proud of. So he's really improving week to week.
And is you know, making your repost to winners. Since
he came into the All Blacks and especially since he
was given the starting role wall Is Tatis, he continues
to improve across the course of the games he's getting
as well. He looks like a you know everyone's saying
a player for the future, fears like a player for
(04:54):
this moment right now that the All Blacks need him.
And two po vying Cody Taylor and Pressed as well.
And really those are the four players that are also
impressed on their tour of South Africa. It's those sort
of players standing up again. So just more from the
entire fifteen and twenty three, but that quartette were impressive again.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Elliott. After the first few All Blacks games under Scott Robinson,
commentator said they couldn't really see Robinson's impact on the
All Blacks yet, can we now?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Well, we saw a lot of attack during that game,
and a lot of free flowing rugby at times. We're
beginning to see parts of it. I think we haven't
seen the full game plan. I think that's where the
frustrations probably lie, is that we saw, you know, Scott
Robinson's crusader side, and it's an easy comparison to make,
but they were absolutely ruthless. Whenever they got an opportunity,
(05:47):
nine times out of ten they would finish an opportunity
for a try scoring moment. They put on pressure when
they got into the opposition twenty two, you know, put
on a lot of pressure the year and turned that
into points more often than not. What we're not seeing
at All Blacks level is that translating They were ruthless
his crusader sides at super rugby level enough to win
them seven state championships, but at test level, the margins
(06:10):
are so much more finer that we're not seeing perhaps
the game plan implemented. I know there's a bit of
frustration they haven't been able to do it. You know,
there's a bit of a glass half full approach from
the All Blacks last night when they spoke to media.
But the margins are so thin and test level that
you've got to take every opportunity given to you and
probably just not seeing that yet from Scott Robinson on
(06:30):
both sides of the ball, attack and defense.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Obviously we've got another test against Australia this coming Saturday,
but then we've got this end of year tour. Is
this a good challenge for the All Blacks these games?
Speaker 3 (06:41):
I think so. Look, you know the six more games
to go this year. You know next week in Wellington
hasn't been a happy hunting ground for them recently, but
perhaps a chance to just make a few tweaks and
see a bit more of the players that we haven't
seen so far this season, test out some new combinations
and then the interview too is going to be really
fascinating and it all centers around a big three week
(07:02):
block where the All Blacks go from Twicken into a
Viva Stadium in Dublin, who start to France in three
really tough tests. It's going to be interesting to see
what kind of sod Scott Robertson selects. Does he go
bigger and select a more expanded squad and perhaps try
some unproven players, which is what All Blacks coaches have
done in the past. With five test matches in five weeks,
(07:23):
look to learn a bit more about some younger players.
But the All Blacks, you know, at this point in time,
you know, the won the Bladders Low Cup. They've got
another test next week, but there's some big matches to
come this year and there's a lot to learn about
some of these players in this All Blacks environment and
especially where they go to the In the past of
twenty twenty seven, a lot of the players you know,
t Depettarra, Sam Kaine will finish up their All Blacks
(07:44):
careers this year. It's not immediately obvious who the success
that there. Sam Kaine is an open side flanker either,
so there are some real questions to be answered towards
the back end of this All Black season, around selection,
around game planer, around you know, how they All Blacks
set themselves up not only for twenty twenty seven, but
from some big challenges to come over the next couple
of years.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
To Elliott Smith always, thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Jeers, friendships, good for more from the Sunday Session with
Francesca Rudkin. Listen live to News Talks A B from
nine am Sunday, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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