March 14, 2026 • 8 mins
The Blues will look to utilise the talents of their backline as they clash with their rivals Moana Pasifika this afternoon.
Caleb Clarke scored a hat-trick in their win over the Crusaders last weekend, while first-five Beuden Barrett was also instrumental in their win.
Blues fullback Cole Forbes joined D'Arcy to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks, There'd be.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Of rugby's newest arrival. Rees writes another chapter. Today the
Blues host Minor Pacifica at Eden Park. The Saturday Johinings
Now Blues fallback. Cole Forbes go, how are you? Did
you recover well from last week's niggle? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
That all well, got through training all good this week
and yeah, stoked to be back in the lineup to
take on the rivals.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, so we talk about a niggle? What what? How
big a niggle? I mean when you realize it was
only a little or did you freak out last week
and go this could be worse? Or what was the
deal around now?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Sort of just the rolled ankle in the Bumbies game
and then yeah, sort of, yeah, it wasn't too worried,
and then you got through back end and it was
still sort of not one hundred percent, so sort of
just have one week to rest it and then yeah,
get back to training this week and yeah all is
were so good to go.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Really, buddy, got a good thing. Isn't it not that
you want to miss out on a game, but just
to have that mental rest for a week give you, yeah,
a little bit of reving. When you get back in
there again, you make the most of that opportunity or
am I completely wrong?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Ah, yeah it is. It is a good mental rest,
but you're missing out on playing and seeing the boys
do that to the Crusaders always makes you happy. But yeah,
there's obviously a good mental reset, and there's a long season,
so I don't want anything to nip you in now
at the back end of the season.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
So what did you pull out of that game? Obviously
went playing, but you would have been working on all
week with Vernon the like about what actually worked for
you against the Crusaders because you shop them and you
can tell.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah, I think you sort of know the Crusaders. Their
DNA is sort of take you to set peace and
then sort of win that like Highte Bettle in the
physical area of the game, and sort of we previews
that all week. We knew what was coming and sort
of just we knew after our sort of performance against
the Brumbies that we played well patches, but we didn't
(02:07):
string it together consistently. So the main goal was just
sort of nail our game plan in our DNA for
the whole eighty minutes. So I think we really did that,
and obviously the results showed on the weekend.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
When you look to that success last week, that's all
well and good, but you're professional, so you'll dig through
the weeds of that and what didn't work and what
you have to improve on. Am I right? I'm sure
that Veron celebrated, but he looks one side of go Na.
But you need to do this better. Boys.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yeah, definitely, like your team, you look at it and
obviously you want to get better than the following weekend.
I think a big one we've focused on this week
has been discipline. Sort of yellow cards against the brumby
there and the Crusaders have sort of hand put us.
That's when we've leaked our points. So big, big mark
on discipline this week, not giving away super penalties and
giving one or second chances.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
It's a constant, isn't it. Coach is talking about discipline plainly,
it's a lot more difficult than people realize. Why do
you think it makes it such a stretch because guys
are always getting carded, and it happens right the way
through the season, and when people do, they go I
got carded, But we're going to watch our discipline. Why
is this? Why do you guys fall into this?
Speaker 3 (03:20):
No, it is a cliche every coach, every team, you
talk about it, but I think it's just in the
heat of the moment. So you get those boys that
are sort of, oh, should I have a jack or
should I go at the ball? And you sort of
in the heat of the moment you make that flit
second decision and you look got it on the boots
and you're like, why did I do that? But I think, yeah,
it's just something you've got to I think that you've
(03:40):
got to train it. So you've got to be disciplined
at training because we've sort of noticed that we haven't
been as haarded on each other in training and then
it's creeping into the game. So I think there's sort
of been the shift this week, just sort of if
we're going to pull each other up and train, then
it's going to help us in the weekend.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
What's your disciplinary record, like Cole, I.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Think I'm pretty squeaky clean. I've had a few yellow cards,
I think, but that's about nothing. The old typical outside
back slap down ones and that's yeah. I had a
couple of those, but nothing, nothing too bad, I don't think.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Not the problem right up in front what you are though,
there's a problem for Zarn Sullivan. He's been playing the
house down, but he's on the bench now that you've
come back. You got still mates.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Yeah, yeah, he's been playing really well. It's good to
see him healthy because he's had a few injuries the
last couple of seasons sort of just hindered him sometimes.
But it's really good to see him get in some
game time and it's got a huge left boot and
he's got their good running games, so it's been good
to see him playing. And then yeah, you've got Cody
Baier as well, also had a bloody good run on
the wing. So it's good, healthy competition in the back three.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
It's exciting Blues Rugby. At the moment you'd be feeling
that energy. I mean, if you ever stop training or
like you know, stop eating, do you actually get the
idea around the general public that there's something happening.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah, I think that, Especially the last couple of home games,
there's been a good little buzz around them. You sort
of feel the atmosphere in the buzz before you're walking
in and stuff, and it has been noticeable, like good
crowds and everything. It's like the boys like you know,
you feed off that and sort of yeah, I wanted
to make a good run of the composition this year.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
What's your drive for the season, Cole? What do you
look to achieve? What do you want to do, what
do you want to clean up? What do you want
to work with?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Definitely, I think every player was the win championship. So
that's probably our main goal as a group is when
you know, when the title and you know we've got
to definitely got a good squad and we're hitting in
the right direction. So I think there's nothing that nothing's
helping us.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Really just ourselves and your place, your place in this
whole structure. Where do you see you leading or assisting?
What does Carl Forbes need to do to help wrest
that title away from the Crusaders?
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Yeah, I think just yeah, there's just nailing sort of
whatever my role is for the week of it's on
the wing of it, set fulbeck if it's on the beach, sure,
if it's in the non twenty three, just doing why
job each week and they you know, getting the boys
ready for however that may be, but I think, yeah,
we're hitting in the right direction, so I'm just going
to do what I can really to keep that winning
(06:19):
ways going.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
You got a preference where do you like to play?
And I know what you're going to say, and so
as long as I'm playing on as long as I'm picked,
I don't mind. But really, we would you rather play?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
I think, yeah, that cliche is definitely you'd rather be
in the starting line up than sitting in the stand,
So that, yeah, is probably the first one. And then yeah,
probably I've played predominantly of my career over at fullback,
I think, but in the last couple of seasons I've
had a decent amount of game time like on the
wing side, I'd say I probably prefer fullback, but enjoying
wing as well, you know, just cut like a little
(06:52):
bit different sort of styles but similar.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
At the end of the day, do you dare think
about higher honors?
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Ah? Personally, I think I'm just worried about making the
twenty three for the Blues at the moment. Like, like
you said, You've got Zion, Cody, y catle Clark and
a few boys waiting in the wings, so it's just
about getting some game time before you think about anything else.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And tell us about the approach to mourna Pacifika. They
can't explode into action and shred you with tries, but
they can also fold pretty fast. Where do you see
their weaknesses? Where do you see their strengths?
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Yeah, I think the strengths obvious. If you want to
make play a physical game for them, get their tails
up with winning collisions and sort of making it a
scrappy game of rugby. I think that's where they're strongest,
sort of. I think where they're probably not as strong
as probably we can take them in sort of those
set piece areas and keep the game sort of structured
and not kick away mindlessly kick away possession and give
(07:53):
them sort of easy into the game, so I think.
And then obviously like this just before our disciplined can
watch stuper penalties, we're going to be getting pegged back
quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Well, I really thank you for joining us promises so much.
Let's hope that you stay high when you're defending. You
gether that ball because it's very much the flavor of
rugby these days, and make it really hard for Zan
Sullivan to get a spot.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
That will you Cole uh oh do do my best
on defense and here we'll put on.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Yep get amongst it. Thanks very much for your time.
That game gets on away at three forty five, No,
three point thirty five, excuse me, Cole Forbes, thanks very
much for your time.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks it'd be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks, There'd be.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Of rugby's newest arrival. Rees writes another chapter. Today the
Blues host Minor Pacifica at Eden Park. The Saturday Johinings
Now Blues fallback. Cole Forbes go, how are you? Did
you recover well from last week's niggle? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
That all well, got through training all good this week
and yeah, stoked to be back in the lineup to
take on the rivals.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, so we talk about a niggle? What what? How
big a niggle? I mean when you realize it was
only a little or did you freak out last week
and go this could be worse? Or what was the
deal around now?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Sort of just the rolled ankle in the Bumbies game
and then yeah, sort of, yeah, it wasn't too worried,
and then you got through back end and it was
still sort of not one hundred percent, so sort of
just have one week to rest it and then yeah,
get back to training this week and yeah all is
were so good to go.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Really, buddy, got a good thing. Isn't it not that
you want to miss out on a game, but just
to have that mental rest for a week give you, yeah,
a little bit of reving. When you get back in
there again, you make the most of that opportunity or
am I completely wrong?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Ah, yeah it is. It is a good mental rest,
but you're missing out on playing and seeing the boys
do that to the Crusaders always makes you happy. But yeah,
there's obviously a good mental reset, and there's a long season,
so I don't want anything to nip you in now
at the back end of the season.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
So what did you pull out of that game? Obviously
went playing, but you would have been working on all
week with Vernon the like about what actually worked for
you against the Crusaders because you shop them and you
can tell.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah, I think you sort of know the Crusaders. Their
DNA is sort of take you to set peace and
then sort of win that like Highte Bettle in the
physical area of the game, and sort of we previews
that all week. We knew what was coming and sort
of just we knew after our sort of performance against
the Brumbies that we played well patches, but we didn't
(02:07):
string it together consistently. So the main goal was just
sort of nail our game plan in our DNA for
the whole eighty minutes. So I think we really did that,
and obviously the results showed on the weekend.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
When you look to that success last week, that's all
well and good, but you're professional, so you'll dig through
the weeds of that and what didn't work and what
you have to improve on. Am I right? I'm sure
that Veron celebrated, but he looks one side of go Na.
But you need to do this better. Boys.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yeah, definitely, like your team, you look at it and
obviously you want to get better than the following weekend.
I think a big one we've focused on this week
has been discipline. Sort of yellow cards against the brumby
there and the Crusaders have sort of hand put us.
That's when we've leaked our points. So big, big mark
on discipline this week, not giving away super penalties and
giving one or second chances.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
It's a constant, isn't it. Coach is talking about discipline plainly,
it's a lot more difficult than people realize. Why do
you think it makes it such a stretch because guys
are always getting carded, and it happens right the way
through the season, and when people do, they go I
got carded, But we're going to watch our discipline. Why
is this? Why do you guys fall into this?
Speaker 3 (03:20):
No, it is a cliche every coach, every team, you
talk about it, but I think it's just in the
heat of the moment. So you get those boys that
are sort of, oh, should I have a jack or
should I go at the ball? And you sort of
in the heat of the moment you make that flit
second decision and you look got it on the boots
and you're like, why did I do that? But I think, yeah,
it's just something you've got to I think that you've
(03:40):
got to train it. So you've got to be disciplined
at training because we've sort of noticed that we haven't
been as haarded on each other in training and then
it's creeping into the game. So I think there's sort
of been the shift this week, just sort of if
we're going to pull each other up and train, then
it's going to help us in the weekend.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
What's your disciplinary record, like Cole, I.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Think I'm pretty squeaky clean. I've had a few yellow cards,
I think, but that's about nothing. The old typical outside
back slap down ones and that's yeah. I had a
couple of those, but nothing, nothing too bad, I don't think.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Not the problem right up in front what you are though,
there's a problem for Zarn Sullivan. He's been playing the
house down, but he's on the bench now that you've
come back. You got still mates.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Yeah, yeah, he's been playing really well. It's good to
see him healthy because he's had a few injuries the
last couple of seasons sort of just hindered him sometimes.
But it's really good to see him get in some
game time and it's got a huge left boot and
he's got their good running games, so it's been good
to see him playing. And then yeah, you've got Cody
Baier as well, also had a bloody good run on
the wing. So it's good, healthy competition in the back three.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
It's exciting Blues Rugby. At the moment you'd be feeling
that energy. I mean, if you ever stop training or
like you know, stop eating, do you actually get the
idea around the general public that there's something happening.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah, I think that, Especially the last couple of home games,
there's been a good little buzz around them. You sort
of feel the atmosphere in the buzz before you're walking
in and stuff, and it has been noticeable, like good
crowds and everything. It's like the boys like you know,
you feed off that and sort of yeah, I wanted
to make a good run of the composition this year.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
What's your drive for the season, Cole? What do you
look to achieve? What do you want to do, what
do you want to clean up? What do you want
to work with?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Definitely, I think every player was the win championship. So
that's probably our main goal as a group is when
you know, when the title and you know we've got
to definitely got a good squad and we're hitting in
the right direction. So I think there's nothing that nothing's
helping us.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Really just ourselves and your place, your place in this
whole structure. Where do you see you leading or assisting?
What does Carl Forbes need to do to help wrest
that title away from the Crusaders?
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Yeah, I think just yeah, there's just nailing sort of
whatever my role is for the week of it's on
the wing of it, set fulbeck if it's on the beach, sure,
if it's in the non twenty three, just doing why
job each week and they you know, getting the boys
ready for however that may be, but I think, yeah,
we're hitting in the right direction, so I'm just going
to do what I can really to keep that winning
(06:19):
ways going.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
You got a preference where do you like to play?
And I know what you're going to say, and so
as long as I'm playing on as long as I'm picked,
I don't mind. But really, we would you rather play?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
I think, yeah, that cliche is definitely you'd rather be
in the starting line up than sitting in the stand,
So that, yeah, is probably the first one. And then yeah,
probably I've played predominantly of my career over at fullback,
I think, but in the last couple of seasons I've
had a decent amount of game time like on the
wing side, I'd say I probably prefer fullback, but enjoying
wing as well, you know, just cut like a little
(06:52):
bit different sort of styles but similar.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
At the end of the day, do you dare think
about higher honors?
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Ah? Personally, I think I'm just worried about making the
twenty three for the Blues at the moment. Like, like
you said, You've got Zion, Cody, y catle Clark and
a few boys waiting in the wings, so it's just
about getting some game time before you think about anything else.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And tell us about the approach to mourna Pacifika. They
can't explode into action and shred you with tries, but
they can also fold pretty fast. Where do you see
their weaknesses? Where do you see their strengths?
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Yeah, I think the strengths obvious. If you want to
make play a physical game for them, get their tails
up with winning collisions and sort of making it a
scrappy game of rugby. I think that's where they're strongest,
sort of. I think where they're probably not as strong
as probably we can take them in sort of those
set piece areas and keep the game sort of structured
and not kick away mindlessly kick away possession and give
(07:53):
them sort of easy into the game, so I think.
And then obviously like this just before our disciplined can
watch stuper penalties, we're going to be getting pegged back
quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Well, I really thank you for joining us promises so much.
Let's hope that you stay high when you're defending. You
gether that ball because it's very much the flavor of
rugby these days, and make it really hard for Zan
Sullivan to get a spot.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
That will you Cole uh oh do do my best
on defense and here we'll put on.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Yep get amongst it. Thanks very much for your time.
That game gets on away at three forty five, No,
three point thirty five, excuse me, Cole Forbes, thanks very
much for your time.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks it'd be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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