Full Show Podcast: 29 December 2024

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Fine
from NEWSTALKZEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Just show of the year and what a year it's been.
So today it is the Weekend Sport Year in Review show,
as we look back at some of the great sporting
moments of twenty twenty four, some of our favorite guests,
some of our best sporting performances both here and abroad,
the big stories of the last twelve months, the issues

(00:34):
that captured our attention and got you talking, which you
certainly did across the year. We are spoilt for choice.
It was a huge sporting year, so plenty of the
highlights to come over the next three hours while we're
doing that, but a live sport on the boxing day,
Test Day four underway, India resumed at three hundred and
fifty eight for nine, trailing Australia by one hundred and

(00:57):
sixteen runs. They've added five runs this morning for no
further loss. I guess if they had any further loss,
they'd be all out, wouldn't they. They're behind by one
hundred and eleven. We will keep you right up to
date with that. You're welcome to join the show whenever
you like. And anyway that suits you read. If you
want to contribute or comment or give a reaction to
anything you hear on our Year in Review show of

(01:19):
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty, we'll get to throw
on the phone nine two nine two for your text
messages emails into Jason at Newstalk SB dot co dot Nz.
It's sake and a half past midday the voice of.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
Sport on your home of Sport Weekend Sport with Jason
M and GJ. Gunnomes New Zealand's most trusted home builder
News Talks VY.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
So we're going to start the Year in Review show
with the biggest events of the sporting year, the Paris
Olympic Games, our most successful Olympic Games ever ten gold medals,
seven silver, three bronze for a total of twenty who
are here from a number of those medalists over the
next little while, I wanted to start with kayaking and

(02:04):
Alicia Hoskin, who joined an exclusive group of Kiwi athletes
to win multiple gold medals at the same Olympic Games
with Dame Lisa Carrington, Tara Vaughan and Olivia Brett. She
won gold in the K four five hundred and then
on the very next day in the K two with
Dame Lisa this happened.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
They are six meters ahead. Ah, They're flying the Kiwi crew.
There is no stopping Charrington and Hoskin. They are heading
for the finish line and they are miles.

Speaker 4 (02:36):
Ahead of the opposition.

Speaker 5 (02:38):
Charrington and Hoskin a boat length and a.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
Half lead New Zealand Gold.

Speaker 5 (02:46):
Two golds in two days for the dynamic duo.

Speaker 6 (02:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
Dame Lisa Carrington of course going on to win a
third gold in the K one. But I spoke with
Alicia Hoskin shortly after she had returned from Paris and
asked her about her double gold medal winning performances and
how they quickly forged such an effect of K four combination.

Speaker 7 (03:07):
Every girl brings sort of that unique quality to the boat.
So like someone like Olivia is an extremely powerful athlete,
So in seat three, she's sort of acting as this
really big engine, especially off the start line. She has
this really core ability to really help accelerate the boat.

(03:28):
So that's sort of like a big part of her
role within the K four. And then Tira is extremely consistent,
like race on race on race will do the exact
same thing every race. So it's an extremely reliable person
to have in the back of a boat because you've
really got to especially in the back of the boat,

(03:48):
You've got all.

Speaker 8 (03:49):
The countries around you.

Speaker 7 (03:51):
There's paddles everywhere, there's water flying everywhere. So the more
that you can be really in the rhythm of your
own boat is really important asset at the back of
the boat. So that's something that she does really well.
So yeah, everyone sort of brings there you unique quality
to the boat, and that's how we make up the
order that we sit in, or how to get the

(04:13):
best out of each other is by focusing on those things.

Speaker 8 (04:16):
So yeah, everyone has a unique role.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
So what's your role then in the two seat in
the K four.

Speaker 7 (04:22):
Yeah, I guess something that I can do is mimit
Lisa really well. So it means that the rhythm that
Lisa is setting, I can help connect the back of
the boat with the front of the boat, so they're
sort of, yeah, the rhythm of the boat the sort
of we call it the stroke rades, so how fast

(04:43):
our pedals are going through the water.

Speaker 8 (04:45):
That sort of my responsibility.

Speaker 7 (04:47):
Is to connect Lisa with the girls in the back
so that we're all on the same page, we're all
doing the same thing, and I also do a lot
of the calls, so someone in the middle has to
do the calling so that the front person can hear
them and the back person can hear them.

Speaker 8 (05:04):
So a lot of my responsibility is also within the communication.
So yeah, lots of different things make.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
Up my role brilliant. So in the lead up to Paris,
then how did you divide your training time between the
K two and the K four but also giving Dame
Lisa time in the K one? Did that need some
serious planning totally?

Speaker 7 (05:25):
I mean, that's why it was so important for our
whole team to be part of all the races in
all the boats, because it really was a team commitment
to take on all three races. So the K four
is definitely the most complex race and it's definitely the
hardest one to get that gold medal in, so we

(05:47):
invested a huge amount of time into that because it
requires four girls to be on the same page doing
exactly the same thing at the same time, so it's
a really hard race to win, so we invested a
lot of time into that, but also trusting that when
we are in the K four, I am sitting right
behind Lisa, So I'm still training the K two at

(06:08):
the same time, and then when we go out in
a K one, we're training that engine of physicality to
be able to do those races. So it's sort of
just continually finding the link between all the races as
much as we can so that all of them are
carrying this momentum into the Games.

Speaker 8 (06:28):
But it is a tricky thing and it's.

Speaker 7 (06:31):
Not easy to be able to feel like all boats
can compete at that standard, So it's something we had
a lot of help with.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
So the K four gold medals locked away. The next
day it's the K two final with yourself and Dame Lisa.
By contrast to the K four finally absolutely dominated the
K two more than a boat lean the head of
the rest of the field. I don't think you were
troubled at all. We were worried at all back here.
Did you always feel as though you were in control
of that race?

Speaker 8 (06:58):
It's really interesting because so many people have.

Speaker 7 (07:00):
Said that, But what like crazy is the side wind
was coming through, was coming through and bouncing off the
grand stand, So the last one hundred meters of the
race was really choppy and a lot of the girls
are wobbling around and it's really hard to keep in
sync with your teammate, and I remember thinking, we've come

(07:21):
this far, I don't want to fall in. So it's
so focused and I had no energy going to where
the other crews were. I was just so focused on
Lisa staying in sync with her, and so I didn't
really realize what we've done until we crossed the finish line.

Speaker 8 (07:39):
But yeah, at that point, it was just incredible. It
was such a cool race to be a part of.

Speaker 7 (07:44):
And to have that many girls fighting behind us and
having two girls get the third equal that really happens
in kayaking, so it's awesome to see the quality of
the field as well.

Speaker 2 (07:56):
That's Alicia Hoskin, double gold medalist at the Paris Olympic Game.
She will go again. We wait to see whether Dame
Lisa will make a decision on whether she will go
round again for another Olympic cycle. Reviewing the year in
the Paris Olympics, Hamish Kur was another gold medalist, of course,
in that dramatic high jump final, which required a jump
off before he finally claimed the gold medal. The backstory,

(08:18):
of course, is the Hamish cur almost didn't make the final.
In qualifying, he missed twice at a height he would
normally comfortably clear two meters twenty. He had one more
chance to clear that distance. What a disappointment it'd be
if he can't get over here.

Speaker 9 (08:35):
He needs to clear this distance or he is eliminated
in a high jump.

Speaker 2 (08:39):
Qualifying Little smile on the.

Speaker 9 (08:41):
Face of Hamish kur orang shoes flashing right handed approach.

Speaker 2 (08:45):
He's over comfortably.

Speaker 10 (08:48):
Why did we have a doubt?

Speaker 9 (08:50):
Hands to the face of Hamish cur More through relief
than elation and gives the crowd a bow. No idea
what happened in his first two attempts at two twenty.
But he's up over two thirty easily there so we
can all rest ease in New Zealand's.

Speaker 2 (09:04):
When Hamish Kerr got home, I had a chat in
the studio on Weekend Sport and asked him about that jump,
the third and qualifying it to twenty and how he
managed his way through it.

Speaker 11 (09:14):
Yeah, look, qualifying That's what I'll never forget as well
that feeling of sitting there after that second attempt. So
the first attempt was just about jump, you know you
have that The second attempt. I stumbled through the middle
of my run up because I was so nervous. My

(09:34):
legs kind of just gave out. And then you're kind
of sitting there, going this has happened. The two previous
World champs failed to make the final. This is at
a lower height than either of those complete catastrophic disasters,
so this would have been even worse. And it's the
one that I was an amazing shape going into. And yeah,

(09:57):
you know, part of me that was sitting there thinking,
maybe I don't have the goods, maybe I'm not you know,
maybe there's just something missing, Maybe there's just a little
bit of me that that will never be able to
get up for these really important moments. But but then
you go back to process and and you pull yourself
out of that and you kind of remove yourself from
the emotions. Those those emotions don't really mean anything on

(10:19):
the big stage. They just they just your body trying
to give you an exit strategy. And so so I
just got back to my breathing and and my visualization
and just tried to visualize the jumps as objectively as possible.
And yeah, I just looked at my coach and he
was got me through that. I mean, you know I
was I was looking at him going like am I

(10:40):
going to be able to do this? And he's like, yeah,
of course you are, like you've done this, this is
just what you do, like you can do this. And
being able to look at him and know that, I mean,
I was already crying, like it was. It was just
like such an emotional time for me. And yes, it's
just so weird because it's you know, that was probably
the lowest point in my career potentially could have been
it probably it probably would have been the end of

(11:00):
my career if I hadn't cleared that. And yet you know,
you fast forwards six weeks and it's just a completely
different picture.

Speaker 2 (11:07):
That is incredible insight, man, because all the stuff you've
just told us there would lead to a natural conclusion
that you missed the third one. You know that you're
doubting yourself, got self doubt in the biggest moment, man,
And then you clear and and then you're over at
to twenty seven and qualifying later on you jump to
thirty six. What is it about the sport that allows

(11:28):
you to jump to thirty six but sometimes miss sometimes
miss two twenty.

Speaker 11 (11:33):
I think it just goes to show how much timing
is important. You know, we obviously do a lot of
training and you try and get as strong and as
fast and as physically gifted as possible, and you want
to really build those those metrics. But at the end
of the day, if you can't put it down, you know,
it doesn't really count for anything. So I think that's
the biggest thing for high jump especially is it's so

(11:56):
so timing base. You can't just push harder, you have
to actually push better, and so it's not just a
case of like just digging in and really going for it.
You actually have to be thinking the time around what
that looks like and how your technique needs to change
based on that. So yeah, it's a bit of a
mind game, but it's a it's a pretty fun part
of our sport.

Speaker 2 (12:15):
Incredible insight from Hamish Kurr there. I think that was
probably my favorite moment of the year Hamish Kurr. Well,
not the missing twice at two twenty, but making the
final and winning the gold medal in the high jump,
that was, I think, above everything else, my favorite sporting
moment of the year. As we review the year, I
know a lot of people had this as their highlight.

Speaker 5 (12:36):
Lydia Coe, the teenage sensation who has been a household
name here in New Zealand for well over a decade.

Speaker 12 (12:44):
There's two parts here.

Speaker 13 (12:45):
For gold the boy would she love? A Birdie co
parts through and it's down.

Speaker 5 (12:53):
A golden glow for Lydia Comb runner up in Rio
two back in Tokyo and at top of the podium
in Paris. The fairy tale well is complete. Lydia Chow
is an Olympic champion.

Speaker 2 (13:14):
Yes indeed, and just a few hours after she hold
that part to win the Olympic gold medal, I spoke
to Lydia Cow and asked her what her mindset was
as she played the approach to the eighteenth green.

Speaker 14 (13:25):
It wasn't the best contact off the T shirt, but
I knew being at the bear way it was crucial,
and you know, I worked through the numbers patiently with
Makatie Paul and having that which was effing a nice
way to kind of approach the green.

Speaker 10 (13:42):
But I didn't want it to be greedy.

Speaker 14 (13:44):
But at the same time, just like focus, focus on
what I've got to do, and just know that it's
never over until the end, So just put one percent
effort in until that board drops.

Speaker 2 (13:57):
And going back to the thirteenth, you had that double bogie,
which which sets you back a little bit. How did
you recover from that? What was the mental process behind that?

Speaker 15 (14:06):
Yeah, you know, I actually didn't hit like a bad
shot for it to go in the water, So I
think in ways like because I knew, like obviously I
made no mistake, I didn't like take it to the
head right away.

Speaker 14 (14:20):
And you know, with fourteen being a part of five,
I knew that it was like where I could potentially
make a brody and kind of come back and find
my momentum again. And even though I didn't, I just
stayed patient and just know that there's still holes left
and just got to focus on what's in front of

(14:40):
me and not what happened, not what has already happened.

Speaker 6 (14:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (14:43):
I saw a really cool quote from you in one
of your post round interviews, when you talked about a
quote you'd heard from American gymnast Simone Biles about it
being up to you to write your own conclusion, the
own conclusion to your story. Is that a quote that's
kind of set in your mind this whole time?

Speaker 14 (15:04):
Yeah, I saw her documentary and it said, and she said,
I get to write my own ending, And that's what
I tried to embrace today. I didn't want, you know,
somebody else playing bad or good to dictate how I
was approaching it. So I just wanted to focus on
me and made sure that I got the job done.

Speaker 2 (15:22):
As you're playing the funnel round for the or any round,
are you aware of the scoreboard as you're going around?
Were you aware of how close those behind you were? Today?

Speaker 16 (15:32):
Yeah?

Speaker 14 (15:32):
I mean there's a lot of scoreboards, so it's hard
to like miss it.

Speaker 10 (15:36):
So I knew what the situation was.

Speaker 14 (15:39):
So I think hitting quality iron shots I'm fifteen and
sixteen I knew was going to be the most important
factors where you know, I was going to take like
big numbers out of the way. So and you know,
I had I hold two good three footos for par
on those two holes to kind of you know, reset
myself and get ready for seventeen and eighteen. So yeah,

(16:00):
I would have preferred a little bit more of a
cushion going down the last, but you know, a teen
being a part five, I wanted to just stick to
my game plan and you know, just take it one
shot at the time and to better finish with the
birdie was it really couldn't have been any better.

Speaker 2 (16:17):
So a third Olympic medal for you now one of
each color of course, silver, Rio, bronze, Tokyo, now gold
here in Paris. Can you can you put into context
with everything else you have achieved in your golf in
Korea where your Olympic medals sit.

Speaker 14 (16:31):
Yeah, you know, it means a lot, you know, to
be able to represent museum and to do it at
the Olympics three times. I'm very proud to call myself
a three time Olympian and now a three time Olympic
medalists and to collect both all all colors of the
of the medal, it's it's on a c Cereal And yeah,

(16:53):
you know, I I think when I lost in the
playoff in Tokyo, I wished I had, you know, one silver,
But you know, maybe it was a golfing gods way
of saying, hey, get ready for gold in Paris.

Speaker 16 (17:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (17:08):
Well, whoever was making these decisions certainly got it right today.
And just to finish, in the context of everything you've
done as a golfer across your pro career, where does
this rank this gold medal.

Speaker 14 (17:21):
I think every win is special in its own way.
You know, my bronze and silver medal, they are just
as up there as any of my other wins, so
it's kind of hard to compare that. But for now
this is you know, it feels like the biggest moment
in my career.

Speaker 2 (17:36):
It's Lydia Coe who earlier this week was awarded the
Lonsdale Cup, which is awarded by the New Zealand Olympic
Committee to the top performing New Zealand athlete in an
Olympic sport in the calendar years. So I don't know
whether that is a little bit of a precursor to
the Hellbergs. It's a pretty crowded field in Sportswoman of
the Year, but Lydia Coe certainly has to have a

(17:58):
fairly strong claim on that. Twelve twenty five, this is
our year in Review show on Weekend Sport, just updating
you from the Boxing Day Test where in the have
been bowled out for three hundred and sixty nine a
short time ago. That is our first innings lead for
Australia of one hundred and five runs. They're about to
come out to bat in their second innings, Natish Kumar
ready the last man out for a magnificence one hundred

(18:20):
and fourteen twelve twenty five. When we come back, more
of our gold medalists from the Paris Olympics and Paralympics,
including probably one of the least expected gold medals. We're
back in a moment.

Speaker 1 (18:32):
On News Talks VP, The Tough Questions Off the Turf,
Weekend Sport with Jason hin and GJ. Gardner Holmes, New
Zealand's most trusted home builder, News Talks NB.

Speaker 2 (18:45):
Twelve twenty eight on News Talks EDB and Our Year
in Review show on Weekend Sport. While Elise Andrews, our
track Cycling Queen went to Paris with high hopes and
certainly delivered on those. She came home with three medals,
silver and the team sprints, gold in the individual sprints
and gold in the Karen A Lap to go.

Speaker 3 (19:02):
Now, Alice Andrews on the inside, and but she's got
the brick coming out. The power goes on, can Alise
Andrews holders she comes down towards the finishing line. Alise
Andrews on the line. It looks like she's one gold.
Alas Andrews intense, incisive and vincible at the Paris Velodrome,

(19:22):
too much power and too much panash.

Speaker 2 (19:25):
Once Aleise Andrews got home, I had a chap to
her and asked her once she hit the front and
that Karen race, did she feel pretty confident she'd win?

Speaker 17 (19:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 18 (19:33):
I felt really really calm and controlled throughout the whole competition.
You know, maybe getting that first rack out other way
is always quite a nice feeling, but you know, after that,
I really did feel like I could just you know,
sort of breathe and relax into my racing and make
the best decisions possible with what was happening around then.
So I did feel really calm and in control and

(19:55):
I but obviously and coming into the final that was
just I just gave it absolutely everything I had. There
was no control in the final.

Speaker 17 (20:02):
You just have to go full.

Speaker 2 (20:03):
Guess is that one of the one of the the
keys to it, to leaving enough in the tank that
when it comes to that final you can just give
it absolutely everything.

Speaker 17 (20:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 18 (20:13):
I think if that's possible then yes, And that's something
that I don't think I have done very well in
the past, and I think that's just an age thing
and experience is really kind of reading the race and
you know, not using all of your energy to get
to the finish line first, like they are smart ways
to race. And so that's kind of a change that
I really did feel this games, is that I could

(20:34):
make those just tiny, tiny decisions that would I mean,
they had a little bit more energy left at the end.

Speaker 2 (20:40):
I think you were I presume this is true, and
you might be able to tell me that you were
probably favorite for the Karen, did that give you any
extra pressure or motivation? How did that make you feel
that really people thought that you were the one who
was going to be on the top of the podium.

Speaker 19 (20:54):
Oh, thank you, Maybe a little bit.

Speaker 18 (20:57):
I think that also, I'm not sure because there were
quite a few girls that we talked about for that
sort of that glory top spot and so and it
wasn't always it wasn't always me, So I feel like
it wasn't crazy, crazy pressure at least I felt anyway,
because realistically there were many girls that you know, could

(21:18):
push for that top spot, and the media in different
countries obviously were favoring their athletes. So yeah, so I
didn't always feel that feel that pressure.

Speaker 2 (21:27):
What about the sprint. I mean, with all due respect,
I'm not sure that you were absolute favorite for the sprint.
You were probably one of the bunch. You were a
bunch of one of a bunch of writers who may
or may not be there. So how did you approach
the sprint?

Speaker 18 (21:37):
Yeah, I definitely wasn't a favorite, but you know, I
approached it knowing that I needed to qualify further up
the field than I have historically. So in the past,
you know, I've sort of been around that maybe eighth
to eleventh place qualifying from the two hundred, and then
I've had to race my way up into into the

(21:58):
top positions, which is a really tough way to do things.
But you know, we've done a lot of work on
that two hundred in the last little while, and so
I knew that if I could get that right and
nail that, then I would qualify further up in the field.
So that was the first box to tick, and then
from from that point on, it was just you know,
focusing one race at a time. And yeah, I wasn't

(22:20):
a favorite. It was definitely an upset that I was
in the final ahead of some of some of the
other girls, but yeah.

Speaker 17 (22:29):
It's just the way it happens.

Speaker 2 (22:30):
I think some of my favorite images of Paris are
you staring down Leah Friedrich before the sprint final. Do
you do you enjoy that side of the event that
I don't know whether it's psyching someone out or do
you do you enjoy that sort of thing?

Speaker 10 (22:45):
Though?

Speaker 19 (22:46):
Yeah, I mean it is.

Speaker 18 (22:47):
Sprinting is a very interesting sport and interesting you know, discipline,
and you know that is part of it. And I
think it's not always just like freak someone out, you know,
like I do have to have eyes on my opponent
at all times, and I think for me that's like
a nice mental switch is to have that have that
moment where you roll up to the to the start

(23:09):
line and you are looking at your opponent because that's
what you're going to need to be doing to be
aware of where they are on the track, and so
that's part of it.

Speaker 19 (23:16):
But then also knowing that.

Speaker 18 (23:18):
You know it is that sort of mental mental game
side of it as well.

Speaker 2 (23:23):
Yeah, I love it. Can you give us some insight
into the influence of your coach, your dad, John.

Speaker 19 (23:28):
Yeah, Oh yeah, for sure.

Speaker 18 (23:30):
He came on board less than a year before the Games,
after our previous coach Neck had to move back to
Australia with his family. So that was a real surprise
and probably reasonably truthful at the time to think, you know,
we are coach lists going into the Games. But you know,
it just worked out really well that John had just

(23:52):
been Australia coaching over there and then finally come back
to New Zealand and was working an art consultant contractor
role sorry, and so it just worked out that he
was able to apply to the job and come on board.
So yeah, it's been great to have him on board.

Speaker 19 (24:10):
It's been really special.

Speaker 18 (24:11):
It's been such whirlwind of a time, I think him
coming on board, especially because of how late he came
on and the piece, but I think we've been able
to do some really great work together.

Speaker 2 (24:22):
That's Elise Andrews two golds and a silver from the
Paris Olympic Games twelve thirty four. This is our year
in review. I think we've all heard of Elise Andrews,
and as I say, when she arrived in Paris, she
was heavily favored to pick up the medals that she did. However,
I'm not so sure that many of us had heard
of Finn Butcher before the Paris Olympic Games, but we

(24:44):
certainly knew his name after this.

Speaker 5 (24:47):
Finn Butcher with about a boat length advantage now as
the Britz Clark makes in Rhodes. He's around gate five
years to go across the grain here, Butcher through gate six.
Two gates to go through seven for you, all important
upstream gates. For Finn Butcher just says to navigate it
safely and the gold medal is his. Finn Butcher is

(25:13):
an Olympic champion. Can you believe it? Carve his name
into New Zealand's sport history. The Butcher delivers the Goods
in Paris.

Speaker 2 (25:32):
Tremendous commentary from a man Nick Beuley there as part
of our coverage of the Paris Olympic Games. After Finn
Butcher had had kayaked his way into our consciousness, I
had the chance to chat to him and that's what
was going through his mind as he was at the
top of the course waiting to be dumped into the
water at the start of a kayak cross race.

Speaker 20 (25:53):
I guess I can I can probably go through from
from ten minutes before you've got to be us going
through the prestart. So we've got a big ten to
the top with pre start and you collect your colored
urb and choose your lane and then wait for the
previous heat to go and then go up the ramp.

(26:13):
And actually it was pretty cool. So Kelly Bailey, who's
from Wanaka, she was judging there and she was actually
the pre starter and so I've kind of grown up,
you know, with with her and in the community and
Central Target, and she's been judging a lot of races
and been around the show and organizing a lot.

Speaker 21 (26:34):
So it was quite cool to just have you know,
she was.

Speaker 20 (26:36):
Very professional in her role at the games, but you know,
every round I was coming up and just sort of
just given her a we hid nod and we just
just acknowledge each other.

Speaker 21 (26:46):
So that was kind of the first part.

Speaker 20 (26:48):
And then you through the prestart and just have a
chat with my coach and make sure I knew what
lane to peck and just almost a little yarn like
nothing nothing too serious, and we just give each other
a little first pump and so a few words and
and then yeah, I choose the choose the lane, wait
for a bit and then we go up the ramp

(27:09):
and they start playing. Once you get in, they start
playing sort of heartbeat, like the heart beat sound, and
it's sort of like sitting up on the ramp, you know,
quite high above the water, you know, four or five
meters above the water and just steering out to this
massive crowd with the heartbeat.

Speaker 21 (27:24):
And sound going that's pretty you know, you're sort of like,
just drop me off now, we.

Speaker 6 (27:29):
Just send us.

Speaker 21 (27:33):
Yeah, so you know, and then when when.

Speaker 20 (27:36):
The the process starts, so they they sort of go
in position, and then after that you're not not allowed
to move. So so I just wanted to be leaning
back as far as I could and then basically listen
for the start beat and react as fast as I
could throw myselfward and then almost let my all my

(27:57):
practice take over and just trying to land as good
as I could and get a good few strokes and
and just basically all I wanted to do was was
that was as much intense as possible, because you know,
that's the first part of the race, and it's basically
the only part you can control is how fast you
react to the ramp and how you can slide down it,

(28:19):
and anything else is like I.

Speaker 21 (28:21):
Said before, you just play it how it lies.

Speaker 20 (28:23):
So yeah, pretty much just really focused on the start,
waiting for that beep and then just wrap into it
as hard as that kid.

Speaker 2 (28:31):
Well, I think about the final, I think probably the
British peddler Joe Clark probably the favorite. I guess if
you were going to, you know, list out who was
the gold medal favorite. But man, that that final, man,
you just gummed it from the start. Were never you know,
no one even challenged you. Was that like almost a
perfect race for you? The final?

Speaker 20 (28:52):
Yeah? I mean, I guess any any race that you
wins the perfect race, but in this crazy, crazy.

Speaker 21 (29:00):
Sport it is.

Speaker 20 (29:01):
But I mean when I look back, I actually I
actually let go of my paddle when I landed off
the ramp.

Speaker 2 (29:07):
Wow, which I.

Speaker 20 (29:09):
Didn't even realize when I was in the race, But
when I look back and watched the slow mo, yeah,
my sick and strokes. I landed on the right stroke
and then my left stroke went in the water and
came up underneath the guys beside me his boat, and
so my hand came off and then I did a
right stroke and then grabbed it again. So I think
that was just like the zone I was in and

(29:30):
how much intent that I really I wanted to head
it with I did. I just was zoned into too
just going and yeah, I mean the two beside me, Joe,
who was probably the favorite, and then the German guy
no wah, just clash padals a little bit, and then
that gave me a bit of free water and I
could just build a lead from there, and from there

(29:53):
I could back my like my technique and my fittinness
as well. So you know, we've done almost ten days
of racing until that day. But I knew that I
was in really good shape and I've got a good,
good fatness space behind me. So yeah, basically going to
the finish, I knew that if I could just hold

(30:14):
enough of a gap in front of Joe and get
around that last up stream.

Speaker 21 (30:17):
Before him, it would be It'll be all mine.

Speaker 20 (30:20):
But yeah, if I think about it, it's quite funny
because you know, going into the last up stream, I
know I'm leading the Olympic Games, and if I execute that,
then I'll be the Olympic Champion.

Speaker 21 (30:31):
And it's sort of like all of those.

Speaker 20 (30:33):
Things are just trying to pull yourself out of the moment,
and and you know, I'm really proud of the way
that I could really focus and stay in the moment
and actually execute that, and then afterwards let myself realize,
because yes, it's pretty easy to lose track of focus

(30:55):
and just you know, for a split second, and then
things can go wrong pretty fast.

Speaker 21 (30:59):
So yeah, I'll say it all the perfect race.

Speaker 2 (31:01):
That's Fan Butcher, a gold medalist for New Zealand and
kayak cross at the Paris Olympic Games. As I say,
I'm not sure the vast majority of New Zealanders knew
who he was before the Olympics. I think everybody knows
who Finn Butcher is. Now nineteen away from one. We're
back in the moment with more in our year in
review and back to Paris and our sole Paralympic gold medalist,

(31:23):
Ana Grimaldy After this.

Speaker 1 (31:25):
The biggest Thames in sports are on Weekend Sport with
Jason Paine and GJ. Gunnerhomes, New Zealand's most trusted home
builder News Dogs they'd.

Speaker 2 (31:35):
Be sixteen away from one following the Paris Olympic Games.
The Paris Paralympic Games took place, New Zealand coming home
with nine medals, four bronze for silver and the gold
won by Anna Grimaldi in the t forty seven two
hundred meters. That's three gold medals for her now, after
back to back long jump golds at the last two
Paralympic Games. When I caught up with Anna Grimaldy one

(31:57):
she'd got home, I asked what she would have said
if someone had suggested she'd be coming home with gold
in the two hundred meters.

Speaker 22 (32:05):
Yeah, I think I thought about this a lot. If
someone had said coming home from Paris with the gold,
I would have seed. I would have thought it was
in the long jump, like it was not. It wasn't
really on my radar to be winning the two hundred.
I thought maybe we had a good shot at doing okay,
and yes, being a being a crazy like a whipplash

(32:27):
actually because at least the long jump didn't go so well,
and then coming away with sort of the goal, but
like in a completely definitely mean it was. It was incredible.
I think I'm just blown away by the time, and
that I was able to step up, like do two
races in the same day and run quick at both races,

(32:47):
and yeah, I don't know, I'm just really proud.

Speaker 2 (32:51):
That's funny, you should be proud. It was an amazing achievement.
Didn't you drop the two hundred from your program for
a while after you got a fracture in your foot
or something Back in twenty seventeen.

Speaker 22 (33:02):
Yeah, in ten hours right after where I was having
a bit of trouble. Was my first time. We sort
of pushed on for it. We had World Champs and
London and I did the heats of the of the
two hundred meters was up first and I ran and
I hobbled off the trap. I could mean one walk
and we had to withdraw from the tree hundred final

(33:23):
in the one hundred and try and selverage it for
the long jump. And when I got home, we sort
of decided, like a lot something's got to given this program.
There's too many things but beings putting a lot of
pussure on my foot, which was fondle and found out
was actually when I got home, and so yeah, I
just put it on. I put it out of my mind.
Actually I really liked running the two but it just

(33:47):
I had to I had to, you know, start to
find something to keep the program going and to be
healthy again, and so I just actually never thought about
either running again. And then we thought I saw the
final from the stand World chance last year and this
is my character and I was like, oh, this race
is just reen Ran. I just watched it. I think

(34:07):
we could do that. We need to give a discussion
about it. And he's like, oh, he already talked to
a couple of people about maybe doing the two hundred
a game, so we were all on the same page.
And I think, yeah, I just felt like this big
full circle moment, like I finally trusted my body again
and what it could do, and then it was strong

(34:28):
and yeah, I think I entered the two hundred. To me,
I think in Paris, you know, it was just a
personal project to see maybe a direction we might want
to go after the game, and yeah, to have it
work out so well, it's so yeah.

Speaker 2 (34:46):
Incredible, amazing. So in the long jump you were fourth,
just off the podium the event you won golden in
the last two games. How do you reflect on the
long jump in Paris?

Speaker 22 (34:57):
Yeah, Look, it's hard, and I think I'm still in
the process of sort of proceed sing it all rictually,
and I think for so long, like I think if
I had come forth in Tokyo, I think I would
have that would have devastated me. And I think it's
a big testament to the work we've done over the

(35:19):
last three years to now be able to come away
from Paris. And though, you know what, like I'm I'm
still a two time Paralympic champion in the long jump,
I'm still really great at long jump. I just had
a bad day out there. I just couldn't get it together.
And these days happened, and unfortunately mine was the one
day and the four years you don't want it to

(35:40):
go wrong, and yeah, I'm obviously still a bit guffed,
Like I wanted to put my best forward there and
I just couldn't do it. But I think it's just, yeah,
it's been nice knowing that the work we've done around
identity and sort of finding Anna away from the Golds

(36:04):
has obviously played a big and being able to recover
from the four from the long jump and coming forth,
and yeah, it just makes me really proud that I
still feel life I'm a champion, regardless of how this
one wins. I think for so long I was worried

(36:25):
if I didn't keep doing it. Yeah, for some reason,
it just makes the other one loose ballad, But that's
not true at all, And I think it's nice to
have now gone through that and really felt that.

Speaker 2 (36:35):
That's a Ane Grimaldy Paralympic gold medalist in the two
hundred meters eleven away from one one final Olympic medallist.
When we come back as part of our Year in
Review show, Maddi Wishy, who won silver in the women's
shop put after.

Speaker 1 (36:50):
This when it's down to the line. You made a
call on eight Weekend Sports with Jason Hine, News Talk ZV.

Speaker 2 (36:59):
And our Year and Review show one of our seven
silver medallists at the Paris Olympic Games, Maddie Wishy, who
won silver in the women's shop. But I spoke to
her shortly after that to see how she was feeling.

Speaker 23 (37:10):
I'm pretty happy, you know. I like this feeling throwing
a pebe at the Olympics and getting a silver medal,
though I would have liked the gold. Yeah, these are
the moments, These are the reasons why I do the sport,
being in such high and intense moments and such a
competitive field, and in Paris at the Olympics. Yeah, it's

(37:30):
a bit surreal right now.

Speaker 2 (37:32):
Did you think you'd won it with your nineteen eighty.

Speaker 23 (37:34):
Six I didn't, you know, I going into this predictions
with that woman's shot, we're going to be one with
the twenty meters. So I knew that someone was going
to pop think big and knew me was the one
to do it, and unfortunately I couldn't pull through in
the end.

Speaker 2 (37:50):
But what an incredible was the fifth round, wasn't it?
She threw it out there and said, hey, laid down
the challenge for you. You pulled out the big nineteen
eighty six. Well can you just reflect on that moment?

Speaker 10 (38:00):
For us?

Speaker 23 (38:03):
I had a bit of nerves going into that fifth throw,
knowing that, you know, I'd kind of been perped and
I needed to get my spot back, and yeah, it's
kind of muscle memory took over and training worked and yeah,
and here we are.

Speaker 2 (38:20):
I was going to ask about that, how much did
you rely on your prep and trust your processes today?

Speaker 23 (38:26):
One hundred percent? The whole way through was me trusting
the process. My team worked so hard to get me
on this big stage and help.

Speaker 13 (38:34):
Me achieve some pretty big dreams.

Speaker 23 (38:35):
And yeah, it was it was all trust the process
and training had been going well and qualifiers work to
get the big Q was good confidence. So yeah, it
was this is everything is prep work.

Speaker 2 (38:50):
Yeah, smashing out the nineteen two five to automatically qualify.
How pleased were you to be able to do that yesterday?

Speaker 23 (38:57):
Super happy to be able to get the big Q
and qualifications my first big Q.

Speaker 13 (39:01):
Usually I'm down at.

Speaker 23 (39:03):
The bottom of the ranks and then in the finals
I'm kind of suck in the lower part of top eight.
And so to be amongst the top girls and such
a competitive time and Woman's Shop put yeap super trussed.

Speaker 2 (39:15):
You always look so relaxed, Maddie. Is that part of
your secret?

Speaker 4 (39:20):
I think so.

Speaker 23 (39:21):
I think it's just a part of who I am.
I try not to take things too seriously and at
the end of the day, this is just sport and
there's a lot of things that are bigger than this.
So to be able to do my passion and to
travel the world, yep. Can't be too stressed and can't
be too big headed about anything.

Speaker 24 (39:39):
Well.

Speaker 2 (39:40):
I mean the other part is that you encourage the
other throwers as well. I don't think I've ever seen
that you're geeing up those who are who you're you're
throwing against. It's an incredible thing that you do.

Speaker 23 (39:53):
We were all doing it. It wasn't just me, And
that's at every single competition, we're all cheering for each other.
You do your best and then you can beat the best,
and then that's a great competition. And that's why women's
shotput at the moment is so competitive. Not only are
they amazing people, but they make the infield so much
and so much more enjoyable when we can both banter

(40:14):
and compete as strong, powerful woman.

Speaker 2 (40:18):
Where do you assess with that we're shotputters right now?
Are we looking at some twenty one twenty two's in
the not too distant future?

Speaker 6 (40:25):
Yeah?

Speaker 10 (40:25):
I reckon.

Speaker 23 (40:26):
We've got so many women on the cusp of twenty
one meters and once you're at twenty one, then twenty
two and then the world records in the the arena.

Speaker 2 (40:34):
So why not as Mattie Wishy a silver medallist in
the women's shop put at the Paris Olympics, that wraps
our hour of Olympic memories. I know there were many,
many more, just a few there of the medalists in
Paris at the Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games. After the
news at won, our year and review show continues as
we focus in on rugby. Some of the big rugby

(40:56):
stories of twenty twenty four, and again there were plenty.
Australia twenty without loss in their second innings now lead
by one hundred and twenty five runs in the Boxing
Day Test in Melbourne. Our yet and review continues after
one our next weekend. I guess to kick off twenty
twenty five, but for now it's a chance to look
back at some of the big sports stories of the year,
some of our best guests and some of the big

(41:17):
talking points we spoke Olympics last hour. Let's get into rugby.
We got great access to the All Blacks this year.
I chatted to a number of players and coaches on
the show across the international season, and probably the highlight
was at the end of June we were given the
chance to spend an hour with new All Blacks head
coach as he was then Scott Robertson, just a few

(41:39):
days after he had unveiled his first squad in the
top job. So we set up a studio at the
nzed Cis and Upper Hut where the All Black squad
were based as they prepared for the first couple of
test matches of the year against England. Scott Robertson came
and joined us and we chatted about a wide variety
of topics. Took lots of your calls as well. So
here are some of Scott Robertson's comments. This of course,

(42:02):
remember as before he had coached the team at all
in a Test match. He talked first about the quality
of the loose forwards at his disposal.

Speaker 25 (42:12):
Oh, the quality of the depth, the different skill set.
You know, your trademarks have got, you know, things that
they go back to their strengths, you under the head
of the game. And you know, a beet of like
I as a prime example, what a season breakout season
for him, both break great, both sides of the ball,

(42:32):
so quick in the line out. But to pay seven,
eight and two positions. And that's a great thing about
the loose food ward group that we've got here. They
all can play two positions, you know, especially if you're
going to be on the bench, if you're going to
come off the bench, you've got to play a couple
or three.

Speaker 2 (42:51):
Are you Do you think the data of the lock
loose forward utility you're gone or is that still a thing?

Speaker 26 (42:55):
Yeah?

Speaker 25 (42:56):
Look, I think Shendon Frazel was on the prime example
of that. Some a penny female can can do it
all the other way around. You know, can go to
six required, which is done many times just because you're
you're locking stock. So yeah, look you've still got hybrid players.
You've got players you can play in a couple of positions.
Look at the South afric and you can go number

(43:16):
eight and hooker. And I think it's really critical as
you get closer to World Cup cycles. You know you're
thirty three, that you're picking the versatility and the ability
to play two or three positions will get you in
the squad.

Speaker 2 (43:29):
You mentioned the World Cup there and I had that
written down. How much of what you do in twenty
twenty four is with an eye to the next Rugby
World Cup and twenty twenty seven.

Speaker 25 (43:39):
Look, I think the importance of the bee jersey is
you win and develop. There's a little bit of expectation
that comes with that and I'm well aware of that,
and so.

Speaker 12 (43:53):
It's important.

Speaker 25 (43:55):
The win the test batch in front of you, but
grow people, give them opportunities, get them in combinations and
so they over you set them up to succeed over
the four years, try them. Are they test footballers. Can
they handle it? Can you? The weeks have big, the
expectations high, the pressures are and we get them ready
for it, and then the opportunities for them when we

(44:17):
find out and in some people surprise you.

Speaker 2 (44:20):
What about guys who you aren't sure will make it
to twenty twenty seven? They're you know, they're in their thirties,
and there is some guys in your squad with you know,
a lot of experience, who might Who is everybody who's
been picked this week? Do you think that they'll be
eligible or available in twenty twenty seven? All going well, oh.

Speaker 25 (44:42):
It's a good question without going through the food. God
that we're here off the top of my mind. Oh, look,
it's amazing how old you can get, you know, no
joint injuries in your career, The longevity can get after
looking after your body, the you know, the sports science,

(45:06):
the recovery is incredible. And they're playing good Arabian look
at look at the South African team. They had a
lot of goal older mature players that had great leadership
and in the last all back squad that went over,
you know, it's still playing good footy.

Speaker 12 (45:21):
Denld.

Speaker 25 (45:22):
Look at us Dan cultures to look at his you know,
contribution on and off the field, so you need them
for sure. Look i can't answer there right now four
years out, but I'm sure there are in any way, just.

Speaker 2 (45:37):
A couple of more if you take a break, how
much of what was so successful for you at the
Crusaders is transferable into the all blacks environment, all the.

Speaker 25 (45:47):
Culture and leadership stuff and like on field coaching. That's
how I sort of break it up those three areas.
You've got to get your game right along with your
leadership how they how do they drive the team on
and off the field. And then also the cultural but
you know which identity, who you are, where you're playing for,
what do you care ab out any roles in responsibilities?

(46:09):
And then there comes to the culture the people side
of it. So a lot of that transference comes along.
And it's a black jersey. We're taking it to a
whole country now. You know, we've got a great responsibility
that we've been given by you know, our ancestors and
the people that have played in our juwsey before and
all the fans that have been with us along along

(46:30):
the way.

Speaker 2 (46:31):
So it's just a lot bigger. If I'm just trying
to think of the right way to ask this question.
But if someone looked down from above and wasn't able
to see whether you were the Crusaders coach the All
Blacks coach, well they notice a difference. Do you think
you'll be different in an All Blacks environment than you
were in the Crusader's environment.

Speaker 12 (46:49):
What do you think?

Speaker 2 (46:50):
Well, I think they probably will be. I think they
probably will be. Like I'm interested to know how though.

Speaker 25 (46:55):
Look on I'm still the same person. I'm not going
to You know that the energy I bring every day
and the enjoyment of it, and you know that we
just hit a couple of hours training and I'm walking
around observing chipping and when I need to giving a
little bit of feedback to the coaches to just using
my eye. But because of the breadtham with the you know,

(47:17):
the on field and off field stuff. You know, we've
got a commercial manager now and a rugby manager. You know,
we've got two CEOs in our organization. There's a couple
of hundred staff, so it's bigger to give you a context.
You know, I don't know for seven lawyers. You know
we've got it's big, So you need incredible coaching group

(47:40):
around you and incredible management and they have to be
world leading. They truly do. So you know, I'll do
my thing, but you have to give ownership and trust
to so many people to go and and own their
role and make the base, will get the past prepared for,
you know, to be the best they can.

Speaker 2 (47:58):
Last question before the break is around how big it
is and how little time you have? How do you
work out the best use each day and each hour.
I mean, you've given us an hour. This is incredible.
I know you're so busy, but how do you work
out the best use of every hour in your day?

Speaker 25 (48:14):
Look, you've got to have time for people.

Speaker 2 (48:17):
It's number one.

Speaker 25 (48:18):
And you've got to get your planning done early, and
then it's getting time in front, eyes on, eyes around
the opportunities when you're eating their connection piece on and off,
being a steppy head looking not what that day is,
but the next week is in a couple of weeks.
You know, when you start getting into the MPC and

(48:39):
you've got guys playing, you're looking at the schedule for
the NPC, You've got all your injured guys that are
coming back and forward. You know you're starting to work
with Clayton McMillan around the eight or backs fifteen. You're
starting to share, so there's a lot of big picture
stuff that comes along with it. And I love it.
I like, I really enjoy it. I love forecasting being ahead,

(49:04):
not just like I said, from now until the end
of the year.

Speaker 2 (49:09):
That is Scott Robertson, some of his comments during a
very enjoyable hour we spent together at the back end
of June. Hopefully we can repeat that in twenty twenty five.
Some interesting comments and the hindsight of them as well,
having now endured that's the wrong word. Enjoyed the first
year under Scott Robertson as All Blacks head coach. Starting

(49:32):
with rugby. Earlier in the year, a World Rugby report
revealed the extent of online abuse during last year's Rugby
World Cup. It was carried out after the tournament and
included nine hundred participants' social media accounts across referees, players, coaches,
teams and organizations, and of the abuse targeted directly at individuals.

(49:56):
English referee Wayne Barnes, who retired after the World Cup,
received a third of all of the abuse online. It
ranged from on match fixing and corruption, accusations to violent
and family related threats, and over two thousand posts from
sixteen hundred separate accounts were identified as have been sending

(50:19):
abuse or threats across the Rugby World Cup last year.
It was quite troubling and a real eye opener. After
the report came out, I spoke to All Black's assistant
coach Jason Ryan to get his reaction to it. Initial
thoughts to me was.

Speaker 27 (50:35):
Really quite sad, to be honest, embarrassing, disrespectful and you know,
really I think it's the findings that they've gotten and
what's been happening with messaging and threats that have been
sent to referees their families is discussing and it's something

(50:58):
that needs to be cracked down on at the highest level.
You know, when you get a guy like you know,
Wayne Barnes, probably one of the most experienced referees in
the world, just go and chuck the game in and
maybe not even give back to it. I'm not sure
what he's up to. Well, it's a sad state of affairs,
and the sooner it's done, something has done about it

(51:20):
at the highest level, whether or not that's through the law,
criminal offenses or world rugby. That has to stop because
it's not good enough for our game, and it's not
good enough at all.

Speaker 2 (51:34):
Really, were you surprised, Jase at the at the volume
and the level of abuse that that referees have been receiving.

Speaker 21 (51:43):
Yeah, I was, Yeah, I was.

Speaker 27 (51:45):
I think I think that that was the one that
probably threw me the most, Jase, to be fair, I think,
you know, and it's just it's been constant and some
of the messages I've got and they want to probably
repeat them again on the phone, like of what was said.
I think people have seen it. The worst case scenario.

Speaker 17 (52:04):
Is that's just that's just awful.

Speaker 27 (52:08):
Surely that's going to be a criminal offense type thing,
and I really feel for the referees that are doing
a tough job. But do you know what, I don't
actually think those sort of messages would be coming from
genuine rugby people, people that are embraced in the game,
that love rugby for what it is, whether or not

(52:29):
that's through the local rugby club volunteers. That these people aren't.
They aren't those people. I'll be very surprised they are
because the game of rugby and the people that are
involved in rugby. Good people are running it and good
people are involved in it, So I don't think it's
coming from most people.

Speaker 2 (52:46):
No, one hundred percent agree. One of the other findings
of the report was there was clear evidence of a
correlation between postmatch comments from players and coaches triggering abuse
of match officials by the general public. So how much
responsibility do you feel as coaches not to fan the
flames of abuse.

Speaker 27 (53:06):
I think it's a good point. Look, I look, I'll
just talk on myself in a personal note. If I've
got an issue or I want to have a chat
to referee, I'll have a chat to the referee.

Speaker 21 (53:16):
I'll pride myself.

Speaker 27 (53:17):
I've never really I've had a crack in public. I
like to go and have a chat to the referee.
Work with the referee. He's not working for me and
I'm not working for him. We're working with each other
around areas of the game, and I understand there's going
to be a mistakes, and I'll be honest, I've had
some good, healthy conversations on the phone with refs and

(53:38):
officials and the guy's high above trying to sort things out.
But when you do it publicly and have a real crack.
It can be anigally one and it can fill the flame,
I guess, and that's you know, that's where I think
everyone can be better and say, look, we've got to
have a yarn about this. But on the same side
of that, the referees and officials we're all in together.

(54:00):
They've got to be approachable. It's got to work both ways.
So we can actually do that and have a yarn.
It's not going in there absolutely ripping there. That's out
of someone. It's having a conversation and going through the
facts and then reflection saying, look, we could have done
this better, what more can you do?

Speaker 2 (54:16):
That's Jason yinl Blacks Assistant coach on the issue of
referee abuse. The ongoing issue of referee abuse one twenty one.
It is back with more in our year in review
show in just a moment, just updating you from the MCG.
Australia have lost their first wicket of the second innings.
Sam Constance has been bobed by just breed Bomra for
eight Australia one for twenty three. That's how they sat

(54:39):
over there twenty three for one of course, it's how
we say it over this side the one of the
apupshots exactly the same. Australia have a one hundred and
twenty eight run lead. They've been going for about an
hour and twenty minutes an earlier start at the MCG.
Today Australia twenty three for one in their second innings
back with more on our Year in Review show on

(55:00):
Weekend Sport right after this.

Speaker 1 (55:01):
Don't get caught offside eight hundred eighty ten eighty weekends
for US when Jason Paine and GJ Gunnos, New Zealand's
most trusted home builder news Dogs.

Speaker 2 (55:11):
NB coming up one twenty five on Weekend Sport and
Our Year in Review were in our Rugby segment of
the Year in Review and April, Jordi Barrett re signed
with New Zealand Rugby until twenty twenty eight. I believe
that he is the player with the longest contract right
through until beyond the next Rugby World Cup and to

(55:32):
the end of twenty twenty eight. The unique part of
this was a sabbatical with top Irish club Leinster, which
Jordy Barrett is currently in the midst of. I spoke
with him after he had revealed his future and asked
about the sabbatical with Leinster and how it had come about.

Speaker 6 (55:48):
It's quite an interesting one really. I think eyes for
the sabbatical were really heading towards Japan and having all
Eastern there. But then I guess Leinster putting off a
Ford and basically just the prestige of their club and
what they've done in the past and what direction heading
in the future really stuck out and excited me. So yeah,

(56:11):
it was an offer dived a wee bit deeper into
and he had got to the end of it and
managed to land to deal with him. So I'm bloody excited.

Speaker 2 (56:18):
Just expand a bit on that for us. What is
it about Leinster and playing an island that was attractive
to you?

Speaker 6 (56:26):
Yeah, they have most of the Irish team which helps
her a bloody good side, and Leo Cullen and great
coaches Jaqueson and Naba. Tyler Blindell from the Hurricanes is
just joining them now. So yeah, I think also going
up in the sort of the climbing of my career.
I'll be twenty seven going twenty eight at the end.

Speaker 21 (56:49):
Of the year.

Speaker 6 (56:51):
I just feel like I should be playing some of
my best rugby there and the challenge of playing Champions
Cup and UC Finals is something that I'd love to
walk towards and I feel like it'll grow my game
so more, I guess development perspective going into Ireland and

(57:12):
a different team environment, culture, and it's just something new
and a great new challenge. So all very positive things
when I when I considered the option.

Speaker 2 (57:23):
When you start thinking about a sabbatical as part of
your your rugby journey, I guess we can call it.
How keen were you to ensure that you grew your
game during your sabbatical.

Speaker 6 (57:36):
Yeah, there's there's a bit of a balance. Whether I
mean in the past, the sabbaticals have been in place
for the all Blacks that have played X amount of tests,
and it was almost time just to re energize, change up,
just to come back and see yourself better to play,

(57:56):
I mean, to add longevity to your career and to
add value in the orb that jersey when you come back,
and and that was the forefront of my decision as well.
But I just saw it was a great opt didn't
need to go and go to a place where I
believe I'll come back a bit of rigby flayers, So
I'm as exciting.

Speaker 2 (58:15):
That's Jordi Barrett upon his re signing with New Zealand
Ruby and his sabbatica with Leinster, which by the looks
of things is going pretty well for him. One twenty
eight another All Black, well former All Black and former
top level coach in fact current top level coach who
is plying his trade overseas as Tony Brown. He has
spent this year as a tech coach with the spring Box,

(58:38):
which is an absolutely plumb job. It's a job which
he'll be in through until the next Rugby World Cup
and it included, of course this year the rather unique
experience for Tony Brown of coaching against the All Blacks.
I caught up with him just a month or so
ago and asked what that was like coaching against the
side he used to play for.

Speaker 4 (58:59):
It was definitely different.

Speaker 28 (59:02):
It's something there, especially the Johannesburg match, the All Backs
versus South Africa. It was just amazing to be a
part of that Test match, even though I was coaching
against the All Blacks. I just the reason why I
took the South African job was to be coaching on
the biggest stage and the biggest test matches, and for

(59:23):
me that was probably the biggest one that I've coached
in so far, so pretty amazing.

Speaker 4 (59:29):
Yeah, it's it's just rugby.

Speaker 28 (59:32):
You know, one day maybe I'll be coaching the All Blacks,
but at the moment I'm just fully committed to South Africa.

Speaker 2 (59:38):
You're still hard at that ambition.

Speaker 4 (59:41):
Always.

Speaker 28 (59:42):
You know, I played for the All Blacks obviously from
New Zealand, played for New Zealand Maldi, so you know,
one day definitely want to be able to coach the
All Blacks at some stage.

Speaker 2 (59:56):
How do you assess where they are after nine tests
of this year under their new coach, Scott Robertson's tough
for me.

Speaker 28 (01:00:05):
Too to give you a proper opinion. You know, I
think this is starting to find their way as a
coaching team.

Speaker 10 (01:00:15):
The players are.

Speaker 28 (01:00:16):
Potentially look starting to believe in the coaches a little
bit more. And if if they can get those two
things working really well, then you'll see the players being
able to I believe, and they'll get better better.

Speaker 2 (01:00:31):
Quip and uh, we see the public face of Rassi
Erasmus a lot, we might cow you know, we we
obviously enjoy seeing him in media situations and that sort
of thing. What does he like to to work alongside.

Speaker 28 (01:00:46):
He's very good, one hundred percent honest. You know, he's
He's got the South African players one hundred percent committed
to South African rugby and committed to the country. And
you know, especially in professional sport nowadays, it can be
easy to be He's selfish in certain times, but he

(01:01:10):
makes sure that everyone is fully committed and everyone understands
that if you're not playing, you're still committed to helping
the other players prepare. And you know, he just wants
to plays. To be one hundred percent honest with him,
and he's created this environment where I believe the South
African players would literally lie down and die for the team.

Speaker 2 (01:01:33):
That's Tony Brown attack coach. Now with the spring Box
he would have endured, I'm sure the two Test matches
against the All Blacks, even though as he outlined there,
it was a rather unusual situation for him coaching against
his former team. Two tight test matches in the Republic
this year, of course, the first in Johannesburg thirty one
twenty seven, the spring Box coming out on top of

(01:01:54):
that one, and then a week later in Cape Town
they were victors by eighteen points to twelve ahead of
that little bracket of matches, those those two test matches
between the All Blacks. In the spring Box, I caught
up with one of our greats, former All Blacks captain
Sean Fitzpatrick, and spoke to him about his memories of
nineteen ninety six. First of all and winning a series

(01:02:16):
in South Africa with the All Blacks for the first time.

Speaker 29 (01:02:19):
Nineteen ninety six was an unbelievable experience. I'm just going
to South Africa. Being in South Africa now to watch
the play now, I'm just so excited because it's a
big challenge and John Hart and his management team and
the thirty six players. It was a big touring party

(01:02:41):
in those days to go to South Africa and winnters series.
It's as good as anything that I achieved. And I
always love the telling the story of Don Clark. A
great fallback embraced me in the tunnel loft as Verse
felt and said thank you, and he was crying, saying
thank you so much for doing something that no other

(01:03:03):
All Black team has done. He said, I can die happy, man.
That's what it meant to past All Blacks and that's
why I'm so excited for Razor and this current team
that they've got a real opportunity over the.

Speaker 13 (01:03:16):
Next two weeks.

Speaker 2 (01:03:17):
Those images at the end of you sprawled on the
grass there, you'd made a tackle in the final play
the Horreheree, you had blinded up, you'd won the game.
You were just lying there and then got up on
all four thumping your fist into the turf. A couple
of times those images are burnt into our memories. How
empty was was your tank at the end of that

(01:03:40):
particular game.

Speaker 29 (01:03:42):
It just it's a very intimulating place to go, Jason,
and to go there you have to go with an
attitude that we're going to dominate. We're going to dominate
the opposition because they like they like to dominate you.
And the thing is, Jason, that we're very similar. We
have huge respect for each other. We play a very

(01:04:04):
similar game. And when they come to New Zealand, it's
a huge challenge for them. But I think going to
South Africa and going up up to aldershow to the
High Veult, playing in Johannesburg, playing in Victoria, it just
adds that extra edge and they are hugely passionate and

(01:04:25):
you know, the All Blacks have been there for a
week now and they would have experienced what it's like
to be in South Africa playing the spring Box off
the field because the fans are relentless day in day out, morning,
night time. They're telling you how the spring Boks are
going to beat you. And you know, for me, I personally,

(01:04:46):
I loved that because it's you know, as New Zealanders
which recently like playing away from home as too much
as we love playing at home and to go there
and silence the crowd, and that's what this current team
is going to have to do. It's going to have
to take them on physically, you know, historically and currently
they are a big team, bigger than us. We know that,

(01:05:10):
but it doesn't mean that we can't we can't get
on top of them as soon as they get on
top of and that's what they've been doing over the
last few years. They are just bullying teams. You know,
they bring on this this reserve bench that just dominates
a game after sixty minutes. So you know, it's a
big effort. And you know, I look at the team
that that that the All Blacks are picked and it's

(01:05:33):
a barring a couple of a couple of positions it's
a hugely experienced team and to have stam Caine there,
there's another added bonus that I'm sure Raiser. You know,
I had had had that in the plans to play
play this test match.

Speaker 2 (01:05:49):
What about playing at altitude chorn it? How different was
it playing in the likes of Johannesburg and Pretoria compared
to matches in Caketown and Durban for example.

Speaker 29 (01:06:00):
It just it burns you a bit, and it just
you know, I think this current team is you know,
admittedly they're not playing super rugby over there like they
had been in the past, but most of this team
would have experienced playing at altitude and you know, they've
been there over seven days now, and I think that's
the sort of the number that you know, you sort

(01:06:21):
of acclimatized to the altitude and you know, it's it's
it just it hurts that that's all part of that's
all part of the challenge and and you just got
to realize that it's the same for them. You know
a lot of those players, a lot of them come
from Cape Town or Durban, so you know it's it's

(01:06:45):
an even playing field, and you know, you can't use
that as an excuse.

Speaker 13 (01:06:50):
You know, we've got a we've got a very good bench.

Speaker 29 (01:06:54):
So I'm i'm I'm very relaxed playing at altitude and
Alice Park is I so liked to call it Alice Parks.
Alice Park, that's what what was historically named. And it's
a cauldron. You know, there's only there's only sixty two
thousand people. That feels as though there's one hundred thousand
people on there, and that's intimidating.

Speaker 13 (01:07:15):
So you've got to deal with that.

Speaker 29 (01:07:17):
And you know, as I'm sure Raises telling them, you've
got to embrace, embrace the challenge and do not let
them get on top.

Speaker 2 (01:07:28):
Sean Sean Fitzpatrick giving us some insight into playing in
South Africa just ahead of the Rugby Championship tests over there,
both narrow losses for the All Blacks in twenty twenty four,
twenty three away from two. Our year in review show
continues after this.

Speaker 1 (01:07:44):
The Big Issues on and after Fields Call Oh eight
hundred eighty ten eighty weekends forward with Jason Payne and GJ.
Gunnerhomes New Zealand's most trusted home builder, News Talk Baby.

Speaker 2 (01:07:55):
One forty enjoying a bit of a wander back over
the last three hundred and sixty odd days. It's our
year in review show here on Weekend Sport. Final piece
of rugby content for you was around the proposal of
the twenty minute red card. This continues to bubble away
and bubble away, and their are arguments on both sides.
Everybody down this part of the world seems to want it.

(01:08:18):
Everybody up in the North seems to not want it.
I guess we'll find out on twenty twenty five, or
maybe we won't whether there'll be a global implementation of
the twenty minute red card. During the year when this
issue was bubbling along, I spoke to former top referee
Nigel Owens to get his thoughts on the idea of
a twenty minute red card.

Speaker 17 (01:08:39):
Yeah, I think you have to take a step back
to svone. I'm trying to understand why people are calling
for this, why it's been in place of Rugby Championship,
and why he's coming in inter trial globally. And the
issue is, which is an understandable reason, is a lot
of people are getting frustrated with players being sent off
early on in the game and then it feel that

(01:09:00):
the game is is boked when you have fourteen against
fifteen or thirteen against fourteen, and he percent respeaches thirteen
against fifteen. So that's the reason why this has been
brought in. Now, the concerns and the worry that I
have is it's not going to deal with the actual issues,
and the actual issues are the player safety. When we
are still having a lot of head collisions, we're still

(01:09:24):
having players making up right tackles, shoulder making contact with
the head. We're still having really reckless, dangerous clearouts in
the contact area. We still have in US. We haven't
seen a change of player behavior despite the red cards. Now,
if you go back quite a few years, you remember

(01:09:44):
a lot of issues with contact in the air. Then
we have a lot of issues with spear tackling, and
then what happened. The referees went hard, it was a
red card and we change player behavior. But that hasn't
happened this time. And the issue is now we're still
getting red cards and therefore a lot of people have
been calling in for a twenty minute red card so

(01:10:05):
that it doesn't spoil the game. Now, the issue that
I have is this a red card in rugby should
only be for an act of total thuggery or total recklessness,
and what I mean by that is a player's defenses
on the ground. And then you got charging in shoulder first,
head first, split into the player, contact with the head.

(01:10:26):
This reckless, it's really dangerous. You don't have any care
whatsoever about the player's safety who you are charging into.
That should be a red card, and then you should
not be replaced. The issue that I have then, and
I think this is the issue that they're not dealing with,
is if you have a player and we've seen it,
who is unlucky to be sent off. It's accidental, the

(01:10:50):
dynamics of the game of change this last second and
every's gonna that's a bit tough, that's a bit harsh.
Then they shouldn't be a red card. So what I
feel they should be doing is actually dealing with the
issue itself, act of thuggery, active recklessness where you've got
no concern about the player's safety that I'm sorry, a
red card, you off and you stay off. And if

(01:11:12):
then it's an issue where it's it's carelessness, it's accidental.
You try to do everything right, but the movement of
the game, the players affective thing in the last second
then that shouldn't even be a red card. So what
I feel is happening is it's just papering over the
cracks to try and keep everybody happy, and in the

(01:11:33):
long run, you're not going to keep everybody happy because
you're still going to see these red cards which are harsh,
and you're also then going to see a lot of
people and there's a lot of concern about then we
are not then being strong enough with the deterrent to
change players behavior and getting rid of this needless, dangerous,
reckless high tackles or upright tackles or clear out. So

(01:11:58):
this is understandable why people are calling for it, but
my concern is they're not actually dealing with the co
issue itself, and that's why not a big fun of
the twenty minute red card. I'd rather see them bring
it in a red card total recklessness total February. If
anything is accidental, you're unlucky, then it shouldn't be a
red card in the first place. And then we look

(01:12:21):
after the player safety, and people who are sent off
are sent off because they totally deserve to be sent
off and not because of an accidental dynamic of the game.

Speaker 2 (01:12:29):
There you go Nigel Owens with some common sense around
not just the twenty minute red card, but red cards
full stop. Enjoyed chatting to Nigel Owens this year on
Weekend Sport as well. One forty five. Perhaps the biggest
sports story of the year. Look, I know there's a
bit of competition, but I think it certainly warrants a

(01:12:50):
place in the conversation. Was the news just a couple
of weeks ago that Liam Lawson will drive Formula One
full time in twenty twenty five alongside Max for Stepping
for Red Bull Racing. This was something which had been
I guess predicted a week way out and Liam Lawson
seemed as time went on to be the guy who
was going to partner for Stapping when they made a

(01:13:13):
change at the top of Red Bull. It has happened
and twenty twenty five is going to be absolutely intriguing
and terrific watching Formula One with Liam Lawson in a
full time drive. He spoke to media after the decision
had been unveiled and I was asked first of all

(01:13:34):
whether all the toil and hard work had been worth it.

Speaker 30 (01:13:38):
Yeah, I think definitely, as much as obviously at times
it's it feels like it's not. It's been a long
journey and the last twelve months have definitely been the hardest.

Speaker 13 (01:13:50):
Obviously, before, if one, I never.

Speaker 30 (01:13:52):
Knew what it would be like, but then to get
the opportunity to drive gave me a complete perspective of
what it's like. And then to step back as reserve
and basically spectate and wait for that opportunity was really tough.

Speaker 13 (01:14:05):
So I think it's been a tough twelve months.

Speaker 30 (01:14:08):
But I always said to myself that at the point
that I was struggling with it, I always said to myself,
if I, you know, if I got to the end
of the year and you know, and I didn't get
a seat, and I looked back and saw a bunch
of different things I could have possibly done that, I
would obviously never forget myself. So obviously, sitting here now,

(01:14:29):
everything is is definitely worth it.

Speaker 2 (01:14:31):
What's Liam Lawson's mindset on driving in the same team
as full time defending world champion Max for Steppen.

Speaker 13 (01:14:38):
Yeah, I mean it's.

Speaker 30 (01:14:40):
I'm definitely not working against them, so it's obviously an
opportunity to be working alongside it. The biggest opportunity for
me is the fact that he's won the last four championships,
he's the best in the world right now. He's been
in this team for.

Speaker 13 (01:14:57):
A long time.

Speaker 30 (01:14:58):
I don't know how long now, maybe it's close to
ten years, and so he knows you know everything about
the car, you know thing about the team, and he'll
always be pushing basically the absolute limits. And for me
to be able to work alongside that, I get a
lot more learning. I get probably the most learning I
could possibly get out of it. So for me, it's

(01:15:19):
an opportunity to basically become a bit of driver and
and then obviously work with with the best team in
Formula One and and have an opportunity to to fight
at the front.

Speaker 2 (01:15:31):
Does Liam Lawson feel fully prepared for everything that comes
with being a full time Formula One driver?

Speaker 13 (01:15:38):
That's I think it's part of part of being a
Formal one driver.

Speaker 30 (01:15:41):
I think obviously you're never going to have everybody like
you and and you know, I think for me, I've
obviously had had experience of of coming into Formula One
and the attention that comes with it, and you.

Speaker 13 (01:15:54):
Know, for me, I'm focused on on my on my
job and on that side of it.

Speaker 30 (01:16:01):
I think everyone can have their own opinion and and
and that's you know, free free to them. So it's
not something that really bothers me. But obviously it's something
that's I've sort of had a taste of and I'm
definitely gonna gonna probably experience coming into into my first
full season.

Speaker 2 (01:16:18):
Who is it that Liam Lawson takes his advice from.

Speaker 13 (01:16:22):
I would say.

Speaker 30 (01:16:25):
I think over the years I've learned, especially getting closer to.

Speaker 13 (01:16:28):
To Formula one and stepping into Formula one is.

Speaker 30 (01:16:33):
Although there's many amazing people that have you know, I've
met and got to got to know over the years,
and a lot more people sort of come into your
sort of circle or to your group or almost want to.
I think for me, it's it's speaking to people that
have always been there for me. And obviously that starts
from my family, so talking to my dad, He's been

(01:16:55):
somebody that I've taken a lot of advice from since
I was a kid. And it's yeah, people that are
very close to me, not necessarily just in from drivers
in the sport, but but yeah, people that are that
I've met over the years, who I can who I
can trust coming into it into a moment like this,

(01:17:15):
and also within you know, within Rebel, there's people in
the team that obviously have experienced these kind of moments
in the past.

Speaker 13 (01:17:22):
And then there's you know, Christian and Helmets and.

Speaker 30 (01:17:24):
And obviously the other guys who are trusting me with
a role like this, So speaking to them and you know,
knowing that they trust me to do this, that people,
that's that, Yeah, I would I would definitely take advice
from for for for this.

Speaker 2 (01:17:39):
What gives Liam Lawson the confidence that he can succeed
in in a full time Formula One seat.

Speaker 30 (01:17:46):
I think I just look at it like any other
like any other seasonal or you know, role going into it.
I think at any point in any professional athlete, whether
you're a boxer or a driver, or a tennis player
or whatever you are, if you're going into a match
or a game or whatever and you're thinking that's some
but he might be better than you, or that somebody

(01:18:08):
might have the upper handle that you're not good enough,
then you might as well not really turn up. So
it's something that I think us as racing drivers, we
have to sort of have that mindset. I'm lucky that
I've had it since I was a kid, and it's
stuck with me all the way through and although I'm
not expecting to not expected to go in there and
beat him, but you know, I obviously have a level

(01:18:31):
of confidence and sort of my ability. It's what's got
me to this point. And for me, it's more just
exciting for the opportunity.

Speaker 6 (01:18:39):
I think.

Speaker 30 (01:18:39):
It's not I'm a really thinking so much about whether
I can do the job. It's more I'm excited to
be in this position, to have an opportunity to work
with the best team in Formula One, against the best
guy and learn from all of that and become, you know,
the best basically driver that I can become.

Speaker 2 (01:18:55):
And finally from Liam Lawson when he looks a hit
to twenty twenty five and all of the Grand Prix
events he's going to be involved, and are there any
in particular he's circled on the calendar or is particularly
looking forward to.

Speaker 13 (01:19:09):
Melbourne is a big one.

Speaker 30 (01:19:10):
Honestly, there's a lot, like you know, from when I
was a kid, there's a lot of tracks that are
on the on the calendar stool I that I raced
as that I raced on and Melbourne's one that's close
to home. Obviously, one day I'd love to get New
Zealand Grand Prix in there, but to have Melbourne it's
it's very very close and I know the support there
from home and from Australia will be very cool. Other

(01:19:33):
than that, there's there's obviously minorco even some of the
ones I've already done us in Singapore.

Speaker 13 (01:19:39):
Tracks like that are super exciting.

Speaker 30 (01:19:43):
So yeah, there's it's a it's a obvious a very
full full calendar with a lot of tracks that that's
I'm looking forward to driving on.

Speaker 2 (01:19:51):
That is Liam Lawson. We are looking very much forward
to watching him drive all those tracks in twenty twenty
five and he embarks on his first year as a
full time driver in Formula One. Absolutely one to keep
an eye on in twenty twenty five. Going to certainly
make sure we cover that all for you on Weekend
Sport when the new year rolls around seven and a
half away from two news talks.

Speaker 1 (01:20:11):
Breaking down the Hail Mary's and the Epic Fails Weekend
Sport with Jason yin News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (01:20:21):
Four minutes to two after two o'clock, our year in
review continues one more hours. We'll look back at some
of the big moments of the year, bit of variety
for you after two, including I think probably the most
extraordinary day we had in twenty twenty four. In fact,
the whole weekend really sale GP in christ Church, where

(01:20:44):
you'll remember that Day one was completely abandoned because of
a dolphin on the race course. Sir Russell Coots sale
GP Boss sat down with me after midday the next
day and let Loose will remind you of that after
two o'clock. Also our big cricketing feats of the year,
the White Ferns winning the T twenty World Cup, the

(01:21:05):
black Caps sweeping India in a series, Lulu Sun's run
to the Wimbledon quarter finals, and the arrival of the
new kids on the A League block. Auckland FC will
cover all of that off after two.

Speaker 1 (01:21:19):
The only place to discuss the biggest sports issues on
and after fields, it's all on Weekend Sport with Jason
Fade on your home of Sport New Talks.

Speaker 2 (01:21:33):
Hello and welcome into the final hour of Weekend Sports
Summer Afternoons after three with Adam Cooper and the Chair
to take you through the rest of this Sunday. Before that, though,
we continue our year in review show the last hour
of it as we look back on some of the
big sports stories, our favorite guests and some of the
more talked about issues of twenty twenty four in a

(01:21:54):
sporting sense. Starting shortly with what I think was probably
the most um I was going to say controversial piece
of radio of the year. I'm not sure it was
that controversial. I think a lot of people agreed with
what Sir Russell Coots said on day two of sale
GP and christ Church, but certainly an extraordinary piece of

(01:22:15):
radio to be involved. And that's coming up. Just updating
you from the Boxing Day Test where Australia are in
their second innings against India and I think they've just
gone to lunch, not quite gone to lunch. They are
forty three for two Australia in their second innings, forty
three for two. Osmond Kawaja has just been dismissed for

(01:22:37):
twenty one. So Australia with a lead of one hundred
and forty eight runs and eight second innings wickets in hand.
Just keeping half an eye on this in the studio,
and the Australian batsmen are being absolutely worked over by
Jaspriek Boomrah and Mohammad Sarraj they are jumping all over

(01:22:57):
the place. Sarraj got the wicket of Kuwaja and utterly
deserved it. Every time I look up it seems as
though the balls beating the batter it's bouncing off a
part of the Australian batsman's bodies. It's tough going out there.
The Marus Labasha and Steve Smith together at the moment. Smith,
of course a century maker in the first innings, looking

(01:23:18):
to extend Australia's lead and perhaps force of results on
the fifth day of the Boxing Day Test tomorrow. But
it is the year in review and as mentioned in March,
we broadcast the show live from Littleton. For the New
Zealand leg of Sale GP. Massive crowds turned up on
the Saturday, the first day of scheduled racing. Unfortunately, no

(01:23:42):
racing on day one due to the presence of what
we later discovered to be a single dolphin in the
race course area. It caused the entire days racing to
be abandoned. It caused massive controversy and plenty of angst
ahead of the second day of racing. This was the
Sunday Sale GP boss Sir Russell Coots join me in

(01:24:07):
our zb studio which we set up in Littleton and
basically expressed his frustration with the whole thing.

Speaker 31 (01:24:16):
Sole GP operates all over the world and no doubt
there are marine mammals in the water and all the
locations that we race, and to date we've never had
an incident in thirty five events. Our people and our
athletes cared deeply about the marine environment, marine conservation and

(01:24:36):
the overall environment.

Speaker 12 (01:24:38):
In addition to sole GP's.

Speaker 31 (01:24:39):
Normal marine mammal protocols, SLEGP have had this extreme marine
mammal mandatory protocol forced upon it demanded by Department of Conservation.
He can and Natifecki for this event. Otherwise SALGP would
not be permitted to race here in Littleton. Other harbor users,

(01:25:03):
including commercial users, are not subjected to such protocols. In particular,
Guy Harris, the Harbourmaster, has been extremely restrictive in prohibiting
practice for the international teams, including this morning where the
international teams were desperately seeking his approval to allow them
much needed time on the water. He refused without giving

(01:25:27):
any reasons. Earlier this week he also stated to me
that because SOLEGP is a commercial entity, other non commercial.

Speaker 12 (01:25:35):
Entities and views have priority.

Speaker 31 (01:25:39):
Unfortunately, yesterday was another example of there being almost no
balance in the decision making, another example of New Zealand
being handcuffed by unprecedented layers of bureaucracy and red tape.
I find it astonishing the amount of influence that EWE
have over authorities here in New Zealand. That Apartment of

(01:25:59):
Conservation would not allow racing in Littleton unless SALGP had
approval from the EWEI. I suspect most New zealand And
just don't realize the full implications of such a stance.
It's been my experience throughout my long career connected with
the ocean that dolphins are extremely intelligent mammals and are
inherently aware of boats around them.

Speaker 12 (01:26:21):
The Hector's dolphin is not an.

Speaker 31 (01:26:23):
Endangered species, as Otiga University professor Liz Slutin recently claimed
that was a lie. Of course, with any decision like this,
there needs to be a balance. For example, one could
say that because there's a chance of a road death,
that we shouldn't be allowed to drive on the roads.
I suspect most people would conclude that such a stance

(01:26:45):
would be far too extreme and not practical. Inherently as
a society we accept an element of.

Speaker 12 (01:26:51):
Risk in our daily lives.

Speaker 31 (01:26:54):
The Department of Conservation e CAN and the Littles Important
Company have enforced services on sal GP, which is an
international company with its main offices in London and New York,
services that are not required and not demanded anywhere else
in the world, yet are nevertheless imposed as a condition

(01:27:14):
for allowing the races to proceed in Lyttleton. The cost
for those unrequired services total approximately three.

Speaker 12 (01:27:21):
Hundred thousand dollars.

Speaker 31 (01:27:23):
In addition to that, there are eleven so called expert
dolphin observers that are being paid six hundred dollars per
day each plus their expenses in a program that total
seventy eight thousand dollars. It was demanded that those dolphin
observers beyond site from Thursday onwards, despite the harbor Master
reducing practice time for the international teams on that.

Speaker 12 (01:27:46):
Day to around eleven minutes of sailing.

Speaker 31 (01:27:50):
These are costs and services that SALGP doesn't face anywhere
else in the world. In conducting this event, SALGP alone
is spending approximately five and a half million dollars in
the local economy. Of course, our international teams also go
to considerable effort and expense to send their teams to
New Zealand to compete, and it's fair to say that

(01:28:10):
they are also not happy with the way.

Speaker 12 (01:28:12):
This program is being managed.

Speaker 31 (01:28:15):
So l GP distributes live broadcast the two hundred and
twelve territories worldwide, and many of those broadcasters, including CBS
in the United States, turned the feed off well before
the conclusion of the live broadcast window. There are a
lot of considerations in managing an event like this, yet
almost none of those are being properly considered by the

(01:28:37):
environmental and harbor authorities here in christ Church. The factors,
almost all of the people here in christ Church are
incredibly supportive and positive. I'd like to thank all of
those people who made us feel so welcome here, and
I feel sorry for the fans, local businesses and all
of the people that are so proud of this incredible

(01:28:59):
city that this event has been so disruptive. Let's hope
we finish today with some great racing and so thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:29:11):
This is ridiculous. This is ridiculous. How can this be
allowed to happen?

Speaker 12 (01:29:16):
Good question? Yeah, I have no answer for that.

Speaker 2 (01:29:23):
You're not coming back to christ are you?

Speaker 12 (01:29:26):
I don't.

Speaker 31 (01:29:27):
The feedback I've had from the teams is that this
just isn't working.

Speaker 2 (01:29:35):
How deep is your frustration about this?

Speaker 12 (01:29:44):
It's deep.

Speaker 31 (01:29:46):
Yeah, I'm an incredibly proud of what we do here
in New Zealand and to have this happen is really disappointing.

Speaker 2 (01:29:56):
I can see, I can see how this isn't just
a commercial thing for you. This is deep in your blood.
Sailing is in your blood and in your home.

Speaker 31 (01:30:06):
Event well, this is an incredible showcase for New Zealand.

Speaker 12 (01:30:10):
You know this.

Speaker 31 (01:30:12):
The vast majority of people here are incredibly proud of
our country, of.

Speaker 12 (01:30:18):
What we stand for. And uh, you know, I think
that's that shared it. You know amongst most people.

Speaker 2 (01:30:28):
What range of emotions did you go through yesterday as
you watched on and I guess you know, completely unable
to do anything about it.

Speaker 12 (01:30:40):
Yeah, it's just incredibly disappointing.

Speaker 31 (01:30:44):
You know, there's there's There's not much more I can
add to that.

Speaker 2 (01:30:47):
That's Sir Russell Coots. That was on day two of
sale GP at at Littleton. Thankfully we got racing and
on the second day and and the Black Foils got
the victory. But yeah, it was just astonishing sitting across
that desk from Sir Russell Coots and and he was
he was almost unable to control his anger. Incredible stuff.

(01:31:11):
And I said to him, there, you're not coming back
to christ Hetch. Well, that's obviously proven to be the
case because the New Zealand Leg of Sale GP is
now in Auckland, and I think we'll go back. I
think we're confirmed to go back January eighteen nineteen in Auckland.
So we look forward to broadcasting from sal GP Auckland
in twenty twenty five. It's eighteen past two as we

(01:31:34):
look back on the year in review. One of the
most unexpected triumphs of twenty twenty four was the White
Ferns winning the T twenty World Cup. If you'd suggested this,
if you'd even dared to dream about it in the
time leading up to the tournament, you would have been
laughed out of town because the White Ferns came in

(01:31:57):
with I think it was an eleven game losing streak
behind them. Nobody had them really getting out of the group,
let alone and getting through to the final, let alone
winning the whole thing. But they did and it turned
out to be a wonderful wonderful occasion for particularly the
more experienced players in the team who had been through

(01:32:17):
thick and thin, and there had been an awful lot
of thin, as I say. Leading in the day after
they won, I spoke to Sophie Devine, captain of the side,
to get her reflections on it all, and asked her,
first of all, what it was across this tournament that
allowed New Zealand to win the World Cup with absolutely
no form to speak of coming in.

Speaker 19 (01:32:40):
It's interesting to say that because you talk about form
in terms of results. Absolutely we were a bit of
a stinker for being completely honest. Obviously, teen losses in
a row that we knew that the performances that were
starting to put together were you know, the glimpses of
it interest to then be able to pull it together.
I think obviously the India game through staff was always
going to be a crucial game for us. We've been

(01:33:01):
tagging it for a very long time. But we also
knew that the way that we had to play that
we knew that we couldn't be reserved and you know,
in our show, we need to go out and take
the game on and that really took the for the
rest of the tournament and how to play. Obviously the
game against Australia was disappointing, but I mean looking back
now it did it matter too much? Probably not, But

(01:33:23):
yeah again these last couple of weeks, the way that
we've been able to roll that performances and the thing
for me is it's been a real team effort. We've
been someone differently every game and stood up obviously nearly
que winning player of the tournament as well last night
with outstanding but the support, she said from his fellow spinners,
but also the other bowlers. People would a bat Georgia
Plummer has been outstanding. You know, these so many people

(01:33:46):
that we could call out that have done a job
and being asked for the World Cup trophy.

Speaker 2 (01:33:51):
I heard you and your Postmas interview, will one of
them say that. I think it was the night before
the final you let yourself think about what it might
be like to hold that hold that trophy. I know
you've always been very measured in the way that you
approach your cricket, but what were the emotions like when
when you won.

Speaker 19 (01:34:11):
It's funny because it was it still hasn't really sunk
in to be here. I mean, it's sort of twelve
hours since Sintu one, but it still hasn't really sunk
in the magnitude of what was being able to achieve,
I think because it hasn't just been the last couple
of weeks, sort of in the last couple of years.
If not, you know, my whole career building up to

(01:34:32):
the boy being able to win a World come. Every
privat's dreams is to win a trophy like this, So
it hasn't spunk in. But to be able to spend
it with the team, with a group with a huge
family and friends last night was it was really special
and it's going to take away while to soak in
and we'll certainly do that. But we've also got another

(01:34:53):
assignment in a couple of days times, so it's just
the nature of the international schedule at the moment. But
take the time to, yeah, things soaken for what was
a pretty special couple of weeks.

Speaker 2 (01:35:06):
Are you going to reconsider your decision to step down
as T twenty captain?

Speaker 19 (01:35:10):
No, it's not a chance. I mean, it's a pretty
good way to bow out, but yeah, a lot. This
decision has been a long time coming to me and
I think it's just a great way to sign off
and hand over to who the next kipt is.

Speaker 24 (01:35:22):
Going to be.

Speaker 19 (01:35:22):
So yeah, obviously still really keen and still have a
lot more to give, both in the fifty over format
but also T twins as well and just the playing capacity.
So yeah, I think it's a great way to sign off.

Speaker 2 (01:35:34):
And what's the actual highlight spelling out Tawer with the
Curse Sisters and Georgia Plumber up on the podium afterwards.

Speaker 19 (01:35:42):
Well, the embarrassing thing was was how long it took
us to figure out how to spell. It was a
little bit embarrassing from us, but no, look, I think
it was so cool to be able to share that
with people from Tower, to be able to you know,
have that bond as pretty cool out in the middle
of Two Way International.

Speaker 2 (01:36:03):
Stadium, Sophie Divine just twelves as you heard there after
they had won the T twenty Cricket World Cup. The
White Ferns, what a what a finish two are really
challenging twelve to eighteen months for them to be able
to hold that silverware high into the into the Dubai
Sky two twenty three. It is we are a week now,
It's a year. Our year in review, show continues. Surely

(01:36:26):
a bit more cricket for you, But next up Lulu
Sun again, a name that perhaps didn't resonate particularly much
with us at the start of twenty twenty four, but
her run to the latter stages of Wimbledon certainly thrust
her into our consciousness. We'll get her reflections as part
of our Year in Review show when we come.

Speaker 1 (01:36:45):
Back One Grudge Hold Engage weekends for It with Jason
Paine and GJ. Gunnerhos new Zealand's.

Speaker 32 (01:36:53):
Most trusted home builder News Talk to Biley two twenty
six as we look back on some of the highs
of twenty twenty four in a sporting sense, and certainly
what happened at Wimbledon qualifies for that.

Speaker 2 (01:37:05):
Kiw Tennis Lulu Sun lighting up Wimbledon with a dream
run to the quarter finals that after coming through qualifying,
and she became the first New Zealand woman to reach
the Wimbledon quarter finals in the Open era, losing their
two Croatias Donna Vika in three sets. I spoke with
Lulusen lu Lusawn after Wimbledon to find out what her

(01:37:27):
hopes were, first of all, going into the tournament.

Speaker 33 (01:37:31):
Well coming from already playing passing qualifying in Australian Open,
I was hoping this time to pass the first round,
so it could be better, you know, one more step
than Australian Open. So yeah, I mean I didn't have
a lot of expectations, but obviously, you know, you want

(01:37:55):
to do well at the same time, so I was
just taking it match by match, and after my first one,
I was like, Okay, let's go go work on the
next one, and then the next one and then the
next one. So it kind of spiraled and I'm just
super happy I was able to experience all that and

(01:38:16):
against super players as well.

Speaker 2 (01:38:19):
How much confidence were you building during this time? How
much how much more confident did you become with each
match that you won?

Speaker 33 (01:38:26):
Definitely? I mean even with any win, you know, you get,
you build up your confidence and your sureeness in your
game and what you're doing, and it also brings up
momentum to you as well, so I think it definitely
brought up each round.

Speaker 2 (01:38:45):
Yeah, across the tournament, Lulu, what do you think contributed
most to your success? What were you doing particularly well
across all your matches at Wimbledon that got you all
the way through to the quarterfinals.

Speaker 33 (01:38:59):
I think having an aggressive game was definitely helping, and
obviously my servant forehand were you know, the the helpful
strokes that I had in my game. So I mean
on grass, obviously you have to be aggressive and come
to the net because it you know, when you're aggressive,

(01:39:21):
you get advantages more on the net. To be able
to come in more opportunities as well, and to be
able to finish in the net also helps you because
sometimes if you don't, then the rally might continue.

Speaker 2 (01:39:33):
So yeah, but that's not an adjustment for you, is it? Necessarily?
From what I can see and have read and have seen,
that's your game, isn't it? The aggressive game, the serve
and volley coming to the net, And it clearly worked
for you at Wimbledon. So so this surface and this
tournament probably probably searched your game, does it.

Speaker 33 (01:39:52):
Yeah, it does. I've I've played it only a few
times before. So but I enjoy my time on grass
always because it's a short, short season Montenna's unfortunately, but
I enjoy each surface as well because you have to

(01:40:12):
adapt a little bit on each surface, a little bit
of your game, a little bit of how you move
as well. So it's it's this adaptability game always, and
so I really enjoy that.

Speaker 2 (01:40:26):
Tell us about the experience of center court, playing on
center court for the first time, and not only on
center court, but against local darling Emma Radakanu, who obviously
had a whole nation behind her, but not only playing
out there against her, but winning that match, what was
that like?

Speaker 33 (01:40:47):
I mean, first of all, I was just really stoked
to play on center and to be able to play
in such a big of a crowd was amazing. And
to play a player like Emma who was you know,
even if I lost, I would I would take it
all in and I would for a min So I

(01:41:08):
just really came in to play each point at one
hundred percent and until the very last.

Speaker 2 (01:41:14):
And so.

Speaker 33 (01:41:16):
I mean it was insane. But obviously with the roof closed,
everything was echoing and it was hard to hear when
people were applauding. But I kind of knew that was
going to happen beforehand, So I think it was okay.

Speaker 2 (01:41:35):
Lulu soun Wimbledon quarter finalists there, and she will end
the year and start the new one, presumably as long
as she gets through tomorrow and the next day at
the ASB Tennis Classic. She is the fourth seed. I
think that's the highest in New Zealand has ever been
at the ASP Classic in terms of their seating. She
will open proceedings tomorrow at the ASB Classic, so let's

(01:41:58):
hope that she can finish the year off and then
start the new year with that with victory at the
ASP Classic. It was great to catch up with Lulu
Soun after Wimbledon this year twenty nine to three on
our Year in Review show to Football and the Wellington
Phoenix had a terrific twenty twenty three to twenty four
season which took them to within one game of the

(01:42:19):
A League's Grand Final. Unfortunately they couldn't quite get there.
They met Melbourne Victory in a two legged semi final
which went to extra time in Wellington before they were
eliminated by Melbourne Victory, who went on to themselves lose
to the Central Coast Mariners in the final. But probably
an even even more significant development in the game of

(01:42:42):
football in this country in twenty twenty four was the
arrival of the new Boys Auckland FC, who have hit
the A League with a bang, setting all sorts of
records in their first few games. They eventually lost for
the first time last weekend, but had to win last
night against the Central Coast Mariners, and going into the
new year, they are four points clear at the top

(01:43:03):
of the A League Men's ladder in their very first season.
And it was the derby matches which really captured the imagination.
We had two of them. The most recent was in
Auckland with the Auckland FC winning two to one. The
first one was in Wellington in round three. What an
occasion it was. Auckland FC came into town, smashed and
grabbed and left with a two niel victory, both goals

(01:43:27):
scored by Jake Brimmer, who came off the bench in
the last twenty minutes to score those two late goals.
The following morning I spoke to Jake Brimmer and asked
him what he was seeing from the bench before he
was introduced into the game.

Speaker 26 (01:43:41):
Luck obviously, you sit there and you watch, you watch
the game and you look at how everyone's defending, how
to keep his playing, and to be honest with you,
I sort of noticed that he took a bit too
long on the ball and he sort of.

Speaker 10 (01:43:54):
Second guess what he was going to do. A lot
of the time and.

Speaker 26 (01:43:57):
If you watch the goal back the first one, I
actually anticipated that he'd cut back inside. And you know,
it's a game I have to take as well do
A mean fact, ball goes through, they probably go up
and counter attack us. So it was a chance that
I took, and you know, luckily enough that it paid off.

Speaker 10 (01:44:12):
And yeah, it was just unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (01:44:14):
That's so interesting that you'd noticed that from watching. I mean,
I guess I don't know this to be true, but
I'm sure some subs just sit there and just wait
to get the call without really taking hek got a
lot of notice what's going on, but you'd noticed that
from Phoenix goalkeeper Josh all Away, immy that it might
be something you could capitalize on.

Speaker 10 (01:44:30):
Oh, without a doubt.

Speaker 26 (01:44:31):
Yeah. Look, I obviously was disappointed not to start the game,
but that was the decision the gap had made. So
for me, it's you know, there's always a chance to
learn in the game, and to learn when you're watching
as well.

Speaker 10 (01:44:44):
You know what I mean. You want to make a
difference when you come.

Speaker 26 (01:44:46):
Off the bench so that you put yourself in a
position to start every week. And you know, I've had
I've had my ups and downs in pre season with
injuries and stuff like that, but I think, you know,
it was special to get those two goals, and you know,
howefully my confidentious builds now and I can continue to
provide those things in a lot more games to come.

Speaker 2 (01:45:05):
Yeah, the second goal with time just about up the
icing on the cake. I guess how nice they to
see that one rolling as well?

Speaker 10 (01:45:11):
I was just I was happy for Lewis.

Speaker 26 (01:45:12):
To me, I know he's been through a light as
well with football, and you know football has its ups
and downs, but he's sort of one young boy that's
been you know, at Auckland that's impressed me the way
he plays and the way he conducts himself to football
and the professionalism he has, and for him to come

(01:45:33):
on and make an impact that he.

Speaker 10 (01:45:34):
Did was I was very happy for him. So he
put it on a play for.

Speaker 26 (01:45:36):
Me and look, I'm not I don't score many tap ins,
so I can't complain.

Speaker 10 (01:45:41):
I cannot complain with that one.

Speaker 2 (01:45:42):
Oh they all can for one, mate. They all count
for one. Three clean sheets as well, so you know,
down the other end you remain unbreached. How pleasing is
it to have those three clean sheets as well?

Speaker 10 (01:45:54):
Like you say the back for AP.

Speaker 26 (01:45:55):
You know, we talk about the defenders, but I think
as a team, you know, you defend from the front,
and I think it's in order to win championships in
this league you need a good you need you need
clean sheets.

Speaker 10 (01:46:07):
And you know we've done that in the past three games.

Speaker 26 (01:46:09):
We don't look like conceding and we're a bunch that
are willing to work for each other and you know
that can, like you said, think that can win your trophies.
So yeah, we're doing very well back there, and you know,
may we continue.

Speaker 2 (01:46:22):
Yeah, it was always going to be a challenging day
for Alex Paulson for reasons we all understand, not as
fold of course, but that's what football can throw up sometimes.
How much extra support, if any, did you have to
wrap around Alex Paulson this week?

Speaker 10 (01:46:34):
One hundred percent. You know, like I said, we go
together with everything you do.

Speaker 26 (01:46:39):
And you know AP's he's a great kid, he's brilliant
and like you say, the gaffer had words with this
about it, and not that he needs it, but he
knew that we had his back at.

Speaker 10 (01:46:50):
Any moment at in time of that game.

Speaker 26 (01:46:52):
And you know, credit to him, to the person he hears,
he's harmless and he's such a good kid, so it
was an extra special one for us to win against
his whole team.

Speaker 10 (01:47:00):
Put it that way, absolutely.

Speaker 2 (01:47:02):
The occasion over twenty six thousand there yesterday, You've played
in some big mel Albyn darbies, Jake, I know this
one's only just started, but how big do you think
it might get?

Speaker 26 (01:47:12):
Well, put it this way, if it was twenty six
thousand to the first of a derby, is something going
to get bigger?

Speaker 10 (01:47:16):
And you can see that rivalry already.

Speaker 26 (01:47:19):
And you know I mentioned it to Sky yesterday, Sky
Sports that is, and I'd said that give it two
three years. I'm telling you how this it will be.
It's not the biggest derby in the league and that's exciting,
you know for kiwei football. There's a lot of talent
that I've noticed in Auckland, you know, and for the
game and for the A League as well.

Speaker 10 (01:47:37):
I think it's just it's a beautiful thing.

Speaker 2 (01:47:39):
That is Jake Brimmer speaking to me the day after
the first New Zealand derby. Since that they've met another time,
as I say, in Auckland, with Auckland FC winning that
one two to one. Both teams had wins yesterday, which
was good to see the Phoenix snapping a three game
losing streak beating the Newcastle Jets to one, and then
Auckland f C bouncing back from a Fournel hiding last

(01:48:01):
weekend to give the Central Coast to similar scoreline for
one in Gosford. So as we stand Auckland f C
at top of the pile a four point lead they
will take into the new year. The Wellington Phoenix just
outside the top six, but a confidence boosting win yesterday
for them. If you haven't seen cost of Barbarusis's goal ever,
look at it from the halfway line. Terrific stuff. Twenty

(01:48:25):
three to three. We're reviewing the year. One of my
favorite guests was Glenn Maxwell, the Australian cricketer. He had
a book out and joined us to chat about that.
I wanted to ask him though about the twenty fifteen
Cricket World Cup when in that remarkable group game where
Ozzie borel out for about one forty nine and New
Zealand made very heavy weather of getting there, came Williamson,

(01:48:48):
eventually hitting a six down the ground to give New
Zealand the win. By one wicket. There was a famous
moment during that game when as New Zealand wickets were falling,
Glenn Maxwell turned to the packed crowd at Eden Park
and gave it the choking gesture, which I thought was tremendous.
I asked whether he remembered that.

Speaker 34 (01:49:05):
I remember being on that side of the ground for
I reckon fifteen o's before that, and I was just
copping it relentlessly.

Speaker 2 (01:49:15):
And then I went.

Speaker 34 (01:49:16):
Back out there when the I think it was the
ninth wicket was lost and they were dead silent and
they were just staring at me, and I was like
Jesus gone quiet over here. And I did that, and
oh my god, I just had instant regrets, like just instant,
I just when the things you do when you're young

(01:49:37):
and stupid around the crowd. But to be fair, the
crowd took it really well, like they actually took it.
They gave it back and end of the game we
sort of like, I gave him a clap and said
that it was pretty cool to be a part of.
And but yeah, it was just one of those dumb
things you're doing younger, and I hadn't I don't know
first thing that popped in my mind that they were choking,
and after all the grief I've been copping for the

(01:50:00):
previous overs, I thought it was a good chance to
get it back. And then came in and just goes
bang and hits up for six and it's game over.

Speaker 2 (01:50:06):
No brilliant. I think all the reactions just probably helped
that we won, But all the reaction afterwards was just brilliant,
the fact that you could give it but also take
it as well. The other one, other one was Wellington
in twenty twenty one. You smashed one of the yellow
seats at Wellington Stadium and the studium manager at the
time got you to sign it auctioned at OFF for
a charity. Do you remember that one?

Speaker 30 (01:50:27):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:50:27):
I do, I remember that was was that Off one mate?

Speaker 2 (01:50:30):
There might have been Off Jimmy Nishan bound to have been.

Speaker 34 (01:50:34):
Oh, I hope it was. I got him to sign.
I got him to sign one of his shirts and
I had I think it was signed like four four
six four four six four or something like that. Brilliant,
But yeah, that was a strange series that I think.
That was one of our first ones post covid Or.
We definitely did a we did a quarantine I think

(01:50:58):
on the way over to New Zealand, which looking back,
scenes ridiculous. It's just literally just jumping over the back
fence and going to see our neighbors and.

Speaker 17 (01:51:07):
There.

Speaker 34 (01:51:07):
To have that series in front of no one, especially
after all our history and how much the crowd gets
into those contests, it felt like a bit of a
shame that we were playing in front of no crowds, and.

Speaker 4 (01:51:20):
I certainly remember that series being a bit of a
strange one.

Speaker 2 (01:51:22):
That's Glenn Maxwell enjoyed chatting to him this year as well.
Twenty to three. We'll get a breakaway when we come back.
Our final couple of highlights from the year cricketing ones,
including Will Young's reflections on New Zealand beating India three
nil in the Test series over there just a couple
of months ago. He's next.

Speaker 1 (01:51:42):
You be the TMO have your say on eight eight
Weekends for it with Jason Pain and GJ Guvnomes, New
Zealand's most trusted home builder news talks.

Speaker 2 (01:51:53):
There'd be sixteen to three reviewing the year in sport.
One of the more remarkable and unexpected achievements this year
was the Black Caps sweeping India in a three Test
series in India, coming as it did off the back
of a two nil series loss against Sri Lanka, Nobody
expected this incredible achievement. Will Young was man of the series.

(01:52:14):
He averaged nearly fifty across the three Test matches. I
spoke to him shortly after victory in the third Test
and asked him if anything had changed after the two
nil loss to Sri Lanka.

Speaker 35 (01:52:24):
We talk about, you know, sticking to what we know
and you know, bringing our strengths to the to the
table and firing a shot. And you know, we tried
that in Shrilanka. But you know, you don't always succeed
in sport, and sometimes you learn more from your failures
than you do your successes. And so we went home
and we just had a bit of a regroup and

(01:52:45):
just you know, tidy up a few things around, you know,
what it is you want to bring to the team
as a bloke.

Speaker 4 (01:52:52):
You know, we've all all good cricketers.

Speaker 35 (01:52:54):
But you know, just remembering like who you're representing and
that's the guy next to you, and you know, just
little things like that, I think. And we went to
India and it's always exciting playing cricket over here, and
I think the guys just felt refreshed and red fire
a shot. Really, we had nothing to lose and that's
the way we played. It was really special to be
part of a group with that sort of feeling.

Speaker 2 (01:53:15):
There were some standout individual performances in the series, right
in Revendra's century in Bengalarue Mitchell Santna thirteen wickets and
pune aj S Pattel eleven in Mumbai, but it seemed
as though across the series there were important contribution from
everybody who took the field. Did this feel like a
true team effort?

Speaker 4 (01:53:35):
Yeah, yeah, it truly did.

Speaker 35 (01:53:39):
Yeah, it seems like a while ago now, but you know,
the way Rutch embedded in Bungalore was incredible. You know,
the seamas in that game got us into the game
to start with, and then the spin came in later.
It was if you look at the averages of our
batters throughout the.

Speaker 4 (01:53:55):
Series, you know, they're all right up there.

Speaker 35 (01:53:56):
We've all contributed at different times and so personally like
I've come away with the player of the series. But
it feels a bit funny. You know, I didn't score
one hundred. I just sort of well, I guess just
quite consistent. And that's what we talked about, is as
a batting unit was coming in at different times, firing
a shot, building small partnerships, because those small partnerships really

(01:54:18):
do add up over here. And if you can stop
that momentum and stop you know, to speaking cliches, you know,
losing the wickets and clumps, you can put some pressure
back on back on the Indians and that's what we
managed to do.

Speaker 4 (01:54:30):
And yeah, it was so cool.

Speaker 35 (01:54:31):
Like obviously this last game with the ball as well,
the way a Jazz Bold was incredible.

Speaker 4 (01:54:38):
He certainly likes to bawl a Mumbai.

Speaker 35 (01:54:40):
So as you say, Piney, you know, just yeah, awesome,
awesome contributions throughout and in the field too, you know,
different guys stepped up at different times with the ball,
with the bat.

Speaker 4 (01:54:49):
It was just, yeah, a real team performance.

Speaker 2 (01:54:52):
Yeah, well, you talked about your consistency and in a
series where ball did dominate bat, the numbers would tell
you one hundred and twelve wickets fell for two thousand
and seven hundred and twenty eight runs. That's an average
of about twenty four runs per wicket. And amongst that
you average nearly fifty. How happy were you with the
way you batted and your contributions to the series win.

Speaker 35 (01:55:13):
Yeah, I was really pleased, you know, to come into
the side.

Speaker 4 (01:55:19):
After doing some really good training.

Speaker 35 (01:55:21):
We're in India before the Sri Lanka series for a
game that got washed out and then you had to
train away in Sri Lanka and you know, go about
my bits and feel nice and prepared and relaxed and
go out and do it and just do it in
my own way, and you know, that's it's pretty awesome
to be honest, And you know, I've had some really
nice messages and things, and yeah, I guess that's that's

(01:55:41):
cricket and I've just got to keep doing that over
and over again.

Speaker 4 (01:55:45):
But no, it feels really special to contribute to this.

Speaker 2 (01:55:49):
Thing that is well young after the series win over
India in India and finally on our review show, one
of my favorite guests this year was a cricketing guest,
David Johnston. You probably haven't heard of him. He was
one of Kane Williamson's first cricket coaches. He coached Kane
Williams from the age of ten. I spoke to David
Johnston this year and asked if he could tell there

(01:56:11):
was something a bit special about Kane Williamson even at
such a young age.

Speaker 24 (01:56:15):
His father, Brett coached him through his early years, and
you're going to do the job of establishing some pretty
strong foundations in his game. And once I got involved,
it was very obviously early on that he was not
only quite talented, but he had this prodigious desire to improve.
And I think it's the greatest thing about Kane is

(01:56:36):
a desire to be better. And it's nothing to do
with being better than everybody else. It's just been better
than himself. And he used to practice harder than anybody else,
even back then as the youngster, and those who know
Caana and those who have thrown creatables to know the years,
what a tift to the fact that he nothing's changed.
He just loves to practice and loves to become better.

Speaker 2 (01:56:56):
Was he inquisitive as well? Did he ask questions? Did
he did he search for ways from you and other
coaches to get better?

Speaker 12 (01:57:03):
Oh?

Speaker 24 (01:57:04):
Yeah, absolutely, he he this desire to and and the
reality is, you know a lot of people have had
input and came for many years, but he's actually his
best coach because he's always looking two ways of improved,
and he was asked, would ask questions, and he would
watch people other players batting on TV and come back
and talk to you about how they did this this way,

(01:57:24):
what you think? And so I remember I remember seeing
him come back from a come back from his first
tour when he first was sleeping from his Zealand, and
he scored that amazing century and testabu and he was
he told me that the most important thing about learning.
They were standing at gully and watching session Tim Dolk
and a rail Dravid bead and there were some characteristics

(01:57:45):
at all of a sudden he adopted in his game,
had even as even as a fledgling youngster when he
first res in his Zealand, he was at his ability
just to want to know no more about the game.

Speaker 2 (01:57:58):
How did he deal with adversity? Because presumably there was
some or was there just none? Was he that good?

Speaker 28 (01:58:05):
No?

Speaker 24 (01:58:05):
There was some of theirs. He had a patch it
in his teenage years and not long after he made
his debut for Northern Districts as a sixteen or seventeen
year old. There are times it didn't always work. But
the thing about Jason is that he wants to improve.
So if you work as hard as what he did,
and you and you'll find ways. In fact, I think

(01:58:27):
just told I think his first game for Northern Districts,
he actually got a peer playing against Auckland. You know,
so as a as a sixteen or a seventeen year
old bet in first job, I think it might have
been Andre Adams might have got a LBW twice and ye,
so right from the start. It didn't always happen, but
the way he had this thirst for improvement, for knowledge

(01:58:48):
and first to be better. So yeah, he dealt with
it like well, better than anybody else. And that's why
he's one of the great parts of today's pridet because
he knew how to call himself. He is a fantastic
problem solver. He will work out ways to make it work.

Speaker 2 (01:59:03):
Often prodigious. You know, schoolboy talents are you know, are
a little bit separate, separate from that from their peers.
They're obviously better than everybody else. And in some players
that that, you know, can lend itself to some characteristics
about being a little bit aloof or perhaps a little
bit arrogant. Was Kane popular with his teammates, Oh.

Speaker 24 (01:59:23):
He's the most popular person as a child and through
the through the age groups and now he's there wouldn't
be anybody in the world cricket that have got anything
bad to say. And he's just a genuinely top young
man and everybody. Everybody loves Kane. He's just Kane and
he's a fantastic guy. He's got a great sense of
human and he's got very affable, loves a bit of

(01:59:45):
music and just likes to be one of the boys.
So I don't think there's any ever a time when
there's any kind of feeling, you know, you're a bit
of a loop or anything, because he just wasn't It's
not paint or he's a genuinely good that is.

Speaker 2 (01:59:59):
David Johnston, one of Kane Williamson's very first cricket coaches,
very much enjoyed the chat with him this year eight
to three New Talks ITB.

Speaker 1 (02:00:08):
The Good from the Track, Fields and the Court on
your home of Sport weekends for It with Jason Vine
News Talks.

Speaker 2 (02:00:15):
eNB five to three and that is us. That is
our year in review show. Thank you for tuning in.
I hope it jogged a few memories for you. Mainly
good ones. I think we tended to focus positively across
the last three hours the main highs of the sporting year.
Thank you for tuning in. Huge thanks to Libby for
producing the show. Adam Cooper's on your radio after three

(02:00:35):
o'clock with Summer afternoons. I guess next time I talk
to you in a sporting sense, it will be the
New Year. So I hope your New Year's festivities, if
you are engaging in them, go well. Look forward to
a huge sporting year and twenty twenty five. Let's hope
that a year from now we're looking back on another
very successful twelve months of sport for Kiwis here and overseas.

(02:00:58):
Taking us out today. Well, a New Year's song I
think it even might have come from a movie called
New Year's Eve. Raise your glass from thank hope you
get the chance to do so. We'll see you in
twenty twenty four. Bob now.

Speaker 16 (02:01:17):
Rety sorry, Thank you.

Speaker 1 (02:01:55):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to news Talks it be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio

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