June 19, 2024 • 52 mins
James McOnie joins Tony Lyall for another episode of the Champagne Rugby Pod!
In this episode, the fellas go over the two Semi-Finals including the Chiefs Mana cementing their place in the Final with a win against the favourites the Hurricanes (2:16), then look forward to the Final this weekend between the Chiefs Mana & Blues at a sold-out Eden Park before an interview with special guest Brendon Leonard (23.55)!
Plus, the 'TAB Hunch'.
Brought to you by MAXRaft.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Before we start the podcast, some sad news in the
rugby community. Connor Garden Baship died age twenty five following
the medical event in christ Church on Monday evening the
Highlanders and Maori All Blacks outside back. Was a father
to three year old twin daughters. Connor's parents are former
All Black and man U Samour first five Stephen Baship
(00:21):
and former Black Fern Sue Garden Baship. Sue died in
two thousand and nine after a long battle with cancer.
Connor's brother, Jackson Garden Baship, plays rugby for Breve in France.
Please said the death is not being treated as suspicious
and will be referred to the coroner. So very sad
news there, Tony Lyle.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Yeah, very sad news indeed.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
James McCarney, it was absolutely gobs at me when I
saw it pop up yesterday and the odt Connor Gunabaship.
Of course he was finishing up his time in the
Highlanders at the end of the season, but he'd been
such an almost revelation in their backline. Every time he
got the ball, he would just light it up. One
of those players who could just completely do something from nothing.
(01:03):
So unpredictable, so good and from what I've heard as well,
it's such a good character. I mean I don't know personally,
but a few people that I do basically all set
across the board that he was an absolute legend and
such a tragedy, especially for a man who was a
father to twin daughters and you know, a family man.
By all accounts, it's tough stuff. So I thought, it's
with the garden Baship family and you hope they can
(01:26):
get around each other and support each other through a
really difficult time.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Absolutely, and I mean it's so gussing. It's twenty five
years of age and you know, he lived life to
the full. I just remember every time I saw garden
Baship play, Connor was just it was all joy. Yeah,
you know, everything he did, even when he most recently
on Craigo as well, with a shot of him giving
(01:50):
a hearty poo kind of down camera when he was
on the reserves bench, you could tell he's the life
and soul of the party and it's just devastating for
everybody who knew him. And you can see the tributes
all out there, and so we just like to say
how sad we are and Yeah, our thoughts go out
to as family and friends and we're going to take
(02:11):
a quick break, but we'll be back with the podcast
after this.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Well, welcome back to the Champagne Rugby Podcast. Appreciate you
taking the time with us. At the start, we are
brought to you by Max Raft putting inside the concrete
slabs nationwide the first step to a warm, comfortable, healthy home.
You are joining myself, Jon Lyle and James mcconey And
what has been a huge week of semi final football.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
When to become one?
Speaker 3 (02:51):
I guess actually win four, but come to is a
more accurate song for semifinals week next week. I can
sing when two become one. I needs love like you.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Never need a love before. I want to make love
to your baby. I had a little love and now
I'm back.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Farmer anyway, your baby set your spirit free.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
It's the only way to be.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Did they give Posh her own line in that song? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I think so they were sort of.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
She was covering a lot of flak for not being
up to the same standard in terms of singing ability
as the other four. Of course, ginger, scary, sporty and
there must be another one who I can't baby, baby
there you go. Always forget the baby. It's tough, especially
when you're doing kindy pickup and you leave them in
the car. But yeah, she was getting a lot of flak,
people going, she's not as good as the other She's
just there because she's outrageously attractive.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
And nobody puts baby in the court. It went wrong.
No one does put baby in the corner.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Someone told me baby Spice died at the height of
the Spice Girls pandemonium, and I was a big Spice
Girls guy. I mean I was whatty o six years old,
and I literally cried, I whipped. I sat on a
piano stall and wept, and then someone was came in
and said, she's not dead.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
I'm just joking with you. And then I composed a
song and then I was like, babe, babe, babe.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
But no, it was quite cool sitting on a piano.
I was a very brooding six year old sitting on
a piano, still kind of like the thinker, just as
my hand up going.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
She was so young.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
That's an early memory, by the way, I've.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Got also early moviies.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
I also remember the day Princess Diana died. I don't
know when that was ninety seven or something. I remember
because I walked into a dairy in Blenham and there
was a newspaper and it had you know, she was
all over the newspapers, magazines and it was her face
and he was with Dorty al Fayd on the cover
and it said Diana new Man, New Love, New Life.
(04:42):
And I remember saying you dead. And I remember.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Hearing the guy who was your first stand up.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
First joke, and the guy behind the counter, I remember
I so conscious with him going oh and really.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Not liking it.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
He got a Precocia's sons.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
A bit of a little shit, isn't he.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
I thought it was a pretty good gag you did.
That's funny, man, you did New Life, New Love.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
You did. That's good.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
That's pretty good for a seven year old, six year old,
seven year old?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Just yeah, when were you born? Nineteen ninety eighty six?
Speaker 1 (05:13):
All right, so how old's that? Eleven? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
In eighty six? Tailien us ten? Teen?
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Yeah, ten, exactly? Okay, all right, great.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Memories of now nine year olds are landing nine hundreds
on skateboard, so maybe I'll share a job.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
By then. It's still reasonably high level we'll give you.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
The three back to back nine hundred just outrageous stuff,
by the way, and a nine hundred alup nine year.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Old landed wow. And skateboarding news yeah, and rugby news
that the Blues played the Brummies on Friday night and
that felt like a massive damp squab of a semi
and one that I even though I thought Manyah Stuart
and Matt Wood were absolutely on fire, I just sent
(05:56):
the semi final isn't.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Though it was not a good game of rugby union,
it should have been. I thought it was going to
be a classic. The Brumbies come over here. I kept
going on about this time and time again. They had
the same win loss record as both the Hurricanes and
the Blues going into that weekend. They're stacked with talent,
really good outside backs, strong forward pack as well.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
I thought they were going to come over here.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
And I half thought that we were in for an upset.
I mean, I'd seen it last week on the podcast
Don't write the Brumbies out. I think the Brumbies could
do this and it just was a old fashion fanny
fart of a game.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Yeah, And you don't really want a fanny fart, especially
around that time where you go, okay, where's the crowd?
I mean it just yes to echo the fanny fart.
So what the Brumbies I think brought all season was
fortress mentality at home. They knew how to suffocate teams,
bore people to death. But then suddenly with a couple
(06:53):
of excitement machines on the wing, you go, what the
hell scoring out rangeous tries. But then when you break
it down, the whole thing about the semi final football
is a step up and the Brummies just don't don't
have it this year. And then the next semifinal was like,
well both teams had it and it was just crazy
the level of that game and the cakes and oh
(07:14):
my goodness, I struggled to watch Tony Lyla must admit
had to go make it too. It aviated Yeah, I was, yeah, exactly,
hitting the exports hard. No, I was like I need
I needed a copper in the second half. Should it
was stressful.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
It was an incredible game.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
It's one of those games that people be like, oh,
this should have been the final, and when you eat
time anyone says that, I'm always like no, no, it's
a perfect semifinal. Semifinals should be big, hard games you
don't know who's going to win, and finals, and I
think we're going to be in for that this weekend.
I think the Blues at home. It's sold out already,
which is thank fuck for that. The Blues fans worst supporters,
the almost as bad as Cantabrians, but lest Cantabrians go.
(07:52):
I can't believe that game was the state it was
on Friday night in Auckland. Then, I don't want to
break I was in Melbourne for work, but it was
a sitting down in Auckland. Was there a reason that
people weren't heading out or is it just indifferent?
Speaker 1 (08:04):
It was a bit of a bit of all of
the above, wasn't it really? And also, I mean it
was I felt like it was a weekend where the
Wires were playing, so you' night out might be off
to god million people.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
And people keep saying this, this idea that the Warriors
and the Blues are at odds with each other. I
don't think there's a massive ten thousand people crossover of
people who attend those games. The Warriors are selling out
weekend week out forever.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
They haven't well in the.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Last couple of seas, that's the thing. So you've just
described the No, I don't think I have.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
I don't think the people that are at the Warriors
are going there instead of the Blues.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
I just don't think that's the case.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
I just don't think the Blues have a tight fan
base that goes every week.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
That is true, But I think there is the casual
sports fan who might have considered going to the Blues.
If you look at old Super Rugby games and they
were packed a bit like the wires are now, you
can tell there's a there's an audience somewhere in Auckland
that will say I'll go to the thing that I
think is the best value entertainment, and if I'm a
(09:11):
sports fan, I'm kind of choosing.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
I mean, I hear, I hear you, I make space
for you.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah, you know, but I think, look, it's it's fine.
I think there is room enough in the city for
fans like that, because even when they have the Phoenix
at Eden Park, they've got up to twenty thousand there.
So to your point, yes, there's a there's a million
people here. You know, we're a rugby fans at and
they're not. Really I think there's a there's a real
(09:37):
Auckland apathy when it comes to their rugby following public.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
There really is. I mean it's not it's not.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Quite how would you call it a religious fervor and
love of the team that you find with other teams
around the place. I mean, it's it's quine of funny.
You know that when MPC starts and you see how
passionate Taranaki fans or fans are, and you just go,
that's what you actually want at super level as well,
and the Chiefs have had that for a few years.
(10:04):
I think the Crusaders really sort of like had that
siege mentality and bouncing back from the earthquake and all
those setbacks and stuff. You could see that was a
beautiful thing. I think that the Hurricanes are getting to
that point now, like I reckon next year, hopefully it'll
be box office and there won't be so many yellow
(10:25):
seats in the cake tin any.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Certainly a lot of yellow seats.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Yeah, it's tough for a I mean Auckland, all that
games sell out at the drop of a hat. I mean,
I'm pretty sure this next one against England is all
but sold out already, So you know there's people who
like the all next, I wonder if it's the transient
nature of the city. Is a lot of people move
here from other places? I mean, I know I'm guilty
of that. People move to Auckland for work opportunities and
maybe they've got a team that isn't the Blues already
(10:50):
that they like.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Well, the Auckland Test. Have you know that everybody from
down the line loves the Auckland Test. That's the one
time where they buy a tack. Care to come? I
stay in a nice hotel, go to the casino.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
To their wife.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
One time they say, it's on tonight, honey, We're going
out and we're going to.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
We're going to do it before the game because I'm
going to get so ship faced out the game that
I can't feel feeling.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
So let's get it on the hotel room. Then we'll
go out for dinner.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
And they go to pubs that we think are kind
of like a bit generic, like Danny Doolan's. I'm going
to Danny Dolan's. I've read about this in the paper.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Because I've read about it in the paper, it's getting
the Fisherman's basket from Danny Dolan's.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Right, how good is life right now. I'm looking at
your masks.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Look at me.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
I've got yacht mass guys. I went for a walk
down by the I saw so many yacht masters. Great,
I'm very good. I'm drinking in the Auckland culture that mastered.
I went and got a thirty five dollars, especially Martini
on pons. I'm just one of them and one of them.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
So it's a big deal that that game. They book
it early and they get the hotel rooms and they're
they're fired up for that, and.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
They're heading the casino afterwards, absolutely rapping. And that's the
casino to someone who's not from Auckland is like crack cocine.
They can't get out of it. They go out, They're like,
I'm getting into the casino big night. Forget about any
other plans I had. I'm putting it all on black.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
And also the excitement of wandering around town and maybe
seeing an all black on his way back from Les
Mills or something is like that gives them huge jollies.
Like in the end, so many they get their jollies.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
My first ever time in Auckland as an adult, I
was driving up for a big day out with a
group of the fowlers from Blenham. Never been to Auckland,
I don't think ever in my life. Was driving up
on the motorway and we're driving down. I'm going away
by the motorway, you know, I'm a kid from the
South Island'm like, oh shit, four lane is incredible. And
we're driving along and I glanced to my left, not
(12:48):
even into Auckland Central yet, just on the motorway.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Glance to my left.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Who's sitting in the car beside me driving along the motorways, Kylie.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Oh yes, a legend.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
I'm like, oh my god, celebrities are everywhere, really good drive.
This is incredible. I looked over, I was like, oh,
waving at him, waving at him.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
We were absolute sing our minds and then got to Auckland,
was like, oh, we've already seen one s lib That night,
went out on the town, walked down Queen Street. Saw
Josh Thompson. He was standing on the side of the
road at that time. He was famous from being in
the Fresh Up Ads. I don't know if you remember.
The fresh Adas to get really hot and sweaty, and
we'd come over on the fury and you know, we
(13:29):
were scumbags from the South Island.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
So a couple of us had hidden the boot of.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
The car to get over on the Fury, and it
was I'd hopped in a sleeping bag, fully clothed. It
got so hot in the air I completely sweeted through
my clothes. And so I told him, I said, now
you're in the fresh up ads, here's this great idea.
Going the Fury on the end, you can get up
a big sweat. And I remember telling him that thing.
It was a great idea. And years later, I mean,
Josh and I know each other well now, and I
(13:53):
mentioned it to him and he's like, I half remember.
So some guy and I was like, there's something wrong
with this guy. Some guy just berating me on this
side of the road on Queen Street outside the Company
Club about how you cannot pay for the fairy and
get really sweety.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Going one hundred miles an hour, which is it's early
Tony Lyle.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
The good thing is I guess with this game it's
about it's a smashing grab. It's a ram raid really
for the chiefs to drive up the motorway and just
go hondy. The monibus is coming and everyone is jumping.
I've come up with some lyrics fan as well. It's
kind of like from the Mount to Hamilton Certy. We've
got one list of tear Ty's anyway, So the monabus
(14:35):
is coming, and the best thing about it is if
you win it, you can still get back in time
for drinks in the tron.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Yeah you can.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
I mean you can go out here. Obviously Auckland exciting,
you know, mix it up downtown with the five O ones,
but you can also just get the hell out and
say we've got what we came for. We're going parties
back at the bank and the outback.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
And I like the idea do it it one night
here in Auckland where they sort of defile the place
like conquering champions. You know, they go out pellaging and
probably not the other stuff, but they go out there
and you know, classic chief stuff. They'll throw some gravels
at Shepperds, that sort of thing. Have a night out here,
really cut loose, and then to on the Sunday go
back to Hamilton and have a good knees up there
(15:21):
once the dust is settled a bit.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
It is a it is a week long event I.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Was talking about for the fans actually, because you know,
it's so easy to drive up and go back, and
there were always the train that put trains on back
in the day for the Ramfhilly Shield challenges and all
that sort of stuff, So there's a there's a tradition
of I think back in the day even the team
would go back. But now, yeah, like you say, you.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Can do it either way. You can defile the city
if you wish.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
I think defile the city sack Rome if you will,
Especially if you're a fan. You know you don't want
to be sitting there sober as a judge. I mean,
and if you don't drink, that's also fine, But if
you're at the game, you probably want to be having
a couple of the Lasier sexport old and especially if
they win, you know, maybe you had to chug out
of the cup a git close enough to the team.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
But I like this idea of the train.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
I feel like this is something you should have teed
up for Crago's Wild and one of various other sporting
shows and got the train to come up with a
trainload of fans from the tron.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Up there.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
And they might do it again, I'm not sure, but
they used to do it. And that's what I was
saying on Saturday night. I was saying, get the is
it called the Tahua. Yeah, I was going get it
up here because in the end you can get the
to Whuia and they would that train would stop right
outside Kings like the cow bells would ring and everyone
would just walk down to Eden Park. I never caught
the train. I was either living up here or just
(16:40):
made the trip independently. But yeah, I don't know what
happened on the night that we won the Shield nineteen
ninety three. It was you were five year little young fella,
but yeah, that was a big that was a big night.
The good thing is that now that we've beaten the
or the Chiefs have beaten the Hurricanes, I don't really
(17:02):
care as much about, yeah, the result. I'm just happy
to be here. The Chiefs have got this far, They've
picked at a good time. Wallace a Titi is an
absolute find.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
You know.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
We've got quartiers at Artema playing socks off and then
old Damien McKenzie starting to just boss things like a
proper international first five test, first five should so it's like, yeah,
we're in with a chance, huge chance. The one thing
is that again the Blues beefy af They're so freaking massive.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
They are very beefy.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
And I mean you mentioned a few players there, and
I think it's important to point out as well against
that game and the Hurricanes, I mean, Sean Stevens in
a late scratching from the team and some sides that
might really rattle them, having someone who was such a
core player pulled out last minute, but old Rona stepped
in and you barely noticed.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
They looked great still.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Exactly, so I think you know, having attending unicitudo moved back.
Nardable was on fire that early try, beautiful run. That's
what rugby should be like. That's Champagne rugby. That's what
this podcast is named, Champagne rugby. And so I know
that Hurricanes play Champagne rugby as well, but also rattling
(18:17):
the team the way they did. I loved all that stuff,
like winning turnovers when they were sort of thinking, no,
this is the fate of complete this is what we do.
We recyclable really quick with the Hurricanes. Were beautiful to
watch watch us go and then everything was pressure and
there was one moment I think where Anton leonnet Brown
Brown ran out of the defensive line and just targeted
either Billy Procter or might have been Brick Cameron. Anyway,
(18:41):
the person who was offloading the ball could have even
been Jordie and the pass ensuing pass was a bit shit,
all because of that pressure, because of the red from
Leonet Brown, and I was just thinking, it's actually quite
cool seeing a team go well. The only way to
stop that is by freaking going nuts in their face.
(19:01):
So I sort of appreciated the urgency. And you know
how you're talking about semi finals, how how you know
it's great to have a semi final like that. Conversely,
when I was editing the rugby rap for the crowd
goes wild, and I looked at the Blues after the
full time whistle against the Brumbies, barely a whimper, merely ye.
(19:24):
Whereas I could look in the background, I saw alb
just going, you know, two hands first, pump, just going yeah,
you know, and everybody just going freaking nuts. And they
won buy a similar margin. But you look at what
it meant to the Chiefs compared to the Blues, going
h yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
I actually noticed that. It's an interesting point in your
raise of this.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah, the Blues were very much onto the next job's
not done, where maybe that's because they almost thought that
it was foregone conclusion. They're thinking, we're going to win
this and then next week is the game. They were
focusing on where the Chiefs might have thought where the
underdogs here? And can I just take a second to say,
lovely positioning of yourself as the written off underdogs last
(20:05):
week on the podcast, James Coney, you were barely even
supporting your own team. And I believe I took up
bridge to it at one point because I couldn't believe
the the idea of a man sitting there saying, we're
all shit, we're not gonna get through. I think it's
going to be a Hurricanes Blues final. And I was
lost for words, because I mean, I support the Highlanders
(20:26):
every week when I'm in my picks, regardless of who
they're playing, just because I feel like I have to.
So to see a man sit there and underminus team
like that. But it turns out it was all a
coming plan to maybe make them the underdogs and almost
reverse jinks.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Then totally like you you've got to go reverse jinks.
You don't want to jinx them because in the end,
it's like, don't careful what you wish for. I've been
in this room as well for so many commentary slaps
in the face, most notably the Lord's Final fucking hell,
good God, oh God, a night slep in the face.
(21:01):
Would you rather the Lord's Final or the humiliation of
the current I know it's T twenty, but getting pumped
by minnows and getting knocked out early.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Or would you rather go to the final and draw
and not be awarded.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
I've tried to stop saying lose the final because we
didn't and draw the final but not be awarded the
trophy on technicality?
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Which would you rather do? I would much rather lose
to him and no lose, get knocked out, not even
have to play in the.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Yeah, because it's T twenty, but you know it's but
yeah that rather than break over the coals of lords.
All I was going to say is the Chiefs I
always believed and always support it. It's just like in
your in your brain, you have to go right, this
(21:55):
is prepare yourself for the worst, and the only way
to do that is by going Look that seems they
the legal season, they've been the front runners and also
standard set is I think the whole the Chiefs and
the Blues have lifted their players play because of the Hurricanes,
no doubt, like the Blues beating the Hurricanes when they
they're probably lucky to. There was a weird sort of
(22:17):
turnover at the end of the game, right even that
put them in a place where they were so uncomfortable.
And the Chiefs have lost to the Hurricanes twice and
then really, you know the intercept by Wallace Atiti sort
of that was that that clutch play or pivotal play
and stuff like it still took something amazing for it
(22:40):
to go their way. I mean, that's how good the
Hurricanes were. So no mate, I'm you know, I'm happy
to say with the Blues this weekend, I think they
still start favorites. But the Chiefs now have at least
shown what they're capable of, because they hadn't really shown
that before.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
I think I think one thing the Chief said, and
we were speaking a couple of times about semi final
is just that points early in a semi or any
sort of playoff match. I think it's almost like doubly
pressurizes the other team. They're almost worth two points because
before they knew it. The Canes were down fourteen and
they're thinking, fuck we are We're gonna get bundled out here.
(23:20):
Like you saw, the panic almost creep in just from
early points and knockout Footy. And I think it'll be
the team this week who gets on the board a
couple of times, not just a chicky try that you
can crall back, but when you realize you're down two
scoring plays and it's I think it was less than
ten minutes into the game. I think it just is
so crucial and that'll be the players. I think that
will decide the finale.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Well, we're going to take a break. But on the
other side of this, I've got a very special guest
for you, Tony. Very excited to hear everyone out there
and the listen.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
It's great.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yeah, okay, hey, Tony, I've got a special guest for
us today, you do. And his name from the past
of the Chiefs and the All Blacks is half back
Brendan Leonard.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Brendan Leonard, and he's on the line right now.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Brendon Leonard.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
How are you, Chiefs? Money to you and how's it going?
Speaker 4 (24:13):
Hey? Good, good, thank you? How are you guys?
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Look, I'm fantastic and thank you for joining us on
the show. Tell us how are you feeling about the
Chiefs and did you watch that game against the Canes,
the big old semi in your face?
Speaker 4 (24:28):
I did, actually, like I haven't watched a lot, but
I've actually been bad Latin. So I watched maybe two
games and Sally and they lost both of them, so
I stopped watching for a bit, but I bravely watched
the semi, especially with two ties up and people texting me,
I was I've got to watch this. So I did
(24:48):
watch it, and I was very impressed. Obviously been a
mad King Chief supporter.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Well, you're not a bad You're not a bad luck
omen Brendan.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
I mean, this is the time I had, but I
believe what you won two championships with Chiefs.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
Yeah, that was sort I think that's where my lucky ended.
I went. I went over to Europe after that, came
last with my Italian team twice, and then I went
to the Ospreys and they've been in the semi finals
each year. We finished maybe tenth or eleventh. So I
was known as I'm not probably known as bad as Glane's.
Gripe's status but I was definitely known as bad luck,
so I sort of quickly finished. I thought, well maybe
(25:23):
I should support the Crusaders, and that's probably what's happen
the ship.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Yeah, good exactly, senior bead like all around the place,
you were good like they called you Harry. Is that
after your resemblance to the cricketer I guess, Chris Harris?
Is this correct?
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Apparently? So yes, it was Richard Cahoue and all his
witch gave it to me one day when we were
just playing cricket before training, and that sort of just stuck,
you know, in those things. So I believe it was
for my cricket ability rather my looks.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
But it's actually an incredible compliment because when I was
playing schoolboy cricket, you could get a name printed on
the back of your shirt, and I'm talking about twelve
years old, and they had to say you can't all
get Harry printed on the back of shit because everyone
wanted to be Harry, because because Harris was such a
legiond at the time.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
So I'd take it as a huge.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
Compliment, absolutely noble from there.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
You what are your memories of the chiefs mana victories
back then? Did you even say Chiefs mana back in
twenty eleven and twenty twelve.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
It's sort of that's where it sort of started. Was
that sort of culture started. There was a sort of
got bored in. Obviously Renie came on board, and then
you started a leadership group of sort of lim and
it sort of did. We did sort of dive into
the history of the region, I guess before the smoldy
culture and stuff like that, and sort of what the
(26:46):
Chiefs actually meant and how the name came about and
stuff like that that I've been the Chiefs for I
think it was eight years. I had no idea why
were called the Chiefs or anything like that, So it
was I guess it grew its own sort of person
early in a way because of the sex success we
had that year and obviously a little bit like I
as extent, but a little bit like the Wires, you know,
(27:08):
like it sort of grew its own sort of momentum
through us winning. But yeah, from a guy that's been
the team for a long time, it was quite a
cool little addition and sort of a little catch guy
and of what we based I guess everything we did
on and.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
I'm thinking back of that team as well. It was
absolutely stacked. I mean yourself. You mentioned earlier what sunny
Bill was floating around Lee and miss him. How good
is it when you're in a team like that who
was so hot on form and just stacked to the girls.
Do you just feel invincible?
Speaker 4 (27:40):
Oh? Yeah, it was definitely like I was sort of
probably pass my best. And there's a lot of young
guys coming through, like Brodie, Metallic, seam Caine, but all
just playing our standing rug been sort of from young
guys that sort of obviously went on to have very
impressive careers. It's sort of the culture that they came
into sort of it's amazing to see how good they
(28:01):
came became very quickly. I think that sort of the
Chief Man and all that sort of vibe and culture
sort of definitely helped bring those young guys through.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
And speaking of those players, and you know you're winning championships,
so who was the MVP of the postmatch do after
you did win the trophy? Is there someone who deserves
a special shout out?
Speaker 4 (28:20):
Yeah, that's a good question. Back in my it was
a bit different. Ugh, I'll tell you what. It was
very different from when I started at the Chiefs and
when I finished at the Chiefs, I don't think there's
really drinkers at the Chiefs and I finished, But he
started when I started as a bit different, but all
that's a professional era changed a lot when I in
my sort of what eight nine years here in New Zealand.
(28:42):
So I guess it's just a good thing and you
can see with I guess the results and anything else,
but we don't know. He's always good to sort of
hanging out afterwards.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
Yeah, I actually no, I've heard of story of once
a wedding he was at that someone I know was
that just coincidentally they were like, oh who is there?
Speaker 2 (29:02):
And he was also the king of the wedding.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
It just took the took the handlebars, was like guys,
we're partying on the wedding finished and it was like
not on my watch, got everyone who was keen off.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
To the pub to carry on the wedding. And I
always remember thinking that he sounds like a good guy.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
Yeah, no, different always counts bringing the hate on that
will go so yeah, good fun.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
Can you talk about Richard Carhoy and Stephen Donald dressing
up in military gear in South Africa and causing quite
a stir. They possibly went too far. It sort of
went public as well.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Remember, yes its Bell. I don't think I was on
that too, have some reasons, but it was the final.
The week of the finals, they're in Pertoria. Yeah, and
yeah they it was a press conference with Fozzy and
they pretended to yeah, hijack the press conference and yeah,
(30:00):
I know it. I mean they're not the smart smartest
tills this year's let's all be honest. So I decided
to do that in South Africa when he yone's probably
got guns under there. Jack gets some way spouts, but
all as well. The end of well, I think start
from the final score at the game. But yeah, I
wasn't there, but I'm assuming it was wasn't okayed by
(30:21):
the senior management at the time.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Fuzzy. Was he a bit of a Did he enjoy
a joke?
Speaker 1 (30:27):
Did he enjoy a laugh?
Speaker 4 (30:28):
Fuzzy, Yeah, it was quite a lot harder.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (30:31):
He was a good guy, so I'm sure he took
it Wellish sure. Yeah. There are two favorite sons anyway,
so I'm sure he got over it pretty quickly.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Yeah, exactly. I think Stephen Donald had that sort of
charm that he rode all the way to the bank
and then and to the World Cup final. Really, can
you discuss maybe your role and Stephen Donald getting to
that World Cup final, because I understood he spent a
lot of our I was at the pub with yourself
and Liam miss him.
Speaker 4 (31:05):
I remember he sort of he was sort of looking
very gaunt, but that's still seven Donald. Anyway, when he
came around to my place that I think we're commandel
and or sort of mate, you've got to get some
food into here. But always a very fit man. So
he went for a running. I think he murdered me
on the run. So you know, like, yeah, it was
(31:28):
interesting how it all happened. I sort of was glad
of how it happened for him because he's sort of
training is one of the hardest trainings I know, and
one of definitely the smartest footy players I've ever played with,
and that a lot of people probably won't see that
it is just got judged on maybe his goal kicking whatever.
But yeah, it was definitely I was so happy that
he sort of got that opportunity and sort of worked
(31:49):
out for him because I think after all the things
stuff that he had been through the chiefs and stuff.
That was really pretty cool to see.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Yeah, and especially a guy like that.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
He was so incredible, especially chiefs and wacatus as well.
It must have been a real joy to play inside him,
especially I feel at provincial level where I remember watching
him and it was kind of like watching a someone
who's repeated seventh form for the second year playing the
first fifteen. He was just dominating everyone. Was it just
like give it to Steven and see what he does.
Speaker 4 (32:21):
Basically what I enjoyed about seeing was he was so tall,
so I could just my past was pretty average, so
I had like a wide berth of and you can
imagine going from someone who's six foot whatever for eight
years and all of a sudden the first five it
chief is Aaron Crudent, you know. So my all of
a sudden, my past has got to go from pretty
pretty give it wherever and you'll catch it to sort
(32:42):
of our incrudence is half the size. I've got to
really make sure it's going to be pinpoint accuracy. So
I sort of took a bit to I guess change
adjust to a six foot four to a four foot
four five Tarrek who Bartot came and took me over,
so I sort of probably didn't.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
Go so well. Cruit had come straight from Hobbitson, Eddie.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Yeah, baseball, so I should be used to coming from Madameta.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
But yeah, exactly is a wee fellow? Isn't a year?
You're right in the middle of the heart of Hobbiton.
So this weekend, Brendan, you've been invited to come up
to the game, But can you tell us where you'll
be watching and what you think the keys to victory
will be.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
I'll be watching in Chiefs Heart of Chiefs Country and
new promise that some of them are too happy about
what I said there, But yeah, my family lives down there,
so I'll be down there looking after them and watching
the game. Probably it's the team mate, and the key
is the game? Well, I guess it's if we start
(33:51):
well then really, I guess it just gives a team
confidence and belief that so they're in the game. Otherwise
it's yeah, small margins, And I think I was listening
to commentary and Mills said it's just about wanting those
small margins. And what was Titi did on the weekend
with that little winter scept to mean you've seen the
replayers that could have Jordi barrockrou been under post and
(34:13):
it would have swung the game the other way. So
it's just those little moments that we won on the
weekend and you know, hurricanes and a few chances slip
and also and the game's gone from them. So boring chat.
But if we start well and win those a key moments,
you should be right.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
I'm just pissed off that you're watching the regular commentary
and not the ACC message fails afterwards.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
I switched over. You guys start mumbling and I can't
make a word out.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
But it was that checks out.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
I totally believe that there's a whole new range of
halfbacks coming through the New Zealand ranks and a bit
of a gap there with you know, some people sort
of leaving Aaron Smith notably. Is there any of the
young guys you've got a nine on and you're like, yep,
he's the next guy. Put the money in the bank
for him.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
I've always liked Cortez, obviously, coming from country town and
the work. You've always followed him from when he started
playing for Work. I thought he had bit of expected
about him. Schools if you try for good left boots.
So I've always liked watching him play. I mean, obviously
this year's gone from streets streets worth I guess getting
(35:17):
more game time at number nine Jerseys, so I know
he's sort of learned a lot underbred Riber as well.
But you have definitely enjoyed watching it, and I'm sure.
I'm pretty sure he'll be in the Scott Robinson's announced
team announced in a few weeks, so.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Yeah, I think that's a good bet. He's been here
in the house down and especially with that Tudel. As
you mentioned from Spad, you can't go wrong learning from
one of the best to do.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
It, absolutely, so I will see.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
But yeah, I am Brendon Leonard. I was just going
to say that given that Stephen Donald was pretty tall,
you were very tall as well. It's kind of a
freakish half back first five pairing. It's like an NBA
backcourt weird. Thanks, But yeah, okay, I.
Speaker 4 (36:06):
Was still always the smallest, but yeah your six foot though, Yes,
it was probably probably the skinniest as well, to be honest,
and probably I definitely have the smallest calve, so I
made sure my socks wore is up. But he preferred
to wear his socks down. Questionable, but anyway, a bit.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
Of a curveball question if for you.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
I noticed there's a thriving market for vintage jerseys at
the moment.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
I mean, I'm addicted to buying things that don't need.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
Do you have like an absolute stash somewhere of all
your Chiefs jerseys and your AB's jerseys just locked away
sort of skyrocking and value.
Speaker 4 (36:42):
I do, But surely they're not vintage yet.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
I don't know what those early ones.
Speaker 4 (36:51):
Yeah, they still the baggy ones. That's the way. It's cotton,
probably way about five kgs when you put them on
in the wet. But no, I've got few, but they've
got limard on the back, so they'll probably decreasing value.
I've got something I scraped the name off and what.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
It's a good idea. Actually, I think there's some tips
or something you can use there that we could because
we'll talk to do Lux about that. We've got a sponsor.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
Yeah, we can get some servantine to get You must
have a you must have a wee A b's one
on the wall though somewhere right are we debut or
something like this?
Speaker 4 (37:23):
Yeah, I've got one in the wall, and I think
I won Mum and Dad, so that's good. I think
that's my two that have gotten on him. I don't
even two millions, unfortunately, but I've always thought about Richie
McCaul watchs like, you know, that's a lot of jerseys
and a lot of more so just the gear you
get every time, you know, all the bags of casual gears.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
So well.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
I actually saw him in an airport very recently.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
He was off to Gold Coast on the same flight
as me with Dan Carter actually, and he this is
like maybe last year, and he still had an EDS
bag on with rim his initials on it. So he's
still getting good use out of all the gear, which
I think. I mean, maybe that shows a thrifty nature
of the character.
Speaker 4 (38:03):
Yeah, well you're still going to cycle for it, you know,
like can't give it all the way.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
But yeah, I'll take a begging number nine with leave
Leonard on. I'm happy that I'll be proud to wear that.
Maybe not, but yeah, well that'll be great. Hey Brendan Lenna,
thank you for joining us, and yes, enjoy the game.
Please feel free to text them three two three six.
(38:28):
We'll give you priority texting rights on on Saturday.
Speaker 4 (38:32):
Night, which it will be horrendous, but I'll give you
some good.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
You look after yourself down there in New Plymouth. Don't
get too carried away should the man of us pull
up to the station.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
I thank you very much. Brendan Leonard, what a guy.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
I can't believe you tee that up that it is genuinely,
I was not expecting them when I walked in today
that I was going to be speaking to All Black
and Chiefs player Brendan Leonard, one of my favorite board men.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Never yeah exactly. He got name checked actually on the
on the the commentary on Friday night where I Stuart
said text and baled all Blacks the most recent bald
all Blacks and so actually and I thought of Brandon
leaded straight away, which was which made me happy because
he's one of my favorites.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
Mark Sealey as when my brain goes to straight away.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
Well sayeah before I think that was what sparked it. Yah,
was the last all black to be bored before Mark Telea, right,
and then all the people came through being Frank's was
the one that sort of yeah, it got the most votes,
but then I was thinking, well, Israel. Dad got some assistance.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
He did get some assistance. I mean there's Keith Robinson.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
Is either yeah, there's a vote for Keith Robinson.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
I mean Norm Hewett is old school Bill All and
obviously there the ogs Jonah.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
I don't know what Jonah was up to.
Speaker 3 (39:43):
He sort of had the slug on top of the noggin,
but god knows what his hereline really was.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
Yeah, it was always hard to tell. And Carltkwafi I
think had enough here to not be bored, but then
decided once it receded a bit to go, okay, this
is my life now.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
He whipped it off.
Speaker 3 (39:59):
I mean the Jeff Wilson is a pretty he's still
on the talley being a big ball guy. But he
was famously Goldie for as long as he.
Speaker 1 (40:05):
Was Goldie there for he held on, probably to the
end of his career to have a whispy. He had
a whispy, a whispy pubes up the top.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
I don't think Christian Cullen was bald, but he certainly
whipped it off.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
He sort of ran a young ari and look there
for a while when he was first coming on, he.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
Shaved it very close to the noggin.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
He did look a bit skinn He did look like
a football hooligan, didn't he from from England?
Speaker 2 (40:26):
Basically, yeah, what are you looking at? It was a
bit what you're looking at.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
But he's the smallest guy, so maybe he had to
shave his head to look more intimidating to the other
players potentially.
Speaker 2 (40:35):
I'm not quite sure what the idea was there.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
I'm sure, I'm sure there's an absolute truckload more of
I mean, I wasn't bald. Was gonna say Jerry Collins,
but he just died the top. He sort of dyed
a bald man's head on. Yeah, that's right, like a
the bit that would come out with male pattern baldness
was the blonde bit and the rest was was the black.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
Well, he's Karen Reidad at the moment. I actually saw
him the other day.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
I mean he's pretty good. He's good. Yeah, he's pretty good.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
I mean I always thought that Richie mccaully famously not
balled he had the greatest here in rugby union flat top.
I thought he missed a real trick after twenty eleven. Obviously,
keep the flat top. You want to be, you know,
a here you can see you watch too for that
first World Cup, but then afterwards for his Swan Song
World Cup when he came back in twenty fifteen.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
I always thought he should.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
Have grown his here out and had like a big Maine,
because I'd bet he could grow an epic long headed
here like he looked like a lion out there charging around.
But no, that's not his style. He likes to keep
the exact same here. He must go to the barber
every day.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
Did Richie McCall. I know the Crusaders when they were
on tour in South Africa for the during Super Rugby,
they had to grow facial hair. There was that petition,
so he would go gin with the chop chop chop
a mo. So that's the only time because it was
basically a team sanctioned or whatever. You know, I was
(41:53):
a bonding event. But I don't think i've seen them,
and I can't imagine Richie McCall with a beard in
later life. I think you're right about the barber. I
think you go there for the clean shave as well.
Give him the cut throat.
Speaker 3 (42:05):
Yeah, I think he'd s yeah, just he likes it
to be exactly just so. And I also remember, speaking
of team bonding haircuts the Chiefs. At one stage they
all shave their heads off. I believe in support solidarity
with someone who was going through some chanctry, but I
do remember Damien McKenzie not shaving his off, and he
just basically was like, yeah, no, I'm too vain. I
didn't shave my head and I don't thinking. Come on, damon,
(42:27):
are you gotta get to whip the lead off. I
know you've got glorious here and a beautiful mallet and
you look great and you smile when you cack, and
we love you.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
But shave it off. Whip it off, go skinhead.
Speaker 1 (42:36):
I will not hear any Damien McKenzie slant it.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
I could see final your face changing when saying.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
When actually was that? Was that a Chiefs thing at?
What's the name of that mall area? I keep on forgetting,
but it's north of Hamilton, and I think Clark Gayford
was there as a or something. Yeah, it's upper but
it's like it's an old anyway. Forceace.
Speaker 2 (43:04):
I wonder he was a DJ.
Speaker 1 (43:05):
He was a DJ for or like for more f
M or the Breeze or something like that. He was
definitely there doing the hype in the crowd. He always
called me mccoyn. He thought that was quite funny instead
of macony. That is pretty funny. That's kind of funny
about a coin. You can't You can't mccoin me for
the rest of my life, was all right, And then
Ben Boyce joined him with the mccoin slander, and I
(43:27):
was like, all right, all right, well, I mean what
I loved is that he felt confident enough Clark Gayford
to call me McCoy which is no big deal. I
don't care. I've heard a lot with nicknames, given that
I get the feeling with his surname. It might have
been a tough time through school.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
Yeah, I agree, totally. It's it's tough to be called Gayford.
There was a guy who I went to school with
called Stuart gay and he was seventh form in the
year I was third form.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
And when your third form, you've got to run.
Speaker 3 (43:53):
The messages a day a year where you sit outside
the office and any message you run and very intimidating
going into the seventh form class us as and so
I probably should have made up a fake first name
for this guy, but it works with Stuart gay well, yeah,
I could have changed his first name. But anyway, he
was from South Africa as well, so he had a
deep South African accent.
Speaker 2 (44:09):
And me, he was I'd never heard of him before this.
Actually I actually la no, I'm gay.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
I did quiet with him in later years, and he
once told us how he shot the Baboons, but that's
neither here nor there. I didn't know he existed. And
so I got the note and I walked in the
semaphone class and I'm terrified, a little third form of
pissed of myself.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
I gotta go in.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
I hadn't read the note. Well, I shoot the baboons.
It's a big gate to the edition than my family.
I imagine it is a big gay the gay by boons,
gay by boon shooting. I think that's something else.
Speaker 3 (44:34):
But so I walked in with a note and I
opened it up and I hadn't read it, and I
saw it, and the teacher's like, come on, what have
you out with?
Speaker 2 (44:41):
A young boy?
Speaker 3 (44:42):
Have a teacher's talk? And I was like, oh, I
think this is a prank because I just saw it.
Stuart Game and I was like, oh no, no, I
don't think this is real, and like, what do you
mean why I'm like, oh, just the name.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
I don't think it's someone's name like Stuart Gay. No
one would be called that.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
And then the whole class was like yeah, and they
all started chanting Stuart's Gay. And he walked down and
he walked past and he place goes fuck you man,
but he's fuck you, bro, and I like, I don't know,
I didn't do anything. I'm an innocent party here, but
I landed myself in it and he was it was
he was real was the teacher said, I don't think
anyone there was me because I was like, oh, I
(45:17):
think I'm being pranks, like because I had to read
it out in front of the class, and I was
going to be like Stuart Gay and the teacher's going
to be like, hey, get out of here, you're punk.
So I was like, oh no, this isn't a real
kid's name, and you milk that and you could hear
the tension building and because I think the class realized
who was going to be and I said Stuart Gay
but it's not a real name, they went crazy.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
They he walked past and this woman going fuck you.
Speaker 1 (45:37):
Brod The start of your stand up career at the
magazine stand yeah, this is where you got the crowd reaction.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
Milk the crowd, the crowd.
Speaker 3 (45:48):
I was in it.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
I will say this. I was truly innocent. I was
trying to do the right thing. At school.
Speaker 3 (45:53):
I was like, I don't want to read this out
because what are Yeah? I know I noticed now, but
I've never heard of a guy I would last name gay.
I mean, and when they're doing it now, well the Euros.
I think in the Weish team there's a lar guy
with the last same gay, and I thought the same thing.
Speaker 2 (46:08):
It must have been tough at high school for him.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
At intermediate the best cross country runner was Jason Gay
and he could run and run and run, unbelievable runner.
And I was trying to find him on Facebook or something.
But then I saw that there was a gay young runner,
someone Gay I can't remember, in Wanga Nui and he's
outstanding as well. So I figured that must be the
(46:31):
lineage of the of the great gay runners who are
started off on because he'd win the cross country by like,
you know, four hundred meters. There's no one close.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
It's just Tyson Gay. Is that a name? What's Tyson Gay?
I'm going to google that while we do whatever we
need to do.
Speaker 1 (46:48):
Oh yeah, Tysons a sprinter, Yeah it's a sprinter.
Speaker 2 (46:50):
Is that an American Spirit Sprinter?
Speaker 1 (46:52):
Tyson game?
Speaker 2 (46:52):
But there's a lot of fast gates.
Speaker 1 (46:54):
Yeah, and by that I mean people were the last
name gay. Yeah, yeah, Yeah, that's all we're talking about here. Anyway,
let's do the tab good Hunch.
Speaker 3 (47:02):
We've got to feel like we started on a better
story than what we ended up there. I think we've
gone off piece and we haven't gone back to the
main trail. I think we were really getting into a
different topic.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
What was it?
Speaker 2 (47:15):
I have no idea.
Speaker 1 (47:16):
No Clark gave for just calling me McCoy shaving heads.
Speaker 3 (47:20):
We can go back for the All Blacks. Brandon Leonard,
Brandon Leonard, what a guy. Thanks for coming on the podcast.
We appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (47:28):
And it is now time for the tab game Day,
good punt, Good Hunch.
Speaker 3 (47:33):
It's rebranded. It is now time for the TV gamed
a good hunch. We had a hundred a bonus bet
to chuck on. And there's only one big game everyone's
talking about, because there's only one game that anyone's talking about,
and that is the Final And what are you reckon?
About this, yep, so to double it up both the
score a try, the score a try.
Speaker 1 (47:53):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
That's a good combo. It's a it's a good maulti.
It's a simple maulti.
Speaker 1 (47:58):
And why not, Well, I think Stutu is possibly near
the top of the try scoring list and Satiti is
definitely either setting up or there or thereabouts. And yeah,
it's a it's a good bet.
Speaker 3 (48:13):
Both have funny first names, Hoskins and Wallace. That's unusual
first names. Are they both sons of fresh and Rugay players? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (48:23):
So Similiti was man Usamur captain and he played for
the Hurricanes of Wellington loose Ford as well. Unbelievable, one
of my favorite players. I'm a big man Us some
More fan. And he was electric, very quick for a
loose Ford And you can see that with Wallace named
after William Wallace from Braveheart, because I think Simuel was
playing over in the United Kingdom when that was that
(48:46):
movie came out and all that sort of stuff. And
then it was also so Hoskins. I'm not sure how
he got the name Hoskins. I should know because I
do know the family and Wisuki is I remember meeting
him as a young fellow and turning up at training
at Varsity here at Varsity Rugby Club here in Auckland
and seeing the size of Wassaki sou Tou and going,
(49:11):
holy shit, am I going to have to tackle him?
We're not doing contact training, are we today? We're just
gonna around. It's gonna be fine because he was so
muscular and yeah, Brutumman is such a good player.
Speaker 2 (49:24):
Got a bung knee quite early in his career. Otherwise
we could have.
Speaker 1 (49:27):
Seen definitely him playing for the for the All Blacks.
So Wassaki probably the one of the along with Dwayne Monthly,
probably one of the best rugby players to never play
for the All Blacks.
Speaker 3 (49:40):
Yeah, I reckon, we should get the two dads together.
You should view the dads. Go give me your ideas
for your Craig as well. Idea actually get the dance together.
Say hey, let's talk about the boys, these number eights.
They're tearing the competition apart. A huge fan fear for
both of them at the moment.
Speaker 2 (49:54):
You know, do with that what you will. Well, let's
chuck some one hundred dollars bonus bits.
Speaker 3 (49:58):
On those guys to both be any try anytime tryscorers
I reckon that'll need us a lovely little bit of loot.
And you can also hit the Chairby website chairb dot
co dot inzad or download the Chairby app to check
out all the rugby union promos and the boost at
odds market. And if there is or was, if there
was a time to hit the house on something, you
may as I'll chuck it on the Grand Final of
(50:18):
Super Footy.
Speaker 1 (50:20):
Yes, indeed, I was just thinking about Wassaki the first
time actually saw him play. Wassaki statucchu is playing for
Wesley College against Saint Stevens, which is no longer a
college here, but it was a big game in that
sort of counties area. And even then, when you're talking
about someone looking like a seven four mood stayed back
(50:41):
for a year, that was like Wassaki.
Speaker 2 (50:43):
I was like, ooh again that second foight from Wesley.
Speaker 3 (50:47):
Yeah, do not miss He's a massive rag. I mean,
this is the story I always go to. But Antony
Oliver was famous Marlborough old boy, way older than me.
But they have all the first fifteen pictures each year
and the hallways and he was in the first Steen
and third form, and he was the captain I believe
in late full form. And it just looks like someone's
(51:08):
dad's sitting in the front of the photo. By seventh form.
It's crazy. Yeah, yeah, he's a fully grown he's bald.
I mean, speaking of Bard all blacks, he's basically baled.
In seventh form.
Speaker 2 (51:19):
He has no here really his arm.
Speaker 3 (51:22):
He just has grown man arms here he knuckles and
the kids around him look like children just by association.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
It's insane. It's one of those guys who.
Speaker 3 (51:30):
He did Tom Hanks and Big or whatever it is,
Jack Robin Williams and Jack. He grew up too fast.
He's he was just a fully grown man before everyone else.
And I guess that's how you become all black, as
you be a dad when you're twelve.
Speaker 1 (51:46):
That is Yeah, it will be good to show that
photo because it sounds like a classic. There is always
one guy like that in every rugby team where you
just go, okay, they've got you know, yeah, that's shaving
every day.
Speaker 3 (51:59):
Yeah, he looked shaving every day, And it was crazy
if someone would have to maybe shave a moustache here
and there at high school, right like when people first
started shaving you're like, well, nice, he looked like he would.
He has literally has five o'clock shadow in the picture.
That's what we always used to be like. This is insane,
this is get his dad out of the photo.
Speaker 2 (52:15):
What a guy.
Speaker 1 (52:17):
Quite classic that for a week when there's only one game.
This is possibly our longest podcast.
Speaker 2 (52:21):
I think it is issue for joining us. We'll we
wrap it up.
Speaker 3 (52:23):
We're over excited about this final and we will see
you next week for a wee bit of a wrap up,
and either James will be on the party bus down
there in Hamilton, or he'll be, you know, just sitting
inside sort of silently shulking in the dark.
Speaker 2 (52:36):
Either or we'll catch you up next Wednesday. Thanks listening.
Before we start the podcast, some sad news in the
rugby community. Connor Garden Baship died age twenty five following
the medical event in christ Church on Monday evening the
Highlanders and Maori All Blacks outside back. Was a father
to three year old twin daughters. Connor's parents are former
All Black and man U Samour first five Stephen Baship
(00:21):
and former Black Fern Sue Garden Baship. Sue died in
two thousand and nine after a long battle with cancer.
Connor's brother, Jackson Garden Baship, plays rugby for Breve in France.
Please said the death is not being treated as suspicious
and will be referred to the coroner. So very sad
news there, Tony Lyle.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Yeah, very sad news indeed.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
James McCarney, it was absolutely gobs at me when I
saw it pop up yesterday and the odt Connor Gunabaship.
Of course he was finishing up his time in the
Highlanders at the end of the season, but he'd been
such an almost revelation in their backline. Every time he
got the ball, he would just light it up. One
of those players who could just completely do something from nothing.
(01:03):
So unpredictable, so good and from what I've heard as well,
it's such a good character. I mean I don't know personally,
but a few people that I do basically all set
across the board that he was an absolute legend and
such a tragedy, especially for a man who was a
father to twin daughters and you know, a family man.
By all accounts, it's tough stuff. So I thought, it's
with the garden Baship family and you hope they can
(01:26):
get around each other and support each other through a
really difficult time.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Absolutely, and I mean it's so gussing. It's twenty five
years of age and you know, he lived life to
the full. I just remember every time I saw garden
Baship play, Connor was just it was all joy. Yeah,
you know, everything he did, even when he most recently
on Craigo as well, with a shot of him giving
(01:50):
a hearty poo kind of down camera when he was
on the reserves bench, you could tell he's the life
and soul of the party and it's just devastating for
everybody who knew him. And you can see the tributes
all out there, and so we just like to say
how sad we are and Yeah, our thoughts go out
to as family and friends and we're going to take
(02:11):
a quick break, but we'll be back with the podcast
after this.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Well, welcome back to the Champagne Rugby Podcast. Appreciate you
taking the time with us. At the start, we are
brought to you by Max Raft putting inside the concrete
slabs nationwide the first step to a warm, comfortable, healthy home.
You are joining myself, Jon Lyle and James mcconey And
what has been a huge week of semi final football.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
When to become one?
Speaker 3 (02:51):
I guess actually win four, but come to is a
more accurate song for semifinals week next week. I can
sing when two become one. I needs love like you.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Never need a love before. I want to make love
to your baby. I had a little love and now
I'm back.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Farmer anyway, your baby set your spirit free.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
It's the only way to be.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Did they give Posh her own line in that song? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I think so they were sort of.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
She was covering a lot of flak for not being
up to the same standard in terms of singing ability
as the other four. Of course, ginger, scary, sporty and
there must be another one who I can't baby, baby
there you go. Always forget the baby. It's tough, especially
when you're doing kindy pickup and you leave them in
the car. But yeah, she was getting a lot of flak,
people going, she's not as good as the other She's
just there because she's outrageously attractive.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
And nobody puts baby in the court. It went wrong.
No one does put baby in the corner.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Someone told me baby Spice died at the height of
the Spice Girls pandemonium, and I was a big Spice
Girls guy. I mean I was whatty o six years old,
and I literally cried, I whipped. I sat on a
piano stall and wept, and then someone was came in
and said, she's not dead.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
I'm just joking with you. And then I composed a
song and then I was like, babe, babe, babe.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
But no, it was quite cool sitting on a piano.
I was a very brooding six year old sitting on
a piano, still kind of like the thinker, just as
my hand up going.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
She was so young.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
That's an early memory, by the way, I've.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Got also early moviies.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
I also remember the day Princess Diana died. I don't
know when that was ninety seven or something. I remember
because I walked into a dairy in Blenham and there
was a newspaper and it had you know, she was
all over the newspapers, magazines and it was her face
and he was with Dorty al Fayd on the cover
and it said Diana new Man, New Love, New Life.
(04:42):
And I remember saying you dead. And I remember.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Hearing the guy who was your first stand up.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
First joke, and the guy behind the counter, I remember
I so conscious with him going oh and really.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Not liking it.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
He got a Precocia's sons.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
A bit of a little shit, isn't he.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
I thought it was a pretty good gag you did.
That's funny, man, you did New Life, New Love.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
You did. That's good.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
That's pretty good for a seven year old, six year old,
seven year old?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Just yeah, when were you born? Nineteen ninety eighty six?
Speaker 1 (05:13):
All right, so how old's that? Eleven? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
In eighty six? Tailien us ten? Teen?
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Yeah, ten, exactly? Okay, all right, great.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Memories of now nine year olds are landing nine hundreds
on skateboard, so maybe I'll share a job.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
By then. It's still reasonably high level we'll give you.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
The three back to back nine hundred just outrageous stuff,
by the way, and a nine hundred alup nine year.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Old landed wow. And skateboarding news yeah, and rugby news
that the Blues played the Brummies on Friday night and
that felt like a massive damp squab of a semi
and one that I even though I thought Manyah Stuart
and Matt Wood were absolutely on fire, I just sent
(05:56):
the semi final isn't.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Though it was not a good game of rugby union,
it should have been. I thought it was going to
be a classic. The Brumbies come over here. I kept
going on about this time and time again. They had
the same win loss record as both the Hurricanes and
the Blues going into that weekend. They're stacked with talent,
really good outside backs, strong forward pack as well.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
I thought they were going to come over here.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
And I half thought that we were in for an upset.
I mean, I'd seen it last week on the podcast
Don't write the Brumbies out. I think the Brumbies could
do this and it just was a old fashion fanny
fart of a game.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Yeah, And you don't really want a fanny fart, especially
around that time where you go, okay, where's the crowd?
I mean it just yes to echo the fanny fart.
So what the Brumbies I think brought all season was
fortress mentality at home. They knew how to suffocate teams,
bore people to death. But then suddenly with a couple
(06:53):
of excitement machines on the wing, you go, what the
hell scoring out rangeous tries. But then when you break
it down, the whole thing about the semi final football
is a step up and the Brummies just don't don't
have it this year. And then the next semifinal was like,
well both teams had it and it was just crazy
the level of that game and the cakes and oh
(07:14):
my goodness, I struggled to watch Tony Lyla must admit
had to go make it too. It aviated Yeah, I was, yeah, exactly,
hitting the exports hard. No, I was like I need
I needed a copper in the second half. Should it
was stressful.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
It was an incredible game.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
It's one of those games that people be like, oh,
this should have been the final, and when you eat
time anyone says that, I'm always like no, no, it's
a perfect semifinal. Semifinals should be big, hard games you
don't know who's going to win, and finals, and I
think we're going to be in for that this weekend.
I think the Blues at home. It's sold out already,
which is thank fuck for that. The Blues fans worst supporters,
the almost as bad as Cantabrians, but lest Cantabrians go.
(07:52):
I can't believe that game was the state it was
on Friday night in Auckland. Then, I don't want to
break I was in Melbourne for work, but it was
a sitting down in Auckland. Was there a reason that
people weren't heading out or is it just indifferent?
Speaker 1 (08:04):
It was a bit of a bit of all of
the above, wasn't it really? And also, I mean it
was I felt like it was a weekend where the
Wires were playing, so you' night out might be off
to god million people.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
And people keep saying this, this idea that the Warriors
and the Blues are at odds with each other. I
don't think there's a massive ten thousand people crossover of
people who attend those games. The Warriors are selling out
weekend week out forever.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
They haven't well in the.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Last couple of seas, that's the thing. So you've just
described the No, I don't think I have.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
I don't think the people that are at the Warriors
are going there instead of the Blues.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
I just don't think that's the case.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
I just don't think the Blues have a tight fan
base that goes every week.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
That is true, But I think there is the casual
sports fan who might have considered going to the Blues.
If you look at old Super Rugby games and they
were packed a bit like the wires are now, you
can tell there's a there's an audience somewhere in Auckland
that will say I'll go to the thing that I
think is the best value entertainment, and if I'm a
(09:11):
sports fan, I'm kind of choosing.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
I mean, I hear, I hear you, I make space
for you.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah, you know, but I think, look, it's it's fine.
I think there is room enough in the city for
fans like that, because even when they have the Phoenix
at Eden Park, they've got up to twenty thousand there.
So to your point, yes, there's a there's a million
people here. You know, we're a rugby fans at and
they're not. Really I think there's a there's a real
(09:37):
Auckland apathy when it comes to their rugby following public.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
There really is. I mean it's not it's not.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Quite how would you call it a religious fervor and
love of the team that you find with other teams
around the place. I mean, it's it's quine of funny.
You know that when MPC starts and you see how
passionate Taranaki fans or fans are, and you just go,
that's what you actually want at super level as well,
and the Chiefs have had that for a few years.
(10:04):
I think the Crusaders really sort of like had that
siege mentality and bouncing back from the earthquake and all
those setbacks and stuff. You could see that was a
beautiful thing. I think that the Hurricanes are getting to
that point now, like I reckon next year, hopefully it'll
be box office and there won't be so many yellow
(10:25):
seats in the cake tin any.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Certainly a lot of yellow seats.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Yeah, it's tough for a I mean Auckland, all that
games sell out at the drop of a hat. I mean,
I'm pretty sure this next one against England is all
but sold out already, So you know there's people who
like the all next, I wonder if it's the transient
nature of the city. Is a lot of people move
here from other places? I mean, I know I'm guilty
of that. People move to Auckland for work opportunities and
maybe they've got a team that isn't the Blues already
(10:50):
that they like.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Well, the Auckland Test. Have you know that everybody from
down the line loves the Auckland Test. That's the one
time where they buy a tack. Care to come? I
stay in a nice hotel, go to the casino.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
To their wife.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
One time they say, it's on tonight, honey, We're going
out and we're going to.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
We're going to do it before the game because I'm
going to get so ship faced out the game that
I can't feel feeling.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
So let's get it on the hotel room. Then we'll
go out for dinner.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
And they go to pubs that we think are kind
of like a bit generic, like Danny Doolan's. I'm going
to Danny Dolan's. I've read about this in the paper.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Because I've read about it in the paper, it's getting
the Fisherman's basket from Danny Dolan's.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Right, how good is life right now. I'm looking at
your masks.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Look at me.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
I've got yacht mass guys. I went for a walk
down by the I saw so many yacht masters. Great,
I'm very good. I'm drinking in the Auckland culture that mastered.
I went and got a thirty five dollars, especially Martini
on pons. I'm just one of them and one of them.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
So it's a big deal that that game. They book
it early and they get the hotel rooms and they're
they're fired up for that, and.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
They're heading the casino afterwards, absolutely rapping. And that's the
casino to someone who's not from Auckland is like crack cocine.
They can't get out of it. They go out, They're like,
I'm getting into the casino big night. Forget about any
other plans I had. I'm putting it all on black.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
And also the excitement of wandering around town and maybe
seeing an all black on his way back from Les
Mills or something is like that gives them huge jollies.
Like in the end, so many they get their jollies.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
My first ever time in Auckland as an adult, I
was driving up for a big day out with a
group of the fowlers from Blenham. Never been to Auckland,
I don't think ever in my life. Was driving up
on the motorway and we're driving down. I'm going away
by the motorway, you know, I'm a kid from the
South Island'm like, oh shit, four lane is incredible. And
we're driving along and I glanced to my left, not
(12:48):
even into Auckland Central yet, just on the motorway.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Glance to my left.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Who's sitting in the car beside me driving along the motorways, Kylie.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Oh yes, a legend.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
I'm like, oh my god, celebrities are everywhere, really good drive.
This is incredible. I looked over, I was like, oh,
waving at him, waving at him.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
We were absolute sing our minds and then got to Auckland,
was like, oh, we've already seen one s lib That night,
went out on the town, walked down Queen Street. Saw
Josh Thompson. He was standing on the side of the
road at that time. He was famous from being in
the Fresh Up Ads. I don't know if you remember.
The fresh Adas to get really hot and sweaty, and
we'd come over on the fury and you know, we
(13:29):
were scumbags from the South Island.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
So a couple of us had hidden the boot of.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
The car to get over on the Fury, and it
was I'd hopped in a sleeping bag, fully clothed. It
got so hot in the air I completely sweeted through
my clothes. And so I told him, I said, now
you're in the fresh up ads, here's this great idea.
Going the Fury on the end, you can get up
a big sweat. And I remember telling him that thing.
It was a great idea. And years later, I mean,
Josh and I know each other well now, and I
(13:53):
mentioned it to him and he's like, I half remember.
So some guy and I was like, there's something wrong
with this guy. Some guy just berating me on this
side of the road on Queen Street outside the Company
Club about how you cannot pay for the fairy and
get really sweety.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Going one hundred miles an hour, which is it's early
Tony Lyle.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
The good thing is I guess with this game it's
about it's a smashing grab. It's a ram raid really
for the chiefs to drive up the motorway and just
go hondy. The monibus is coming and everyone is jumping.
I've come up with some lyrics fan as well. It's
kind of like from the Mount to Hamilton Certy. We've
got one list of tear Ty's anyway, So the monabus
(14:35):
is coming, and the best thing about it is if
you win it, you can still get back in time
for drinks in the tron.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Yeah you can.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
I mean you can go out here. Obviously Auckland exciting,
you know, mix it up downtown with the five O ones,
but you can also just get the hell out and
say we've got what we came for. We're going parties
back at the bank and the outback.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
And I like the idea do it it one night
here in Auckland where they sort of defile the place
like conquering champions. You know, they go out pellaging and
probably not the other stuff, but they go out there
and you know, classic chief stuff. They'll throw some gravels
at Shepperds, that sort of thing. Have a night out here,
really cut loose, and then to on the Sunday go
back to Hamilton and have a good knees up there
(15:21):
once the dust is settled a bit.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
It is a it is a week long event I.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Was talking about for the fans actually, because you know,
it's so easy to drive up and go back, and
there were always the train that put trains on back
in the day for the Ramfhilly Shield challenges and all
that sort of stuff, So there's a there's a tradition
of I think back in the day even the team
would go back. But now, yeah, like you say, you.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Can do it either way. You can defile the city
if you wish.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
I think defile the city sack Rome if you will,
Especially if you're a fan. You know you don't want
to be sitting there sober as a judge. I mean,
and if you don't drink, that's also fine, But if
you're at the game, you probably want to be having
a couple of the Lasier sexport old and especially if
they win, you know, maybe you had to chug out
of the cup a git close enough to the team.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
But I like this idea of the train.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
I feel like this is something you should have teed
up for Crago's Wild and one of various other sporting
shows and got the train to come up with a
trainload of fans from the tron.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Up there.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
And they might do it again, I'm not sure, but
they used to do it. And that's what I was
saying on Saturday night. I was saying, get the is
it called the Tahua. Yeah, I was going get it
up here because in the end you can get the
to Whuia and they would that train would stop right
outside Kings like the cow bells would ring and everyone
would just walk down to Eden Park. I never caught
the train. I was either living up here or just
(16:40):
made the trip independently. But yeah, I don't know what
happened on the night that we won the Shield nineteen
ninety three. It was you were five year little young fella,
but yeah, that was a big that was a big night.
The good thing is that now that we've beaten the
or the Chiefs have beaten the Hurricanes, I don't really
(17:02):
care as much about, yeah, the result. I'm just happy
to be here. The Chiefs have got this far, They've
picked at a good time. Wallace a Titi is an
absolute find.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
You know.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
We've got quartiers at Artema playing socks off and then
old Damien McKenzie starting to just boss things like a
proper international first five test, first five should so it's like, yeah,
we're in with a chance, huge chance. The one thing
is that again the Blues beefy af They're so freaking massive.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
They are very beefy.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
And I mean you mentioned a few players there, and
I think it's important to point out as well against
that game and the Hurricanes, I mean, Sean Stevens in
a late scratching from the team and some sides that
might really rattle them, having someone who was such a
core player pulled out last minute, but old Rona stepped
in and you barely noticed.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
They looked great still.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Exactly, so I think you know, having attending unicitudo moved back.
Nardable was on fire that early try, beautiful run. That's
what rugby should be like. That's Champagne rugby. That's what
this podcast is named, Champagne rugby. And so I know
that Hurricanes play Champagne rugby as well, but also rattling
(18:17):
the team the way they did. I loved all that stuff,
like winning turnovers when they were sort of thinking, no,
this is the fate of complete this is what we do.
We recyclable really quick with the Hurricanes. Were beautiful to
watch watch us go and then everything was pressure and
there was one moment I think where Anton leonnet Brown
Brown ran out of the defensive line and just targeted
either Billy Procter or might have been Brick Cameron. Anyway,
(18:41):
the person who was offloading the ball could have even
been Jordie and the pass ensuing pass was a bit shit,
all because of that pressure, because of the red from
Leonet Brown, and I was just thinking, it's actually quite
cool seeing a team go well. The only way to
stop that is by freaking going nuts in their face.
(19:01):
So I sort of appreciated the urgency. And you know
how you're talking about semi finals, how how you know
it's great to have a semi final like that. Conversely,
when I was editing the rugby rap for the crowd
goes wild, and I looked at the Blues after the
full time whistle against the Brumbies, barely a whimper, merely ye.
(19:24):
Whereas I could look in the background, I saw alb
just going, you know, two hands first, pump, just going yeah,
you know, and everybody just going freaking nuts. And they
won buy a similar margin. But you look at what
it meant to the Chiefs compared to the Blues, going
h yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
I actually noticed that. It's an interesting point in your
raise of this.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah, the Blues were very much onto the next job's
not done, where maybe that's because they almost thought that
it was foregone conclusion. They're thinking, we're going to win
this and then next week is the game. They were
focusing on where the Chiefs might have thought where the
underdogs here? And can I just take a second to say,
lovely positioning of yourself as the written off underdogs last
(20:05):
week on the podcast, James Coney, you were barely even
supporting your own team. And I believe I took up
bridge to it at one point because I couldn't believe
the the idea of a man sitting there saying, we're
all shit, we're not gonna get through. I think it's
going to be a Hurricanes Blues final. And I was
lost for words, because I mean, I support the Highlanders
(20:26):
every week when I'm in my picks, regardless of who
they're playing, just because I feel like I have to.
So to see a man sit there and underminus team
like that. But it turns out it was all a
coming plan to maybe make them the underdogs and almost
reverse jinks.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Then totally like you you've got to go reverse jinks.
You don't want to jinx them because in the end,
it's like, don't careful what you wish for. I've been
in this room as well for so many commentary slaps
in the face, most notably the Lord's Final fucking hell,
good God, oh God, a night slep in the face.
(21:01):
Would you rather the Lord's Final or the humiliation of
the current I know it's T twenty, but getting pumped
by minnows and getting knocked out early.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Or would you rather go to the final and draw
and not be awarded.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
I've tried to stop saying lose the final because we
didn't and draw the final but not be awarded the
trophy on technicality?
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Which would you rather do? I would much rather lose
to him and no lose, get knocked out, not even
have to play in the.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Yeah, because it's T twenty, but you know it's but
yeah that rather than break over the coals of lords.
All I was going to say is the Chiefs I
always believed and always support it. It's just like in
your in your brain, you have to go right, this
(21:55):
is prepare yourself for the worst, and the only way
to do that is by going Look that seems they
the legal season, they've been the front runners and also
standard set is I think the whole the Chiefs and
the Blues have lifted their players play because of the Hurricanes,
no doubt, like the Blues beating the Hurricanes when they
they're probably lucky to. There was a weird sort of
(22:17):
turnover at the end of the game, right even that
put them in a place where they were so uncomfortable.
And the Chiefs have lost to the Hurricanes twice and
then really, you know the intercept by Wallace Atiti sort
of that was that that clutch play or pivotal play
and stuff like it still took something amazing for it
(22:40):
to go their way. I mean, that's how good the
Hurricanes were. So no mate, I'm you know, I'm happy
to say with the Blues this weekend, I think they
still start favorites. But the Chiefs now have at least
shown what they're capable of, because they hadn't really shown
that before.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
I think I think one thing the Chief said, and
we were speaking a couple of times about semi final
is just that points early in a semi or any
sort of playoff match. I think it's almost like doubly
pressurizes the other team. They're almost worth two points because
before they knew it. The Canes were down fourteen and
they're thinking, fuck we are We're gonna get bundled out here.
(23:20):
Like you saw, the panic almost creep in just from
early points and knockout Footy. And I think it'll be
the team this week who gets on the board a
couple of times, not just a chicky try that you
can crall back, but when you realize you're down two
scoring plays and it's I think it was less than
ten minutes into the game. I think it just is
so crucial and that'll be the players. I think that
will decide the finale.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Well, we're going to take a break. But on the
other side of this, I've got a very special guest
for you, Tony. Very excited to hear everyone out there
and the listen.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
It's great.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yeah, okay, hey, Tony, I've got a special guest for
us today, you do. And his name from the past
of the Chiefs and the All Blacks is half back
Brendan Leonard.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Brendan Leonard, and he's on the line right now.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Brendon Leonard.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
How are you, Chiefs? Money to you and how's it going?
Speaker 4 (24:13):
Hey? Good, good, thank you? How are you guys?
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Look, I'm fantastic and thank you for joining us on
the show. Tell us how are you feeling about the
Chiefs and did you watch that game against the Canes,
the big old semi in your face?
Speaker 4 (24:28):
I did, actually, like I haven't watched a lot, but
I've actually been bad Latin. So I watched maybe two
games and Sally and they lost both of them, so
I stopped watching for a bit, but I bravely watched
the semi, especially with two ties up and people texting me,
I was I've got to watch this. So I did
(24:48):
watch it, and I was very impressed. Obviously been a
mad King Chief supporter.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Well, you're not a bad You're not a bad luck
omen Brendan.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
I mean, this is the time I had, but I
believe what you won two championships with Chiefs.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
Yeah, that was sort I think that's where my lucky ended.
I went. I went over to Europe after that, came
last with my Italian team twice, and then I went
to the Ospreys and they've been in the semi finals
each year. We finished maybe tenth or eleventh. So I
was known as I'm not probably known as bad as Glane's.
Gripe's status but I was definitely known as bad luck,
so I sort of quickly finished. I thought, well maybe
(25:23):
I should support the Crusaders, and that's probably what's happen
the ship.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Yeah, good exactly, senior bead like all around the place,
you were good like they called you Harry. Is that
after your resemblance to the cricketer I guess, Chris Harris?
Is this correct?
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Apparently? So yes, it was Richard Cahoue and all his
witch gave it to me one day when we were
just playing cricket before training, and that sort of just stuck,
you know, in those things. So I believe it was
for my cricket ability rather my looks.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
But it's actually an incredible compliment because when I was
playing schoolboy cricket, you could get a name printed on
the back of your shirt, and I'm talking about twelve
years old, and they had to say you can't all
get Harry printed on the back of shit because everyone
wanted to be Harry, because because Harris was such a
legiond at the time.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
So I'd take it as a huge.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
Compliment, absolutely noble from there.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
You what are your memories of the chiefs mana victories
back then? Did you even say Chiefs mana back in
twenty eleven and twenty twelve.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
It's sort of that's where it sort of started. Was
that sort of culture started. There was a sort of
got bored in. Obviously Renie came on board, and then
you started a leadership group of sort of lim and
it sort of did. We did sort of dive into
the history of the region, I guess before the smoldy
culture and stuff like that, and sort of what the
(26:46):
Chiefs actually meant and how the name came about and
stuff like that that I've been the Chiefs for I
think it was eight years. I had no idea why
were called the Chiefs or anything like that, So it
was I guess it grew its own sort of person
early in a way because of the sex success we
had that year and obviously a little bit like I
as extent, but a little bit like the Wires, you know,
(27:08):
like it sort of grew its own sort of momentum
through us winning. But yeah, from a guy that's been
the team for a long time, it was quite a
cool little addition and sort of a little catch guy
and of what we based I guess everything we did
on and.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
I'm thinking back of that team as well. It was
absolutely stacked. I mean yourself. You mentioned earlier what sunny
Bill was floating around Lee and miss him. How good
is it when you're in a team like that who
was so hot on form and just stacked to the girls.
Do you just feel invincible?
Speaker 4 (27:40):
Oh? Yeah, it was definitely like I was sort of
probably pass my best. And there's a lot of young
guys coming through, like Brodie, Metallic, seam Caine, but all
just playing our standing rug been sort of from young
guys that sort of obviously went on to have very
impressive careers. It's sort of the culture that they came
into sort of it's amazing to see how good they
(28:01):
came became very quickly. I think that sort of the
Chief Man and all that sort of vibe and culture
sort of definitely helped bring those young guys through.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
And speaking of those players, and you know you're winning championships,
so who was the MVP of the postmatch do after
you did win the trophy? Is there someone who deserves
a special shout out?
Speaker 4 (28:20):
Yeah, that's a good question. Back in my it was
a bit different. Ugh, I'll tell you what. It was
very different from when I started at the Chiefs and
when I finished at the Chiefs, I don't think there's
really drinkers at the Chiefs and I finished, But he
started when I started as a bit different, but all
that's a professional era changed a lot when I in
my sort of what eight nine years here in New Zealand.
(28:42):
So I guess it's just a good thing and you
can see with I guess the results and anything else,
but we don't know. He's always good to sort of
hanging out afterwards.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
Yeah, I actually no, I've heard of story of once
a wedding he was at that someone I know was
that just coincidentally they were like, oh who is there?
Speaker 2 (29:02):
And he was also the king of the wedding.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
It just took the took the handlebars, was like guys,
we're partying on the wedding finished and it was like
not on my watch, got everyone who was keen off.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
To the pub to carry on the wedding. And I
always remember thinking that he sounds like a good guy.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
Yeah, no, different always counts bringing the hate on that
will go so yeah, good fun.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
Can you talk about Richard Carhoy and Stephen Donald dressing
up in military gear in South Africa and causing quite
a stir. They possibly went too far. It sort of
went public as well.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Remember, yes its Bell. I don't think I was on
that too, have some reasons, but it was the final.
The week of the finals, they're in Pertoria. Yeah, and
yeah they it was a press conference with Fozzy and
they pretended to yeah, hijack the press conference and yeah,
(30:00):
I know it. I mean they're not the smart smartest
tills this year's let's all be honest. So I decided
to do that in South Africa when he yone's probably
got guns under there. Jack gets some way spouts, but
all as well. The end of well, I think start
from the final score at the game. But yeah, I
wasn't there, but I'm assuming it was wasn't okayed by
(30:21):
the senior management at the time.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Fuzzy. Was he a bit of a Did he enjoy
a joke?
Speaker 1 (30:27):
Did he enjoy a laugh?
Speaker 4 (30:28):
Fuzzy, Yeah, it was quite a lot harder.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (30:31):
He was a good guy, so I'm sure he took
it Wellish sure. Yeah. There are two favorite sons anyway,
so I'm sure he got over it pretty quickly.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Yeah, exactly. I think Stephen Donald had that sort of
charm that he rode all the way to the bank
and then and to the World Cup final. Really, can
you discuss maybe your role and Stephen Donald getting to
that World Cup final, because I understood he spent a
lot of our I was at the pub with yourself
and Liam miss him.
Speaker 4 (31:05):
I remember he sort of he was sort of looking
very gaunt, but that's still seven Donald. Anyway, when he
came around to my place that I think we're commandel
and or sort of mate, you've got to get some
food into here. But always a very fit man. So
he went for a running. I think he murdered me
on the run. So you know, like, yeah, it was
(31:28):
interesting how it all happened. I sort of was glad
of how it happened for him because he's sort of
training is one of the hardest trainings I know, and
one of definitely the smartest footy players I've ever played with,
and that a lot of people probably won't see that
it is just got judged on maybe his goal kicking whatever.
But yeah, it was definitely I was so happy that
he sort of got that opportunity and sort of worked
(31:49):
out for him because I think after all the things
stuff that he had been through the chiefs and stuff.
That was really pretty cool to see.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Yeah, and especially a guy like that.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
He was so incredible, especially chiefs and wacatus as well.
It must have been a real joy to play inside him,
especially I feel at provincial level where I remember watching
him and it was kind of like watching a someone
who's repeated seventh form for the second year playing the
first fifteen. He was just dominating everyone. Was it just
like give it to Steven and see what he does.
Speaker 4 (32:21):
Basically what I enjoyed about seeing was he was so tall,
so I could just my past was pretty average, so
I had like a wide berth of and you can
imagine going from someone who's six foot whatever for eight
years and all of a sudden the first five it
chief is Aaron Crudent, you know. So my all of
a sudden, my past has got to go from pretty
pretty give it wherever and you'll catch it to sort
(32:42):
of our incrudence is half the size. I've got to
really make sure it's going to be pinpoint accuracy. So
I sort of took a bit to I guess change
adjust to a six foot four to a four foot
four five Tarrek who Bartot came and took me over,
so I sort of probably didn't.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
Go so well. Cruit had come straight from Hobbitson, Eddie.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Yeah, baseball, so I should be used to coming from Madameta.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
But yeah, exactly is a wee fellow? Isn't a year?
You're right in the middle of the heart of Hobbiton.
So this weekend, Brendan, you've been invited to come up
to the game, But can you tell us where you'll
be watching and what you think the keys to victory
will be.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
I'll be watching in Chiefs Heart of Chiefs Country and
new promise that some of them are too happy about
what I said there, But yeah, my family lives down there,
so I'll be down there looking after them and watching
the game. Probably it's the team mate, and the key
is the game? Well, I guess it's if we start
(33:51):
well then really, I guess it just gives a team
confidence and belief that so they're in the game. Otherwise
it's yeah, small margins, And I think I was listening
to commentary and Mills said it's just about wanting those
small margins. And what was Titi did on the weekend
with that little winter scept to mean you've seen the
replayers that could have Jordi barrockrou been under post and
(34:13):
it would have swung the game the other way. So
it's just those little moments that we won on the
weekend and you know, hurricanes and a few chances slip
and also and the game's gone from them. So boring chat.
But if we start well and win those a key moments,
you should be right.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
I'm just pissed off that you're watching the regular commentary
and not the ACC message fails afterwards.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
I switched over. You guys start mumbling and I can't
make a word out.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
But it was that checks out.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
I totally believe that there's a whole new range of
halfbacks coming through the New Zealand ranks and a bit
of a gap there with you know, some people sort
of leaving Aaron Smith notably. Is there any of the
young guys you've got a nine on and you're like, yep,
he's the next guy. Put the money in the bank
for him.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
I've always liked Cortez, obviously, coming from country town and
the work. You've always followed him from when he started
playing for Work. I thought he had bit of expected
about him. Schools if you try for good left boots.
So I've always liked watching him play. I mean, obviously
this year's gone from streets streets worth I guess getting
(35:17):
more game time at number nine Jerseys, so I know
he's sort of learned a lot underbred Riber as well.
But you have definitely enjoyed watching it, and I'm sure.
I'm pretty sure he'll be in the Scott Robinson's announced
team announced in a few weeks, so.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Yeah, I think that's a good bet. He's been here
in the house down and especially with that Tudel. As
you mentioned from Spad, you can't go wrong learning from
one of the best to do.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
It, absolutely, so I will see.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
But yeah, I am Brendon Leonard. I was just going
to say that given that Stephen Donald was pretty tall,
you were very tall as well. It's kind of a
freakish half back first five pairing. It's like an NBA
backcourt weird. Thanks, But yeah, okay, I.
Speaker 4 (36:06):
Was still always the smallest, but yeah your six foot though, Yes,
it was probably probably the skinniest as well, to be honest,
and probably I definitely have the smallest calve, so I
made sure my socks wore is up. But he preferred
to wear his socks down. Questionable, but anyway, a bit.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
Of a curveball question if for you.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
I noticed there's a thriving market for vintage jerseys at
the moment.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
I mean, I'm addicted to buying things that don't need.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
Do you have like an absolute stash somewhere of all
your Chiefs jerseys and your AB's jerseys just locked away
sort of skyrocking and value.
Speaker 4 (36:42):
I do, But surely they're not vintage yet.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
I don't know what those early ones.
Speaker 4 (36:51):
Yeah, they still the baggy ones. That's the way. It's cotton,
probably way about five kgs when you put them on
in the wet. But no, I've got few, but they've
got limard on the back, so they'll probably decreasing value.
I've got something I scraped the name off and what.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
It's a good idea. Actually, I think there's some tips
or something you can use there that we could because
we'll talk to do Lux about that. We've got a sponsor.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
Yeah, we can get some servantine to get You must
have a you must have a wee A b's one
on the wall though somewhere right are we debut or
something like this?
Speaker 4 (37:23):
Yeah, I've got one in the wall, and I think
I won Mum and Dad, so that's good. I think
that's my two that have gotten on him. I don't
even two millions, unfortunately, but I've always thought about Richie
McCaul watchs like, you know, that's a lot of jerseys
and a lot of more so just the gear you
get every time, you know, all the bags of casual gears.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
So well.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
I actually saw him in an airport very recently.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
He was off to Gold Coast on the same flight
as me with Dan Carter actually, and he this is
like maybe last year, and he still had an EDS
bag on with rim his initials on it. So he's
still getting good use out of all the gear, which
I think. I mean, maybe that shows a thrifty nature
of the character.
Speaker 4 (38:03):
Yeah, well you're still going to cycle for it, you know,
like can't give it all the way.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
But yeah, I'll take a begging number nine with leave
Leonard on. I'm happy that I'll be proud to wear that.
Maybe not, but yeah, well that'll be great. Hey Brendan Lenna,
thank you for joining us, and yes, enjoy the game.
Please feel free to text them three two three six.
(38:28):
We'll give you priority texting rights on on Saturday.
Speaker 4 (38:32):
Night, which it will be horrendous, but I'll give you
some good.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
You look after yourself down there in New Plymouth. Don't
get too carried away should the man of us pull
up to the station.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
I thank you very much. Brendan Leonard, what a guy.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
I can't believe you tee that up that it is genuinely,
I was not expecting them when I walked in today
that I was going to be speaking to All Black
and Chiefs player Brendan Leonard, one of my favorite board men.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Never yeah exactly. He got name checked actually on the
on the the commentary on Friday night where I Stuart
said text and baled all Blacks the most recent bald
all Blacks and so actually and I thought of Brandon
leaded straight away, which was which made me happy because
he's one of my favorites.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
Mark Sealey as when my brain goes to straight away.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
Well sayeah before I think that was what sparked it. Yah,
was the last all black to be bored before Mark Telea, right,
and then all the people came through being Frank's was
the one that sort of yeah, it got the most votes,
but then I was thinking, well, Israel. Dad got some assistance.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
He did get some assistance. I mean there's Keith Robinson.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
Is either yeah, there's a vote for Keith Robinson.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
I mean Norm Hewett is old school Bill All and
obviously there the ogs Jonah.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
I don't know what Jonah was up to.
Speaker 3 (39:43):
He sort of had the slug on top of the noggin,
but god knows what his hereline really was.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
Yeah, it was always hard to tell. And Carltkwafi I
think had enough here to not be bored, but then
decided once it receded a bit to go, okay, this
is my life now.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
He whipped it off.
Speaker 3 (39:59):
I mean the Jeff Wilson is a pretty he's still
on the talley being a big ball guy. But he
was famously Goldie for as long as he.
Speaker 1 (40:05):
Was Goldie there for he held on, probably to the
end of his career to have a whispy. He had
a whispy, a whispy pubes up the top.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
I don't think Christian Cullen was bald, but he certainly
whipped it off.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
He sort of ran a young ari and look there
for a while when he was first coming on, he.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
Shaved it very close to the noggin.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
He did look a bit skinn He did look like
a football hooligan, didn't he from from England?
Speaker 2 (40:26):
Basically, yeah, what are you looking at? It was a
bit what you're looking at.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
But he's the smallest guy, so maybe he had to
shave his head to look more intimidating to the other
players potentially.
Speaker 2 (40:35):
I'm not quite sure what the idea was there.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
I'm sure, I'm sure there's an absolute truckload more of
I mean, I wasn't bald. Was gonna say Jerry Collins,
but he just died the top. He sort of dyed
a bald man's head on. Yeah, that's right, like a
the bit that would come out with male pattern baldness
was the blonde bit and the rest was was the black.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
Well, he's Karen Reidad at the moment. I actually saw
him the other day.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
I mean he's pretty good. He's good. Yeah, he's pretty good.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
I mean I always thought that Richie mccaully famously not
balled he had the greatest here in rugby union flat top.
I thought he missed a real trick after twenty eleven. Obviously,
keep the flat top. You want to be, you know,
a here you can see you watch too for that
first World Cup, but then afterwards for his Swan Song
World Cup when he came back in twenty fifteen.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
I always thought he should.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
Have grown his here out and had like a big Maine,
because I'd bet he could grow an epic long headed
here like he looked like a lion out there charging around.
But no, that's not his style. He likes to keep
the exact same here. He must go to the barber
every day.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
Did Richie McCall. I know the Crusaders when they were
on tour in South Africa for the during Super Rugby,
they had to grow facial hair. There was that petition,
so he would go gin with the chop chop chop
a mo. So that's the only time because it was
basically a team sanctioned or whatever. You know, I was
(41:53):
a bonding event. But I don't think i've seen them,
and I can't imagine Richie McCall with a beard in
later life. I think you're right about the barber. I
think you go there for the clean shave as well.
Give him the cut throat.
Speaker 3 (42:05):
Yeah, I think he'd s yeah, just he likes it
to be exactly just so. And I also remember, speaking
of team bonding haircuts the Chiefs. At one stage they
all shave their heads off. I believe in support solidarity
with someone who was going through some chanctry, but I
do remember Damien McKenzie not shaving his off, and he
just basically was like, yeah, no, I'm too vain. I
didn't shave my head and I don't thinking. Come on, damon,
(42:27):
are you gotta get to whip the lead off. I
know you've got glorious here and a beautiful mallet and
you look great and you smile when you cack, and
we love you.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
But shave it off. Whip it off, go skinhead.
Speaker 1 (42:36):
I will not hear any Damien McKenzie slant it.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
I could see final your face changing when saying.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
When actually was that? Was that a Chiefs thing at?
What's the name of that mall area? I keep on forgetting,
but it's north of Hamilton, and I think Clark Gayford
was there as a or something. Yeah, it's upper but
it's like it's an old anyway. Forceace.
Speaker 2 (43:04):
I wonder he was a DJ.
Speaker 1 (43:05):
He was a DJ for or like for more f
M or the Breeze or something like that. He was
definitely there doing the hype in the crowd. He always
called me mccoyn. He thought that was quite funny instead
of macony. That is pretty funny. That's kind of funny
about a coin. You can't You can't mccoin me for
the rest of my life, was all right, And then
Ben Boyce joined him with the mccoin slander, and I
(43:27):
was like, all right, all right, well, I mean what
I loved is that he felt confident enough Clark Gayford
to call me McCoy which is no big deal. I
don't care. I've heard a lot with nicknames, given that
I get the feeling with his surname. It might have
been a tough time through school.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
Yeah, I agree, totally. It's it's tough to be called Gayford.
There was a guy who I went to school with
called Stuart gay and he was seventh form in the
year I was third form.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
And when your third form, you've got to run.
Speaker 3 (43:53):
The messages a day a year where you sit outside
the office and any message you run and very intimidating
going into the seventh form class us as and so
I probably should have made up a fake first name
for this guy, but it works with Stuart gay well, yeah,
I could have changed his first name. But anyway, he
was from South Africa as well, so he had a
deep South African accent.
Speaker 2 (44:09):
And me, he was I'd never heard of him before this.
Actually I actually la no, I'm gay.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
I did quiet with him in later years, and he
once told us how he shot the Baboons, but that's
neither here nor there. I didn't know he existed. And
so I got the note and I walked in the
semaphone class and I'm terrified, a little third form of
pissed of myself.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
I gotta go in.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
I hadn't read the note. Well, I shoot the baboons.
It's a big gate to the edition than my family.
I imagine it is a big gay the gay by boons,
gay by boon shooting. I think that's something else.
Speaker 3 (44:34):
But so I walked in with a note and I
opened it up and I hadn't read it, and I
saw it, and the teacher's like, come on, what have
you out with?
Speaker 2 (44:41):
A young boy?
Speaker 3 (44:42):
Have a teacher's talk? And I was like, oh, I
think this is a prank because I just saw it.
Stuart Game and I was like, oh no, no, I
don't think this is real, and like, what do you
mean why I'm like, oh, just the name.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
I don't think it's someone's name like Stuart Gay. No
one would be called that.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
And then the whole class was like yeah, and they
all started chanting Stuart's Gay. And he walked down and
he walked past and he place goes fuck you man,
but he's fuck you, bro, and I like, I don't know,
I didn't do anything. I'm an innocent party here, but
I landed myself in it and he was it was
he was real was the teacher said, I don't think
anyone there was me because I was like, oh, I
(45:17):
think I'm being pranks, like because I had to read
it out in front of the class, and I was
going to be like Stuart Gay and the teacher's going
to be like, hey, get out of here, you're punk.
So I was like, oh no, this isn't a real
kid's name, and you milk that and you could hear
the tension building and because I think the class realized
who was going to be and I said Stuart Gay
but it's not a real name, they went crazy.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
They he walked past and this woman going fuck you.
Speaker 1 (45:37):
Brod The start of your stand up career at the
magazine stand yeah, this is where you got the crowd reaction.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
Milk the crowd, the crowd.
Speaker 3 (45:48):
I was in it.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
I will say this. I was truly innocent. I was
trying to do the right thing. At school.
Speaker 3 (45:53):
I was like, I don't want to read this out
because what are Yeah? I know I noticed now, but
I've never heard of a guy I would last name gay.
I mean, and when they're doing it now, well the Euros.
I think in the Weish team there's a lar guy
with the last same gay, and I thought the same thing.
Speaker 2 (46:08):
It must have been tough at high school for him.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
At intermediate the best cross country runner was Jason Gay
and he could run and run and run, unbelievable runner.
And I was trying to find him on Facebook or something.
But then I saw that there was a gay young runner,
someone Gay I can't remember, in Wanga Nui and he's
outstanding as well. So I figured that must be the
(46:31):
lineage of the of the great gay runners who are
started off on because he'd win the cross country by like,
you know, four hundred meters. There's no one close.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
It's just Tyson Gay. Is that a name? What's Tyson Gay?
I'm going to google that while we do whatever we
need to do.
Speaker 1 (46:48):
Oh yeah, Tysons a sprinter, Yeah it's a sprinter.
Speaker 2 (46:50):
Is that an American Spirit Sprinter?
Speaker 1 (46:52):
Tyson game?
Speaker 2 (46:52):
But there's a lot of fast gates.
Speaker 1 (46:54):
Yeah, and by that I mean people were the last
name gay. Yeah, yeah, Yeah, that's all we're talking about here. Anyway,
let's do the tab good Hunch.
Speaker 3 (47:02):
We've got to feel like we started on a better
story than what we ended up there. I think we've
gone off piece and we haven't gone back to the
main trail. I think we were really getting into a
different topic.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
What was it?
Speaker 2 (47:15):
I have no idea.
Speaker 1 (47:16):
No Clark gave for just calling me McCoy shaving heads.
Speaker 3 (47:20):
We can go back for the All Blacks. Brandon Leonard,
Brandon Leonard, what a guy. Thanks for coming on the podcast.
We appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (47:28):
And it is now time for the tab game Day,
good punt, Good Hunch.
Speaker 3 (47:33):
It's rebranded. It is now time for the TV gamed
a good hunch. We had a hundred a bonus bet
to chuck on. And there's only one big game everyone's
talking about, because there's only one game that anyone's talking about,
and that is the Final And what are you reckon?
About this, yep, so to double it up both the
score a try, the score a try.
Speaker 1 (47:53):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
That's a good combo. It's a it's a good maulti.
It's a simple maulti.
Speaker 1 (47:58):
And why not, Well, I think Stutu is possibly near
the top of the try scoring list and Satiti is
definitely either setting up or there or thereabouts. And yeah,
it's a it's a good bet.
Speaker 3 (48:13):
Both have funny first names, Hoskins and Wallace. That's unusual
first names. Are they both sons of fresh and Rugay players? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (48:23):
So Similiti was man Usamur captain and he played for
the Hurricanes of Wellington loose Ford as well. Unbelievable, one
of my favorite players. I'm a big man Us some
More fan. And he was electric, very quick for a
loose Ford And you can see that with Wallace named
after William Wallace from Braveheart, because I think Simuel was
playing over in the United Kingdom when that was that
(48:46):
movie came out and all that sort of stuff. And
then it was also so Hoskins. I'm not sure how
he got the name Hoskins. I should know because I
do know the family and Wisuki is I remember meeting
him as a young fellow and turning up at training
at Varsity here at Varsity Rugby Club here in Auckland
and seeing the size of Wassaki sou Tou and going,
(49:11):
holy shit, am I going to have to tackle him?
We're not doing contact training, are we today? We're just
gonna around. It's gonna be fine because he was so
muscular and yeah, Brutumman is such a good player.
Speaker 2 (49:24):
Got a bung knee quite early in his career. Otherwise
we could have.
Speaker 1 (49:27):
Seen definitely him playing for the for the All Blacks.
So Wassaki probably the one of the along with Dwayne Monthly,
probably one of the best rugby players to never play
for the All Blacks.
Speaker 3 (49:40):
Yeah, I reckon, we should get the two dads together.
You should view the dads. Go give me your ideas
for your Craig as well. Idea actually get the dance together.
Say hey, let's talk about the boys, these number eights.
They're tearing the competition apart. A huge fan fear for
both of them at the moment.
Speaker 2 (49:54):
You know, do with that what you will. Well, let's
chuck some one hundred dollars bonus bits.
Speaker 3 (49:58):
On those guys to both be any try anytime tryscorers
I reckon that'll need us a lovely little bit of loot.
And you can also hit the Chairby website chairb dot
co dot inzad or download the Chairby app to check
out all the rugby union promos and the boost at
odds market. And if there is or was, if there
was a time to hit the house on something, you
may as I'll chuck it on the Grand Final of
(50:18):
Super Footy.
Speaker 1 (50:20):
Yes, indeed, I was just thinking about Wassaki the first
time actually saw him play. Wassaki statucchu is playing for
Wesley College against Saint Stevens, which is no longer a
college here, but it was a big game in that
sort of counties area. And even then, when you're talking
about someone looking like a seven four mood stayed back
(50:41):
for a year, that was like Wassaki.
Speaker 2 (50:43):
I was like, ooh again that second foight from Wesley.
Speaker 3 (50:47):
Yeah, do not miss He's a massive rag. I mean,
this is the story I always go to. But Antony
Oliver was famous Marlborough old boy, way older than me.
But they have all the first fifteen pictures each year
and the hallways and he was in the first Steen
and third form, and he was the captain I believe
in late full form. And it just looks like someone's
(51:08):
dad's sitting in the front of the photo. By seventh form.
It's crazy. Yeah, yeah, he's a fully grown he's bald.
I mean, speaking of Bard all blacks, he's basically baled.
In seventh form.
Speaker 2 (51:19):
He has no here really his arm.
Speaker 3 (51:22):
He just has grown man arms here he knuckles and
the kids around him look like children just by association.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
It's insane. It's one of those guys who.
Speaker 3 (51:30):
He did Tom Hanks and Big or whatever it is,
Jack Robin Williams and Jack. He grew up too fast.
He's he was just a fully grown man before everyone else.
And I guess that's how you become all black, as
you be a dad when you're twelve.
Speaker 1 (51:46):
That is Yeah, it will be good to show that
photo because it sounds like a classic. There is always
one guy like that in every rugby team where you
just go, okay, they've got you know, yeah, that's shaving
every day.
Speaker 3 (51:59):
Yeah, he looked shaving every day, And it was crazy
if someone would have to maybe shave a moustache here
and there at high school, right like when people first
started shaving you're like, well, nice, he looked like he would.
He has literally has five o'clock shadow in the picture.
That's what we always used to be like. This is insane,
this is get his dad out of the photo.
Speaker 2 (52:15):
What a guy.
Speaker 1 (52:17):
Quite classic that for a week when there's only one game.
This is possibly our longest podcast.
Speaker 2 (52:21):
I think it is issue for joining us. We'll we
wrap it up.
Speaker 3 (52:23):
We're over excited about this final and we will see
you next week for a wee bit of a wrap up,
and either James will be on the party bus down
there in Hamilton, or he'll be, you know, just sitting
inside sort of silently shulking in the dark.
Speaker 2 (52:36):
Either or we'll catch you up next Wednesday. Thanks listening.
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