November 23, 2025 • 19 mins
On Sports Fix with Jason Pine for 24th November 2025, The first Ashes test is already over. It lasted less than 2 days, as Australia managed to overcome England's hyper aggressive Bazball strategy, winning by 8 wickets in Perth. NZ test cricket great Neil Wagner joined Piney to discuss why England continue to deploy the strategy, and whether they'd be better off to tone it down a bit.
Piney discusses the possibility that test matches no longer need to scheduled for 5 days.
Plus, the People's Chamber returns for the final time with Elijah Fa'afiu recapping the All Blacks year.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
This is Forcefix Howard by News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello there, Welcome into a new week. Welcome into a
fresh episode of the Sports Fixed podcast. It's great to
have you listening in. We're here in association with GJ.
Gardner Holmes, New Zealand's most trusted home builder. Test match
cricket used to be a five day proposition. Occasionally Test
matches wouldn't get into the fifth day, sometimes not into
the fourth day. But it's extremely rare for a Test
(00:44):
match to be all over before stumps on the second day.
But that is exactly what happened in Perth in the
first Ashes Test, with just one hundred and forty one
overs needed before Australia beat England by eight wickets. Is
this the way we're going and how did this happen?
One of our great Test match bowlers and now TV
commentator Neil Wagner is going to join us for a
(01:06):
chat about that. Elijah Few pop into the chamber to
talk that and also to review the All Blacks season
and the latest and Sports is coming your way as well,
so let's get into it. In other news, let's get
underway with a look at some of the bigger sports
stories around today. The All Blacks will review their campaign
in the coming weeks as they take stock of a
(01:28):
mixed twenty twenty five. Forwards coach Jason Ryan says analysis
is important to them.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
We'll do that as a coaching group. There'll be feedback
from the lads as there is any in the season
review and as long as there's no sort of curveballs
in the end, because we pride ourselves in reviewing every
week and sorting out things in front of us.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Max for Stappens bid for a fifth straight Formula One
title still has tread. A win at the Las Vegas
Grand Prix has kept the Red Bull driver's hopes alive,
especially after both McLaren's words asqualified, I mean.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
It's still a very big gap so for me until
the end as all of are just trying to maximize
everything we can try to win if we can, so
we Today was was a very good deed for.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Us and Arsenal had secured a four to one win
over Tottenham to move to twenty nine points sixth. Claire
of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League Football ladder.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
The averixer Rops a quite successional performance not just from
Hutcher Geryl as a with the full force of fifteen
years of whole dominance in North London.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Dissecting the sporting agenda, It's Sportsfix with Jason Vine.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
You're listening to the Sports Fix podcast. The first Ashes
cricket Test over inside two days in Perth, a Travis
Head cracking the sixth equal fastest century in Test history
to deliver Australia and eight wicket win over England. The
entire match lasted just one hundred and forty one overs.
Let's bring in one of our greatest fast bowlers in
(02:58):
our cricket commentator, Neil Wagner Wax, thanks for your time.
What do you make of the fact that the first
Ashes Test match didn't even last two days?
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Yeah, there's a little being said about it, Bunny. Yeah.
I mean people will be unhappy not seeing obviously longer days.
I feel the chats about Australia losing millions, but for
me personally it kind of count with some high octane
fast bowling, which is incredibly hard to describe and explain
(03:27):
when you have I mean over probably five guys and
six guys at smash all bowling under over one hundred
and forty klometers per hour at high speeds. The bounds
that they extracted out of a surface, there's nothing wrong
with that surface. That we've come across that surface before
and that's just what you deal with. But when you
(03:48):
have eight bowlers running in that extract steep bounce and
high pace and make that extremely hard as the bowlers.
If a bowling point of view has quite exciting, it
looks dirt. Yeah, player spectator point of view, you obviously
I beg to differ because you want to watch more
actually and for longer. But you can't. I don't know
(04:13):
where you could say take your hat off for travisse
here the energy played and done, we've done. Yeah, I
think they'll sit back and reflect and say, cause they've
done differently, could they bowl different because they've done spread
everyone onto the field and bolted the white hole to
try and get them off strike and then go to
the more conventional field to guy like Marnas and and
(04:33):
Bill push it that way. But you can't take away
the energy played. Was a phenomenal ningxit that actually took
the game to be able to go, you know, a
lot quicker than whateveryone.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Thought it would go in terms of facing the bowling
that you talk about, and it was, as you say,
high quality bowling on a wicket that was probably conducive
to you know, to bowling quick like that. Should England
have just been less aggressive with the bat?
Speaker 4 (04:59):
Yeah, you can argue both ways. You could say you
can try and you ride it out and fight it
out sometimes on wicket like that. I mean when they
started adding me in the back end, when Travis he
got runs, there's no doubt that the surface to get
a fraction easier than what it was obviously you know
a couple of hours before that. We know from our
personal experience in perfect it was sort of like that.
(05:21):
You get through to, you know, sort of day two, morning, afternoon. Off,
it starts getting easier, then it starts getting quicker. There's
a time where it's going to be a little bit
easier to bat, but you sort of stand there and
try and fight of it, and you get one of
your name on it, which just Steve Bounce moving going
away and you knick it off. I think knowing the
way England's probably played as they knew there was obviously
(05:42):
something in the surface, was thinking to be able to
school runs quicker, to be able to get the conditions
to bowl on when it was still nipping and having
their patent bounce in the surface. There's a period where
on day three it becomes probably the easiest to bat,
and then day four, day five the cracks starts coming
to play, and then as a bowler, when you bowl
last on it, that's where it gets really tough and
(06:05):
their variable bounce. The day three was arguably going to
be the be to bats. I think maybe England thought, hey,
scoring runs quick while something is an offer. Two hundred runs,
two hundred and fifty runs is going to be a
very tough score at that time because the game was
so far advanced and so quickly advanced that you could
still have something in it with the bowlers rather than
getting to pornary. Day three is probably the best long
(06:25):
to bat. It's more just were how fast that game advanced,
So yeah, you con beect to differ. There's a bit
of both in it, but then it doesn't take away
from guys bowling high one hundred and forty, close to
hundred and fifty and touching under these guys with boiling
hundred fifty pullus pour on one of the steepest, fastest
bouncies wickets in the world.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
What about the fact that England's second innings was so
short that their bowlers didn't have a heck of a
lot of time to recover from, you know, from bowling
against Australia in the first innings. As a fast bowler,
how important is it for your team to bat for
a while to allow you to get some rest and recovery.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
In Yeah, that's big, especially when you have the four
week boards bowling, you know, over one hundred and forty plus.
Like I said, steaming in binder cast Wy the only
boy who has been doing it for a number of
years for a while, I've got the miles on his legs.
For Joffra mark Wood, the other guys, they wouldn't have
had this impact on the body, I guess for quite
(07:24):
some time, and then on a test level, to not
have the rest it becomes crucial. Yeah, definitely, especially imperfect.
They were pretty lucky, I think from all accounts that
I heard. Wasn't as hot as well, it normally gets
some purpose. The temperatures weren't as high as what you
sort of expect, so that doesn't take as much everybody.
But yeah, definitely running and buying that pace for a day,
(07:47):
you'd want to get some rest and to be able
to back it up and go again. So yeah, it
wasn't sure enough. And I think England will know that.
You know, they lost five workers quite quickly for not
many runs that they would have had a big impact
if they if they could have got more runs together,
anything from turn and fiftieth roundred was a score theyre
going to back themselves to defend. I think how fast
(08:09):
the game advanced, with two hundred odd runs, they still
would have backed themselves. But like I said, Travis Head
comes out, opens the batting and plays the absence sublime knock,
which he's done in the wall stage a number of
times now through all different formats. You've got to tip
your hat and say, well well played. And I think
they were a little bit shocked. I think England, you
(08:31):
sort of look at the way how they went about it.
I don't think they expected it, and in things, because
it's such a short game, so fast paced, un thought
so quickly before you look up, you go, ah, damn,
we should have played it tight dos try that in
hindsight always but yeah from afar, when you sit on
the couch, it always looks a easier game. We sat
there and you go, gosh, just by a white hole,
(08:52):
push everyone on the boundary, just get them off strike.
But when someone was clearing the rope like yours, you
sort of and you sort of kept thinking with the
surface of ways and playing, you're half a chance away.
You know some who go to hand. Before you know it,
the guy scores one hundred of the six your deliveries.
The game has been taken completely away from you by
a piece of brilliance.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Thanks so much for insight Wags, loving you work and
TV commentary. Mate, appreciate you joining us on the Sports
Fix podcast that is Neil Wagner talking two day Test
matches sports Vex. Imagine if you'd bought tickets to Day
three of the first Ashes Test in Perth yesterday, and
thousands and thousands of people will have There'll be families
(09:34):
who could only afford to attend one day of the
Test match and they would have chosen Day three, the
Sunday as the day they get along. Corporates will have
selected that day is the one they bring their clients
to the Test to whine and dine them in those
flash corporate areas. What about all the food that was
ordered in advance, ready for the thousands and thousands of
(09:55):
hungry and thirsty patrons on day three. Cricket fans of
all types will have planned a day at the cricket
on day three in Perth, but there was no cricket
for them because in the space of one hundred and
forty one overs, well inside two days, the game was done.
And this wasn't a two day Test because of any
(10:18):
demons in the wicket. It wasn't because of an utter mismatch.
These are two of the supposedly best Test teams in
the world starting their battle for the oldest prize in
the game. Australia and England have been playing Test cricket
against one another for one hundred and forty eight years,
and all of a sudden, it seems as though the
current crop have either forgotten how to play this form
(10:39):
of the game or they just can't be bothered with
it anymore. What happened to occupying the crease, to playing
yourself in getting a gauge on the pitch, on the conditions,
on the opposition bowlers, putting a price on your wicket,
building partnerships, grinding the other team down and leaving them
out in the hot sun for as long as possible,
(11:01):
just a little bit of application with the bat. Is
this now? What Test cricket is? Just slightly longer game
of white ball cricket? If it is, I guess that's okay.
But we do have to have a serious chat, don't
we about reducing Test matches from five days down to
four and who knows even down to three.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
This is the sports Fix podcast and inside the Chamber
we go. Monday's Chamber is the People's Chamber with Elijah
few multi media journalists with a news talks he'd b
and endzed me. We love a review, Elijah. We love
to look back at a year or a season and
give it a mark out of ten or an A plus,
a B minus or whatever. So let's do that with
(11:50):
the All Blacks today. I don't need you really to
give it a mark. How would you assess it? In
conversational terms? The All Blacks of twenty twenty five, I.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
Think, looking if we looked at last year, I think
it was okay for US fans to give a raither
a bit of patients. In terms of being his first
full year in charge, I think this year we did
expect some sort of improvement from this group, and I
don't think it was the progression that we really wanted
to see from this group. It's not a step backwards,
(12:21):
but I don't think it's I guess the positive steps
as we would have liked to have seen from the squad,
and I think those losses to England and South Africa,
those two really stick out, and then obviously that loss
a way to Argentina with big standouts, I think that
loss to England was probably the big defining performance. If
we had won that game and won the Grand Slam,
(12:42):
then we'd probably be sitting here thinking differently about how
the year panned out, and the only real blemish would
have been that record loss to South Africa. So I
think all in all, yeah, it's a year where it
wasn't a backward step, but I don't think there's still
plenty to prove on. Probably not as much progression as
we would have liked to have seen.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
That's a very good summary. I can't add a heck
of a lot really, apart from saying that you're so
right about the England Test. If the All Blacks had
come out of that Test match and had won it,
then we would be talking about a Grand Slam. We'd
be talking about something tangible, wouldn't we Instead, when you
look back on twenty twenty five, we didn't win the
Rugby Championship. Yes, we hold on to the Bledisloe Cup.
(13:21):
We didn't win a Grand Slam. These are things that
you can kind of hang a season on. You can say, well,
that's an achievement. That's an achievement. That's an achievement. And
eleven out of thirteen, even though it's only one more win,
just sounds better, doesn't it than ten out of thirteen
given the context. And Yeah, the improvement is the thing
I think that we haven't seen. We haven't seen significant improvement,
certainly not enough for us to feel confidence. If we're
(13:43):
sitting here next year, you and I chatting what will
have to happen in twenty twenty six for us to
feel relatively confident heading into World Cup year?
Speaker 6 (13:53):
Do you think, Well, the big thing next year is
the greatest library tour against South Africa that we have
four tests against South Africa. I think, well, three of
them are going to be in South Africa and one
is at yet to be determined venue. I think if
we win three of out of four Verse tests, I
would be really confident about the All Backs chances. Even
if we win two, I'd be okay. Or it would
(14:14):
depend on how the performances actually are against South Africa,
because the Springboks are the standard right now in world rugby,
and I still think the All Backs as of today
are still far behind South Africa. But I think if
we talk of sitting here next year and the All
Backs have done quite well on that tour against South Africa,
then yeah, I'd be fully confident about their chances. So
(14:34):
that really will be the defining points on that greatest
Liverory tour.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
If they would have win three or four, I think
that would be amazing. I think if I'd be honestly,
I'd be quite happy to split that series, given the
fact that, as you say, three of those tests are
in South Africa at big imposing venues, But I don't
know where the fourth one will be, but it'll still
be South Africa playing against us. They just seem to
be so far ahead of the rest of the rugby
(14:59):
world at the moment, and there's nothing to suggest that
they won't continue to go along those lines with Racy
Erasmus and Tony Brown and others you know, master In. Yeah. Look,
if it's a split series to wall I think that
probably is a sign of progress. Just before we leave
the All Blacks, I just want to give a couple
of names to you. Tell me yes or no whether
(15:20):
you think these players will feature at the twenty twenty
seven Rugby World Cup for New Zealand. Okay, Severa Reese no.
Rico Jouanni No, he won't be there either. Antonine Lennett Brown.
Speaker 6 (15:37):
I'm going to say no at this point. I think
there's some other better midfield options out there.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Wow, So three strikes on those three players. The reason
I ask is because they all obviously played a part
in the Test against Wales yesterday. All I think played
pretty well. I think, you know in midfield, Leonet Brown
and Juanna were pretty solid. Sever Reese off the bench,
got a couple of tries. So if they're not going
to be there in twenty twenty seven, can you see
them playing for the All Blacks in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
Well, that's the thing I part of me felt like
for a of those players in that Whales test, that
that was their final outing in the Black Jersey. If
I'm being honest, I think guys like Sevu and Rico
and Antonina Brown, Yes they played well, but I can't
see how they get past the likes off. We look
at the midfield. We have Jordy Barrett's there, we have
(16:25):
Lester Finger and Uku who can also play out on
the wing. We have Quincy Pye and Billy Procter, who
I think have both shown growth as players this season.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Wing.
Speaker 6 (16:34):
Yes, we do need some options out there, but I
think Kayler Clark and the Roy Carter really came on
this season, and I think there's another some younger outside
backs out there. I just I can't see in two
years time or even next year how that trio warp
heir for New Zealand. So personally, I think, personally, I
think that was the last time we saw those three
in the Black Jersey.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Yeah, I tend to agree. I think it's definitely the
last time we've seen Finlay Christi he's not even signed
for next year. I think he's off to the UK.
But the other three, I mean Antony Brown signed until
twenty twenty eight, so you know what does he do?
Does he just play super rugby? Cheap is It's a
conversation which will go into next year and probably beyond.
Just before we leave the chamber, we've heard from Wag's
(17:15):
Neil Wagner on this two day test from a totally
selfish point of view, Elijah I finished on the radio
yesterday at three. I would have quite liked to have
had Aukland f C on one screen and the Ashes
on the other. All I could watch was Auckland FC.
The Ashes were done in two days.
Speaker 6 (17:30):
Yeah. The thing about the Ashes that I'm not the
biggest cricket fan, but one of the things that does
draw me into cricket is something like the Ashes, that
rivalry that's been on for years between Australia and England,
the back and forth sledging between the two sides, and
even for two days of action, there was so much
to unpack over those two days. Nineteen wickets on the
(17:51):
opening day that was a record amount for that opening test.
Uzma Kwaja are dealing with back problems and because of
the time he had off, he couldn't actually bat, which
there's a whole reshuffle, and turns out the reshuffle worked
well in your favor because Tavor's head would end up
smashing a sentry and steering the Aussies home.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
So that was.
Speaker 6 (18:09):
A great, great, some great action in that opening test,
and I can't wait for the rest of the series.
It's going to be some exciting stuff.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Well, it's hoping, it's hoped the remaining test go a
bit longer than two days. That is us in the chamber,
and it is also the last time we're going to
have the pleasure of your company in the chamber. Elijah,
You're off on your exciting next adventure. So can I
just say it's been an absolute pleasure every Monday having
the chance to chew over the sporting issues of the
(18:37):
weekend with you in the chamber. It'll be it won't
be the same without you. All the best on your
next adventure. And thank you so much for everything you've
given to Sports Fix and to the People's Chamber in particular.
Speaker 6 (18:49):
Thank you so much, Pati. I'm going to miss the
People's Chamber, so thank you so much, and all the
best of the Chamber.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Leading a VEX, We've got just the ticket. It's Sports
Fix powered by News Talks.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
IVY, and that'll low the final We're still on the
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(19:19):
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Speaker 1 (19:27):
For more from News Talks EDB, listen live on air
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You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
This is Forcefix Howard by News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello there, Welcome into a new week. Welcome into a
fresh episode of the Sports Fixed podcast. It's great to
have you listening in. We're here in association with GJ.
Gardner Holmes, New Zealand's most trusted home builder. Test match
cricket used to be a five day proposition. Occasionally Test
matches wouldn't get into the fifth day, sometimes not into
the fourth day. But it's extremely rare for a Test
(00:44):
match to be all over before stumps on the second day.
But that is exactly what happened in Perth in the
first Ashes Test, with just one hundred and forty one
overs needed before Australia beat England by eight wickets. Is
this the way we're going and how did this happen?
One of our great Test match bowlers and now TV
commentator Neil Wagner is going to join us for a
(01:06):
chat about that. Elijah Few pop into the chamber to
talk that and also to review the All Blacks season
and the latest and Sports is coming your way as well,
so let's get into it. In other news, let's get
underway with a look at some of the bigger sports
stories around today. The All Blacks will review their campaign
in the coming weeks as they take stock of a
(01:28):
mixed twenty twenty five. Forwards coach Jason Ryan says analysis
is important to them.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
We'll do that as a coaching group. There'll be feedback
from the lads as there is any in the season
review and as long as there's no sort of curveballs
in the end, because we pride ourselves in reviewing every
week and sorting out things in front of us.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Max for Stappens bid for a fifth straight Formula One
title still has tread. A win at the Las Vegas
Grand Prix has kept the Red Bull driver's hopes alive,
especially after both McLaren's words asqualified, I mean.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
It's still a very big gap so for me until
the end as all of are just trying to maximize
everything we can try to win if we can, so
we Today was was a very good deed for.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Us and Arsenal had secured a four to one win
over Tottenham to move to twenty nine points sixth. Claire
of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League Football ladder.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
The averixer Rops a quite successional performance not just from
Hutcher Geryl as a with the full force of fifteen
years of whole dominance in North London.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Dissecting the sporting agenda, It's Sportsfix with Jason Vine.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
You're listening to the Sports Fix podcast. The first Ashes
cricket Test over inside two days in Perth, a Travis
Head cracking the sixth equal fastest century in Test history
to deliver Australia and eight wicket win over England. The
entire match lasted just one hundred and forty one overs.
Let's bring in one of our greatest fast bowlers in
(02:58):
our cricket commentator, Neil Wagner Wax, thanks for your time.
What do you make of the fact that the first
Ashes Test match didn't even last two days?
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Yeah, there's a little being said about it, Bunny. Yeah.
I mean people will be unhappy not seeing obviously longer days.
I feel the chats about Australia losing millions, but for
me personally it kind of count with some high octane
fast bowling, which is incredibly hard to describe and explain
(03:27):
when you have I mean over probably five guys and
six guys at smash all bowling under over one hundred
and forty klometers per hour at high speeds. The bounds
that they extracted out of a surface, there's nothing wrong
with that surface. That we've come across that surface before
and that's just what you deal with. But when you
(03:48):
have eight bowlers running in that extract steep bounce and
high pace and make that extremely hard as the bowlers.
If a bowling point of view has quite exciting, it
looks dirt. Yeah, player spectator point of view, you obviously
I beg to differ because you want to watch more
actually and for longer. But you can't. I don't know
(04:13):
where you could say take your hat off for travisse
here the energy played and done, we've done. Yeah, I
think they'll sit back and reflect and say, cause they've
done differently, could they bowl different because they've done spread
everyone onto the field and bolted the white hole to
try and get them off strike and then go to
the more conventional field to guy like Marnas and and
(04:33):
Bill push it that way. But you can't take away
the energy played. Was a phenomenal ningxit that actually took
the game to be able to go, you know, a
lot quicker than whateveryone.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Thought it would go in terms of facing the bowling
that you talk about, and it was, as you say,
high quality bowling on a wicket that was probably conducive
to you know, to bowling quick like that. Should England
have just been less aggressive with the bat?
Speaker 4 (04:59):
Yeah, you can argue both ways. You could say you
can try and you ride it out and fight it
out sometimes on wicket like that. I mean when they
started adding me in the back end, when Travis he
got runs, there's no doubt that the surface to get
a fraction easier than what it was obviously you know
a couple of hours before that. We know from our
personal experience in perfect it was sort of like that.
(05:21):
You get through to, you know, sort of day two, morning, afternoon. Off,
it starts getting easier, then it starts getting quicker. There's
a time where it's going to be a little bit
easier to bat, but you sort of stand there and
try and fight of it, and you get one of
your name on it, which just Steve Bounce moving going
away and you knick it off. I think knowing the
way England's probably played as they knew there was obviously
(05:42):
something in the surface, was thinking to be able to
school runs quicker, to be able to get the conditions
to bowl on when it was still nipping and having
their patent bounce in the surface. There's a period where
on day three it becomes probably the easiest to bat,
and then day four, day five the cracks starts coming
to play, and then as a bowler, when you bowl
last on it, that's where it gets really tough and
(06:05):
their variable bounce. The day three was arguably going to
be the be to bats. I think maybe England thought, hey,
scoring runs quick while something is an offer. Two hundred runs,
two hundred and fifty runs is going to be a
very tough score at that time because the game was
so far advanced and so quickly advanced that you could
still have something in it with the bowlers rather than
getting to pornary. Day three is probably the best long
(06:25):
to bat. It's more just were how fast that game advanced,
So yeah, you con beect to differ. There's a bit
of both in it, but then it doesn't take away
from guys bowling high one hundred and forty, close to
hundred and fifty and touching under these guys with boiling
hundred fifty pullus pour on one of the steepest, fastest
bouncies wickets in the world.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
What about the fact that England's second innings was so
short that their bowlers didn't have a heck of a
lot of time to recover from, you know, from bowling
against Australia in the first innings. As a fast bowler,
how important is it for your team to bat for
a while to allow you to get some rest and recovery.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
In Yeah, that's big, especially when you have the four
week boards bowling, you know, over one hundred and forty plus.
Like I said, steaming in binder cast Wy the only
boy who has been doing it for a number of
years for a while, I've got the miles on his legs.
For Joffra mark Wood, the other guys, they wouldn't have
had this impact on the body, I guess for quite
(07:24):
some time, and then on a test level, to not
have the rest it becomes crucial. Yeah, definitely, especially imperfect.
They were pretty lucky, I think from all accounts that
I heard. Wasn't as hot as well, it normally gets
some purpose. The temperatures weren't as high as what you
sort of expect, so that doesn't take as much everybody.
But yeah, definitely running and buying that pace for a day,
(07:47):
you'd want to get some rest and to be able
to back it up and go again. So yeah, it
wasn't sure enough. And I think England will know that.
You know, they lost five workers quite quickly for not
many runs that they would have had a big impact
if they if they could have got more runs together,
anything from turn and fiftieth roundred was a score theyre
going to back themselves to defend. I think how fast
(08:09):
the game advanced, with two hundred odd runs, they still
would have backed themselves. But like I said, Travis Head
comes out, opens the batting and plays the absence sublime knock,
which he's done in the wall stage a number of
times now through all different formats. You've got to tip
your hat and say, well well played. And I think
they were a little bit shocked. I think England, you
(08:31):
sort of look at the way how they went about it.
I don't think they expected it, and in things, because
it's such a short game, so fast paced, un thought
so quickly before you look up, you go, ah, damn,
we should have played it tight dos try that in
hindsight always but yeah from afar, when you sit on
the couch, it always looks a easier game. We sat
there and you go, gosh, just by a white hole,
(08:52):
push everyone on the boundary, just get them off strike.
But when someone was clearing the rope like yours, you
sort of and you sort of kept thinking with the
surface of ways and playing, you're half a chance away.
You know some who go to hand. Before you know it,
the guy scores one hundred of the six your deliveries.
The game has been taken completely away from you by
a piece of brilliance.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Thanks so much for insight Wags, loving you work and
TV commentary. Mate, appreciate you joining us on the Sports
Fix podcast that is Neil Wagner talking two day Test
matches sports Vex. Imagine if you'd bought tickets to Day
three of the first Ashes Test in Perth yesterday, and
thousands and thousands of people will have There'll be families
(09:34):
who could only afford to attend one day of the
Test match and they would have chosen Day three, the
Sunday as the day they get along. Corporates will have
selected that day is the one they bring their clients
to the Test to whine and dine them in those
flash corporate areas. What about all the food that was
ordered in advance, ready for the thousands and thousands of
(09:55):
hungry and thirsty patrons on day three. Cricket fans of
all types will have planned a day at the cricket
on day three in Perth, but there was no cricket
for them because in the space of one hundred and
forty one overs, well inside two days, the game was done.
And this wasn't a two day Test because of any
(10:18):
demons in the wicket. It wasn't because of an utter mismatch.
These are two of the supposedly best Test teams in
the world starting their battle for the oldest prize in
the game. Australia and England have been playing Test cricket
against one another for one hundred and forty eight years,
and all of a sudden, it seems as though the
current crop have either forgotten how to play this form
(10:39):
of the game or they just can't be bothered with
it anymore. What happened to occupying the crease, to playing
yourself in getting a gauge on the pitch, on the conditions,
on the opposition bowlers, putting a price on your wicket,
building partnerships, grinding the other team down and leaving them
out in the hot sun for as long as possible,
(11:01):
just a little bit of application with the bat. Is
this now? What Test cricket is? Just slightly longer game
of white ball cricket? If it is, I guess that's okay.
But we do have to have a serious chat, don't
we about reducing Test matches from five days down to
four and who knows even down to three.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
This is the sports Fix podcast and inside the Chamber
we go. Monday's Chamber is the People's Chamber with Elijah
few multi media journalists with a news talks he'd b
and endzed me. We love a review, Elijah. We love
to look back at a year or a season and
give it a mark out of ten or an A plus,
a B minus or whatever. So let's do that with
(11:50):
the All Blacks today. I don't need you really to
give it a mark. How would you assess it? In
conversational terms? The All Blacks of twenty twenty five, I.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
Think, looking if we looked at last year, I think
it was okay for US fans to give a raither
a bit of patients. In terms of being his first
full year in charge, I think this year we did
expect some sort of improvement from this group, and I
don't think it was the progression that we really wanted
to see from this group. It's not a step backwards,
(12:21):
but I don't think it's I guess the positive steps
as we would have liked to have seen from the squad,
and I think those losses to England and South Africa,
those two really stick out, and then obviously that loss
a way to Argentina with big standouts, I think that
loss to England was probably the big defining performance. If
we had won that game and won the Grand Slam,
(12:42):
then we'd probably be sitting here thinking differently about how
the year panned out, and the only real blemish would
have been that record loss to South Africa. So I
think all in all, yeah, it's a year where it
wasn't a backward step, but I don't think there's still
plenty to prove on. Probably not as much progression as
we would have liked to have seen.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
That's a very good summary. I can't add a heck
of a lot really, apart from saying that you're so
right about the England Test. If the All Blacks had
come out of that Test match and had won it,
then we would be talking about a Grand Slam. We'd
be talking about something tangible, wouldn't we Instead, when you
look back on twenty twenty five, we didn't win the
Rugby Championship. Yes, we hold on to the Bledisloe Cup.
(13:21):
We didn't win a Grand Slam. These are things that
you can kind of hang a season on. You can say, well,
that's an achievement. That's an achievement. That's an achievement. And
eleven out of thirteen, even though it's only one more win,
just sounds better, doesn't it than ten out of thirteen
given the context. And Yeah, the improvement is the thing
I think that we haven't seen. We haven't seen significant improvement,
certainly not enough for us to feel confidence. If we're
(13:43):
sitting here next year, you and I chatting what will
have to happen in twenty twenty six for us to
feel relatively confident heading into World Cup year?
Speaker 6 (13:53):
Do you think, Well, the big thing next year is
the greatest library tour against South Africa that we have
four tests against South Africa. I think, well, three of
them are going to be in South Africa and one
is at yet to be determined venue. I think if
we win three of out of four Verse tests, I
would be really confident about the All Backs chances. Even
if we win two, I'd be okay. Or it would
(14:14):
depend on how the performances actually are against South Africa,
because the Springboks are the standard right now in world rugby,
and I still think the All Backs as of today
are still far behind South Africa. But I think if
we talk of sitting here next year and the All
Backs have done quite well on that tour against South Africa,
then yeah, I'd be fully confident about their chances. So
(14:34):
that really will be the defining points on that greatest
Liverory tour.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
If they would have win three or four, I think
that would be amazing. I think if I'd be honestly,
I'd be quite happy to split that series, given the
fact that, as you say, three of those tests are
in South Africa at big imposing venues, But I don't
know where the fourth one will be, but it'll still
be South Africa playing against us. They just seem to
be so far ahead of the rest of the rugby
(14:59):
world at the moment, and there's nothing to suggest that
they won't continue to go along those lines with Racy
Erasmus and Tony Brown and others you know, master In. Yeah. Look,
if it's a split series to wall I think that
probably is a sign of progress. Just before we leave
the All Blacks, I just want to give a couple
of names to you. Tell me yes or no whether
(15:20):
you think these players will feature at the twenty twenty
seven Rugby World Cup for New Zealand. Okay, Severa Reese no.
Rico Jouanni No, he won't be there either. Antonine Lennett Brown.
Speaker 6 (15:37):
I'm going to say no at this point. I think
there's some other better midfield options out there.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Wow, So three strikes on those three players. The reason
I ask is because they all obviously played a part
in the Test against Wales yesterday. All I think played
pretty well. I think, you know in midfield, Leonet Brown
and Juanna were pretty solid. Sever Reese off the bench,
got a couple of tries. So if they're not going
to be there in twenty twenty seven, can you see
them playing for the All Blacks in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
Well, that's the thing I part of me felt like
for a of those players in that Whales test, that
that was their final outing in the Black Jersey. If
I'm being honest, I think guys like Sevu and Rico
and Antonina Brown, Yes they played well, but I can't
see how they get past the likes off. We look
at the midfield. We have Jordy Barrett's there, we have
(16:25):
Lester Finger and Uku who can also play out on
the wing. We have Quincy Pye and Billy Procter, who
I think have both shown growth as players this season.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Wing.
Speaker 6 (16:34):
Yes, we do need some options out there, but I
think Kayler Clark and the Roy Carter really came on
this season, and I think there's another some younger outside
backs out there. I just I can't see in two
years time or even next year how that trio warp
heir for New Zealand. So personally, I think, personally, I
think that was the last time we saw those three
in the Black Jersey.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Yeah, I tend to agree. I think it's definitely the
last time we've seen Finlay Christi he's not even signed
for next year. I think he's off to the UK.
But the other three, I mean Antony Brown signed until
twenty twenty eight, so you know what does he do?
Does he just play super rugby? Cheap is It's a
conversation which will go into next year and probably beyond.
Just before we leave the chamber, we've heard from Wag's
(17:15):
Neil Wagner on this two day test from a totally
selfish point of view, Elijah I finished on the radio
yesterday at three. I would have quite liked to have
had Aukland f C on one screen and the Ashes
on the other. All I could watch was Auckland FC.
The Ashes were done in two days.
Speaker 6 (17:30):
Yeah. The thing about the Ashes that I'm not the
biggest cricket fan, but one of the things that does
draw me into cricket is something like the Ashes, that
rivalry that's been on for years between Australia and England,
the back and forth sledging between the two sides, and
even for two days of action, there was so much
to unpack over those two days. Nineteen wickets on the
(17:51):
opening day that was a record amount for that opening test.
Uzma Kwaja are dealing with back problems and because of
the time he had off, he couldn't actually bat, which
there's a whole reshuffle, and turns out the reshuffle worked
well in your favor because Tavor's head would end up
smashing a sentry and steering the Aussies home.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
So that was.
Speaker 6 (18:09):
A great, great, some great action in that opening test,
and I can't wait for the rest of the series.
It's going to be some exciting stuff.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Well, it's hoping, it's hoped the remaining test go a
bit longer than two days. That is us in the chamber,
and it is also the last time we're going to
have the pleasure of your company in the chamber. Elijah,
You're off on your exciting next adventure. So can I
just say it's been an absolute pleasure every Monday having
the chance to chew over the sporting issues of the
(18:37):
weekend with you in the chamber. It'll be it won't
be the same without you. All the best on your
next adventure. And thank you so much for everything you've
given to Sports Fix and to the People's Chamber in particular.
Speaker 6 (18:49):
Thank you so much, Pati. I'm going to miss the
People's Chamber, so thank you so much, and all the
best of the Chamber.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Leading a VEX, We've got just the ticket. It's Sports
Fix powered by News Talks.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
IVY, and that'll low the final We're still on the
Sports Fix podcast for today. We greatly appreciate you listening, downloading,
and in particular subscribing subscribers to Sports Fixed we'll find
a fresh episode popping into their podcast feed automatically at
about the same time tomorrow and right across the week
Monday through Friday, and for more from News Talks EDB Sport,
(19:19):
check out Sports Talk weeknights between seven and eight or
on the weekends Weekend Sport midday to three Saturday, and
again on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
For more from News Talks EDB, listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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