Elliott Smith: Newstalk ZB Rugby Commentator previews the All Blacks v Australia clash

It’s the final round of the Rugby Championship this weekend. 

The All Blacks are taking on the Wallabies on Saturday night, in a sold-out Optus Stadium in Perth. 

Seven changes have been made to the side and Scott Barrett is back in the captaincy. 

Newstalk ZB Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith told Ryan Bridge inconsistency is likely the focus for the All Blacks. 

He says there are still so many questions around this team, and until they start stringing wins together, the questions will remain. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We've got the final round of the Rugby Championship this weekend.
The All Blacks take on the Wallabys in Perth to
sold out Optics Stadium. It's ten forty five pm our time,
Saturday night. Elliott Smith News Talk saib's voice of rugby
is the Elliott.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good morning, morning, Ryan.

Speaker 3 (00:13):
So what's the vibe like over there?

Speaker 2 (00:15):
He has been a big build up. Obviously, the Wallaby's
gone with a little bit of confidence given the way
they are able to pressure the All Blacks this last week.
It wasn't quite enough to win the bleders Low Cup,
but the Wallaby since there is an opportunity to get
first win over the All Blacks since twenty twenty ten
straight the All Blacks have won. But you know, the

(00:35):
Wallaby's certainly knocked off, not knocked off by the defeat
last week in Auckland and sensing there is a chance
to cause some kiwi pine this weekend.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
We've got a few other injuries. Boden Barrett's out. Any
concerns there.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, I think you'll be up a two to three weeks. Well,
the sound of it should be okay for Chicago. Damien
McKenzie comes in. He's been the understudy all year long
for Boden Barrett came off the bench instead for an
hour last week, so not a huge drop necessarily, but
Boden Barrett certainly the first choice and that All Blacks

(01:08):
set up. They lose Ethan de Groot as well up
front to Mighty Williams comes through. This is all about
finding that depth, of course, ahead of the twenty twenty
seven World Cup. Couple of other selections as well, with
Peter Lukey coming in at number eight, which is a
real surprise when that was named yesterday here in Australia,
and also Quente Pie at center, so a couple of surprises.

(01:30):
Just as the All Blacks try to find a little
bit of depth. There's not many opportunities to build those
depths with such a congested schedule and everyone being so
even around the world at the moment, so trying to
find those opportunities to learn a little bit more about
some of these players few and far between. But that's
what Scott Robinson's done this week. Not quite as conservative
maybe as we expected it to be.

Speaker 3 (01:52):
Very even Stevens. Assuming we beat the Wallabies in Perth,
then we're onto this Grand Slam Tour. What do we
need to do there.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
I think that any inconsistency is the focus for the
All Blacks. If they went on Saturday night, that's two
in a row, first time I've been able to do
that in the Rugby Championship. And then as you said,
the Ireland, who are always tough, that's in Chicago. England
a really really tricky at home, Scotland having never beaten
the All Blacks in Edinburgh, but will fancy their chances,

(02:20):
and then Wales surround out the year. The All Blacks
need to win and keep winning and building that momentum
because there are still so many questions around this All
Blacks team and until they start stringing wins together, these
questions are going to remain. So once we sit back
at the end of the year, over the summer and
can look back at the record for the year, that's

(02:40):
probably when we'll know how on track this All Blacks
team is ahead of twenty twenty seven.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
Here's hoping Elliott Smith News Talks they'd be Voice of
Rugby and Perth.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live
to news Talks they had been from five am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio,