Elliott Smith: Rugby Editor and ZB voice of rugby joins from Chicago ahead of All Blacks v Ireland

The All Blacks are set to face Ireland in Chicago for the first match of their Grand Slam Tour. 

This will be the first time the two sides have faced each other in nearly a year, where the All Blacks beat Ireland 23 - 13. 

ZB's Voice of Rugby Elliott Smith told Francesca Rudkin that '[the game] promises to be a special occasion even if it's not tearing the headlines off the front pages.'

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, So the All Blacks Grand Slam Tour gets underway
this weekend with arguably the toughest test. They'll be back
at Chicago's Soldier Field on Sunday morning, taking on Ireland.
Of course, we all remember the last time these two
met in Chicago twenty sixteen. We're famously Island recorded its
first win over the All Blacks. Our voice of Rugby,
Elliott Smith, is in Chicago and he joins me, Now.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Good morning, Hi Francesca.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
What's the vibe like? Is everyone amped and looking forward
to a game of rugby?

Speaker 2 (00:27):
It's quite interesting. I mean it sold out and months
ago as well, sixty one thousand capacity for the game,
but barring a few lampost flags, you probably wouldn't know
it's on. And that's fine. Look it said, it's one
of those things in a big city that sometimes these
things don't break through. And it's a sport that isn't
one that is widely popular in the masses. And you know,

(00:49):
I think Chicago's probably more focused on the Chicago bullside,
which have started four and zero to start the NBA season.
Then this test for having said that you don't sell
sixty thousand by accident and there'll be plenty of fans
and you know a lot of Irish people in Chicago,
and a lot of expats coming through from both nations
and those also coming from the countries flying in for
the game. So promises to be a special occasion, even

(01:11):
if it's not tearing the headlines off the front pages
of the paper.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
At the moment, considering the All Blacks Rugby Championship, are
you confident that they can take Ireland?

Speaker 2 (01:21):
Look, I think they can take Ireland. Island coming in cold.
They haven't played as a group since the Six Nations.
Andy Farrell, their head coach, wasn't head coach on that occasion.
He took a break to focus on his lines duty.
So it's been a while. In fact, last year's end
of year tour with the All Blacks hand success over Ireland.
Since that they were all together as a proper group,
with all the management and all the players in the

(01:43):
right place. So they come in a little bit cold
to this test matcher. They've had a diet of urec.
They played each other in a derby a lot of
these players last weekend, so they've had a bit of
a hitout internally as well as my understanding, but they
come in a little bit cold. But the All Blacks,
you know, they're right in the middle of the season,
in the back end of their season. The Rugby Championship
fills you probably with not a great deal of confidence.

(02:05):
They beat the Wallabies obviously to finish it off, but
that heavy loss to the spring Box and Tina losing
in Buenos Aires as well gives you the sense that,
you know, it's the old Forest Gump analogy, you know,
all backs. At the moment, you just don't know what
you're going to get. And it could be a win
this weekend, they could set themselves on to a Grand Slam,
or it could be a defeat to you know, the

(02:28):
Irish and the Grand Slam's gone at the first hurdle.
So look, there's a lot of improvements needed by the
All Blacks and that starts this weekend.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
What would losing again in the US do to the
All Blacks brand because we are playing there purely for
commercial reasons for the advertisers.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yeah, I think they need to keep up appearances by winning,
and you know that's where they drive a lot of
their revenue. Is obviously their historical record and the record
over the last few seasons hasn't been good enough, So
you've got to deliver on that. You've got to show
the sponsors that are backing us. That's got you know,
Gallagher is the name rite sponsor on the back of
their shorts, but also for the fixture itself. You know,

(03:03):
they expect success. So it's you know, it's contingent on it.
And the more you lose, the less commercially lucrative you
are potentially to some of those overseas markets where you're
selling the success story of the All Black So I
think it's imperative that they do pick up these wins,
especially when they are, you know, in America and trying
to tell the rugby story and and the all black story.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
Elliot, thanks so much for your time. Appreciated.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
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