Jason Pine: Weekend Sport Host ahead of the second All Blacks test against France

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson is determined to have more success in the air against France during Saturday's second test in Wellington. 

The French aerial assault often caught the ABs on the hop in the narrow first test win, an area Robertson says the All Blacks have been tidying up in practice. 

Weekend Sport Host Jason Pine told Andew Dickens that defusing their ariel game is essential, and Caleb Clarke, who is coming on as injury cover, is a big part of that. 

“He’s probably the All Blacks’ best winger in terms of diffusing the high bomb.” 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here is the bloke who's broadcasting from a shed this
week in Jason Pine. Welcome to the show.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Hello Andrew, good morning mate.

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Has it got insulation? Is it a warm shed?

Speaker 2 (00:09):
It's a very warm shed. It's a very hospitable shed.
Excuse me, Shed twenty two and downtown Wellington a great
place to broadcast a radio show from.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
And of course a home test for you. So you've
got your own bed to sleep and so you should
be in great form. Now, well let's look at the match.
Captain Scott Barrett out for the rest of the series
due to a calf injury. So how does this side
perform without Barrett and how much will he regret not
having these games?

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, look, I think they'll be okay without him. I
mean it's always been a bit of a next man
up scenario for excuse me, for the All Blacks and
look Patrick two for lost who comes into the second row.
He's a pretty good replacement. Really fifty test matches, he's
a experienced campaigner captain of the Blues. So look, I'm
not sure they'd lose a lot there, but when you

(00:58):
lose your skipper, that is a know, that's a little hurdle.
To get over. I just wonder how injured Scott Barrett
might actually be. I think that there's a concern that
this isn't going to be a short term thing for
Scott Barrett. He's going to miss this game and next weekend,
but there's just a little bit of doubt out there
about whether he might actually be out for significantly longer

(01:21):
than that. It's just a feeling you get from the
All Blacks when they talk about him and say they're
a little bit coy about exactly how bad the injury is.
So look, he's out for this one. Let's hope that
he's going to be okay for the Rugby Championship.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
And let's be frank, the focus of our season is
the spring Boks two games there and we want him
back for that. Caleb Clark gets a second chance. Now,
what does he have to do.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
I think he has to be good in the air.
I think there's one thing that they weren't last week
in Dunedin. The All Blacks they just found it very
difficult to diffuse France's aerial game. So I think that's
one thing that they'll definitely have to do tomorrow. And
Caleb Clark's a big part of that. He's probably the
All Blacks beast winger in terms of diffusing the high bomb.

(02:04):
He'd want to get a try as well, Andrew. He
didn't get a single try in Super Rugby Caleb Clark,
which is so unusual for a winger. But yeah, look
he gets his opportunity. He is a good player and
let's hope that he can show that at Sky Stadium
tomorrow night.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
So will when the wingers don't get tries, I blame
the midfield, to be honest with you.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
And it's a great point. It's a great point. And look,
we know who plays at center for the Blues and
that's Rico Youanni, He'll be out on the other wing
tomorrow night. So it's Billy Proctor who has the task
at center with Jordi Barrett inside him to provide those
opportunities for the wingers. It's a great point. So yeah,
let's hope they can provide the ammunition for the likes

(02:44):
of Clark and Yuani and will Jordan a fall back
to score some tries.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Actually, Rico has got a lot to prove as well.
If Billy's going to take over his role, which is
starting to look likely, he's got to make the wing
his home again.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, isn't it funny that he's gone across the right
wing as well? Of all sort of rika yoani if
he is a winger as a left winger with eleven
on his back. But look, I can't remember the last
time he played on the right wing. Our Rugby editor
Elliott Smith told me yesterday. He reckons it's twenty nineteen,
which is an awfully long time ago. Look, I don't
know that there's a huge difference between playing on the

(03:17):
left wing and on the right wing. But you're right,
he's got to find a place. If Billy Propp is
going to be the center, then Reco has to play
well on the wing just to make sure he's still
in the mix.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
Jason, enjoy your weekend working out of his shed, and
I look forward to your sideline comments and of course
Elliot Smith will be doing the call and it's right
here live on News Talks HEBB For more from early
edition with Ryan Bridge.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
Listen live to News Talks HEB from five am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.