Tony Johnson: Rugby Commentator previews the All Blacks v England match at Twickenham

The All Blacks are switching it up this weekend as they face England. 

The squad named to play at Twickenham is largely different to the one that played Japan, with only three players keeping their role. 

Beauden Barrett will start at first five-eighth against England, taking over from Damian McKenzie who’s previously worn the number 10 jersey.  

Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson told Ryan Bridge that McKenzie’s been given a fairly long leash this year, and he’s just been a bit to erratic. 

He said that Barrett’s experience will be invaluable, and perhaps a little more consistent. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The All Blacks are facing England that took in him
this weekend and the team was named overnight Boden Barrett
back in the number ten Jersey. Largely different squad, completely
changed other than three players basically from the team that
we played against Japan. Tony Johnson's rugby commentators with US
Life this morning, Tony, good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
To you morning. Right.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
A couple of things to whip through. First of all,
that number ten significant.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Yeah, it is because mcdamien McKenzie's been giving a fairly
long leash this year. He's just been a bit too erratic,
brilliant at his best, but just tended to be I
think almost part of this the All Blacks sort of
falling off the cliff a little bit in the second
half as they've been doing Barrett. I don't think it

(00:43):
was their original intention to go back to him, but
his experience will be invaluable, perhaps just a little more consistent,
and so they put him together with his brother, so
it's a key thing. The other one, too, is half back.
I think we expected TJ. Peterinader perhaps with his experience,

(01:03):
to be part of the max. It's been quite bold.
They start with Royguard Sorry they start with Atima royguard
off the bench. I think that's a really great move,
and you know there's a couple of other selections there.
I suspect Ethan the group might be injured. Otherwise he
would have been in the front row.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
Yeah, I was going to answer about that. Is that
nothing nefarious off the field?

Speaker 2 (01:25):
No, I don't think so. I presume it's some sort
of injury thing. I haven't seen the comments around it.
I've just seen the team yah, Ryan, but I would say,
have to be an injury.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Do you think we Damian McKenzie will ever get back
to go back to number ten or do you think
that's sort of.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
I think he will, Yeah, but I think he's just
got to show a bit more consistency. And as I say,
we saw it in the game against Japan where the
all backs in the second quarter were just playing brilliantly
and then it dropped away in the second half, and
you know, for one reason or another, he just seemed

(02:02):
to be symptomatic of that. He's got so much talent.
But I just think in a test match like this,
a very high op game test, I think they've felt
to continue with it might have just been a bit
of a risk, but he'll come off the bench and
I think that what might be where he can provide
some really good.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
Value, big game before a big Haucker.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yeah. I mean there's three certainties in life, really, isn't,
you know? Death taxes and a cacophony of complaining in
the British media about the Huker ahead of an all
black England test at Twickenham. I mean you could set
your clock to it, couldn't. It comes up every time.
It's the one part of the world where it comes
up to this degree. And I suspect I think it

(02:43):
portrays some rather deep rooted colonial attitudes at times. But
how seriously should we take it? How seriously should we
take the comments of Stephen Jones, a guy who sort of,
you know, I think seems to have this deep seated
hatred of the all Blacks, which you know, influences the
way he writes. And also the guy who sparked at Marla,

(03:03):
you know, a guy who fired this off on his
way out the door exiting the England camp for whatever reason,
so he's not actually going to front up in the test.
A guy who has once fined twenty thousand pounds in
banned for two games for making an ethnical insult against
one of the Welsh players, called him a gypsy boy
because of the player's background, all the while the crowd

(03:24):
in the background singing a song about slavery. I'm not
sure why we should take it seriously, but we do
delight in taking outrage and these things, and so.

Speaker 1 (03:35):
We've taken the bait hotlines singer, haven't we? Tony Johnson,
rugby commentator. For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge,
listen live to news Talks.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
It'd be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.