Jason Pine: Sports Contributor on Auckland FC sitting top the league, and Super Rugby pre matches underway this weekend

Pre-season matches are underway in Super Rugby this weekend for all six New Zealand-based sides. 

What has led to Auckland FC sitting at the top of the league halfway through the season? 

The team is set to play Macarthur FC in Auckland tomorrow. 

Sports Contributor Jason Pine talks to Ryan Bridge about what's to come for sport over the weekend. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Lots of texts coming and I'm working from home, Ryan,
my daughter This is interesting. My daughter works for a
business that allows working from home, but not on Mondays
or Fridays or days next to a long weekend. Guess why,
asks Malcolm Ryan. I am much more productive when I
work from the garden bar at the viaducts, particularly on
the Friday.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Thank you for that one. Dan.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Jason plans here with Sport weekend Sport hosts mid Dad
or three tomorrow and Sunday on news talks. Be Hey Jason,
Hey Ryan, So the Super Rugby you wouldn't work well,
we can't work from home, can we?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
So we're not well?

Speaker 3 (00:31):
I mean unless they set something I like this up
at our house. I mean the state of the art
studio we find ourselves in. Look, I don't you know
what even if we could, I wouldn't, wouldn't you? Nah?
I just like the people, do you?

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (00:43):
I'm not sure they like me that much, but I
like being here where the people are.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
You like the opposite of make hosking.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
In more ways than what hey, Super Rugby the pre
season got a couple of matches this weekend.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
We have here all six jew Zealand bas sides are
actually playing playing currently or will play across the weekend.
It's funny, isn't it. What are we It's not even
February yet, but the Super Rugby season is two weeks away.
Two weeks from now, you and I will be chatting
about the first Super Rugby game on Valentine's Day night,
So that's how close it's getting. So yeah, preseason headouts,

(01:17):
I'm not sure you can read much into these. The
Hurricanes play the play the Chiefs tomorrow. Do you know
how many players they're taking to the game? Forty seven?
Forty seven?

Speaker 2 (01:25):
Aren't there meant to be fifteen fifteen on the field.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
You can have twenty three.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
Week expert but no has seems a lot, Honey. I'm
not sure that we'll be on the team the field
at the same time. Rhyme, But forty seven? So what
I mean? How do you get them all on? How
do you find combinations? What do you learn when you're
basically bringing your whole extended, extended playing squad. And I
think they're just trying to get minutes into everybody's legs
and create a bit of team culture. But I'm not

(01:50):
sure you can read much into the results. The Highlanders,
for what it's worth, have beaten more on a pacifica
this afternoon. I don't think that means anything.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
Okay, what about all benefs?

Speaker 3 (02:00):
A win means everything to them. And they're doing pretty well,
aren't they. You know, halfway point of the season, top
of the league. I'm not sure anybody expected this. The
big part of this is the late goals they've scored.
They've scored five goals after the ninety minute bak. Once
you get to ninety minutes, they add on injury time.
Auckland have scored five goals in injury time and those
goals have been worth eight points to them in terms

(02:21):
of winning games or drawing games. Take away those eight points, Ryan,
They're not even in the top four. Those late goals
have been a huge part of their success. They play
MacArthur tomorrow go Media Stadium in Auckland, another huge crowd
in coming. They've really engaged with the Auckland football fan base.
And look, you don't leave if you get If it's
ninety minutes and you want to, oh, I might get
away and beat the traffic. Not when you're watching Auckland FC.

(02:41):
Because they're likely to score back it out.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
All the action happens late in the piece. So can
you just tell me it is? How big of a
deal is it that they're leading the table at the moment?
I mean, is this a big league? Is this an
important league? Because football is I must say, not my fortee.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
But no, not sho. Should we be really excited by this?

Speaker 3 (02:57):
We should for a couple of reasons. One is there
a brand new team. So a brand new team coming
into any competition and making the impact that they have
is impressive. Normally it takes teams a little while to
get used to it. You know, they weren't even a
thing a year ago. Now they're in the league and
winning it midway part of the season. Should we be excited? Look,
there's still thirteen games to go, they've played fourteen thirteen

(03:19):
to go, but look they've made every postal winner so far.
Momentum is a powerful thing. I think, Look, I think
we should be excited about them. I know the fans are.
They're getting good numbers. So look, you can't You certainly
can't win the league in late January, but you can
go a long way towards creating the momentum that might
win it. For you in May.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Nice Piney, thanks so much for see you in the weekend.
Good to see you, Jason Pine News Talks.

Speaker 3 (03:41):
You've been for more from Heather Duplessy, Allen Drave. Listen
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