Elliott Smith: Newstalk ZB Rugby Journalist ahead of the match between the All Blacks and France

It looks to be a still but chilly night as the All Blacks take on France. 

They’re entering the pitch with two major wins under the belt, after defeating both Ireland and England. 

Newstalk ZB’s Voice of Rugby Elliott Smith told Mike Hosking that if they get through this week, the pressure valve releases a little. 

He says there’s a bit of a steely resolve in the team now that they’ve got a couple of wins behind them. 

“I don’t think they’d want to leave the tour with the old rocks and beach towels over summer.” 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's talk rugby. All Blacks take on France. This is
turning out to be a top shelf sort of tour.
Elliot Smith's with us. Elliott, how are you, Mike?

Speaker 2 (00:08):
I'm good? Thank you?

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Who do you get to change the printer in the
sports department?

Speaker 2 (00:13):
That usually falls upon me to do that. I back
myself in those situations, though, you do like yourself?

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Yeah, it's good. How are you enjoying France?

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Wonderful country, wonderful city. Good to be back here a
year on from the World Cup. Plenty of spectators expected
for this one come the weekend. A lot of intrigue
as to how the All Blacks will go. And I
think with Antoine du Pont, the French captain back in
the mix, so there's storylines are plenty for this one.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Okay, the France Israel football game, there's a big security operation.
Are you feeling that is an angsty vibe around the
place or not? Really?

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah? Yeah, there is about four thousand police officers deployed
around the ground. They've only sold a third of the seconds.
No one wants to go to this game this evening
in a couple of hours time. Like everyone's staying away
it's it's a real sense of you know that you
put Israel at this point in time in the world
in a football scenario, given what happened last week as
well with their team there as well. No one wants

(01:10):
to go here in Paris tonight. I was speaking a
couple of locals. Everyone's going to watch it on TV,
but no one's brave enough really to go to the
ground and watch it in person, although I see mccron
and others are going to go.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Is the rugby a sellout?

Speaker 2 (01:23):
It is close to us all that, I believe, yeah, absolutely,
And I think you put the all blacks in the
form there in duporn, all the ingredients there. So they're
not going out for the football team tonight, but they're
willing to go out in a couple of night's time
and see the rugby team. I guess New Zealand probably
on the banner a little leads threatening them going to
see Israel at the moment given world of fears.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
Here's the thing. I see us beating France, so it's
an excellent tour, but I see us fragile mentally for
Italy because we want to go home and do Christmas
shopping and Italy are useless. Is that fair or not? Really?

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Well? I suppose they could do some Christmas shopping in
Italy and combine the two before they head home. Mike,
I think it's it's a real problem, you know, there's
got to be These are three big tests that they're
coming off here England, Ireland and then France this week.
They get through this week, pressure valve releases a little.
You look forward to that beach at home, et cetera,
as you say, But I think there's a bit of

(02:13):
a steely resolve in this team now that hey, they've
got a couple of wins behind them. Now they get
France on the weekend, they picked them off if they
can do so. I don't think they'd want to leave
the tour with the old Rocks and the beach towls
over summer.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
No, I would agree with that. How's the weather for
the game.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
It's a bit cold, getting down to nine degrees for kickoff,
four degrees overnight as well, so it's going to be
the chelligest match for the All Blacks so far on
the tour, but conditions expected to be relatively still. No
real rain around this week so far. In Paris, the
conditions should be good.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
You're managing to do your washing, okay, and stuff the
hotel bills. Aren't you anything I can help with?

Speaker 2 (02:48):
No? No, yeah. If you know a good laundrette, just
send them my way. I'm trying to make way way
through those Mitchell and three star restaurants you sent through
as well, but we're ticking them off.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
Good on you mate, Go well. Ellie Smith, who's he'll
be calling the game? Of course here on news Talks.
It'd be in Radio Sport and all the other outlets
that we have the iHeart what he be they called
these days? What are they called Gold Sports? Gold Sport?

Speaker 2 (03:12):
For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to
News Talks. It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio