Scott Robertson: All Blacks Coach on the squad named for the second Argentina clash

One change to the All Blacks run-on side for Sunday morning's Rugby Championship rematch against Argentina in Buenos Aires. 

Simon Parker debuts at number eight, moving Ardie Savea to openside flanker with Du'Plessis Kirifi dropping out of the 23. 

Wallace Sititi and Tamaiti Williams return from injuries for the first time this year via the bench. 

Coach Scott Robertson told Mike Hosking they've zeroed in on finishing this week, as well as keeping things fresh. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
All Black's time gaming up and two against the Argies
this weekend. The team's just been released, Cody Taylor said,
to become our latest one hundred test cap recipient, which
is exciting. And Scott Robinson is with us from Argentina. Scott,
good morning, Yeah, Bonniss Mike, you're having a good time.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah. It's a big city. He's big city, sixteen million
people and there's a lot of traffic. I think, well,
we've got press courts to take us everywhere because it
should bed a couple of hours and the bus either way.
That's good. We settled and they loved you at the
other year, so it's it's been a good start.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
We talked to Will Jordan last week. He was telling
us it was it's he likes the format. So you
go away for two and you get to settle in,
are you are you? Are you feeling that as well?

Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah? Yeah. As soon as you start to get to this,
you know that the three three, three and a half
week mark as you come in and with your travel
back and forth and the demand of test footing on
the body and just the mentally, you know, the top
of the week two weeks is just right. Given me
you a chance to get home and put your head

(01:09):
on your own pillow and then then start again. So
it's a great balance.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
What did you work on this week?

Speaker 2 (01:18):
What do we were on this week on? Well, we
felt like we trained in the history on Tuesday and
the rains abou one hundred miles in two days, and
our focus really was just making sure finishing, did their
last pass away out of their hands, Keep trusting your
skill set. We're still creating a lot and I've got
the opportunity to finish, to put teams away in just

(01:38):
pull this stuff off the field, you know, the mental
skills side of the game. Make sure that we win
all the different huddles and just the balance of the both.
And then yeah, it's like I said, when your way
for a couple of weeks, it's just going to make
sure it's not all rugby.

Speaker 1 (01:53):
No exactly do you? I asked Will last week? Also
he'd eaten a lot of steak. Body had been doing
a lot of thinking of the mel Beck. Is that true?
And what are you doing.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Now? Those Yeah, look it's it's a hell of a
wine over here. And they look they each you know,
we sit down and want to get out within half
an hour and they bring in about five courses and
the meat hasn't even started. So it's the big the
big boys patients that are quite incredible because ms and
you're bringing spins with cheese on it, and then you've

(02:25):
got like a Caesar sell like just bring the meat. Besides,
we're gonderord.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Yeah, I love it. How many players actually drink out
of your squad? How many players drink these days and
versus who don't drink?

Speaker 2 (02:42):
All messive generational change might from the generation past. Like
the boys, you know on surday after the last test
and I've got nothing a week to set. They had
a couple they have a few beers, but the boys
have glass of wine at dinner. But the bing side

(03:03):
of it's not there. They realize what it does, attack
the toll it takes from your body, and they pick
your chances and opportunity. So you know, we have a
lovely club bound. We're all wear our own club duties
on a Tuesday night way and Smith started it years
ago and we all come in. We're representing our club
and we have a couple of beers. There. There's more zeros,

(03:25):
you know, alcoholic beers than there is rural beers and
you'll have your normal find you have your or you know,
if someone's wearing the wrong gear during the week, they'll
stand up and direct for and that's a really big
cool moment. It's really social without the expectation of alcohol.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
Fantastic. What do you make of the Australians and what
they did and has that fundamentally changed the way you're
viewing this whole competition?

Speaker 2 (03:53):
Yeah, looks you've got some talent. It's a nice sort
of sort of turned that corner, you know, the internal narrative,
sort of an external narrative changed a little bit. It
just shows how tough test footy is and the fine
balance of a bouncing ball, a pass, things can swing.
Chess matches so quickly with the cards is you know

(04:15):
yellow cards is one part of that, but it just
it just shows on the day you've got to be
added in Australia. Show you where been some theatrics teat footy?
It's been great to watch.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
Good. Are you expecting anything from the Argentinians? I mean
I still see them as that they can be good.
Sometimes they're not as good. Are they going to give
you something this week that you can't see coming or
is it going to be like last week.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
Don't have a response. I pretty hurt. You know, they
had the biggest crowd they've ever had and a kiss
football match in Cordoba. You know, they come from all
over the country. It's just their biggest sport. In Argentina,
it's four hundred and fifty clubs, so there's it's a
big sport like football is the biggest. Clearly everyone was

(05:04):
a messy shirt, but that you know, they're really passionate
in the communities. They really loved to rope the clubs
and the means a lot to them and they were
you know, so there's been a response that let in passion.
So so you know, when you've come to national capital,
you expect everything from them, but it good starts critical.

Speaker 1 (05:24):
Well, I saw the scan of two plot who's head.
That's that's quite something.

Speaker 2 (05:29):
Now it's it's incredible and he played, you know, it's
for the means to at the end, I still he
said to the top, look, we'll miss him, but he's
got the credible money in our group. He's a great professional.
He's quiet soldier, but he goes by his work and

(05:50):
you know he'll get an up and he'll come back
as soon as he can. He's just that guy. So
yet we will miss him, and it was it was
one of those injuries you think, oh that's brutal, exactly.

Speaker 1 (06:00):
Go well mate, Always good to talk with you. You sound
like you're having a good time and appreciate yours as always.
Scott Robertson, who is the All Blacks coach in Argentina.
We've got the call and obviously the victory and long
with the Warriors for the weekend. Then that'll make it
a very nice time to reflect on Monday, I reckon,
I'm looking forward to it already. For more from the
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(06:21):
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