Scott Barrett: All Blacks Captain ahead of the international test against Italy

The All Blacks have stuck with the tried and tested for their final fixture of the year against Italy in Turin on Sunday morning.  

Changes are minimal from Paris – the team is relatively close to what could be termed a first-choice 23. 

There are five changes to the run on-side that lost to France, four being injury related. 

Captain Scott Barrett told Mike Hosking they had a focus on improving each game they played in the end of year tour.

He says that while the narrow loss to France hurt, the team will be better for that.  

“Hopefully we can get through this game and, you know, that’s an 80 minute performance that we can, you know, hang our hat on and be proud of.” 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Final test of the Northern Tour for the All Black Sunday.
Of course, assuming Italy gets beaten, that will be ten victories,
four losses, ten four season All Blacks Captain Scott Barris
with Scott Barrett with us from Duran. Good morning, Mike,
going very well. Indeed take us through the week in
terms of moving on from France and shifting your mindset
to Italy.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah, it's you took of it to get over that game.
Still probably haven't to be honest. Yeah, sort of using
that as a bit of fuel for this weekend, but
can't really change that result and it'll probably you know,
a bit of a people under the beach towel as Yeah,
an old coach once said, when quite you know now

(00:42):
the India Tours, as you'd like, what's.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
The rays of thinking? Much much is being made this
morning of the quality of the side being named against Italy.
What's the rays of thinking behind a full strength side?

Speaker 2 (00:54):
I think you've got to give Italy credit. And you
know we've headed up off on this tour and we've
wanted to test our salves against the best, and you know,
I guess we store a bit of manna in the
Jersey and you know at times, you know, we haven't
really done too well up here in previous tours and

(01:18):
at the World Cup, I guess, but yeah, I guess
that's probably a bit of reasoning. Whay he sent the
full cavalry out for Italy.

Speaker 1 (01:27):
How has the build up if it has changed this week,
given we're at the end of the tour, there's a
bit of fatigue. I'm assuming there's certainly some injuries. Does
it change dramatically or not? Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
The experienced medicals and strengths and conditioning guys, you know,
like Gillie, they have the expertise and pull back on
some stuff. It's you know, you're not going to get
any further this week. It's about getting the body right
for Saturday and ultimately putting the performance in for eighty
minutes that we can be proud of. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
And how and how do you feel how you personally
can through the tour?

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Yeah, I'm a little bit. Yeah, I sort of manage
a week this week. Your raises you know, just said
to me get your body right for Saturday, and you know,
set out of a few of the reps on training
just to you know, freshen up and really fill the
tank for the one last effort against Italy.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
Assuming it goes well ten to four for the season,
I would say that. I mean, that's not bad, is it.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
I guess I wouldn't say it's great. You know, this
team has high expectations and you know we come second
or pinish even third. I guess in the Rugby Championship
against South Africa and Italy losing to the sorry and
Argentina losing to them, you know, I think him then

(02:51):
to the India tour, we had a focus on improving
each game and I think we did that, Yeah, narrowly,
narrowly into France that they're one hurt, and you know,
I think that the team would be better for that.
There's a lot of young guys who have wore the
jersey for the first time and really stepped up, which
is pleasing to see and you know holds well for

(03:14):
the future.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
What about a couple of names. TJ comes off the bench.
I'm assuming he'll get some game time given it to
his last But what are the people like Sam Kine.
It's a fair well presumably all you guys rally around them.

Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, Sam and TJ are certainly given a lot to
the all Black Jersey and the team over the past
few years, and I guess particularly Sam, you know, being
captain and it's great to have him and then around
the environment the last year and you know, he's been
huge for this group and he's he's just a great

(03:48):
leader and a great man. So hopefully we can send
them off in the right manner through a good performance and.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
What happens to the side, Scott, after that you're all
dispersing to Europe, your coming home.

Speaker 2 (04:00):
What happens there's Yeah, there's promotional activities at the end
of the year. For one group. I think they're going
to Geneva for True to promos and then never undisperses
most head back to New Zealand. So yeah, I think
a few boys have been looking forward to much. Yeah,

(04:20):
preserve break. There's a few ding dut bodies. But yeah,
hopefully we get through this game and you know that's
eighty minute performance that we can hang a hat on
and be proud of.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
All right, go well, mate, Scott Barrett all Blacks captain
out of Churin for us this morning. 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,