Vern Cotter: Blues head coach ahead of their Super Rugby Final

There's nerves in the air as the Blues gear up for their Super Rugby final this weekend.

It's been 21 years since the franchise lifted a full Super Rugby title - something they can end against the Chiefs at a sold-out Eden Park on Saturday.

Blues head coach Vern Cotter says the team are hoping to play well, but they've seen what the Chiefs can do on the field.

"We know it's a final and finals are played with utmost intensity... we've locked that in and the boys are trained well."

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now we got to deal with the rugby. If you
were hoping to get yourself to Eden Park for the
Super Rugby Final this week, and you're out of luck
because the sold out signs are up. If the Blues win,
it will be their first proper Super Rugby title since
two thousand and three. But you can't underestimate the Chiefs.
They've already knocked over the top seeded Hurricanes. Verncotta is
the Blues head coach.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hey Vern, Hi, Heather, how are you?

Speaker 1 (00:19):
I'm okay. You nervous?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yeah, a little bit. You have to be. It keeps
you on edge. So yeah, there's a little bit of
that there.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
Are you worried because of that performance that the Chiefs
put in last weekend?

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah, I'm not worried. I'm probably more confident than I
am worried. I'm nervous because we want to do well
and I think that's the key driver in this. All
the boys care about what they do. They love the jersey,
they love the club, and they they want to play
well for each other and for the people to support them.
So worried and the sense that we're we're in. We're

(00:52):
prepared because we're seeing what the Chiefs have done in
the last couple of weeks, so we know it's a
final and finals have played with utmost intensity and desire.
So we've locked it in and the boys have trained
well at the beginning of the week and you know,
hopefully the game will well, it won't go all the

(01:12):
way we want, but hopefully we can dominate enough to
come away with a win.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
Do you reckon you're going to have the majority of
the people in the stands wearing blue?

Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yeah? I think so. I hope so, and you know,
at the end of the game, hopefully if they're wearing
something else, I'll put blue on.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
What do you reckon about?

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Like the.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
Fact that you're playing at Eden Park? Is that pressure
because it's Eden Park? Or is it actually helpful because
it is You're in Auckland, You're it's a home home crowd.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah. I think there's the comfort of having the home crowd,
but also the home field and the familiarity around walking
in the chain shed, and I think it's a great thing.
But you know, the game is a game and it's
a making uncertain and complex affair. So just being able
to adapt, having that comfort coming in, but making sure
that when we had track. We're going to have to
be ready for anything. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
There was an opinion piece last week. I think it
was gregle Paul who wrote it, who said that you
guys have to win for the sake of the game
in Auckland and therefore in the country. What do you reckon?

Speaker 2 (02:13):
We win for our self fest and that's the players.
They know the history. But it's not about weighing yourself
down with too much pressure. Are those you won't be
able to play? Take the weight off your shoulders. Think
about the performance, Think about a game. Think how you
can beat your best with your teammates for eighty minutes
and the rest will take care of itself.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
Hey, isn't it nice that we're going to have a
different champion from the Crusaders for the first time since
twenty sixteen.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Yeah, yeah, I guess so. I don't really think too
much about that either. We're worried about the Chiefs, but
we're not really into philosophical thoughts. We know that the
Chiefs are a tough opponent and we'll have to be
at our best.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
Good stuff and the best of luck. Vern Cootter Blues
head coach.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
For more from Heather Duplessy, Allen Drave. Listen live to
news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio