Andrew Alderson: ZB Sports Anchor gives a Super Rugby finals recap

The Blues dominated the Chiefs on Saturday night to take the 2024 Super Rugby title at Eden Park - beating the visitors 41-10.  

Caleb Clarke scored a hattrick as Akira Ioane and AJ Lam got a try each.  

It's the first time they've won the competition in more than two decades. 

Newstalk ZB Sports Anchor, Andrew Alderson, told Mike Hosking “I thought it was going to be closer – but the Blues were so convincing.” 

Alderson said “Ever since I’ve been working here, we’ve been talking about the Blues resurgence – and it’s finally come.” 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Andrew Ordison's with this morning mate. Greetings Mike, did
you do something rural over the weekend? Did you chop
a bit of firewood or put a fence up, or
dag a sheep or something?

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Well, not really clearing out a house. And all I
was saying is you don't want to spestos in a house.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
I'd agree with that. I think that's I don't think
you're breaking any news there, but I think just a
word of warning for listeners, did you want did you
inhale a small amount of it all?

Speaker 2 (00:27):
I'm hoping not, but it's been there for about fifty
years and I'm thinking.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
You know, if I depart early on, so it was
asbestosis it got them in the end. What do you
want to talk about? See? I see they've got all
sorts of just quickly the Blues and Eden Park looks
good as a facility when it's full, doesn't it?

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Oh great, because we'll talk about this very thing last
week Gray seats and semi final. But yeah, when it's full,
people in the pond, ponchos and getting out there and.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Even in the wet it was great. Shame about the
game though as a final.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Well yeah, I thought it was going to be closer
than that. Actually, yeah, but then you know, the Blues
were so convincing and just a real juggernaut and led
by Topolota but also Van Kotter. Just he is a
relentless task master there and just seems to have guarded
the respect and was able to deliver across the season.

(01:21):
So in twenty one years, I mean it's been we've
always I mean ever since I've been working here, we've
been talking about the Blues resurgences.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
Well, let's here or do we get excited about this afternoon?
Because I mean the squad he announces as a squad
of about eight hundred and so, I mean everyone's in it.
I Mean what we really want to know is who
plays the test? Don't That's when it gets crach interesting.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
It's the preamble, is it thirty two man squad for
the All Blacks. I think it's more about I mean, yes,
there'll be some new names, but it's more about the delivery,
isn't it. And how Robertson approaches it in the first instance. Yeah,
I think just how he demonstrates how he's going to
be the mentor or guide the All blacks and what
he puts out there, and it'll bit to just see what,

(02:03):
you know, we'll get a gauge of the style he
wants to play it.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Are you excited about the all? I looked at the
schedule this morning just to confirm in my mind what
was going on. So England coming here, that's good to me.
That's different, it's a bit unusual.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
I love that. Yeah, I'm all for tours.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
Yeah and one, but once again, here we go again.
So it's Australia in South Africa. How many times do
we have to play then before you think, oh, you've
seen all this before. And we've got I think Japan,
so you know what's going to happen there, and we've
got Fiji and you know it's going to happen. You
know what I mean. It's got that whole here we
go again vibe.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
But it is a touch ho hum and I think
but I love the idea of the tour coming back
and the things I can come here, you know, with
a post World Cup year, that's a good element to
address for it. So yeah, that's the that's the part
that I'm most excited by. And I think just the
fact you've got a new All Blacks coach and just what,
as I say, what style is going to bring to

(02:51):
and stamp on the team. Then yeah, it's uh, that's
something to anticipate.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
I feel very sorry for Webster this morning or just
generally after the weekend. I don't know, I mean, I
don't know what you do with that.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
Just I mean, I've seen the highlights. It just seemed like,
I mean, well, not that there were many highlights as
far as the Warriors, but it's just like a turnstile
all the way through. I mean, I imagine you were
Philly apoplectically about what I.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
Was expecting was the turnaround at half time. And so
we've seen this many times over the years. Things go
wrong in the first half, they get a rah cup,
they come back, they may not come back to win
because we were thirty nil down or something like that. So,
but there's something there on the second half to think, right, okay,
So but there was nothing. It was like there was
like two first halfs and we didn't know what we
were doing and nothing happened and nothing.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
It feels like this is slipping into Warriors territory of
old pretty quickly. Mean now, because it's just that extra
two points too, and now the two points further back
from the top eight. There's that element, the whiff of desperation. Hmm, yeah,
it's not looking convincing.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
Watch the IF one. If you haven't already well worth watching.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
I've watched. What's it seems to be. The start is
the most started getting passed.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
You didn't get a good start, but George Russell must
have got away good though, absolutely brilliant. It came from
fourth to first in a brilliant move on the corner.
But Mercedes are back. It's kind a bit about and
Russell and Mercedes are back and Ferrari's okay, McLaren is
certainly back. So the whole thing's bunched up, fields bunched up.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
We needed this, you know, for fans who are just
looking don't have a team necessarily, but love love following.
I mean it's just that's great for this exactly, so
you might go well for stuff and still one though,
yes he did that. And for more from News Talks
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(04:45):
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