Elliott Smith: ZB's Rugby Commentator on All Blacks v England Test

Dunedin is abuzz ahead of the first All Blacks test of the 2024 season. 

They take on England at Forsyth Barr Stadium tomorrow night - and it's Scott Robertson's first match in charge.  

His first side includes Stephen Perofeta ahead of Beauden Barrett at fullback and Samipeni Finau edging Ethan Blackadder for the number six jersey.

Newstalk ZB's Rugby Editor Elliott Smith told Mike Hosking he's expecting a tight contest. 

Listen to commentary tomorrow from 7.05pm on Newstalk ZB, Gold Sport and iHeartRadio.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
NEWSTALKSIB Rugby commentator Elliott Smithers with us, make good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Good morning, like cold, yes, cold.

Speaker 1 (00:09):
But it's indoors and so who cares? Is that stadium
too small for a first Test against somebody who's esteemed
as England? Do you reckon?

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Quite possibly? Look at I know that they were looking
potentially at Eton Park for the first match, but they
bet some reason swapped them around to have this match
in Dunedin. Obviously, perhaps christ Church if there was a
proper stadium, there might have been the sentimental option if
they had the biggest stadium that was ready incomplete for
the Scott Robertson's first Test. But as it is, that

(00:37):
Sudneden and that's the option we've got tomorrow night.

Speaker 1 (00:40):
Done as a buzz.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Absolutely, yeah. It feels like there's a real test vibe
around the city, which, to be sure, I haven't felt
for quite some time. It feels like there's a sense
of the unknown with the Scott Robertson era starting and
all sorts of different questions around how this team would
look before it was named yesterday, So there is a
real sense that this is a Test match city and
we're heading into some of the unknown, perhaps for the

(01:03):
first time and quite some time with this this all
Black stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
And what about the England side of the equation, because
that's a bit different, thank god. So it's not the usual,
you know, to open the season.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, absolutely, And look at this England team has had
more time together than the All Blacks. They finished the
sixth Nations really really well. They beat Ireland, they lost
to France narrowly in Leon. They beat Japan a couple
of weeks ago. And this isn't the old England teen
man rugby sort of style. Steve Worthwick has managed to
imprint some style on this team. They've got an ability

(01:33):
to actually use their outside backs. It's not the sodgy
old England side. So they have players in that team
that are capable of causing the All Black some issues.
Have certainly been together longer than the All Blacks have
as well, so that could create the All Black some
issues tomorrow night.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
Are we going to have that whole rust thing if
it doesn't go well and go they weren't together long enough.
We're going to do that again this year if you know?

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Well, possibly, but I mean you look at the team. Yes,
they've lost some players white lock Brod you metallic, Richie Wonger,
Dane Coles, isn't there, Sam Kaine. But a lot of
these players, I think eight or nine of them started
in last year's World Cup finals. So while you've lost
a lot of experience, a lot of these players have
played before. You got the will Player of the Year
in Artista Via back there again. Yeah, Damian McKinsey is

(02:17):
playing ten for the first time and a wee while
in terms of the big Test, but he's been around
seven years in this team. A lot of the players
in this team. There's no debuitantes in the twenty three bikes,
So in terms of the RUSS you could possibly make
that argument they've only got together last Wednesday, But this
is a nucleus of a team that has actually been
together without the coaching staff of course, for a number

(02:39):
of seasons. Now.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Raiser look comfortable, very comfortable.

Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yes, it looked like he he just stepped up in
style from the Crusader's job. Spoken to a couple of
times in the last week or so, and it doesn't
feel like anything fazes them. And you know you got
this job March twenty first of last year. He's waited
a long long time to actually coach in All Blacks,
and you get the sense he just wants to get
a game under his belt. He can dismiss all those

(03:04):
questions about how he's feeling and the nerves and everything
like that and just get into test match drugby rather
than concentrating so much on himself and that story to
how he's got to this point. So once we get
to tick off seven oh five tomorrow night, those questions
can start being answered and he can start talking about
stop talking rather about himself.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
I only got twenty seconds. Let's call it, and I'll
hold you to it.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
All right, I'm going to go to the All Blacks
by five tomorrow night. I think a tight start to
the season, but I'm saying the All Blacks get a
winning start under Scott Robertson.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
You're a good man. You have a good weekend. Elliott
Smith is calling it for us.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
No worries it all for more from News Talks B
listen live on air or online, and keep our shows
with you wherever you go with our podcasts on IR
Radio