Ian Kirkpatrick: Former All Blacks captain previews the Bledisloe Cup test against Australia

The All Blacks are coming up to a big test this weekend, facing off against Australia in the first match of the Bledisloe Cup.  

It’s been almost two weeks since their back-to-back losses against South Africa, so what went wrong and do they have the time to fix it? 

Former All Blacks captain Ian Fitzpatrick told Ryan Bridge that if the All Blacks can start like they did against the Springboks in Johannesburg, then they’ve got a good chance. 

He said you can say what you like about the previous games, but this is a different beast altogether. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The All Blacks are facing a big text test this
weekend as the first match and the Bladderslow Cup gets
underway against the Wallabyes in Sydney. It's been almost two
weeks since the back to back losses against South Africa,
so what's going wrong and do they have time to
fix it all? Of course Australia is not looking that
great themselves, are they? And Kirkpatrick is the former All
Blacks captain. I who do you think is going to win?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
You can you can say what you like about the
previous games, but this is just a different one altogether.
And so if the All Blacks can start like they
did against the spoon Box and Joeburt, I think we've
you know, wet a good chance, but you know my
take half a game to sort of wear them down
or get on top of them. Who knows, you know,

(00:43):
it's just a you know, this game now is about
it's about physicality and so the team that's up on
or will you say, up for it on the day, yeah,
they are the ones that will come out. So it's
sort of you know, it's yeah, there's I say fifty
to fifty, but we'd like to think it might be better

(01:04):
than that. But the point you start predicting too much
is on most cases are pretty wrong.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Well, I'm glad we've got you on the line, And
how do you rate raise us so far? How's he doing?

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Oh? Look, he's had you know, he's got the newest
team with those guys that retired after the World Cup,
and those guys are there for a long time, so
you know, there was a pretty good team bonding in
that team, and this one's you know, a new new
era just about. So yeah, it was wasn't always going

(01:44):
to be easy, not going over the Salaga for two
in a row there. I mean, that's that's a pretty
big call. So you know, I wouldn't I wouldn't judge raises.
You know, if it's so far, it's too early yet.
What don't these guys are? You know, they'll settle into
a pretty good, pretty good team. I think that you know,

(02:04):
the teams. I don't think you figured a better team
than this, I would have thought. So it's really how
they come out on the day and how the opposition
sort of play against them. We don't you know, they
don't know. They're trying to work out each other what
they might be doing or what they could do, but
it doesn't always work out that way either, so it's

(02:24):
you know, what they're going to play with in front
of them. That's a sort of a modern sort of cliche.

Speaker 3 (02:32):
In summer, you would say you're positive, cautiously optimistic about
the state of rugby and New Zealand. You think, give
it some time, let them better, and they've got the
right team. The coach will get there and eventually we'll
get one over South Africa.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
Yeah, I think so, you know, I think you know,
we're in New Zealand. If you look at NTC and
Super Rugby, you know the teams want to play an
open game. I don't. It's not you know, I think
there could be a better game to play. Goodness the
rules and such that it's combative. There's no space anymore,
and it's all about taking it up and trying to

(03:08):
get over the advantage line with you know, with Savage,
with their big men. It's sort of about size, which
is not what the game is really all about really,
to be honest. It's about running into space like we
did in you know, Post ninety six.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
And that was the n Kirkpatrick, former All Blacks captain
with US twenty three minutes after five. That game. You
can hear on Newstalk, said B tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
For more from news Talk, said B. Listen live on
air or online, and

Speaker 1 (03:39):
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