September 1, 2025 • 41 mins
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier get stuck into the big All Blacks-Springboks test at Eden Park this weekend, with the 'Boks aiming to end the All Blacks 50-match unbeaten record at Eden Park. We discuss the possible make-up of the All Blacks side and whether Leicester Fainga'anuku will make it in.
We also mark the sad passing of Shane Christie and whether rugby is doing enough around head contact, while we reflect another move for the Ranfurly Shield.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Straight down the middle of Drum Dickey scud.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Try get inside the game from every angle. It's Rugby
Direct with Elliott Smith and Leam Napier, powered by News
Talks ed B.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Welcome in to Rugby Directs, powered by Excess Solutions, elevating
you and your business to a higher level. Elliott Smith
with me Liam Napier, back from Argentina and ready to
go for this huge week of test rugby. We've had
it marked on the calendar since the schedule was announced. Liam,
and finally Canterbury get this shield charge.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
I should have known you to throw that down there.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Four oh five Saturday. The shield is coming to its
rightful up the stag.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Dave Dobbin out Welcome home is blasting around the cannery
once that shield comes to the mainland once again.
Speaker 5 (01:16):
Look, I think it's fair to say that everyone is
an honorary stag for the weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Don't know about that, but we will get onto that
bit later on in the podcast. Of course, our focus
is the All Blacks and South Africa. Seven oh five Saturday,
night and in all seriousness, this has been a game
that has been in the calendar ever since the schedule
was announced. Eden Park record on the line from the
All Blacks and you know it's just days away now,
how are your feelings in terms of this contest as
(01:45):
we record this five days out?
Speaker 5 (01:47):
Well, you and I are positively fizzed. Elliott and I
think this match will grip New Zealand like outside of
a World Cup Final, like nothing probably since a game
on New Zealand Shows since twenty eleven. It really is
that big of an occasion. It's you know, fifty test
undefeated at Eden Park thirty four years there the World
(02:10):
Cup Final rematch one v two in the Worlds. The
Springboks looking to go five in a row against the
All Blacks, which is quite staggering in itself Artist Severe's
hundredth The Springboks haven't won at Eden Park since nineteen
thirty seven, so.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
You know, what more do you want?
Speaker 5 (02:25):
The All Blacks backs press to the wall following a loss.
Spring Box not at their best, but everything about the
year is targeted around this game. And while rugby fans
would naturally tune into this game, casual fans non rugby
supporters will be tuning in so massive occasion and how
(02:47):
could you not be excited.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Yeah, you get the sense that this is a test
week that we haven't had for in New Zealand, as
you say, for yeah, maybe that third week of the
line series back in twenty seventeen. But it does feel
like a World Cup final. Two teams going ahead to
hear it, it's one v two in the world. But
from an All Blacks perspective, there are questions around this
All Blacks team and their status as world number one,
(03:10):
because it doesn't quite feel like, especially on the back
of that performance in Buenos Aida, is that they deserve
to be sitting there.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
So the All Blacks go in? Do they go in
as favorites? Do you think liam for this game.
Speaker 5 (03:20):
Although actually quite hot favorites for the book is I
think the Box are at two forty two fifty, which
is quite staggering. Really, I would have them pretty neck
and neck, maybe the All Blacks favorites given to the
end park record, given they're on home soil. But you
look at that All Black squad and just the injuries
at half back and the questions around the wings do
(03:43):
make you a bit nervous, but on the other side
of the coin. While certainly our focus and much of
New Zealand's focus is on the All Blacks, the Springboks
have been well below their best this year as well.
They were upset by the Wallabies at Alice Park and
very much went back to type the following week and
scraped out of victory to go one on one with
(04:05):
the Wallabies at home. So they have question marks over
them as well. But it does sort of feel like
form is almost irrelevant in a match like this.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
What do you reckon?
Speaker 2 (04:19):
I think it is.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
It feels like doesn't matter what's gone on in the
three five Tests that these teams have played so far
this year. That's all going to go out the window.
And it's a cliche, but it will go out the
window at seven oh five on Saturday night. It won't
matter two weeks ago that the All Blacks lost in Argentina.
It won't matter three weeks ago that the box are
upset by Australia. This will be All Blacks in South
(04:40):
Africa as it has always been right through their storied history,
a Test match where to be honest, on the surface
of I don't think there'll be much in it comes
Saturday and up whoever ends up winning. I think that's
the nature of the rivalry and sometimes that supersedes the
form that teams go into it prior to it. I
think this is where these two seams sit and have
(05:01):
always sat when they face each other.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
That's right, and it is very much that rivalry, isn't it.
It's the storied history, the respect the success of the
two dominant teams within world rugby as far back as
you can remember. So that's transformed and progressed into the
(05:24):
modern age. But it's an interesting backdrop that we find
ourselves in because the Springboks have had the All Blacks
number and you can go back to last year and
look at the All Blacks out playing the spring Box
in South Africa for fifteen minutes only to let it
slip and fade away.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
And then the World Cup final.
Speaker 5 (05:45):
We could argue the All Blacks could have order should
have won that game, but they didn't. So results matter
and South Africa will certainly bring that confidence in because
no matter how you perform, no matter what decisions or
moments and matches you can highlight the spring Box have
won the last four and.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
You know they have pedigree.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
In recent times of winning matches of real significance, and
that does matter when all eyes are on, when the
pressure tells when you need clutch moments, so that big
game temperament is stacked in their favor.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
And that's what we probably haven't seen yet from this
All Blacks era under Scott Robertson. I mean, they've had
some good wins. The Irish win last year, the England
win at Twickenham, both very very good wins. But there's
a legitimate argument you can make it they should have
left South Africa one win, one lost last year maybe
even if you're being generous, should have won potentially both
of those games given where they sat in both of them.
(06:47):
So it's about finishing and what we've seen from the
All Blacks is they've just had moments in games where
they've switched off and gone out of games. And last
year it was the last twenty minutes where they didn't
score a point for weeks on end. This year it
seems to be minutes forty to sixty where they go
cold and struggling to get back in the contest. So
(07:10):
they've got to deliver an eighty minute performance and nothing
less than that is going to do come Saturday night.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
That's right, and that patchy elements has been evident largely
throughout Scott Robinson's tenure. You mentioned the victory in Dublin,
which is the standout achievement, but the French game in
Paris they were dominant throughout and then let it slip
in the second half. This year there was the one
performance against the very second string French team, the worst
(07:39):
side that they put out in their three match series
in Wellington. But even in Argentina, dominant first half in
the first Test, two yellow cards and they come down
a cliff and almost let the puma's back in. And
then the worst performance of Scott Robinson's tenure last time out.
So that patchy elements. Is it a lack of concentration?
(08:03):
Is its system error? Is its combinations? Is it coaching floors?
Because that coaching team lacks experience on the test stage,
So that the in the middle of he like you say,
to put together a four to eighty minute performance, to
stay the course, to come up clutch, to have the
right discipline when things aren't going your way, to ride
(08:26):
through momentum and regain composure.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
There are some big question marks in that regard over
this All Black team.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Certainly a few personnel notes to go through this week.
Half back wise, Cortes Ratama is going to be given
every opportunity to play this Saturday night at Eden Park
had a rib issue that we knew about coming back
from Argentina. He is touch and go. I think it's
fair to save for Saturday Night. We heard from Scott
robertson the last couple of hours basically saying they'll give
(08:53):
them every chance to play.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
But it's firming.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
You'd have to say that Philay Christie will make his
first his start in quite some time, and Kyle Preston
likely to make a dabu off the bench. Davy Row
has been called in his training cover to the All
Blacks this week as well. So that's a big blow
losing Cortiz Ratima if indeed he is out this week,
and it's a big pressure on Finlay Christie.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
Yeah, I'd never profess to be anywhere near in All
Black stage, but I've broken a fracture of rib playing
rugby before, and bloody hurts, and you think about carrying
that into a game, even if you did have a.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Jab or something like that.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
If it ever needs to be, it has to be
clocks you early, you're certainly going to know about it.
So it's high risk to put someone into that combative
stage with that sort of an injury. So I would
be very surprised, particularly given they've called in Xavier Row
if Cortez does play this weekend, and look, he's a tough,
(09:59):
tough rooster. Cortez obviously played on with that injury, but
he was in significant pain. So like you say, jeez,
I've been the all Black's been really hard there. The
missing came Roy guard Noah Hotham is potentially number two
and he's out for much of the Rugby Championship, and
then you lose Cortez Latimer, so you're really digging deep
(10:20):
into to one position.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
So that's a real area of concern.
Speaker 5 (10:23):
Look, the one thing, I'm not a huge fan of
fin Le Christie, but he's not going to be overawed
by the stage. He was involved in those World Cup
knockout games. Off the bench, he's a pretty.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Coming seems to face him. He's level headed yet very
kind of high lows really when you speak to him.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (10:42):
I do have concerns about his kicking game. It's de
al Black's their contestable kicks. The accuracy of them has
been in an area of vulnerability and that's not one
of his strengths. What he does bring, he's very nuggety,
he gets over the ball. He's usually very strong defensively.
His delivery is actually quite sharp off the deck if
(11:03):
you look at the speed. So he's an unflappable character.
He won't be take a backward step with the big
box forwards coming around the fringes. But yeah, and then
Kyle Preston, what a potentially massive occasion to make your debut.
And I guess the other one who's coming to the mix.
Very unlucky to se him this week, but less of
(11:24):
fighting a Nuoku played a couple of games for Tasman
and gets the board seal of approval to come in
a in any way surprised by that.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Not really, because it feels like they can bend the
rules as they see fit to get players and to
Marthy and Wise, all Blacks rugby season is over out
for three months with a broken arm. Fighting an Ooku
has been in good form for Tasman since coming back.
It's got a great try where he rushed off several
defenders against Otago on Saturday night. He is the logical replacement.
(11:54):
The board have clearly given their approval. He's been with
Tasman since the start of pre season, has played some
good rugby. I've got no problem with them him being selected.
It's more the straight jacket that they put on themselves
around these rules that they've got to bend. The You know,
you put the straight jacket on yourself, you know now
you want to get out of it. These are your
own rules. They're not dictated to by World Rugby. So
(12:15):
that's the kind of issue I've got around the eligibility
and the seven levers that they can pull.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (12:19):
These are of their own making. You can break the
rules as much as you want. I know it. Maybe not.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
That doesn't send the best message to players that have
been in New Zealand rugby for a number of times.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
But I've seen it before on the podcast.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
If you have a contract that is existing with New
Zealand Rugby, as far as I'm concerned, you are free
to play, You're eligible to play.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
Yeah, I don't have an issue with it.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
I think technically, and this is what I've seen previously
with guys like Damian McKenzie and TJ Peinara when they
went away to Japan and didn't have a New Zealand
Rugby contract, they had to come back and play a
whole season of NPCs. So that's why that's where the
precedent is set.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
That's where it is. But I don't have an issue
with that.
Speaker 5 (13:02):
He's come back, he's played a couple of games, he's
I think the key thing is he's committed his future.
He's not just back for five minutes and he's going
to buger off again. And look, when I think about
a guy like Lester fining Anookoo and I compare him
even to an antoin Leina Brown, and you think about
the versatility you put Lester on the bench and he
(13:25):
can cover second center, wing and just his power elements
that as a massive asset to heaving your squad.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
You say you wouldn't expect to see him this week.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
I don't think so. He only arrived in camp on
Sunday night. I think it's probably a wee bit of
a rush perhaps for the second Test in Wellington.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
If he's fit and he's a good form, why not
get him in Like I think he is the kind
of difference maker that the All Blacks have been screaming
out for, especially with some of the injuries they've got
around Caleb Clark and Billy Procter has struggled. I don't
know whether i'd start him this week necessarily, but if
you put him in Jersey twenty three and have the
ability to use him on the wing, use him in
midfield in the last twenty five thirty minutes of a
(14:06):
Test match, why not. And that's the kind of position
i'mond if he's going to help you win the Test
match this week, put him in there.
Speaker 5 (14:13):
I wouldn't have an issue that I think he'd be
make a massive impact if you talk about bringing someone
on and that in the second half when fatigues in
the mix, and he is the type of combative character
that could really stand up to some of those spring
Box players. Just on Caleb Clark, He's come back from
an ankle injury, played one game for Auckland and will
(14:35):
not be available for the All Blacks this weekend.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
We'll play for Auckland again. I would have picked him.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, if he's got sorow.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Wlison's explanation around it was that they wanted to see
him get another game. Well, you can see him get
another game against South Africa this weekend if he's fit.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
He's fit.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
Yeah, and you've got massive issue issues under the high ball.
He's by far and away your best aerial athlete. I
would have been ushering him straight into the left wing.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
And again you can protect yourself on the bench if
you know the ankle does tweak and injuries can happen. Again,
that's why you select a bench again. I just what's
the benefit of getting NPC game versus a test match
and then to roll Lomax has been with the thumb
and dry for the last few weeks, and I get
their different parts of the body, but he's had a
(15:23):
thumbdrefs last few weeks. Is going to go straight back
and presumably to the run on side to start in
the three Jersey on Saturday night.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
Yeah. And Caleb Clark performed very well against the spring
Box in South Africa last year, and that's possibly because
of the way the spring Box play. You know, Grant
Williams is going to box kick all day. You know,
Andre Pollard is going to hoist to the heavens and
put it in crossfield kicks so I think it's an
oversight to not select Clark this week.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
It should be noted that the All Blacks and New
Zealand ABY didn't take any notice of my comments on
Aby Direct last week. All my opinion piece for the
New Zealand Herald around getting Aaron Smith in. But that's
all right. You know you can't win them all your
fly kite sometimes and see what happens.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
It's good to have an opinion people, It's be a
boring line otherwise.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
A regular sis Steve Lenthial from across the TASM and said,
do you or Liam have your boots ready to PLAYT nine?
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Give them the current injury crisis.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I mean, I'm fairly confident if you've got you get
through seventy five minutes, I might come on for the
last five.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Yeah, you've played half.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
Bankied the new but that's not saying a lot.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
In terms of that All Blacks makes.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Then if we looked at this team which will be
announced on Thursday, do you expect big changes from the
side that lost to Argentina and Buenos Aires.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
I don't know, but I think Wallace the TC comes
into eight already goes to seven. I think there's a
real question about whether the tup of goes back into
Locke and maybe they start Simon Parker at six. I
think that that balance Fabian Holland started to look a
bit fatigued. I think there's a real question about whether
(17:00):
you potentially go six to two on the bench but
one of and then there's the wings.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
I think you don't want to push the panut button
here with with the you don't want.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Putting the panic pushing the panic button?
Speaker 5 (17:14):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (17:15):
These guys aren't playing?
Speaker 4 (17:16):
Well? What other change?
Speaker 5 (17:18):
I'm happy to change the wings, but I'm just saying
that you don't want to throw the baby out of
the bath water, like you you're yeah, what will Jordan
stays at fallback? I think Bowden stays at ten, and
I think the midfield probably stays unchanged. Like what are
the changes you're making?
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Well, you can put least defying a nook on one
of the wings immediately changes the dynamic. I think of
that back line. If you put him in, he's eligible
for selection.
Speaker 5 (17:43):
Yeah, that's a there's an element of rest with that too.
His plays basically spent two years playing midfield in France.
How much high ballwork has he done, that's where he's
going to be targeted.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Yep, And that is a very good question. What about
but what are you doing with I'm keeping too provide there.
I agree that Holland is looking a little bit fatigued.
I mean he's played. I think he came off the bench. Sorry,
was substituted in the last game in Buenos Aires, but
that was the first time he didn't play eighty as
an All Black, and this is a young kid being exposed.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
He's ruby for the first time.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Probably wouldn't have played every test in the French series
if not for Scott Barrett's injury and obviously the shift
from two BO five to six, so he's had a
big workload. But I still think that they'll probably get
another test out of him this week.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
What about.
Speaker 5 (18:32):
Last timeouts to Mighty, Williams came off the bench Ethan
the group starts. It's an interesting question because Ethan Degree
is not really an impact player.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Yeah, but.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
To Mighty and Williams can play sixty seventy minutes, So
what are you doing there?
Speaker 3 (18:48):
I'm starting Ethan degreed again this week with an either
to Mighty starting next week in Wellington.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
I think.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
He hasn't had the rugby load to Mighty Williams in
recent times to not justify justify as the wrong word,
but as a prop to play that sixty minute spell,
I think he needs to build into it. Give him
another half hour this week. And again we're talking about
impact off the bench to Mighty can bring that in spade.
So I think for this week I would stick with
Ethan de Groot, who's I think been pretty good so
(19:18):
far this season, with a lot of question marks in
the offseason and various things around his role in the
All Blacks, you know, after the question marks at that
end of the year too, I think he's responded well.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
But I'll probably stick with Ethan to start it this week.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
Ye I think that's the way they'll go. But I
want to harness to Whity because he he is the
all court modern day prop. He's athletic, he brings so
much more around the field with his ball skills, and
I don't think you really lose much of anything from
a scrummaging perspective.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Would you go Lomax straight in at tighthead?
Speaker 4 (19:51):
I think Lomex will come off the bench.
Speaker 5 (19:53):
He hasn't played a lot of rugby this show and
Fletchernel's playing out of his skin exceptionally well.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Lomex played ten games, the Hurricanes had a couple of injuries.
There only once in the All Black, so eleven games
all year, which is a low low load. Let's go
back to the wings. Who are your All Black starting
wings this week?
Speaker 5 (20:15):
I think there's a strong argument. I don't think they'll
do this, but Will Jordan is probably your best or
Black wing. I don't think they'll do that. I would
be putting the money in Narawa and to start because
I think he has rew upside it in the air.
He's actually quite a silky athlete. And the other thing
(20:39):
I would have started Caleb Clark, but I think Scott
Robinson is quite a loyal coaches and he at heart,
and maybe he drops one of them and retains Rico.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Perhaps.
Speaker 5 (20:57):
I think Sevu could be targeted just purely because of
his height, but Rico hasn't shown a great capacity since
going to the wing of not only on a defensive bomb,
but contesting and chasing kicks like he really needs a
rock it.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
In that regard, I would like to see Natawa this week.
I mean ideal, I like see if iing and Ky.
I mean I've advocated a few moments ago for him
to maybe come off the bench. I suspect you won't
start this week on the left wing, Leroy Carter. It's
an aerial game. Not sure that this is the test
todaybuting and again I would have liked to see him
and Is off the bench potentially, but I believe that
(21:34):
out and out pace. I mean, look at the box
wings that they've had through recent years, Curtly, Arens, Cheslin Colby.
These aren't big blokes. These are pocket rockets.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
Same with the Wallabies. Yeah, Max Jorgensen. It's not all
about my small individuals at all. Yeah, they were some
of their best performers in South Africa.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
And then I would like to see Liroy Carter. I
think he's the point of difference that pace. I think
he's the fastest player in New Zealand Super Rugby. Again,
this is unlikely they give him the opportunity this week,
but I would like to see him in the mix
this week.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Yeah. Some of these a lot of these selection questions.
Speaker 5 (22:09):
Comes back to how the All Blacks approach the box
because stylistically, for me, it's important that the All Blacks
don't go into their shells.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
Yeah, don't become too conservative.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
You look and for me, a lot of it comes
back to how the Wallabies really tested the spring Box
and I would argue Joe Schmidt was a massive part
of the All Black's revival and the success they had
against the spring Box, that big triumph.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
They push them to the brink in the World Cup final.
Speaker 5 (22:40):
Stylistically, the Wallabies are fatigued a very big, heavy.
Speaker 4 (22:46):
Slow and mobile spring Box po on the high velt.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
Yeah, they stretched them with their kicking game, with their pace,
with their ball movement. And for me, that's where this
All Black team needs to go.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
It needs to.
Speaker 5 (22:59):
Unlock and unleash their attack and they do that by
bringing fatigue into the game, not by.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Being dragged into a dog fire.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
And to the South Africa, how the South Africa want
you to play with the contestable kicks, with the set
piece battle. You can be strong in those areas, but
you've got a play at pace. You have to bring
fatigue into the game. You have to use your skill
sets and attack because yeah, the Springboks are going to kick,
but that actually opens up a lot of opportunity and
(23:28):
the counter attack because the defensive lines are broken. So
I really want this All Black team to be brave
and to attack and to not be conservative. In the
backdrop of all this pressure of Eden Park, of the
magnitude of the occasion of coming off a defeat, then
they really need to be brave and take this head on.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
This even part record, it's kind of it's the old
millstone around the neck, isn't it that eventually at some
point is going to get broken, whether it's this week
on and almost that fear of being the team that
loses it is real. It's also while we don't have
a new stadium, partly because everyone talks about how rate
even Parkers and the record it is that's trotted out
(24:11):
as a line, why you know we should keep it
as you know, the All Blacks spiritual home. So it's
got to go at some point, but it is. It's
a real thing that has talked about already, been talked
about at the media conferences this week. You know around
how much that Eden Park record means fifty without loss.
Speaker 5 (24:30):
You can you can read a lot into these things,
and whether it transpires in the match itself is another matter.
But I was actually quite impressed with Scott Robinson today,
because there have been a number of times I think
in his short tenure where partly because of his dyslexia
and those things, he is not.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
Great.
Speaker 5 (24:50):
It's expressing himself when when the stakes are really high,
or when he's uncomfortable in the spotlight. But today he
was very calm and eloquent and spoke to that fear,
didn't he He said, Look, it's a human reaction and
actually that's quite a good thing to prepare the body to,
(25:12):
you know, like a protectionism, a reaction, and if if
that translates through the All Blacks, I think it's a
good thing. And yeah, there is a fear of losing,
but there is a real sense of comfort. You've got
to remember there's still a lot of experience and fond
memories for so many of those senior All Blacks. Eden
(25:32):
Park is a place of comfort. So while it's yeah,
while there is a lot of pressure to uphold that record,
it is a place of strength for the All Blacks.
And on the other side of the coin, it's the
last bastion for this Spring Boks team who are in
the conversation for among the greatest teams of all time.
(25:53):
They back to back Welch Cup champions have pretty much
done everything else and this is the last one they
want to knock.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Off you and that and it also there's a lot
of string Walks players that I don't think will make
twenty twenty seven and this team, and they haven't toured
New Zealand that often due to COVID. I only came
once in the last World Cup cycle when they went
to Mount Smart because of the FIFA World Cup Women's
World Cup that was on at the same time. They
haven't played at eden Park since twenty thirteen. They would
(26:23):
have gone there in twenty seventeen but they just had
to The backs just had two lines tests at eden Park.
So there's been all sorts of reasons they haven't played
at eden Park that often. And it feels like you're
right final frontier. Maybe some of these players don't make
the twenty seven World Cup, as a suggested with Aordue
respect because it feels like some of them have the
age profile that is just not going to help the
spring Box when they get there. So big tests from
(26:45):
the Springbox this weekend as well.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Big moment.
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Well, that's right, let's run through some of their ages
because this is a big question mark around the Box.
You know, how long do you hang on to a
certain generation of player and when are they passed that
Fords do tend to play on longer yep, particularly Hookers
and the Light, but even Estabeth thirty three, Kaliss thirty four,
Oxen each thirty, marx Is thirty one, Moster thirty four,
(27:09):
Sniemon thirty, Thomas through Toy thirty, the Yaga thirty two,
Quager Smith thirty two. So you're coming down the other
side potentially. So that is a real question around this
Box team. You know, they haven't regenerated and will that
catch up with them and might.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Do at some point.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
I mean they've got a massive squad of Lot fifty
that they had at one point. There's clearly an I
to the future from Russi, but hasn't pulled the trigger
as yet on really bringing those players into run on
sides on a regular basis. He's given a lot of
them a taste, but he's stuck with those players and
whether it happens after this Rugby Championship, whether it happens
(27:49):
on the end of Yew tour. Feels like at some
point he's going to have to make those decisions as
as Springbooks coach. So yeah, it's in some ways it
could be not necessarily an end of an era for
this too. You know, on this tour of the theke
a couple of weeks with the spring Walks, but you
know they are at some point going to have to
look to twenty twenty seven and decide the best mix
for them.
Speaker 5 (28:08):
There's so many different elements at play here and in questions,
aren't there in the backdrop of all this. Another one
for me is the coaching wits. You've got Russi Rassmus,
the the Lord and Savior of South African rugby, you know,
this god like figure, the great innovator, the man that's
delivered them so much success, who has so much experience
(28:28):
at test level up against a relative rookie, and Scott Robinson,
who had great experience, great success or domestic rugby, is
unproven and his coaching team is the same your black
Sad Wayne Smith in their camp this week, So tap
into the to the professor. But on a big occasion
like this, how much do you put down to the
(28:51):
coaching wits?
Speaker 4 (28:52):
How much.
Speaker 5 (28:55):
How much influence do those little special players have, whether
it's a line out, set move or a piece of
trickery that that scene in analysis. You know how much
does experience matter. So it is a massive week from
a coaching perspective too.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
It is.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Yeah, all those details that you mentioned there, and Tony
Brown's had the full bag of tricks right throughout his
coaching career when he's at the Highlanders. You know, the
special plays that he'd come up with. I'm sure there's
a couple up the sleeve from Tony Brown for this
weekend that the All Blacks won't have seen the pictures
of in their analysis. You hope that the All Blacks
have something similar. You think back to that can royguard
try he scored in Wellington off the line out that
(29:30):
was worked up by Brne Evans. You know, maybe the
All Blacks have got a few up their sleeve as well.
But it is all about those one percenters to try
and find, you know, whatever the small margins are to
win this Test match on Saturday night.
Speaker 5 (29:45):
Do you expect the We've seen the spring Box played
two different ways against the Wallabies.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
One worked for them, one didn't.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
I think they'll go with the one that worked for
them this weekends.
Speaker 5 (29:54):
It's my suspicion yeah, because it could be a bit
of rain rounds. It's all yeah, yeah, but I hope
the all blacks, regardless of conditions, just still play. And
Scott Robinson intimated that today. But following through on that
can be a bit of a different beast when when
that that rush pressure is coming in your face, when
(30:15):
you know scoreboard might not be on your sides, when
the stakes are so high.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
We'll take a quick break here on Rugby come back
with a few rugby topics to cover off after this.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
This is Rugby Direct, a podcast for real rugby fans.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Try Drive had sixty sec every tackle, tackles, Get up again,
I can't afore times. It's Rugby Direct. You're back with
Rugby Direct time out for the final four.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Four rugby topics and an important one to cover off,
I think Liam the passing of Shane Christie last week.
Tasman flanker of more than seventy games for his province,
also coached Tasman Highlanders co captain and regular player for
them as well, and also the coaching role with the
(31:08):
high as well.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
He suspected he had CTE.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
He suspect you suspected suicide Last week and you know,
shockingly sad news and again just confronting around some of
those issues that face us in rugby and professional rugby
and really make you take a step back.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
Massively.
Speaker 5 (31:32):
And you and I were talking to Finlay Christie today
and a stand up and I think that the raw
emotion for people and players and anyone who was closely
connected with Shane is still very evident. I think his
service will be on Tuesday in New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
And look, I think.
Speaker 5 (31:54):
First and foremost Shane was an incredibly courageous player, hugely underrated,
probably open side flanker. He co captain the Honders and
you know went into coaching. There's no doubt that he
was massively affected by his good friend Billy Geisen's death
and he could quite well to be found to be
(32:19):
found to have suffered the same fate, because Christy will
donate his brain to science to be studied to find
out whether indeed he does have CT, which can only
be diagnosed post mortem. And yeah, I guess you feel
for everyone who knew him and he was on a
bit of a crusade.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
Wasn't a shamed to.
Speaker 5 (32:42):
Get bitter support, education and understanding around head knocks in
the game. I think New Zealand Rugby have not shied
away from that. They have done a lot to tackle
that issue. There's always more that can be done. And yeah,
I think the one thing you've got to say is
you can never understand what people are going through unless
(33:04):
you're walking in those shoes. And ct is a real
disease and it can make you manic, it can make
you depressed, and unless you're in that space, you can't
relate to it. So he's thirty nine years old, man,
I'm thirty seven. Just incredibly sad to lose someone at
(33:24):
that age.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
Yeah, he was a great player, and.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Yeah, I mean when it comes to rugby, and I
know there are some loud voices and you know form
players that have got CTE. I think of Alex Pop
and miss with Jackson and Pye the other day and
others that have that have lent their voice. And to
be dealing with your life while you are dealing with
what you suspect is CTE and your brain's not quite
working as you know it should is terrifying, absolutely terrifying.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
You think of.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
You know, people in old age who you go through
these things, Well, it's an accelerated essentially a version of
you know that right at the end of their lives.
You know, these has happened to people in their thirties
and forties. And I guess the question is, you know,
should Rugby be doing more? I suppose they can always
do more, but this isn't I think Rugby's constantly evolving,
and it's not the game that we're playing in twenty
(34:15):
twenty five. Isn't the game that we're playing in twenty twenty.
It's not the game they're playing in twenty fifteen or
twenty ten. This is an evolving game. We've seen that
with the rule changes that they've been implementing around head
contact in recent times, and the game has changed in
any number of ways that it is evolving to a
product where you can do the utmost potentially to try
(34:36):
and protect players suffering these sort of concussions.
Speaker 5 (34:39):
Yeah, I think the one thing that where Rugby needs
to move is not it's not been in denial, but
it's not waiting. So Christy and Billy goiiton haad CTE.
And there's no way of definitively knowing until their brains
can be examined posts mortem.
Speaker 4 (34:57):
But if they need.
Speaker 5 (35:00):
If anyone who's played the game for a long period,
particularly a professional level, needs psychiatric or medical support, the
rugby can be better at wrapping their arms around them
and providing that, not saying, well, you might have that
you might not. It might be personality traits, it might
be other factors. Just provide the help, and I think
(35:22):
that's where it needs to get to.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Yeah, thoughts with Shan Cresty and his family and friends
as they prepare a farewellhem at a service on Tuesday.
Let's move on to other rugby topics and the Black
Ferns continuing at the World Cup through to the quarterfinals
with a win over Japan. Pusha Woodman fifty tries in
her test career, was in retirement a few months ago,
but I think the Black fans are building quite nicely
(35:45):
as they prepare for Irelands next week, which is going
to be the toughest test in Paul play. And we
hope four big test matches in a row for the
Black Ferns have changed a few things around. We saw
Georgia Miller play on the blind overnight against Japan.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Positive signs.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
I think they're for the Black Ferns in a game
that Again, these games at World Cups were expected to
win are often no win situation.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
Yeah, it's quite hard to get a gauge, isn't it.
In these matches.
Speaker 5 (36:11):
I think they've made mass changes in both games at halftime.
They've used all, you know, thirty two players, so that's
positive to get everyone involved from the outset. Yeah, Georgia
Millis saw her try breakdown, turnover and sprint away to score, which.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
She's playing like a bat.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
Yeah, she's obviously from the sevens program, but she's playing
as an eight back essentially for the Ferns.
Speaker 4 (36:33):
That's it.
Speaker 5 (36:33):
And teenage was kid Braxton, so Sorrenson McGee three tries.
She's a bit of a weapon as well. So I
think Boxers tipped for the Black Ferns. I think that potentially.
I was taking to our colleague Chris Reeve, who's covering
the tournament from AFAR. He suggested they're potentially on course
for France in a quarterfinal. So Island will be a
(36:54):
big step up, won't And you need that challenge. You
can't just have runaway matches.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
Yeah, and they lost Island last year. There's gonna be
a bit between the teeth. You'd hope from the Black
fans to try and rectify that Island were a bit scratchy.
I thought overnight against Spain in the game that they
probably should have won and when comfortably it was forty
three twenty seven off the top of my heir twenty
four twelve at half time. So the Black Fans win that.
Possibly South Africa or France in the quarterfinals. So you know,
(37:22):
big Test matches in South Africa been the vast improvers
and women's rugby over the last eighteen months or so.
They've gone huge upwards trajectory of the last eighteen months.
So we wait and see that. But big game against
Ireland next week. Topic number three Wallabies in Argentina Townsville,
home of the Cowboys. Do you give Argentina a shot
(37:44):
of going to Townsville and beating the Australians.
Speaker 5 (37:47):
Not sure if they went in Townsville, but I think
they go. I think they do take a victory and
that would be pretty consistent with the Pomas, wouldn't it.
They tend to not hot and cold, but they tend
to have one performance in them and drop their level.
Coming off the high of the All Blacks victory. They're
first in Argentina and history. I think there will be
a bit of a calm down. There's no reason why
(38:10):
they can't ride that wave. The Wallabies will be without
Will Skelton, big big out for them and still nursing
some other bigs out big outs Tom Wright, who was
exceptional in their first test in Alice Park. So look,
there's no reason that Pumas can't win. But I think
they go one on one in that tour.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
I so speak Australia wins this week in Townsville, but
next week might be a bit closer as well. I
mean that's a scenario for this whole Rugby Championship, isn't it.
There's not a lot between these two sides and it
might be one on ones from a lot of the
tours that are going around at the moment. And final topic,
we started with the shield, We'll end with the shield.
Waikido's tenure last did what all of seven days?
Speaker 2 (38:50):
I think it was in the end.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
Southland they just love the Rainfley shield. They think back
about a deck out to go. Plus they beat Canterbury
in christ Huge in two thousand and nine. I was
there at Lancaster Bark Slash Jade Stadium whatever it was
called in those days. Two thousand and nine three Robbie
Robinson penalties nine three. Cannibry lost that night, then they
lost in twenty eleven just after the earthquakes, handed the
(39:13):
shield over to Southland again and now Cannarbury trying to
get it off Southland this week.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
But what we saw yesterday I thought was magnificent.
Speaker 3 (39:20):
Sheeld rugby in the weet Southland twenty five wake at
O ten, I think the Moveler's lost their heads a
little bit in the last twenty minutes. I mean, you
still have fifteen points down, but we're playing ed lib
offload footy from about the sixty first minute.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
Well deserve win for Southland.
Speaker 5 (39:35):
And it's an interesting debate to be here because you're
never going to turn down all blacks coming back. But
Southland won that when Wacotta brought back four or five
all blacks and some of them were upstage big time.
You look at Sean with The's performance. I think he
got five breakdown turnovers, the most of anyone this season.
And meanwhile, you know Summer Penny Final got blitz down
(39:58):
the blind side, beating or Leans up for one of
Southland's tries.
Speaker 4 (40:03):
Antelina Brown was.
Speaker 5 (40:06):
Barely featured, so I think it did really show what
the shield still means, you know, And it was just
a really it was all heart, wasn't it from Southland?
And but look there were some brilliant moments in that
that they were technically astute and the second half really
(40:27):
used the wind to their advantage and never looked like
being run down.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
No they didn't.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
As soon as they got out to their twenty five
to ten it felt like that was the game done.
Fifteen points up that that was enough. I mean, wad
we were playing into the wind. But Southland I thought
just played superb shield footage and I really do. I
think Sean mlle is a really impressive player that maybe
taking a couple of years to get in his development.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
I was really impressed with them at age group level.
Speaker 3 (40:50):
He looks like a player that is building his career
quite nicely in terms of some of those you know,
loose forwards right around the country currently.
Speaker 5 (40:56):
Yeah, real leadership qualities and a huge breakdown prisence, which
is incredibly valuable when you look at what do perceived
carefe brought to the Hurricanes this year. So yeah, he's
one and that the Hondas you know, he's one of
those young guns that's really come on for them and
has made a massive impact for South Fond. I guess
(41:19):
the challenge now, isn't it as why I could have
found out when you have a couple of big days
of celebrations and a couple of trainings and then you've
got to defend the shield, it's not so easy.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
No, it is not.
Speaker 3 (41:30):
And we look forward to hopefully Canterbury hoisting that around
about an hour out from kick off at Eden Park.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
On Saturday, help the stacks right Okay that it has
been Rugby Direx.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
We might pop back into your feet a bit later
on in the week as well as we build up
to this big Test match. But thanks to Larson Bars
English and thanks to Excess Solutions elevating you and your
business to a higher level.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
For more from News Talks B listen live on air
or online and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Straight down the middle of Drum Dickey scud.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Try get inside the game from every angle. It's Rugby
Direct with Elliott Smith and Leam Napier, powered by News
Talks ed B.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Welcome in to Rugby Directs, powered by Excess Solutions, elevating
you and your business to a higher level. Elliott Smith
with me Liam Napier, back from Argentina and ready to
go for this huge week of test rugby. We've had
it marked on the calendar since the schedule was announced. Liam,
and finally Canterbury get this shield charge.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
I should have known you to throw that down there.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Four oh five Saturday. The shield is coming to its
rightful up the stag.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Dave Dobbin out Welcome home is blasting around the cannery
once that shield comes to the mainland once again.
Speaker 5 (01:16):
Look, I think it's fair to say that everyone is
an honorary stag for the weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Don't know about that, but we will get onto that
bit later on in the podcast. Of course, our focus
is the All Blacks and South Africa. Seven oh five Saturday,
night and in all seriousness, this has been a game
that has been in the calendar ever since the schedule
was announced. Eden Park record on the line from the
All Blacks and you know it's just days away now,
how are your feelings in terms of this contest as
(01:45):
we record this five days out?
Speaker 5 (01:47):
Well, you and I are positively fizzed. Elliott and I
think this match will grip New Zealand like outside of
a World Cup Final, like nothing probably since a game
on New Zealand Shows since twenty eleven. It really is
that big of an occasion. It's you know, fifty test
undefeated at Eden Park thirty four years there the World
(02:10):
Cup Final rematch one v two in the Worlds. The
Springboks looking to go five in a row against the
All Blacks, which is quite staggering in itself Artist Severe's
hundredth The Springboks haven't won at Eden Park since nineteen
thirty seven, so.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
You know, what more do you want?
Speaker 5 (02:25):
The All Blacks backs press to the wall following a loss.
Spring Box not at their best, but everything about the
year is targeted around this game. And while rugby fans
would naturally tune into this game, casual fans non rugby
supporters will be tuning in so massive occasion and how
(02:47):
could you not be excited.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Yeah, you get the sense that this is a test
week that we haven't had for in New Zealand, as
you say, for yeah, maybe that third week of the
line series back in twenty seventeen. But it does feel
like a World Cup final. Two teams going ahead to
hear it, it's one v two in the world. But
from an All Blacks perspective, there are questions around this
All Blacks team and their status as world number one,
(03:10):
because it doesn't quite feel like, especially on the back
of that performance in Buenos Aida, is that they deserve
to be sitting there.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
So the All Blacks go in? Do they go in
as favorites? Do you think liam for this game.
Speaker 5 (03:20):
Although actually quite hot favorites for the book is I
think the Box are at two forty two fifty, which
is quite staggering. Really, I would have them pretty neck
and neck, maybe the All Blacks favorites given to the
end park record, given they're on home soil. But you
look at that All Black squad and just the injuries
at half back and the questions around the wings do
(03:43):
make you a bit nervous, but on the other side
of the coin. While certainly our focus and much of
New Zealand's focus is on the All Blacks, the Springboks
have been well below their best this year as well.
They were upset by the Wallabies at Alice Park and
very much went back to type the following week and
scraped out of victory to go one on one with
(04:05):
the Wallabies at home. So they have question marks over
them as well. But it does sort of feel like
form is almost irrelevant in a match like this.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
What do you reckon?
Speaker 2 (04:19):
I think it is.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
It feels like doesn't matter what's gone on in the
three five Tests that these teams have played so far
this year. That's all going to go out the window.
And it's a cliche, but it will go out the
window at seven oh five on Saturday night. It won't
matter two weeks ago that the All Blacks lost in Argentina.
It won't matter three weeks ago that the box are
upset by Australia. This will be All Blacks in South
(04:40):
Africa as it has always been right through their storied history,
a Test match where to be honest, on the surface
of I don't think there'll be much in it comes
Saturday and up whoever ends up winning. I think that's
the nature of the rivalry and sometimes that supersedes the
form that teams go into it prior to it. I
think this is where these two seams sit and have
(05:01):
always sat when they face each other.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
That's right, and it is very much that rivalry, isn't it.
It's the storied history, the respect the success of the
two dominant teams within world rugby as far back as
you can remember. So that's transformed and progressed into the
(05:24):
modern age. But it's an interesting backdrop that we find
ourselves in because the Springboks have had the All Blacks
number and you can go back to last year and
look at the All Blacks out playing the spring Box
in South Africa for fifteen minutes only to let it
slip and fade away.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
And then the World Cup final.
Speaker 5 (05:45):
We could argue the All Blacks could have order should
have won that game, but they didn't. So results matter
and South Africa will certainly bring that confidence in because
no matter how you perform, no matter what decisions or
moments and matches you can highlight the spring Box have
won the last four and.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
You know they have pedigree.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
In recent times of winning matches of real significance, and
that does matter when all eyes are on, when the
pressure tells when you need clutch moments, so that big
game temperament is stacked in their favor.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
And that's what we probably haven't seen yet from this
All Blacks era under Scott Robertson. I mean, they've had
some good wins. The Irish win last year, the England
win at Twickenham, both very very good wins. But there's
a legitimate argument you can make it they should have
left South Africa one win, one lost last year maybe
even if you're being generous, should have won potentially both
of those games given where they sat in both of them.
(06:47):
So it's about finishing and what we've seen from the
All Blacks is they've just had moments in games where
they've switched off and gone out of games. And last
year it was the last twenty minutes where they didn't
score a point for weeks on end. This year it
seems to be minutes forty to sixty where they go
cold and struggling to get back in the contest. So
(07:10):
they've got to deliver an eighty minute performance and nothing
less than that is going to do come Saturday night.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
That's right, and that patchy elements has been evident largely
throughout Scott Robinson's tenure. You mentioned the victory in Dublin,
which is the standout achievement, but the French game in
Paris they were dominant throughout and then let it slip
in the second half. This year there was the one
performance against the very second string French team, the worst
(07:39):
side that they put out in their three match series
in Wellington. But even in Argentina, dominant first half in
the first Test, two yellow cards and they come down
a cliff and almost let the puma's back in. And
then the worst performance of Scott Robinson's tenure last time out.
So that patchy elements. Is it a lack of concentration?
(08:03):
Is its system error? Is its combinations? Is it coaching floors?
Because that coaching team lacks experience on the test stage,
So that the in the middle of he like you say,
to put together a four to eighty minute performance, to
stay the course, to come up clutch, to have the
right discipline when things aren't going your way, to ride
(08:26):
through momentum and regain composure.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
There are some big question marks in that regard over
this All Black team.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Certainly a few personnel notes to go through this week.
Half back wise, Cortes Ratama is going to be given
every opportunity to play this Saturday night at Eden Park
had a rib issue that we knew about coming back
from Argentina. He is touch and go. I think it's
fair to save for Saturday Night. We heard from Scott
robertson the last couple of hours basically saying they'll give
(08:53):
them every chance to play.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
But it's firming.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
You'd have to say that Philay Christie will make his
first his start in quite some time, and Kyle Preston
likely to make a dabu off the bench. Davy Row
has been called in his training cover to the All
Blacks this week as well. So that's a big blow
losing Cortiz Ratima if indeed he is out this week,
and it's a big pressure on Finlay Christie.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
Yeah, I'd never profess to be anywhere near in All
Black stage, but I've broken a fracture of rib playing
rugby before, and bloody hurts, and you think about carrying
that into a game, even if you did have a.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Jab or something like that.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
If it ever needs to be, it has to be
clocks you early, you're certainly going to know about it.
So it's high risk to put someone into that combative
stage with that sort of an injury. So I would
be very surprised, particularly given they've called in Xavier Row
if Cortez does play this weekend, and look, he's a tough,
(09:59):
tough rooster. Cortez obviously played on with that injury, but
he was in significant pain. So like you say, jeez,
I've been the all Black's been really hard there. The
missing came Roy guard Noah Hotham is potentially number two
and he's out for much of the Rugby Championship, and
then you lose Cortez Latimer, so you're really digging deep
(10:20):
into to one position.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
So that's a real area of concern.
Speaker 5 (10:23):
Look, the one thing, I'm not a huge fan of
fin Le Christie, but he's not going to be overawed
by the stage. He was involved in those World Cup
knockout games. Off the bench, he's a pretty.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Coming seems to face him. He's level headed yet very
kind of high lows really when you speak to him.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (10:42):
I do have concerns about his kicking game. It's de
al Black's their contestable kicks. The accuracy of them has
been in an area of vulnerability and that's not one
of his strengths. What he does bring, he's very nuggety,
he gets over the ball. He's usually very strong defensively.
His delivery is actually quite sharp off the deck if
(11:03):
you look at the speed. So he's an unflappable character.
He won't be take a backward step with the big
box forwards coming around the fringes. But yeah, and then
Kyle Preston, what a potentially massive occasion to make your debut.
And I guess the other one who's coming to the mix.
Very unlucky to se him this week, but less of
(11:24):
fighting a Nuoku played a couple of games for Tasman
and gets the board seal of approval to come in
a in any way surprised by that.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Not really, because it feels like they can bend the
rules as they see fit to get players and to
Marthy and Wise, all Blacks rugby season is over out
for three months with a broken arm. Fighting an Ooku
has been in good form for Tasman since coming back.
It's got a great try where he rushed off several
defenders against Otago on Saturday night. He is the logical replacement.
(11:54):
The board have clearly given their approval. He's been with
Tasman since the start of pre season, has played some
good rugby. I've got no problem with them him being selected.
It's more the straight jacket that they put on themselves
around these rules that they've got to bend. The You know,
you put the straight jacket on yourself, you know now
you want to get out of it. These are your
own rules. They're not dictated to by World Rugby. So
(12:15):
that's the kind of issue I've got around the eligibility
and the seven levers that they can pull.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (12:19):
These are of their own making. You can break the
rules as much as you want. I know it. Maybe not.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
That doesn't send the best message to players that have
been in New Zealand rugby for a number of times.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
But I've seen it before on the podcast.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
If you have a contract that is existing with New
Zealand Rugby, as far as I'm concerned, you are free
to play, You're eligible to play.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
Yeah, I don't have an issue with it.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
I think technically, and this is what I've seen previously
with guys like Damian McKenzie and TJ Peinara when they
went away to Japan and didn't have a New Zealand
Rugby contract, they had to come back and play a
whole season of NPCs. So that's why that's where the
precedent is set.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
That's where it is. But I don't have an issue
with that.
Speaker 5 (13:02):
He's come back, he's played a couple of games, he's
I think the key thing is he's committed his future.
He's not just back for five minutes and he's going
to buger off again. And look, when I think about
a guy like Lester fining Anookoo and I compare him
even to an antoin Leina Brown, and you think about
the versatility you put Lester on the bench and he
(13:25):
can cover second center, wing and just his power elements
that as a massive asset to heaving your squad.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
You say you wouldn't expect to see him this week.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
I don't think so. He only arrived in camp on
Sunday night. I think it's probably a wee bit of
a rush perhaps for the second Test in Wellington.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
If he's fit and he's a good form, why not
get him in Like I think he is the kind
of difference maker that the All Blacks have been screaming
out for, especially with some of the injuries they've got
around Caleb Clark and Billy Procter has struggled. I don't
know whether i'd start him this week necessarily, but if
you put him in Jersey twenty three and have the
ability to use him on the wing, use him in
midfield in the last twenty five thirty minutes of a
(14:06):
Test match, why not. And that's the kind of position
i'mond if he's going to help you win the Test
match this week, put him in there.
Speaker 5 (14:13):
I wouldn't have an issue that I think he'd be
make a massive impact if you talk about bringing someone
on and that in the second half when fatigues in
the mix, and he is the type of combative character
that could really stand up to some of those spring
Box players. Just on Caleb Clark, He's come back from
an ankle injury, played one game for Auckland and will
(14:35):
not be available for the All Blacks this weekend.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
We'll play for Auckland again. I would have picked him.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, if he's got sorow.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Wlison's explanation around it was that they wanted to see
him get another game. Well, you can see him get
another game against South Africa this weekend if he's fit.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
He's fit.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
Yeah, and you've got massive issue issues under the high ball.
He's by far and away your best aerial athlete. I
would have been ushering him straight into the left wing.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
And again you can protect yourself on the bench if
you know the ankle does tweak and injuries can happen. Again,
that's why you select a bench again. I just what's
the benefit of getting NPC game versus a test match
and then to roll Lomax has been with the thumb
and dry for the last few weeks, and I get
their different parts of the body, but he's had a
(15:23):
thumbdrefs last few weeks. Is going to go straight back
and presumably to the run on side to start in
the three Jersey on Saturday night.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
Yeah. And Caleb Clark performed very well against the spring
Box in South Africa last year, and that's possibly because
of the way the spring Box play. You know, Grant
Williams is going to box kick all day. You know,
Andre Pollard is going to hoist to the heavens and
put it in crossfield kicks so I think it's an
oversight to not select Clark this week.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
It should be noted that the All Blacks and New
Zealand ABY didn't take any notice of my comments on
Aby Direct last week. All my opinion piece for the
New Zealand Herald around getting Aaron Smith in. But that's
all right. You know you can't win them all your
fly kite sometimes and see what happens.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
It's good to have an opinion people, It's be a
boring line otherwise.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
A regular sis Steve Lenthial from across the TASM and said,
do you or Liam have your boots ready to PLAYT nine?
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Give them the current injury crisis.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I mean, I'm fairly confident if you've got you get
through seventy five minutes, I might come on for the
last five.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Yeah, you've played half.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
Bankied the new but that's not saying a lot.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
In terms of that All Blacks makes.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Then if we looked at this team which will be
announced on Thursday, do you expect big changes from the
side that lost to Argentina and Buenos Aires.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
I don't know, but I think Wallace the TC comes
into eight already goes to seven. I think there's a
real question about whether the tup of goes back into
Locke and maybe they start Simon Parker at six. I
think that that balance Fabian Holland started to look a
bit fatigued. I think there's a real question about whether
(17:00):
you potentially go six to two on the bench but
one of and then there's the wings.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
I think you don't want to push the panut button
here with with the you don't want.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Putting the panic pushing the panic button?
Speaker 5 (17:14):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (17:15):
These guys aren't playing?
Speaker 4 (17:16):
Well? What other change?
Speaker 5 (17:18):
I'm happy to change the wings, but I'm just saying
that you don't want to throw the baby out of
the bath water, like you you're yeah, what will Jordan
stays at fallback? I think Bowden stays at ten, and
I think the midfield probably stays unchanged. Like what are
the changes you're making?
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Well, you can put least defying a nook on one
of the wings immediately changes the dynamic. I think of
that back line. If you put him in, he's eligible
for selection.
Speaker 5 (17:43):
Yeah, that's a there's an element of rest with that too.
His plays basically spent two years playing midfield in France.
How much high ballwork has he done, that's where he's
going to be targeted.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Yep, And that is a very good question. What about
but what are you doing with I'm keeping too provide there.
I agree that Holland is looking a little bit fatigued.
I mean he's played. I think he came off the bench. Sorry,
was substituted in the last game in Buenos Aires, but
that was the first time he didn't play eighty as
an All Black, and this is a young kid being exposed.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
He's ruby for the first time.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Probably wouldn't have played every test in the French series
if not for Scott Barrett's injury and obviously the shift
from two BO five to six, so he's had a
big workload. But I still think that they'll probably get
another test out of him this week.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
What about.
Speaker 5 (18:32):
Last timeouts to Mighty, Williams came off the bench Ethan
the group starts. It's an interesting question because Ethan Degree
is not really an impact player.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Yeah, but.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
To Mighty and Williams can play sixty seventy minutes, So
what are you doing there?
Speaker 3 (18:48):
I'm starting Ethan degreed again this week with an either
to Mighty starting next week in Wellington.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
I think.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
He hasn't had the rugby load to Mighty Williams in
recent times to not justify justify as the wrong word,
but as a prop to play that sixty minute spell,
I think he needs to build into it. Give him
another half hour this week. And again we're talking about
impact off the bench to Mighty can bring that in spade.
So I think for this week I would stick with
Ethan de Groot, who's I think been pretty good so
(19:18):
far this season, with a lot of question marks in
the offseason and various things around his role in the
All Blacks, you know, after the question marks at that
end of the year too, I think he's responded well.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
But I'll probably stick with Ethan to start it this week.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
Ye I think that's the way they'll go. But I
want to harness to Whity because he he is the
all court modern day prop. He's athletic, he brings so
much more around the field with his ball skills, and
I don't think you really lose much of anything from
a scrummaging perspective.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Would you go Lomax straight in at tighthead?
Speaker 4 (19:51):
I think Lomex will come off the bench.
Speaker 5 (19:53):
He hasn't played a lot of rugby this show and
Fletchernel's playing out of his skin exceptionally well.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Lomex played ten games, the Hurricanes had a couple of injuries.
There only once in the All Black, so eleven games
all year, which is a low low load. Let's go
back to the wings. Who are your All Black starting
wings this week?
Speaker 5 (20:15):
I think there's a strong argument. I don't think they'll
do this, but Will Jordan is probably your best or
Black wing. I don't think they'll do that. I would
be putting the money in Narawa and to start because
I think he has rew upside it in the air.
He's actually quite a silky athlete. And the other thing
(20:39):
I would have started Caleb Clark, but I think Scott
Robinson is quite a loyal coaches and he at heart,
and maybe he drops one of them and retains Rico.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Perhaps.
Speaker 5 (20:57):
I think Sevu could be targeted just purely because of
his height, but Rico hasn't shown a great capacity since
going to the wing of not only on a defensive bomb,
but contesting and chasing kicks like he really needs a
rock it.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
In that regard, I would like to see Natawa this week.
I mean ideal, I like see if iing and Ky.
I mean I've advocated a few moments ago for him
to maybe come off the bench. I suspect you won't
start this week on the left wing, Leroy Carter. It's
an aerial game. Not sure that this is the test
todaybuting and again I would have liked to see him
and Is off the bench potentially, but I believe that
(21:34):
out and out pace. I mean, look at the box
wings that they've had through recent years, Curtly, Arens, Cheslin Colby.
These aren't big blokes. These are pocket rockets.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
Same with the Wallabies. Yeah, Max Jorgensen. It's not all
about my small individuals at all. Yeah, they were some
of their best performers in South Africa.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
And then I would like to see Liroy Carter. I
think he's the point of difference that pace. I think
he's the fastest player in New Zealand Super Rugby. Again,
this is unlikely they give him the opportunity this week,
but I would like to see him in the mix
this week.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Yeah. Some of these a lot of these selection questions.
Speaker 5 (22:09):
Comes back to how the All Blacks approach the box
because stylistically, for me, it's important that the All Blacks
don't go into their shells.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
Yeah, don't become too conservative.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
You look and for me, a lot of it comes
back to how the Wallabies really tested the spring Box
and I would argue Joe Schmidt was a massive part
of the All Black's revival and the success they had
against the spring Box, that big triumph.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
They push them to the brink in the World Cup final.
Speaker 5 (22:40):
Stylistically, the Wallabies are fatigued a very big, heavy.
Speaker 4 (22:46):
Slow and mobile spring Box po on the high velt.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
Yeah, they stretched them with their kicking game, with their pace,
with their ball movement. And for me, that's where this
All Black team needs to go.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
It needs to.
Speaker 5 (22:59):
Unlock and unleash their attack and they do that by
bringing fatigue into the game, not by.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Being dragged into a dog fire.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
And to the South Africa, how the South Africa want
you to play with the contestable kicks, with the set
piece battle. You can be strong in those areas, but
you've got a play at pace. You have to bring
fatigue into the game. You have to use your skill
sets and attack because yeah, the Springboks are going to kick,
but that actually opens up a lot of opportunity and
(23:28):
the counter attack because the defensive lines are broken. So
I really want this All Black team to be brave
and to attack and to not be conservative. In the
backdrop of all this pressure of Eden Park, of the
magnitude of the occasion of coming off a defeat, then
they really need to be brave and take this head on.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
This even part record, it's kind of it's the old
millstone around the neck, isn't it that eventually at some
point is going to get broken, whether it's this week
on and almost that fear of being the team that
loses it is real. It's also while we don't have
a new stadium, partly because everyone talks about how rate
even Parkers and the record it is that's trotted out
(24:11):
as a line, why you know we should keep it
as you know, the All Blacks spiritual home. So it's
got to go at some point, but it is. It's
a real thing that has talked about already, been talked
about at the media conferences this week. You know around
how much that Eden Park record means fifty without loss.
Speaker 5 (24:30):
You can you can read a lot into these things,
and whether it transpires in the match itself is another matter.
But I was actually quite impressed with Scott Robinson today,
because there have been a number of times I think
in his short tenure where partly because of his dyslexia
and those things, he is not.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
Great.
Speaker 5 (24:50):
It's expressing himself when when the stakes are really high,
or when he's uncomfortable in the spotlight. But today he
was very calm and eloquent and spoke to that fear,
didn't he He said, Look, it's a human reaction and
actually that's quite a good thing to prepare the body to,
(25:12):
you know, like a protectionism, a reaction, and if if
that translates through the All Blacks, I think it's a
good thing. And yeah, there is a fear of losing,
but there is a real sense of comfort. You've got
to remember there's still a lot of experience and fond
memories for so many of those senior All Blacks. Eden
(25:32):
Park is a place of comfort. So while it's yeah,
while there is a lot of pressure to uphold that record,
it is a place of strength for the All Blacks.
And on the other side of the coin, it's the
last bastion for this Spring Boks team who are in
the conversation for among the greatest teams of all time.
(25:53):
They back to back Welch Cup champions have pretty much
done everything else and this is the last one they
want to knock.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Off you and that and it also there's a lot
of string Walks players that I don't think will make
twenty twenty seven and this team, and they haven't toured
New Zealand that often due to COVID. I only came
once in the last World Cup cycle when they went
to Mount Smart because of the FIFA World Cup Women's
World Cup that was on at the same time. They
haven't played at eden Park since twenty thirteen. They would
(26:23):
have gone there in twenty seventeen but they just had
to The backs just had two lines tests at eden Park.
So there's been all sorts of reasons they haven't played
at eden Park that often. And it feels like you're
right final frontier. Maybe some of these players don't make
the twenty seven World Cup, as a suggested with Aordue
respect because it feels like some of them have the
age profile that is just not going to help the
spring Box when they get there. So big tests from
(26:45):
the Springbox this weekend as well.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Big moment.
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Well, that's right, let's run through some of their ages
because this is a big question mark around the Box.
You know, how long do you hang on to a
certain generation of player and when are they passed that
Fords do tend to play on longer yep, particularly Hookers
and the Light, but even Estabeth thirty three, Kaliss thirty four,
Oxen each thirty, marx Is thirty one, Moster thirty four,
(27:09):
Sniemon thirty, Thomas through Toy thirty, the Yaga thirty two,
Quager Smith thirty two. So you're coming down the other
side potentially. So that is a real question around this
Box team. You know, they haven't regenerated and will that
catch up with them and might.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Do at some point.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
I mean they've got a massive squad of Lot fifty
that they had at one point. There's clearly an I
to the future from Russi, but hasn't pulled the trigger
as yet on really bringing those players into run on
sides on a regular basis. He's given a lot of
them a taste, but he's stuck with those players and
whether it happens after this Rugby Championship, whether it happens
(27:49):
on the end of Yew tour. Feels like at some
point he's going to have to make those decisions as
as Springbooks coach. So yeah, it's in some ways it
could be not necessarily an end of an era for
this too. You know, on this tour of the theke
a couple of weeks with the spring Walks, but you
know they are at some point going to have to
look to twenty twenty seven and decide the best mix
for them.
Speaker 5 (28:08):
There's so many different elements at play here and in questions,
aren't there in the backdrop of all this. Another one
for me is the coaching wits. You've got Russi Rassmus,
the the Lord and Savior of South African rugby, you know,
this god like figure, the great innovator, the man that's
delivered them so much success, who has so much experience
(28:28):
at test level up against a relative rookie, and Scott Robinson,
who had great experience, great success or domestic rugby, is
unproven and his coaching team is the same your black
Sad Wayne Smith in their camp this week, So tap
into the to the professor. But on a big occasion
like this, how much do you put down to the
(28:51):
coaching wits?
Speaker 4 (28:52):
How much.
Speaker 5 (28:55):
How much influence do those little special players have, whether
it's a line out, set move or a piece of
trickery that that scene in analysis. You know how much
does experience matter. So it is a massive week from
a coaching perspective too.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
It is.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Yeah, all those details that you mentioned there, and Tony
Brown's had the full bag of tricks right throughout his
coaching career when he's at the Highlanders. You know, the
special plays that he'd come up with. I'm sure there's
a couple up the sleeve from Tony Brown for this
weekend that the All Blacks won't have seen the pictures
of in their analysis. You hope that the All Blacks
have something similar. You think back to that can royguard
try he scored in Wellington off the line out that
(29:30):
was worked up by Brne Evans. You know, maybe the
All Blacks have got a few up their sleeve as well.
But it is all about those one percenters to try
and find, you know, whatever the small margins are to
win this Test match on Saturday night.
Speaker 5 (29:45):
Do you expect the We've seen the spring Box played
two different ways against the Wallabies.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
One worked for them, one didn't.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
I think they'll go with the one that worked for
them this weekends.
Speaker 5 (29:54):
It's my suspicion yeah, because it could be a bit
of rain rounds. It's all yeah, yeah, but I hope
the all blacks, regardless of conditions, just still play. And
Scott Robinson intimated that today. But following through on that
can be a bit of a different beast when when
that that rush pressure is coming in your face, when
(30:15):
you know scoreboard might not be on your sides, when
the stakes are so high.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
We'll take a quick break here on Rugby come back
with a few rugby topics to cover off after this.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
This is Rugby Direct, a podcast for real rugby fans.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Try Drive had sixty sec every tackle, tackles, Get up again,
I can't afore times. It's Rugby Direct. You're back with
Rugby Direct time out for the final four.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Four rugby topics and an important one to cover off,
I think Liam the passing of Shane Christie last week.
Tasman flanker of more than seventy games for his province,
also coached Tasman Highlanders co captain and regular player for
them as well, and also the coaching role with the
(31:08):
high as well.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
He suspected he had CTE.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
He suspect you suspected suicide Last week and you know,
shockingly sad news and again just confronting around some of
those issues that face us in rugby and professional rugby
and really make you take a step back.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
Massively.
Speaker 5 (31:32):
And you and I were talking to Finlay Christie today
and a stand up and I think that the raw
emotion for people and players and anyone who was closely
connected with Shane is still very evident. I think his
service will be on Tuesday in New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
And look, I think.
Speaker 5 (31:54):
First and foremost Shane was an incredibly courageous player, hugely underrated,
probably open side flanker. He co captain the Honders and
you know went into coaching. There's no doubt that he
was massively affected by his good friend Billy Geisen's death
and he could quite well to be found to be
(32:19):
found to have suffered the same fate, because Christy will
donate his brain to science to be studied to find
out whether indeed he does have CT, which can only
be diagnosed post mortem. And yeah, I guess you feel
for everyone who knew him and he was on a
bit of a crusade.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
Wasn't a shamed to.
Speaker 5 (32:42):
Get bitter support, education and understanding around head knocks in
the game. I think New Zealand Rugby have not shied
away from that. They have done a lot to tackle
that issue. There's always more that can be done. And yeah,
I think the one thing you've got to say is
you can never understand what people are going through unless
(33:04):
you're walking in those shoes. And ct is a real
disease and it can make you manic, it can make
you depressed, and unless you're in that space, you can't
relate to it. So he's thirty nine years old, man,
I'm thirty seven. Just incredibly sad to lose someone at
(33:24):
that age.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
Yeah, he was a great player, and.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Yeah, I mean when it comes to rugby, and I
know there are some loud voices and you know form
players that have got CTE. I think of Alex Pop
and miss with Jackson and Pye the other day and
others that have that have lent their voice. And to
be dealing with your life while you are dealing with
what you suspect is CTE and your brain's not quite
working as you know it should is terrifying, absolutely terrifying.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
You think of.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
You know, people in old age who you go through
these things, Well, it's an accelerated essentially a version of
you know that right at the end of their lives.
You know, these has happened to people in their thirties
and forties. And I guess the question is, you know,
should Rugby be doing more? I suppose they can always
do more, but this isn't I think Rugby's constantly evolving,
and it's not the game that we're playing in twenty
(34:15):
twenty five. Isn't the game that we're playing in twenty twenty.
It's not the game they're playing in twenty fifteen or
twenty ten. This is an evolving game. We've seen that
with the rule changes that they've been implementing around head
contact in recent times, and the game has changed in
any number of ways that it is evolving to a
product where you can do the utmost potentially to try
(34:36):
and protect players suffering these sort of concussions.
Speaker 5 (34:39):
Yeah, I think the one thing that where Rugby needs
to move is not it's not been in denial, but
it's not waiting. So Christy and Billy goiiton haad CTE.
And there's no way of definitively knowing until their brains
can be examined posts mortem.
Speaker 4 (34:57):
But if they need.
Speaker 5 (35:00):
If anyone who's played the game for a long period,
particularly a professional level, needs psychiatric or medical support, the
rugby can be better at wrapping their arms around them
and providing that, not saying, well, you might have that
you might not. It might be personality traits, it might
be other factors. Just provide the help, and I think
(35:22):
that's where it needs to get to.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Yeah, thoughts with Shan Cresty and his family and friends
as they prepare a farewellhem at a service on Tuesday.
Let's move on to other rugby topics and the Black
Ferns continuing at the World Cup through to the quarterfinals
with a win over Japan. Pusha Woodman fifty tries in
her test career, was in retirement a few months ago,
but I think the Black fans are building quite nicely
(35:45):
as they prepare for Irelands next week, which is going
to be the toughest test in Paul play. And we
hope four big test matches in a row for the
Black Ferns have changed a few things around. We saw
Georgia Miller play on the blind overnight against Japan.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Positive signs.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
I think they're for the Black Ferns in a game
that Again, these games at World Cups were expected to
win are often no win situation.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
Yeah, it's quite hard to get a gauge, isn't it.
In these matches.
Speaker 5 (36:11):
I think they've made mass changes in both games at halftime.
They've used all, you know, thirty two players, so that's
positive to get everyone involved from the outset. Yeah, Georgia
Millis saw her try breakdown, turnover and sprint away to score, which.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
She's playing like a bat.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
Yeah, she's obviously from the sevens program, but she's playing
as an eight back essentially for the Ferns.
Speaker 4 (36:33):
That's it.
Speaker 5 (36:33):
And teenage was kid Braxton, so Sorrenson McGee three tries.
She's a bit of a weapon as well. So I
think Boxers tipped for the Black Ferns. I think that potentially.
I was taking to our colleague Chris Reeve, who's covering
the tournament from AFAR. He suggested they're potentially on course
for France in a quarterfinal. So Island will be a
(36:54):
big step up, won't And you need that challenge. You
can't just have runaway matches.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
Yeah, and they lost Island last year. There's gonna be
a bit between the teeth. You'd hope from the Black
fans to try and rectify that Island were a bit scratchy.
I thought overnight against Spain in the game that they
probably should have won and when comfortably it was forty
three twenty seven off the top of my heir twenty
four twelve at half time. So the Black Fans win that.
Possibly South Africa or France in the quarterfinals. So you know,
(37:22):
big Test matches in South Africa been the vast improvers
and women's rugby over the last eighteen months or so.
They've gone huge upwards trajectory of the last eighteen months.
So we wait and see that. But big game against
Ireland next week. Topic number three Wallabies in Argentina Townsville,
home of the Cowboys. Do you give Argentina a shot
(37:44):
of going to Townsville and beating the Australians.
Speaker 5 (37:47):
Not sure if they went in Townsville, but I think
they go. I think they do take a victory and
that would be pretty consistent with the Pomas, wouldn't it.
They tend to not hot and cold, but they tend
to have one performance in them and drop their level.
Coming off the high of the All Blacks victory. They're
first in Argentina and history. I think there will be
a bit of a calm down. There's no reason why
(38:10):
they can't ride that wave. The Wallabies will be without
Will Skelton, big big out for them and still nursing
some other bigs out big outs Tom Wright, who was
exceptional in their first test in Alice Park. So look,
there's no reason that Pumas can't win. But I think
they go one on one in that tour.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
I so speak Australia wins this week in Townsville, but
next week might be a bit closer as well. I
mean that's a scenario for this whole Rugby Championship, isn't it.
There's not a lot between these two sides and it
might be one on ones from a lot of the
tours that are going around at the moment. And final topic,
we started with the shield, We'll end with the shield.
Waikido's tenure last did what all of seven days?
Speaker 2 (38:50):
I think it was in the end.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
Southland they just love the Rainfley shield. They think back
about a deck out to go. Plus they beat Canterbury
in christ Huge in two thousand and nine. I was
there at Lancaster Bark Slash Jade Stadium whatever it was
called in those days. Two thousand and nine three Robbie
Robinson penalties nine three. Cannibry lost that night, then they
lost in twenty eleven just after the earthquakes, handed the
(39:13):
shield over to Southland again and now Cannarbury trying to
get it off Southland this week.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
But what we saw yesterday I thought was magnificent.
Speaker 3 (39:20):
Sheeld rugby in the weet Southland twenty five wake at
O ten, I think the Moveler's lost their heads a
little bit in the last twenty minutes. I mean, you
still have fifteen points down, but we're playing ed lib
offload footy from about the sixty first minute.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
Well deserve win for Southland.
Speaker 5 (39:35):
And it's an interesting debate to be here because you're
never going to turn down all blacks coming back. But
Southland won that when Wacotta brought back four or five
all blacks and some of them were upstage big time.
You look at Sean with The's performance. I think he
got five breakdown turnovers, the most of anyone this season.
And meanwhile, you know Summer Penny Final got blitz down
(39:58):
the blind side, beating or Leans up for one of
Southland's tries.
Speaker 4 (40:03):
Antelina Brown was.
Speaker 5 (40:06):
Barely featured, so I think it did really show what
the shield still means, you know, And it was just
a really it was all heart, wasn't it from Southland?
And but look there were some brilliant moments in that
that they were technically astute and the second half really
(40:27):
used the wind to their advantage and never looked like
being run down.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
No they didn't.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
As soon as they got out to their twenty five
to ten it felt like that was the game done.
Fifteen points up that that was enough. I mean, wad
we were playing into the wind. But Southland I thought
just played superb shield footage and I really do. I
think Sean mlle is a really impressive player that maybe
taking a couple of years to get in his development.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
I was really impressed with them at age group level.
Speaker 3 (40:50):
He looks like a player that is building his career
quite nicely in terms of some of those you know,
loose forwards right around the country currently.
Speaker 5 (40:56):
Yeah, real leadership qualities and a huge breakdown prisence, which
is incredibly valuable when you look at what do perceived
carefe brought to the Hurricanes this year. So yeah, he's
one and that the Hondas you know, he's one of
those young guns that's really come on for them and
has made a massive impact for South Fond. I guess
(41:19):
the challenge now, isn't it as why I could have
found out when you have a couple of big days
of celebrations and a couple of trainings and then you've
got to defend the shield, it's not so easy.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
No, it is not.
Speaker 3 (41:30):
And we look forward to hopefully Canterbury hoisting that around
about an hour out from kick off at Eden Park.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
On Saturday, help the stacks right Okay that it has
been Rugby Direx.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
We might pop back into your feet a bit later
on in the week as well as we build up
to this big Test match. But thanks to Larson Bars
English and thanks to Excess Solutions elevating you and your
business to a higher level.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
For more from News Talks B listen live on air
or online and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
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