October 30, 2025 • 29 mins
On Rugby Direct this week, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier are in Chicago as they analyse the All Blacks side named to face Ireland on Sunday morning and how they might look to diffuse the Irish - and vice-versa.
We also dig into the context of the tour as a whole, along with the impending departure of Jason Holland from the side's staff and we have a quick word on the NPC as Canterbury take the title.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from Newstalks EDB. Follow this
and our wide range of podcast now on iHeartRadio, Straight
down the Middle, try get inside the game from every angle.
(00:32):
It's Rugby Direct with Elliott Smith and Liam Napier, powered
by News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Welcome into Rugby Direct, power by Folklib Solutions, lifting you
and your business to a higher level. Alligance Smith with me,
Liam Napier and Rugby Direct ticks Off and other continents
we take North America. Coming to you from the Windy City, Chicago,
Liam it it's great to see you in great heavy
Becker after a week away from the podcast, and great
(00:58):
to be in Chicago, counting down to this Test match
this week in All Blacks and Ireland the rematch very much,
looking forward to it. Welcome.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yeah, great to be, isn't it in the US of A.
We got to an NBA game last night, our Chicago
Bulls four and oh that was a great experience. And
then on to Soldier Field this weekend. So yeah, let
the tour begin.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yeah, just give the balls the championship now, I reckon
the way they're playing. Look at let's perhaps just dick
into the side's first and foremost that we've got for
this weekend and for the All Blacks, not too many surprises.
The three injured players that set out in Perth are
back in the mix this week, probably not a lot
of surprise that they would come back in and what
(01:44):
we probably termed surprise selections in Perth. Peter Lukeye at
number eight Quinta Pirate thirteen both retain their juicy. So
what have you made of Scott Robinson's twenty three for Sunday?
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Yeah, I agree. I think Boden Barrett's Ethan the Groots
and the other captain Clark Cadob Clark were always going
to come back. Of those three, I think Caleb Clark
could be the most influential because I expect Island to
kick a lot and he's the All Black's best aerial asset.
(02:15):
He talked today about his stint at the Rabbit O's
and what he'd learned from them in terms of his
high ball and saying that you know, he welcomes that challenge.
He wants them to kick to him. So I think
he's a really big in in the context of that,
and I think I don't think you could have dropped
Quinti Pie on the basis of how he played, not
just with his two tries, his direct carrying, he was
(02:38):
good defensively against the Wallabies. I expect him to be
tested a lot more there he's only had that one
Test start at center, but also just the way he
freed up Jordi Barrett, I think to play a more
natural second five role. That was quite telling and I
think number eight is probably the most contestable selection. Peter Lucky.
That was his first Test start at number eight Wallace.
(03:00):
He hasn't had the heights of last year and I
think there's probably a consideration and there around at the
bench as well, wanting to get a bit pats there.
It is interesting, though, isn't it up what the TC
will break through player of the year last year All
Blacks Player of the Year. Now he's on the bench.
I think Lakeye and c Tt twenty two and twenty
(03:21):
three years old, respectively, of the long term future of
the loose forwards, but they're currently contesting the same role.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, the out look. I think so Tt, as you
touched on, has struggled to hit those heights of last year.
Those were massive heights that he did hit and he's
been injured twice this year, significantly miss most of Super Rugby,
came back, played right through to the final, then did
his ankle, missed the French series, came back in in Argentina.
(03:47):
So he really hasn't played a lot of rugby this
year and it kind of feels like, look, he's still
got time to make an impact on this tour and
he will no doubt start one of the remaining three matches,
but it almost feels like not necessarily a right off
twenty twenty five for him, but just it's not going
to hit the heights of last year. And perhaps with
a preseason and with with the Chiefs and which would
(04:08):
be essentially his first full Chief Super Rogie preseason because
he wasn't a contracted player last year, then he can
have the opportunity to just build back in and perhaps
have a full year of rugby. I do think that
those injuries have taken the toll on him and perhaps
getting twenty to thirty minutes of him in a match
is perhaps the best of your Blacks canas for at
(04:29):
the moment.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, and you and I have discussed this that I
think we will It'll be results dependent, but we will
see a bit of rotation on this tour, tactical rotation,
and there's probably not a lot between Satiti and Luckeye
and even a leicesterifying and Nuku in a quinta pious,
so he could easily interchange those sort of guys and
(04:51):
I think we will see that as you look to
retain a bit of freshness among the squads. So look
on the whole, it was your Blacks team that probably
most people would have picked. But Islands have sprung a
few surprises. I've got injuries. No Matt Hanson or Hugo
Keenan in the back three, No Robbie Henshaw. They've bought
(05:16):
Kaylyn Doris, their world class captain back. I don't think
he's played since May mister Brish and Irish Lions tour,
so he's coming back off the bench. But yeah, they've
sprung a couple of surprises.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
But have here still McCloskey starting at second five, which
is a bit of a surprise because as you mentioned,
they've got a couple of injuries there, but you would
have thought maybe Aki and Ringrose would be the starting midfield.
Ring Row starts at thirteen as it is, but mcloskey's
kind of a almost a what if player that he's
been around for a number of years now. He's a
big body, so he's going to come up against that
All Blacks midfield, but perhaps has been underutilized just for
(05:51):
the fact that they have had Henshaw, Ring Rows and
r QI for a number of years now that he
hasn't had too many cracks where he gets a big
opportunity this weekend against the All Blacks and running into
that All Blacks midfield of Jordi Barrett and Quinte Pye,
chance for him to really state his case. He's on
the other side of thirty now and probably him you know,
a performance that are we wanted to put in and
could put him in the stead a number two years
(06:13):
away from World Cup, but you know, kind of a
make or break performance. So it's a really interesting selection
there from Andy Farrell. He has also gone on the wings,
predictably James Low and then Tommy O'Brien, who we don't
know a lot about, debut during the summer series that
Ireland played but not a familiar name to certainly New Zealanders,
so we'll see how he goes on the right wing.
But equally probably Leroy Card is a bit of an
(06:34):
unknown quantity to this Irish side. What do you expect
from the Irish side? For me, you know, it's been
a year since I've actually had you know, personnel in
all the places that they want them to be, with
Andy Farrell standing down for the Six Nations, for the Lions,
and you know, a couple of injuries and everything like that.
So they're coming in cold, I think to this series,
(06:55):
and they've got a big program coming up over the
next few weeks. So what do we expect from Ireland?
Do we expect the same team that has held the
All Blacks to a five and five record over the
last ten matches.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
I think there's big question marks over both teams. If
we start with the Elans. Look, they were the best
team in the world for probably two years leading into
the twenty twenty three World Cup and then didn't take
that chance the All Blacks winning that quarterfinal and consigning
Ireland to more heartbreak there. And I think since they've
(07:26):
had some retirements and I think we've seen them wayanne
and there are question marks over the age profile of
this team. A lot of those players have been around
a long time, particularly when you cast ahead to the
next World Cup, and yeah, they've had some disruption with
Andy Farrell not being there. They haven't played together since March,
and there's six nations. They slumped from first to third,
(07:48):
so that's probably a reflection of where they're at. I
think you could say they're not the team they were.
That's not to say they can't turn up this weekend
and knock over the All Blacks, because the All Blacks
have been inherently inconsistent and unconvincing. I only put it
together against the Wallabies. But it's a big task, isn't it,
coming out in and playing your first test as a
(08:11):
team since March. Look that they have had players play.
They had fifteen sixteen on the Lions tour. Andy Farrell
Knowso's players well and they have looked to counter that
by coming out to Chicago last Tuesday, so they would
have been here by the time they played the match
almost two weeks. They had an internal hitouts, so they're
(08:31):
not coming in completely cold. But you can't really replicate
a test match. So I think we saw last November
a refection of what can happen when you come in
Cold Island were poor, not only as a team but
Jack Crowley had a poor match and some of the
individual skills went up to scratch and that's probably because
(08:53):
they were rusty. So they all blacks are nine tests
into the year. I think that is a significant advantage.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, well you've mentioned the internal hitout. They're also largely
played each other lens to the months to two or
three weeks back in the UC and months sitting Lenster
coach now by Clayton Millan, of course, and so they've
had games against each other. But in terms of that cohesiveness,
and you know a lot of players in this team,
largely from Lenster. I think six out of the sorry
(09:20):
seven out of the eight starting pack are So there's
a consistency there in Nate because they just play for
the one club. So it's mentioning to see how they
quickly they can pack up and whether they can hit
those heights again. Of you know the couple of years
before the World Cup twenty twenty two to twenty three
when they were, as you said, the best team in
the world. You look at that team though, with Kaylin
Dollars coming off the bench, you know, a loose ward
(09:41):
treo that has Conan and Vonderfleer and Ryan Beard very
very good makeup beer Funderfleer I think underplayed on the
lines too massively this year. So you know they are
a team. And then the question marker probably have is
at ten around Jack Crowley who obviously you know they
head Johnny Sixton, who was a generational player for them.
(10:02):
And this happens when you have a playler that retire,
you struggle to land on the right player to replace
some Prendigas's haw to crack. Crowley's had to crack as well.
But you know, he gets an opportunity this week to
similar to McCloskey, you know, steak his clase for why
he should be part of this Irish team moving forward.
So from that perspective, it's really fascinating to say where
(10:23):
they go to not only this weekend, but over the
next few weeks.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah, that's right, and he Crowley wins that race with
Priente Gas on the basis of that. Well, not solely,
but certainly a big stake in the ground for him
was Monster's form and his performance in that match, Monster
dominating Leinster. So if you go back to last November,
the performance against the All Blacks, Costumer's position, he was
(10:49):
meant to be the heir apparents and didn't take his chance.
So this is a big stage for him. Andy Farrell's
given him the nods and he needs to take it.
Just just on the flip side with the All Blacks.
Want your assessment here Razor today we heard from him
(11:10):
and for me, he was decidedly nervous. He almost to
the point looks a bit rattled. I think he's starting
to feel the pressure and perhaps that's the reflection of
what's happened behind closed doors with the Jason Holland situation.
But clearly this is a big tour for the All Blacks,
you know, the Grand Slam significance of its chasing it
(11:31):
for the first time in fifteen years. But there's a
lot at stake here for the All Blacks, and outwardly
Razor didn't look comfortable to me. How important set the
scene here? How important is this tour for Razer's tenure.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
I think it's very important to set things up for
the summer, for the narrative that the All Blacks go
into twenty twenty six with the greatest rivalry tour, with
the World Cup two years on the horizon. I think
it is vitally important. Now, even if they don't win
the Grand Slam, they can still come out of this
(12:07):
tour with the respectable you know, if they win three
lose one, say they lose to England or Ireland, then
you know that's the respectableness to it, depending on the
nature of the losses. But if they lose at the
first hurdle and the Grand slams gone, that is a
storyline in itself. And yeah, it's one thing not to
get the Grand Slam at all, but it's another to
(12:29):
you know, lose at the first turtle, which could very
well happen on Sunday morning, New Zealand time. So I
think there's an edge to it. And I think also
there's a bit of you know, probably residue from the
twenty sixteen match here. And while not a lot of
players were there on that occasion that are currently in
the all black setup, Scott Barrett day Boo that afternoon,
(12:50):
Ardisa the year was there, but Barrett was around. I
think it might have been one other potentially as well.
Management wise, a lot of it's changed, but that you know,
it's a loss, they get reminded about a lot because
it changed the tide of the rivalry. It was Ireland's
first when obviously, so I think there's an under standable
nervousness to Scott Robinson, but also the players and stuff
(13:13):
is that they you know that they want desperately to
win the Grand Slam, but also don't want it to
evaporate at the first hurdle because then they have to
trudge off to the UK playing a very good Scottish
team and it could unravel pretty quickly. So I think
there's a tenseness and nervousness in camp. That was my
first opportunity to be around them today. Whether that can
translate sometimes nervousness can you translate into a result. But
(13:35):
I agree that there's a sense there that you know
that not necessarily under siege the All Blacks, but they
do need to deliver and and haven't been able to
do that to this point. And Islands had the better
of them, even though it's a five to five record,
and even though the All Blacks had won those big
matches over that ten year as her ten game thing,
it feels like because Islands come from nowhere in this rivalry,
(13:58):
with all due respect to now winning five and five,
they've got the upper hand even though it's a fairly
even rivalry if you follow them adrift.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Yeah, I think that the precious queely on the All
Blacks this week. That's the way it feels. Maybe that's
just a lens with which we've looked view it through.
I think you can make it case the All Blacks
have the upper hands that maybe they've figured Island Alowe
bit in their structures because they've won the last two.
That can easily change. But the context also you mentioned
(14:30):
there about twenty sixteen. It's nine years. It's a lifetime.
But lessons have been learned, I think, and this week
there's been a few examples. So one of the big
lessons from that time was Bill Black's doing too much
outside of the rugby sphere. They got swept up in
the Cubs winning their breaking their one hundred and eight
year baseball droughts. They did a lot commercially, and while
(14:55):
that has still happened this week, one example was zill
Blacks went to a Chicago Bulls match while they arrived
first and foremost last Friday, and so they've front loaded
been able to do those sort of things before dialing
in on the rugby. But they went to a Chicago
Bulls match and they had to actually leave before the finish.
So they're at the game, they're watching it and it's
(15:18):
just starting to get interesting. They had to leave because
they were worried about traffic and they had a curfew.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
So I'd never do that to my balls.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
So there's one example though of I guess the tension
around to a degree, but also the lessons learned from
twenty sixteen and that the focus on rugby. You know,
it's easy to get swept up in a big city,
being in the States, there's a lot to do, a
lot to see potentially, but the All Blacks are very
(15:48):
focused on Ireland, are very focused on this Grand Slam.
And you're right, tension and pressure and nervous energy can
results can bubble away into a good performance. But in
the context of Scott Robertson's tenure, in the context of
you know, another All Blacks assistant coach walking away at
(16:09):
the end of the year, it's very important to grab
hold of that narrative and to put some positive results
for to control that.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
What do you expect Do you expect Bill Boks to win?
On Sunday morning, New zeal.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
On Time, I do, yes, and look, that's in large
parts because of what we talked about with the contrasting
preparations all next nine tests into the year. They should
have a bit of rhythm, a bit of flow. They
should be on the same page strategically. They have a
(16:43):
settled team, you know. Yes, they must seem to provide
and Patrick two pilot and tyre O Lomax, but everyone
could have predicted this team, so are very clear about
what they want to do about their personnel. And yeah,
I think they should be in some form. They've just
(17:04):
the Wallabies aren'ts the top of the tree of world rugby,
but they've strung back to back to performances together. There
should be a bit of confidence there where Islands I
think have more hurdles to overcome. So look, I expect
it to be tight, tense, but I do expect the
All Blacks toin.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Yeah, I think they will as well. But I expect
a one score sort of school line. And that's probably
reflective of most of the games between these two sides
over the last ten games. Give or take a couple
of blowouts on either side, but by and large this
has been a really close rivalry. It's interesting as well
been doing a couple of crosses back home, we talk
about that that fact are being swept up in Chicago.
(17:44):
You don't sell out sixty thousand seats by accident, and
there are some advertising hoardings of the game. The lamp
post flags along one of the couple of big avenues
here in Chicago. But getting cut through is interesting as well.
We're at the media conference today. I think who won
an American accent there. I'm not sure where that reporter was from,
but it was very much New Zealand journalists and the
(18:05):
Irish journalists there covering get as we would if the
game was an Auckland or whether it was in Dublin.
So yeah, it's hard to knock off the local sports
off the front page. But you know, they're doing their
best to try and get that commercial side of things in.
I know they've been doing few local TV appearances and
that sort of thing and pressing the flesh that way.
But in a big city like Chicago, it's sort of
(18:26):
hard to get that everyone's talking factor around the city.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Yeah, I think that's true of Tokyo or London, even
any big city. There's so much more happening in the world,
but even just down the street here the Hilton Hotel.
Outside they've got the American, the Irish and the New
Zealand flags flying. And yeah, I was even surprised, to
be honest, to see a few posters on South Michigan
Avenue where we're staying. But yeah, even little things like
(18:53):
the Alblecks. Chrainer went out on Tuesday to the University
of Illinois and the pitch the All Blacks training on
was pretty pretty ropey. It was sloping and the posts
looked like something out of Under seven's rugby. They were tiny,
So yeah, just the I guess the facilities and these
(19:15):
sorts of things that they used to probably down the
pecking order, but look they did get cut through. They
went to the Chicago Bulls. They had a bit of
an interchange with Josh Gillies, the Australian. Pretty interesting making
the Australian hold the All Blacks jersey. But yeah, there
was a bit of publicity there. The Irish team were
(19:35):
there last night. When we were there. I think the
All Blacks went along on the day off. Some of
them had a shoot around it. What's it called United Center,
So yeah, a bit of to and fro in terms
of some cut through. In terms of the makeup of
the crowd this weekend, we expected to be very pro
Irish sough, don't we. I think there's quite a big
(19:56):
Irish population here potentially, and from talking to the Irish
journos a number of their traveling fans coming out, so
I think there'd be plenty of Green amongst six sixty
three thousand at Soldier Field.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Which Icigo River has been died green. I think most
of Patrick's days for last week, I think, yeah, just
a whole bunch of die gets thrown into that river.
So it's got Irish roots the city, and no doubt
they'll be out numbering the All Blacks. But I had
a couple of New Zealanders on the plane coming over,
and so there'll be a few k since in the crowd.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
This is Rugby Direct, a podcast for real rugby fares.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Every try try ten sixty sec, every tackle, tackles, get
up again, well take him before.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
After times Rugby Direct.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Changed text slightly. We didn't react to this last week.
It was after a recorder, but Jason Holland and we
alluded to earlier in the podcast leaving his post at
the end of this tour it's been out for obviously
a week now, but what do you make of that
news and where did the all bles go to from
here once they get into off season mode?
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Yeah, I think it's a bad reflection as a second
assistant coach, the second original member of Scott Robinson's coaching
team to leave walk away, and he had a long
time to prepare and those were always going to be
as men He's worked for them previously as a long
standing relationship with Jason Hollands. I don't know definitively, but
(21:32):
I've heard a lot about they've been a very close
shop between Jason Ryan, Scott Robinson, and Scott Hansen, to
the point that some selections haven't even been conveyed beyond
that tight circle. And now last year it was the
whole group selecting the team, wasn't it, And that's been
(21:53):
refined this year to those three guys. I think Jason
Holland's titles as strike coach is a bit limiting as well.
You know how much cut through is he actually getting
in terms of the attack attack portfolio? Does he just
get a bit of Sayer off the scrumb and line out?
(22:14):
Is that really utilizing his talent? Is it enough to
keep him satisfied? Maybe he's there's a bit of frustrations there,
So I think he's probably been shut out of the
main decision making. But I think they will have to
have to replace him, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
What, say you, I think it could well be time
for a little bit of a restructure. And obviously we
don't know internally how this plays out, but from the
external side of things, the structure that they're running is confusing,
and who looks after what has been confusing and time.
I mean, we know that Jason Ryan looks after the forwards,
(22:55):
that Timo d Ellison's responsible to the defense, but how
the delineation of Scott Hanson's role works for essentially, how
Jason Holland's role has worked and what exactly, as you
said before, his say works has been unclear. You know,
Scott Robinson's the overarching coach, but what does he delegate
down to Hanson and co So this may be and
(23:17):
maybe you know, this may be an opportunity to restructure
the coaching team and the roles and the division of
labor between some of these Play Pooh people, and then
that may burn up an opportunity to go external and
figure out how you replace Jason Holland. If you replace
Jason Holland, I'm not sure if it's too many cooks
(23:38):
in the kitchen with the number of coaches that they've got,
or whether it's too many cooks not having enough to
do in the kitchen and couple having too much to do.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Yeah. Well, we've also spoken at least a month ago,
I think, during the Rugby Championship about the lack of
test experience and also the lack I think of discerning
challenging voices. So those three core coaches have worked together
a lot at the Crusaders. How much how many competing
(24:11):
ideas you know, if you think about previous all black
coaching teams. I saw Mike cron talking about this this week.
There was a lot of disagree and commit so a
lot of heads bucking essentially, But that's very healthy, I think,
to have debates. How much of that is happening when
you've worked together for such a long time, when you
(24:32):
know each other well, when you're probably on the same
page from from a you know, a former Crusaders point
of view. So if there is a change, I would
like to see it be an established figure, someone from
from outside the Crusaders, because when you're looking at a
Tommody Ellison as well, there's probably a lot of like
(24:52):
for like in that in that coaching group.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
There is I would actually like to go international. I
think that could be really valuable for the All Blacks,
just to do what you say as well, that that pushback,
that that different voice, that different ide is that maybe
not all of them work, but they at least they're
at the table, they're thrown up and they're considered by
the coaching staff, and I think that would be really valuable.
(25:17):
I don't have an answer as to who. I don't
have a name, but I think you look at the
spring box and what Russia Rasmus has been able to do.
It's almost the United Nations of coaching. He's got so
many boxes. I use this and the nicest possible way,
but box has ticked off. He's got a New Zealand perspective,
he's got an Irish perspective. He's got one daily stick
who offers the perspective of his players. And you know,
(25:41):
Russia Rasmus oversees the operation. They've got another you know referee,
we're referee Dwayne Vermullin and and then you know he's
just come out of you know, basically retired what just
over a year ago. So and that all works together.
So I don't know, there's too many shifts in the
kitchen for the All Blacks, but it's the right shifts
in the right places and coming together to create the dish.
(26:02):
To keep using that analogy. So I don't know who's
out there. You know, Ron Reguara has worked with Scott
Robertson before. He's a very lust job at Lar Rochelle.
Maybe he's an option. You just don't know what exit
clauses people have in contracts at what interests them, whether
they're able to break their contract for an international gig,
whatever it might be. But I think this is the
time to think big and look at the you know,
(26:24):
the wider All Blacks operation.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Yeah, it's very common amongst world coaching teams. Andrew Goodman's
with Ireland. I think Andrew Strawbridge, New Zealander again is
with England. You mentioned Tony Brown there, so you know,
it's a bit like you say, United Nations like, so, yeah,
maybe we shouldn't be so roast into glasses and look
(26:48):
outside the square a little bit. The only other point
I would make on this is it was concerning, maybe
telling to see guys like Cody Taylor come out and say, yeah,
I was a bit blindsided by the news. So that
to me suggests that something has happened in recent times
to bring this to a head. I know Jason Rahme
was only contract to the to the end of this year,
(27:09):
and maybe the fact that he's staying on suggests that
it wasn't a huge issue. But my read on it
is that he's just been frozen out. He's a bit frustrated.
So yeah, I think it's unfortunate. I think it's a
bad look for Raser given how long he had to plan,
and it's also probably a reflection of the pressure of
(27:32):
their realities. He wanted this gig for such a long time,
but it is a lot different when you're walking through
that fire and in the hot seat. It's a very
different world. So it's probably a reflection of all that
melting pot.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
It certainly is all right, Well that about do us
for Rugby Directs in Chicago. Twenty seven minutes into the podcast,
in time to mention that Canterbury won the NPC.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
He almost got there.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
The mascot race tough for my otarger your otarga.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Yeah right.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
It was a great final, great occasion, eighteen thousand fans
packed in at Polo Project Stadium in christ Church, great
afternoon for footy and a great result. So everyone leaves happy,
perhaps apart from the OTAGA fans, but what look, it
has been a great NPC. My understanding is that the
final was, you know, a blockbuster for Sky. Don't have
(28:28):
any specifics on that. That's for them to release, but
I understand it worked very, very well. So it's been
a bit of a renaissance for the NPC this season
and long matt continue.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Yeah, and hopefully that means more afternoon footy as well,
because if it's a great ratings on television, it's certainly
prime time to get fans through the stadium. Just one
final point where we're on crush Chitch. I saw some
had a mate who went through the new stadium and
(28:57):
it looks magnificent. I think it's gonna be a benchmark
for New Zealands. Apparently the concourse, you can still see
the grounds, Apparently it's got like restaurants in there, obviously
got the roof. It's gonna be an amazing venue. So
look forward to your host to me there one day.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Yeah well yeah, the new National Stadium. Many are calling
it the National Stadium.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
The highlight of Rush.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
We might have to get Rugby Direct down there for
Super around next year. I think we might have to
make that happen. But that has been us for in Chicago.
As we count down to the Manchiing throw all the
coverage on Enzi, Herald of Haus and live commentary Sunday morning,
across News Talks, You Be Gold Sport and iHeartRadio and
we will be back in your feed. Catch up with
you early next week on Rugby Direct now by Folkliff Solutions,
(29:42):
lifting you and your business to a higher level thanks
to Currie Shaw producing Colle You Next time.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
For more from News Talks at 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 Newstalks EDB. Follow this
and our wide range of podcast now on iHeartRadio, Straight
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(00:32):
It's Rugby Direct with Elliott Smith and Liam Napier, powered
by News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Welcome into Rugby Direct, power by Folklib Solutions, lifting you
and your business to a higher level. Alligance Smith with me,
Liam Napier and Rugby Direct ticks Off and other continents
we take North America. Coming to you from the Windy City, Chicago,
Liam it it's great to see you in great heavy
Becker after a week away from the podcast, and great
(00:58):
to be in Chicago, counting down to this Test match
this week in All Blacks and Ireland the rematch very much,
looking forward to it. Welcome.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yeah, great to be, isn't it in the US of A.
We got to an NBA game last night, our Chicago
Bulls four and oh that was a great experience. And
then on to Soldier Field this weekend. So yeah, let
the tour begin.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yeah, just give the balls the championship now, I reckon
the way they're playing. Look at let's perhaps just dick
into the side's first and foremost that we've got for
this weekend and for the All Blacks, not too many surprises.
The three injured players that set out in Perth are
back in the mix this week, probably not a lot
of surprise that they would come back in and what
(01:44):
we probably termed surprise selections in Perth. Peter Lukeye at
number eight Quinta Pirate thirteen both retain their juicy. So
what have you made of Scott Robinson's twenty three for Sunday?
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Yeah, I agree. I think Boden Barrett's Ethan the Groots
and the other captain Clark Cadob Clark were always going
to come back. Of those three, I think Caleb Clark
could be the most influential because I expect Island to
kick a lot and he's the All Black's best aerial asset.
(02:15):
He talked today about his stint at the Rabbit O's
and what he'd learned from them in terms of his
high ball and saying that you know, he welcomes that challenge.
He wants them to kick to him. So I think
he's a really big in in the context of that,
and I think I don't think you could have dropped
Quinti Pie on the basis of how he played, not
just with his two tries, his direct carrying, he was
(02:38):
good defensively against the Wallabies. I expect him to be
tested a lot more there he's only had that one
Test start at center, but also just the way he
freed up Jordi Barrett, I think to play a more
natural second five role. That was quite telling and I
think number eight is probably the most contestable selection. Peter Lucky.
That was his first Test start at number eight Wallace.
(03:00):
He hasn't had the heights of last year and I
think there's probably a consideration and there around at the
bench as well, wanting to get a bit pats there.
It is interesting, though, isn't it up what the TC
will break through player of the year last year All
Blacks Player of the Year. Now he's on the bench.
I think Lakeye and c Tt twenty two and twenty
(03:21):
three years old, respectively, of the long term future of
the loose forwards, but they're currently contesting the same role.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, the out look. I think so Tt, as you
touched on, has struggled to hit those heights of last year.
Those were massive heights that he did hit and he's
been injured twice this year, significantly miss most of Super Rugby,
came back, played right through to the final, then did
his ankle, missed the French series, came back in in Argentina.
(03:47):
So he really hasn't played a lot of rugby this
year and it kind of feels like, look, he's still
got time to make an impact on this tour and
he will no doubt start one of the remaining three matches,
but it almost feels like not necessarily a right off
twenty twenty five for him, but just it's not going
to hit the heights of last year. And perhaps with
a preseason and with with the Chiefs and which would
(04:08):
be essentially his first full Chief Super Rogie preseason because
he wasn't a contracted player last year, then he can
have the opportunity to just build back in and perhaps
have a full year of rugby. I do think that
those injuries have taken the toll on him and perhaps
getting twenty to thirty minutes of him in a match
is perhaps the best of your Blacks canas for at
(04:29):
the moment.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, and you and I have discussed this that I
think we will It'll be results dependent, but we will
see a bit of rotation on this tour, tactical rotation,
and there's probably not a lot between Satiti and Luckeye
and even a leicesterifying and Nuku in a quinta pious,
so he could easily interchange those sort of guys and
(04:51):
I think we will see that as you look to
retain a bit of freshness among the squads. So look
on the whole, it was your Blacks team that probably
most people would have picked. But Islands have sprung a
few surprises. I've got injuries. No Matt Hanson or Hugo
Keenan in the back three, No Robbie Henshaw. They've bought
(05:16):
Kaylyn Doris, their world class captain back. I don't think
he's played since May mister Brish and Irish Lions tour,
so he's coming back off the bench. But yeah, they've
sprung a couple of surprises.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
But have here still McCloskey starting at second five, which
is a bit of a surprise because as you mentioned,
they've got a couple of injuries there, but you would
have thought maybe Aki and Ringrose would be the starting midfield.
Ring Row starts at thirteen as it is, but mcloskey's
kind of a almost a what if player that he's
been around for a number of years now. He's a
big body, so he's going to come up against that
All Blacks midfield, but perhaps has been underutilized just for
(05:51):
the fact that they have had Henshaw, Ring Rows and
r QI for a number of years now that he
hasn't had too many cracks where he gets a big
opportunity this weekend against the All Blacks and running into
that All Blacks midfield of Jordi Barrett and Quinte Pye,
chance for him to really state his case. He's on
the other side of thirty now and probably him you know,
a performance that are we wanted to put in and
could put him in the stead a number two years
(06:13):
away from World Cup, but you know, kind of a
make or break performance. So it's a really interesting selection
there from Andy Farrell. He has also gone on the wings,
predictably James Low and then Tommy O'Brien, who we don't
know a lot about, debut during the summer series that
Ireland played but not a familiar name to certainly New Zealanders,
so we'll see how he goes on the right wing.
But equally probably Leroy Card is a bit of an
(06:34):
unknown quantity to this Irish side. What do you expect
from the Irish side? For me, you know, it's been
a year since I've actually had you know, personnel in
all the places that they want them to be, with
Andy Farrell standing down for the Six Nations, for the Lions,
and you know, a couple of injuries and everything like that.
So they're coming in cold, I think to this series,
(06:55):
and they've got a big program coming up over the
next few weeks. So what do we expect from Ireland?
Do we expect the same team that has held the
All Blacks to a five and five record over the
last ten matches.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
I think there's big question marks over both teams. If
we start with the Elans. Look, they were the best
team in the world for probably two years leading into
the twenty twenty three World Cup and then didn't take
that chance the All Blacks winning that quarterfinal and consigning
Ireland to more heartbreak there. And I think since they've
(07:26):
had some retirements and I think we've seen them wayanne
and there are question marks over the age profile of
this team. A lot of those players have been around
a long time, particularly when you cast ahead to the
next World Cup, and yeah, they've had some disruption with
Andy Farrell not being there. They haven't played together since March,
and there's six nations. They slumped from first to third,
(07:48):
so that's probably a reflection of where they're at. I
think you could say they're not the team they were.
That's not to say they can't turn up this weekend
and knock over the All Blacks, because the All Blacks
have been inherently inconsistent and unconvincing. I only put it
together against the Wallabies. But it's a big task, isn't it,
coming out in and playing your first test as a
(08:11):
team since March. Look that they have had players play.
They had fifteen sixteen on the Lions tour. Andy Farrell
Knowso's players well and they have looked to counter that
by coming out to Chicago last Tuesday, so they would
have been here by the time they played the match
almost two weeks. They had an internal hitouts, so they're
(08:31):
not coming in completely cold. But you can't really replicate
a test match. So I think we saw last November
a refection of what can happen when you come in
Cold Island were poor, not only as a team but
Jack Crowley had a poor match and some of the
individual skills went up to scratch and that's probably because
(08:53):
they were rusty. So they all blacks are nine tests
into the year. I think that is a significant advantage.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, well you've mentioned the internal hitout. They're also largely
played each other lens to the months to two or
three weeks back in the UC and months sitting Lenster
coach now by Clayton Millan, of course, and so they've
had games against each other. But in terms of that cohesiveness,
and you know a lot of players in this team,
largely from Lenster. I think six out of the sorry
(09:20):
seven out of the eight starting pack are So there's
a consistency there in Nate because they just play for
the one club. So it's mentioning to see how they
quickly they can pack up and whether they can hit
those heights again. Of you know the couple of years
before the World Cup twenty twenty two to twenty three
when they were, as you said, the best team in
the world. You look at that team though, with Kaylin
Dollars coming off the bench, you know, a loose ward
(09:41):
treo that has Conan and Vonderfleer and Ryan Beard very
very good makeup beer Funderfleer I think underplayed on the
lines too massively this year. So you know they are
a team. And then the question marker probably have is
at ten around Jack Crowley who obviously you know they
head Johnny Sixton, who was a generational player for them.
(10:02):
And this happens when you have a playler that retire,
you struggle to land on the right player to replace
some Prendigas's haw to crack. Crowley's had to crack as well.
But you know, he gets an opportunity this week to
similar to McCloskey, you know, steak his clase for why
he should be part of this Irish team moving forward.
So from that perspective, it's really fascinating to say where
(10:23):
they go to not only this weekend, but over the
next few weeks.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah, that's right, and he Crowley wins that race with
Priente Gas on the basis of that. Well, not solely,
but certainly a big stake in the ground for him
was Monster's form and his performance in that match, Monster
dominating Leinster. So if you go back to last November,
the performance against the All Blacks, Costumer's position, he was
(10:49):
meant to be the heir apparents and didn't take his chance.
So this is a big stage for him. Andy Farrell's
given him the nods and he needs to take it.
Just just on the flip side with the All Blacks.
Want your assessment here Razor today we heard from him
(11:10):
and for me, he was decidedly nervous. He almost to
the point looks a bit rattled. I think he's starting
to feel the pressure and perhaps that's the reflection of
what's happened behind closed doors with the Jason Holland situation.
But clearly this is a big tour for the All Blacks,
you know, the Grand Slam significance of its chasing it
(11:31):
for the first time in fifteen years. But there's a
lot at stake here for the All Blacks, and outwardly
Razor didn't look comfortable to me. How important set the
scene here? How important is this tour for Razer's tenure.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
I think it's very important to set things up for
the summer, for the narrative that the All Blacks go
into twenty twenty six with the greatest rivalry tour, with
the World Cup two years on the horizon. I think
it is vitally important. Now, even if they don't win
the Grand Slam, they can still come out of this
(12:07):
tour with the respectable you know, if they win three
lose one, say they lose to England or Ireland, then
you know that's the respectableness to it, depending on the
nature of the losses. But if they lose at the
first hurdle and the Grand slams gone, that is a
storyline in itself. And yeah, it's one thing not to
get the Grand Slam at all, but it's another to
(12:29):
you know, lose at the first turtle, which could very
well happen on Sunday morning, New Zealand time. So I
think there's an edge to it. And I think also
there's a bit of you know, probably residue from the
twenty sixteen match here. And while not a lot of
players were there on that occasion that are currently in
the all black setup, Scott Barrett day Boo that afternoon,
(12:50):
Ardisa the year was there, but Barrett was around. I
think it might have been one other potentially as well.
Management wise, a lot of it's changed, but that you know,
it's a loss, they get reminded about a lot because
it changed the tide of the rivalry. It was Ireland's
first when obviously, so I think there's an under standable
nervousness to Scott Robinson, but also the players and stuff
(13:13):
is that they you know that they want desperately to
win the Grand Slam, but also don't want it to
evaporate at the first hurdle because then they have to
trudge off to the UK playing a very good Scottish
team and it could unravel pretty quickly. So I think
there's a tenseness and nervousness in camp. That was my
first opportunity to be around them today. Whether that can
translate sometimes nervousness can you translate into a result. But
(13:35):
I agree that there's a sense there that you know
that not necessarily under siege the All Blacks, but they
do need to deliver and and haven't been able to
do that to this point. And Islands had the better
of them, even though it's a five to five record,
and even though the All Blacks had won those big
matches over that ten year as her ten game thing,
it feels like because Islands come from nowhere in this rivalry,
(13:58):
with all due respect to now winning five and five,
they've got the upper hand even though it's a fairly
even rivalry if you follow them adrift.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Yeah, I think that the precious queely on the All
Blacks this week. That's the way it feels. Maybe that's
just a lens with which we've looked view it through.
I think you can make it case the All Blacks
have the upper hands that maybe they've figured Island Alowe
bit in their structures because they've won the last two.
That can easily change. But the context also you mentioned
(14:30):
there about twenty sixteen. It's nine years. It's a lifetime.
But lessons have been learned, I think, and this week
there's been a few examples. So one of the big
lessons from that time was Bill Black's doing too much
outside of the rugby sphere. They got swept up in
the Cubs winning their breaking their one hundred and eight
year baseball droughts. They did a lot commercially, and while
(14:55):
that has still happened this week, one example was zill
Blacks went to a Chicago Bulls match while they arrived
first and foremost last Friday, and so they've front loaded
been able to do those sort of things before dialing
in on the rugby. But they went to a Chicago
Bulls match and they had to actually leave before the finish.
So they're at the game, they're watching it and it's
(15:18):
just starting to get interesting. They had to leave because
they were worried about traffic and they had a curfew.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
So I'd never do that to my balls.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
So there's one example though of I guess the tension
around to a degree, but also the lessons learned from
twenty sixteen and that the focus on rugby. You know,
it's easy to get swept up in a big city,
being in the States, there's a lot to do, a
lot to see potentially, but the All Blacks are very
(15:48):
focused on Ireland, are very focused on this Grand Slam.
And you're right, tension and pressure and nervous energy can
results can bubble away into a good performance. But in
the context of Scott Robertson's tenure, in the context of
you know, another All Blacks assistant coach walking away at
(16:09):
the end of the year, it's very important to grab
hold of that narrative and to put some positive results
for to control that.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
What do you expect Do you expect Bill Boks to win?
On Sunday morning, New zeal.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
On Time, I do, yes, and look, that's in large
parts because of what we talked about with the contrasting
preparations all next nine tests into the year. They should
have a bit of rhythm, a bit of flow. They
should be on the same page strategically. They have a
(16:43):
settled team, you know. Yes, they must seem to provide
and Patrick two pilot and tyre O Lomax, but everyone
could have predicted this team, so are very clear about
what they want to do about their personnel. And yeah,
I think they should be in some form. They've just
(17:04):
the Wallabies aren'ts the top of the tree of world rugby,
but they've strung back to back to performances together. There
should be a bit of confidence there where Islands I
think have more hurdles to overcome. So look, I expect
it to be tight, tense, but I do expect the
All Blacks toin.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Yeah, I think they will as well. But I expect
a one score sort of school line. And that's probably
reflective of most of the games between these two sides
over the last ten games. Give or take a couple
of blowouts on either side, but by and large this
has been a really close rivalry. It's interesting as well
been doing a couple of crosses back home, we talk
about that that fact are being swept up in Chicago.
(17:44):
You don't sell out sixty thousand seats by accident, and
there are some advertising hoardings of the game. The lamp
post flags along one of the couple of big avenues
here in Chicago. But getting cut through is interesting as well.
We're at the media conference today. I think who won
an American accent there. I'm not sure where that reporter was from,
but it was very much New Zealand journalists and the
(18:05):
Irish journalists there covering get as we would if the
game was an Auckland or whether it was in Dublin.
So yeah, it's hard to knock off the local sports
off the front page. But you know, they're doing their
best to try and get that commercial side of things in.
I know they've been doing few local TV appearances and
that sort of thing and pressing the flesh that way.
But in a big city like Chicago, it's sort of
(18:26):
hard to get that everyone's talking factor around the city.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Yeah, I think that's true of Tokyo or London, even
any big city. There's so much more happening in the world,
but even just down the street here the Hilton Hotel.
Outside they've got the American, the Irish and the New
Zealand flags flying. And yeah, I was even surprised, to
be honest, to see a few posters on South Michigan
Avenue where we're staying. But yeah, even little things like
(18:53):
the Alblecks. Chrainer went out on Tuesday to the University
of Illinois and the pitch the All Blacks training on
was pretty pretty ropey. It was sloping and the posts
looked like something out of Under seven's rugby. They were tiny,
So yeah, just the I guess the facilities and these
(19:15):
sorts of things that they used to probably down the
pecking order, but look they did get cut through. They
went to the Chicago Bulls. They had a bit of
an interchange with Josh Gillies, the Australian. Pretty interesting making
the Australian hold the All Blacks jersey. But yeah, there
was a bit of publicity there. The Irish team were
(19:35):
there last night. When we were there. I think the
All Blacks went along on the day off. Some of
them had a shoot around it. What's it called United Center,
So yeah, a bit of to and fro in terms
of some cut through. In terms of the makeup of
the crowd this weekend, we expected to be very pro
Irish sough, don't we. I think there's quite a big
(19:56):
Irish population here potentially, and from talking to the Irish
journos a number of their traveling fans coming out, so
I think there'd be plenty of Green amongst six sixty
three thousand at Soldier Field.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Which Icigo River has been died green. I think most
of Patrick's days for last week, I think, yeah, just
a whole bunch of die gets thrown into that river.
So it's got Irish roots the city, and no doubt
they'll be out numbering the All Blacks. But I had
a couple of New Zealanders on the plane coming over,
and so there'll be a few k since in the crowd.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
This is Rugby Direct, a podcast for real rugby fares.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Every try try ten sixty sec, every tackle, tackles, get
up again, well take him before.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
After times Rugby Direct.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Changed text slightly. We didn't react to this last week.
It was after a recorder, but Jason Holland and we
alluded to earlier in the podcast leaving his post at
the end of this tour it's been out for obviously
a week now, but what do you make of that
news and where did the all bles go to from
here once they get into off season mode?
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Yeah, I think it's a bad reflection as a second
assistant coach, the second original member of Scott Robinson's coaching
team to leave walk away, and he had a long
time to prepare and those were always going to be
as men He's worked for them previously as a long
standing relationship with Jason Hollands. I don't know definitively, but
(21:32):
I've heard a lot about they've been a very close
shop between Jason Ryan, Scott Robinson, and Scott Hansen, to
the point that some selections haven't even been conveyed beyond
that tight circle. And now last year it was the
whole group selecting the team, wasn't it, And that's been
(21:53):
refined this year to those three guys. I think Jason
Holland's titles as strike coach is a bit limiting as well.
You know how much cut through is he actually getting
in terms of the attack attack portfolio? Does he just
get a bit of Sayer off the scrumb and line out?
(22:14):
Is that really utilizing his talent? Is it enough to
keep him satisfied? Maybe he's there's a bit of frustrations there,
So I think he's probably been shut out of the
main decision making. But I think they will have to
have to replace him, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
What, say you, I think it could well be time
for a little bit of a restructure. And obviously we
don't know internally how this plays out, but from the
external side of things, the structure that they're running is confusing,
and who looks after what has been confusing and time.
I mean, we know that Jason Ryan looks after the forwards,
(22:55):
that Timo d Ellison's responsible to the defense, but how
the delineation of Scott Hanson's role works for essentially, how
Jason Holland's role has worked and what exactly, as you
said before, his say works has been unclear. You know,
Scott Robinson's the overarching coach, but what does he delegate
down to Hanson and co So this may be and
(23:17):
maybe you know, this may be an opportunity to restructure
the coaching team and the roles and the division of
labor between some of these Play Pooh people, and then
that may burn up an opportunity to go external and
figure out how you replace Jason Holland. If you replace
Jason Holland, I'm not sure if it's too many cooks
(23:38):
in the kitchen with the number of coaches that they've got,
or whether it's too many cooks not having enough to
do in the kitchen and couple having too much to do.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Yeah. Well, we've also spoken at least a month ago,
I think, during the Rugby Championship about the lack of
test experience and also the lack I think of discerning
challenging voices. So those three core coaches have worked together
a lot at the Crusaders. How much how many competing
(24:11):
ideas you know, if you think about previous all black
coaching teams. I saw Mike cron talking about this this week.
There was a lot of disagree and commit so a
lot of heads bucking essentially, But that's very healthy, I think,
to have debates. How much of that is happening when
you've worked together for such a long time, when you
(24:32):
know each other well, when you're probably on the same
page from from a you know, a former Crusaders point
of view. So if there is a change, I would
like to see it be an established figure, someone from
from outside the Crusaders, because when you're looking at a
Tommody Ellison as well, there's probably a lot of like
(24:52):
for like in that in that coaching group.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
There is I would actually like to go international. I
think that could be really valuable for the All Blacks,
just to do what you say as well, that that pushback,
that that different voice, that different ide is that maybe
not all of them work, but they at least they're
at the table, they're thrown up and they're considered by
the coaching staff, and I think that would be really valuable.
(25:17):
I don't have an answer as to who. I don't
have a name, but I think you look at the
spring box and what Russia Rasmus has been able to do.
It's almost the United Nations of coaching. He's got so
many boxes. I use this and the nicest possible way,
but box has ticked off. He's got a New Zealand perspective,
he's got an Irish perspective. He's got one daily stick
who offers the perspective of his players. And you know,
(25:41):
Russia Rasmus oversees the operation. They've got another you know referee,
we're referee Dwayne Vermullin and and then you know he's
just come out of you know, basically retired what just
over a year ago. So and that all works together.
So I don't know, there's too many shifts in the
kitchen for the All Blacks, but it's the right shifts
in the right places and coming together to create the dish.
(26:02):
To keep using that analogy. So I don't know who's
out there. You know, Ron Reguara has worked with Scott
Robertson before. He's a very lust job at Lar Rochelle.
Maybe he's an option. You just don't know what exit
clauses people have in contracts at what interests them, whether
they're able to break their contract for an international gig,
whatever it might be. But I think this is the
time to think big and look at the you know,
(26:24):
the wider All Blacks operation.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Yeah, it's very common amongst world coaching teams. Andrew Goodman's
with Ireland. I think Andrew Strawbridge, New Zealander again is
with England. You mentioned Tony Brown there, so you know,
it's a bit like you say, United Nations like, so, yeah,
maybe we shouldn't be so roast into glasses and look
(26:48):
outside the square a little bit. The only other point
I would make on this is it was concerning, maybe
telling to see guys like Cody Taylor come out and say, yeah,
I was a bit blindsided by the news. So that
to me suggests that something has happened in recent times
to bring this to a head. I know Jason Rahme
was only contract to the to the end of this year,
(27:09):
and maybe the fact that he's staying on suggests that
it wasn't a huge issue. But my read on it
is that he's just been frozen out. He's a bit frustrated.
So yeah, I think it's unfortunate. I think it's a
bad look for Raser given how long he had to plan,
and it's also probably a reflection of the pressure of
(27:32):
their realities. He wanted this gig for such a long time,
but it is a lot different when you're walking through
that fire and in the hot seat. It's a very
different world. So it's probably a reflection of all that
melting pot.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
It certainly is all right, Well that about do us
for Rugby Directs in Chicago. Twenty seven minutes into the podcast,
in time to mention that Canterbury won the NPC.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
He almost got there.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
The mascot race tough for my otarger your otarga.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Yeah right.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
It was a great final, great occasion, eighteen thousand fans
packed in at Polo Project Stadium in christ Church, great
afternoon for footy and a great result. So everyone leaves happy,
perhaps apart from the OTAGA fans, but what look, it
has been a great NPC. My understanding is that the
final was, you know, a blockbuster for Sky. Don't have
(28:28):
any specifics on that. That's for them to release, but
I understand it worked very, very well. So it's been
a bit of a renaissance for the NPC this season
and long matt continue.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Yeah, and hopefully that means more afternoon footy as well,
because if it's a great ratings on television, it's certainly
prime time to get fans through the stadium. Just one
final point where we're on crush Chitch. I saw some
had a mate who went through the new stadium and
(28:57):
it looks magnificent. I think it's gonna be a benchmark
for New Zealands. Apparently the concourse, you can still see
the grounds, Apparently it's got like restaurants in there, obviously
got the roof. It's gonna be an amazing venue. So
look forward to your host to me there one day.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Yeah well yeah, the new National Stadium. Many are calling
it the National Stadium.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
The highlight of Rush.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
We might have to get Rugby Direct down there for
Super around next year. I think we might have to
make that happen. But that has been us for in Chicago.
As we count down to the Manchiing throw all the
coverage on Enzi, Herald of Haus and live commentary Sunday morning,
across News Talks, You Be Gold Sport and iHeartRadio and
we will be back in your feed. Catch up with
you early next week on Rugby Direct now by Folkliff Solutions,
(29:42):
lifting you and your business to a higher level thanks
to Currie Shaw producing Colle You Next time.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
For more from News Talks at 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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