March 1, 2026 • 40 mins
On the latest Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Nick Bewley review round three of Super Rugby pacific, with only one New Zealand side winning over the weekend, what went wrong for the rest of them. We dive into the good, the bad and the ugly of it all.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B.
Follow this and our Wide Ranger podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Straight down the Middle Guy, try.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
To get inside the game from every end goal. It's
Rugby Direct with Elliott Smith and Liam Napier powered by
News Talks EDB.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Welcome into Rugby Direct powered by Habit Health Physio Book
today and stay in the game. Rugby Direct back for
another week Monday and Thursday. First edition of the Week.
Elliot Smith with me is Nick Bewley, who's kept his
phone on once again and answered the call. You know
you Liam Napier fans out there. I'm sorry, but he's
(00:58):
just not quite right ready to go after breaking his wrist.
So we're great grateful to have Bulls back in the
hot seat again. Welcome in.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
Hey, thanks Elliott.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I understand actually lives more to do with the canes
to results than as a rest, but maybe we'll get
to that in a minute.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Absolutely, he's got a lot to pay for on Thursday
if he does come back for that episode. Let's roll
through the weekend that was and what a weekend and
in many ways before we dive into each individual game. Mules,
I think the story from New zeal perspective, at least
for me, was just the wastefulness of the New Zealand teams,
maybe apart from the Crusaders for obvious reasons, but there
(01:34):
was a lot of wasted opportunities I thought over the
course of the weekend, and that includes more one pacifica
on Friday night. But I thought the Highlanders, the Hurricanes,
the Chiefs, the Blues were all particularly wasteful and the
opportunities and the amount of ball they did have. What
did you take out of the weekend?
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, it's a great summary. Actually you look at I mean,
I've just got some notes in front of me here
around the Blues, you know, they had more line breaks.
They led what twenty seven eighteen with ten to play,
couldn't get the job done, gave away sixteen penalty, So
that ticks that wasteful element to the Chiefs fourteen al
after nine minutes, twenty one seven after twenty three minutes,
(02:13):
couldn't get the job done. The Canes had a good start.
They had twelve entries into the drewers twenty two. I
only came away with a couple of tries. All been
in horrific conditions. Wasteful and the Highland is thirty one
missed tackles. You're going to be hard pressed to win
any game when you miss that amount of tackles. So yeah,
I mean kudos to the Australian teams, particularly the Brumbis
(02:35):
and the Reds for putting away the Blues and the
Highlanders respectively.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
But yeah, I would.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Have thought the Monday Morning Sessions and many of these
New Zealand Super Raypy franchises, there will be some pretty
frank discussions. I know it's round three, but about an
inability to execute and stack moments, because yeah, you feel
like these are some results that could come back to
haunt some teams. We can see already how close I
think this competition is going to be. I know probably
(03:03):
made similar comments twelve months ago after the starts and
some of the Australian teams made But like the Brumbies
have improved, the Waratahs have improved, there's some signs of
life there at the Reds as well. New Zealand teams
can l afford to be two sloppy early doors and
then be chasing in the later rounds of the seasons.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
One percent, Well, let's start with the Brumbies Blues the
final game of the round and work our way backwards,
and as you mentioned there, the Blues had a twenty
seven eighteen lead late in the game. This was veering
into game done, job done territory for the Blues with
ten minutes to go, they just need to really shut
it down. But that stacking on moments then they you
(03:41):
should be able to close the game out from that
point up with ten to play. Yes, the Brumbies is
exceptionally well to come back and win with those too
late tries, But I think the Blues will be kicking
themselves for a missed opportunity in Canberra because they've played
some good rugby to that point, but they basically it's
led it undo itself over the last ten minutes You
(04:01):
mentioned some of those stats before. The Blues had three
hundred and sixty three post contact meters versus two hundred
and fifty two two from the Brumbies. They were more
impressive with ball in hand, I thought, than the Brumbies
for long periods of the game, but they just played
some dumb rugby in the closing stages and didn't seem
to know how to lock it down.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Yes, certainly, I mean that Stephen peifetta yellow card was
a blow as well, and perhaps that just exacerbated the
issues around the inability to close out a game, not
having the key sort of general there in the first
five position. But it was a huge momentum swing. Then
the Luke Rymer try and then that constant pressure and
(04:41):
type from the Brumbies finally told with Charlie Cale getting
over after the siren. But yeah, absolutely right, it's a
really hard place to go and get a result in Canberra.
That the Blues put themselves in a really good position
and it all came unstuck from that last ten and
now we're looking at a team that is one and
two and has the old foe the Crusaders, who have
(05:04):
all of a sudden found form up next at Eden Park.
So yeah, a head scratcher, to say the least for
the Blues and vern Codder. And I mentioned that that
penalty count again, and I know some in Blues country
will go, how on earth have they ended up conceding
double the amount of penalties sixteen to eight compared to
the Brumbies.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
But at the same time, to.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
You, you've got to adjust, you know, we can hear
on the communication and our radio commentaries and also on
the TV broadcast, how clear the referees by and large
are in terms of not necessarily educating, but certainly telling
the players or telling the captain why they're giving why
he keeps blowing his whistle for penalties. You've got to
(05:45):
make those adjustments, whether it's in and around the breakdown,
whether it's offside calls. And it just felt like the
Blues didn't take enough care there.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
No, they didn't, and touring a fussy at scrum time
had a few issues as well. Just couldn't seem to
match up against rees var Neck of the Brumbies very well.
We got pinned two maybe three times over the course
of that game. Tonga Farsi switching back to the loose
head's side this week up against von Neck, you'd expect
Tonga Fasi to get the best probably of that battle
(06:16):
with an all Black up against a super rugby player.
But whether it was the positioning going back to Lewis
said this week after playing a couple of leagues at tighthead,
I'm not sure, but Tongue Fuszi couldn't get there and
it was probably symptomatic of the Blues issues as you
say there, they just didn't learn their lessons over the
course of the game. Per a feather comes undone with
that lake yellow for the off side, and they invited
(06:37):
the Brumbies back into the contest and they were good
enough to blow through that barn door. As we saw
the previous week in christ Church. Charlie Kale, what a
season he's having already for the Brumbies gets the winner
and you know, the Brumbies sitting pretty top of the
table three from three. They're playing some some really good
rugby and as you said, Nick, the Blues have an
(06:58):
interesting trip back across the Tasman and again we'll get
to in just a half second to face the Crusaders
this week.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah, it'll be fascinating to see how they bounce back.
Obviously it's a game they always get up for. Although
you look over the course of the history you call
it a rivalry. The Crusaders have certainly dominated in recent times.
But look, I expect the response. It's still a very
good scene in the Blues one and two. But yeah,
as I mentioned before, there'll be some pretty frank discussions
(07:26):
and I do wonder as Boat and Barrack close was
it round four was.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
That Round four was what they said. Yeah, haven't had
an update from the Blues on that, but that was
certainly the target. So we'll see whether it gets introduced
this week. And mean he hasn't played any pre season.
The Chiefs took a guess, a softly softly approach with
Damien McKinzie, who is also off and hadn't played since Novembers,
or do they wait a week get them back for
Mwana pacifica nixt Sunday. It's going to be interesting to
(07:51):
see what the Blues do on that front. So let's
go back to seven oh five on Saturday nights and
the Crusaders beating the Chiefs forty three thirty three. Nick.
I don't know about you, but at twenty one seven
down for the Crusaders and fourteen neel prior to that,
it felt like it was deja vous from the week
previously they were going to get blown out to the
tune of fifty. Well, as it happened, the Crusader's almost
(08:12):
put fifty on their home team the Chiefs this week
utterly fascinating game but one of the certainly the best
game of the season for me so far. Best game
in a few years, I think, and just a game
that turned on a dime, and boy the Crusader shows
some grit to get back into that contest.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Yes, some real character.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
I was like you, Ali, you think they conceded twenty
one points in minutes seventy three to eighty the week
prior against the Brumbies and they're down fourteen neil after
nine minutes against the Chiefs.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
What's that?
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Thirty five nel over the space of fifteen minutes of
rugby and you're starting to think, Yeah, the floodgates are
going to open here, their heads are going to drop.
And even again after they scored I think it was
George Bell, then they concede again Tackya twenty one seven.
I'm still thinking it was a long way back. From
minutes twenty four to seventy two, the Crusaders piled on
thirty six unanswered points. It was one of the more
(09:03):
remarkable comebacks I've seen with that context in mind, a
lot of turnover ball which made for a really sort
of helter skelter encounter, But it was when the Crusaders
were able to get some scrums basically both their own
feeds and against that they got some serious dominance through
to Mighty Williams and Fletcher Yule. I thought it was
(09:26):
one of Taha Keimena's best games at ten in terms
of his decision making. And then even though the line
out remained wobbly Ropie, indeed they were still able to
string some phases to get a stacked those moments and
be clinical when those opportunities presented themselves.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
So huge credit to the Crusaders.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
You know that they were saying all the messages when
I went to their media sessions last week that it's
not panic stations. We've had slow starts before, but you
can't help when a team gets put have fifty points
put on them to start thinking. Gee, was maybe this
isn't a vintage Crusader's side, but they silenced a few doubters,
made me eat my words. A few shout outs to
(10:06):
notes I thought of Christian Willie question Leo Willy. Of
course three tries can't be sneezed at, but his general
work create he seemed very busy after a pretty quiet
opening fortnite. I thought Dominant Gardner was very busy as well.
I know last week Alliot we talked about the Battle
of the background. I looked at you know, Jacobson and
Bosch here and Titi coming off the bench and the like,
(10:27):
and thought that the Chiefs would have their dominance. There
wasn't the case. And Chaffee hackey. I know this is
a player that all of a sudden sort of become
an option for the All Blacks in terms of carrying
tackle bags and the like and being drafted into extended squads.
And there was a few eyebrows raised around the country.
His ability in the air is up there with the
(10:50):
best in the country, if not the best, and it's
such an ass yet to have at this point in
time with the laws as they are written and the
proliferation of contestable kicks, particularly box kicks. He was superb
and yeah, hall of a win for the Crusaders And yeah,
I think on that score line the ten point margin
(11:11):
flatters the Chiefs because those last two tries the game
was done.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
The game was done, and the Crusaders were down to fourteen.
They were chasing the game a little bit. But it
was a remarkable reminded me of the game last year
between the Box and Australia and the Rugby Championship with
a box came out with a hiss and a rar,
then all of a sudden, straight it's got a little
bit of a luck and just you know, broke through
the gates and stormed the castle and claimed the victory.
(11:36):
It was really much like that, and I think it's
a performance that the Crusaders continues to build their season on.
You mentioned a couple of players there. I was want
to touch on tahak Emata because he's been around that
Crusader's environment for a couple of seasons, obviously had that
injury last year, and there's been points you go, I
can sort of see what they're doing here with him
and see what attracted them to signing him in the
(11:58):
first place, out of out of high school, et cetera.
That was the kind of game where I thought, Okay,
I can see where they're going with this guy. And
I don't know whether you you know, call it a
coming of age game, whatever it might be, but I
thought it was a very very assured performance against Josh Jacob,
who's got a lot of plaudits and has been in
that allbacks conversation. I thought, Camera, it's only one game,
but I thought that was a very very impressive and
(12:20):
level headed showing from a play like him.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Yeah, I think you knowed it there with being an
assured performance wasn't necessarily flashy. But you hear a lot
about this this triple threat game, you know, run, pass, kick,
and I think he just had that balance right. He
did have the platform up front, and you can say
from there, you know, first five's look a heck of
a lot better when your Ford pack's going forward. But
(12:45):
I just thought it was a very very masterful performance
early days and look, this is just game or start
to sorry on the back of a ACL injury last year,
I think with time in the suttle, he's only going
to get better. I know Revers Raihanna that that injury
he had that's kept him sidelin the last couple of
weeks is considered on the minor side. But I feel
(13:06):
like this was always the way that the cruise as
we're heading with Kimina to starting Pats Rayhanna and insurance
policy off the bench. So no big, big praise for
Taha Keimena, and I hope it's just consistency from here
on and he can continue to pull the strings for
the remainder of the season.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
There has been some news on that front this morning,
or on the on the suspension potentially front this morning.
To Mighty Williams sighted, Nick, you've scrolled back through the sky,
go the footage, the Zapruda film that the you know
everything like that. You've watched all the angles. It looks
like a dangerous clear out from to Mighty Williams on
a Chiefs player. So he's the only sighting out of
(13:43):
that game. And it was a pretty contentious game and
pretty fiery, wasn't it. We sort of halftime the two
sides coming together in a bit of back and forth.
Jared Prophet obviously with an unusual tackle on David Harvilli
at one point. There was some tension there. But interested
to see what happens with to Mighty Williams because he
was the only sighting or the only issue to come
(14:05):
out of that game. From a super rugby perspective.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Yeah, look, having poured up over that footage, it doesn't
look great for Toama Ti Williams. He's a big man,
but he's got reasonably low twopo. VI's got hands on
the ball trying to jackle turn over at the breakdown.
The contact looks near that head or neck region, so
we wait to see the news there. I must admit
(14:28):
I'm pretty surprised that Jared Prophet hasn't been sighted. It
was well off the ball, it was after the whistle.
He put Halvillly in a reasonably compromising position there beyond
the horizontal.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
One point I would.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Make though, is that really did fire up the Crusaders.
It was sort of one in all in type areas,
and even well after halftime. I think Harvely might have
seen the footage on the big screen that the replays
and the like. He you know, walked up to profit
and still was unhappy. And I think it just a
little bit of a fire there for the Crusaders that
they used in that third quarter of the match after halftime.
(15:04):
So don't want to wake the beer, so to speak.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Big time. Let's go to the Drawer and Hurricanes in
Lautoka mud Bath on a Saturday afternoon. The ball was
like soap and the Drawer winning twenty five twenty. The
Drewer obviously hadn't had a win to that point in
the season. We talked about this last week that there
are always a chants at home. Well, they took their
chance and were too good for again, go back to
(15:29):
that word wasteful Hurricane side. You know, look at the
sum of the stats, twenty five turnovers you said, I
know there was you know, conditions were poor, but the
drawer had fifteen. The Hurricanes had twenty five turnovers in
a one game. That's not going to get you too
far in a game with rugby.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
No it's not.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
And look they had twelve entries to the drawers twenty
two as well. But I'll suspect a lot of those turnovers,
a lot of those errors were coming when they were
in the red zone and triop andy opportunities were beckoning.
It is hard, though, Alix, to know what to take
you out of this game. I feel like this is
perfect for the drawer. They either want shapping, which they
(16:09):
were still taking twenty minute breaks for the heat, or
monsoon like conditions where the ball turns to soap. And
we know how skillful the Fijian players are, so this
very much leaned into the drawer in terms of an
opportunity and fair play.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
They took it.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
And now for the Hurricanes probably more interestingly, and I
know I sort of hammered this drum last week. It's
the game after the travel to Laotoker. I think it's
so energy sapping. It's a six day turnaround into the Warratars.
We've had the benefit of a round two buy in Sydney.
I mean this screams Waratahs when this Friday night, so
(16:47):
very interesting to see how the Canes bounce back and
how much rotation is in Clark laid Lord's thinking when
it comes to selection.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
We saw among a mention after the game against the
Hurricanes and the Capital about their turnaround to having to
go back and mount their rotated there. Well, I think
Clark Ladler has probably got a similar comp because for
this coming weekend, because the Tars coming off and buy,
as you say, very very fresh Friday night game in Sydney.
(17:16):
It's really short turnaround. I know there's a bit of
chat that Dupkadifi could be back for the first time
this season, maybe Lomax and Toss. He might go across
the Tasman, but you know those are a few players
by and large. It was their first choice team that
rolled out, you know, barring injury against the drawer, and
there's going to be some sore bodies, some tired bodies.
As the head on the plane to Sydney, so interested
(17:39):
to see what what Clark label does there.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
You know it'll be obviously again we're second of March,
so I don't want to get carried away, but it's
a it's a key little stretch here for the Canes.
Obviously they had to win and they did win the
opening game for them against Mowana. But like all these teams,
it's so congested there around the middle of the table,
these teams that are one on one, in the case
(18:03):
of the Canes one and two, two and one, you
just don't want to be dropping games.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
That you would have. I've looked early at the schedule.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
When you've done all, you're planning and gone, you know,
on the law of averages, we should be getting wins here.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Absolutely. Let's go back to Friday night to the Reds
beating the Highlanders thirty one fourteen in Brisbane. This was
a very impressive performance I thought from the Reds. You
look at the stats though, and basically they're fifty to
fifty down the middle on reflection and you know, the
possession in territory fifty to fifty ten entries into the
(18:35):
twenty two to nine and this goes back to my
original point once again that the Highlanders were just wasteful
with the number of opportunities that they had throughout the
course of the game. They had the same amount of
ball as the Reds, but just didn't make the most
of it. And I think this was a kind of
performance that dare I say that we may see the
Highlanders after a strong couple of showings in the first
(18:55):
two weeks. I mean, they've got the Force coming up
this weekend again they should win at home. But it
felt like a return to the bad old days for
the Highlanders of previous years where they just didn't show up.
And I thought it was a disappointing showing from the Hinders.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Well, this was our concern, wasn't an entering round one
where no Fabian Holland no Dylan Pledge even though he
hasn't played a Super rugby game. And you looked at
best forward arguably that one of your most exciting prospects
being absent for the season. And look, they showed us
they're certainly capable. But it's the consistency, it's the week
(19:31):
on week and it's and it's those game drivers again,
and I just we're talking about tahakemro before in terms
of that triple threat, I'm just not seeing enough there
from cam Miller. I know they're chopping and changing with
Linux and fuck O Tava, but it just doesn't seem
to be quite gelling at the moment. Shout out to
the Reds though we didn't get to the was it
(19:53):
the Leroy Carter try from deep in the Chiefs and goal?
But that try, that phrase of mcwright scored. It looked
like Josh Fluke kind of tripped over. It was like
some you know, so when you used to play PlayStation,
all of a sudden your players wouldn't catch up with
all the buttons pressing, and it didn't actually look like
he meant to kick the ball. He was sort of
falling over his own feet. Then another chip and chase.
(20:13):
It was yeah, there was quite a bit doing but
this Red's team and like I like Carter Gordon at ten,
I know when had a are we free spin at
rugby league didn't work out? Come back? Les Kiss obviously
familiar with rugby league. They almost seemed to play that
sort of block play style out the back to get
Carter loose. And again I think there's a there's a
(20:37):
team with a fair bit of upside there and in
the Reds, and again it's great to see three Australian
teams very much in the conversation from a good standpoint
in terms of their competitives.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
And so I just want to pick up on that
point you made about Cam Miller and look, the Highlanders
attack looks really impotent to me. There were lies so
much on tother ta na way to get them over
the game line. If it's not happening around him, then
it's not happening at all. I think they had four
line breaks during the course of that game, and Taatavanawa
(21:09):
better number of defenders, but he hasn't got that out
and outpace. And when you're circling so much of your
player around him and making things happen, defense is always
going to swarm on him. I just don't think the
Hilanders are making the most of you know, defenders swarming
on Tava Tava Nawa and setting up other opportunities for
the likes of Tongue Tao and other players in that
back line. It just feels fairly one note they're attacking
(21:34):
play and you mentioned Miller. I'm not seeing it either
from him. He's a steady pair of hands at ten,
but it kind of felt like they were going through
the motions on Saturday night and you know, fucka Tava.
I think there was probably a game he probably needed
to start and then you can bring Lenox off the bench.
I think you needed a bit more attacking spark in
(21:54):
a game like that on a hard track and Brisbane
or you know, there's a bit of rain ladder on.
But it was certainly the conditions we're playing to the
fucka Tava style. So I just think a couple of
selections maybe there were wrong from Jammie Joseph. I know
you've got to rotate, but just didn't quite feel lucky
got that right. So yeah, poor loss for the Highlanders.
They had the Force on Saturday afternoon at home and
(22:16):
the Force bules riding high thirty five nineteen of them,
onea pacifica and pook a couple with the return of
George Bridge to New Zealand. He almost fluffed it with
that try and the d goal, but unbelievable, but he
won the war, lost the battle, won the war, George Bridge.
This was a pretty good performance, I have to say
from the Western Force against Jana side at home for
(22:39):
the first time the season, thirty five to seven at
one point. Final score thirty five nineteen. Good night out
for the Western Force.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
Yeah, that's what I was going to stress. I think
the score line looks better than what it was in
terms of a contest. This is very one sided thirty
five to seven with ten to play, and again just
a couple of tries to add a bit of credibility
to that score line. Yeah, I don't know what to
make of Molana, particularly what do we make now of
that round one win in the drawer, Like is that
(23:07):
just an ab anomaly or is there more to its
There's a couple of pretty yeah, pretty limp showings Canes
and now the Force, which again I would have thought
that's a game. They go, yeah, we should be putting
a wave where if we do have serious ambitions about
threatening as a playoffs team. I feel like, though, we
(23:27):
do need to stress that Milan have gone through some
serious turnover and of course there's no Ardie Savia this year.
It did seem to me at least, but based on
the the caliber of squad that they were able to
put together, it was going to be a tough year.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
But I was expecting a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Yeah, I think that back line is not threatening enough.
We're just talk about the Highlands back line, but I
don't think it's threatening enough. Across the board. Pellegrini is
a very solid team. We sort of had a great
season last year, but take out time Muthilau near reform
myze now left that team who I think was very,
very soul on both sides of the ball. Just feels
(24:06):
like they haven't recruited or been able to very well.
And now they've got a really tough stretch on the
back of that pretty hefty loss to the Force. They
have four Derby's in as many weeks.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Talboy Flower as well as running around for the Chiefs
development teams.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
Yeah, yeah, they might see him this Friday. Who knows
whether they might cross pads with Playmoy for Labbert the
Chiefs this week. They've got the Blues away next week
as well. Then they host the Crusaders at North Harbor
on the twenty first, and then they're away oh sorry,
home again against the Highlanders on the twenty seventh before
they have the Buye and which occasion after that they
have the Chiefs. So this is a really big stretch
(24:41):
from Mwana and to be honest, on the basis of
what we saw on Friday night, it's hard to see
them winning any of the next five.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Ye I couldn't agree more.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Right, We'll take a break, come back after this on
a rage Bead direct with our final four and a
MVP voting. You're back with rug bea direct time now
for the final four. Let's changed Tacker a little bit
and bules. Everyone's kissed and made up. At the World
Rugby State of the Game meetings, we had talk about
the calendar, which didn't seem to come to part too
much over the course of those meetings, maybe as much
(25:10):
as we might have expected given the discussions we had
last week on the podcast. Been last week there was
all sorts of talk about the New Zealand and Australia
wanting to completely depower the scrum and France were coming
out against it. But it sounds like, whether it's a
public face or not, everyone has just decided that so
let's kiss and makeup and France have quote unquote satisfied
(25:32):
with the shape of the game conference, so it sounds
like everyone's happy.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
Yeah, hard to know. Hard to know, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (25:39):
You know?
Speaker 2 (25:39):
You see one of these stories out of France, and
that these comments coming from Mathieu Ray, now the former
international referees obviously linked up now with France Rugby as
somewhat of a consultant. But yeah, I find this all
a little bit curious in terms of do Australia and
New Zealand really want to depower the scrum? I mean, yes,
(26:00):
I know on occasion last year particularly the All Black
scrum went backwards against the spring Box, but well, you know,
based on the evidents I saw at the weekend with
some mighty Williams, Flitch Andill' still got some pretty handy
props going around here. I think it's all around speed
of the game and that and France saying, you know,
the top fourteen is the best domestic competition in the world,
which perhaps they do have an argument, but yeah, look,
(26:24):
I think with these sort of things, each each country
or each sort of region is going to have their
say and compromise has to be found. I just think
it's a little bit perhaps disingenuous to suggest that the
All Blacks want to play some sort of super touch
products just to give theirselves the best possible chance of
winning international test.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
This feels to me like a discussion or a disagreement
between two bodies that don't watch each other's domestic competitions.
And so I don't think the French much. I don't
think much of around now is sitting down on a
Saturday morning or Sunday morning in Paris or wherever he
is and is tuning in to watch the Chiefs Crusaders.
And I don't think there's many in New Zealand that
probably tuning in wouldn't know where you find it the
(27:05):
top fourteen in New Zealand and watching bail and play
to lose or whatever it might be. So I think
there's a bit of oh, this game is being played like,
there's this game thing played like this, and in reality
it's quite different now obviously, yeah, the scrum is not
this show being deepower, but it's all about moving the
game on quicker here in New Zealand. But as you say,
the scrum is still such a vital part of the game.
(27:27):
But if you look back, never before in test rugby
has the scrum been a weapon to get penalties as
much as it is. You look back ten years ago
you watch international rugby, then, say at the twenty fifteen
World Cup, le ten years prior to that, you still
would be scrum penalties on occasion, but it wasn't every
scrum what every second strum. And I think that's where
Australia and New Zealand are coming from, is that basically,
(27:48):
if you've got a big pack, more often than not,
they're going to win scrum penalties and that changes the
nature of the game. Just because you are more powerful
doesn't mean that the opposition are infringing. And I think
that's an important distinction to make.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Oh totally, totally, and again I have never put my
head in a scrum, so I'm not going to debate
all the laws of that area of our sport. But
it seems like an interpretation issue more than anything, and
I think we just can hopefully as you started by
this section, Ali just everyone kisses and makes up the
(28:21):
French and known for their romance.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
They are, Yeah, exactly, very very Prisian. The City of
Love topic them. But so should the game have gone ahead?
In Tokyo on Saturday afternoon, it was an interesting what
I mean, the field was absolutely cut up. There wasn't
There was huge year mud patches and everything like that.
You know, it was a bit of a laugh. Everyone
was sort of muddy, and referees with muddy at the
(28:44):
end of it as well. But it felt like there was,
you know, a chance, serious chance of injury, and maybe
there might have been some more serious questions asked if
there was, But where the condition is dangerous enough to
decide to postpone that game or change it or is
this just part of rugby that you've got to play
the conditions that you go to.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
It's a great question. I sort of thinking about that
as he sent through the notes this morning. Alliot, I'd
want to know.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
What the threshold is.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
And I'm sure you know, if we've got all these
these sort of parameters in place for the heat, you know,
in terms of the temperature being X to enforce these
twenty minute water breaks, then surely there's got to be
some sort of threshold for the state of the field.
And you just hope that rather than it being a
real element of gray, that it won't take, you know,
(29:35):
a serious incident where you know, god, for there's a
pile up on a ruck and blokes face down and
you know, all these taking on his water and he
can't breathe and things like that. So look on the
basis of what I saw of the game, I'd say
you play, you play on, but it would have to
be getting pretty close. But you do wonder with broadcast,
(29:58):
where do you fit another game and all that sort
of thing, is this is going to be far too tricky,
like what so you.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Yeah, I think it's interesting, isn't it. Looking part of
it's almost like, yeah, you go and playing opposition conditions
and you expect that it's going to come with the territory.
But the field I think was so cut up, and
you know that we saw players not able to hold
their footing and various things like that. There's got to
be a baseline, I think, for how safe the game
will be, and I don't know that it actually met
that baseline. So I don't know what you do. You know,
(30:26):
it's obviously very humid, rainy, tropical in Fiji, and that
is going to cause issues to the turf. I wonder
if there's anything they can do around that, you know,
whether it's you know, you know, changes to the way
they grow the turf or whatever it might be in
the off season to prevent things like that. Some of
it's just going to be around the weather. But I
(30:48):
don't think it was a good look for the competition
and it didn't create a great spectacle. You know, it
was a bit of a comedy of erarors given the
way things are happening that you just expected, basically players
to not be able to hold onto the ball.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
So the only the only thing I'd add is that
I hope the Canes don't come out and I don't
think they have, but use the conditions as any sort
of form of an extra because at the end of
the day, it's same for both teams absolutely.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Topic number three. Bit of signing news. Courtiers Ratsam are
signed through until twenty twenty eight the Chiefs and All Blacks.
Half back good resigning for the Chiefs in New Zealand rugby.
I think the Chiefs have missed him in the opening
few rounds or since he obviously went off on paternity
leave and it sounds like he'll be back to face
the winner pacifica of this weekend in Hamilton. But a
(31:33):
good signing, but I think there's a bit of pressure
coming on Courtiers Ratsiman in terms of those All Black steaks.
Now Hotham's had a good start to the season. You
know we won't see Dylan Pliger this year. But you know,
I think we need to see the best of Courtiers
Ratimus a wee bit of pressure on him as he
returns to Super Rugby this week Bills.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Yeah, I totally agree, and look it's no surprises that
Ratima has resigned just twenty four years old. A lot
of is probably his best rugby ahead of him. But
yeah he does need to, especially with a new All
Blacks coaching regime coming through, showcase his credentials. And you
know Cam Roy guards signed one until twenty twenty nine
(32:11):
and now I hope them Dylan Pledger both on the
books until twenty seven. There's a real strength of depth
in the halfback position. I'm sure more talent will emerge
over the next couple of years. So I wonder for
court Is like, I know how impactful he is off
the bench, but at what stage, for the bit of
minute of his career does he need to go up
(32:32):
to whether it's Johnny Gerbs or his management and go,
you know, to give myself the best possible chance of
playing in a World Cup as an example, I need
to be starting week and week out. Now that's no
slight on Xavier Row because I think he's a very
handy and serviceable half back as well. And it's always
team first. But it is curious to always see or
(32:55):
not always, but quite often the Chiefs deployed Rattima as
a bench player. And how impactful can he be from
a higher honors standpoint when he's just getting twenty five
thirty minutes a game?
Speaker 3 (33:07):
That's right? Yeah, I completely agree. I think he needs
to be starting for the Chiefs in those games. Are
the big games, especially topic number four interesting one here
Brandon enormous the game on the week he Now, I
don't know. If you would have been sleep of Bules,
you would know more than I. But he was given
permission to skip the match because he had a wedding
schedules not his own. But no, no, no, no, no, no.
(33:30):
You'd hope he wouldn't do that around mid March, early March,
late February, but he had a wedding that he requested
to go to, and Rob Penny said, off you go. Yep,
you've been given leave. Do we like this or not?
Do you think it's something that should be allowed?
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Well?
Speaker 4 (33:46):
I like it.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
I think there's a real maturity here in the sense
that super rugby starts in mid February. As most of
us know here in New Zealand, almost all weddings are
held during the summer or late autumn. And by my understanding,
you know, Brandon, you know this, This was in the
diary a long time ago. They planned for the and
(34:09):
as you say, Elliott, there is a wider discussion that
we had here as to whether Brandon in or is
cracking the twenty three for the Crusaders week and week out.
My understanding is there is another another example of this coming.
I'm not going to go into the full detail, but
we'll just wait to see. I haven't quite heard back
from a source there, but I understand there's another player
that's requested to take a game off soon to attend
(34:31):
a wedding.
Speaker 4 (34:32):
I just like it.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
From a maturity standpoint, we don't bat an eyelid when
there's paternity leave with Damien McKinsey, coma or breathment leave.
These by you know, by designer usually what once in
a lifetime events.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
I want to get your hope.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Certainly that's the intention when you when you put the ring,
you hand the rings over, So look, look, I respect it.
I do think however, it is a talking point, and
then we'll probably be members of our audience that go,
you know, these guys only play fifteen games a year,
you know, get your priorities, right.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
Yeah. I think it's interesting, isn't it. I think it's
easier if you get if it's saying all black and
Brandon Newill wouldn't fall under this. But maybe you can
combine it with a week of all blacks rest that Okay,
we will let you go to the wedding, but this
is going to be your all blacks rest week as well.
So maybe you can sort of two birds one stone
this scenario and allow them off there. It'll be interesting
(35:28):
to see whether that situation comes to pass. As you mentioned,
I seem to to call Chris Wood leaving an OEFC
Nations Cup for the All Whites because his sister had
a wedding the week or was getting married that weekend,
so he played through the round robin then missed the final.
What do you think his players think when they get
the sort of invitations from whether it's a family or
(35:49):
friends or whatever, and go, yep, we've set the wedding
for twenty eight to February, and you go super rugby
has started mid February for eons. I mean, you know,
weddings can't revolve around one of the guests. You just
must wanted and go oh, I couldn't have put this
two weeks prior and miss a bit of preseason.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Maybe well, look, great friend Adam Cooper is getting married
next Saturday. I'm having a miss the Crusaders Islanders broadcast.
I think a few of us are going to be
caught up at the festivities there and having a miss
work commitment. So look, it happens in all workplaces. You know,
you've got to prioritize where you can, so I'm sure
these rugby players it is an ideal. But as I stress,
(36:28):
you know, outside of the odd winter not winter Wonderland wedding,
but winter wedding, it's seldom that a wedding in New
Zealand isn't held on a Saturday sometime between sort of
January and March, which must be troublesome for our rugby
players and cricketers and the.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
Like out there being go yeah, look we're going to
be out all unit pretty much next weekend for that wedding,
so yeah, we haven't probably got a leg to stand
on when it comes to that discussion to me to
be entirely honest, because the Ins and Me sport department
and New Talk Zby Sport department is going to be
very barren that weekend, right, MVP Voting time will bring
you the tally next week and Chicken we were at
(37:06):
after round four. But I'm intrigued to see where you
go with this, Mules first and foremost, in fact, do
you want to give me your votes first?
Speaker 4 (37:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Sure, Well, now I know the rules around New Zealand players. Look,
you know, call me one eye because I'm the Crusaders commentator.
I just thought the way that the Crusaders responded under
least external pressure, I've gone with three Crusaders, So I thought,
Christian Leo Willie again, we just can't sneeze it scoring
hat trick of tries as number eight. But I think
(37:37):
it was his body of work as well and his
willingness to get as many carries and dominated the collision.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
So he gets my three.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
No surprise if you were listening to the early part
of the podcast and I was waxing lyrical about Schaffee
Hackey and his ability in the air, he gets my two.
I thought he was a difference maker on Saturday, and
I think I know where in March, but we need
to stop sort of being a little bit you know, pulling,
you know, not not comedic around the way that we
you know, especially on this podcast and our host that
(38:06):
I'm filling the chair of thanks to shave Fiki shouldn't
be anywhere near an.
Speaker 4 (38:09):
All black squad.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
You could be sorry, you go.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
I was just going to say, I think the way
the laws are, the way that the kicking he's he's
a classy plan and I think he deserves to be
in the discussion. So he gets my two and I'm
going to go Tahakimina for my one. I thought, very controlled,
very assured, and yeah, what a sort of personal moment
for him. You know, Hamilton Boys a lot of family
(38:34):
and friends there against the team he would have had
aspirations are playing for, and he piles on some misery.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
So one fatar I didn't know a hothem and him
go to school together as well, So it was the
two Hamilton boys just tearing up Rugby Park or if
himg Stadium on the weekend.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
Yeah, Taylor Cahill as well, a year at Hamilton Boys
there's a few that have made their way down, you know,
good talent identification.
Speaker 4 (38:59):
Should we just say.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
Absolutely, just just on completely agree And I think the
way the international rugby's played now, it's time to be
a little pragmatter. I'm not saying you should be the
All Black starter every week, but that body type, he's
got the pace, the kicking and the aerial game that
he's got in terms of his kick receipts, I think
is a prototype that is very very hard to find
an international rugby and there should be a serious conversation
(39:21):
around him. So look, I think he's made every post
to winner on the weekend. I we'd love to see
that form continue and put himself right in the conversation
for the All Blacks. My three two ones, i've gone
very similar. After your Crusaders sweep, I haven't got a
full Crusaders sweep. We've gone halfway. Three to Christian Leo
Willie excellent performance and out sean some of his fellow
(39:41):
All Blacks loose forwards. Two to Caleb Clark and the
losing Blues performance. I thought he was very very good
and one of their true sparks, along as I probably
Aj Lamb and one goes the way of Tahakimada, I thought,
a very assured performance as I mentioned before, and one
that we've been waiting to see from him. So three
two ones are going the way of those men, but
six points overall going the way of Christian Leo Willie today, Bill,
(40:06):
thank you very much for your time once again. Might
see your Thursday. As I said, keep the phone on.
Who's to know with the Liam I assume he will
come back at some point, otherwise it might just be
us tour on Rugby Direct henceforth.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
Good Man Elliott.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
Always a pleasure and I do look forward to the
day of going back for being a listener rather than
a host.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
But yeah, can't complain. It's always good to chew the fact.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
Thanks you allways, and thanks to Mark Kelly as well
for his ex book production on this episode, and thanks
to having hell Physio book Today and stay in the game.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
For more from News Talks B listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B.
Follow this and our Wide Ranger podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Straight down the Middle Guy, try.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
To get inside the game from every end goal. It's
Rugby Direct with Elliott Smith and Liam Napier powered by
News Talks EDB.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Welcome into Rugby Direct powered by Habit Health Physio Book
today and stay in the game. Rugby Direct back for
another week Monday and Thursday. First edition of the Week.
Elliot Smith with me is Nick Bewley, who's kept his
phone on once again and answered the call. You know
you Liam Napier fans out there. I'm sorry, but he's
(00:58):
just not quite right ready to go after breaking his wrist.
So we're great grateful to have Bulls back in the
hot seat again. Welcome in.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
Hey, thanks Elliott.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I understand actually lives more to do with the canes
to results than as a rest, but maybe we'll get
to that in a minute.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Absolutely, he's got a lot to pay for on Thursday
if he does come back for that episode. Let's roll
through the weekend that was and what a weekend and
in many ways before we dive into each individual game. Mules,
I think the story from New zeal perspective, at least
for me, was just the wastefulness of the New Zealand teams,
maybe apart from the Crusaders for obvious reasons, but there
(01:34):
was a lot of wasted opportunities I thought over the
course of the weekend, and that includes more one pacifica
on Friday night. But I thought the Highlanders, the Hurricanes,
the Chiefs, the Blues were all particularly wasteful and the
opportunities and the amount of ball they did have. What
did you take out of the weekend?
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, it's a great summary. Actually you look at I mean,
I've just got some notes in front of me here
around the Blues, you know, they had more line breaks.
They led what twenty seven eighteen with ten to play,
couldn't get the job done, gave away sixteen penalty, So
that ticks that wasteful element to the Chiefs fourteen al
after nine minutes, twenty one seven after twenty three minutes,
(02:13):
couldn't get the job done. The Canes had a good start.
They had twelve entries into the drewers twenty two. I
only came away with a couple of tries. All been
in horrific conditions. Wasteful and the Highland is thirty one
missed tackles. You're going to be hard pressed to win
any game when you miss that amount of tackles. So yeah,
I mean kudos to the Australian teams, particularly the Brumbis
(02:35):
and the Reds for putting away the Blues and the
Highlanders respectively.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
But yeah, I would.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Have thought the Monday Morning Sessions and many of these
New Zealand Super Raypy franchises, there will be some pretty
frank discussions. I know it's round three, but about an
inability to execute and stack moments, because yeah, you feel
like these are some results that could come back to
haunt some teams. We can see already how close I
think this competition is going to be. I know probably
(03:03):
made similar comments twelve months ago after the starts and
some of the Australian teams made But like the Brumbies
have improved, the Waratahs have improved, there's some signs of
life there at the Reds as well. New Zealand teams
can l afford to be two sloppy early doors and
then be chasing in the later rounds of the seasons.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
One percent, Well, let's start with the Brumbies Blues the
final game of the round and work our way backwards,
and as you mentioned there, the Blues had a twenty
seven eighteen lead late in the game. This was veering
into game done, job done territory for the Blues with
ten minutes to go, they just need to really shut
it down. But that stacking on moments then they you
(03:41):
should be able to close the game out from that
point up with ten to play. Yes, the Brumbies is
exceptionally well to come back and win with those too
late tries, But I think the Blues will be kicking
themselves for a missed opportunity in Canberra because they've played
some good rugby to that point, but they basically it's
led it undo itself over the last ten minutes You
(04:01):
mentioned some of those stats before. The Blues had three
hundred and sixty three post contact meters versus two hundred
and fifty two two from the Brumbies. They were more
impressive with ball in hand, I thought, than the Brumbies
for long periods of the game, but they just played
some dumb rugby in the closing stages and didn't seem
to know how to lock it down.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Yes, certainly, I mean that Stephen peifetta yellow card was
a blow as well, and perhaps that just exacerbated the
issues around the inability to close out a game, not
having the key sort of general there in the first
five position. But it was a huge momentum swing. Then
the Luke Rymer try and then that constant pressure and
(04:41):
type from the Brumbies finally told with Charlie Cale getting
over after the siren. But yeah, absolutely right, it's a
really hard place to go and get a result in Canberra.
That the Blues put themselves in a really good position
and it all came unstuck from that last ten and
now we're looking at a team that is one and
two and has the old foe the Crusaders, who have
(05:04):
all of a sudden found form up next at Eden Park.
So yeah, a head scratcher, to say the least for
the Blues and vern Codder. And I mentioned that that
penalty count again, and I know some in Blues country
will go, how on earth have they ended up conceding
double the amount of penalties sixteen to eight compared to
the Brumbies.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
But at the same time, to.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
You, you've got to adjust, you know, we can hear
on the communication and our radio commentaries and also on
the TV broadcast, how clear the referees by and large
are in terms of not necessarily educating, but certainly telling
the players or telling the captain why they're giving why
he keeps blowing his whistle for penalties. You've got to
(05:45):
make those adjustments, whether it's in and around the breakdown,
whether it's offside calls. And it just felt like the
Blues didn't take enough care there.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
No, they didn't, and touring a fussy at scrum time
had a few issues as well. Just couldn't seem to
match up against rees var Neck of the Brumbies very well.
We got pinned two maybe three times over the course
of that game. Tonga Farsi switching back to the loose
head's side this week up against von Neck, you'd expect
Tonga Fasi to get the best probably of that battle
(06:16):
with an all Black up against a super rugby player.
But whether it was the positioning going back to Lewis
said this week after playing a couple of leagues at tighthead,
I'm not sure, but Tongue Fuszi couldn't get there and
it was probably symptomatic of the Blues issues as you
say there, they just didn't learn their lessons over the
course of the game. Per a feather comes undone with
that lake yellow for the off side, and they invited
(06:37):
the Brumbies back into the contest and they were good
enough to blow through that barn door. As we saw
the previous week in christ Church. Charlie Kale, what a
season he's having already for the Brumbies gets the winner
and you know, the Brumbies sitting pretty top of the
table three from three. They're playing some some really good
rugby and as you said, Nick, the Blues have an
(06:58):
interesting trip back across the Tasman and again we'll get
to in just a half second to face the Crusaders
this week.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah, it'll be fascinating to see how they bounce back.
Obviously it's a game they always get up for. Although
you look over the course of the history you call
it a rivalry. The Crusaders have certainly dominated in recent times.
But look, I expect the response. It's still a very
good scene in the Blues one and two. But yeah,
as I mentioned before, there'll be some pretty frank discussions
(07:26):
and I do wonder as Boat and Barrack close was
it round four was.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
That Round four was what they said. Yeah, haven't had
an update from the Blues on that, but that was
certainly the target. So we'll see whether it gets introduced
this week. And mean he hasn't played any pre season.
The Chiefs took a guess, a softly softly approach with
Damien McKinzie, who is also off and hadn't played since Novembers,
or do they wait a week get them back for
Mwana pacifica nixt Sunday. It's going to be interesting to
(07:51):
see what the Blues do on that front. So let's
go back to seven oh five on Saturday nights and
the Crusaders beating the Chiefs forty three thirty three. Nick.
I don't know about you, but at twenty one seven
down for the Crusaders and fourteen neel prior to that,
it felt like it was deja vous from the week
previously they were going to get blown out to the
tune of fifty. Well, as it happened, the Crusader's almost
(08:12):
put fifty on their home team the Chiefs this week
utterly fascinating game but one of the certainly the best
game of the season for me so far. Best game
in a few years, I think, and just a game
that turned on a dime, and boy the Crusader shows
some grit to get back into that contest.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Yes, some real character.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
I was like you, Ali, you think they conceded twenty
one points in minutes seventy three to eighty the week
prior against the Brumbies and they're down fourteen neil after
nine minutes against the Chiefs.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
What's that?
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Thirty five nel over the space of fifteen minutes of
rugby and you're starting to think, Yeah, the floodgates are
going to open here, their heads are going to drop.
And even again after they scored I think it was
George Bell, then they concede again Tackya twenty one seven.
I'm still thinking it was a long way back. From
minutes twenty four to seventy two, the Crusaders piled on
thirty six unanswered points. It was one of the more
(09:03):
remarkable comebacks I've seen with that context in mind, a
lot of turnover ball which made for a really sort
of helter skelter encounter, But it was when the Crusaders
were able to get some scrums basically both their own
feeds and against that they got some serious dominance through
to Mighty Williams and Fletcher Yule. I thought it was
(09:26):
one of Taha Keimena's best games at ten in terms
of his decision making. And then even though the line
out remained wobbly Ropie, indeed they were still able to
string some phases to get a stacked those moments and
be clinical when those opportunities presented themselves.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
So huge credit to the Crusaders.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
You know that they were saying all the messages when
I went to their media sessions last week that it's
not panic stations. We've had slow starts before, but you
can't help when a team gets put have fifty points
put on them to start thinking. Gee, was maybe this
isn't a vintage Crusader's side, but they silenced a few doubters,
made me eat my words. A few shout outs to
(10:06):
notes I thought of Christian Willie question Leo Willy. Of
course three tries can't be sneezed at, but his general
work create he seemed very busy after a pretty quiet
opening fortnite. I thought Dominant Gardner was very busy as well.
I know last week Alliot we talked about the Battle
of the background. I looked at you know, Jacobson and
Bosch here and Titi coming off the bench and the like,
(10:27):
and thought that the Chiefs would have their dominance. There
wasn't the case. And Chaffee hackey. I know this is
a player that all of a sudden sort of become
an option for the All Blacks in terms of carrying
tackle bags and the like and being drafted into extended squads.
And there was a few eyebrows raised around the country.
His ability in the air is up there with the
(10:50):
best in the country, if not the best, and it's
such an ass yet to have at this point in
time with the laws as they are written and the
proliferation of contestable kicks, particularly box kicks. He was superb
and yeah, hall of a win for the Crusaders And yeah,
I think on that score line the ten point margin
(11:11):
flatters the Chiefs because those last two tries the game
was done.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
The game was done, and the Crusaders were down to fourteen.
They were chasing the game a little bit. But it
was a remarkable reminded me of the game last year
between the Box and Australia and the Rugby Championship with
a box came out with a hiss and a rar,
then all of a sudden, straight it's got a little
bit of a luck and just you know, broke through
the gates and stormed the castle and claimed the victory.
(11:36):
It was really much like that, and I think it's
a performance that the Crusaders continues to build their season on.
You mentioned a couple of players there. I was want
to touch on tahak Emata because he's been around that
Crusader's environment for a couple of seasons, obviously had that
injury last year, and there's been points you go, I
can sort of see what they're doing here with him
and see what attracted them to signing him in the
(11:58):
first place, out of out of high school, et cetera.
That was the kind of game where I thought, Okay,
I can see where they're going with this guy. And
I don't know whether you you know, call it a
coming of age game, whatever it might be, but I
thought it was a very very assured performance against Josh Jacob,
who's got a lot of plaudits and has been in
that allbacks conversation. I thought, Camera, it's only one game,
but I thought that was a very very impressive and
(12:20):
level headed showing from a play like him.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Yeah, I think you knowed it there with being an
assured performance wasn't necessarily flashy. But you hear a lot
about this this triple threat game, you know, run, pass, kick,
and I think he just had that balance right. He
did have the platform up front, and you can say
from there, you know, first five's look a heck of
a lot better when your Ford pack's going forward. But
(12:45):
I just thought it was a very very masterful performance
early days and look, this is just game or start
to sorry on the back of a ACL injury last year,
I think with time in the suttle, he's only going
to get better. I know Revers Raihanna that that injury
he had that's kept him sidelin the last couple of
weeks is considered on the minor side. But I feel
(13:06):
like this was always the way that the cruise as
we're heading with Kimina to starting Pats Rayhanna and insurance
policy off the bench. So no big, big praise for
Taha Keimena, and I hope it's just consistency from here
on and he can continue to pull the strings for
the remainder of the season.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
There has been some news on that front this morning,
or on the on the suspension potentially front this morning.
To Mighty Williams sighted, Nick, you've scrolled back through the sky,
go the footage, the Zapruda film that the you know
everything like that. You've watched all the angles. It looks
like a dangerous clear out from to Mighty Williams on
a Chiefs player. So he's the only sighting out of
(13:43):
that game. And it was a pretty contentious game and
pretty fiery, wasn't it. We sort of halftime the two
sides coming together in a bit of back and forth.
Jared Prophet obviously with an unusual tackle on David Harvilli
at one point. There was some tension there. But interested
to see what happens with to Mighty Williams because he
was the only sighting or the only issue to come
(14:05):
out of that game. From a super rugby perspective.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Yeah, look, having poured up over that footage, it doesn't
look great for Toama Ti Williams. He's a big man,
but he's got reasonably low twopo. VI's got hands on
the ball trying to jackle turn over at the breakdown.
The contact looks near that head or neck region, so
we wait to see the news there. I must admit
(14:28):
I'm pretty surprised that Jared Prophet hasn't been sighted. It
was well off the ball, it was after the whistle.
He put Halvillly in a reasonably compromising position there beyond
the horizontal.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
One point I would.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Make though, is that really did fire up the Crusaders.
It was sort of one in all in type areas,
and even well after halftime. I think Harvely might have
seen the footage on the big screen that the replays
and the like. He you know, walked up to profit
and still was unhappy. And I think it just a
little bit of a fire there for the Crusaders that
they used in that third quarter of the match after halftime.
(15:04):
So don't want to wake the beer, so to speak.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Big time. Let's go to the Drawer and Hurricanes in
Lautoka mud Bath on a Saturday afternoon. The ball was
like soap and the Drawer winning twenty five twenty. The
Drewer obviously hadn't had a win to that point in
the season. We talked about this last week that there
are always a chants at home. Well, they took their
chance and were too good for again, go back to
(15:29):
that word wasteful Hurricane side. You know, look at the
sum of the stats, twenty five turnovers you said, I
know there was you know, conditions were poor, but the
drawer had fifteen. The Hurricanes had twenty five turnovers in
a one game. That's not going to get you too
far in a game with rugby.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
No it's not.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
And look they had twelve entries to the drawers twenty
two as well. But I'll suspect a lot of those turnovers,
a lot of those errors were coming when they were
in the red zone and triop andy opportunities were beckoning.
It is hard, though, Alix, to know what to take
you out of this game. I feel like this is
perfect for the drawer. They either want shapping, which they
(16:09):
were still taking twenty minute breaks for the heat, or
monsoon like conditions where the ball turns to soap. And
we know how skillful the Fijian players are, so this
very much leaned into the drawer in terms of an
opportunity and fair play.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
They took it.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
And now for the Hurricanes probably more interestingly, and I
know I sort of hammered this drum last week. It's
the game after the travel to Laotoker. I think it's
so energy sapping. It's a six day turnaround into the Warratars.
We've had the benefit of a round two buy in Sydney.
I mean this screams Waratahs when this Friday night, so
(16:47):
very interesting to see how the Canes bounce back and
how much rotation is in Clark laid Lord's thinking when
it comes to selection.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
We saw among a mention after the game against the
Hurricanes and the Capital about their turnaround to having to
go back and mount their rotated there. Well, I think
Clark Ladler has probably got a similar comp because for
this coming weekend, because the Tars coming off and buy,
as you say, very very fresh Friday night game in Sydney.
(17:16):
It's really short turnaround. I know there's a bit of
chat that Dupkadifi could be back for the first time
this season, maybe Lomax and Toss. He might go across
the Tasman, but you know those are a few players
by and large. It was their first choice team that
rolled out, you know, barring injury against the drawer, and
there's going to be some sore bodies, some tired bodies.
As the head on the plane to Sydney, so interested
(17:39):
to see what what Clark label does there.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
You know it'll be obviously again we're second of March,
so I don't want to get carried away, but it's
a it's a key little stretch here for the Canes.
Obviously they had to win and they did win the
opening game for them against Mowana. But like all these teams,
it's so congested there around the middle of the table,
these teams that are one on one, in the case
(18:03):
of the Canes one and two, two and one, you
just don't want to be dropping games.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
That you would have. I've looked early at the schedule.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
When you've done all, you're planning and gone, you know,
on the law of averages, we should be getting wins here.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Absolutely. Let's go back to Friday night to the Reds
beating the Highlanders thirty one fourteen in Brisbane. This was
a very impressive performance I thought from the Reds. You
look at the stats though, and basically they're fifty to
fifty down the middle on reflection and you know, the
possession in territory fifty to fifty ten entries into the
(18:35):
twenty two to nine and this goes back to my
original point once again that the Highlanders were just wasteful
with the number of opportunities that they had throughout the
course of the game. They had the same amount of
ball as the Reds, but just didn't make the most
of it. And I think this was a kind of
performance that dare I say that we may see the
Highlanders after a strong couple of showings in the first
(18:55):
two weeks. I mean, they've got the Force coming up
this weekend again they should win at home. But it
felt like a return to the bad old days for
the Highlanders of previous years where they just didn't show up.
And I thought it was a disappointing showing from the Hinders.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Well, this was our concern, wasn't an entering round one
where no Fabian Holland no Dylan Pledge even though he
hasn't played a Super rugby game. And you looked at
best forward arguably that one of your most exciting prospects
being absent for the season. And look, they showed us
they're certainly capable. But it's the consistency, it's the week
(19:31):
on week and it's and it's those game drivers again,
and I just we're talking about tahakemro before in terms
of that triple threat, I'm just not seeing enough there
from cam Miller. I know they're chopping and changing with
Linux and fuck O Tava, but it just doesn't seem
to be quite gelling at the moment. Shout out to
the Reds though we didn't get to the was it
(19:53):
the Leroy Carter try from deep in the Chiefs and goal?
But that try, that phrase of mcwright scored. It looked
like Josh Fluke kind of tripped over. It was like
some you know, so when you used to play PlayStation,
all of a sudden your players wouldn't catch up with
all the buttons pressing, and it didn't actually look like
he meant to kick the ball. He was sort of
falling over his own feet. Then another chip and chase.
(20:13):
It was yeah, there was quite a bit doing but
this Red's team and like I like Carter Gordon at ten,
I know when had a are we free spin at
rugby league didn't work out? Come back? Les Kiss obviously
familiar with rugby league. They almost seemed to play that
sort of block play style out the back to get
Carter loose. And again I think there's a there's a
(20:37):
team with a fair bit of upside there and in
the Reds, and again it's great to see three Australian
teams very much in the conversation from a good standpoint
in terms of their competitives.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
And so I just want to pick up on that
point you made about Cam Miller and look, the Highlanders
attack looks really impotent to me. There were lies so
much on tother ta na way to get them over
the game line. If it's not happening around him, then
it's not happening at all. I think they had four
line breaks during the course of that game, and Taatavanawa
(21:09):
better number of defenders, but he hasn't got that out
and outpace. And when you're circling so much of your
player around him and making things happen, defense is always
going to swarm on him. I just don't think the
Hilanders are making the most of you know, defenders swarming
on Tava Tava Nawa and setting up other opportunities for
the likes of Tongue Tao and other players in that
back line. It just feels fairly one note they're attacking
(21:34):
play and you mentioned Miller. I'm not seeing it either
from him. He's a steady pair of hands at ten,
but it kind of felt like they were going through
the motions on Saturday night and you know, fucka Tava.
I think there was probably a game he probably needed
to start and then you can bring Lenox off the bench.
I think you needed a bit more attacking spark in
(21:54):
a game like that on a hard track and Brisbane
or you know, there's a bit of rain ladder on.
But it was certainly the conditions we're playing to the
fucka Tava style. So I just think a couple of
selections maybe there were wrong from Jammie Joseph. I know
you've got to rotate, but just didn't quite feel lucky
got that right. So yeah, poor loss for the Highlanders.
They had the Force on Saturday afternoon at home and
(22:16):
the Force bules riding high thirty five nineteen of them,
onea pacifica and pook a couple with the return of
George Bridge to New Zealand. He almost fluffed it with
that try and the d goal, but unbelievable, but he
won the war, lost the battle, won the war, George Bridge.
This was a pretty good performance, I have to say
from the Western Force against Jana side at home for
(22:39):
the first time the season, thirty five to seven at
one point. Final score thirty five nineteen. Good night out
for the Western Force.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
Yeah, that's what I was going to stress. I think
the score line looks better than what it was in
terms of a contest. This is very one sided thirty
five to seven with ten to play, and again just
a couple of tries to add a bit of credibility
to that score line. Yeah, I don't know what to
make of Molana, particularly what do we make now of
that round one win in the drawer, Like is that
(23:07):
just an ab anomaly or is there more to its
There's a couple of pretty yeah, pretty limp showings Canes
and now the Force, which again I would have thought
that's a game. They go, yeah, we should be putting
a wave where if we do have serious ambitions about
threatening as a playoffs team. I feel like, though, we
(23:27):
do need to stress that Milan have gone through some
serious turnover and of course there's no Ardie Savia this year.
It did seem to me at least, but based on
the the caliber of squad that they were able to
put together, it was going to be a tough year.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
But I was expecting a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Yeah, I think that back line is not threatening enough.
We're just talk about the Highlands back line, but I
don't think it's threatening enough. Across the board. Pellegrini is
a very solid team. We sort of had a great
season last year, but take out time Muthilau near reform
myze now left that team who I think was very,
very soul on both sides of the ball. Just feels
(24:06):
like they haven't recruited or been able to very well.
And now they've got a really tough stretch on the
back of that pretty hefty loss to the Force. They
have four Derby's in as many weeks.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Talboy Flower as well as running around for the Chiefs
development teams.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
Yeah, yeah, they might see him this Friday. Who knows
whether they might cross pads with Playmoy for Labbert the
Chiefs this week. They've got the Blues away next week
as well. Then they host the Crusaders at North Harbor
on the twenty first, and then they're away oh sorry,
home again against the Highlanders on the twenty seventh before
they have the Buye and which occasion after that they
have the Chiefs. So this is a really big stretch
(24:41):
from Mwana and to be honest, on the basis of
what we saw on Friday night, it's hard to see
them winning any of the next five.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Ye I couldn't agree more.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Right, We'll take a break, come back after this on
a rage Bead direct with our final four and a
MVP voting. You're back with rug bea direct time now
for the final four. Let's changed Tacker a little bit
and bules. Everyone's kissed and made up. At the World
Rugby State of the Game meetings, we had talk about
the calendar, which didn't seem to come to part too
much over the course of those meetings, maybe as much
(25:10):
as we might have expected given the discussions we had
last week on the podcast. Been last week there was
all sorts of talk about the New Zealand and Australia
wanting to completely depower the scrum and France were coming
out against it. But it sounds like, whether it's a
public face or not, everyone has just decided that so
let's kiss and makeup and France have quote unquote satisfied
(25:32):
with the shape of the game conference, so it sounds
like everyone's happy.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
Yeah, hard to know. Hard to know, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (25:39):
You know?
Speaker 2 (25:39):
You see one of these stories out of France, and
that these comments coming from Mathieu Ray, now the former
international referees obviously linked up now with France Rugby as
somewhat of a consultant. But yeah, I find this all
a little bit curious in terms of do Australia and
New Zealand really want to depower the scrum? I mean, yes,
(26:00):
I know on occasion last year particularly the All Black
scrum went backwards against the spring Box, but well, you know,
based on the evidents I saw at the weekend with
some mighty Williams, Flitch Andill' still got some pretty handy
props going around here. I think it's all around speed
of the game and that and France saying, you know,
the top fourteen is the best domestic competition in the world,
which perhaps they do have an argument, but yeah, look,
(26:24):
I think with these sort of things, each each country
or each sort of region is going to have their
say and compromise has to be found. I just think
it's a little bit perhaps disingenuous to suggest that the
All Blacks want to play some sort of super touch
products just to give theirselves the best possible chance of
winning international test.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
This feels to me like a discussion or a disagreement
between two bodies that don't watch each other's domestic competitions.
And so I don't think the French much. I don't
think much of around now is sitting down on a
Saturday morning or Sunday morning in Paris or wherever he
is and is tuning in to watch the Chiefs Crusaders.
And I don't think there's many in New Zealand that
probably tuning in wouldn't know where you find it the
(27:05):
top fourteen in New Zealand and watching bail and play
to lose or whatever it might be. So I think
there's a bit of oh, this game is being played like,
there's this game thing played like this, and in reality
it's quite different now obviously, yeah, the scrum is not
this show being deepower, but it's all about moving the
game on quicker here in New Zealand. But as you say,
the scrum is still such a vital part of the game.
(27:27):
But if you look back, never before in test rugby
has the scrum been a weapon to get penalties as
much as it is. You look back ten years ago
you watch international rugby, then, say at the twenty fifteen
World Cup, le ten years prior to that, you still
would be scrum penalties on occasion, but it wasn't every
scrum what every second strum. And I think that's where
Australia and New Zealand are coming from, is that basically,
(27:48):
if you've got a big pack, more often than not,
they're going to win scrum penalties and that changes the
nature of the game. Just because you are more powerful
doesn't mean that the opposition are infringing. And I think
that's an important distinction to make.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Oh totally, totally, and again I have never put my
head in a scrum, so I'm not going to debate
all the laws of that area of our sport. But
it seems like an interpretation issue more than anything, and
I think we just can hopefully as you started by
this section, Ali just everyone kisses and makes up the
(28:21):
French and known for their romance.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
They are, Yeah, exactly, very very Prisian. The City of
Love topic them. But so should the game have gone ahead?
In Tokyo on Saturday afternoon, it was an interesting what
I mean, the field was absolutely cut up. There wasn't
There was huge year mud patches and everything like that.
You know, it was a bit of a laugh. Everyone
was sort of muddy, and referees with muddy at the
(28:44):
end of it as well. But it felt like there was,
you know, a chance, serious chance of injury, and maybe
there might have been some more serious questions asked if
there was, But where the condition is dangerous enough to
decide to postpone that game or change it or is
this just part of rugby that you've got to play
the conditions that you go to.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
It's a great question. I sort of thinking about that
as he sent through the notes this morning. Alliot, I'd
want to know.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
What the threshold is.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
And I'm sure you know, if we've got all these
these sort of parameters in place for the heat, you know,
in terms of the temperature being X to enforce these
twenty minute water breaks, then surely there's got to be
some sort of threshold for the state of the field.
And you just hope that rather than it being a
real element of gray, that it won't take, you know,
(29:35):
a serious incident where you know, god, for there's a
pile up on a ruck and blokes face down and
you know, all these taking on his water and he
can't breathe and things like that. So look on the
basis of what I saw of the game, I'd say
you play, you play on, but it would have to
be getting pretty close. But you do wonder with broadcast,
(29:58):
where do you fit another game and all that sort
of thing, is this is going to be far too tricky,
like what so you.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Yeah, I think it's interesting, isn't it. Looking part of
it's almost like, yeah, you go and playing opposition conditions
and you expect that it's going to come with the territory.
But the field I think was so cut up, and
you know that we saw players not able to hold
their footing and various things like that. There's got to
be a baseline, I think, for how safe the game
will be, and I don't know that it actually met
that baseline. So I don't know what you do. You know,
(30:26):
it's obviously very humid, rainy, tropical in Fiji, and that
is going to cause issues to the turf. I wonder
if there's anything they can do around that, you know,
whether it's you know, you know, changes to the way
they grow the turf or whatever it might be in
the off season to prevent things like that. Some of
it's just going to be around the weather. But I
(30:48):
don't think it was a good look for the competition
and it didn't create a great spectacle. You know, it
was a bit of a comedy of erarors given the
way things are happening that you just expected, basically players
to not be able to hold onto the ball.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
So the only the only thing I'd add is that
I hope the Canes don't come out and I don't
think they have, but use the conditions as any sort
of form of an extra because at the end of
the day, it's same for both teams absolutely.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Topic number three. Bit of signing news. Courtiers Ratsam are
signed through until twenty twenty eight the Chiefs and All Blacks.
Half back good resigning for the Chiefs in New Zealand rugby.
I think the Chiefs have missed him in the opening
few rounds or since he obviously went off on paternity
leave and it sounds like he'll be back to face
the winner pacifica of this weekend in Hamilton. But a
(31:33):
good signing, but I think there's a bit of pressure
coming on Courtiers Ratsiman in terms of those All Black steaks.
Now Hotham's had a good start to the season. You
know we won't see Dylan Pliger this year. But you know,
I think we need to see the best of Courtiers
Ratimus a wee bit of pressure on him as he
returns to Super Rugby this week Bills.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Yeah, I totally agree, and look it's no surprises that
Ratima has resigned just twenty four years old. A lot
of is probably his best rugby ahead of him. But
yeah he does need to, especially with a new All
Blacks coaching regime coming through, showcase his credentials. And you
know Cam Roy guards signed one until twenty twenty nine
(32:11):
and now I hope them Dylan Pledger both on the
books until twenty seven. There's a real strength of depth
in the halfback position. I'm sure more talent will emerge
over the next couple of years. So I wonder for
court Is like, I know how impactful he is off
the bench, but at what stage, for the bit of
minute of his career does he need to go up
(32:32):
to whether it's Johnny Gerbs or his management and go,
you know, to give myself the best possible chance of
playing in a World Cup as an example, I need
to be starting week and week out. Now that's no
slight on Xavier Row because I think he's a very
handy and serviceable half back as well. And it's always
team first. But it is curious to always see or
(32:55):
not always, but quite often the Chiefs deployed Rattima as
a bench player. And how impactful can he be from
a higher honors standpoint when he's just getting twenty five
thirty minutes a game?
Speaker 3 (33:07):
That's right? Yeah, I completely agree. I think he needs
to be starting for the Chiefs in those games. Are
the big games, especially topic number four interesting one here
Brandon enormous the game on the week he Now, I
don't know. If you would have been sleep of Bules,
you would know more than I. But he was given
permission to skip the match because he had a wedding
schedules not his own. But no, no, no, no, no, no.
(33:30):
You'd hope he wouldn't do that around mid March, early March,
late February, but he had a wedding that he requested
to go to, and Rob Penny said, off you go. Yep,
you've been given leave. Do we like this or not?
Do you think it's something that should be allowed?
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Well?
Speaker 4 (33:46):
I like it.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
I think there's a real maturity here in the sense
that super rugby starts in mid February. As most of
us know here in New Zealand, almost all weddings are
held during the summer or late autumn. And by my understanding,
you know, Brandon, you know this, This was in the
diary a long time ago. They planned for the and
(34:09):
as you say, Elliott, there is a wider discussion that
we had here as to whether Brandon in or is
cracking the twenty three for the Crusaders week and week out.
My understanding is there is another another example of this coming.
I'm not going to go into the full detail, but
we'll just wait to see. I haven't quite heard back
from a source there, but I understand there's another player
that's requested to take a game off soon to attend
(34:31):
a wedding.
Speaker 4 (34:32):
I just like it.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
From a maturity standpoint, we don't bat an eyelid when
there's paternity leave with Damien McKinsey, coma or breathment leave.
These by you know, by designer usually what once in
a lifetime events.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
I want to get your hope.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Certainly that's the intention when you when you put the ring,
you hand the rings over, So look, look, I respect it.
I do think however, it is a talking point, and
then we'll probably be members of our audience that go,
you know, these guys only play fifteen games a year,
you know, get your priorities, right.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
Yeah. I think it's interesting, isn't it. I think it's
easier if you get if it's saying all black and
Brandon Newill wouldn't fall under this. But maybe you can
combine it with a week of all blacks rest that Okay,
we will let you go to the wedding, but this
is going to be your all blacks rest week as well.
So maybe you can sort of two birds one stone
this scenario and allow them off there. It'll be interesting
(35:28):
to see whether that situation comes to pass. As you mentioned,
I seem to to call Chris Wood leaving an OEFC
Nations Cup for the All Whites because his sister had
a wedding the week or was getting married that weekend,
so he played through the round robin then missed the final.
What do you think his players think when they get
the sort of invitations from whether it's a family or
(35:49):
friends or whatever, and go, yep, we've set the wedding
for twenty eight to February, and you go super rugby
has started mid February for eons. I mean, you know,
weddings can't revolve around one of the guests. You just
must wanted and go oh, I couldn't have put this
two weeks prior and miss a bit of preseason.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Maybe well, look, great friend Adam Cooper is getting married
next Saturday. I'm having a miss the Crusaders Islanders broadcast.
I think a few of us are going to be
caught up at the festivities there and having a miss
work commitment. So look, it happens in all workplaces. You know,
you've got to prioritize where you can, so I'm sure
these rugby players it is an ideal. But as I stress,
(36:28):
you know, outside of the odd winter not winter Wonderland wedding,
but winter wedding, it's seldom that a wedding in New
Zealand isn't held on a Saturday sometime between sort of
January and March, which must be troublesome for our rugby
players and cricketers and the.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
Like out there being go yeah, look we're going to
be out all unit pretty much next weekend for that wedding,
so yeah, we haven't probably got a leg to stand
on when it comes to that discussion to me to
be entirely honest, because the Ins and Me sport department
and New Talk Zby Sport department is going to be
very barren that weekend, right, MVP Voting time will bring
you the tally next week and Chicken we were at
(37:06):
after round four. But I'm intrigued to see where you
go with this, Mules first and foremost, in fact, do
you want to give me your votes first?
Speaker 4 (37:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Sure, Well, now I know the rules around New Zealand players. Look,
you know, call me one eye because I'm the Crusaders commentator.
I just thought the way that the Crusaders responded under
least external pressure, I've gone with three Crusaders, So I thought,
Christian Leo Willie again, we just can't sneeze it scoring
hat trick of tries as number eight. But I think
(37:37):
it was his body of work as well and his
willingness to get as many carries and dominated the collision.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
So he gets my three.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
No surprise if you were listening to the early part
of the podcast and I was waxing lyrical about Schaffee
Hackey and his ability in the air, he gets my two.
I thought he was a difference maker on Saturday, and
I think I know where in March, but we need
to stop sort of being a little bit you know, pulling,
you know, not not comedic around the way that we
you know, especially on this podcast and our host that
(38:06):
I'm filling the chair of thanks to shave Fiki shouldn't
be anywhere near an.
Speaker 4 (38:09):
All black squad.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
You could be sorry, you go.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
I was just going to say, I think the way
the laws are, the way that the kicking he's he's
a classy plan and I think he deserves to be
in the discussion. So he gets my two and I'm
going to go Tahakimina for my one. I thought, very controlled,
very assured, and yeah, what a sort of personal moment
for him. You know, Hamilton Boys a lot of family
(38:34):
and friends there against the team he would have had
aspirations are playing for, and he piles on some misery.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
So one fatar I didn't know a hothem and him
go to school together as well, So it was the
two Hamilton boys just tearing up Rugby Park or if
himg Stadium on the weekend.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
Yeah, Taylor Cahill as well, a year at Hamilton Boys
there's a few that have made their way down, you know,
good talent identification.
Speaker 4 (38:59):
Should we just say.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
Absolutely, just just on completely agree And I think the
way the international rugby's played now, it's time to be
a little pragmatter. I'm not saying you should be the
All Black starter every week, but that body type, he's
got the pace, the kicking and the aerial game that
he's got in terms of his kick receipts, I think
is a prototype that is very very hard to find
an international rugby and there should be a serious conversation
(39:21):
around him. So look, I think he's made every post
to winner on the weekend. I we'd love to see
that form continue and put himself right in the conversation
for the All Blacks. My three two ones, i've gone
very similar. After your Crusaders sweep, I haven't got a
full Crusaders sweep. We've gone halfway. Three to Christian Leo
Willie excellent performance and out sean some of his fellow
(39:41):
All Blacks loose forwards. Two to Caleb Clark and the
losing Blues performance. I thought he was very very good
and one of their true sparks, along as I probably
Aj Lamb and one goes the way of Tahakimada, I thought,
a very assured performance as I mentioned before, and one
that we've been waiting to see from him. So three
two ones are going the way of those men, but
six points overall going the way of Christian Leo Willie today, Bill,
(40:06):
thank you very much for your time once again. Might
see your Thursday. As I said, keep the phone on.
Who's to know with the Liam I assume he will
come back at some point, otherwise it might just be
us tour on Rugby Direct henceforth.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
Good Man Elliott.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
Always a pleasure and I do look forward to the
day of going back for being a listener rather than
a host.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
But yeah, can't complain. It's always good to chew the fact.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
Thanks you allways, and thanks to Mark Kelly as well
for his ex book production on this episode, and thanks
to having hell Physio book Today and stay in the game.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
For more from News Talks B listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.
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