March 22, 2026 • 36 mins
On this week’s episode of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Nick Bewley discuss how the cream is rising to the top of Super Rugby Pacific.
With two months still to play, they debate whether any teams outside the top six can mount a genuine challenge, before reviewing all the action from Round Six.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks at B.
Follow this and our Wide Ranger podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Straight down the middle.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Of truck this guy.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Try get inside the game from every end goal. It's
Rugby Direct with Elliot Smith and Liam Napier powered by
News Talks B.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Welcome into Rugby Direct powered by Habit Health Physio book
today and stay in the game back for another week,
two episodes a week now, of course of Rugby Direct.
My name is Elliott Smith and someone that maybe needs
to go to Habit Health. Maybe not the physio necessarily,
although he has broken his wrist, but he's under the weather.
This week is Liam Napier, so joining me once again.
Welcome in, Nick Buley Bills, thanks for your time on
(01:01):
that Rugby Direct.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Happy to be first cab off the rank here. It's
been a pretty bad run, hasn't it for Liam? What
are we round six? But all the best to our
favorite Cane train fan. Fan. Are we calling a fan? Well?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
I think we are.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I think he's fully on the bandwag and forget any
sort of impartiality. He's right in the fan. And look,
you know, this week we'll try and not make it
as Crusader's focus, but I think it would have been
more Hurricanes focused if Liam was indeed here, Let's rip
into the weekend. That was round six in the books
for Super Rugby Bules and the Blues beating the war
(01:38):
Tars thirty five twenty to round out the round on
Saturday night. This was a really good performance I thought
from the Blues game that was slipping away from them.
You felt maybe just after halftime when the Waratars had
extended their lead out to twenty points to eight, but
what I really liked from the Blues was there was
no real panic at that point. They basically stuck to
(02:01):
their script. They continued their game plan trusted it would work,
and I know that's a bit of a cliche, but
they just stuck to the process and believed that they
were going to write the ship and as soon as
they got one back through Cody Vais, it felt like
they had fully swung the momentum and they weren't even
chasing the game at that point. I thought, you know,
the schooline doesn't tell the full story there, but I
thought it was a pretty assured performance from the Blues,
(02:23):
especially the last half hour of that contest.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
I totally agree. Yeah, what is that in the end
twenty seven unanswered points? I think four tries thrown in there.
They really just kicked into gear as you say, after
that VI try. I thought aj Lamb was particularly strong
and they got some real spark off the bench through
Tofa Funaki at half back. I thought Boden Barrett pulled
the strings as he always does, and as you say,
(02:49):
it was an assured performance, no panic and commanding. Pretty
concerning for the Warratar's side. They came out with a
hiss and a row. What's that? Three or maybe four
losses in a row now, But there is some really
encouraging signs there for the Blues. They'll be a little
bit miffed as to their starts, and I know they're
a little bit scrappy from a starting perspective against Mawana
(03:11):
as well, so they want to sure that up. But
signs of encouragement there for ern Cotta's side, and then
you look ahead at their drawer. They take on the
drawer back at Eden Park, a team that we all
know don't travel well. And then part of this Easter
weekend by round, which we're going to get into shortly
then the Hurricanes down in Wellington that will be a
real litmus test. But no, I thought a place where
(03:34):
it can be tricky, Sydney. The Warrataza is the one
place that they really tend to lift and get up for.
In a game that was slipping away, they really turned
it on in that last half hour.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
They did indeed, and they did it without Golden Popolti
who went off at halftime as well. They had to
reshuffle their pack a little bit as a result. Tory
in Barns comes on. Look he's having a storming start
to the Super Rugby season. It was in the wider
training group now is a Blues regularly came off the
bench and had a full forty minutes performance. You know,
(04:05):
he threw everything out. I think he had about eleven
twelve runs in the end good the last try. But
players like him are just slotting into roles really nicely
for the Blues. They play little system sort of style
of rugby union. I think that the strength of Barnes
is that he has slotted in, found a real niche
and he looks like a really promising player. You've seen
a bit of him down you know in christ Church
(04:26):
with Canterbury and the NBC hasn't had too many chances there,
but he looks like a real comer for the Blues
over the next few seasons. And last week they just
resigned him for a couple more.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah, I was just going to say they made the
core early and rightly so to promote him through to
a full squad contract for twenty seven and twenty eight. Look,
I must admit smothe, you know, watching him sparingly for Canterburen,
you'd get the odd game, the odd start at six
or eight, but primarily off the bench. I thought, look,
you know, you look at the cattle that the Crusaders
(04:57):
have in the loose forward department. You look at them
going out and getting an Oli Mathis, which is a
totally different type of loose forward. But you could kind
of understand what the Crusaders were thinking in terms of that.
They would have been to keep Tory and Barnes, but
they were happy to sort of, you know, spin their luck,
if you like, in the draft system late last year
with these wider training group contracts. But the Blues have
(05:18):
found a gym that whatever he's done over the preseason,
he looks like he's bulked up, but he is fully yeah,
buying into the way the Blues are playing. He's got
that ability to range out in the wider channels and
equally as effective in tight so no one to follow.
The Torian buds has been one of the stories of
the season.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Yeah, here's indeed Dan. Look, I just want to give
a shout out to to aj Lambon and look, maybe
he comes into it a bit later on when we
give out our three two ones, but he's going overseas
after the season. But to me, it feels like he's
played all blacks fifteen rugby, never really had a look
in at the top level, but that try he's scored
just the power that he's able to use, but also
(05:59):
that the speed that he's got. He's so powerful, and
I just don't know that he even got a proper
looking at test level. And I believe we may be
letting a bit of a gym go in aj Lamb
at the end of the season. You know, he's versatile,
he's played wing, he can play both positions in midfield.
You know, strong bench option as well, given the play
(06:20):
places that he can cover in a back line. But
I think he beat six to seven defenders on the
weekend and a few of those would have been in
that one tribe, but just a really outstanding player that
maybe just didn't get the look and he deserved it
at the top table.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
I agree, and look, I think his best position as center.
And unfortunately for aj Lamb, you know, he had Rico
Juanna ahead of him for several seasons. He's now really
getting a chance to show how impactful he can be,
particularly in terms of that physicalness, the ball carrying. Yeah,
and there's a litany of players in there around that
sort of twenty six twenty seven year old age bracket
(06:56):
who are heading overseas at the end of the season
who you feel like New Zealand Rugby didn't quite tap
into sort of or get the full potential out of,
and a J Lamb would have to be near the
top of that list.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
They would.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Indeed, Let's move for the backwards through fr Saturday night
and the Crusaders fifty Mauana Pacific at twenty one if Miwana,
if games of rugby were forty minutes, Mowana would be
pretty dangerous. But as it happens, there are eighty minutes
and the Crusaders just too good after halftime too clinical.
They weren't great for patches of that first forty minutes Bules,
(07:27):
but I thought they were asshured after the break. And
you know, this is a Crusaders team down on a
few players, obviously with injuries. Cody Taylor wasn't there on
the weekend. They had to go down to their fourth
choice ten. But a good performance, perhaps not great from
the Crusaders, but when you can turn that on the
second forty you know you're not doing too bad.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Yeah. Look, we'll move on quickly here because apparently the
Rugby Direct listeners don't want to hear the Crusaders commentator
and a proud Cantabrian talk about the Crusaders. But look,
I totally agree. I thought it was pretty clunky first
half and without some of those regulars, it wasn't that flash.
And look, the Crusaders are trying to force things. I
think that the games against Mowana you kind of lean
into that, perhaps a little bit too much and try
(08:09):
too hard. But then we saw when the like said
Lester Fining, a nook who came off the bench, ow
impactful he could be. And another shout out to I
know I'm probably a flaw investor when it comes to
Shay Fee Harckey, but I thought he was superb stepped
up as a goalkicker, scored a couple of tries, showed
how good he is in the air with that cross
field kick from Cooper Grant. His stocks arising as far
(08:29):
as I'm concerned. So look the Crusaders. They go into
the by first time they've won back to back, so
they'll be happy, but knowing that bigger tests are to come.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
I completely agree about fee hockey and I've banged the
strum for a couple of years. But the way that
Tess rugby is being played at the moment, your skill
set is so important around the aerial game. He may
not have the odd and out pace of others, you know,
he may not have the ability to beat defenders, but
what he does have is that aerial skill, and he's
pretty good at the other two facets of play as well.
(08:57):
I think he's a pretty good defensive reader. He can
fall off the odd tackle, but most wing is susceptible
to doing that. But I just think you've got to
be a little bit pragmatic around what the strengths are
and then you throw on his goal kicking massive boot
on him. Handy in that facet, I think he's well
worthy of a look for for Dave Rnnie and co.
This year.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
I totally agree. No, you're preaching to the converted already here, Elliott.
I think he's the full package. I know they've got
big tickets on him here down in Crusaders countries. Obviously
from came through the Auckland rugby system, but another that's
just resigned and put pens of paper. I think another
two years on his deal, so I think that we're
still going to see the best at Schaeffe Hockey, certainly
(09:35):
in a Crusaders jersey, and time will to out to
see if he'll get a black one as well.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Absolutely. Let's move back to the Friday Games and the
Brumbies beating the Chiefs thirty three twenty four. If you
switched the TV off at twenty four to seven and
thought that's a chance for an early night here, the
Chiefs are going to kick on with this one. Will
you missed a quite manut a half hour of rugby
as the Brumby stormed back and won that contest in
(10:01):
remarkable fashion. James Slipper breaking the record slips out for slipper,
I think was the catch cry last week, Well like
they're going to have a pretty poor night until about
the sixty minute mark when they roared back into life.
Lonigan with a try Charlie Cale who has been so
good this year, and Meredith gets another that all of
a sudden they're in front, and just a remarkable turnative events.
(10:25):
And then right at the end the Chiefs with a
chance to win it and Corey tool goes and Burgles
try down the other end and make sure they don't
even get a bonus point out of it. What did
you make of that contest?
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Yeah? I uppeoseally from a Chief's perspective, first being twenty
four to seven in front with an hour to go,
even on the road at a tricky place to go
like Canberra, that those are the sort of ones that
you've got to put away. And I don't quite know
what it was, whether it was they thought that they
had the game done and they just switched off for
you know, ever so slightly. You can't afford to switch
off in this competition, particularly against a team like the Brumbi.
(11:00):
So we know, as we cast our minds back to
was it round two when the Brumbies put fifty on
the Crusaders. They do finish very well, and I just
thought some of the leaders there and the Chiefs, there
were a couple of moments there, of course, after those
trials were scored, with you just I'm sure these conversations
are happening. You know, let's get back to basics, let's
get back to what we have done well in that
first hour. But it just they couldn't turn the tap
(11:22):
off once the Brumbies got going. The disappointing factor for mine,
as you sort of alluded to there, Elliott, the Chiefs
had the opportunity to steal the game or win it
back twice. Damien McKenzie missing a seventy seventh minute penalty
from what about thirty five meters outright in front, that's disappointing.
But not only that's you know, where was the cool
(11:42):
heads And that seventy ninth minute mark, you know they're
a meter away from breaching the Brumbies defense. It got
a bit how to scouter. All of a sudden, Simon
Parker's got his head over the ball. Where's Xavier row
marshaling the troops? And he sort of fumbled and bumbled
it and Corey Till sort of, you know, just seizes
on the opportunity from the Parker pass off the grass
to run what ninety eight meters intercepted and deny the
(12:05):
Chiefs bonus point as well. I think, yeah, John O
Gibbs that that flight to Perth. I heard them with
Jason Pine on Weekend in Sport yesterday on news Talks,
he'd be it'll be a long flight to Perth. They'll
be not necessarily soul searching, but one that got away.
And I know we're going to talk about the playoff
picture as things stand a little bit later in the podcast,
but these are the sort of results or going away
(12:26):
from something like that empty handed when you're up by seventeen,
it really isn't excusable.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Absolutely, and I think home advantage in the playoffs is
so crucial. We saw that last year. You know, the
Chiefs had home advantage and the Blues were able to
sweep through and win that game, but they didn't have
home advantage for the next two weeks as a result,
and that probably threw away their chance of winning the
Super Rugby title. They had to go to christ Jurch.
So the high you are on the ladder the better
it is at the end of the season. I think
(12:51):
that's where the Brumbies have sort of folded in the
last couple of years. That've been very, very good, but
they've dropped the odd game away from home in the
regular season that maybe they should have won, and that
has moved them down the ladder a little bit. Games
like this, when they've sawn back and managed to win,
we'll get them in the right positions towards at the
end of the season. I'm not sure about that game
(13:12):
management at the end from the Chiefs. I thought it
was Look, you could probably argue that a drop goal,
if you miss it, it's a low percentage play, you're
better off a retaining position. But they were so close
to the line that surely you should be able to
put Damien McKenzie into the pocket on the twenty two
in front enough protection there to either give yourself the
option of the drop goal or drawing the defenders so
that you can create something else. I just thought it
(13:33):
was a really poor passage of leadership and game management
from the Chiefs to close out that game. Drop goal
would have won it. They went for the five point truck.
Can understand it. They'll bang on the line a little bit,
but three is as good as five. In that situation,
I would have gone for the drop goal.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, we just don't see it, do we. In this
part of the world. There's just a real lack of
confidence and going for it. It's, for whatever reason, just
considered a low percentage play, perhaps because it's just it's
never really tried. But I think you look at the
English Premiership or Top fourteen and six nations, they're popping
drop goals most weekends. So yeah, that's a very good point.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
And to start the round, what a performance from the Hurricanes.
Fifty points to seven to beat the Highlanders behinds drew
first blood through jkb Rotami Tavuki Nepkins and that was
their night done. From a scoring perspective, the Hurricanes just
very very good, very assured. I know what my co
host be saying. The cane train is beginning to really
(14:31):
hit its straps at this point of the season. First Darby,
that was the question mark over them, while they took
that first box. Just a clinical, dominant performance from a
team that looks like and knows the way it wants
to play this season. We've seen Hurricanes teams in the
past perhaps be a little too flashy. Well, to me,
I thought on Friday night, they especially in the first
(14:53):
forty they played a little bit like a rugby league team.
And what I mean by that is that they knew
where they wanted to be in a couple of phases time.
They just plotted their way around the park. And you
think about the Great Storm teams where Cameron Smith was
direct can play out of hooker and Dammi half and
he'd know where they wanted to be in two sets time,
(15:14):
and then Cooper Kronk would trust that, and it felt
like the Hurricanes zero say, we're just playing that start
of play on the front foot rugby moving up the
field knowing where they were going to be, and the
holand has had no answer to try and stop it.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Yeah, it's a very good point. And the one thing
I was going to add, which was sort of similar
to that around that league pattern is there's no fixation
on the first five having to be at first receiver
or Jordi Barrett having to be at the second man
to touch the ball because he's wearing the twelve jersey.
You know Barrett will jump in there at ten and
then it'll be love out the back, or it can
(15:48):
be Billy Procter or Callum Hark can sweep or you
know even cam Royguard can step in there in the
first five position. They're also skillful there with their ball
distribution that it doesn't really matter. But as you say,
it almost felt like a glorified training run there at
some stages there for the Hurricanes. The way that they
were able to sweep the ball from one side of
(16:08):
the field to the other while making ground and I
suppose to knock on the canes as you say, Eliot,
and the past has been too flashy. But the way
that they're pack fronted as well, and they're so physical
with their ball carrying. I mean, just look at the
way that Devin Flanders just bulldoze his way to the
line to finish off that special team try early in
the second half. Guy's like Peter Larkey, I thought that
the scrum was dominant again as well as is still
(16:29):
without Tyrrel Lomax. That there's a lot to like about
this Hurricanes team and the way they performing. They've got depths,
as you say, it was that first New Zealand Derby.
There'll be tough at Derby's to come just having a
quick lockdown their list and I know they've got the
Reds next, but then it's Blues and Chiefs. So again
(16:50):
I want to reserve a little bit of judgment for
the Canes, but you can only play what's in front
of you. The way that they're going about their work,
they racked up one thy and twenty one carry meters.
It was just totally and utterly dominant. I thought Cameroy
guard was superb. I thought Reuben Love was superb. Yeah,
there's a lot to like, but not if you're a
Highland Is fan.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
No, let's stick into it to Ruben Love at ten.
There's been cries for him to get more game time
at ten. He got a little bit last year, but
that was in the back end of the season after
he come back from injury for the Hurricanes. Didn't really
get a looking at test level last year. But I thought,
you know, again, they weren't up to much the Highlanders
and he could only play what was in front of them.
(17:30):
But I just thought that's a performance that there's a
lot to like about from Ruben Love. Perhaps needs to
work on the game management a little bit, but again,
those tougher tests will come in those games that you
mentioned in the weeks that will follow, But that has
to be the nineteen option for the Hurricanes the rest
of the season. I know they've been short of a
couple of players and you know Harkens slotted in at ten,
(17:51):
but if you know, I think they've just got to
keep rolling that out because it's a very very dangerous
combo and with an at all Blacks level, you know,
accommodations are important at super level as you're flow into
the test side too.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Oh, I certainly are then the more reps that that
little triumphant with Roy Gyard, Love and Barrett can get
at super Abia level. That's only going to put their
cases forward for Dave, Rennie and Cove towards the back
end of the season. As you said, I think that
was the perfect game for Ruben Love in terms of
its openness, its expansiveness. The real tests for him will
(18:24):
be on those cooler nights when the winds rarely picking
up in Wellington and he has to game manage a
little bit more in perhaps with a Ford pack that
isn't going as going forward as often. So look, I'm
very encouraged. I've been one who's been waiting to see
Ruben Love play a lot more at ten through circumstance
to a degree, we're going to see a bit more
of it now, but it was a very exciting watch
(18:48):
to just see how good he could be, particularly with
ball in hand.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Absolutely one of the Highlanders, i mean, fired one shot
right at the start, didn't really fire another one for
the entire eighty minutes. They look like a team down
on confidence. They're certainly down on a few numbers. They've
got a few issues at Locke, Recha and Passeitor at
team not sure he's the answer, but they just don't
(19:11):
seem like a team that has any confidence about them
at this point of the season.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Yeah, and the point about Passi Tai, I think last
time I stepped into this podcast, we were talking about
cam Miller not being the answer either in terms of
his creativity at ten. So you feel for JB, Joseph
and Cobe because you just look at the cattle that
they have and this has been an ongoing issue with
the Highlanders in terms of their recruitment, and you can
pare that up against the Crusaders of Hurricanes, the Chiefs
(19:36):
and the Blues and it's just it's not the same.
So what they did so well in twenty fifteen way
back when is they got the absolute best out of
the players.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
That they had.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
But I just feel for them because I don't really
know what the answer is. That they might scrap away
and try and sneak into the six, but I can't
see it at this point in time. And yeah, as
I said a lot a wee while ago, now, just
the losses of Farby and Holland, and I know he
hasn't played a super baki game of the loss adl
and pledge you too. It's verging on terminal now. And
(20:11):
now that we're at round six.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
And let's take quick break, come back with the final
four after this time, Now for the final four on
Rugby Direct, friend of the podcast Steve Lenthal had a
message and suggested that one of the final four topics
be what was the better fifty point win on the
weekend Hurricanes or Crusaders. Maybe we'll just leave that one
(20:33):
and Lim can answer that when he gets back to
the podcast at some point. But the actual final four,
Jason Holland announced on Saturday, Alien actually broke this story
appointed as the Blues coach from twenty twenty seven. Of course,
former Hurricanes head coach. They went to the All Blacks
as a strike play coach and assistant backs coach. Didn't
work out. He wasn't going to be part of the
setup even before Scott Robertson got sacked, went back to
(20:56):
the Hurricanes as an assistant in the season, and now
he lands the top job at the Blues. He surprised
by this, Bills.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
No, I'm not surprised. It seemed pretty obvious to me
that when Jason hyle And left the All Blacks coaching
mix late last year he was pretty keen to get
back into a head coaching gig, and in fact, sort
of throughout the Scott Robertson tenure, with Jason Holland and
and Leo McDonald coming in having been head coaches at
Super Aby level, that was always perhaps the concern or
(21:27):
the query as to how these guys would go slotting
back in as assistants. So I always thought it was
going to be a temporary measure for Jason Holland once
he landed back at the Hurricanes. I suppose that you
could say a little bit surprised that he's landed in
another New Zealand Super franchise and rather than hitting overseas.
But as he pointed out to Jason Pine on News
Talks here Be yesterday, it was an opportunity too good
to turn down for me. It'll be interesting. I was
(21:50):
supposed Smithy to see how much he wants to bring
in his style versus the Vern cot away. And I
know you'll have some thoughts on this as well as
the Blues play by player commentator. But as we know
about the Blues, you know, particularly in year one when
they won the title under Vern, it was no free,
abrasive sort of buying aga into that Kluemont style and
(22:13):
being very direct. Jason Holland, as you outline being that
skills specialist for the All Blacks coach or strike play specialist,
you know, I suspect he'll be looking at a bit
more of an expansive style of play. And I suppose
secondary to that too, coming in in a World Cup
year when it's tricky for Super Ugby coaches, they'll know
they'll be told from the top down. Look, this is
(22:35):
how you have to manage Bowden, Barrett, this is how
you have to manage your other All Black scattle, Patrick
Tupelo two and the likes what with the Jason Hollands
in a bit of a holding pattern in year one
in twenty twenty seven and then can rarely go full
steam ahead from twenty twenty eight.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
Well, I think he won't want to throw the baby
out with the bath water. The Blue has done some
good things in the last couple of years. One that's
needed in the title. Last year they sort of caught
fire a bit too late in the season and maybe
could have even gone a bit further After that, went
over the Chiefs and the knockouts and went close to
beating the Crusaders in christ Church in the semi final round.
So he won't want to throw away too much. But
(23:10):
I think he's also going to have to adapt next
year because he's coming into a team that will be
missing Dalton Papaletti who's going overseas, a Joe Lamb who's
going overseas. I'm trying to think there's any o other
ones from the Blues that'll be departing, but there's certainly
a couple of players there that he's going to have
to replace. He's obviously got touring in Barns into a
bigger role next year, as we've touched on earlier in
(23:31):
the podcast, Boden Barrett maybe gets one more year out
of him next year, but probably won't resign beyond twenty
twenty seven. You wouldn't have thought New Zealand Rugby, So
nixt year is going to be, as you say, very
very interesting, and it may be that he's sort of
plodding towards twenty twenty eight in terms of recruitment and
where the certain players are going to be in certain positions.
By that engineer Peyton Spencer. We saw a glimpse of
(23:53):
him on the weekend. He will no doubt play a
bigger role over the next couple of years Arico Simpson
and there are others coming through the under twenty setup.
So yeah, twenty twenty seven Loombs is a sad, a
bit of a holding pattern. Yet I'm sure the Blues
won't see it as that and won't go in with
that mentality. But given the changes that have been made
to their personnel and as you say that they're looming
thing of the World Cup, it's going to be interesting
(24:15):
to see how he manages that. So we wait and
see top number two in the final four. Do we
have our top six already in Super Rugby Hurricane, not
in this order necessarily, but in the top six currently Hurricanes, Blues, Brumb's, Reds, Crusaders,
Chiefs on the outside looking in the Wartars three points
behind the Chiefs, then the Highlanders, the Drewer, Force and
Moana Pacifica. Can you see anyone from outside that top
(24:38):
six after six rounds Bulls moving their way into that
top six?
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Oh this is a bit grim to say after that context,
isn't it. But yes is my answer, which is a
bit of a shame. And look, there will be some
jeopardy on the order, which is exciting for the fan.
But as you outline there Waratars, Highlanders, Drewer, Force and Mowana,
I think you've put a line through the Drewer, the
Force and Moana the Wartars too. Is if they can
(25:07):
just sort this shit out a little bit. I mean,
I know that they're without Joseph Suli. They started with
two wins, what they had three losses and a bye
since they do have the Highlanders and the Force twice
the back end of their season. But then you look
at the quality of the top six and who of
them is falling out? I was impressed by the Reds
(25:28):
as well. We didn't get to the Reds drawer, but
that's a really tough place to go and win. So
they're four from five, they've had a buy I think
the Brumbies will be there as well, and those four
New Zealand anyways, so do you disagree.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Well, I don't disagree. It's this here. I can really
only see the war Retahs coming through out of that lot.
And the question mark I would have is funny enough
with the Crusaders, they've got the drawer after the buye
on Good Friday, then they're away to the Reds in
the Force. Now they should probably win both of those,
(26:03):
but the Reds are tricky and Brisbane and the Force
hasn't always been a happy hunting ground for the Crusaders.
But again, by good enough to win both of those
games and to come home launch the new stadium against
the Waratas. Should win that. But then they finished and
I know they've got to buy in the middle of it,
but they've got four Derby's in a row to finish.
And look, I'm not saying they won't there and look
there was some promising signs on Saturday night, but I
(26:24):
just I think that that schedules really difficult to end
the season Hurricanes away, Blues at home. Then they have
the buy, then they've got the Chiefs at home and
the Hurricanes at home. Now they've front loaded the games
and so they can have a run at the new
stadium and then it'll be fantastic. But that's a lot
of you know, last four games, you know, depending on
(26:44):
how much they need out of it. I just think
there's a question mark there.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
No, I totally agree. And look that they've known obviously,
they've had this draw out for some time around the
back end of their drawer and how tricky it is
and how they've played a part in that because they
wanted the big fixtures to be in one in Zied
Stadium to Kaha. So it's a very good point. And look,
they have been clunky these first six weeks, so I
(27:09):
suspect there will be there. But yeah, no, you make
a very very compelling case that they might be the
ones to fall out.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Easter Weekend next week. In you raised the point to
me this morning. It's only three games on Easter Weekend,
the Crusaders against the drawer and the last dance at
a Polo Project stadium. On Good Friday. We're all looking
forward to that Chicks warret seven oh five on Saturday,
and then the Reds Force only three games. It surprises
me a little bit. Last year I think they had
a full slate and a couple of times last year
(27:37):
I think I had a four game weekend, so there
were more teams with the buy, but didn't quite realize
there's only three games. Do you reckon it's crowded down
to crowd figures or just a I guess a good
opportunity to give teams a buy. At the midway ish
point of the season.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
I was listening to a little radio show called The
Mike Costing Breakfast this morning. You might have heard of it, Yeah,
and Andrew several and the commentary box mentioned three games,
and I just I just couldn't believe it. I I'd
to go check and look, there is situation or last
year where they'll have four game rounds or this is
obviously you know, it's awkward having eleven teams, so I
(28:14):
get that, but just to have just to have the
three and look, I know in the past and particularly
here in christ Church, I think where they can I
know they've got one on Good Friday, that last game
at Apollo against the drib But where they can, they
do request to not play Easter weekend, a lot of
people clear out from christ Church and go to Kai
Tidy or Hanmer or Akrol wherever. So But then I
(28:35):
look at it on the other side of the Code
Battle if you like, or the Battle for Eyeballs, and look,
it's a seventeen team competition in the NRL, but there's
a full slate of eight fixtures, the first ones on Thursday,
the last ones on Monday, so that there feels like
an audience there that is willing to engage, certainly at
least at a broadcast standpoint. So I do find three
(28:57):
a little curious, to say the least, and perhaps something
that needs a little bit more examination.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
Yeah, it does seem a little bit odd, but I'm
with you. I know the Blues struggle to get crowds.
I think at an Easter game a couple of years
ago maybe, and it didn't work out well. And there's
all sorts of licensing rules around booze and various things
around those days as well, and how much booze or
any booze you can sell, and that obviously hits the
vendors as well, So there's little things like that that
(29:24):
play into it. But does seem very very quiet for
a weekend where a lot of the shops aren't open.
You've sort of got a little bit of a captive market.
At least, as you say, from a broadcast perspective, options
are limited in terms of entertainment. You think you might
make it the most of that, but I'm sure there
are compelling reasons behind closed doors as to why that
is not the case. Topic four in the Final four
(29:46):
Blackfood squad for Pacific four has been named. Plenty of
new faces that Whitney Hansen is named in her first squad.
I think she's got eight potential debutantes in all, but
I guess, as always, it's about the omissions and the
players that aren't the air and that the names that
stand out are pretty big ones as well that have
been regular faces for the And I don't know the
(30:09):
full story behind some of them, but Ilitana Ohio was
part of that World Cup squad last year. She's not there.
Just the two half backs that Winnie Hansen has gone with, Taraturner,
who was very impressive last year for the Blues, gets
her opportunity. So look, start of World Cup cycle bules
a bit of a changing of the guard, but there
are some familiar faces the as well among those players
that are missing.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Yes, certainly familiar. It's not baby out with the bathwater,
is it, from the transition from the Alan Bunting era
to the Whitney Hanson era. But of course there was
always going to be some gaps to fill, and this
primarily with the Pack four series being in April and
the World seven series still being ongoing or entering the
what is it called the World Championship phase or whatever
they've coined it this year, So no no Braxton, Sirens
(30:52):
and McGee, no Stacy Waka, no reci pory Laye, no
Georgia Miller, so there was always going to be gaps
in of course the retirement of Portia Woodman Wickliffe as well.
So an opportunity, as you say, for some of the
impressed at OPEKI level or even FBC level to stake
a little bit of acclaim while others are absent for
various reasons. And the one bit actually that caught my
(31:12):
attention Smithie and I may have missed this, but obviously
on the all black side there's been all this debate
or discussion with a new coaching regime. Where does that
leave Scott Barrett in his future as all Blacks captain,
same co captaincy model, at least for the pack four
from the World Cups. I saw that listed this morning
(31:35):
with Kennedy to Kwafer and Rueje Demant, and look, maybe
that's because there isn't as many other compelling leadership options elsewhere,
but obviously Whitney Hansen has full faith in those two
to lead from the front.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
Yeah, I think there's a little bit of a leadership Voard.
I think in this squad. And look, these these two
captains have done it for it for a number of
seasons now in head Demant's a World Player of the
Year at a certain pointer on the back of that
World Cup win in twenty twenty. So it doesn't feel
like there's a lot of emerging leaders in the squads.
My Kabaklani Ruz strikes me as a future Black Fans captain.
(32:14):
She did it for a Test a couple of years
ago when there are a few injuries and players rested,
et cetera. But doesn't necessarily strike me as you know,
there are a lot of options to choose from, So
I think the status quo keeping there makes a lot
of sense compared to the Black Funds sevens team. And
Darre say that most of the players in the park
and natural leaders in their own way. You can make
them the captain and they'd lead. There. Just a whole
(32:36):
lot of leaders out in the park. You know, Georgia
Miller feels like she's been run forever. She's still what
twenty two maybe twenty three, she's vice captain of that team.
They are stacked with all leaders across the park. That
doesn't seem to have translated to the fifteens necessarily. So
I think that's a job for Whitney Hansen and the
coaching staff to do, is to bring through the next
(32:57):
generation of leaders, because I don't think there are too
many other compelling options at this point in time for
the Black Funds, especially as the head to the World Cup.
You know, you'd think demand will be there for the
next tournament in twenty nine, but is suily a given
to KWAFU the same thing. So if there is to
be a change, you know, who are the options that
Whitney Hansen can go to. So that's a pretty fascinating
question over the next few years as she takes a
(33:19):
full helm of this team. Let's take a look at
the MVP voting for the weekend that was. This was
a tough round to dish out some MVP votes in
the end. Look, I went for Roy Guard for three.
I thought he was just so good. Look, I could
have gone probably Rubend Love, maybe ifinny ung An all
four for three, But I just decided that he was
(33:39):
so good, you know that that quick thinking tap for
the try, you know, so good across the park. I
thought he was really really good over the course of
the day. A j Lamb gets my two points. We
touched on him earlier. I thought he was outstanding. Flincher
New York gets one for me as well. If he
didn't see Saturday nights game. Not just the try he scored,
(34:01):
didn't score, but he set up basically that was remarkable.
You know, it made a break from fifty meters hour.
It was taken just before the line gets up plays
half back in the subsequent phase. One of the subsequent
phases after that could have gone himself. Off loads to
George Bell for the try. He was everywhere on the
park and got pinged for one pen Rid couldn't quite
forget that out went back in one penalties for the
(34:21):
rest of the game from scrum top. Just a really
good performance from Fletcher and Yule. What are your three
two ones bills?
Speaker 2 (34:27):
Well, funnily enough after you say that, Simili, in terms
of being a hard round, we've gone on a very
similar theme here, and I am very pleased you brought
up Fletch and Yule because he's one of the unsung
heroes down here in Crusaders country and much loved and adored.
So I gave him my one primarily based on that
run alone. That was one of the great sights seeing
a big man an open pasture like that. And similarly
(34:50):
my tours are say aj Lamb I think was super
and a real difference maker for the Blues, as we
outlined earlier in the podcast, and I was tossing up,
I had to go with a hurricane. Could it be
Roy Guard, could it be Love, could it be Finang
and off for I thought, you know, the latter was
really just on the end of the chain through all
the hard work, a little bit in field. So look,
(35:11):
I've gone with Ruben Love. I thought he was tremendous
the way he was used, in particular his crossfield kicked
to set up one of those tries. I thought it
was a very commanding performance and plenty of X Factor
moments as well. So yeah, three for Reuben Love and yeah,
let's see where that leaves him in the in the
(35:32):
standings once once you do all the tallying up, So that's.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Right, I'll throw them to the pot. See where that happens.
Of course, this is the Rebel Super Rugby MVP voting
comp where there are five teams ineligible for voting points
in terms of the Australians and the Druids. So you know,
you take out a few players and it becomes a
very very different voting tally Bulls. Thank you so much
for joining us on Rugby Direct. As always, no doubt
you'll be back, maybe very soon, we'll see, but thanks
(35:57):
as always for your your time on Rugby Direct.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
Always a pleasure. Look forward to Thursday. I keep my phone.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
Oh yeah, please do do not turn your phone off.
That is Rugby Direct powered by Habit Health book today
and stay in the game. You can get in touch
with us as well. I want your mailbag questions for
Thursday Rugby Direct at USTALKZB, dot co dot MZI thanks
to Mark Kellie. We'll see you next time.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
For more from NEWSTALKSEDB, 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 at B.
Follow this and our Wide Ranger podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Straight down the middle.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Of truck this guy.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Try get inside the game from every end goal. It's
Rugby Direct with Elliot Smith and Liam Napier powered by
News Talks B.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Welcome into Rugby Direct powered by Habit Health Physio book
today and stay in the game back for another week,
two episodes a week now, of course of Rugby Direct.
My name is Elliott Smith and someone that maybe needs
to go to Habit Health. Maybe not the physio necessarily,
although he has broken his wrist, but he's under the weather.
This week is Liam Napier, so joining me once again.
Welcome in, Nick Buley Bills, thanks for your time on
(01:01):
that Rugby Direct.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Happy to be first cab off the rank here. It's
been a pretty bad run, hasn't it for Liam? What
are we round six? But all the best to our
favorite Cane train fan. Fan. Are we calling a fan? Well?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
I think we are.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I think he's fully on the bandwag and forget any
sort of impartiality. He's right in the fan. And look,
you know, this week we'll try and not make it
as Crusader's focus, but I think it would have been
more Hurricanes focused if Liam was indeed here, Let's rip
into the weekend. That was round six in the books
for Super Rugby Bules and the Blues beating the war
(01:38):
Tars thirty five twenty to round out the round on
Saturday night. This was a really good performance I thought
from the Blues game that was slipping away from them.
You felt maybe just after halftime when the Waratars had
extended their lead out to twenty points to eight, but
what I really liked from the Blues was there was
no real panic at that point. They basically stuck to
(02:01):
their script. They continued their game plan trusted it would work,
and I know that's a bit of a cliche, but
they just stuck to the process and believed that they
were going to write the ship and as soon as
they got one back through Cody Vais, it felt like
they had fully swung the momentum and they weren't even
chasing the game at that point. I thought, you know,
the schooline doesn't tell the full story there, but I
thought it was a pretty assured performance from the Blues,
(02:23):
especially the last half hour of that contest.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
I totally agree. Yeah, what is that in the end
twenty seven unanswered points? I think four tries thrown in there.
They really just kicked into gear as you say, after
that VI try. I thought aj Lamb was particularly strong
and they got some real spark off the bench through
Tofa Funaki at half back. I thought Boden Barrett pulled
the strings as he always does, and as you say,
(02:49):
it was an assured performance, no panic and commanding. Pretty
concerning for the Warratar's side. They came out with a
hiss and a row. What's that? Three or maybe four
losses in a row now, But there is some really
encouraging signs there for the Blues. They'll be a little
bit miffed as to their starts, and I know they're
a little bit scrappy from a starting perspective against Mawana
(03:11):
as well, so they want to sure that up. But
signs of encouragement there for ern Cotta's side, and then
you look ahead at their drawer. They take on the
drawer back at Eden Park, a team that we all
know don't travel well. And then part of this Easter
weekend by round, which we're going to get into shortly
then the Hurricanes down in Wellington that will be a
real litmus test. But no, I thought a place where
(03:34):
it can be tricky, Sydney. The Warrataza is the one
place that they really tend to lift and get up for.
In a game that was slipping away, they really turned
it on in that last half hour.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
They did indeed, and they did it without Golden Popolti
who went off at halftime as well. They had to
reshuffle their pack a little bit as a result. Tory
in Barns comes on. Look he's having a storming start
to the Super Rugby season. It was in the wider
training group now is a Blues regularly came off the
bench and had a full forty minutes performance. You know,
(04:05):
he threw everything out. I think he had about eleven
twelve runs in the end good the last try. But
players like him are just slotting into roles really nicely
for the Blues. They play little system sort of style
of rugby union. I think that the strength of Barnes
is that he has slotted in, found a real niche
and he looks like a really promising player. You've seen
a bit of him down you know in christ Church
(04:26):
with Canterbury and the NBC hasn't had too many chances there,
but he looks like a real comer for the Blues
over the next few seasons. And last week they just
resigned him for a couple more.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah, I was just going to say they made the
core early and rightly so to promote him through to
a full squad contract for twenty seven and twenty eight. Look,
I must admit smothe, you know, watching him sparingly for Canterburen,
you'd get the odd game, the odd start at six
or eight, but primarily off the bench. I thought, look,
you know, you look at the cattle that the Crusaders
(04:57):
have in the loose forward department. You look at them
going out and getting an Oli Mathis, which is a
totally different type of loose forward. But you could kind
of understand what the Crusaders were thinking in terms of that.
They would have been to keep Tory and Barnes, but
they were happy to sort of, you know, spin their luck,
if you like, in the draft system late last year
with these wider training group contracts. But the Blues have
(05:18):
found a gym that whatever he's done over the preseason,
he looks like he's bulked up, but he is fully yeah,
buying into the way the Blues are playing. He's got
that ability to range out in the wider channels and
equally as effective in tight so no one to follow.
The Torian buds has been one of the stories of
the season.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Yeah, here's indeed Dan. Look, I just want to give
a shout out to to aj Lambon and look, maybe
he comes into it a bit later on when we
give out our three two ones, but he's going overseas
after the season. But to me, it feels like he's
played all blacks fifteen rugby, never really had a look
in at the top level, but that try he's scored
just the power that he's able to use, but also
(05:59):
that the speed that he's got. He's so powerful, and
I just don't know that he even got a proper
looking at test level. And I believe we may be
letting a bit of a gym go in aj Lamb
at the end of the season. You know, he's versatile,
he's played wing, he can play both positions in midfield.
You know, strong bench option as well, given the play
(06:20):
places that he can cover in a back line. But
I think he beat six to seven defenders on the
weekend and a few of those would have been in
that one tribe, but just a really outstanding player that
maybe just didn't get the look and he deserved it
at the top table.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
I agree, and look, I think his best position as center.
And unfortunately for aj Lamb, you know, he had Rico
Juanna ahead of him for several seasons. He's now really
getting a chance to show how impactful he can be,
particularly in terms of that physicalness, the ball carrying. Yeah,
and there's a litany of players in there around that
sort of twenty six twenty seven year old age bracket
(06:56):
who are heading overseas at the end of the season
who you feel like New Zealand Rugby didn't quite tap
into sort of or get the full potential out of,
and a J Lamb would have to be near the
top of that list.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
They would.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Indeed, Let's move for the backwards through fr Saturday night
and the Crusaders fifty Mauana Pacific at twenty one if Miwana,
if games of rugby were forty minutes, Mowana would be
pretty dangerous. But as it happens, there are eighty minutes
and the Crusaders just too good after halftime too clinical.
They weren't great for patches of that first forty minutes Bules,
(07:27):
but I thought they were asshured after the break. And
you know, this is a Crusaders team down on a
few players, obviously with injuries. Cody Taylor wasn't there on
the weekend. They had to go down to their fourth
choice ten. But a good performance, perhaps not great from
the Crusaders, but when you can turn that on the
second forty you know you're not doing too bad.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Yeah. Look, we'll move on quickly here because apparently the
Rugby Direct listeners don't want to hear the Crusaders commentator
and a proud Cantabrian talk about the Crusaders. But look,
I totally agree. I thought it was pretty clunky first
half and without some of those regulars, it wasn't that flash.
And look, the Crusaders are trying to force things. I
think that the games against Mowana you kind of lean
into that, perhaps a little bit too much and try
(08:09):
too hard. But then we saw when the like said
Lester Fining, a nook who came off the bench, ow
impactful he could be. And another shout out to I
know I'm probably a flaw investor when it comes to
Shay Fee Harckey, but I thought he was superb stepped
up as a goalkicker, scored a couple of tries, showed
how good he is in the air with that cross
field kick from Cooper Grant. His stocks arising as far
(08:29):
as I'm concerned. So look the Crusaders. They go into
the by first time they've won back to back, so
they'll be happy, but knowing that bigger tests are to come.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
I completely agree about fee hockey and I've banged the
strum for a couple of years. But the way that
Tess rugby is being played at the moment, your skill
set is so important around the aerial game. He may
not have the odd and out pace of others, you know,
he may not have the ability to beat defenders, but
what he does have is that aerial skill, and he's
pretty good at the other two facets of play as well.
(08:57):
I think he's a pretty good defensive reader. He can
fall off the odd tackle, but most wing is susceptible
to doing that. But I just think you've got to
be a little bit pragmatic around what the strengths are
and then you throw on his goal kicking massive boot
on him. Handy in that facet, I think he's well
worthy of a look for for Dave Rnnie and co.
This year.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
I totally agree. No, you're preaching to the converted already here, Elliott.
I think he's the full package. I know they've got
big tickets on him here down in Crusaders countries. Obviously
from came through the Auckland rugby system, but another that's
just resigned and put pens of paper. I think another
two years on his deal, so I think that we're
still going to see the best at Schaeffe Hockey, certainly
(09:35):
in a Crusaders jersey, and time will to out to
see if he'll get a black one as well.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Absolutely. Let's move back to the Friday Games and the
Brumbies beating the Chiefs thirty three twenty four. If you
switched the TV off at twenty four to seven and
thought that's a chance for an early night here, the
Chiefs are going to kick on with this one. Will
you missed a quite manut a half hour of rugby
as the Brumby stormed back and won that contest in
(10:01):
remarkable fashion. James Slipper breaking the record slips out for slipper,
I think was the catch cry last week, Well like
they're going to have a pretty poor night until about
the sixty minute mark when they roared back into life.
Lonigan with a try Charlie Cale who has been so
good this year, and Meredith gets another that all of
a sudden they're in front, and just a remarkable turnative events.
(10:25):
And then right at the end the Chiefs with a
chance to win it and Corey tool goes and Burgles
try down the other end and make sure they don't
even get a bonus point out of it. What did
you make of that contest?
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Yeah? I uppeoseally from a Chief's perspective, first being twenty
four to seven in front with an hour to go,
even on the road at a tricky place to go
like Canberra, that those are the sort of ones that
you've got to put away. And I don't quite know
what it was, whether it was they thought that they
had the game done and they just switched off for
you know, ever so slightly. You can't afford to switch
off in this competition, particularly against a team like the Brumbi.
(11:00):
So we know, as we cast our minds back to
was it round two when the Brumbies put fifty on
the Crusaders. They do finish very well, and I just
thought some of the leaders there and the Chiefs, there
were a couple of moments there, of course, after those
trials were scored, with you just I'm sure these conversations
are happening. You know, let's get back to basics, let's
get back to what we have done well in that
first hour. But it just they couldn't turn the tap
(11:22):
off once the Brumbies got going. The disappointing factor for mine,
as you sort of alluded to there, Elliott, the Chiefs
had the opportunity to steal the game or win it
back twice. Damien McKenzie missing a seventy seventh minute penalty
from what about thirty five meters outright in front, that's disappointing.
But not only that's you know, where was the cool
(11:42):
heads And that seventy ninth minute mark, you know they're
a meter away from breaching the Brumbies defense. It got
a bit how to scouter. All of a sudden, Simon
Parker's got his head over the ball. Where's Xavier row
marshaling the troops? And he sort of fumbled and bumbled
it and Corey Till sort of, you know, just seizes
on the opportunity from the Parker pass off the grass
to run what ninety eight meters intercepted and deny the
(12:05):
Chiefs bonus point as well. I think, yeah, John O
Gibbs that that flight to Perth. I heard them with
Jason Pine on Weekend in Sport yesterday on news Talks,
he'd be it'll be a long flight to Perth. They'll
be not necessarily soul searching, but one that got away.
And I know we're going to talk about the playoff
picture as things stand a little bit later in the podcast,
but these are the sort of results or going away
(12:26):
from something like that empty handed when you're up by seventeen,
it really isn't excusable.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Absolutely, and I think home advantage in the playoffs is
so crucial. We saw that last year. You know, the
Chiefs had home advantage and the Blues were able to
sweep through and win that game, but they didn't have
home advantage for the next two weeks as a result,
and that probably threw away their chance of winning the
Super Rugby title. They had to go to christ Jurch.
So the high you are on the ladder the better
it is at the end of the season. I think
(12:51):
that's where the Brumbies have sort of folded in the
last couple of years. That've been very, very good, but
they've dropped the odd game away from home in the
regular season that maybe they should have won, and that
has moved them down the ladder a little bit. Games
like this, when they've sawn back and managed to win,
we'll get them in the right positions towards at the
end of the season. I'm not sure about that game
(13:12):
management at the end from the Chiefs. I thought it
was Look, you could probably argue that a drop goal,
if you miss it, it's a low percentage play, you're
better off a retaining position. But they were so close
to the line that surely you should be able to
put Damien McKenzie into the pocket on the twenty two
in front enough protection there to either give yourself the
option of the drop goal or drawing the defenders so
that you can create something else. I just thought it
(13:33):
was a really poor passage of leadership and game management
from the Chiefs to close out that game. Drop goal
would have won it. They went for the five point truck.
Can understand it. They'll bang on the line a little bit,
but three is as good as five. In that situation,
I would have gone for the drop goal.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, we just don't see it, do we. In this
part of the world. There's just a real lack of
confidence and going for it. It's, for whatever reason, just
considered a low percentage play, perhaps because it's just it's
never really tried. But I think you look at the
English Premiership or Top fourteen and six nations, they're popping
drop goals most weekends. So yeah, that's a very good point.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
And to start the round, what a performance from the Hurricanes.
Fifty points to seven to beat the Highlanders behinds drew
first blood through jkb Rotami Tavuki Nepkins and that was
their night done. From a scoring perspective, the Hurricanes just
very very good, very assured. I know what my co
host be saying. The cane train is beginning to really
(14:31):
hit its straps at this point of the season. First Darby,
that was the question mark over them, while they took
that first box. Just a clinical, dominant performance from a
team that looks like and knows the way it wants
to play this season. We've seen Hurricanes teams in the
past perhaps be a little too flashy. Well, to me,
I thought on Friday night, they especially in the first
(14:53):
forty they played a little bit like a rugby league team.
And what I mean by that is that they knew
where they wanted to be in a couple of phases time.
They just plotted their way around the park. And you
think about the Great Storm teams where Cameron Smith was
direct can play out of hooker and Dammi half and
he'd know where they wanted to be in two sets time,
(15:14):
and then Cooper Kronk would trust that, and it felt
like the Hurricanes zero say, we're just playing that start
of play on the front foot rugby moving up the
field knowing where they were going to be, and the
holand has had no answer to try and stop it.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Yeah, it's a very good point. And the one thing
I was going to add, which was sort of similar
to that around that league pattern is there's no fixation
on the first five having to be at first receiver
or Jordi Barrett having to be at the second man
to touch the ball because he's wearing the twelve jersey.
You know Barrett will jump in there at ten and
then it'll be love out the back, or it can
(15:48):
be Billy Procter or Callum Hark can sweep or you
know even cam Royguard can step in there in the
first five position. They're also skillful there with their ball
distribution that it doesn't really matter. But as you say,
it almost felt like a glorified training run there at
some stages there for the Hurricanes. The way that they
were able to sweep the ball from one side of
(16:08):
the field to the other while making ground and I
suppose to knock on the canes as you say, Eliot,
and the past has been too flashy. But the way
that they're pack fronted as well, and they're so physical
with their ball carrying. I mean, just look at the
way that Devin Flanders just bulldoze his way to the
line to finish off that special team try early in
the second half. Guy's like Peter Larkey, I thought that
the scrum was dominant again as well as is still
(16:29):
without Tyrrel Lomax. That there's a lot to like about
this Hurricanes team and the way they performing. They've got depths,
as you say, it was that first New Zealand Derby.
There'll be tough at Derby's to come just having a
quick lockdown their list and I know they've got the
Reds next, but then it's Blues and Chiefs. So again
(16:50):
I want to reserve a little bit of judgment for
the Canes, but you can only play what's in front
of you. The way that they're going about their work,
they racked up one thy and twenty one carry meters.
It was just totally and utterly dominant. I thought Cameroy
guard was superb. I thought Reuben Love was superb. Yeah,
there's a lot to like, but not if you're a
Highland Is fan.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
No, let's stick into it to Ruben Love at ten.
There's been cries for him to get more game time
at ten. He got a little bit last year, but
that was in the back end of the season after
he come back from injury for the Hurricanes. Didn't really
get a looking at test level last year. But I thought,
you know, again, they weren't up to much the Highlanders
and he could only play what was in front of them.
(17:30):
But I just thought that's a performance that there's a
lot to like about from Ruben Love. Perhaps needs to
work on the game management a little bit, but again,
those tougher tests will come in those games that you
mentioned in the weeks that will follow, But that has
to be the nineteen option for the Hurricanes the rest
of the season. I know they've been short of a
couple of players and you know Harkens slotted in at ten,
(17:51):
but if you know, I think they've just got to
keep rolling that out because it's a very very dangerous
combo and with an at all Blacks level, you know,
accommodations are important at super level as you're flow into
the test side too.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Oh, I certainly are then the more reps that that
little triumphant with Roy Gyard, Love and Barrett can get
at super Abia level. That's only going to put their
cases forward for Dave, Rennie and Cove towards the back
end of the season. As you said, I think that
was the perfect game for Ruben Love in terms of
its openness, its expansiveness. The real tests for him will
(18:24):
be on those cooler nights when the winds rarely picking
up in Wellington and he has to game manage a
little bit more in perhaps with a Ford pack that
isn't going as going forward as often. So look, I'm
very encouraged. I've been one who's been waiting to see
Ruben Love play a lot more at ten through circumstance
to a degree, we're going to see a bit more
of it now, but it was a very exciting watch
(18:48):
to just see how good he could be, particularly with
ball in hand.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Absolutely one of the Highlanders, i mean, fired one shot
right at the start, didn't really fire another one for
the entire eighty minutes. They look like a team down
on confidence. They're certainly down on a few numbers. They've
got a few issues at Locke, Recha and Passeitor at
team not sure he's the answer, but they just don't
(19:11):
seem like a team that has any confidence about them
at this point of the season.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Yeah, and the point about Passi Tai, I think last
time I stepped into this podcast, we were talking about
cam Miller not being the answer either in terms of
his creativity at ten. So you feel for JB, Joseph
and Cobe because you just look at the cattle that
they have and this has been an ongoing issue with
the Highlanders in terms of their recruitment, and you can
pare that up against the Crusaders of Hurricanes, the Chiefs
(19:36):
and the Blues and it's just it's not the same.
So what they did so well in twenty fifteen way
back when is they got the absolute best out of
the players.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
That they had.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
But I just feel for them because I don't really
know what the answer is. That they might scrap away
and try and sneak into the six, but I can't
see it at this point in time. And yeah, as
I said a lot a wee while ago, now, just
the losses of Farby and Holland, and I know he
hasn't played a super baki game of the loss adl
and pledge you too. It's verging on terminal now. And
(20:11):
now that we're at round six.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
And let's take quick break, come back with the final
four after this time, Now for the final four on
Rugby Direct, friend of the podcast Steve Lenthal had a
message and suggested that one of the final four topics
be what was the better fifty point win on the
weekend Hurricanes or Crusaders. Maybe we'll just leave that one
(20:33):
and Lim can answer that when he gets back to
the podcast at some point. But the actual final four,
Jason Holland announced on Saturday, Alien actually broke this story
appointed as the Blues coach from twenty twenty seven. Of course,
former Hurricanes head coach. They went to the All Blacks
as a strike play coach and assistant backs coach. Didn't
work out. He wasn't going to be part of the
setup even before Scott Robertson got sacked, went back to
(20:56):
the Hurricanes as an assistant in the season, and now
he lands the top job at the Blues. He surprised
by this, Bills.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
No, I'm not surprised. It seemed pretty obvious to me
that when Jason hyle And left the All Blacks coaching
mix late last year he was pretty keen to get
back into a head coaching gig, and in fact, sort
of throughout the Scott Robertson tenure, with Jason Holland and
and Leo McDonald coming in having been head coaches at
Super Aby level, that was always perhaps the concern or
(21:27):
the query as to how these guys would go slotting
back in as assistants. So I always thought it was
going to be a temporary measure for Jason Holland once
he landed back at the Hurricanes. I suppose that you
could say a little bit surprised that he's landed in
another New Zealand Super franchise and rather than hitting overseas.
But as he pointed out to Jason Pine on News
Talks here Be yesterday, it was an opportunity too good
to turn down for me. It'll be interesting. I was
(21:50):
supposed Smithy to see how much he wants to bring
in his style versus the Vern cot away. And I
know you'll have some thoughts on this as well as
the Blues play by player commentator. But as we know
about the Blues, you know, particularly in year one when
they won the title under Vern, it was no free,
abrasive sort of buying aga into that Kluemont style and
(22:13):
being very direct. Jason Holland, as you outline being that
skills specialist for the All Blacks coach or strike play specialist,
you know, I suspect he'll be looking at a bit
more of an expansive style of play. And I suppose
secondary to that too, coming in in a World Cup
year when it's tricky for Super Ugby coaches, they'll know
they'll be told from the top down. Look, this is
(22:35):
how you have to manage Bowden, Barrett, this is how
you have to manage your other All Black scattle, Patrick
Tupelo two and the likes what with the Jason Hollands
in a bit of a holding pattern in year one
in twenty twenty seven and then can rarely go full
steam ahead from twenty twenty eight.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
Well, I think he won't want to throw the baby
out with the bath water. The Blue has done some
good things in the last couple of years. One that's
needed in the title. Last year they sort of caught
fire a bit too late in the season and maybe
could have even gone a bit further After that, went
over the Chiefs and the knockouts and went close to
beating the Crusaders in christ Church in the semi final round.
So he won't want to throw away too much. But
(23:10):
I think he's also going to have to adapt next
year because he's coming into a team that will be
missing Dalton Papaletti who's going overseas, a Joe Lamb who's
going overseas. I'm trying to think there's any o other
ones from the Blues that'll be departing, but there's certainly
a couple of players there that he's going to have
to replace. He's obviously got touring in Barns into a
bigger role next year, as we've touched on earlier in
(23:31):
the podcast, Boden Barrett maybe gets one more year out
of him next year, but probably won't resign beyond twenty
twenty seven. You wouldn't have thought New Zealand Rugby, So
nixt year is going to be, as you say, very
very interesting, and it may be that he's sort of
plodding towards twenty twenty eight in terms of recruitment and
where the certain players are going to be in certain positions.
By that engineer Peyton Spencer. We saw a glimpse of
(23:53):
him on the weekend. He will no doubt play a
bigger role over the next couple of years Arico Simpson
and there are others coming through the under twenty setup.
So yeah, twenty twenty seven Loombs is a sad, a
bit of a holding pattern. Yet I'm sure the Blues
won't see it as that and won't go in with
that mentality. But given the changes that have been made
to their personnel and as you say that they're looming
thing of the World Cup, it's going to be interesting
(24:15):
to see how he manages that. So we wait and
see top number two in the final four. Do we
have our top six already in Super Rugby Hurricane, not
in this order necessarily, but in the top six currently Hurricanes, Blues, Brumb's, Reds, Crusaders,
Chiefs on the outside looking in the Wartars three points
behind the Chiefs, then the Highlanders, the Drewer, Force and
Moana Pacifica. Can you see anyone from outside that top
(24:38):
six after six rounds Bulls moving their way into that
top six?
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Oh this is a bit grim to say after that context,
isn't it. But yes is my answer, which is a
bit of a shame. And look, there will be some
jeopardy on the order, which is exciting for the fan.
But as you outline there Waratars, Highlanders, Drewer, Force and Mowana,
I think you've put a line through the Drewer, the
Force and Moana the Wartars too. Is if they can
(25:07):
just sort this shit out a little bit. I mean,
I know that they're without Joseph Suli. They started with
two wins, what they had three losses and a bye
since they do have the Highlanders and the Force twice
the back end of their season. But then you look
at the quality of the top six and who of
them is falling out? I was impressed by the Reds
(25:28):
as well. We didn't get to the Reds drawer, but
that's a really tough place to go and win. So
they're four from five, they've had a buy I think
the Brumbies will be there as well, and those four
New Zealand anyways, so do you disagree.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Well, I don't disagree. It's this here. I can really
only see the war Retahs coming through out of that lot.
And the question mark I would have is funny enough
with the Crusaders, they've got the drawer after the buye
on Good Friday, then they're away to the Reds in
the Force. Now they should probably win both of those,
(26:03):
but the Reds are tricky and Brisbane and the Force
hasn't always been a happy hunting ground for the Crusaders.
But again, by good enough to win both of those
games and to come home launch the new stadium against
the Waratas. Should win that. But then they finished and
I know they've got to buy in the middle of it,
but they've got four Derby's in a row to finish.
And look, I'm not saying they won't there and look
there was some promising signs on Saturday night, but I
(26:24):
just I think that that schedules really difficult to end
the season Hurricanes away, Blues at home. Then they have
the buy, then they've got the Chiefs at home and
the Hurricanes at home. Now they've front loaded the games
and so they can have a run at the new
stadium and then it'll be fantastic. But that's a lot
of you know, last four games, you know, depending on
(26:44):
how much they need out of it. I just think
there's a question mark there.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
No, I totally agree. And look that they've known obviously,
they've had this draw out for some time around the
back end of their drawer and how tricky it is
and how they've played a part in that because they
wanted the big fixtures to be in one in Zied
Stadium to Kaha. So it's a very good point. And look,
they have been clunky these first six weeks, so I
(27:09):
suspect there will be there. But yeah, no, you make
a very very compelling case that they might be the
ones to fall out.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Easter Weekend next week. In you raised the point to
me this morning. It's only three games on Easter Weekend,
the Crusaders against the drawer and the last dance at
a Polo Project stadium. On Good Friday. We're all looking
forward to that Chicks warret seven oh five on Saturday,
and then the Reds Force only three games. It surprises
me a little bit. Last year I think they had
a full slate and a couple of times last year
(27:37):
I think I had a four game weekend, so there
were more teams with the buy, but didn't quite realize
there's only three games. Do you reckon it's crowded down
to crowd figures or just a I guess a good
opportunity to give teams a buy. At the midway ish
point of the season.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
I was listening to a little radio show called The
Mike Costing Breakfast this morning. You might have heard of it, Yeah,
and Andrew several and the commentary box mentioned three games,
and I just I just couldn't believe it. I I'd
to go check and look, there is situation or last
year where they'll have four game rounds or this is
obviously you know, it's awkward having eleven teams, so I
(28:14):
get that, but just to have just to have the
three and look, I know in the past and particularly
here in christ Church, I think where they can I
know they've got one on Good Friday, that last game
at Apollo against the drib But where they can, they
do request to not play Easter weekend, a lot of
people clear out from christ Church and go to Kai
Tidy or Hanmer or Akrol wherever. So But then I
(28:35):
look at it on the other side of the Code
Battle if you like, or the Battle for Eyeballs, and look,
it's a seventeen team competition in the NRL, but there's
a full slate of eight fixtures, the first ones on Thursday,
the last ones on Monday, so that there feels like
an audience there that is willing to engage, certainly at
least at a broadcast standpoint. So I do find three
(28:57):
a little curious, to say the least, and perhaps something
that needs a little bit more examination.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
Yeah, it does seem a little bit odd, but I'm
with you. I know the Blues struggle to get crowds.
I think at an Easter game a couple of years
ago maybe, and it didn't work out well. And there's
all sorts of licensing rules around booze and various things
around those days as well, and how much booze or
any booze you can sell, and that obviously hits the
vendors as well, So there's little things like that that
(29:24):
play into it. But does seem very very quiet for
a weekend where a lot of the shops aren't open.
You've sort of got a little bit of a captive market.
At least, as you say, from a broadcast perspective, options
are limited in terms of entertainment. You think you might
make it the most of that, but I'm sure there
are compelling reasons behind closed doors as to why that
is not the case. Topic four in the Final four
(29:46):
Blackfood squad for Pacific four has been named. Plenty of
new faces that Whitney Hansen is named in her first squad.
I think she's got eight potential debutantes in all, but
I guess, as always, it's about the omissions and the
players that aren't the air and that the names that
stand out are pretty big ones as well that have
been regular faces for the And I don't know the
(30:09):
full story behind some of them, but Ilitana Ohio was
part of that World Cup squad last year. She's not there.
Just the two half backs that Winnie Hansen has gone with, Taraturner,
who was very impressive last year for the Blues, gets
her opportunity. So look, start of World Cup cycle bules
a bit of a changing of the guard, but there
are some familiar faces the as well among those players
that are missing.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Yes, certainly familiar. It's not baby out with the bathwater,
is it, from the transition from the Alan Bunting era
to the Whitney Hanson era. But of course there was
always going to be some gaps to fill, and this
primarily with the Pack four series being in April and
the World seven series still being ongoing or entering the
what is it called the World Championship phase or whatever
they've coined it this year, So no no Braxton, Sirens
(30:52):
and McGee, no Stacy Waka, no reci pory Laye, no
Georgia Miller, so there was always going to be gaps
in of course the retirement of Portia Woodman Wickliffe as well.
So an opportunity, as you say, for some of the
impressed at OPEKI level or even FBC level to stake
a little bit of acclaim while others are absent for
various reasons. And the one bit actually that caught my
(31:12):
attention Smithie and I may have missed this, but obviously
on the all black side there's been all this debate
or discussion with a new coaching regime. Where does that
leave Scott Barrett in his future as all Blacks captain,
same co captaincy model, at least for the pack four
from the World Cups. I saw that listed this morning
(31:35):
with Kennedy to Kwafer and Rueje Demant, and look, maybe
that's because there isn't as many other compelling leadership options elsewhere,
but obviously Whitney Hansen has full faith in those two
to lead from the front.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
Yeah, I think there's a little bit of a leadership Voard.
I think in this squad. And look, these these two
captains have done it for it for a number of
seasons now in head Demant's a World Player of the
Year at a certain pointer on the back of that
World Cup win in twenty twenty. So it doesn't feel
like there's a lot of emerging leaders in the squads.
My Kabaklani Ruz strikes me as a future Black Fans captain.
(32:14):
She did it for a Test a couple of years
ago when there are a few injuries and players rested,
et cetera. But doesn't necessarily strike me as you know,
there are a lot of options to choose from, So
I think the status quo keeping there makes a lot
of sense compared to the Black Funds sevens team. And
Darre say that most of the players in the park
and natural leaders in their own way. You can make
them the captain and they'd lead. There. Just a whole
(32:36):
lot of leaders out in the park. You know, Georgia
Miller feels like she's been run forever. She's still what
twenty two maybe twenty three, she's vice captain of that team.
They are stacked with all leaders across the park. That
doesn't seem to have translated to the fifteens necessarily. So
I think that's a job for Whitney Hansen and the
coaching staff to do, is to bring through the next
(32:57):
generation of leaders, because I don't think there are too
many other compelling options at this point in time for
the Black Funds, especially as the head to the World Cup.
You know, you'd think demand will be there for the
next tournament in twenty nine, but is suily a given
to KWAFU the same thing. So if there is to
be a change, you know, who are the options that
Whitney Hansen can go to. So that's a pretty fascinating
question over the next few years as she takes a
(33:19):
full helm of this team. Let's take a look at
the MVP voting for the weekend that was. This was
a tough round to dish out some MVP votes in
the end. Look, I went for Roy Guard for three.
I thought he was just so good. Look, I could
have gone probably Rubend Love, maybe ifinny ung An all
four for three, But I just decided that he was
(33:39):
so good, you know that that quick thinking tap for
the try, you know, so good across the park. I
thought he was really really good over the course of
the day. A j Lamb gets my two points. We
touched on him earlier. I thought he was outstanding. Flincher
New York gets one for me as well. If he
didn't see Saturday nights game. Not just the try he scored,
(34:01):
didn't score, but he set up basically that was remarkable.
You know, it made a break from fifty meters hour.
It was taken just before the line gets up plays
half back in the subsequent phase. One of the subsequent
phases after that could have gone himself. Off loads to
George Bell for the try. He was everywhere on the
park and got pinged for one pen Rid couldn't quite
forget that out went back in one penalties for the
(34:21):
rest of the game from scrum top. Just a really
good performance from Fletcher and Yule. What are your three
two ones bills?
Speaker 2 (34:27):
Well, funnily enough after you say that, Simili, in terms
of being a hard round, we've gone on a very
similar theme here, and I am very pleased you brought
up Fletch and Yule because he's one of the unsung
heroes down here in Crusaders country and much loved and adored.
So I gave him my one primarily based on that
run alone. That was one of the great sights seeing
a big man an open pasture like that. And similarly
(34:50):
my tours are say aj Lamb I think was super
and a real difference maker for the Blues, as we
outlined earlier in the podcast, and I was tossing up,
I had to go with a hurricane. Could it be
Roy Guard, could it be Love, could it be Finang
and off for I thought, you know, the latter was
really just on the end of the chain through all
the hard work, a little bit in field. So look,
(35:11):
I've gone with Ruben Love. I thought he was tremendous
the way he was used, in particular his crossfield kicked
to set up one of those tries. I thought it
was a very commanding performance and plenty of X Factor
moments as well. So yeah, three for Reuben Love and yeah,
let's see where that leaves him in the in the
(35:32):
standings once once you do all the tallying up, So that's.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Right, I'll throw them to the pot. See where that happens.
Of course, this is the Rebel Super Rugby MVP voting
comp where there are five teams ineligible for voting points
in terms of the Australians and the Druids. So you know,
you take out a few players and it becomes a
very very different voting tally Bulls. Thank you so much
for joining us on Rugby Direct. As always, no doubt
you'll be back, maybe very soon, we'll see, but thanks
(35:57):
as always for your your time on Rugby Direct.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
Always a pleasure. Look forward to Thursday. I keep my phone.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
Oh yeah, please do do not turn your phone off.
That is Rugby Direct powered by Habit Health book today
and stay in the game. You can get in touch
with us as well. I want your mailbag questions for
Thursday Rugby Direct at USTALKZB, dot co dot MZI thanks
to Mark Kellie. We'll see you next time.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
For more from NEWSTALKSEDB, listen live on air or online,
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