July 20, 2024 • 15 mins
Fiji face the All Blacks in San Diego this afternoon.
Former player and referee Glen Jackson is the current coach of Fijian Drua and spent time coaching the national team in the past.
He joins Jason Pine to discuss whether Fiji can pull off an upset.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB All.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Black's Fiji San Diego two thirty five. While the All
Blacks are firm favorites, Fiji are no longer a rugby
mino those passionate fans, But Australia one more chance. The
scrum disintegrates all over the place.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Pedal g fig.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
We've got a love for a fig drum. Look good
at Man's To these fiften players, it's the first time
since nineteen fifty four of their bet in Australia.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
What a time, What a pasta jets.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Now that's Fiji beating Australia at Rugby World Cup last year,
getting into the quarterfinals where they lost to England by
eight points. From memory having beaten England at Twickenham pre tournament.
So here Fiji making big strides in the fifteen man
game to help preview this afternoon's test. It's a great
pleasure to welcome into Weekend Sport. Former Chiefs and Saracen's
(01:04):
first five former leading Internet national referee, including controlling thirty
two Test matches. Former assistant coach of Fiji, including at
the twenty twenty three Rugby World Cup and having served
as assistant coach the newly appointed head coach of the
Fiji and Drewer Super Rugby side, Glenn Jackson. Of course,
(01:24):
what a CV you're building, Glenn. Thanks for joining us, mate,
How are you?
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yeah? Good? Thanks for this introduction. I can understand now
while most my hair is falling out, it's been pretty
long in the game, but I still would great to
be involved.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Alright, let's look straight away at this game this afternoon.
How much of a threat do you perceive Fiji to
be to the All Blacks and San Diego today?
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Oh? Look at the pretty settled side really from the
World Cup that we had last year. It's a pretty
well settled side with a couple of new guys from
the Drawer that were in there. So look, they've got
some really experienced overseas players. I think the back rows
is pretty special with Bill Marta and Lakeima from Poe,
so that the back rows really good. The young boy
(02:08):
that had actually missed out on the World Cup as
Kiddy Salawa, who plays the Drawer, he definitely would have
been there, but he fortunly got an injury. So there's
certainly some good experience in the team. Obviously, playing the
All Blacks is a different, different approach for any team,
especially Fiji in a little island like we are. So no,
but you know, I like what Mixed done in terms
of the selection and it should be a big game.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Do you think there's the belief in the team now
that they can topple the All Blacks? They beat England
at Twickenham, beat Australia at the World Cup last year.
Do you think that belief is there that they could
topple the All Blacks.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
I definitely think so. I think if you look back
on history, I think the Fiji always looked up to
the All Blecks. I mean, you know, the sprinting of
or not sprinkling a lot of Fijians that have played
for the All bleckses. It's probably where you come from
an island nine hundred thousand. They looked up to the
All Blacks as heroes in sort of the the gurus
of rugby. But I think with super Rugby now and
(03:03):
you know we've we've been lucky enough to win a
couple of games and feed ye games. He's on teams
they like you said, did pretty well against the World
Cup with Ben in England and then Australia, so certainly
that area of of being able to win big matches
has sort of gone away a little bit. And you've
got those like Semi Ridargra and weiss Our captain there,
(03:24):
who's who's done there. They played a lot of rugby,
won big cups in France, so certainly well experienced. I
think at the age age bracket of the team's really good.
Janasai from from mass playing at tens as first proper
game at twenty, so the experience around him it should be,
you know, there's certainly the belief. I believe we have the.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Big improvements come Glenn and Fie Jane rugby in the
last three or four years in terms of the way
they play the game.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Oh, discipline, this one was number one for us going
into the into the World Cup. I think it was
something that we had to really change which became which
was fitness. I think the twenty David sevest As a
trainer with Fiji who's still with them, that we had
in the World Cup. He'd been to five World Cups,
I think mostly with England, so the way he trained
(04:15):
and got our boys to be fit is carried on
so also obviously playing continuous rugby with the drawer and
playing eighty minutes is the biggest one because even in
France and probably England, a lot of those boys were
either impact players or didn't play for eighty minutes, and
that was something that we really looked at it at
the World Cup. So the change around of Fiji playing
(04:38):
well for sixty and then falling off the last twent
years has been a real big change around.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yeah, alluded to it there, but how crucial to the
success of the Fijian national side have and will continue
to be the Fiji and drawer and Super rugby.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah, it's massive. I think it's something that obviously we
tried for a long long time to get team in
Super rugby with Fiji hair being and now you've got
the ability of players earning pretty good money, been able
to stay home. Even next year we're getting a few
players back from France and from around the place. So
it's certainly a massive part of Fiji and also in
(05:18):
the public right and behind the rugby, and there was
never an issue around support. But I think seeing proper
super rabby games played in the country is really good.
Got everyone in behind the national team as well. So yeah,
it's certainly been massive. You know, I don't think we'll
truly see the real effects probably until sort of two
(05:38):
or three more years on top of that, But when
you've got a twenty year old ten we were lucky
enough to get from from New Zealand now playing for Fiji,
you know, that's the big change. We're not only just
getting great Fijian players, We're also getting Fijian players that
played overseas and learned their trade in New Zealand schools,
in Australian schools.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
I want to come back to the drawer in the moment.
But in terms of the Fiji national sides improvement in
recent times, Ken, can you talk a bit about Vern
Cotter's influence on that improvement.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Well, which we obviously know how good Werner's as a
key coach. I mean he's just gone from strength to strength.
He won one on France and did a great job
with Fiji when he was with us, and then goze
Win's super rugby. So just bringing that sort of hard
edge mentality towards towards our full pack I think was outstanding. Also,
he just he knows how to win. You know, we're
(06:32):
extremely lucky to have Vern for three years. It was
you know, obviously disappointing that we he didn't go to
the World Cup with us and Simon Raylon he took
over and I think also the same sort of mentality
as Vern around no nonsense and just getting your four
pack a pretty hard edge. And and as you can
see what the Blues Blues did magnificently well was you
(06:53):
count win without a fod pack? And I think I
think Fiji at the moment has got a really good
full pack. So you know, Ronnie playing and Saracen's Tavita
is obviously a great hooker playing for for for us
at the drawer Asacond Dogie also, you know, so you've
got a front row that can can compete with the
All Blacks. And then like I said, with the background,
(07:15):
I think the back rod of Fiji is just amount
of people that can play in there for this test.
So it's a full pack that's been started with Burn
carried on as Simon and then obviously now mis and
Graham Jews has done a good job with with that
with that team beating Georgia and Georgia just last week,
so which is no mean fake and.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
How do you reckon mcbern will go? It's hard to
protect the future, I know, but how do you reckon
we'll go?
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Mcburn's been unbelievable for the for for the drawer. He
started up and he's been there for three years. And
the great thing about mcke he knows Fijian's. He knows,
he's lived there, He's lived and Breeze Fiji. He never left,
so he knows that. You know, the pressure I suppose
also from the Fijian public on performances, but he also
understands the boys and and what makes them teck. And
(08:03):
you know, I think it's been a fabulous appointment from
Fiji Raby to sort of get the continuity from the
draw now into the national side.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
This game this afternoon, playing in San Diego. Does that
disadvantage Fiji or could it fact? Could it in fact
be an advantage being the fact that it's at a
neutral venue.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
No, I think it would have been fabulous in Fiji.
I think it's where it was first muted to be there,
but unfortunately it didn't happen. Fiji's had a three hectic
sort of month, obviously with Barbierians Bushey straight after the
quarter Final, then they had Georgia and then they had
a week off, so it's sort of been overseas. The
good thing about that you're living and breathing with each other,
(08:46):
You're getting to know each other. So but as you know,
if you just look at drew as results from home
and away, a game in Fiji would be would be
would have been fabulous today. But I think San Diego
is obviously great for a couple of reasons. I think
the North American market with the World Cup, it's great.
It's hopefully going to be a fantastic game. Fiji will
(09:06):
playing so well so with the or blocks. So if
it's if it's a great game of footy, then it's
only good for the game. Obviously marketing up in the
in the US.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
That's the positive spin. But you're right, Glen, I mean,
how good would it have been to have this game
in Suver, for example, or Lautoka.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Yeah, look at really amazing and harp on about it,
but we've all seen what superad. We needed something a
bit of a change, and I think the drawer has
brought that around. The passion. I've had plenty of mates
come up here and just say it's the best sporting
experience they've ever had. Suvera would have been pumped and
jammed in with I think it oldt eighteen to twenty four,
(09:46):
but there would have been thirty five thousand and bunched
into that those hills, So yeah, it would have been
It would have been amazing. It would have been amazing,
but not only for for the Fijian boys, but also
for the or Blacks to experience, you know, an atmosphere
that like you don't often get now I suppose, just
pure passion of the wonderful Fijian people and how much
they love the game. And also of course two and
(10:08):
a half hours from juieon so the traveling community would
have been up there as well. So it would have
been a great experience not only for Fiji but also
for the for the tourism market at the time of
the year.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
One per agree. Yeah, the scenes in super Rugby were
just just to refect obviously mixed move into head coaching
Fiji saw you promoted to head coach of the Fiji
and Drewer, how much are you looking forward to to
taking the reins?
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Oh? Super excited. I think obviously it's my first effort
as a head coach, there's always always a bit of
a well, not pressure, but just demands of obviously carrying on,
how well mixed done making quarter finals two to three
years looking forward to that. Love the idea of trying
to take this young team another step further and very
(10:56):
settled squad which always helps. And now we're just going
to get a couple of w's on the road, which
is something we've already been looking at pretty hard, and
some experience of you know, some nineteen year olds in
now twenty so that's that's fabulous. So we're getting our
team a little bit older. We're still I think we've
got one guy over twenty seven and the whole squad,
so we're very, very massively young squad that are always learning.
(11:16):
So it's great to be given the opportunity to lead
such an amazing thing.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
How do you wint away games clean? I, like I said,
I just.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Think, you know, you look at you know, our teen
was nineteen, one of our wingers was nineteen. You know,
it's just it's experience and I think belief is one
of the things we've talked about long and hard. Sometimes
our boys are playing in front of their family and
the fans, and they just don't want to let them down.
And that takes a lot out of the young boys
(11:48):
as well, when you're at home and the pressure of
them trying to win in front of their home crowd.
Sometimes just going away as is the relief of obviously
just living in a pretty nice hotel and the eating
different food. So we've just got to get all that
ballots right, and I don't believe it's it is going
to be a massively hard thing to change around more
experience to get, the more the boys are going to
understand how what professional raby is about. So try and
(12:10):
get one of those and then hopefully it just do
there's a flow on effect of the belief around that.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Indeed, in terms of your coaching journey, it wasn't just
from playing to coach. You had that decade of top
level refereeing in the middle. How helpful has that been
in your transition to coaching.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Massively, massively helpful, I think most of all. Look I
looked at going and coaching straight away from from playing.
I think referrings even though it's an amazing part of
the game and being part of it, but it's actually
an individual aspect of still our great game of rugby,
So it gave me a good understanding of myself, I
suppose more than anything. Just going from team to team
(12:49):
and the support you have around what you are about
as a team gave me a little different approach of
how to prepare and how to look after yourself more
than everyone else. So that twelve years of referring, as
we all know, it's not the easiest job in the world,
so you learn to live the ups and downs of
your performance. And I guess I still get shirty at
(13:12):
times with referees and their decisions, but I've got more
of an understanding of how hard it is, and it's
you know, it's not always the easiest job in the
worst it's not always the rest fault, so I try
and be a little bit balance to that. I'm not
I'm not fantastic at that, but it's just a passion
of it. So it's I've really enjoyed the opportunity just
to learn the refing stuff was still for me was
(13:34):
one of the highlights and of of been involved in
the game.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Yeah, a great journey mate player, referee and now moving
into our head coaching role with the Fiji and Drew
look really enjoyed your insight this afternoon, Glenn, thanks for
joining us. What does a what does a good performance
or what does a good result look like for for
Fiji this afternoon? Just finally, Oh, they.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Would definitely be abule to win. I think with the
changes the orblects are made. New team is always that pressure.
I suppose a razor making making the substitution or the
changes that he's made from the England series, I don't
think even though they won two series that could have
easily probably sloped just about lost both games, so there's
a bit of pressure on them. So you know, the
(14:15):
Fijian boys that were definitely out there to win. But
I think last time we played them was in Hamilton
and the result blew out a bit. But the gaming
in Dunedin was quite a close game, so I think
anything within ten points would be it would be an
amazing result. But yeah, I've got sever resource is always
the one that concerns me a little bit every time
he plays either the draw or Fiji needs up scoring
(14:37):
bloody trice of fun. So as long as they look
after our little Fijian buddy, we should be we should
be okay.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Amazing great to check Glenn, thanks for your time, mate
good Man, thanks many.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
No, thank you.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
That's Glenn Jackson, of course, our former top class player
a decade or more as a top class referee, now
a coach. Great insight into the Fiji and rugby ecosystem
from Glenn Jackson.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk z B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB All.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Black's Fiji San Diego two thirty five. While the All
Blacks are firm favorites, Fiji are no longer a rugby
mino those passionate fans, But Australia one more chance. The
scrum disintegrates all over the place.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Pedal g fig.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
We've got a love for a fig drum. Look good
at Man's To these fiften players, it's the first time
since nineteen fifty four of their bet in Australia.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
What a time, What a pasta jets.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Now that's Fiji beating Australia at Rugby World Cup last year,
getting into the quarterfinals where they lost to England by
eight points. From memory having beaten England at Twickenham pre tournament.
So here Fiji making big strides in the fifteen man
game to help preview this afternoon's test. It's a great
pleasure to welcome into Weekend Sport. Former Chiefs and Saracen's
(01:04):
first five former leading Internet national referee, including controlling thirty
two Test matches. Former assistant coach of Fiji, including at
the twenty twenty three Rugby World Cup and having served
as assistant coach the newly appointed head coach of the
Fiji and Drewer Super Rugby side, Glenn Jackson. Of course,
(01:24):
what a CV you're building, Glenn. Thanks for joining us, mate,
How are you?
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yeah? Good? Thanks for this introduction. I can understand now
while most my hair is falling out, it's been pretty
long in the game, but I still would great to
be involved.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Alright, let's look straight away at this game this afternoon.
How much of a threat do you perceive Fiji to
be to the All Blacks and San Diego today?
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Oh? Look at the pretty settled side really from the
World Cup that we had last year. It's a pretty
well settled side with a couple of new guys from
the Drawer that were in there. So look, they've got
some really experienced overseas players. I think the back rows
is pretty special with Bill Marta and Lakeima from Poe,
so that the back rows really good. The young boy
(02:08):
that had actually missed out on the World Cup as
Kiddy Salawa, who plays the Drawer, he definitely would have
been there, but he fortunly got an injury. So there's
certainly some good experience in the team. Obviously, playing the
All Blacks is a different, different approach for any team,
especially Fiji in a little island like we are. So no,
but you know, I like what Mixed done in terms
of the selection and it should be a big game.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Do you think there's the belief in the team now
that they can topple the All Blacks? They beat England
at Twickenham, beat Australia at the World Cup last year.
Do you think that belief is there that they could
topple the All Blacks.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
I definitely think so. I think if you look back
on history, I think the Fiji always looked up to
the All Blecks. I mean, you know, the sprinting of
or not sprinkling a lot of Fijians that have played
for the All bleckses. It's probably where you come from
an island nine hundred thousand. They looked up to the
All Blacks as heroes in sort of the the gurus
of rugby. But I think with super Rugby now and
(03:03):
you know we've we've been lucky enough to win a
couple of games and feed ye games. He's on teams
they like you said, did pretty well against the World
Cup with Ben in England and then Australia, so certainly
that area of of being able to win big matches
has sort of gone away a little bit. And you've
got those like Semi Ridargra and weiss Our captain there,
(03:24):
who's who's done there. They played a lot of rugby,
won big cups in France, so certainly well experienced. I
think at the age age bracket of the team's really good.
Janasai from from mass playing at tens as first proper
game at twenty, so the experience around him it should be,
you know, there's certainly the belief. I believe we have the.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Big improvements come Glenn and Fie Jane rugby in the
last three or four years in terms of the way
they play the game.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Oh, discipline, this one was number one for us going
into the into the World Cup. I think it was
something that we had to really change which became which
was fitness. I think the twenty David sevest As a
trainer with Fiji who's still with them, that we had
in the World Cup. He'd been to five World Cups,
I think mostly with England, so the way he trained
(04:15):
and got our boys to be fit is carried on
so also obviously playing continuous rugby with the drawer and
playing eighty minutes is the biggest one because even in
France and probably England, a lot of those boys were
either impact players or didn't play for eighty minutes, and
that was something that we really looked at it at
the World Cup. So the change around of Fiji playing
(04:38):
well for sixty and then falling off the last twent
years has been a real big change around.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yeah, alluded to it there, but how crucial to the
success of the Fijian national side have and will continue
to be the Fiji and drawer and Super rugby.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah, it's massive. I think it's something that obviously we
tried for a long long time to get team in
Super rugby with Fiji hair being and now you've got
the ability of players earning pretty good money, been able
to stay home. Even next year we're getting a few
players back from France and from around the place. So
it's certainly a massive part of Fiji and also in
(05:18):
the public right and behind the rugby, and there was
never an issue around support. But I think seeing proper
super rabby games played in the country is really good.
Got everyone in behind the national team as well. So yeah,
it's certainly been massive. You know, I don't think we'll
truly see the real effects probably until sort of two
(05:38):
or three more years on top of that, But when
you've got a twenty year old ten we were lucky
enough to get from from New Zealand now playing for Fiji,
you know, that's the big change. We're not only just
getting great Fijian players, We're also getting Fijian players that
played overseas and learned their trade in New Zealand schools,
in Australian schools.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
I want to come back to the drawer in the moment.
But in terms of the Fiji national sides improvement in
recent times, Ken, can you talk a bit about Vern
Cotter's influence on that improvement.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Well, which we obviously know how good Werner's as a
key coach. I mean he's just gone from strength to strength.
He won one on France and did a great job
with Fiji when he was with us, and then goze
Win's super rugby. So just bringing that sort of hard
edge mentality towards towards our full pack I think was outstanding. Also,
he just he knows how to win. You know, we're
(06:32):
extremely lucky to have Vern for three years. It was
you know, obviously disappointing that we he didn't go to
the World Cup with us and Simon Raylon he took
over and I think also the same sort of mentality
as Vern around no nonsense and just getting your four
pack a pretty hard edge. And and as you can
see what the Blues Blues did magnificently well was you
(06:53):
count win without a fod pack? And I think I
think Fiji at the moment has got a really good
full pack. So you know, Ronnie playing and Saracen's Tavita
is obviously a great hooker playing for for for us
at the drawer Asacond Dogie also, you know, so you've
got a front row that can can compete with the
All Blacks. And then like I said, with the background,
(07:15):
I think the back rod of Fiji is just amount
of people that can play in there for this test.
So it's a full pack that's been started with Burn
carried on as Simon and then obviously now mis and
Graham Jews has done a good job with with that
with that team beating Georgia and Georgia just last week,
so which is no mean fake and.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
How do you reckon mcbern will go? It's hard to
protect the future, I know, but how do you reckon
we'll go?
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Mcburn's been unbelievable for the for for the drawer. He
started up and he's been there for three years. And
the great thing about mcke he knows Fijian's. He knows,
he's lived there, He's lived and Breeze Fiji. He never left,
so he knows that. You know, the pressure I suppose
also from the Fijian public on performances, but he also
understands the boys and and what makes them teck. And
(08:03):
you know, I think it's been a fabulous appointment from
Fiji Raby to sort of get the continuity from the
draw now into the national side.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
This game this afternoon, playing in San Diego. Does that
disadvantage Fiji or could it fact? Could it in fact
be an advantage being the fact that it's at a
neutral venue.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
No, I think it would have been fabulous in Fiji.
I think it's where it was first muted to be there,
but unfortunately it didn't happen. Fiji's had a three hectic
sort of month, obviously with Barbierians Bushey straight after the
quarter Final, then they had Georgia and then they had
a week off, so it's sort of been overseas. The
good thing about that you're living and breathing with each other,
(08:46):
You're getting to know each other. So but as you know,
if you just look at drew as results from home
and away, a game in Fiji would be would be
would have been fabulous today. But I think San Diego
is obviously great for a couple of reasons. I think
the North American market with the World Cup, it's great.
It's hopefully going to be a fantastic game. Fiji will
(09:06):
playing so well so with the or blocks. So if
it's if it's a great game of footy, then it's
only good for the game. Obviously marketing up in the
in the US.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
That's the positive spin. But you're right, Glen, I mean,
how good would it have been to have this game
in Suver, for example, or Lautoka.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Yeah, look at really amazing and harp on about it,
but we've all seen what superad. We needed something a
bit of a change, and I think the drawer has
brought that around. The passion. I've had plenty of mates
come up here and just say it's the best sporting
experience they've ever had. Suvera would have been pumped and
jammed in with I think it oldt eighteen to twenty four,
(09:46):
but there would have been thirty five thousand and bunched
into that those hills, So yeah, it would have been
It would have been amazing. It would have been amazing,
but not only for for the Fijian boys, but also
for the or Blacks to experience, you know, an atmosphere
that like you don't often get now I suppose, just
pure passion of the wonderful Fijian people and how much
they love the game. And also of course two and
(10:08):
a half hours from juieon so the traveling community would
have been up there as well. So it would have
been a great experience not only for Fiji but also
for the for the tourism market at the time of
the year.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
One per agree. Yeah, the scenes in super Rugby were
just just to refect obviously mixed move into head coaching
Fiji saw you promoted to head coach of the Fiji
and Drewer, how much are you looking forward to to
taking the reins?
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Oh? Super excited. I think obviously it's my first effort
as a head coach, there's always always a bit of
a well, not pressure, but just demands of obviously carrying on,
how well mixed done making quarter finals two to three
years looking forward to that. Love the idea of trying
to take this young team another step further and very
(10:56):
settled squad which always helps. And now we're just going
to get a couple of w's on the road, which
is something we've already been looking at pretty hard, and
some experience of you know, some nineteen year olds in
now twenty so that's that's fabulous. So we're getting our
team a little bit older. We're still I think we've
got one guy over twenty seven and the whole squad,
so we're very, very massively young squad that are always learning.
(11:16):
So it's great to be given the opportunity to lead
such an amazing thing.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
How do you wint away games clean? I, like I said,
I just.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Think, you know, you look at you know, our teen
was nineteen, one of our wingers was nineteen. You know,
it's just it's experience and I think belief is one
of the things we've talked about long and hard. Sometimes
our boys are playing in front of their family and
the fans, and they just don't want to let them down.
And that takes a lot out of the young boys
(11:48):
as well, when you're at home and the pressure of
them trying to win in front of their home crowd.
Sometimes just going away as is the relief of obviously
just living in a pretty nice hotel and the eating
different food. So we've just got to get all that
ballots right, and I don't believe it's it is going
to be a massively hard thing to change around more
experience to get, the more the boys are going to
understand how what professional raby is about. So try and
(12:10):
get one of those and then hopefully it just do
there's a flow on effect of the belief around that.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Indeed, in terms of your coaching journey, it wasn't just
from playing to coach. You had that decade of top
level refereeing in the middle. How helpful has that been
in your transition to coaching.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Massively, massively helpful, I think most of all. Look I
looked at going and coaching straight away from from playing.
I think referrings even though it's an amazing part of
the game and being part of it, but it's actually
an individual aspect of still our great game of rugby,
So it gave me a good understanding of myself, I
suppose more than anything. Just going from team to team
(12:49):
and the support you have around what you are about
as a team gave me a little different approach of
how to prepare and how to look after yourself more
than everyone else. So that twelve years of referring, as
we all know, it's not the easiest job in the world,
so you learn to live the ups and downs of
your performance. And I guess I still get shirty at
(13:12):
times with referees and their decisions, but I've got more
of an understanding of how hard it is, and it's
you know, it's not always the easiest job in the
worst it's not always the rest fault, so I try
and be a little bit balance to that. I'm not
I'm not fantastic at that, but it's just a passion
of it. So it's I've really enjoyed the opportunity just
to learn the refing stuff was still for me was
(13:34):
one of the highlights and of of been involved in
the game.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Yeah, a great journey mate player, referee and now moving
into our head coaching role with the Fiji and Drew
look really enjoyed your insight this afternoon, Glenn, thanks for
joining us. What does a what does a good performance
or what does a good result look like for for
Fiji this afternoon? Just finally, Oh, they.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Would definitely be abule to win. I think with the
changes the orblects are made. New team is always that pressure.
I suppose a razor making making the substitution or the
changes that he's made from the England series, I don't
think even though they won two series that could have
easily probably sloped just about lost both games, so there's
a bit of pressure on them. So you know, the
(14:15):
Fijian boys that were definitely out there to win. But
I think last time we played them was in Hamilton
and the result blew out a bit. But the gaming
in Dunedin was quite a close game, so I think
anything within ten points would be it would be an
amazing result. But yeah, I've got sever resource is always
the one that concerns me a little bit every time
he plays either the draw or Fiji needs up scoring
(14:37):
bloody trice of fun. So as long as they look
after our little Fijian buddy, we should be we should
be okay.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Amazing great to check Glenn, thanks for your time, mate
good Man, thanks many.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
No, thank you.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
That's Glenn Jackson, of course, our former top class player
a decade or more as a top class referee, now
a coach. Great insight into the Fiji and rugby ecosystem
from Glenn Jackson.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk z B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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