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May 9, 2025 12 mins

There’s a lot on the line tonight as the Crusaders host the Chiefs. 

The top of the table clash has implications for the playoffs, with the outcome deciding who will get the home advantage. 

Sky Sport Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson joined Piney to preview the game.  

“It’s going to be huge for both of them.” 

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from News Talk ZEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
I think that's what we'll do. Top of the table
Super rugby clash in christ Church tonight Crusaders v Chiefs
five past seven, Live commentary on Goldsport and iHeartRadio. Second
time they've met this season after their round two clash
in Hamilton.

Speaker 3 (00:27):
The siren's gone, McKenzie right out in front on the
ten meter mark up.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Towards and overn it goes.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
It's forty nine twenty four.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
It's all over.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
See what Minty kept his excitement levels in check? There
didn't he? Why cut all based rugby commentator forty nine
to twenty four and round two. So the game's on
Goldsport and iHeartRadio, also on Sky Sport two delayed coverage
on Sky Open at seven thirty. Skysport commentator Tony Johnson
is with us to preview this one. TJ always get
good to get the chance to chat to you. Does

(00:58):
this feel like a potential Grand Final dress rehearsal to you?

Speaker 3 (01:05):
Well, it certainly, Piney. I think the most significant game
yet in terms of trying to sort out you know,
home advantage, pole position. If you like for the playoffs
one and two really important one two or three, I
guess the other teams that will get home advantage when
it comes to this rather strange playoff scenario that they've

(01:25):
got ahead of them. But whoever wins this game, obviously,
you know, they are in the driver's seat to go
on and grab the number one spot on the pole.
And I think probably for the Chiefs more important even
than the Crusaders. Obviously it's going to be huge for
both of them. But the Crusaders they are in a
pretty good spot right now and if they can win

(01:46):
this and I think their odd's on to take top
top spot on the on the ladder going into the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Has their bounce back from what was, by their standards,
a dreadful twenty twenty four come as any surprise to.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
You, Well, it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, Pinineyer,
I mean last year was an aberration. You know, they
no one seemed interested in any excuses that they might
made last year, but they did have a horrific list
of injuries. Rob Penny was new to the role. You know,
it can take a while for these sorts of things,
you know, to gel And this year with a more

(02:21):
healthy roster, a couple of smart acquisitions, and Rob Penny
with a job a year and the job under his belt.
I mean, they've come back and they very much do
look like, you know, something might the great Crusaders teams
of the past. They've still got work to do, But
I don't think anyone should be surprised at the bounce back.
There's just too much success, you know, too great a

(02:42):
history of being able to turn things around from adversity
in that franchise, you know, and look that you have
to say that at this point of the season, things
are looking pretty good. But you know, it's bit hard
to look into too far into the future the way
Super Ragan's gone this year.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
Just before we drilled down into a couple of key
players and key matchups. What about the Chiefs. They lost
on the Hurricanes last time out second half onslaught from
the Hurricanes. Wasn't that long ago? They lost to the
war Atars as well. Are there any stumbles and evidence
here in the chief season?

Speaker 3 (03:16):
Oh? Quite definitely a couple of stumbles there. I mean
the game against the war Atars. That was a poor
performance by the standards that set for themselves through the
first half of the competition. You know, the Waratars actually
played it quite smart. They managed to get a couple
of shots on Damian McKenzie early on, rattled him a bit.
He made a couple of mistakes and it was just
one of those games where the harder he tried, the

(03:37):
worse it gotten. You know, people make a great deal
of what the Chiefs are like when Damien McKenzie's playing,
as against what the light when he's not playing. Well,
he was playing that night, but obviously, you know, wasn't
able to influence the game the way he likes to.
So yeah, there have been a couple of wobbles there. Said,

(03:57):
that wasn't a great performance, and for a team that's
been so good late in the game, it was probably
quite alarming the way they fell away last week. Although
I'd defy anyone to be able to cope with the Hurricanes.
The way they got their attack going in the second
half of that game, it was quite outstanding.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
Crusaders have lost their starting first five. We started nine
of their games this season. In Taha, Kimera Rever's Rayhannah
comes into the starting side. Do you think they might
have been tempted to go with James O'Connor.

Speaker 3 (04:26):
I think that was what everyone was thinking. That O'Connor
has been used almost exclusively as a closer, hasn't had
many starts at all this year, and it's a role
he's done really well, probably in a way to the
detriment of his chances of getting in the Wallaby team.
I mean, there was some talk about him being called
into the Wallabys you to play the British and Irish

(04:47):
Lions because of the vast experience and you know, quite
obvious maturing of his game and just maturing of him
as a person. But obviously they have decided that that's
the role that suits the team need best and look
Rivers Rahn, he's been around the team for a couple
of years. I think he has a a great advantage

(05:08):
in that, you know, he's got a very good leader
of the team playing immediately outside him and David really
and really, he's a guy you know, gets judged a
fair bit a it's a very demanding, very exacting position
that he plays. But he's one of those guys he's
probably best judged by the people who play with him
and who play against him, And I think it's it's

(05:29):
to the advantage of Ahana that he's got a guy
like that outside him, and it's really just a matter
of everyone else. It's it's an adage that the all
Backs used that you know, you lose an important player,
everyone else just raises their game by a notch to
help the guy who steps in, you know, to to
enable him to do his job. And look, I'm sure

(05:49):
he will, but that's going to be a key point
of the game is the performance of the number tens.
Obviously Mackenzie for the Chiefs, but you know, they've got
to get him some decent ball. And if they can
get him some decent ball, some go forward ball for
him to weavers magic, well, then they are a shot
at winning the game. And as I say, I think
it's really important for the Chiefs to win this game,

(06:12):
probably more so because they lost ground last week that
the Crusaders were able to sit back and watch everything
unfold from the comfort of their own couches. They were
equal on points with the Chiefs going into the weekend,
and they were equal on points with the Chiefs coming
out of the weekend. But in the meantime, they've got
a game in hand, and they've closed up the points

(06:33):
four and against. So I think the onus, I think
the pressure probably really more or the most pressure on
both things. But I think the Chiefs is a lot
of pressure on this game because they've got the buy
next week and you know, potentially could lose ground and
they'd be starting to think about the Brumbies now, who

(06:54):
are closing the gap on those top two New Zealand teams,
which is a scenario we perhaps didn't see a few
weeks ago and day.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
Just before we move out of the first five position.
Damie McKenzie was always going to come back into the song.
But Josh Jacob has had a good number of games
in the teen jump. But what have you made of
Josh Jacob for the Chiefs this year?

Speaker 3 (07:13):
TJ Well, I think just about like every other ten
that comes into top level rugby or this level rugby
in New Zealand, you know they're learning. You know, our
number ten's come out of college and there's you know,
very few of them are are the finished article in
terms of learning how to run a game, how to
control the game, both with the passing, the tecking, the judgment,

(07:35):
the vision to see wat's in front of you. So
it's a tall order for a guy. You know, he's
been around a few years now, but he's still learning
about the game. And look, he's very solid. I think
the guy that they were kind of looking at to
be the number to, you know, the backup to Mackenzie

(07:56):
or the alternate to Mackenzie at Thames, Caleb Trask. He
just he's got that extra bit of experience, a lot
of silky skills. Again about it about him, But the
poor guys can't catch a lucky break at the moment
with his injuries, and so that that's sort of been
a that's probably meant that Jacob has played more on
the front line than they might have been anticipating. Look,

(08:17):
you know, the futures ahead of it. You know, he's
got a good future ahead of him, Jacob, But as
I say, at the moment, he's still learning about the
game and you know what is a pretty unforgiving level
of rugby.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
So Wallace Satiti is going to start his first game
of the season, having come off the bench in the
last two. Gee, there's some strength in the Chiefs. Lucy's
Parker Jacobs and Satti tonight now off the bench. Both
you can't even get in the twenty three. How big
a part will the loose forward battle be tonight?

Speaker 3 (08:44):
It'll be huge and both as you say, he got
very good loose trios. I mean you talk about Satiti
there and obviously he was Edith had a phenomenal year
last year in which he emerged not only as a
standout player in New Zealand but probably you know, on
the world stage. But you know, the Crusaders have got

(09:05):
a guy Christian Leo Willie who's arousing a lot of
discussion at the moment with his ability at that number eight.
We're pretty blessed at the moment. Not necessarily big guys,
but really good ball players, ball carriers, guys with good
work rates. I just thought we've seen glimpses though already
since coming back of what Satiti is capable of. You know,

(09:29):
he is an outstanding talent. So look, there's a head
to head watch there. I actually think it's probably more
going to come down to the type five you think
the Crusaders, It's always been their go to, hasn't it.
It's been there. You know, when they're in their own half,
they win a scrum penalty, get out of their own half.
That sort of thing, the line out drive, all of

(09:50):
those things. And you know, if there's been a standout
in that regard for the Crusaders, I think Fletcher Newell
has just reminded us of why he's been elevated propelled
into all black ranks. A scrummaging in particular has been
outstanding over the last few weeks. And I'm sure they'll
challenge the Chiefs there in the Type five and that

(10:11):
gives their loose forwards that you know that they're aim
will be to give their loose forwards and their back
line a better platform to operate from. But they even up.
They match up pretty well, don't they, these two teams
when you look at them on paper? Oh?

Speaker 2 (10:23):
Without question, t Janel. I think that's why it makes
it such a compelling proposition. And I, like you, I
think I'm leaning towards the Crusaders for all of them,
all the reasons you've outlined. But the Chiefs they've made
the last two Grand finals, lost them both. They always
look good across a regular Super Rugby season. Can you
see them winning Super Rugby this year? They could, couldn't they?

Speaker 3 (10:44):
Oh? Yeah, I mean, right from the word go, they've
looked a team capable, and I think at the well,
at the start of the season, I had them down
if I mean, obviously, like everyone else, I thought the
Blues might be a good shot of going back to
back when that's I mean, that's a chance, but it's
a tall order for them. But I always sort of
saw the Chiefs as the most likely challenger, but then

(11:05):
I wasn't account for the terrific turnaround that we've seen
from the Crusaders. But no, they're still very much in
the hunt. And look you look at that back line
that they've got. They've got some of those X factor
players there that can turn a game. You know, Leroy
Carter just on multiple skills that he's got a multiple
ways he can impact on a game. Two players have

(11:26):
been very solid, very solid, got himself back into All
Black contention in the Trail Jersey. And of course a
Moni Nadowa, who I'll probably start arguments here, but if
I was picking an All Black team today, he'd probably
be my number one right wing. So and of course
Stevenson at the back, so heaps the talent there. It's
just a matter of whether or not they can provide

(11:48):
them with those those opportunities, those half chances that they need,
you know, because you know that the Crusaders will have
been totally gearing up with especially with a week off,
They've had a long time to focus on this game.
And that's why I think that, you know, the Chiefs,
it's a tall to try and break that down, but
look at this one team in the competition that's capable

(12:10):
of doing that, particularly if the Crusaders aren't at their best,
because you know, we've seen that in this competition. If
you are even at ninety five percent, you're vulnerable in
this competition. So yeah, it's it's quite compelling, isn't it.
It's quite an enticing prospect.

Speaker 2 (12:24):
This certainly, as certainly is a mouthwatering clash and prospect.
Can't wait. TJ. Thanks so much for your time and expertise.

Speaker 3 (12:30):
As always, Oh you're welcome, piny No, thank.

Speaker 2 (12:32):
You, TJ. Tony Johnson with his thoughts always articulate. It
always picks up on a couple of things that I
haven't thought of always, and that's the reason we get
them on of course, these experts to give us a
bit of analysis that we hadn't quite thought of.

Speaker 1 (12:45):
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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