September 26, 2025 • 17 mins
The Bledisloe Cup has returned to Eden Park and joining Piney for a chat was one of the country’s greatest ever lock forwards.
Ian Jones toured with the 1989 All Blacks, making his test debut the following year against Scotland at Carisbrook – scoring a try in the match.
Jones played 105 games for the All Blacks, 79 of which were tests, and is now the GM of the All Blacks Experience – an interactive attraction dedicated to New Zealand rugby.
He joined Piney to preview tonight’s clash against the Wallabies and to look back at his incredible career with the national team.
“To think we haven’t lost a game at Eden Park since 1994, 51 test matches ago, is crazy,” Jones says.
“This is why this game tonight, and every game since then, you’ve got to defend that Fortress.”
“It is about mindset, it is about authority, it’s about the first ten minutes of this game, to make it so the Wallabies go, s***, this is hard, there’s no way we can win here.”
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
One of our greatest, our greatest lockforwards raised in Carmo
selected for North Auckland in nineteen eighty eight as a
twenty one year old toed with the eighty nine All Blacks,
made a cess debut the following year against Scotland at
Carisbrook and scored a try. From then on through until
nineteen ninety seven, pretty much an automatic selection, he and
Robin Brook forming one of the most enduring locking partnerships
(00:35):
in international rugby. Three World Cups see Captain the Chiefs,
often Captain the All Blacks and mid Week Gain in
South Africa in nineteen ninety two one hundred and five
games for the All Blacks seventy nine tests, still the
fourthmost by any New Zealand Locke and now general manager
of the All Blacks Experience, the only interactive attraction in
(00:55):
the world dedicated to New Zealand rugby, located on Federal
Street in the Sky City Precinct. Who else but Carmo
Ian Jones. Nice to see you mate, Why any.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Way to hell? Have a bullut? Yeah? Welcome, Thanks very much.
Just very quickly touching.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
On the eighty five As you mentioned Robin Brook, my
boy plays techen under eighty five's guests who locks the
scum with a man called cayleer Brook, the son.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Of Robin Brook. Unbelievable, It is unbelievable. It's wonderful. They're
not as tough as me and Rob Well.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
I was going to say, how do they compare to
their you know, to the two of you.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Not a patch on us, pony, not a patch, but
they try their best. They love the game, the passionate
about the game. But we're all passionate about the game
and they're out there doing it. So now I loved
Under eighty five competition myself.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
I was going to ask you about that locking combination
with yourself and Robin Brook.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
It was just enduring.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
And you talk about great partnerships and all black s rugby,
and that was one of them. How important is the
locking combination in the you know, an effect of forward pack.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
It is absolutely a partnership like a nine ten, like
a twelve thirty, And they are partnerships.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
You have to work off each other, you have to
under stand each other's role and the great thing I
always used to be. When I was a Rob, I
knew he's always had my back.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Great footballer Robin Brook really tough, understood the game, uncompromising,
so you knew exactly what he was going to do
in his role, which allowed me to do my role
a little bit wider than that.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
But she always knew he was always going to front.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
And when you know that, when you have so much
trust and faith and the guy you're sitting beside the
changing sheds, the guy you're locking this grum with in
a Test match, there's just gold pining.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
And I always had my Rob, always had my back.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
You came into the All Blacks in nineteen eighty nine
and a very very good All Black side. It was
from the eighty seven World Cup onwards. You came into
that side as a twenty two year old. Was there
in any way daunting for you?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Ah?
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Funny enough, it wasn't. Because just had the self belief.
I wanted to be there. I felt comfortable being there.
I had really good teammates coming around me. I went
on that first tour in eighty nine Murray Pears and
go Weddam with the incumbents, stay with the Test Locks,
So I got comfortable being in that environment, but I
wanted more and my break came when Murray Pears at
(03:19):
the end of eight and nine went.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
To South Africa.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
So there's a whole there's a vacancy and the locking
for nineteen ninety. Thankfully, Griz Wiley rop So the great coach,
gave me an opportunity in nineteen ninety and then started
locking this drum with Gary Whtton. Murray Peas actually came back,
came on tour with us to France at the end
of nineteen ninety and was a great mentor for me, great.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Support for me.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
I managed to keep my test spot and went all
the way through till ninety nine, as you mentioned, but
that was a break. And when you get an opportunity
in sport, not just rugby, but in sport, and you can.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Take that opportunity to take that chance and then you
can just grow and grow and draw.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
It's always my ambition to play a test, to play
multiple tests, to play fifty tests, and just keep building
on that goal.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Setting over one hundred games for the All Black, seventy
nine of them were test matches.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
That team of the late eighties.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
A dominant team, but the team you were part of
a nineteen ninety six and ninety ninety seven you know,
utterly spectacular side. And I remember, and you will too,
the game of Athletic Park when you met Australia forty
three points to six on one of the worst Wellington
days you can imagine, but one of the best displays
of wet weather rugby ever.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
Do you recall much about that day?
Speaker 4 (04:32):
I recall the whole week, Piony, absolutely, because the whole
week it was torrential rain and waited for the whole
week and John Hart just started to come in first
year as all a black coach. We'd had a beautiful
wild up against the Summons. We knew what we were
all about. We trained outdoors because we knew and John
Hart knew these were the conditions that were about to
(04:53):
face on Saturday. So we got it into our heads
this is the way we had to play. But we
could steal back our skills in those conditions. So it's
all about mindset that John Hart, phenomenal coach, got you
into a.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Place where you knew you were so comp in your ability, your.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Teammate's ability, and how you could play, and so we
just executed. In ninety ninety six and conditions that we
in our mind were ready for.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
But that team, that team that day, I mean, goodness,
me doubt Fitzpatrick Brown, yourself and Robin Brook, Michael Jones,
Josh Cronfeld and Sinney Marshall and Mertons Little and bunts, Lomu, Wilson, Cullen.
I mean, I don't know what to say about a
team like that.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Well, it's phenomenal. A lot of it set up, of
course by Lauren Mains and nine ninety five. And although
hard work we did ninety five, John Hart came in
and just transformed who we were, just our mindset a
little bit brilliant, and we just backed each other.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
We had world class players.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
But all you had to do in that ninety six
side was your job, nothing more, nothing less. Just had
to go there, get yourself into this mindset, your job,
understand what you needed to do, execute trust in the
other fourteen we'll do, executed the same outcome as what
the outcome was.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
And that's kind of how.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
We operated nineteen ninety four France out here, the try
from the end of the Earth.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
Is that vivid in your memory for a different reason?
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Oh you know, I remember it Hurt's absolutely hurts.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
And I look back on that and with some shame
that we have bought me of all that we were
boror watching so running to the ball where we should
be standing in our position.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
We could have stopped that try.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
You know, eighty third minute of the game, a little
bit fatigued allowed the French's opportunity.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
They took the opportunity.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
But I look back and then should I could have
done so much more personally, We could have.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Stopped that, but we didn't.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
We now look back on this memory and it's phenomenal
Piney to have a home ground and the audits don't
have a home ground. We play everywhere, but our spiritual
home often.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Is referred to an Eden Park.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
And to think that we haven't lost a game at
eden Park since nineteen ninety four, fifty one test manches ago,
it's crazy. So this is why this game tonight and
every game since then, you've got to defend that fortress.
It is about mindset, It is about stamping your authority.
It is about this first ten minutes of this game,
(07:22):
to make it so the volumes and go, shit, this
is hard. There's no way we can win here. That's
exactly how we got to start this game.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
I just want to ask you about a couple of
players in the current side. Fabi and Holland is a
new addition to the side in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 5 (07:35):
What have you made of his introduction at Test Rugby?
Speaker 4 (07:37):
Love him because he's a big unit. He's a big
unit who knows how to use his size. His work
rate's phenomenal. You see big man on the ground popping
up bang into the next phase, so that's really good.
Understands his role as well, so he will pay a
little bit tighter tonight with a little bit wider. So
that's about the combination. What's my job tonight? Will Fabian
(07:57):
Holand be is saying.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
What's my role? What do you want from me?
Speaker 4 (08:00):
But what we want from him is just getting his
big body and shifting the rucks, heading plenty of rucks
and the Wallabies out, actually physically dominating the Wallabies, making
them hurt.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Okay, that's tough the Wallabies, but we can't think like that.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
We have to think that the public schoolboys and absolutely
get into them and they'll allowed to provide a bit
white to see.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
I've loved the man, so to is you say back
into the second row.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
He's sort of been used at blindside flank, you know,
three or four times this year.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
Was there something that you ever considered to move to six?
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Shit, No, you're looking at the six. Is that he
just talked about in my lineup? Is not going to
get a chance anyway. But the great thing about tuber
Viety he still has the mindset of a tight forward.
He's sinking tight, he's thinking ruthlessness, uncompromising and all of
those things, even when.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
He's playing six.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
I liked him at six, but he's still got that
mindset of getting over the ball, being negli, getting in
the face of the opposition. And yet if you can
get in the face of the opposition and put them
off their game so they stopped thinking about their role.
But what you're doing to them, that's a win for
the Allbacks the way he plays.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Yeah, brilliant general manager of the All Blacks experience. Now
it's a job you clearly absolutely love. I just love
the social media you're put up and it's always just
with such enthusiasm and energy for the All Blacks brands.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
What's the role involved and how much do you enjoy?
Speaker 4 (09:25):
All New Zealanders should be very proud of the brand
the All Blacks, but the all Backs experience, but we
call it the all Blacks experience.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
But actually for all.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Our teams in back, a mighty all Blacks phenomenal, the
black ferns which bring this amazing joy to our game.
They're different to the men, and that's good. Are the
superpower that the woman can have leading up to a
game is so different to the men. And the men,
of course are the brand itself for the All Blacks.
So we take people through this New Zealand story ready
through our rugby lens. But the connection we all have
(09:56):
to the game of rugby, whether we're players and what
that Cheersy bents to us as players and our families,
whether his fans like you Piney, what that kind of means,
the prie that.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
You get when the orbits come out or the international
is coming in.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
We want to learn a little bit of who are
the All Blacks and why are they so good? And
that's why we like to share all these secrets because
when you share, Pinty, you learn, and when we share,
it's always last year's secrets for sharing, which means while
we've got to get better and better. So take people
through the making. How do you make it all black
or black fern? By how you make an all black pinting?
Speaker 3 (10:33):
It's just that our kids love our game.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
If our kids love the game like you love the game,
and they're connected to the game or then that's a win.
Most actually won't become all blacks or blackburns, but if
they're connected, that's what we're after when we shape. We
play some games, which is great, and then phenomenally this
is amazing.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
What does it.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Feel like, Piney being an all black, all black fern
when you sit in those changing rooms, when you hear
that knock on their door, what does that mean to you?
Speaker 3 (11:01):
And that's what we try and express to the money head.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Their visitors coming through before they can with our hacker,
they walk down this tunnel. The anthems are starting to
play the crowd. They'll be the same for the willbacks tonight, Piny,
It'll be some will Blacks there tonight. Their minds will
be clear. They could not wait to get on that field.
They were born for that moment. Would there'll be other
all backs in the sheds tonight at five o'clock? Who
(11:27):
the brain is muddles the expectations the legacy that Superman
cakes some people have got on.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
They'd be a heavy cloak for others.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
And that's why I want people to experience when they
come to the Allbacks Experience, would they be a greater
the game with a clear mind or would they just
be a.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Good way we player with a muddles mind? And then
you've got to face the huckers.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
So what I'm doing because you've invited me onto the
show and I appreciate this, Piny. I want people to
jump on any of our social channels Facebook, Instagram the
All Backs Experience, predict tonight's score or the closest to
for this is a cup game I will give where
you get a chance for it, you've got to be
(12:10):
an augand we'll give them the closest winner a family
voucher to come to the or Backs Experience. But more importantly,
it's about legacy. Legacy is a really powerful word for
the All Backs.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
That's what we're about. When we have a legacy wall,
which shows you the win.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Loss and draw of every All Backs are tests. The
All Backs are played for one hundred and twenty years,
a seventy six point six percent win record, and I
want the lucky person, a lucky family who predicts the
right score for the night's game to come through Sunday
or Monday and put in.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
A black all Black sprig or say.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
No, no, no, let's stay.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
With black, and they will be part of All Black
legacy forever.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
That is damn cool.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
That is cool, all right.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
The All Blacks experience on Facebook or Instagram is where
you can make your prediction just on that legacy war.
I've had the pleasure of being there, and I could
spend two or three hours there.
Speaker 5 (13:15):
Come.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Oh, you know, I've been watching the All Black since
the mid eighties, so we're talking, you know, forty years
for me to just just you know, walk along that
wall and say and see a black sprig or see
a sprig of a different color, and remember that game
so vividly and so clearly.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Yeah. Point.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
We bring a lot of former players comes from and
take tours, which are really special because our guides are amazing.
But the former players all have a different story, a
different journey, a different connection to that to the jersey,
and I'll come through and two things happen. Will either
walk to their first test match and remember that so vividly,
(13:52):
or walk to their first loss in the All Black jersey,
and also remember that so vividly that you can talk
about those games in detail.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
It's it's incredible. And the Ladies, of course, underneath it.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
I'm made to talk with cry of our seventies six
percent wind record, the Ladies with their eighty two percent
wind record, the most successful sporting team in the world.
It's right here, our black ferns, beautiful.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Are you able to qualify how many of your visitors
are from overseas?
Speaker 4 (14:27):
Yep, sixty percent will come from overseas, all on the
cruise ships. A lot of green and cold of course
around this week. But the thing is when they come
into to the All Back Experience and a wall of
a jersey, they actually leave buying a black jersey, Piney,
and I love that.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
I bloody love that.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
And the great thing about our shop and you know,
we can't put a name on the back of an
all Black jersey because we don't own that jersey, Piney,
We're just caretakers of that jersey. But the great thing
about coming to the All Backs Experience, you can buy
a jersey with your name on it. I'll personalize it
for you, no problems, but just not the playing ones.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
We're great to put a name on the plane ones.
Speaker 5 (15:09):
All right, just to finish, because I know you've got
a busy day head.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
You got to get back to the All Blacks experience
and greet some more visitors.
Speaker 5 (15:14):
What is your gut telling you about the game this afternoon?
Speaker 4 (15:16):
Oh, we just have to win, no question about that.
Your mindset is an All Black sitting there now. Should
be no other thought. It's about what's my job? What
do I have to do for that first ten minutes?
And how ruthless can I can be?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
There should be no other thought ever coming to your mind.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
And again, like this, Pinty is overwhelming, right playing for
the All Backs for eighty minutes. So I'm sitting in
those sheds. All I'm thinking about is four ten minute
games of rugby. Bang bang bang, Get im back in
the sheds. Reset, four ten minute games of rugby, and
even you, Piney can go hard for ten minutes, I.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
Think, so.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Well, well, I'm not like you used to, but I
but putting it into bite size segments like that, what
a great idea.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Yeah, that's the way I would play it, and that's
why I'd go hard. But I'd have no other thoughts, yep,
a lot of self belief. Maybe might say arrogance as well.
But it's a fine line, poney, But I have no
other thought to go in there. We as the All Blacks,
have to physically dominate the Australians. Be really niggley with them,
(16:20):
put them off their game, don't allow them to settle
one little bit, make remind them how damn hard Testnet
rugby is.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
We get on that domination, then we can play.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Love it the All Blacks Experience on social media, get
on there. Make your prediction for tonight and it could
be you planting that spring in that I noticed. Yet
you've only bought the black, only brought the black one,
and I think that's wise.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
I only think black mate.
Speaker 5 (16:45):
Come, I' great to see you. Thanks for stuff again.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Thanks pony Ian Jones there joining us seventy nine test
at one hundred and five game All Black and gentlemen,
a job of the All Blacks Experience and the Sky
City Precincts.
Speaker 5 (16:55):
Get on their socials. Make your prediction and it could
be you.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Putting that sprig into the legacy wall to mark yet
another famous victory for the All Blacks.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
One of our greatest, our greatest lockforwards raised in Carmo
selected for North Auckland in nineteen eighty eight as a
twenty one year old toed with the eighty nine All Blacks,
made a cess debut the following year against Scotland at
Carisbrook and scored a try. From then on through until
nineteen ninety seven, pretty much an automatic selection, he and
Robin Brook forming one of the most enduring locking partnerships
(00:35):
in international rugby. Three World Cups see Captain the Chiefs,
often Captain the All Blacks and mid Week Gain in
South Africa in nineteen ninety two one hundred and five
games for the All Blacks seventy nine tests, still the
fourthmost by any New Zealand Locke and now general manager
of the All Blacks Experience, the only interactive attraction in
(00:55):
the world dedicated to New Zealand rugby, located on Federal
Street in the Sky City Precinct. Who else but Carmo
Ian Jones. Nice to see you mate, Why any.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Way to hell? Have a bullut? Yeah? Welcome, Thanks very much.
Just very quickly touching.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
On the eighty five As you mentioned Robin Brook, my
boy plays techen under eighty five's guests who locks the
scum with a man called cayleer Brook, the son.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Of Robin Brook. Unbelievable, It is unbelievable. It's wonderful. They're
not as tough as me and Rob Well.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
I was going to say, how do they compare to
their you know, to the two of you.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Not a patch on us, pony, not a patch, but
they try their best. They love the game, the passionate
about the game. But we're all passionate about the game
and they're out there doing it. So now I loved
Under eighty five competition myself.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
I was going to ask you about that locking combination
with yourself and Robin Brook.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
It was just enduring.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
And you talk about great partnerships and all black s rugby,
and that was one of them. How important is the
locking combination in the you know, an effect of forward pack.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
It is absolutely a partnership like a nine ten, like
a twelve thirty, And they are partnerships.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
You have to work off each other, you have to
under stand each other's role and the great thing I
always used to be. When I was a Rob, I
knew he's always had my back.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Great footballer Robin Brook really tough, understood the game, uncompromising,
so you knew exactly what he was going to do
in his role, which allowed me to do my role
a little bit wider than that.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
But she always knew he was always going to front.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
And when you know that, when you have so much
trust and faith and the guy you're sitting beside the
changing sheds, the guy you're locking this grum with in
a Test match, there's just gold pining.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
And I always had my Rob, always had my back.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
You came into the All Blacks in nineteen eighty nine
and a very very good All Black side. It was
from the eighty seven World Cup onwards. You came into
that side as a twenty two year old. Was there
in any way daunting for you?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Ah?
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Funny enough, it wasn't. Because just had the self belief.
I wanted to be there. I felt comfortable being there.
I had really good teammates coming around me. I went
on that first tour in eighty nine Murray Pears and
go Weddam with the incumbents, stay with the Test Locks,
So I got comfortable being in that environment, but I
wanted more and my break came when Murray Pears at
(03:19):
the end of eight and nine went.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
To South Africa.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
So there's a whole there's a vacancy and the locking
for nineteen ninety. Thankfully, Griz Wiley rop So the great coach,
gave me an opportunity in nineteen ninety and then started
locking this drum with Gary Whtton. Murray Peas actually came back,
came on tour with us to France at the end
of nineteen ninety and was a great mentor for me, great.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Support for me.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
I managed to keep my test spot and went all
the way through till ninety nine, as you mentioned, but
that was a break. And when you get an opportunity
in sport, not just rugby, but in sport, and you can.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Take that opportunity to take that chance and then you
can just grow and grow and draw.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
It's always my ambition to play a test, to play
multiple tests, to play fifty tests, and just keep building
on that goal.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Setting over one hundred games for the All Black, seventy
nine of them were test matches.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
That team of the late eighties.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
A dominant team, but the team you were part of
a nineteen ninety six and ninety ninety seven you know,
utterly spectacular side. And I remember, and you will too,
the game of Athletic Park when you met Australia forty
three points to six on one of the worst Wellington
days you can imagine, but one of the best displays
of wet weather rugby ever.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
Do you recall much about that day?
Speaker 4 (04:32):
I recall the whole week, Piony, absolutely, because the whole
week it was torrential rain and waited for the whole
week and John Hart just started to come in first
year as all a black coach. We'd had a beautiful
wild up against the Summons. We knew what we were
all about. We trained outdoors because we knew and John
Hart knew these were the conditions that were about to
(04:53):
face on Saturday. So we got it into our heads
this is the way we had to play. But we
could steal back our skills in those conditions. So it's
all about mindset that John Hart, phenomenal coach, got you
into a.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Place where you knew you were so comp in your ability, your.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Teammate's ability, and how you could play, and so we
just executed. In ninety ninety six and conditions that we
in our mind were ready for.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
But that team, that team that day, I mean, goodness,
me doubt Fitzpatrick Brown, yourself and Robin Brook, Michael Jones,
Josh Cronfeld and Sinney Marshall and Mertons Little and bunts, Lomu, Wilson, Cullen.
I mean, I don't know what to say about a
team like that.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Well, it's phenomenal. A lot of it set up, of
course by Lauren Mains and nine ninety five. And although
hard work we did ninety five, John Hart came in
and just transformed who we were, just our mindset a
little bit brilliant, and we just backed each other.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
We had world class players.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
But all you had to do in that ninety six
side was your job, nothing more, nothing less. Just had
to go there, get yourself into this mindset, your job,
understand what you needed to do, execute trust in the
other fourteen we'll do, executed the same outcome as what
the outcome was.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
And that's kind of how.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
We operated nineteen ninety four France out here, the try
from the end of the Earth.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
Is that vivid in your memory for a different reason?
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Oh you know, I remember it Hurt's absolutely hurts.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
And I look back on that and with some shame
that we have bought me of all that we were
boror watching so running to the ball where we should
be standing in our position.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
We could have stopped that try.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
You know, eighty third minute of the game, a little
bit fatigued allowed the French's opportunity.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
They took the opportunity.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
But I look back and then should I could have
done so much more personally, We could have.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Stopped that, but we didn't.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
We now look back on this memory and it's phenomenal
Piney to have a home ground and the audits don't
have a home ground. We play everywhere, but our spiritual
home often.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Is referred to an Eden Park.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
And to think that we haven't lost a game at
eden Park since nineteen ninety four, fifty one test manches ago,
it's crazy. So this is why this game tonight and
every game since then, you've got to defend that fortress.
It is about mindset, It is about stamping your authority.
It is about this first ten minutes of this game,
(07:22):
to make it so the volumes and go, shit, this
is hard. There's no way we can win here. That's
exactly how we got to start this game.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
I just want to ask you about a couple of
players in the current side. Fabi and Holland is a
new addition to the side in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 5 (07:35):
What have you made of his introduction at Test Rugby?
Speaker 4 (07:37):
Love him because he's a big unit. He's a big
unit who knows how to use his size. His work
rate's phenomenal. You see big man on the ground popping
up bang into the next phase, so that's really good.
Understands his role as well, so he will pay a
little bit tighter tonight with a little bit wider. So
that's about the combination. What's my job tonight? Will Fabian
(07:57):
Holand be is saying.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
What's my role? What do you want from me?
Speaker 4 (08:00):
But what we want from him is just getting his
big body and shifting the rucks, heading plenty of rucks
and the Wallabies out, actually physically dominating the Wallabies, making
them hurt.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Okay, that's tough the Wallabies, but we can't think like that.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
We have to think that the public schoolboys and absolutely
get into them and they'll allowed to provide a bit
white to see.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
I've loved the man, so to is you say back
into the second row.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
He's sort of been used at blindside flank, you know,
three or four times this year.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
Was there something that you ever considered to move to six?
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Shit, No, you're looking at the six. Is that he
just talked about in my lineup? Is not going to
get a chance anyway. But the great thing about tuber
Viety he still has the mindset of a tight forward.
He's sinking tight, he's thinking ruthlessness, uncompromising and all of
those things, even when.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
He's playing six.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
I liked him at six, but he's still got that
mindset of getting over the ball, being negli, getting in
the face of the opposition. And yet if you can
get in the face of the opposition and put them
off their game so they stopped thinking about their role.
But what you're doing to them, that's a win for
the Allbacks the way he plays.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Yeah, brilliant general manager of the All Blacks experience. Now
it's a job you clearly absolutely love. I just love
the social media you're put up and it's always just
with such enthusiasm and energy for the All Blacks brands.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
What's the role involved and how much do you enjoy?
Speaker 4 (09:25):
All New Zealanders should be very proud of the brand
the All Blacks, but the all Backs experience, but we
call it the all Blacks experience.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
But actually for all.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Our teams in back, a mighty all Blacks phenomenal, the
black ferns which bring this amazing joy to our game.
They're different to the men, and that's good. Are the
superpower that the woman can have leading up to a
game is so different to the men. And the men,
of course are the brand itself for the All Blacks.
So we take people through this New Zealand story ready
through our rugby lens. But the connection we all have
(09:56):
to the game of rugby, whether we're players and what
that Cheersy bents to us as players and our families,
whether his fans like you Piney, what that kind of means,
the prie that.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
You get when the orbits come out or the international
is coming in.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
We want to learn a little bit of who are
the All Blacks and why are they so good? And
that's why we like to share all these secrets because
when you share, Pinty, you learn, and when we share,
it's always last year's secrets for sharing, which means while
we've got to get better and better. So take people
through the making. How do you make it all black
or black fern? By how you make an all black pinting?
Speaker 3 (10:33):
It's just that our kids love our game.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
If our kids love the game like you love the game,
and they're connected to the game or then that's a win.
Most actually won't become all blacks or blackburns, but if
they're connected, that's what we're after when we shape. We
play some games, which is great, and then phenomenally this
is amazing.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
What does it.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Feel like, Piney being an all black, all black fern
when you sit in those changing rooms, when you hear
that knock on their door, what does that mean to you?
Speaker 3 (11:01):
And that's what we try and express to the money head.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Their visitors coming through before they can with our hacker,
they walk down this tunnel. The anthems are starting to
play the crowd. They'll be the same for the willbacks tonight, Piny,
It'll be some will Blacks there tonight. Their minds will
be clear. They could not wait to get on that field.
They were born for that moment. Would there'll be other
all backs in the sheds tonight at five o'clock? Who
(11:27):
the brain is muddles the expectations the legacy that Superman
cakes some people have got on.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
They'd be a heavy cloak for others.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
And that's why I want people to experience when they
come to the Allbacks Experience, would they be a greater
the game with a clear mind or would they just
be a.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Good way we player with a muddles mind? And then
you've got to face the huckers.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
So what I'm doing because you've invited me onto the
show and I appreciate this, Piny. I want people to
jump on any of our social channels Facebook, Instagram the
All Backs Experience, predict tonight's score or the closest to
for this is a cup game I will give where
you get a chance for it, you've got to be
(12:10):
an augand we'll give them the closest winner a family
voucher to come to the or Backs Experience. But more importantly,
it's about legacy. Legacy is a really powerful word for
the All Backs.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
That's what we're about. When we have a legacy wall,
which shows you the win.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Loss and draw of every All Backs are tests. The
All Backs are played for one hundred and twenty years,
a seventy six point six percent win record, and I
want the lucky person, a lucky family who predicts the
right score for the night's game to come through Sunday
or Monday and put in.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
A black all Black sprig or say.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
No, no, no, let's stay.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
With black, and they will be part of All Black
legacy forever.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
That is damn cool.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
That is cool, all right.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
The All Blacks experience on Facebook or Instagram is where
you can make your prediction just on that legacy war.
I've had the pleasure of being there, and I could
spend two or three hours there.
Speaker 5 (13:15):
Come.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Oh, you know, I've been watching the All Black since
the mid eighties, so we're talking, you know, forty years
for me to just just you know, walk along that
wall and say and see a black sprig or see
a sprig of a different color, and remember that game
so vividly and so clearly.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Yeah. Point.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
We bring a lot of former players comes from and
take tours, which are really special because our guides are amazing.
But the former players all have a different story, a
different journey, a different connection to that to the jersey,
and I'll come through and two things happen. Will either
walk to their first test match and remember that so vividly,
(13:52):
or walk to their first loss in the All Black jersey,
and also remember that so vividly that you can talk
about those games in detail.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
It's it's incredible. And the Ladies, of course, underneath it.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
I'm made to talk with cry of our seventies six
percent wind record, the Ladies with their eighty two percent
wind record, the most successful sporting team in the world.
It's right here, our black ferns, beautiful.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Are you able to qualify how many of your visitors
are from overseas?
Speaker 4 (14:27):
Yep, sixty percent will come from overseas, all on the
cruise ships. A lot of green and cold of course
around this week. But the thing is when they come
into to the All Back Experience and a wall of
a jersey, they actually leave buying a black jersey, Piney,
and I love that.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
I bloody love that.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
And the great thing about our shop and you know,
we can't put a name on the back of an
all Black jersey because we don't own that jersey, Piney,
We're just caretakers of that jersey. But the great thing
about coming to the All Backs Experience, you can buy
a jersey with your name on it. I'll personalize it
for you, no problems, but just not the playing ones.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
We're great to put a name on the plane ones.
Speaker 5 (15:09):
All right, just to finish, because I know you've got
a busy day head.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
You got to get back to the All Blacks experience
and greet some more visitors.
Speaker 5 (15:14):
What is your gut telling you about the game this afternoon?
Speaker 4 (15:16):
Oh, we just have to win, no question about that.
Your mindset is an All Black sitting there now. Should
be no other thought. It's about what's my job? What
do I have to do for that first ten minutes?
And how ruthless can I can be?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
There should be no other thought ever coming to your mind.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
And again, like this, Pinty is overwhelming, right playing for
the All Backs for eighty minutes. So I'm sitting in
those sheds. All I'm thinking about is four ten minute
games of rugby. Bang bang bang, Get im back in
the sheds. Reset, four ten minute games of rugby, and
even you, Piney can go hard for ten minutes, I.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
Think, so.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Well, well, I'm not like you used to, but I
but putting it into bite size segments like that, what
a great idea.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Yeah, that's the way I would play it, and that's
why I'd go hard. But I'd have no other thoughts, yep,
a lot of self belief. Maybe might say arrogance as well.
But it's a fine line, poney, But I have no
other thought to go in there. We as the All Blacks,
have to physically dominate the Australians. Be really niggley with them,
(16:20):
put them off their game, don't allow them to settle
one little bit, make remind them how damn hard Testnet
rugby is.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
We get on that domination, then we can play.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Love it the All Blacks Experience on social media, get
on there. Make your prediction for tonight and it could
be you planting that spring in that I noticed. Yet
you've only bought the black, only brought the black one,
and I think that's wise.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
I only think black mate.
Speaker 5 (16:45):
Come, I' great to see you. Thanks for stuff again.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Thanks pony Ian Jones there joining us seventy nine test
at one hundred and five game All Black and gentlemen,
a job of the All Blacks Experience and the Sky
City Precincts.
Speaker 5 (16:55):
Get on their socials. Make your prediction and it could
be you.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Putting that sprig into the legacy wall to mark yet
another famous victory for the All Blacks.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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