Elliott Smith: ZB rugby commentator on the All Blacks beating Australia 33-13 at Sky Stadium

The curse in the Capital has been lifted, with the All Blacks going on to triumph 33-13 against the Wallabies at Sky Stadium.

The five-tries-to-one victory leaves New Zealand with a six-win, three-loss record in Robertson's first year.

Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Elliott Smith says it was a 'dominant' performance by the All Blacks - but there's still room for improvement.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
EDB Your Ride to The All Blacks ended their Wellington
drought last night with a thirty three to thirteen win
over the Wallabies, bringing the Rugby Championship to a close.
Elliott Smith was our man on the ground making the call.
Here we go right the buck.

Speaker 3 (00:27):
Fine's McKenzie text it over the touch line, the Capital
pair of things and.

Speaker 4 (00:33):
The All Blacks.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
When Sampagne's one hundreds it's final on home soil. TJ
Peninaa's final on home soil thirty three thirteen over the
Wallabies at Sky Stadium.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
There he is and Elliott joins me.

Speaker 4 (00:48):
Now, good morning, Elliott, Good morning, Francisca.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
I said thirty four to twenty in the family sweep steak.
I was pretty close, but yeah, I think it was.
I haven't seen any money yet though, but the All
Blacks will be very pleased with this score.

Speaker 4 (01:05):
They will be year. Look, it was entirely perfect, but
it was dominant. I think the All Blacks wanted that.
They didn't allow the Wallabies really back into the game
once they took the lead just on half time and
they had to earn it. The Wallabies came out in
the early stages of the first half and really put
some pressure on the All Blacks. Could well have been

(01:25):
fourteen mil up if the try gets grounded early in
the first spell when it went into the All Blacks
end goal when Voten Barretts went past them, so the
Wallabies could have been up fourteen nil. They wound and
the All Blacks they got themselves into the game, took
the lead on half time with a big decision not
to take the shot at goal but instead go for
the hitch shot has got Barrett caught at postmatch last night,

(01:47):
and take the lead nineteen thirteen into the break, and
then came out after half time knowing they hadn't scored
points in the closing twenty minutes of a match in
the Rugby Championship to this point. They had a couple
more in the second spell and didn't really allow Australia
back into the game, maybe barring the last of five
to ten minutes all thereabouts in Australia put on some pressure,
but the game was done by that point and the

(02:09):
All Blacks are pretty happy with that, realizing that they
can still be better, but it was a dominant performance,
if not entirely clinical.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
The difference or maybe the improvements that I saw was
that the All Blacks were a lot more patient with
the ball and discipline seemed to be better into control absolutely.

Speaker 4 (02:25):
Look, they didn't try to score on first phase, second phase.
They were willing to build some pressure and spend time
in the twenty two and believe that if they spend
time in the twenty two then Australia would concede penalties
or eventually the dam would break and to be able
to score points, you know, and slip through that Australian defense.
And I think that was the key, having the trust

(02:46):
that they don't need to score from white out, they
can put some pressure on the twenty two and get
there their points that way was a big step forward
for the All Blacks. Discipline got better as the game
went toital bit came of Clarke's lake yellow cards. I
think at half time they'd considered eight penalties to four.
That got better as the second half went on. Australia

(03:08):
can set it a few more and it evens up,
so they soaked up pressure. I think you look at
that first half and Australia made fifty tackles roughly and
the All Blacks had made one hundred. By full time,
both sides had made in the vicinity of one hundred
and seventy, so it forced Australia to make in one
hundred and twenty second half tackles and put some pressure
on that way. So discipline, I think colorles and did

(03:31):
say postmatch still a something they're working on and they
need to get it right with those tests to come
up in the Northern Hemisphere. But he was pleased with
a step forward last night.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yeah. How would you sum up the All Blacks Rugby Championship?
Do you think that Razor has a good idea now?
Who is starting fifteen ers?

Speaker 4 (03:46):
I think so, Yeah. I think it's all coming together
a bit more maybe than at the start of the championship.
And you know, the lessons have been learned in South Africa.
We've seen some players come in, you know, Wallas and
CD's now had three starts at blind side flanker after
Ethan Blackett had got injured and he's been probably one
of the All Blacks best on those three k He

(04:07):
is no longer promising, he's delivering and it's special to
see him in there, Tupo y again and the second
row is coming and taking this chance with Patrick toy
for Lotsu out injured and some of those other changes
as well. Will Jordan had his best test fullback last night,
so it looks like he will stick in that position

(04:28):
and the long term still a question mark though at
ten with Voden Barrack getting his food started a couple
of years in that position last night and Damian McKenzie
coming off the bench, so I think that's a live conversation.
Is the All Black head to their five tiests on
the end of the year tour just around who the
first choice ten is, but you're beginning to see some
of the parts fall into place around it. The word

(04:49):
trending in the right direction. The words trending in the
right direction Philly had been used by the All Blacks
and after that tough tour of South Africa, it hasn't
always been perfect for the All Blacks in the last
few weeks, but there's the settings internally that they are
hitting in the right direction as they contemplate these five
tests on the interview tours.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
Thank you so much, Elliott, appreciate your thoughts. This morning.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
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