The All Blacks are embracing their Johannesburg welcome as they prepare to play at one of the toughest rugby venues on Sunday morning.
Several members of the playing squad and staff are on their first visit to South Africa.
New Zealand coach Scott Robertson played in the 46-40 test defeat at Ellis Park in 2000, but secured the 2017 Super title at the venue as Crusaders mentor.
SuperSport Commentator Matt Pearce joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldegrave from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Seventeen minutes after seven o Sport Breakfast here on News
Talks EBB, still focusing on the Rugby Championship fixture between
the All Blacks and South Africa Live and three three
o'clock on Sunday morning here at News Talk ZBB. We've
talked to our voice of rugby, Elliott Smith. We now
go to the South African voice of rugby, Matt Pierce,
(00:33):
supersport commentator. Think he's the South African version of Grant
and this but that's where we're at. It's nizzbo, but
his name is Matt Pearson, he joins us. Now, Matt,
welcome to the program. Oh this is as good as
it gets, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yeah, it really is that the excitement is building here
in South Africa. I think, you know, the spring Box
did have the two Test series against Ireland, which was
eagerly anticipated earlier in the year, but this is the
fortnite that everybody's been looking forward to, you know, the
replay or the repeat of the Raggie World Cup Final,
(01:09):
which was such a tightly contested affair and the rivalry continues.
You know, I was speaking to somebody yesterday saying that,
you know, back in twenty seventeen, which isn't that long ago,
you know, we had the fifty seven nil defeated North
Harbor and questions were being asked about the future of
this rivalry. But thankfully, I think for all of us,
(01:33):
what's happened and unfilled since then has been a rejuvenation
of this incredible rivalry.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
And the anticipation is massive for this game.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
A player that's been carrying the weight since that World
Cup Final art of being sent off, Sam Kin, He's
back his first game since then. He's playing on the
open side. Talk to us about what sam Kin brings
to this encounter.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Well, I think he always brings something special to Springbok matches.
I've got to know Sam over the years, spoken to
him a lot in interviews, and you know, off the record,
this is the fixture that he cherishes most. And I
think if you look back to the last time the
All Blacks were in South Africa, they took quite a
(02:20):
beating up at Nel Spratt Wambla Stadium, but the response
the following week was emphatic and Sam, you know, was
at the point of that response. I expect a massive
game from him, you know, I'm not surprised that he's
(02:40):
starting to be honest, we're hearing that Dalton PAPALII actually
has got a bit of an injury anyway and might
not have been considered at all. But it doesn't surprise
me the selection. I think to have him there as
a support for Scottie Barrett and with all the experience
(03:02):
he has of playing in South Africa, he'll vital cog
in the machine.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Is there any weakness within the Southabgan squad that the
or Blacks may be able to exploit? When you look
across the team, do you think actually hold on there's
an area possibly where they might not be as strong.
Does that exist?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Look, there's been a bit of a cloud over the
lock position in recent weeks and you would have heard
that Ivan Etzabeth was included on the bench. So the
way the Springboks work is if you can't train on
a Monday, then you can't play on a Saturday and
on Sunday. When they were in Johannesburg, the doctor didn't
(03:44):
believe that Ibin would be able to train on Monday,
so when they revealed the team for Saturday to the
squad members on Monday morning, Ibin wasn't part of it
and he then went to training on Monday and put
in a full shift. So when Rassi Rasmus announced his
team publicly on Tuesday, he explained that, you know, Yeben
(04:07):
hasn't been named, but if he does come through three
full training sessions Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, then he would be included,
and they confirmed that yesterday or be it on the bench.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
So Peter Steph to Toy is starting at.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Four, a Jersey number he's never played in before for
the spring Box and alongside Ruin Norque who's playing just
his third Test match. Then you've got ben Jason Dixon
in the number seven, which would usually be worn by
Peter Steph to Toy. Obviously seven is blind side here
in South Africa. Now, Ruin had a very good Test
(04:40):
in Perth in difficult conditions, just his second Test match.
Ben Jason Dixon absolutely outstanding at seven in Brisbane.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
But these are you know, their Test rugby rookies.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
So you're without Franco Mostrich, without Archazneman, without lut Diyaka,
without Salman Murrat so four high quality locks not available
for selection at the moment and also unclan there's a
fifth one, so that is a little bit of a concern.
But the rest of the team looks pretty settled to
(05:14):
be honest. And maybe the only big selection choice was
did they start with Andre Pollard or Sasha funded Gomezulu
at ten? And you know, Sasha had a fabulous test
match in Brisbane in the number ten and you know,
not a great outing in Perth in very very tricky conditions,
also with a rookie scrum half as his half back partner.
(05:36):
But I think that's then the right decision. Let him
get back on the horse in beautiful conditions. The weather's
going to be fantastic on Saturday, and he's the kind
of player who will respond well to being backed against
the all Blacks.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
What about all blacks weaknesses? You must have picked that
one apart Matt Pierce when you've been building up for
this game. Where do they have a problem.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
If so, you know, it's interesting, you know, talk about
Sasha as the new Springbok ten. You know Damion mackenzie
surely this is going to be his biggest test at
number ten. You know, two tight test matches against England
at home and then a fantastic response at Eden Park
after and if he's showing against Argentina and Wellington. But
(06:22):
this has to rank as the biggest test of dmax
career at fly half and trying to bed down the
successor to Richie Muwanga in that shirt. Let's see what
happens at scrum time. I would say that the Springboks
(06:43):
are marginally weakened, no disrespect to Peter Steph and Ruin Nokia,
but this is a new combination in the front five.
But generally speaking that Springbok type five has gone exceptionally
well for the last few years. Now you know they
have a quality on the bench in the front row.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
But then so to do the All Blacks.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
If you look at that front row bench for the
All Blacks, there's not a lot of weakness there either.
So I think the set peace battle is going to
be great. But if I had to pick an area
which is going to be the making or breaking, I
would think it would be how Damien mackenzie goes at ten.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk. Se'd be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldegrave from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Seventeen minutes after seven o Sport Breakfast here on News
Talks EBB, still focusing on the Rugby Championship fixture between
the All Blacks and South Africa Live and three three
o'clock on Sunday morning here at News Talk ZBB. We've
talked to our voice of rugby, Elliott Smith. We now
go to the South African voice of rugby, Matt Pierce,
(00:33):
supersport commentator. Think he's the South African version of Grant
and this but that's where we're at. It's nizzbo, but
his name is Matt Pearson, he joins us. Now, Matt,
welcome to the program. Oh this is as good as
it gets, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yeah, it really is that the excitement is building here
in South Africa. I think, you know, the spring Box
did have the two Test series against Ireland, which was
eagerly anticipated earlier in the year, but this is the
fortnite that everybody's been looking forward to, you know, the
replay or the repeat of the Raggie World Cup Final,
(01:09):
which was such a tightly contested affair and the rivalry continues.
You know, I was speaking to somebody yesterday saying that,
you know, back in twenty seventeen, which isn't that long ago,
you know, we had the fifty seven nil defeated North
Harbor and questions were being asked about the future of
this rivalry. But thankfully, I think for all of us,
(01:33):
what's happened and unfilled since then has been a rejuvenation
of this incredible rivalry.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
And the anticipation is massive for this game.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
A player that's been carrying the weight since that World
Cup Final art of being sent off, Sam Kin, He's
back his first game since then. He's playing on the
open side. Talk to us about what sam Kin brings
to this encounter.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Well, I think he always brings something special to Springbok matches.
I've got to know Sam over the years, spoken to
him a lot in interviews, and you know, off the record,
this is the fixture that he cherishes most. And I
think if you look back to the last time the
All Blacks were in South Africa, they took quite a
(02:20):
beating up at Nel Spratt Wambla Stadium, but the response
the following week was emphatic and Sam, you know, was
at the point of that response. I expect a massive
game from him, you know, I'm not surprised that he's
(02:40):
starting to be honest, we're hearing that Dalton PAPALII actually
has got a bit of an injury anyway and might
not have been considered at all. But it doesn't surprise
me the selection. I think to have him there as
a support for Scottie Barrett and with all the experience
(03:02):
he has of playing in South Africa, he'll vital cog
in the machine.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Is there any weakness within the Southabgan squad that the
or Blacks may be able to exploit? When you look
across the team, do you think actually hold on there's
an area possibly where they might not be as strong.
Does that exist?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Look, there's been a bit of a cloud over the
lock position in recent weeks and you would have heard
that Ivan Etzabeth was included on the bench. So the
way the Springboks work is if you can't train on
a Monday, then you can't play on a Saturday and
on Sunday. When they were in Johannesburg, the doctor didn't
(03:44):
believe that Ibin would be able to train on Monday,
so when they revealed the team for Saturday to the
squad members on Monday morning, Ibin wasn't part of it
and he then went to training on Monday and put
in a full shift. So when Rassi Rasmus announced his
team publicly on Tuesday, he explained that, you know, Yeben
(04:07):
hasn't been named, but if he does come through three
full training sessions Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, then he would be included,
and they confirmed that yesterday or be it on the bench.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
So Peter Steph to Toy is starting at.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Four, a Jersey number he's never played in before for
the spring Box and alongside Ruin Norque who's playing just
his third Test match. Then you've got ben Jason Dixon
in the number seven, which would usually be worn by
Peter Steph to Toy. Obviously seven is blind side here
in South Africa. Now, Ruin had a very good Test
(04:40):
in Perth in difficult conditions, just his second Test match.
Ben Jason Dixon absolutely outstanding at seven in Brisbane.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
But these are you know, their Test rugby rookies.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
So you're without Franco Mostrich, without Archazneman, without lut Diyaka,
without Salman Murrat so four high quality locks not available
for selection at the moment and also unclan there's a
fifth one, so that is a little bit of a concern.
But the rest of the team looks pretty settled to
(05:14):
be honest. And maybe the only big selection choice was
did they start with Andre Pollard or Sasha funded Gomezulu
at ten? And you know, Sasha had a fabulous test
match in Brisbane in the number ten and you know,
not a great outing in Perth in very very tricky conditions,
also with a rookie scrum half as his half back partner.
(05:36):
But I think that's then the right decision. Let him
get back on the horse in beautiful conditions. The weather's
going to be fantastic on Saturday, and he's the kind
of player who will respond well to being backed against
the all Blacks.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
What about all blacks weaknesses? You must have picked that
one apart Matt Pierce when you've been building up for
this game. Where do they have a problem.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
If so, you know, it's interesting, you know, talk about
Sasha as the new Springbok ten. You know Damion mackenzie
surely this is going to be his biggest test at
number ten. You know, two tight test matches against England
at home and then a fantastic response at Eden Park
after and if he's showing against Argentina and Wellington. But
(06:22):
this has to rank as the biggest test of dmax
career at fly half and trying to bed down the
successor to Richie Muwanga in that shirt. Let's see what
happens at scrum time. I would say that the Springboks
(06:43):
are marginally weakened, no disrespect to Peter Steph and Ruin Nokia,
but this is a new combination in the front five.
But generally speaking that Springbok type five has gone exceptionally
well for the last few years. Now you know they
have a quality on the bench in the front row.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
But then so to do the All Blacks.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
If you look at that front row bench for the
All Blacks, there's not a lot of weakness there either.
So I think the set peace battle is going to
be great. But if I had to pick an area
which is going to be the making or breaking, I
would think it would be how Damien mackenzie goes at ten.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk. Se'd be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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