Eloise Blackwell: Auckland Storm captain ahead of their Farah Palmer Cup match against the Volcanix

Auckland Storm captain Eloise Blackwell has said their match against Bay of Plenty in the Farah Palmer Cup this morning is essentially a must win. 

The Storm are in need of points against the Volcanix in Tauranga after losing the last two on the trot - which Blackwell says the team's acknowledged. 

D'Arcy catches up with Eloise ahead of their 150th first-class game.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Dancy
Wildegrave from News Talk SEDB, and.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
It's very good morning to Alabi's Blackwell. As we looked
toward the Auckland storm in the FPC, trying to pick
up the pieces from the last two weeks, Eloise, it
started off well in the competition. What's happened in the
last two weeks. You've just been blown off the park.
I'm sorry to be so abrupt about this, but that's
that's all I can say.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
It's fair, right, yeah, good morning, definitely fair to say
that first one, that first major loss, agaves Wykaso. I
think half the team still stayed on the bus from
the trip down and didn't quite make it off. But
we try to rectify things last week and I think
we made good steps in the right direction, but unfortunately
we just failed to exit and plan the right parts

(00:55):
of the fields. And yeah, we're hoping again, as I
just said, to rectify things this weekend because we can't
have we don't really have any more second chances. It's
still die now.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
Like pulling apart that performance from last week would have
been Was it distressing or was it actually required? And
you learned to weave it out of that process, because
there's never good looking back at tapes like that, is it.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Yeah, we always we always need to learn so that
like next week, we can be better. And I think
what the frustrating piece was is that if you looked
at all the stats, we were ahead on everything. So
I guess what that tells me is that it was
it comes down to us and our performance and how
we executed things. But we've got We did suffer some

(01:41):
really major injuries last week too. I'm not looking for
excuses or anything, but we lost some key people in
key areas. So this week it's a new opportunity. We've
got i think four deputantes and maybe four other people
who are starting for the first time for the team.
So it's yeah, it's a rebuilding week for us, but

(02:02):
again really positive looking forward to today's game.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
Counties hardly came down to the last shower and they
haven't been beaten through five games yet, so it's not
an embarrassment to do that now, is it. And now
you're playing the Volcanics are They're locked at four and
two like yourself and Canterbury, So this tussle in the
middle the things are really getting going now, aren't they.
What puts you above the Volcanics as a storm play.

(02:26):
Where do you think you've got the advantage?

Speaker 3 (02:29):
I'd probably have to say I think our advantage is
in our pack. If you look across that front row,
we've got Shay Tullyfuhley, Cristo tofa Aldri Turnu like season campaigners,
two Black former Black, one current Black Fern, one former
Black Fern, and one future Black Fern. So I think

(02:50):
it needs to be a big shift, especially up front,
but along with the rest of the pack, I think
that's where we're gonna see a lot of dominance and
where we can really take it to This Volcanics team took.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Us through the debutantes and what they're going to experience
and what you've shared with them over the week in
the build up to this match.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
Yeah, we've got four deputants. They're really young. I think
three out of the four are still in high school.
So yeah, our team is so young this week. There's
a lot of players who all sit under the age
of twenty. The oldest in the back line at the
moment is twenty three years old, so a very young team.

(03:30):
The one deputante starting for US is Processing and she's
an awesome up and coming player. She's played I played
club with her, and she's an exciting talent. She's fast,
she's got good vision. So the pretty much what I've
said to these girls is that you just got to
back yourself. You know, when they're confident they play rugby,

(03:51):
they do really well. But if they go into their shell,
then it's going to be a hard day at the
office for us.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Do you put your teacher's hat on when you're talking
to these young ones, because you know some of them
could still be in your class, couldn't they?

Speaker 3 (04:02):
Yeah, they sure could be. Well some I do. This
new generation of players, they're very different. So it's just
about figuring out what's right for that particular athlete. And
I'm still learning because you know, back when I first started,
how we were told was we were yelled at, and
you were yelled at if you're in the wrong place.

(04:23):
But nowadays you certainly can't yell at these young people.
So yeah, it's just about figuring out what works right
for each of those individuals, which is quite difficult to
get it right for everyone.

Speaker 2 (04:33):
You might tell me, but I'll ask Anyway, where are
the holes in the Volcanics? Where can you pull them apart?

Speaker 3 (04:38):
Do you think, Eloise, I'd probably have to say in
the Fords. That's where I've done most of my analysis.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
You love the pack, I mean you're in it, sure,
but it's always about the Fords a back line and
I hate you for this. You're supposed to be the
skipper and representing everybody.

Speaker 3 (04:53):
Come on, well, they've got some quality in their back line,
so I think that's going to be if we can
nail our set piece and allow our backs to launch
from good set piece, then if our wingers get ball
in hand, it's going to be pretty dangerous for the Volcanics.
So yeah, I think they will be looking to shut
down our outside backs and we're looking to unleash them.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, that's a cut them off of the pass, if
you will. And one last thing, Alouise, and thanks so
much for joining as always, one hundred and fifty first
class matches.

Speaker 3 (05:24):
Wawser, I know it feels like it was just yesterday
in my mind, but my body is definitely telling me
it's not yesterday. So yeah, I'm enjoying my rugby and
I'm just gonna keep going I didn't even know this
was happening until it got named in our team naming
last night. So yeah, it's pretty new, pretty fresh. But nah,

(05:45):
I'm It's always a privilege to run out for my
region and I'm just lucky I'm still able to do it.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
Absolutely get amongst eleven thirty five totaling a domain by
plenty of volcanics hosting the Auckland that Storm, both teams,
even Stevens right now, moving time. Eloise, congratulations on one
hundred and fifty and for hanging isn't there? Thanks very
much for joining us on ZB. Always a pleasure, Thank you,
thank you for having me.

Speaker 1 (06:10):
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