Griffin Neame: Kiwi prop previews the Pacific Championship clash against Tonga

Tonga's looking to overcome the effects of a mini-break in tonight's Pacific Championships clash against New Zealand at Mt Smart. 

After a strong build-up in Brisbane, Tonga lost to Australia before disbanding while the Kangaroos beat the Kiwis in Christchurch. 

Kiwi Prop Griffin Neame catches up with D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Dancy
Wildegrave from News talks'b.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Massive test match coming up tonight for the Keiwe's as
they take on Tongua. We're joined now by Griffin that Nim,
one of the great big raging forwards from Kiwi's Morning
to you, Griffin, I trust you well and just a tad.

Speaker 3 (00:24):
Excited thanks having me pump for tonight here.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well, you should be. And when you look at the
opposition and you look at what you pulled out a
last week, there's a lot to be made up here.
You guys have got a lot a lot on your play,
haven't you.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 4 (00:38):
They're a good team and they're a big team, and
yeah we went to our best last week, so we've
got a lot of work to do with I guess
we're a good preplast week.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
And I guess, putting it out there tonight.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
What do you need to eradicate from your game out
of that game last week in the particular sections, particular
parts of the game. No, that's not good enough, that's
not right.

Speaker 4 (01:00):
Yeah, Well we're all talented players, but I just I
guess the connection between each of us were only spent
the week to give before that game, and you know,
we've had another whole week and we've been able to
review that and I guess we work on that at
training and yeah, I guess we all felt way more
connected at training and that will help us a lot tonight.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
I love the way you tell us that you guys
are good players. You don't get that inherent confidence much
in New Zealand Sportsman. This is great to hear, Griffin.
I like that that's what we need to be, like
confident and what you can bring and how good you
actually are.

Speaker 3 (01:34):
Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 4 (01:35):
I guess when I'm playing my best foot, it's when
I'm most confident about myself. So I guess all of
us sort of need to realize that. You know, we're
the best of the best and best in New Zealand,
and now that's the reason we're here. We get told
that's the reason we're here. So yeah, we just had
to go out there and perform.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Is that a bit of an Aussie attitude running off
on you spending all their time way out north?

Speaker 3 (01:56):
Yeah, but there for a few years now and a place.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
I've always wanted to visit. But it's about ten thousand
miles from anywhere, so I don't think I'll ever get
up there, but the time you spend up they're really
shaped as a player at North Queensland yet.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Uh yeah, yeah, definitely.

Speaker 4 (02:11):
I think I've learned a lot being up there, and
there's some quality players up there, like Jason Rubes and
Hessy in the middle there and or even Jordan McLean.
I've helped me a lot over the years, and yeah,
I definitely wouldn't be the player I am today if
I didn't go there.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
How's Stacy Jones got? Griffin is our guest by the
way out of the key with how Stacy working this?
Because his Name'slute, he's the general. He's one of the
greatest players where he ever had. He's done a bit
of coaching off and on, but now he's got the
big job. How's that working for him? I think he's settled,
he's comfortable.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
Yeah, No, he's been good.

Speaker 4 (02:43):
You know, he's a really relaxed fellow and you know
he's been He's been good for us.

Speaker 3 (02:48):
He's not too intense. He's nice and relaxed.

Speaker 4 (02:50):
But when he gives us a message, he yah, he
gives it to us nice and clear and you know,
lets us know what he wants. And yeah, I've really enjoyed,
you know, the last week, two weeks under him. It's
been pretty cool, especially since he's the general, he's the
he's the mans.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
It's been pretty cool.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
This this game against Tongue, I've got to ask, have
you played Tongue of before?

Speaker 3 (03:13):
No?

Speaker 4 (03:14):
I haven't, so since I've heard stories about, you know,
the atmosphere and the fans, it's gonna be it's gonna
be a lowed one, but you know, I'm looking forward
to that, yeah, experience.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
I told my little girl to a Tongue Que match
a few years back, and she's not another game of rugby, Dad,
I'm not interested. She does league for a start, but
you've never seen anything like this. And we walked into
the ground and she just about died. The energy, the flags,
the crowd, the singing, the noise, it's overpowering. You've got
a way to block that out.

Speaker 3 (03:43):
Ererick and Riven No, I like that.

Speaker 4 (03:47):
I think I like the big crowds. So I'm sort
of just gonna try and soak it in. You know,
it's sort of a one in a lifetime experience. From
what I've heard. And yeah, I guess I'm I'm more
looking forward to experiencing it than more nervous. So yeah,
that would be pretty cool.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
So should you guys roll tong?

Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (04:06):
They come up in the final against Australia, had a
week off. You guys have been you guys have been
scammed by the way things have been set up. Are
you a bit irritated by the way the schedules working? Ah?

Speaker 4 (04:19):
No, I haven't really looked into it too much. I'm
sort of looking forward to this game this weekend, well tonight.
If we win, we'll play Australia, but I'm not going
to worry about that until after the game tonight. Our
full focuses will be just be beaten Tom hopefully.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
And experience at Mount Smart if you played their much
at go Media Stadium.

Speaker 4 (04:41):
I've actually never played there. Yeah, I think the game
we played against Warriors there last year, I was injured
and we've we've only played Warriors at home, so the
four years I've been playing, we've only had one game
over there and I was injured, so I missed out.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
This is going to be quite the experience for it.
It's a great place to watch football and it's a
great place to because I don't even play there. I'm
not good enough. And with the tongue and crowd and
of course the Kiwi fan base, you are going to
have a cracker of a night. Griffin, and thanks very
much for joining us here at Newstalks EB.

Speaker 3 (05:16):
And thanks having me looking forward tonight.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
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