Elliott Smith: Newstalk ZB Rugby Journalist ahead of the All Blacks' clash against Italy

No let up from the All Blacks with a summer break in sight. 

That's the view of captain Scott Barrett after coach Scott Robertson stuck with a largely full-strength side for Sunday's final test of the year against Italy in Turin. 

Barrett says they're determined to finish the season on a high. 

There's five changes to the run on side - four of which are due to injury returnees and absentees. 

Sam Cane and Mark Tele'a return from injuries, while Anton Lienert-Brown and Ethan de Groot are in for the sidelined Jordie Barrett and Tamaiti Williams. 

Elliott Smith joined D'Arcy Waldegrave live from Turin ahead of the big dance.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldegrave from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
But joined now in the All Sport Breakfast by Elliott Smith.
Good evening, good morning, good afternoon. Moreever you are, Elliott,
Welcome to the show.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
Chile, Darcy. Good to catch up.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
As always, right, this is it. It's the end of
a pretty long line for you. A lot of traveling,
a lot of unpacking and yet one final call. It's
on tomorrow morning, teen past nine at New Zealand's time
to go out with a bang. And from what I've
seen to this team that's been named, that's exactly what
the All Blacks plan on doing as well.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Absolutely, Look, this is a team that I don't think
many expected. Scott Robinson dropped a couple of pens and
said they were going to select the best team for Italy.
We still expected to be more changes than what he's
put out, but it feels like the All Blacks are
trying to end the year on a high and really
have their have the ability to hang the head on

(01:02):
something going into summer. In terms of a performance, I
think had they won last week, they probably would have
made a few more changes, but they get the sense
that they don't want to head into summer with two
performances that they're not happy with, So this is why
they put out their strongest team. Well, you're not going
to learn particularly too much. I don't think about a
lot of these players tomorrow night compared to maybe seeing

(01:26):
some of those other players outside the usual twenty three
come in. But this is the twenty three that Scott
Robertson believes is the best that he's got at his
disposal at the moment, barring injury. And you're going to
roll out against Italy and hopefully from an all Blacks perspective,
head into summer on a high.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, statement of intent. And you can say you won't
learn much against what is let's face that the Italians
are always weak. But in saying that, to roll some
new guys in too give them experience in a Test Jersey,
what would they learn as well? Is it maybe better
to do this and go tah before you leave, because
it's a good, unrealistic opinion of what Test rugby actually

(02:05):
is playing your challenge. I'm being so mean about the moment, Eliott.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
Look, I think we go back to last year and
you look at that per Woman's the All Blacks one
ninety six seventeen. They've never beaten the All Blacks. I
don't believe this battalion team is capable of doing so
in all honesty, and the All Blacks with even a
second string team from their thirty six thirty seven players
that are over here should still be good enough. And

(02:29):
I think from an All Blacks perspective, you get very
few opportunities to learn about players on the job. We
sawt suffered a more, learned a lot about him against
Ireland and the steps forward that he took. Their players,
learned a bit about you know, playing in Japan and
you know at the start of the tour. But these
opportunities are not very often in test rapy do you

(02:51):
get opportunities to mix and match a little bit, not
sending out a complete be team, but mix and match.
And I'm surprised the All Blacks haven't done it. This
is opportunity potentially to have learned a bit more about
Ruben loves seven, Peter Fitter maybe at ten, some other
changes aside from that. So you've got the All Blacks
calendar next year fairly stacked. And if you're going to
build some depth and key positions. There's not many opportunities

(03:15):
to do that in theory next year, so I felt
this was an opportunity to do so. But I think
you look at the All Blacks and go they want
to end the season on a high. They want to
make sure that their lasting memory isn't a couple of
bumps at the end of twenty twenty four at Started
de France last weekend at Alion Stadium tomorrow night. So
from pure optics and vibe perspective, I know why the

(03:37):
All Blacks have done it.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
Elliot Smith, I don't expect the Italians are terrified but
also very pleased that they are actually getting a crack
at a fully fleeced All Black side that shows respects
doesn't I'm sure that.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
Enjoy that absolutely. Look it does show respect and it's
not very often that they based pure All Blacks a
side in action. World Cup last year would be one
of those occasions. And outside of the World Cups that
has been coaches have mixed and matched against the Italian
So for them, this is a key opportunity. For a

(04:11):
lot of these players that are sprinkled around Italian rugby
by and large, there's a few in the UK and
then France and various things, but a big chance to
learn about themselves. And you know, they're a team that
is learning about test rugby under a new coach, similar
to the All Blacks this year, Gonzola Castata coming in
and replacing Karen Crowley after last year's World Cup. So

(04:34):
it's a new side for them as well. Chance to
find out a bit more about themselves and test themselves
against one of the top three teams in the world.
So from an Italian perspective they'll be rubbing their hands
with glee and going, well, this is a chance to
test ourselves against the key players and most of the
Or Black positions.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
Will it be required for the players to wear elbow
pads and knee pads because they are, after all playing
on concrete.

Speaker 3 (04:58):
They are playing on concrete. I'm assured that the Alian Stadium,
the home of the Events Football Club, does have some
strong hitting in there which we require both on underneath
the turf and around the stands tomorrow night, given it's
going to be around minus one, if not colder, to
kickoff at ten past nine local time, so look, it's

(05:21):
going to be a frosty one and you know some
of these players and this All Black team, Darcy will
be more used to those conditions than others, the ones
that play in the bottom half of the South Island
in particular. But it is going to be buy. I
think it is going to be cold, and that's another
thing that you All Black has to deal with as
they look to end this campaign on a high. It
looks there's not going to be any snow. We've had

(05:43):
that last night. It's not going to be rained, It's
going to be relatively dry, but it is going to
be cold. And looking at some of those players today
wearing beanies and tracksuits and various other things at training,
they're feeling the cold. And I'm sure if I kickoff
tomorrow night, they'll be well aware just how freezing Churing
can get.

Speaker 2 (06:00):
Does eathing to greet? Remember how to push Let's hope.

Speaker 3 (06:03):
So it's been a while. Last played for Southland in
the NDC what six seven weeks ago, I think it
was now, So it's been a while. He's hungry for
his opportunity, you know. I asked the question to Scott
robertson twenty four thirty hours ago now and he's had
always ready, He's done double training sessions. He has absolutely

(06:24):
looked to make up for the indiscretion that saw him
stood down and then the fact he was overlooked for
a couple of weeks straight after that. I think there's
a sense of Eathan that he's got a point to
prove as he heads into the final test of the year.
Who knows if he would have impactive to Mighty Williams
hadn't had a neck issue as well, so he may
not have got this opportunity. So for someone like Ethan

(06:45):
that grew, he'll be absolutely fizzing to get to ten
past nine tomorrow night and get on the park and
remind people what he can do both of a scrummer
but around the parks of bill Blacks and just give
the selectors and coaches something to think about at the
beach over the twenty twenty four to twenty five summer.

Speaker 1 (07:05):
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