March 21, 2025 • 6 mins
The Blues are adamant they're making strides forward as they look to resurrect their Super Rugby title defence against the Crusaders at Eden Park tonight.
The 2024 champs sit ninth on the ladder with one win from five games, having lost their last two to the Brumbies and Chiefs by a single point.
Angus Ta'avao joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview this evening's clash at the 'Garden of Eden'.
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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
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB seven.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I've been talking to this blake for way too long.
I don't know when we first crossed paths interview wise
in rugby, but it's been a while. When he joins
us now he's a prop out of the Blues. His
name is Angus tarv Angus. Good morning and a big
happy birthday, I believe.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Oh jeers, Darcy. I've had a nice little coffee or
breakfast of the family. I'm thirty five today.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
It's scary.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
I've only got twenty years on you, mate, trust me,
it gets a lot better. Once someone stops tackling you.
You're going to really enjoy the rest of your life.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
I've talked ab him a little bit and he his
outlook on life is pretty good after retiring. So there's
still a little bit of rugby to play, mate, But
there's there's well I don't know i'd said green of pastures,
but there's different pastures, not not in the too distant future.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
I think I know where you're up. So you're going
to go back to Laurie're going to come and try
and steal our broadcasting jobs. I know how you operate.
I've been watching you.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Slavery as a snake, mate.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
There's no money in broadcasting, angers lot. Let's get away
and from what we should be focusing on. When we
talk about big games of rugby. Doesn't get any bigger
than this. You guys are not out by any stretched
the imagination of super rugby. You had that painful one
point loss against the old enemy, the Chiefs last week.
Now you've got the Crusaders. It looks like a grown
another couple of legs over the weekend. You really need this,
(01:31):
don't you. Is that the understatement of the day?
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Angers? Oh mate, it's what I say.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
You know. It doesn't get any any easier in the
way that they put on that performance on the weekend.
Was it mecha spring of top five? Try Severy's got three?
The forward set them up? There was if you were
just an average punter watching a game of footy, it
was it was a nice game to watch, and then
you flick to our game on Saturday night and oh mate,
that was a tough way to finish physical fast, close
(01:59):
to test match fuddy against a good Chief side who
obviously sitting the standard. But yeah, I mean, we get
opportunity tonight against a good Red army in the Crusaders,
which we've always had great battles, and we just need
to get back on the horse where we're looking to
get a win.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
I just wind the clock back to that Chiefs game though.
That was superb. As much as watching Canterbury run away
or the Crusaders excuse me run away at the end,
it didn't have the intensity that Blues Chiefs game. You
mentioned Test match rugby. That s what it felt like
and nobody, nobody sagged. It went right to the very
end and then some That was a sensational game to watch.
(02:36):
Must have absolutely bugget you guys playing in it though.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Oh January, that first half I was there was some
demons hanging around me.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
It was.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
It was a s get up from a scram and
just telling my body you got to move, you got
to keep going, keep working.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
But yeah, it was it was. I mean, it was
all facets of the game.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
The scrum was intense, there was mouls, there was trick plays,
there was cacs, there was line breaks.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
I suppose in terms of footing and watching.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
It, it was definitely a game that had a bit
of everything. And at a pretty good high level.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Very high level, and that's been the competition right the
way through, and I think think that every week the
media especially going how is this carrying on? I thought
the first couple of rounds, yep, it's fresher to start,
things will go back to type. But it hasn't stopped, Angus.
It's just been intense, every game so close right the
way through. What do you put that down to from
a playing perspective.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Well, you know, as sad as it was to see
the Rebels go, I think that concentration of you know,
skill level and players into the four other Ossie teams,
I think there's been a massive, you know, level up
of their play. And then it's it's almost just a
duby match every week. You know, you sort of have
a couple of games lined up where you thought, all right,
(03:48):
this is a chance to you know, bleed in some
players or rest some players.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
But now it's the standards so high and the skill
level so high. It's it's its intensity is great and you.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Know, the people that I've talked to have watched it
from like you said, round one, which was a great
statement for the game, but it's carried on, and I
feel like it will keep carrying on because it's just
haymakers being thrown left, right and center, and people want
to back it up, get stand back up and throw
another one.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
So what happens in the game tonight? What have you
learned from last week or the last few weeks that
you need to apply? You must be getting close. Is
there anything that Vern's really tried to nail down over
the week.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
I think it's in terms of us, it's been execution
of skill and that sort of led us down.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
I think we've turned over a few balls we really
wanted to get around our ruck. I think we had
seven turnovers against the Brumbies.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
The week before, and I'm sure I'm not sure if
we had one on the weekend against the chief So
it's just a little things around the field that are
leading us down, whether that's through skill execution, whether that's
through a penalty with our disciplines. So it's really trying
to bring those back in and limit those just so
you don't give the opposition an opportunity to get into
(05:00):
your half. And with a team like the Crusaders tonight,
who live and breathe and really make you pay off
those mistakes, it's going to be important. So we've we've
been really slow with our start of our week and
just in terms of getting clarity and making sure we
focus on the little fences. When you're clearing what you
can do, you just go out and execute. You don't
have to, you know, pause and think for a moment.
You just nail it and do it.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
It's the best thing about all of this that everybody knows.
All the teams know that the game's not over with
twenty minutes to go, and what comes off the bench
is hugely influential for the end of the game. So
that spark playing energy is immense because people know it
actually counts. It's not just empting the benches for the
fun of it.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Nah Man and I think probably the first few weeks
we probably got caught on that. Like the Chiefs game
first round, they brought a few all blacks off and
that was the difference maker.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
And it's definitely something we've talked about.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
The boys that come off off the pine need to
bring energy, need to nail their roles. But you know,
sometimes if you try to do too much off the bench,
it can also be detrimental. So it's finding that balance
of energy and impact, but nailing what you need to
do well.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
I hope for your sol have a very happy birthday
and you run away from this worth all of the
cookies that you need, as you well know, I'm a
Crusaders fan. None. Just think of it this way, angus.
Think about rubbing my nose and it. Once you win,
I'll be standing in the crowd. Find meat. Flip me
the bird when you win, mate, and thanks very much
for your time.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
As always, I'll tell I'll tell my old lady to
bring a cake down mate. Maybe you can eat them
after Hey, that'll be nice.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Which and just throw it at me. Good luck getting
to the tumult. Don't speak to my Crusaders jersey when
I last the leath of the game.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
For more from the Your Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk said Be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB seven.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I've been talking to this blake for way too long.
I don't know when we first crossed paths interview wise
in rugby, but it's been a while. When he joins
us now he's a prop out of the Blues. His
name is Angus tarv Angus. Good morning and a big
happy birthday, I believe.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Oh jeers, Darcy. I've had a nice little coffee or
breakfast of the family. I'm thirty five today.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
It's scary.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
I've only got twenty years on you, mate, trust me,
it gets a lot better. Once someone stops tackling you.
You're going to really enjoy the rest of your life.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
I've talked ab him a little bit and he his
outlook on life is pretty good after retiring. So there's
still a little bit of rugby to play, mate, But
there's there's well I don't know i'd said green of pastures,
but there's different pastures, not not in the too distant future.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
I think I know where you're up. So you're going
to go back to Laurie're going to come and try
and steal our broadcasting jobs. I know how you operate.
I've been watching you.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Slavery as a snake, mate.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
There's no money in broadcasting, angers lot. Let's get away
and from what we should be focusing on. When we
talk about big games of rugby. Doesn't get any bigger
than this. You guys are not out by any stretched
the imagination of super rugby. You had that painful one
point loss against the old enemy, the Chiefs last week.
Now you've got the Crusaders. It looks like a grown
another couple of legs over the weekend. You really need this,
(01:31):
don't you. Is that the understatement of the day?
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Angers? Oh mate, it's what I say.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
You know. It doesn't get any any easier in the
way that they put on that performance on the weekend.
Was it mecha spring of top five? Try Severy's got three?
The forward set them up? There was if you were
just an average punter watching a game of footy, it
was it was a nice game to watch, and then
you flick to our game on Saturday night and oh mate,
that was a tough way to finish physical fast, close
(01:59):
to test match fuddy against a good Chief side who
obviously sitting the standard. But yeah, I mean, we get
opportunity tonight against a good Red army in the Crusaders,
which we've always had great battles, and we just need
to get back on the horse where we're looking to
get a win.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
I just wind the clock back to that Chiefs game though.
That was superb. As much as watching Canterbury run away
or the Crusaders excuse me run away at the end,
it didn't have the intensity that Blues Chiefs game. You
mentioned Test match rugby. That s what it felt like
and nobody, nobody sagged. It went right to the very
end and then some That was a sensational game to watch.
(02:36):
Must have absolutely bugget you guys playing in it though.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Oh January, that first half I was there was some
demons hanging around me.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
It was.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
It was a s get up from a scram and
just telling my body you got to move, you got
to keep going, keep working.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
But yeah, it was it was. I mean, it was
all facets of the game.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
The scrum was intense, there was mouls, there was trick plays,
there was cacs, there was line breaks.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
I suppose in terms of footing and watching.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
It, it was definitely a game that had a bit
of everything. And at a pretty good high level.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Very high level, and that's been the competition right the
way through, and I think think that every week the
media especially going how is this carrying on? I thought
the first couple of rounds, yep, it's fresher to start,
things will go back to type. But it hasn't stopped, Angus.
It's just been intense, every game so close right the
way through. What do you put that down to from
a playing perspective.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Well, you know, as sad as it was to see
the Rebels go, I think that concentration of you know,
skill level and players into the four other Ossie teams,
I think there's been a massive, you know, level up
of their play. And then it's it's almost just a
duby match every week. You know, you sort of have
a couple of games lined up where you thought, all right,
(03:48):
this is a chance to you know, bleed in some
players or rest some players.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
But now it's the standards so high and the skill
level so high. It's it's its intensity is great and you.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Know, the people that I've talked to have watched it
from like you said, round one, which was a great
statement for the game, but it's carried on, and I
feel like it will keep carrying on because it's just
haymakers being thrown left, right and center, and people want
to back it up, get stand back up and throw
another one.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
So what happens in the game tonight? What have you
learned from last week or the last few weeks that
you need to apply? You must be getting close. Is
there anything that Vern's really tried to nail down over
the week.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
I think it's in terms of us, it's been execution
of skill and that sort of led us down.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
I think we've turned over a few balls we really
wanted to get around our ruck. I think we had
seven turnovers against the Brumbies.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
The week before, and I'm sure I'm not sure if
we had one on the weekend against the chief So
it's just a little things around the field that are
leading us down, whether that's through skill execution, whether that's
through a penalty with our disciplines. So it's really trying
to bring those back in and limit those just so
you don't give the opposition an opportunity to get into
(05:00):
your half. And with a team like the Crusaders tonight,
who live and breathe and really make you pay off
those mistakes, it's going to be important. So we've we've
been really slow with our start of our week and
just in terms of getting clarity and making sure we
focus on the little fences. When you're clearing what you
can do, you just go out and execute. You don't
have to, you know, pause and think for a moment.
You just nail it and do it.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
It's the best thing about all of this that everybody knows.
All the teams know that the game's not over with
twenty minutes to go, and what comes off the bench
is hugely influential for the end of the game. So
that spark playing energy is immense because people know it
actually counts. It's not just empting the benches for the
fun of it.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Nah Man and I think probably the first few weeks
we probably got caught on that. Like the Chiefs game
first round, they brought a few all blacks off and
that was the difference maker.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
And it's definitely something we've talked about.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
The boys that come off off the pine need to
bring energy, need to nail their roles. But you know,
sometimes if you try to do too much off the bench,
it can also be detrimental. So it's finding that balance
of energy and impact, but nailing what you need to
do well.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
I hope for your sol have a very happy birthday
and you run away from this worth all of the
cookies that you need, as you well know, I'm a
Crusaders fan. None. Just think of it this way, angus.
Think about rubbing my nose and it. Once you win,
I'll be standing in the crowd. Find meat. Flip me
the bird when you win, mate, and thanks very much
for your time.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
As always, I'll tell I'll tell my old lady to
bring a cake down mate. Maybe you can eat them
after Hey, that'll be nice.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Which and just throw it at me. Good luck getting
to the tumult. Don't speak to my Crusaders jersey when
I last the leath of the game.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
For more from the Your Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk said Be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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