May 30, 2025 • 7 mins
The Crusaders have clinched the second seed in Super Rugby Pacific after a thrilling 33-31 win over the Brumbies in Canberra.
Trailing 31-28 with seven minutes remaining, replacement hooker George Bell dotted down in the 77th minute to snatch victory.
Sky Sport Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the final round of Super Rugby.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Watergrave from US Talks EDB, big plays, bold opinions. The
All Sport Breakfast with Duncy Watergrave used talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
A id state, get A, Tony Johnson, welcome to the program.
Thanks for your time. First, but did he knock it
on or not? And does it really matter? We're talking
CV reath get.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
It matehay More in a Darcy Now, Look, I actually
I've been to look at it. I don't think he
did knock it on. I think the ball stopped and
then actually rolled back. So you know, they're blowing up
deluxe about it and making it sound like that was
the only thing that decided the game. There are other factors.
I mean, they still had to score the try. There's
still the Brumbis had a chance to score right at
(00:52):
the end too, but were denied by a terrific tackle
by Scott Barrett. So look, I've been I've done a
lot of games in Campbell, quite a lot of games
in Canberra over the years, and I tell you I've
seen up Dean visiting teams all off by the referees.
Who's succumbed to what is a fairly joyless and at
times rather feral crowd. They just ride the referee the
(01:13):
whole game. I thought there was an awful atmosphere there
last night because all I could ever hear was booing
of the referees decisions. So I think they'd made up
their mind that if the Brumbies were going to lose,
it was from a bad referee decision. But I looked
at it, I thought, you know, look, he may have
knocked it on, but from what the angle that I saw,
the ball actually rolled backwards. So people might disagree with that,
(01:37):
but as I say, there's been plenty of calls not
just over the years, but even in that game that
went the way of the Brumbies that no one's talking about.
So in the end, I think the Crusaders found a
way to win it, and you know, they've grabbed second
place and that's probably all that really matters.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yeah, after a blazing start from the Brumbies, and I'll
tell you what such a sparse crowd here we here.
There's a lot of raging noise going there as well.
Of what Rob and he said was fifty fifty calls,
I believe they go fifty to fifties, Thank you very much.
Right and over that that was yesterday. What about tonight
a couple of games that may determine what happens in
(02:16):
the final wash up for the top six.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Yeah, well, what last night did was decide the top three,
which is important because firstly, the Chiefs they get pole position,
and it means as long as they are in the competition,
they're playing at home. And secondly, it also means that
if they do lose next week, they get a second
bite of the cherry because the top ranked loser will
stay in the competition. Because of the six team format,
(02:43):
got three matches instead of four next week. And so
now it comes down to who plays whom, and that
really hasn't been settled because we've got two games coming
up behind them, back to back this afternoon that will
decide that. You've got the Blues and the Warratars at
Eton Park. Well, one of them will go into the
(03:05):
top six, their season will survive for at least another
couple of hours. One of them will be out. And
then it comes down to the game between the Hurricanes
and Mina Pacifica. Mina PACIFICA a lot of neutral teams
really loving the idea and being in the playoffs next week.
But they've got a winning Wellington against a Hurricans team
that's been in fantastic form and are on a really
(03:27):
good winning streak going into this game. So still a
heck of a lot to play for. And of course
the Reds if the Hurricanes would lose, they have a
chance to go up to fourth place, which in this
competition is definitely better than fifth. So there's still plenty
to play for, and from the New Zealand teams point
(03:47):
of view, a hell of a lot to play for. Really,
when we've got this three into two scenario for sixth spot.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Anyone who'll listen will know that most of us who
enjoy Super Rugby have been beating the drum for this
competition right from the get go. And here we are,
the last day of round robin competition and it's still
undecided who's going to be in the top six. And
that says this whole lot to me about the quality
of Super Pacific this yet, Tony, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
A couple of factors, and that one being that the Australians,
having one less team, has certainly concentrated their talent on
four teams and that's been good for the competition because
the Australian teams have been better and they'll be more competitive.
They've got a bit more star qualities that are compressed
into their sides. And the ironic thing about that is
(04:35):
the team that benefited the most from it, the Warritors,
I would say, are probably going to miss out on
the top six. That that just hasn't quite well worked
as well as people forward. But even so, particularly the
first half where we saw some absolutely fantastic flowing rugby
played in perfect conditions, everyone was trumpeting the way the
(04:56):
referees were buying into it, the players were buying into it.
Of course, as you get towards of it, the winter
starts to set and things start getting a bit gnarly.
People start actually noticing mistake, the odd little mistake by
the referee or perceived mistake by the referee, a bit
of the funds that goes out of it. In that respect,
it becomes a bit grim and serious. But even so, look,
(05:17):
I think as we go into the last round, this
has been one of the best super competitions that I
can remember, and the fact that we've got pretty much
every game this weekend likely to affect the makeup of
the playoff scenario in terms of who plays whom, then
that has to be a good thing. And I suppose
(05:38):
you take hats off to the people that did the
draw for coming up as it happens with a lineup
of games that are going to have such an impact.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Will you look at more on a pussyfeker? And I
think it's maybe been understated the size of the whipping
they took last week, and that was Crusader's warrtized stuff
from way back. When can they recover, Can they get
back and do anything or is their race being run
that they've done their day.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Yeah, that's that's the big question. I was going to
say sixty four thousand dollars. It might be worth more
to them than that if they can make the top six.
But yeah, it was almost like not quite falling off
the cliff. But I thought there was always going to
be hard for them to replicate what they did at Albany,
which was an absolutely inspired performance. But this competition, one
(06:32):
of the features of it is that teams are finding
it really hard to be at optimum level for more
than two or three games at a time. That what
it takes to do that and so that's the big question. Look,
I got a feeling they will bounce back from that.
Just the whole idea of the Sava brothers, both of
them playing in Wellington will add something to the atmosphere
(06:56):
to the crowd, but it also lift the team as well.
That the question is, you know, can they do it
to the extent where they'll threaten what I think? I
think it's been an outstanding Hurricanes teina. I think if
you took a completely neutral stance, these are probably the
two teams that you'd love to watch most in the
competition the way they're playing at the moment. So yeah,
(07:20):
I think that'll be tough. I think you've got a
fair point there. I think they will bounce back, but
can they bounce back to their peak level, because that's
what they're going to need to do to beat the Hurricanes.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Must watch, must listen to gold Sport. I'll have it
all tonight, Hey, Tony. It's a pleasure. I'm looking forward
to pestering you again over the coming weeks as we
hit finals time. Thanks for yours, bro, not a problem, mate.
Fifteen minutes beyond eight o'clock, it is. It's Saturday thirty,
first to me I can say first thirty, first of May.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
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
Watergrave from US Talks EDB, big plays, bold opinions. The
All Sport Breakfast with Duncy Watergrave used talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
A id state, get A, Tony Johnson, welcome to the program.
Thanks for your time. First, but did he knock it
on or not? And does it really matter? We're talking
CV reath get.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
It matehay More in a Darcy Now, Look, I actually
I've been to look at it. I don't think he
did knock it on. I think the ball stopped and
then actually rolled back. So you know, they're blowing up
deluxe about it and making it sound like that was
the only thing that decided the game. There are other factors.
I mean, they still had to score the try. There's
still the Brumbis had a chance to score right at
(00:52):
the end too, but were denied by a terrific tackle
by Scott Barrett. So look, I've been I've done a
lot of games in Campbell, quite a lot of games
in Canberra over the years, and I tell you I've
seen up Dean visiting teams all off by the referees.
Who's succumbed to what is a fairly joyless and at
times rather feral crowd. They just ride the referee the
(01:13):
whole game. I thought there was an awful atmosphere there
last night because all I could ever hear was booing
of the referees decisions. So I think they'd made up
their mind that if the Brumbies were going to lose,
it was from a bad referee decision. But I looked
at it, I thought, you know, look, he may have
knocked it on, but from what the angle that I saw,
the ball actually rolled backwards. So people might disagree with that,
(01:37):
but as I say, there's been plenty of calls not
just over the years, but even in that game that
went the way of the Brumbies that no one's talking about.
So in the end, I think the Crusaders found a
way to win it, and you know, they've grabbed second
place and that's probably all that really matters.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yeah, after a blazing start from the Brumbies, and I'll
tell you what such a sparse crowd here we here.
There's a lot of raging noise going there as well.
Of what Rob and he said was fifty fifty calls,
I believe they go fifty to fifties, Thank you very much.
Right and over that that was yesterday. What about tonight
a couple of games that may determine what happens in
(02:16):
the final wash up for the top six.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Yeah, well, what last night did was decide the top three,
which is important because firstly, the Chiefs they get pole position,
and it means as long as they are in the competition,
they're playing at home. And secondly, it also means that
if they do lose next week, they get a second
bite of the cherry because the top ranked loser will
stay in the competition. Because of the six team format,
(02:43):
got three matches instead of four next week. And so
now it comes down to who plays whom, and that
really hasn't been settled because we've got two games coming
up behind them, back to back this afternoon that will
decide that. You've got the Blues and the Warratars at
Eton Park. Well, one of them will go into the
(03:05):
top six, their season will survive for at least another
couple of hours. One of them will be out. And
then it comes down to the game between the Hurricanes
and Mina Pacifica. Mina PACIFICA a lot of neutral teams
really loving the idea and being in the playoffs next week.
But they've got a winning Wellington against a Hurricans team
that's been in fantastic form and are on a really
(03:27):
good winning streak going into this game. So still a
heck of a lot to play for. And of course
the Reds if the Hurricanes would lose, they have a
chance to go up to fourth place, which in this
competition is definitely better than fifth. So there's still plenty
to play for, and from the New Zealand teams point
(03:47):
of view, a hell of a lot to play for. Really,
when we've got this three into two scenario for sixth spot.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Anyone who'll listen will know that most of us who
enjoy Super Rugby have been beating the drum for this
competition right from the get go. And here we are,
the last day of round robin competition and it's still
undecided who's going to be in the top six. And
that says this whole lot to me about the quality
of Super Pacific this yet, Tony, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
A couple of factors, and that one being that the Australians,
having one less team, has certainly concentrated their talent on
four teams and that's been good for the competition because
the Australian teams have been better and they'll be more competitive.
They've got a bit more star qualities that are compressed
into their sides. And the ironic thing about that is
(04:35):
the team that benefited the most from it, the Warritors,
I would say, are probably going to miss out on
the top six. That that just hasn't quite well worked
as well as people forward. But even so, particularly the
first half where we saw some absolutely fantastic flowing rugby
played in perfect conditions, everyone was trumpeting the way the
(04:56):
referees were buying into it, the players were buying into it.
Of course, as you get towards of it, the winter
starts to set and things start getting a bit gnarly.
People start actually noticing mistake, the odd little mistake by
the referee or perceived mistake by the referee, a bit
of the funds that goes out of it. In that respect,
it becomes a bit grim and serious. But even so, look,
(05:17):
I think as we go into the last round, this
has been one of the best super competitions that I
can remember, and the fact that we've got pretty much
every game this weekend likely to affect the makeup of
the playoff scenario in terms of who plays whom, then
that has to be a good thing. And I suppose
(05:38):
you take hats off to the people that did the
draw for coming up as it happens with a lineup
of games that are going to have such an impact.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Will you look at more on a pussyfeker? And I
think it's maybe been understated the size of the whipping
they took last week, and that was Crusader's warrtized stuff
from way back. When can they recover, Can they get
back and do anything or is their race being run
that they've done their day.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Yeah, that's that's the big question. I was going to
say sixty four thousand dollars. It might be worth more
to them than that if they can make the top six.
But yeah, it was almost like not quite falling off
the cliff. But I thought there was always going to
be hard for them to replicate what they did at Albany,
which was an absolutely inspired performance. But this competition, one
(06:32):
of the features of it is that teams are finding
it really hard to be at optimum level for more
than two or three games at a time. That what
it takes to do that and so that's the big question. Look,
I got a feeling they will bounce back from that.
Just the whole idea of the Sava brothers, both of
them playing in Wellington will add something to the atmosphere
(06:56):
to the crowd, but it also lift the team as well.
That the question is, you know, can they do it
to the extent where they'll threaten what I think? I
think it's been an outstanding Hurricanes teina. I think if
you took a completely neutral stance, these are probably the
two teams that you'd love to watch most in the
competition the way they're playing at the moment. So yeah,
(07:20):
I think that'll be tough. I think you've got a
fair point there. I think they will bounce back, but
can they bounce back to their peak level, because that's
what they're going to need to do to beat the Hurricanes.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Must watch, must listen to gold Sport. I'll have it
all tonight, Hey, Tony. It's a pleasure. I'm looking forward
to pestering you again over the coming weeks as we
hit finals time. Thanks for yours, bro, not a problem, mate.
Fifteen minutes beyond eight o'clock, it is. It's Saturday thirty,
first to me I can say first thirty, first of May.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
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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