Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk SEDB. Getting U said, for your sporting weekend,
it's the Wellington Mornings Friday Sport Kickoff on News Talk
sed B.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Truly us for Friday sports Kickoff is our regular panel
of new Sport zb's news Talk ZB Speak English Nick
Weekend sports host Jason Pine, Good.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Morning, byey, Good morning Nick.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
How are you doing very well?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Very well? How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Probably less as well as you because I didn't have
a late nightlight you had. You were out doing some
market research last night.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
I was.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
I was market researching the Wellington Saints, and I was
well for three quarters anyway. I was very impressed with
what I saw. They got the job done. They left
a few points at the end, but no, I enjoyed
the market research and your your fine hospitality.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
You know what.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
I wasn't there. I wasn't joining you, But I'd love
to have been. I mean, I would have loved to
been a flyer in your car driving home with you
and Johnny chatting about what you thought. I mean, you
would have been both scratching your head a little bit,
wouldn't you.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
A little bit? But then there were there was a
lot to like as well. You know the way we're
talking obviously the Saints here, aren't we The way that
they kept the Franklin Balls, a pretty good team to
just eight points in the third quarter and forty five
by three quarter time, I think most people thought, Okay,
job's done. And the job was done. Like I say,
they licked a few points at the end, but by
(01:46):
that stage it didn't matter. I just love I love
game night at the Saints. Big crowd again last night,
a lot of noise, a lot of color, a lot
of local identities around it. To Mark Sorenson, had a
good chat to the great man, the our greatest ever softballer,
and lots of others as well. So now thanks for
the thanks for your hospitality, Nick, even though you couldn't
be there too. I get welcomed me in.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I gave you by tickets. But Ada Cooper, he's looking
at me saying I didn't get ante.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Why did I get an invite it? I will go, hey,
you going man?
Speaker 5 (02:13):
Good?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Nick? So you weren't it the game last night, but
you were quick to show me the graph when I
came into work this morning. I've got a bit grumpy
this morning, bye, and you were here. But the first
thing I do, I sit next to Adam Cooper. The
first thing, he's got this big screen, you know, fancy
screening he's got, and he's got this big graph, and
the graph showed the last quarter results and how bad
he the apes and he was showing showing that.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
Just asking for your advice on writing an accurate story
about the game last night, because I had it on.
I was out last night and the place where we
were at it was on in the background, so a
lot of people were there watching sort of keeping sort
of half an eye on the Saints and the score,
and things were looking pretty impressive and it was tracking
pretty well, and then suddenly everyone thought, hang on, this
is we might have to just like start watching this
(02:55):
intently here because it's getting a bit dangerous. And what
was the lead twenty six points about a third of
the way through the final quarter. Then eventually Franklin cauring
it back and you know, with a buzzer beat of
getting getting back to within six. So I'm probably glad
that it didn't stay on for another couple of minutes.
But I think, you know, just seeing the highlights reels
that I did in the replays of some of those
key moments. What Shawn Bruce is bringing to this team
(03:17):
again after his last and here is really impressive. The
numbers speak for themselves. His energy and obviously his experience
has an absolute legend of basketball over the Tasman. I
think that really has been shining through at this point
of the season so far.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
On he here for a couple more games, Shae Yelely's
replacing him, which is a pretty big move.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Show was there last show? Was there last night on
the bench? You would have known this Nick, He was
there on the bench. Still not quite right to come back, obviously,
but yeah, it's nice to see Shay. They're and good
to know he's going to be back in Saints colors soon.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Yeah. I saw a little bit of the I New
Years because I saw a bit on TV.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
But as I said, Piney, somebody else had my seats
and he works on on Saturday and Sunday.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
Let's talk about the big game of the weekend.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Because once again Coops and I sort of like we
didn't butt heads, but we disagreed with this, I said
this morning in our pre show sort of rap I said,
Hurricanes versus Blues tomorrow night at Eden Park.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
That I say is dual die.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Coops looked at me with disgust and said, no, Nick,
it's not dual die. It's still an important game, Pony.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Oh, very important game. I think it's perhaps more significant
than a usual game of rug be given the fact
that here we are at the midway point of the
season and the Hurricanes and the Blues both find themselves
outside of the top six. So you know, by that
metric you'd say, yes, they do need to get a
bit of a riggle on. Hurricanes three wins, three losses,
the Blues one win and five losses. That's at the
(04:41):
moment anyway, a terrible title defense by them. Look, if
the Hurricanes were to lose tomorrow night, let's put our
Wellington Night patch on here. If the Hurricanes were to
lose tomorrow night, that wouldn't spell the end of their season.
They still have enough games to make it up. But
I think a win off the back of a really
good performance against the Warratars last weekend and the win
against the Highlanders the week before, three in a row,
and all of a sudden, the Hurricanes have momentum, and
(05:02):
I think what they also do is deal a bit
of a blow to the Blues, who probably they do
have to win tomorrow night otherwise their season looks looks
a little bit shaky, very shaky, indeed, actually extremely shaky.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Keeps. Come on, tell me what you said to me
this morning, Give it to me, Give it to me straight.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
Well, what I said was, I don't think if they
lose tomorrow night that they'll be out of the mix,
and they'll be you know, we can write them off
for this year because they've got you know, this game tomorrow.
I think that's what we call it as a crucial
and must have win stretch and success across at least
these next couple of weeks where we've got the Blues
tomorrow night away then the Crusaders next weekend at home.
So as a collective, these are two very important games.
(05:40):
At this midpoint of the season. As Piney said, we're
sitting at about seventh at the table now, so only
one place outside the top six. Remember at this point,
and a lot of those tough derbies have actually been
already so far. Still a few to come, but we're
at the point now where that we're getting a real
measure against some of these teams, and I think the
Hurricanes are at a point now where they have found
some composure. They've fixed up a lot of what was
going wrong. They're playing with a lot more you know, freedom,
(06:03):
and I think confidence. They're defending a lot better as well.
With you know, you look at all the score lines
through Super Rugby this year, not many teams have only
conceded twelve points in a game, and that was what
the Hurricanes did against the Warratars last week, alongside putting
almost sixty points on them by themselves. So I think
they're in a pretty good place. Though for the first
time this season, been able to name an unchanged fifteen,
(06:25):
so a lot of those injury concerns up behind them.
Obviously still a few players sitting out, but on the whole,
I think they're in a pretty good space. And I
was at training twice this week and you could feel
that there was a little bit of an extra buzz
a rounds, very noticeable after I think they'll be the
first to ait had been a pretty challenging opening month
and the half of the season.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
The amazing thing to me just listening to you say
we've got the Blues this weekend and Crusaders next weekend Piney.
In a normal Super fifteen, you'd go, oh my god,
that's tough. But they're both very winnable games.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Oh very much. So I think the thing that I
guess gives me a bit of a sceric of doubt
about Tomorrow night at Eden Park is just how desperate
the Blues will be. You know they, as I said before,
one win from six games. They've got to get a
riggle on and get a riggle on quickly. And they
do welcome back too, massive players Patrick tweepol Or two
(07:18):
and Bowden Barrett both back into the team, so that
makes a huge difference. But you're right, Nick, you know,
going to Eden Park, the Crusaders did it a couple
of weeks ago, went to Eden Park and absolutely gave
it to the Blues. I'm not expecting us the same
thing tomorrow night, but it is winnable. And then yes,
back home against the Crusaders. Look, I feel as though,
if you're SUP, if you're a Super right B contender,
you've got to win your home games, you know, don't
(07:39):
matter who it's against. So yeah, next Friday, that is,
isn't it. So Tomorrow night Eden Park next Friday, sky Stadium.
Who knows, maybe these two games will will be the
launching pad from which the Hurricanes do mount a real
title charge.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
Let's talk Formula one for a couple of minutes. We've
only got a couple of minutes left.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Coops, Liam Lawson's He's handled everything pretty damn well. I
don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to
Saturday at three o'clock.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
I'm going to be in front of is it the practice.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
Of Saturday just this afternoon, qualifying over the weekend in
Sunday early evening ro our time race.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Yeah, I got the time wrong, but I'll definitely be
at three o'clock in front of my TV this afternoon
because I'm excited by it.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Yeah, and it was very special.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
I don't know if he saw on social media how
he was welcomed back into the racing Bulls team, obviously
the secondary team, down from from where he's been these
first couple of weeks. So I just hope he does
really well. I hope he manages to somehow, and I
don't know how he would be able to do it,
but you know, I'm sure he's got the streets to
be able to just put all this out of his
head and just go out there and just perform as
well as he can this weekend, from practicing to qualifying
(08:39):
to the race. I don't think anyone's going to be
too disappointed by how he does if he is down
the little but let's just see him, you know, get
out there with freedom and just have a drive and
enjoy himself. And he's hoping it's the start of maybe
sort of pushing himself back up.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
Yeah, Piney, I'm still just as interested you.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Oh more so, probably more so now because I want
to see. Okay Sonoda has beaten Lawson in the last
two Grand Prix driving the supposedly slow car. So the
big talking point is how difficult the red Bull car
is to drive. So how will Yuki Sonoda drive that car?
How will Liam Lawson drive the racing Balls car? A
(09:18):
car he knows a lot better on a track, he
knows a lot better. When I mean, I'd love to
know who's a better driver out of Yuki Sonoda and
Liam Lawson, but for that to be accurately assessed, they've
both got to be in the same car. So they're not.
But I think we'll find out a lot about Liam
Lawson's durability, resilience and bounce back ability. This weekend and coops.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Just finally Pierce Cup cricket Final they're supposed to start today.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
I'm obviously looking.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Out good luck with that. I hasn't started yet, but yeah,
I just thought i'd mentioned end of the summer for
our cricket clubs. So premiere the two day ps Cup
competition has been running these these last few months. Three
day final at the base that it might be turned
into a two day final or even a one day
final given the weather forecast, but they've just to release
their teams and great to see a whole bunch of
five birds coming back into the clubs of this one
and Black captain Robinson who's playing for Onslow. So it's
(10:08):
them up against Hut District Onslow going for a double
and club cricket this summer they won the one day competition,
got a very impressive young group of players who are
coming up through the ranks as well. So that's happening.
Weather permitting at the basin today tomorrow Sunday, for we're
supposed to find up this afternoon.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
I don't think we'll get much play today, but the
ground does drain pretty well.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
We are still get it too, jays.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
Hopefully hopefully. Yeah, it's a few showers over the weekend,
but we'll see how we go.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Adam Cooper and Jason Pine, thank you very much for
joining us this morning. I enjoy all sports breakfast tomorrow
and obviously weekend sport with Jason Pine going nationwide.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills. Listen live
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