Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Official radio broadcast partner of the Olympic Games, Paris twenty
twenty four. Go Gold, Gold Sport. Well, he's recovered from
de France. Calling the sevens match between New Zealand and
South Africa, Elliot Smith joins us a game morning.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Elliott, get a bape.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Was it a totally convincing performance? I didn't think by
New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Your thoughts, oh, I think any win you get over
South Africa begin in the fifteen man game. Well, the
seven man game you've got to take. And I thought
this was quite potentially a dangerous game for New Zealand
heading into it. They got through Japan comfortably earlier in
the day. But South Africa are a team that aren't
what they used to be in sevens, that've dropped off
(00:43):
a little bit and had to beat Great Britain to
get through to the sevens at the Olympics. Only got
through a matter of a few weeks ago by beating
Great Britain, so they were at last chance saloon. But
I did feel that could have the potential to be
a bit of a banana slip Game four in New Zealand.
But fortunately I thought they played relatively well and didn't
(01:03):
allow South Africa too many opportunities to really tap the
ascendency in the game, and New Zealand just were able
to dictate terms I thought long enough to get the win.
So for me, I think a good result for New Zealand,
and you know, they've got some more challenges to come obviously,
but that books them into the quarterfinals and if they'd
lost that then they would have had to beat Ireland tomorrow,
(01:25):
and the way Ireland's going and have played in the
World Series for a couple of seasons now, that wouldn't
have been an easy task either. So I think a
pretty good win all up.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Well, you're right, really, you take a win whatever it is.
Seventeen to five. South Africa gave away a lot of penalties, didn't.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
They They did, and that's the thing that will frustrate
them looking back at that game, because they just didn't
have enough time with ball and hands to really make
an impact against New Zealand. They scored a nice try
through Selvin David's to respond to New Zealand's early if,
but by and large it was New Zealand able to
just tick dictate how the game was sort of flowing
(02:03):
and where they wanted to be on the park. They
pushed South Africa back into their twenty two for the
last three or four minutes of the game and really
just shut things down. I thought it was pretty smartly
done from New Zealand and South Africa. It just made
too many years those peneralies you mentioned, but a few
knock ons here and there. They just weren't clean with
ball in hand. So I think New Zealand bra would
take advantage of that as much as they could and
(02:26):
inc tap the win.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
New Zealand played Japan and the opener forty points to twelve.
So we lit twelve points in from Japan, didn't we?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
That's right. They did more points from Japan than against
South Africa, so how about that. But look, I thought
relatively straightforward performance from New Zealand. They kicked into gear
late in the fur spell, began to find their way
then and really didn't relent after that point. They scored
(02:54):
early through rock and les Solar, then as Japan hit back,
but New Zealand the first bell just bagged a couple
of tries to push their advantage further up to twenty
six seven at the break. At one point was in
the balance at twelve seven before they went bang bang
just before halftime, and that really killed off the game
from a New Zealand perspective. And the good thing from
(03:15):
coach to Marsi Thumber's perspective, I think in that first
game was they were able to get everyone out on
the park and just rotate players. It was twenty six
to twenty seven degrees in powers, the conditions are stifling hot,
a lot of players with a lot of sweat, you know,
through the heat, and so being able to rotate those
players knowing that the result was safe and you know,
(03:36):
if you brought on players and change combinations, it wouldn't
necessarily matter. There was a bit of a luxury for
to Marsie Thumber given they knew they were playing South
Africa a bit later on in the day as well.
So I think day one you've got to give New
Zealand credit for the way they went about their business.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Absolutely, Fiji looks strong. To watch the game between them
and then the USA thirty eight twelve.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, very impressive. And for me, I was conversing with
our colleague Michael Burgess earlier and he asked for my
final four and I didn't have Fiji in there. This
is before things kicked off. I said, Australia and New Zealand.
Argentina were in France, and he said Argentina, Fiji, New
Zealand and France for me, Fiji. They sacked their coach
(04:19):
back in March of this year, Ben Gollings wave goodbye.
They bought in the captain of the victorious team in
twenty sixteen, Jerry two White, one of the greatest sevens
players in history, had been on the outer under the
old regime. He was brought back in, but I thought
it was too little, too late. On the evidence of
what we've seen over the last few hours, Fiji are
right here again ready to try and keyhold of that
(04:41):
gold medal. At the one of the last two games,
they look really, really good and I think it's going
to be a hard task to get past them. Over
the next couple of days of the Sevens program.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Ireland didn't look too bad over Japan two forty five.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Really impressed by Ireland. There were second in the World
Series this year. Have really grown as a sevens team.
A lot of crafty players sort of mirrors the way
their fifteen's team play. A lot a lot of silky
skills a lot to like about them in that game
against New Zealand tomorrow for top spot and paul A
will be fascinating to see how it unfolds. Real clash
(05:17):
of styles. But between those two, all.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Right, so quarter finals? What happens tomorrow, Elliott?
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Yeah, So we're back into action from midnight with the
remaining pool game. So if New Zealand has a touchd
on they play Ireland. But a whole lot of things
to dig through. So we're going to get through the
top seeds for the pools across the three pools. The
second seeds obviously go through as well, and then we're
going to find the two best third play seeds, So
plenty up for grabs as we get back underway. Then
(05:42):
quarter finals tomorrow morning from seven am. After that it's
a rece day to put the feed up and contemplate
the semi finals and potentially the final on the Saturday
night Sunday morning, New Zealand time.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Fantastic, Ellie, you've done a great job. You can go
to bed now.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Sounds good. Just became there we go?
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Who was calling all the sevens action and other sports
as well out of Paris