CSB - Elliott Smith - All Blacks

WE talk the shock loss that the All Blacks had against Argentina from over the weekend. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
International rugby coverage on the Country Sport Breakfast is proudly
brought to you by Access Solutions, elevating you and your
business to a higher level. We're talking a to national
rugby now and on the Country Sport Breakfast, where the
All Blacks six year loser streak at Sky Stadium in
Wellington continues, beaten by Argentina thirty eight thirty. It's the

(00:22):
first loss of the Scott Robertson coaching era and just
the third time the Permas have beaten the All Blacks.
Two of those wins have come in New Zealand. Joining
us this morning on the show. The Voice of Rugby
called the game on Saturday night at Wellington, Elliott Smith Morning.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
Elliott good abk good catcher.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Did you see that one coming?

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Mate? No, I certainly didn't look. I felt that Argentina
had gone back a little bit over the last couple
of years. So obviously'd have made the semifinals of the
World Cup last year, but they went one and one
with an understrength French team in the July window. I
didn't feel like they had the adequate players that a
few players out injuring a merely at able fair legal

(01:01):
the Montogea, their captain. I just felt that the All
Blacks would have been good enough on the night to
beat them, but they weren't the All Blacks. Look the
rest of the game plan, they couldn't implement it. In
Argentina simply hung in the contest long enough and then
rolled over the top of the All Blacks and claimed
to win. So great win Bragentina. But for the All Blacks,

(01:21):
it feels like a couple of major steps backwards from
what we've seen earlier in the season.

Speaker 1 (01:27):
So what do you think the thing to do now,
because they've only got a week to really, you know,
sort of pick their act up and change the team.
Will they make massive changes? Do you think?

Speaker 2 (01:36):
I think I'll make some changes speak, but I think
they'll also try and retain some of the nuclears. So
obviously the locking departments and I don't think this was
a major issue. They're quite short on numbers in terms
of Patrick Uipelotto in Scott Barrett Sam Dowry. I thought
had a very good test first test up there, so
I don't think we're too civiny changes at lot the
loose word treo. I would like to see some change there.

(01:59):
I think they're lacking a little bit of size. I
think Golden Papa Lei and Ethan Blackad have both struggled
to make their mark on the game on the weekend.
For me personally, i'd like to see Ardie Savia moved
to open side and Wallace the TT that number eight.
I don't know if it's too bold for this weekend
but for the All Black selectors, but I think they
get a bit more sizeball ball carriers if you move

(02:20):
save to open side and have have was the TV
at number eight, So I think at halfback that needs
to be a change. His old TJ pat Andara looked
a little confused on the weekends. It took a lot
of time to make his decisions and that put the
All Blacks on the back foot and some of his
technic was a little astray. So I'd like to see
change it half back and the interesting one as well.
Because that yesterday that Damie McKenzie has place at ten

(02:43):
was asked with it. They're prepared to stick with him
and give them time. Scott Robertson certainly said that yesterday
with that remains the case by Thursday, when the name
of the team will be interesting but I think there's
a conversation to be had around where the Boat and
Barrett might offer you something a little bit different at
ten as you play Argentina for a second time this week,
I think midfield will stick with and then on the

(03:04):
wings tevy Re so I wouldn't be surprised to seek
Cat and Pluck get a run this week, or maybe
Will Jordan comes back into the starting side. So there
are a few changes they could feasibly make this week
to the side that could tweet things and add a
little bit more punch, And I think that's certainly what
they were missing on the weekend. They failed to build
pressure against Argentina often enough and they weren't able to

(03:26):
use the scrum as a weapon. And we have about
this that kame there no scrums for the first sixty
minutes of the match. Even the Greed and Troll Lomax
both went off and was subbed off without having had
a scrum. I mean it's probably the first time in
their test credit that's ever happened, So you know, they
need to find ways to use that as a weapon. Obviously,
come uh, you know, cracked knock on from the position

(03:47):
it's constantly doing a best to do that, So they
need to find ways for pressure and because that was
certainly on the weekend.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
You and I've watched a lot of rugby. I have
over the years. I've always loved the rugby and I
don't think that that almost has to be some kind
of record, doesn't it No scrum for sixty minutes?

Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah? Absolutely, I mean you very often see one of
the first sort of five minutes of the game and
it's a good way to sort of put a bit
of pressure on early and the All Blacks, yeah, they
just weren't. It wasn't forthcoming for them, and the view
said as a weapon. We've seen that there's some good
power payover England in the first couple of tests where
they won a lot of penalties at scrum time and

(04:26):
got them into the right positions of the park. That
simply didn't happen on the weekend. It didn't like to
look like they had a plan B for any situations
around it. So they need to find a way to
figure that out this week and utilize that forward strength.
I think when we did see them punch forward and
perhaps be a little bit more patient, we saw Markklee

(04:47):
score that try off the back of some good forward work.
So for me, it's about building pressure in the right
areas of the ground. They simply didn't do that on
the weekend and they need to look for ways to
do that against Argentina or I needn't park this week
or bye bye to that record.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
Oh absolutely, and Argentina have now got a sniff and
you've got to say they brought the game to the
All Blacks. They were incredibly physical, weren't.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
They They were absolutely And it seems to when the
All Blacks lose in recent times, it's when they get
out muscle physically, and they bullied the All Blacks to
an extent, both of their starters. You know, the public
of Teta was pretty much everywhere on the park. I
thought on the weekend he was absolutely superb again and
he's been such a big part Argentina and their three

(05:29):
wins over the All Blacks that they have had. And
then you know their forwards were just getting into the
grunt work relentlessly, some smart kicking from something other Canada
out of ten and in a replacement as well. At
thirty nine years of age, he's been in the All Blacks.
I mean, that was remarkable indeed, you had a huge
role in that score in the last try, making some

(05:49):
big plays towards the end. But it's all about that
physicality that the All Blacks simply weren't able to replicate,
and Argentina were able to get the better of them
and bullow them around the park of it. So All
Blacks need to stand up and find a way to
give some of that back and go punch or punch,
not literally of course, but metaphora.

Speaker 1 (06:09):
Do you think we've found a new lock replacement in
Sam Darry? I mean, he's made in test schools to
try as well. So it was a pretty impressive performance
by him, wasn't it.

Speaker 2 (06:17):
Yeah, I was really impressed by him. I thought he
had an excellent game. He was the target in the
line out, early, carried a lot during the game, was
rewarded with a try. I thought he could hold his
head pretty high from the All Blacks, probably their best
on the park on the night. So I think his
stocks only rising on the back of that performance. Was
it in the squad originally, but has made every posted

(06:39):
winner in the game time that he's had. I'd be
surprised if they don't start with him again on his
Super Rugby home grounds this weekend and he's really put
his hand up and that's exciting to see. I think
he's got a big All Blacks future ahead of him.
And you know he's still very very young as well,
so he's still learning his craft a little bit. But
I think he can be very very pleased with on

(07:00):
the weekend, and I noticed the line out when he
went off actually got a bit more creepy and that
coincided with a more coming on as well and some
other changes, but him going off sort of hampered the
line out a little bit, so perhaps that we listened
there for the All Blacks too.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
I watched the Wallabies Springbok game on the weekend as well,
and I've got to say the Springbok look, look lethal.
They really did take it to the Aussies. Sidn't They're
going to be the team to beat. Yeah?

Speaker 2 (07:25):
Absolutely, Look I expected the Springboks to win, but I
expected more from the Wallabies and Joe Schmidt. I expected
some better defensive patterns from the Wallabies, but they just
didn't seem to have any answers. I mean, Rassi Erasmus
cooked up a couple of specials. The first one in
particular from the line out that we passed back over
the top of the line out to deceive on the
drive I thought was classic Rassi Erasthmus. But they just

(07:48):
have threats all over the park. And the thing now
you're starting to see, I think is Tony Brown's influence
on that springbox side. With some of the attack. It's
not as one dimensional as it has been. There is
a lot more to that spring Box hack. They've got
a punch of the forwards but also some silkie skills
out in the back line though they look very, very
dangerous and it's hard to see, you know, Australi getting

(08:10):
close to them again this weekend if the All Blacks
want to have a chance against them in a couple
of weeks in Johannesburg, and then they're going to have
to lift their game big.

Speaker 1 (08:19):
Time, are they ever? Elliott, nice call on Saturday night.
We'll look forward to the call again this coming Saturday
out of the Garden of Eden. Thank you so much.
Yes we can catch up, so Elliot Smith joining us
here Gold Sport the Country Sport Breakfast. Yes, we'll have
a commentary of that second Test match against Argentina right
here on Goldsport, home of live commentary five past seven
Saturday Night