Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The country Sport Breakfast. Hamish McKay with you on your
Thursday morning. Great to have your company. We're going to
go to South Africa now, heading to a Cape Town
ahead with the second Test will be played, of course,
but of course the first Test and it's a series.
We're almost calling it a series. It's kind of old school.
It reminds me of Sean Bryan Thomas Fitzpatrick thumping the
(00:24):
ground back in nineteen ninety six when we went.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
To South Africa and played a series.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
There's a deep amount of excitement about this and to
help us enjoy it even more and give us some
a great inside of course inside of course, he was
a Springbok from nineteen ninety seven to two thousand and seven.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Bob Skinstead, Welcome to the show, Bob.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
You're down there in Cape Town heading up to Joe
burg A no doubt for the game.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
That's right. I am Hamish. How are you all going? Well?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Yeah, fantastic that we're very excited here. What about the
levels of excitement.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
There, Yeah, to be honest, everyone's very excited. You know,
the springbooks have been a source of much joy for
the country over the last year or so. As you
can you can imagine and and and beyond that, But
certainly it's it's never more exciting than when you've got
your your old foe coming to play on on home
soil and we can take take on the All Blacks
(01:16):
two matches in a row, so everybody's really excited.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
It just feels so good, and it feels like I
think it's an old school It hasn't doesn't doesn't happen
that much. And now there's a degree of separation because
of the changing around Super Rugby that certainly must have
I think perhaps, well, it certainly must whit the appetite
not only for the fans but for the players as well.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
You know, we don't have the weekly games between our
local provinces or local teams and franchises, so when the
when the teams do meet each other, it's always a
mouth watering prospect.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
And I think you're right. The Rugby Championship has changed.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
The the formats somewhat so that now there's two games,
you know, in one tear tree against each other.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
So actually I think it does it feels a lot
more like it like a series.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
You know, we had we had two games against Ireland,
who you know, managed to beat us in one of them,
so I think we'll we'll definitely treat it like a
series ourselves, and I think it's a I think it's
a great thing for rugby.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
And I think if there was ever a warning of
what to expect, it was those Irish two tests, wasn't it,
Because they were to me nothing like sometimes that we
might have expected in the past out of rugby World
Cup years.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
And the like.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
You know, they were brutal, total honest affears, weren't they.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
I mean, the the doctors doing the stitching would have
been working over time.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
It was.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
There was some serious there were some serious hits going
in and some smashing, and it was it was serious business.
I think the important thing to remember is that is that,
you know, the physicality that the Springboks have shown has
come with a modicum of you know, sort of running
rugby as well, and that's the kind of rugby that
(03:06):
we've always seen the New Zealand play, and South Africa
have started to do the same sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
So I think.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
We'll see the physical stuff upfront, but I'm quite excited.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
I think there'll be some mouth ordering tries and that
to follow as well.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yeah, because that's the sort of the little bit of
the unknown to a certain degree. Although the New Zealand
media Bob, I've got to say it does make me
cringe a but they're sort of saying that Tony Brown's
are responsible for this, you know, sort of upsurge in
South African back play, but I think it's been coming
a bit longer than that, hasn't it.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Or do you see him as the guru?
Speaker 4 (03:37):
Well, well, look, Tony's a fantastic coach and we're very
lucky to have him as part of the setup. You know,
I bumped into him in London, had to the ten
to fifteen minute chat and despite being away from his
family for so long and that, he's really enjoyed the
role and I think he's reprised a part of the
(03:57):
coaching staff which we didn't have before.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
So that's fantastic.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
I think to say that he's he's responsible for all
of the running in the backs would be would be
a little bit unfortunate or unfair to the to the
coaches and possibly even the players who like to think
that they can play that kind of game as well.
The style of rugby that we've played is has definitely
been a more more sort of ten slash twelve man
(04:25):
rugby in the past, but I think we're starting to
we're starting to see some tries, We're starting to see
some real enterprise from from even inside our own half.
You know, I thought we played we scored some wonderful
tries against the Wallabies, and then we also played a
very good physical upfront game when we had to, you know,
when the when the rain came down and there was
a bit of a delusion, we had to dominate them
(04:46):
with the pack. We did that, So hopefully we can
try and do a little bit of both.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Just on tiny brown back here, obviously a lot of
a talk that was it was quite a shock Leon
McDonald basically walking out of the All Black camp. You
want to put it that way. What what was the
sort of the take on on that from your perspective, Well, we.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Haven't seen as much.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
You know, Leon's obviously a very accomplished coach as well,
and was a was a good it was a very
good player that I played against.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
And and you.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Know, I think I think as every coaching set up settles,
you're going to get some ins and outs. You know
that that's what's that's what's happening. I think Scott is
a fantastic coach. He's proved that domestically. He's he's really
been a shining light in terms of you know, how
(05:37):
to how to attack a role and and I think
he's one of them going to be one of the
modern day great coaches. So he's got to he's probably
got to try and settle with with a bunch of
people around him who he knows are going to be
in for the long haul, you know, and and if
if that's not the case, then then that's okay.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
You know, there's a bit of a reshuffle.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Yeah, okay, right inside word even Itsabeth don't know he
hasn't been he wasn't named, or has he named?
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Or is he training? What are you hearing?
Speaker 4 (06:06):
I'm actually I'm actually sitting in my living room and
I've got the TV on in the background, and he
has been named in the in the twenty four, yes, sorry,
in the in the twenty In the twenty three, he trained.
Speaker 5 (06:18):
All week, but the spring Box have got a policy.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
That if you don't, if you contrain at one hundred
percent on Monday, then then you're not allowed to play
actually because I think they feel that it upsets the
nature of the training. So he trained all week and
then and then they had a fitness test this morning,
so he will he'll be in the match day twenty three,
but he's on the on the bench at number nineteen.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Well, what have you made of the All Blacks in
twenty twenty four?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
We talked a little bit about Razor.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Coming in and having to stamp his mark, But you know,
you don't have to go back too long to you
know that those incredible moments of Chanslan Colby with his
jersey over his head and all Black team the head,
the Mulanas and the White Locks, and the Aaron Smiths
and the Will Jordan's of this world that gone.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
You know what, what's.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Your sort of what's your expectation of this all Black side?
Speaker 4 (07:12):
Look, I think that the best thing about about you know,
New Zealand rugby is that you've got such a fantastic
strength and depth and you've got a number of players
who over the next two or three years will definitely,
you know, stamp their mark on international rugby. You've got
a number of players who've already done that in this
in this squad and you're right there. There have been
(07:32):
a few senior players who've been around to give of
of of their best for the best part of a decade,
so there's not you know, there's certainly no complaints in
terms of them having to move on. But but you know,
it takes a little bit of settling for for younger
players to come through and and to become the dominant
forces that we've seen in the past. You know, I
(07:54):
think I think every every every team has swings and
roundabouts if you want, and I definitely think this team,
you know, losing to Argentina possibly was more a confidence
thing than anything else. You know, when the next week
when when they righted.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
That ship, I think you could you could see the
guys were.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
You know, chest puffed out, heads held high, and they
were playing New Zealand Rugby of old. So I don't
think it's something that's gone at all. I think it's
I think it's there, and I think it just takes
a little bit of time to settle. So I have
absolutely no doubt that that we'll see New Zealand be
as as confident, as strong, as dominant as we've seen
them in the past.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
And and that's that's what the whole world of rugby
looks forward to.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yes, okay, look, you know the players that New Zealanders
admire because you couldn't not admire Peter Steph to toys,
tackle on Jordy Barrett and in the World Cup final,
we've got plenty of those. But who don't we know
in the South African team because there is some new
blood coming in?
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Who who should we look out for?
Speaker 4 (08:55):
Yeah, look, I think I think all the all the
all the arrows point towards and Gonezulu at at at
number ten. He's he's a really really talented youngster who
who's actually probably more in the mold of a of
a Corlos Spencer or a or a sort of a
classic all black fly half. Actually you know, able to
(09:16):
kick with both feet, able to run, step doesn't shirk
his tackles.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
You know, he's a he's a he's a.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Big strong guy for for for such a young guy,
but he's still got that exuberance of youth. He'll run
it from anywhere. He's he's really really good with ball
in hand and he's got lovely distribution. So he's he's
a guy that I would definitely, you know, keep my
eye on. I think the most important thing is that,
you know, we've got much more strength and depth than
(09:43):
we've had for a long time. You know, I think
we've We've got a couple of guys who've come in.
You know, We've got kerbs Rhinach, who could probably only
say he's he's been first choice scrum half once or
twice for the spring Box, but but he's playing very
very well overseas and is a fantastic connector. He's incredibly fast,
(10:04):
he's a great defender. So that nine and ten actually
is quite exciting for me because we've you know, we've
had the same sort of guys in those positions for
a long time. It's really nice to see a little
bit of depth coming through. So if the Kiwis in
general are looking for anything, I'd look for some spark
out of the nine and ten and see if there's
something that that Sea can do that's that's beyond just
(10:26):
fluf to Clerk and Andre Pollard, who in their own
right of fantastic players.
Speaker 5 (10:30):
So I'm hoping we get a number of nines and tens.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
I think that says a lot about the current South
African team and the depth of the squad. Bob skins Stead,
really appreciate you joining us and enjoy the next couple
of weeks.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
They're going to be fantastic.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
We're looking forward to it, and to any of the
keywis coming over. I hope they enjoy our beautiful country
and they're always super welcome here.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
As there we go, Bob Skinset. Hey, he's a gentleman,
isn't he. He knows is footy. Based on what he just
said to me, then you got to have the South
Africans if you're making the odds at the tab and
I don't, and I'll clarify that disclaimer and all that
that have to be at about a dollar ten, wouldn't they?
The All Blacks should be more like five dollars, but
they'll probably be hopefully, you know, get a little bit
(11:14):
of them three dollars and if they get up, that'd
be quite nice, wouldn't it, Hey, that would be fantastic.
Don't forget three am on Sunday morning you can listen
to the live commentary and the All Blacks against South African.
Elliot Smith of course is live over there. He'll be
from Alice Park quite a fantastic experience it is to
get to call a game or cover a game there
(11:35):
in Johannesburg. Of course, every All Blacks game live on
Guy on Gold Sport and iHeartRadio three am. Sunday morning,
Elliot Smith live from Alice Park in Johannesburg,