October 2, 2024 • 7 mins
Talking the big rugby stories of the week.
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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. Well joining us as he
always does on a Thursday morning, Gregor Paul, one of
New Zealand's most respected rugby writers and columnists.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Morning Gregor, good morning.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
We are done and dasted with the Challenger series or
the rugby in New Zealand for this season. But as
you've written in an article and I'm reading it, the
Northern Hemisphere tour awhites and could be a bit of
an ambush for the All Blacks.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Well better than ambush, the hopeful ambush. I know what
they were thinking lining up England, Ireland, France and consecutive weekends,
which would be equally, if not tougher, than playing back
to back in South Africa. That's a hugely challenging series
of games, not made any easier by the way that
(00:52):
they're playing England on a Faturday late afternoon and then
Ireland six days later late on a Friday night, so
there's a short turnaround there and against probably you know,
I think Ireland's if you know, the number one in
the world officially in the rankings now and I think
they deserve that. I think they probably are the best
team in the world and France wouldn't be that far behind.
(01:14):
And England are waiting to punch New Zealand back in
the face after not winning out here in July where
they felt that they could win twice, so any good.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Luck in the Irish, and the Irish are actually probably
waiting to Satius in the face as well, fuming after
being the old Blacks knocking them out of the World Cap.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Well, yeah, and a few other reasons I think. I mean,
there's a bit of blood that's between the two teams.
They're not helped by some exchanges. Well, you know, I
think there's been some exchanges between the teams for some
kind Let's not forget that. You know, Ireland dished out
a few appoignant remarks when they won the series in
(01:52):
New Zealand and twenty twenty two. Peter o'manni said a
few memorable words to Sam Kaine in that series. That's
stuck with a few Oblacks. Obviously, Ricky Yuanni been one
of them who felt he needed to offer Johnny Sexton
some retirement advice after they played in the World Cup
quarterfinal and Roddy Rettalik wish Peter o'manny all the best
(02:14):
on his flight home after the World Cup as well.
So look, yeah, I think Ireland are really really quite
keen to avenge that one.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Okay, So the All Blacks under Nurse Scott Robertson's ear,
have we talked about last weekend's taste? First off? Were
you impressed by how the Oblacks played there?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I was impressed. I think they certainly played better and
they played for a longer period of time in which
clearly matters when they've been having these issues around falling
away midway through the second half. We didn't see any
of that. We saw what we would say would be
a more typical All Black performance in that there was
a check and half surge almost that was coming out
(02:56):
after halftime where they really clicked intent, put a lot
of pressure on Australia, were a lot more clinical, precise
when they needed to be, got scoreboard pressure built on
Australia by scoring two or three tries after halftime and
then we're good enough just to hold out and finish
off the game. So if you if that is Test
match rugby, though, isn't that that's what you need to
(03:17):
do to be in the fight for eighty. You need
to be controlled for the whole period. You need to
weather periods of pressure yourself, which they did because Australia
started really well and put a lot of pressure on
for the first twenty minutes and New Zealand's perfense was outstanding.
So look, it was what I would call a test
match performance. That's what you've got to do. You've got
to take a few punches, you've got to give a
(03:38):
few back, and you've got to be smart. They were smart.
Just before halftime, the all backs kicked long into the corner,
won a line out and stayed in there. You know,
they just they kept they just kept inside the Australian
twenty two, knowing that they would get repeat penalties. Didn't
need to panic. Scored a critical try just before halftime
and that was a bit of a killer.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
If you were to write a report card on Scott
Robinson as the All Black coach in his first tenure,
how would you write him out of team? How many
would you give him?
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Oh jeepers report? You just brought me back to the
horrible report card thinking about some of my own back
at school. I don't know. Look, he's probably round about
the six out of ten mark at the moment, which
is probably about the same percentage of games that they've
won sixty ish percent. But he's clearly learning. It's a
(04:29):
huge step up, isn't it. Between super rugby and international rugby.
It's not easy to transition. I think he's probably, he
would probably admit himself, he's made a few mistakes. He's
learning about the value of experienced players. He's perhaps underestimated
back coming into the job. I think he's perhaps underestimated
the magnitude of being with the All Blacks. The volume
(04:52):
of people you need to move week to week, the
volume of people you need to get around to make
sure they're okay and get them ready to go. It's
a circus, you know. When you see it in operation.
It's sixty seventy people on the move all the time,
and you've got to prepare six days for a test match,
then pack up and do it again. There's a real
wash repeat cycle to that that's bigger and harder than
(05:13):
he may have anticipated. So I think, yeah, the previous
Old Blacks coach is the and Foster's defense and had
all come out of having international experience, right, it hasn't
and I think that will be the thing that will
challenge him the most is just finding the rhythm and
intensity of that cycle.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
And when he takes them to the Northern Hemisphere, it's
not just about the teams that they'll be facing, but
you've got the crowd over there as well. They're very engaged.
They'll be on top of the picture, so to speak.
So it's a different kind of atmosphere again, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Yeah, it is. And you've got to remember when you're
the Old Blacks, doesn't matter where you are in the
world ranking scene. So that South Africa might be the
world champions Ireland of the number one team, everyone's like
to beat you. For England, for Ireland, for France. That's
a season token to them that if they you know,
if they if they can lose every game of the
Fixed Nations, but if they beat the Old Blacks and
(06:07):
they've got redemption, almost everyone will forgive them. There. The
coach will be on it, you know, he'll be setting
a pedestal. He'll live off that for another year. So
it's a huge, huge moment for every team when they
get the chance to play the Old Blacks and it'll
be the one game in the Winter Series for them
that they'll be targeting, knowing that's the one that they
want to win, that's the one they'll put their best
team out for. That's the one the crowd will have
(06:28):
bought the tickets for first, and that's the one that
they cry will get the most engaged and motivated into,
you know, into being part of the process as well.
So you know, it's really really tough when you use
in you don't you don't find anyone on an off
day when you're the Old Blacks. Everyone's pumped and ready
to knock you off and if you have an off day, cheepers.
It's a really past business trying to be an England
(06:49):
team at Twickenham when there's eighty two thousand people yelling
at you. It's hard. It's same in Ireland, same in France.
So yeah, it's it's different to what they will encount
what they've encountered and said Africa for some of these
young players, so you know it will be a seriously
demanding challenge for them.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Exciting. Can't wait for it to happen. Gregor, thanks for
joining us, mate, have a good one. Thank you Gregor Paul,
New Zealand Herald Rugby
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. Well joining us as he
always does on a Thursday morning, Gregor Paul, one of
New Zealand's most respected rugby writers and columnists.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Morning Gregor, good morning.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
We are done and dasted with the Challenger series or
the rugby in New Zealand for this season. But as
you've written in an article and I'm reading it, the
Northern Hemisphere tour awhites and could be a bit of
an ambush for the All Blacks.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Well better than ambush, the hopeful ambush. I know what
they were thinking lining up England, Ireland, France and consecutive weekends,
which would be equally, if not tougher, than playing back
to back in South Africa. That's a hugely challenging series
of games, not made any easier by the way that
(00:52):
they're playing England on a Faturday late afternoon and then
Ireland six days later late on a Friday night, so
there's a short turnaround there and against probably you know,
I think Ireland's if you know, the number one in
the world officially in the rankings now and I think
they deserve that. I think they probably are the best
team in the world and France wouldn't be that far behind.
(01:14):
And England are waiting to punch New Zealand back in
the face after not winning out here in July where
they felt that they could win twice, so any good.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Luck in the Irish, and the Irish are actually probably
waiting to Satius in the face as well, fuming after
being the old Blacks knocking them out of the World Cap.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Well, yeah, and a few other reasons I think. I mean,
there's a bit of blood that's between the two teams.
They're not helped by some exchanges. Well, you know, I
think there's been some exchanges between the teams for some
kind Let's not forget that. You know, Ireland dished out
a few appoignant remarks when they won the series in
(01:52):
New Zealand and twenty twenty two. Peter o'manni said a
few memorable words to Sam Kaine in that series. That's
stuck with a few Oblacks. Obviously, Ricky Yuanni been one
of them who felt he needed to offer Johnny Sexton
some retirement advice after they played in the World Cup
quarterfinal and Roddy Rettalik wish Peter o'manny all the best
(02:14):
on his flight home after the World Cup as well.
So look, yeah, I think Ireland are really really quite
keen to avenge that one.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Okay, So the All Blacks under Nurse Scott Robertson's ear,
have we talked about last weekend's taste? First off? Were
you impressed by how the Oblacks played there?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I was impressed. I think they certainly played better and
they played for a longer period of time in which
clearly matters when they've been having these issues around falling
away midway through the second half. We didn't see any
of that. We saw what we would say would be
a more typical All Black performance in that there was
a check and half surge almost that was coming out
(02:56):
after halftime where they really clicked intent, put a lot
of pressure on Australia, were a lot more clinical, precise
when they needed to be, got scoreboard pressure built on
Australia by scoring two or three tries after halftime and
then we're good enough just to hold out and finish
off the game. So if you if that is Test
match rugby, though, isn't that that's what you need to
(03:17):
do to be in the fight for eighty. You need
to be controlled for the whole period. You need to
weather periods of pressure yourself, which they did because Australia
started really well and put a lot of pressure on
for the first twenty minutes and New Zealand's perfense was outstanding.
So look, it was what I would call a test
match performance. That's what you've got to do. You've got
to take a few punches, you've got to give a
(03:38):
few back, and you've got to be smart. They were smart.
Just before halftime, the all backs kicked long into the corner,
won a line out and stayed in there. You know,
they just they kept they just kept inside the Australian
twenty two, knowing that they would get repeat penalties. Didn't
need to panic. Scored a critical try just before halftime
and that was a bit of a killer.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
If you were to write a report card on Scott
Robinson as the All Black coach in his first tenure,
how would you write him out of team? How many
would you give him?
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Oh jeepers report? You just brought me back to the
horrible report card thinking about some of my own back
at school. I don't know. Look, he's probably round about
the six out of ten mark at the moment, which
is probably about the same percentage of games that they've
won sixty ish percent. But he's clearly learning. It's a
(04:29):
huge step up, isn't it. Between super rugby and international rugby.
It's not easy to transition. I think he's probably, he
would probably admit himself, he's made a few mistakes. He's
learning about the value of experienced players. He's perhaps underestimated
back coming into the job. I think he's perhaps underestimated
the magnitude of being with the All Blacks. The volume
(04:52):
of people you need to move week to week, the
volume of people you need to get around to make
sure they're okay and get them ready to go. It's
a circus, you know. When you see it in operation.
It's sixty seventy people on the move all the time,
and you've got to prepare six days for a test match,
then pack up and do it again. There's a real
wash repeat cycle to that that's bigger and harder than
(05:13):
he may have anticipated. So I think, yeah, the previous
Old Blacks coach is the and Foster's defense and had
all come out of having international experience, right, it hasn't
and I think that will be the thing that will
challenge him the most is just finding the rhythm and
intensity of that cycle.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
And when he takes them to the Northern Hemisphere, it's
not just about the teams that they'll be facing, but
you've got the crowd over there as well. They're very engaged.
They'll be on top of the picture, so to speak.
So it's a different kind of atmosphere again, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Yeah, it is. And you've got to remember when you're
the Old Blacks, doesn't matter where you are in the
world ranking scene. So that South Africa might be the
world champions Ireland of the number one team, everyone's like
to beat you. For England, for Ireland, for France. That's
a season token to them that if they you know,
if they if they can lose every game of the
Fixed Nations, but if they beat the Old Blacks and
(06:07):
they've got redemption, almost everyone will forgive them. There. The
coach will be on it, you know, he'll be setting
a pedestal. He'll live off that for another year. So
it's a huge, huge moment for every team when they
get the chance to play the Old Blacks and it'll
be the one game in the Winter Series for them
that they'll be targeting, knowing that's the one that they
want to win, that's the one they'll put their best
team out for. That's the one the crowd will have
(06:28):
bought the tickets for first, and that's the one that
they cry will get the most engaged and motivated into,
you know, into being part of the process as well.
So you know, it's really really tough when you use
in you don't you don't find anyone on an off
day when you're the Old Blacks. Everyone's pumped and ready
to knock you off and if you have an off day, cheepers.
It's a really past business trying to be an England
(06:49):
team at Twickenham when there's eighty two thousand people yelling
at you. It's hard. It's same in Ireland, same in France.
So yeah, it's it's different to what they will encount
what they've encountered and said Africa for some of these
young players, so you know it will be a seriously
demanding challenge for them.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Exciting. Can't wait for it to happen. Gregor, thanks for
joining us, mate, have a good one. Thank you Gregor Paul,
New Zealand Herald Rugby
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