July 15, 2026 • 7 mins
Nathan Burdon looks at yet another semi final exit for England at the FIFA World Cup.
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
Welcome back to the muster. Nathan Burden is our resident
sporting guru. Good afternoon, Nathan. Just for all those English
football supporters out there, Dreene, things can only get better.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yeah it was. It was a heck of a game
this morning, wasn't it? And unfortunately English hearts broken. Unfortunately
or fortunately depinding I suppose on what and what what
camp you're in, But I guess it sets up a
sets up a MESSI final, doesn't it. Argentina resus Spain.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
They just crave success so badly. Nineteen sixty six was
a very long time ago, and football is a national
sport over there. It's an obsession, it's fair to say
for a lot of people. And the fact is they
just can't get over the line that they're or thereabouts,
whether it's in the World Cup or the euro Championships.
They get just about to the summit. But about tim,
(01:00):
I don't know, teen meters from the top, the weather
caves in.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Yeah, And I guess we could have some empathy and
had heading into that twenty eleven Rugby World Cup. It
had felt like a long time since nineteen eighty seven,
hadn't it. And I guess the pressure that was on
Richie McCall's team to win that home home World Cup.
I mean England. I guess you could say, you know,
football is and even greater religion there than rugby is here,
(01:29):
and so nineteen sixty six must feel like a like
a heck of a long time ago. But gee, it's
I mean, it's such a global game and there's some
very good teams that potentially didn't even get out of
pool play or get out of the second round of
pool play this year, let alone get to the get
to the Semis in the final. But you know, I
guess when you get your the top four ranked teams
(01:50):
in the world made it to the Semis, that form
and classes come through and we're going to have a
pretty good result. I don't know if English fans, in
their heart of hearts would have thought that this was,
you know, the best English team that's been produced since
nineteen sixty six. They were certainly capable of playing some
(02:10):
good football, but whether they could do it for ninety
minutes and back it up with the defense required to
ultimately go on and win a titles probably another question.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
I'm packing Argentina to go all the way.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yeah, I guess Lionel Messy, you know, he just even
to by no means a football experient. And Tom, I
think there was a there was a stat during the
game where they were talking about him that he walks
forty eight percent of the game, but you take that
other fifty two percent, you know, shows up when he's needed.
He obviously draws a lot of attention from the defenders,
(02:44):
which must free up space for the players around him.
But just listening to a few other very respected and
some of the other goats of the game, and they,
you know, the old age old debate about who the
best ever player has been, and Lionel Messi is usually
at the top of that. Let's I guess we're very
fortunate to see a player like that doing his thing,
probably in the swan song of his career.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
His first tournament was two thousand and six. To put
it into perspective for England now, the Galbray Shield Final
last Saturday, a game for the Ages, the Barbarians getting
up against pob in overtime.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
What an occasion, What an occasion, you know, one hundred
and five minutes plus of rugby before we were able
to find a winner. And hats off to Eastern Northern
Barbarians a worthy Galbros. Shield title ten years after they
managed to get the first one that for the Amalgamated club.
(03:38):
So yeah, it was a heck of a game and
they had heroes. They had heroes all across the park,
didn't they And great to see you know, some of
those players sort have been recognized with higher honors and
getting a crack leading into this first preseason game with
the Stags taking.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
On to Targo on Friday, Harris and Morton, he's with
the Stags of sweet. You watched the guy at the
restarts the other day, so composed and they're bulls kicked
off because Greg dire cats it halfway up to the moon.
Let's be honest. They were terrific those restarts. But he
was cool under pressure. Every time he made the beg hats.
He did his core roles very well. And when you
(04:14):
look at the Stag squad and we can get young
guys like this coming through, It's be honest. There's a
lot of imports accounted it the other day almost I
don't know, just under half of this team from outside
the province.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yeah, and I think we've we've talked about this before
haven't we around. I guess drafting in enough outside talent
that we can that puts a framework and puts support
around the talent that we developed locally and allows them
to shine at that NPC level, and probably just being
able to get that balance right. I guess it feels
(04:46):
at times that the balance probably isn't isn't is a
bit of skew, but there's a bit of recency bias.
I guess you get to this stage of the season
where the Stags are looking to sort of plug some
of those gaps, and obviously they're bringing players and to
do that, they're not they're not the lame range of
there target very much in the same in the same
boat as well. So you know, we've got to we've
(05:08):
got to give our young guys every opportunity to know,
to be able to show the awares on the on
the national stage. And and so it's such a short,
such a short sprint of a competition the NPC. You've
got to start well. And I guess the first job
to starting well is making sure you have a good preseason.
So that starts out at Riveton on Friday afternoon.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
South and Sharks in the NBL be marching along to
the semifinals.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
You were rapidly reaching the end of the regular season,
only a couple of games to go, and and things
are just so evenly poised mathematically. We could still lock
in that top spot, I believe, and potentially if we
can get through the playoffs and and and have a
grand final at Ilt Stadium South And but let's not
get ahead of ourselves. We've still got Saturday afternoon Hawks
(05:57):
bay Hawks, and then a pretty mouth water and clash
up in Wellington against the Saints in the last round.
Win both of those games, and they put themselves in
a pretty good position, but just probably been some you know,
they've probably had the speed wobbles and and had some
interesting situations just in the in the last few weeks
(06:18):
in terms of player of availability. Yeah, and unfortunately losing
one of their key imports who's been troubled by with
a calf niggle and and you know would have made
a big difference. But you know, I guess they just
got to get that chemistry right. I believe that the
South and Sharks team can go all the way this year.
(06:41):
And interesting to see Aukland to Atara sort of stumble
against Targo Nuggets in the past week as well. So yeah,
I believe the Sharks can go all the way if
things go their way, They'll just need a little bit
of luck.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Good on you, Nathan boys, appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Lovely thanks mate.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Flaugh out loud with ag Proud because life on the
land can be a laughing matter. Brought to us by
sheer Well Data working to help the livestock farmer. My
barber told me some terrible news. He said he couldn't
cut my hair any longer. He said he could only
cut it shorter. Feel free to send jokeson if they
(07:19):
think the bar is getting lower and lower anyway. That's
USA and y Muer The Muster's brought to you by
Peterson lex A. Podcasts going up shortly Joy the afternoon
See tomorrow can
Welcome back to the muster. Nathan Burden is our resident
sporting guru. Good afternoon, Nathan. Just for all those English
football supporters out there, Dreene, things can only get better.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yeah it was. It was a heck of a game
this morning, wasn't it? And unfortunately English hearts broken. Unfortunately
or fortunately depinding I suppose on what and what what
camp you're in, But I guess it sets up a
sets up a MESSI final, doesn't it. Argentina resus Spain.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
They just crave success so badly. Nineteen sixty six was
a very long time ago, and football is a national
sport over there. It's an obsession, it's fair to say
for a lot of people. And the fact is they
just can't get over the line that they're or thereabouts,
whether it's in the World Cup or the euro Championships.
They get just about to the summit. But about tim,
(01:00):
I don't know, teen meters from the top, the weather
caves in.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Yeah, And I guess we could have some empathy and
had heading into that twenty eleven Rugby World Cup. It
had felt like a long time since nineteen eighty seven,
hadn't it. And I guess the pressure that was on
Richie McCall's team to win that home home World Cup.
I mean England. I guess you could say, you know,
football is and even greater religion there than rugby is here,
(01:29):
and so nineteen sixty six must feel like a like
a heck of a long time ago. But gee, it's
I mean, it's such a global game and there's some
very good teams that potentially didn't even get out of
pool play or get out of the second round of
pool play this year, let alone get to the get
to the Semis in the final. But you know, I
guess when you get your the top four ranked teams
(01:50):
in the world made it to the Semis, that form
and classes come through and we're going to have a
pretty good result. I don't know if English fans, in
their heart of hearts would have thought that this was,
you know, the best English team that's been produced since
nineteen sixty six. They were certainly capable of playing some
(02:10):
good football, but whether they could do it for ninety
minutes and back it up with the defense required to
ultimately go on and win a titles probably another question.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
I'm packing Argentina to go all the way.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yeah, I guess Lionel Messy, you know, he just even
to by no means a football experient. And Tom, I
think there was a there was a stat during the
game where they were talking about him that he walks
forty eight percent of the game, but you take that
other fifty two percent, you know, shows up when he's needed.
He obviously draws a lot of attention from the defenders,
(02:44):
which must free up space for the players around him.
But just listening to a few other very respected and
some of the other goats of the game, and they,
you know, the old age old debate about who the
best ever player has been, and Lionel Messi is usually
at the top of that. Let's I guess we're very
fortunate to see a player like that doing his thing,
probably in the swan song of his career.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
His first tournament was two thousand and six. To put
it into perspective for England now, the Galbray Shield Final
last Saturday, a game for the Ages, the Barbarians getting
up against pob in overtime.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
What an occasion, What an occasion, you know, one hundred
and five minutes plus of rugby before we were able
to find a winner. And hats off to Eastern Northern
Barbarians a worthy Galbros. Shield title ten years after they
managed to get the first one that for the Amalgamated club.
(03:38):
So yeah, it was a heck of a game and
they had heroes. They had heroes all across the park,
didn't they And great to see you know, some of
those players sort have been recognized with higher honors and
getting a crack leading into this first preseason game with
the Stags taking.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
On to Targo on Friday, Harris and Morton, he's with
the Stags of sweet. You watched the guy at the
restarts the other day, so composed and they're bulls kicked
off because Greg dire cats it halfway up to the moon.
Let's be honest. They were terrific those restarts. But he
was cool under pressure. Every time he made the beg hats.
He did his core roles very well. And when you
(04:14):
look at the Stag squad and we can get young
guys like this coming through, It's be honest. There's a
lot of imports accounted it the other day almost I
don't know, just under half of this team from outside
the province.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yeah, and I think we've we've talked about this before
haven't we around. I guess drafting in enough outside talent
that we can that puts a framework and puts support
around the talent that we developed locally and allows them
to shine at that NPC level, and probably just being
able to get that balance right. I guess it feels
(04:46):
at times that the balance probably isn't isn't is a
bit of skew, but there's a bit of recency bias.
I guess you get to this stage of the season
where the Stags are looking to sort of plug some
of those gaps, and obviously they're bringing players and to
do that, they're not they're not the lame range of
there target very much in the same in the same
boat as well. So you know, we've got to we've
(05:08):
got to give our young guys every opportunity to know,
to be able to show the awares on the on
the national stage. And and so it's such a short,
such a short sprint of a competition the NPC. You've
got to start well. And I guess the first job
to starting well is making sure you have a good preseason.
So that starts out at Riveton on Friday afternoon.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
South and Sharks in the NBL be marching along to
the semifinals.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
You were rapidly reaching the end of the regular season,
only a couple of games to go, and and things
are just so evenly poised mathematically. We could still lock
in that top spot, I believe, and potentially if we
can get through the playoffs and and and have a
grand final at Ilt Stadium South And but let's not
get ahead of ourselves. We've still got Saturday afternoon Hawks
(05:57):
bay Hawks, and then a pretty mouth water and clash
up in Wellington against the Saints in the last round.
Win both of those games, and they put themselves in
a pretty good position, but just probably been some you know,
they've probably had the speed wobbles and and had some
interesting situations just in the in the last few weeks
(06:18):
in terms of player of availability. Yeah, and unfortunately losing
one of their key imports who's been troubled by with
a calf niggle and and you know would have made
a big difference. But you know, I guess they just
got to get that chemistry right. I believe that the
South and Sharks team can go all the way this year.
(06:41):
And interesting to see Aukland to Atara sort of stumble
against Targo Nuggets in the past week as well. So yeah,
I believe the Sharks can go all the way if
things go their way, They'll just need a little bit
of luck.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Good on you, Nathan boys, appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Lovely thanks mate.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Flaugh out loud with ag Proud because life on the
land can be a laughing matter. Brought to us by
sheer Well Data working to help the livestock farmer. My
barber told me some terrible news. He said he couldn't
cut my hair any longer. He said he could only
cut it shorter. Feel free to send jokeson if they
(07:19):
think the bar is getting lower and lower anyway. That's
USA and y Muer The Muster's brought to you by
Peterson lex A. Podcasts going up shortly Joy the afternoon
See tomorrow can
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