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Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow

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Speaker 1: this and our Wide Ranger podcast now on iHeartRadio. Yet

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Speaker 1: inside the game from every angle. It's Rugby Direct with

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Speaker 1: Elliott Smith, powered by News Talks EDB.

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Speaker 2: Welcome into Rugby Direct powered by habit Health, tackling all

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Speaker 2: your aches and pains from sport and workbook online at

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Speaker 2: habit dot Health to see a physio and get back

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Speaker 2: in the game. Faster to Alligott Smith with me as

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Speaker 2: always Liam Napier from The New Zealand heral big episode

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Speaker 2: of Rugby Direct coming up for you today. We'll get

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Speaker 2: into the semifinals and the upcoming final very shortly. We'll

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Speaker 2: redraft the All Black Squads that we did a few

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Speaker 2: weeks back, and Kevin Malloyd, who was the board share

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Speaker 2: of Super Rugby Pacific, is going to join the podcast

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Speaker 2: as well. It is all go Liam, as it was

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Speaker 2: over the weekend and we have our final the Blues.

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Speaker 2: We'll host the Chiefs on Saturday night. The Cane train

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Speaker 2: has derailed. It's been put out of service. It's like

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Speaker 2: the Auckland Transport trains just simply don't exist.

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Speaker 3: It's tough to take, isn't it real low weekends, wasn't it.

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Speaker 3: But you know what, it's Monday morning and I've come

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Speaker 3: in and I've reconciled the fact that at least the

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Speaker 3: Crusaders are.

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Speaker 4: In the final. Mate, you know it's.

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Speaker 2: Here we're talking more about the Hurricanes.

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Speaker 4: You's going to take your blessing.

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Speaker 2: Sometimes very buoyant. I needn't picked them last week in

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Speaker 2: the tipping, but you were very boyantce Canes year all

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Speaker 2: the way through and now what's gone wrong?

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Speaker 4: Well, I don't know if that is Zachar.

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Speaker 3: I have been waiting for the Canes to fall over

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Speaker 3: to a degree all season and they have. I don't

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Speaker 3: take any joy in that. In fact, it was incredibly

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Speaker 3: punishing to watch that semi final at the weekend. There

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Speaker 3: was just felt like they choked to a degree. And yeah,

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Speaker 3: I guess we'll delve into that, but it was a

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Speaker 3: very very tough watch from a cane's perspective, wasn't it.

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Speaker 2: Indeed, we'll get onto that in a minute, but let's

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Speaker 2: go to the Blues Brumbies first and foremost Friday night

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Speaker 2: and relatively official from the Blues, they started really strongly

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Speaker 2: and that was the key for the Rumbies. They needed

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Speaker 2: to start strongly. They didn't get a good start the Blues.

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Speaker 2: At one point they could have been on track for

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Speaker 2: fifty or so. They didn't quite happen. In the end,

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Speaker 2: Brumbies came back into it, but it was always well

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Speaker 2: out of their reach after that fast start from the Blues,

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Speaker 2: who just as said, laid the platform, got points on

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Speaker 2: the board early and the Brumbies had to play on

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Speaker 2: the back foot and that's never going to work for

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Speaker 2: them at Egen Park.

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Speaker 4: No it's not.

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Speaker 3: And the Blue scored four triers in the first quarter.

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Speaker 3: Two of those came from botch rees start receptions from

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Speaker 3: the Brumbies, one from a rolling wall, and the fourth

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Speaker 3: was a Stephen Peifetter long ball to Caleb Clark in

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Speaker 3: the corner. So you've got to do the basics where

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Speaker 3: you must take your kickoff receipts. You can't give the

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Speaker 3: Blues easy access to your twenty two where they can

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Speaker 3: get a roll on, get their big boys going forward.

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Speaker 3: They don't need any league ups or any assistance. So

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Speaker 3: the game was done after twenty minutes and that was

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Speaker 3: almost the case, and both semi finals or a degree.

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Speaker 3: But yeah, the Brumbies they weren't helped by losing James

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Speaker 3: Slipper and they're starting lock prior to kickoff and I

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Speaker 3: think they're type five needed those players and they were exposed.

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Speaker 3: The Blue scrum dominated right throughout the game. And yeah

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Speaker 3: they had some issues in the third quarter, number of

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Speaker 3: mistakes inviting the Brumbies back, but there was never ever

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Speaker 3: a sense the Blues were going to lose that game.

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Speaker 3: After that start, they were never really threatened. They did

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Speaker 3: what they had to do and I think the most

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Speaker 3: pleasing thing for the Blues was there was no sign

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Speaker 3: of nerves. This is it was a big occasion the

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Speaker 3: semi final finals. Rugby is difference. The Blues have failed

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Speaker 3: in the past two seasons in the finals. They got

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Speaker 3: smashed in christ Church last year. Different opposition, different scene, sure,

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Speaker 3: but those things can have an effect and for the

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Speaker 3: Blues to start that well in a semi final, that's

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Speaker 3: probably what bodes best for them.

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Speaker 2: I agreed that the Brumbies talked during the week or

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Speaker 2: Stephen Larkin about previous time they went Eaton Park when

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Speaker 2: they got dusted by forty to fifty. They learned a

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Speaker 2: lot about the contact area and various things. Well, they

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Speaker 2: didn't come across on Friday night. The Blues beat them up.

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Speaker 2: There a lot of turnover ball. The Brummies just weren't

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Speaker 2: able to impose themselves on the contest, and that is

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Speaker 2: always going to happen when you go behind early on

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Speaker 2: the scoreboard. But you say, watch those restarts. Just couldn't

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Speaker 2: get into the game, and you know you're never going

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Speaker 2: to find a way back into the game from that point.

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Speaker 2: So I thought, I agree, the Blues are very, very good,

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Speaker 2: and when you can make some technical substitutions around the

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Speaker 2: fifty to fifty five minute mark, take some of those

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Speaker 2: players off that you need to one because the second

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Speaker 2: half I got a bit scrappy, but too just to

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Speaker 2: protect them for the final next week. That's always a

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Speaker 2: good spot to begin as a coach. In the semifinal.

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Speaker 3: Oh, it's massive, and I don't think you can underestimate

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Speaker 3: the fact that those changes, but also the fact that

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Speaker 3: the Blues have an extra day rest that Hurricanes chief

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Speaker 3: semi final, they absolutely took lumps out of each other

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Speaker 3: and we've seen that with the Chiefs casualty wards and

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Speaker 3: then you know, the the rest of this week is

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Speaker 3: going to be pretty telling for who's available who's fit

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Speaker 3: for the Chiefs. But to have twenty four hours to

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Speaker 3: be able to sit back and watch that semi final,

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Speaker 3: to then have the final at Eden Park, you know,

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Speaker 3: everything really is stacked in the Blues favor and making

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Speaker 3: those technical substitutions getting a few players back this week.

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Speaker 3: I think they'll probably get Bryce team Locklam at Funnel

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Speaker 3: the lock So you know, the Blues a certainly in

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Speaker 3: the box seat.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, on the basis of what we saw Friday night. Absolutely,

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Speaker 2: and they're going to be at home home advantage, which

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Speaker 2: perhaps maybe they weren't expecting once they finished that game

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Speaker 2: on Friday night, maybe thought that they might have to

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Speaker 2: go down to Wellington. Obviously probably sixty four a game

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Speaker 2: in the Canes favor at that stage, and I've been

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Speaker 2: kinder described it as what choosing between cholera and the plague.

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Speaker 2: It was a very very good line as to where

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Speaker 2: they wanted the Hurricanes or the Chiefs in the final.

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Speaker 2: Which one of the Chiefs the plague or the will

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Speaker 2: call what's worse.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, look, i think they'll be hoping to be the plague.

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Speaker 3: Weldn't they come and cripple the Blues at the knees

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Speaker 3: and look, they are every chance of doing that. But

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Speaker 3: when you look at the Blues to this point in

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Speaker 3: the season, you've got to be impressed with what Verncotta

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Speaker 3: and the coaching team have done, haven't they. And it's

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Speaker 3: not just Vern, you know, Paul Tito is a big

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Speaker 3: part of that team. Greek feet has you know, had

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Speaker 3: a big impact on the scrum and they had some

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Speaker 3: disruption early in there with Tony Brown coming in and

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Speaker 3: Jason o'hellerin running the attack. You know, you could sit

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Speaker 3: back and say, well, they don't stually have much of

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Speaker 3: an attack because they're playing very much like a French

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Speaker 3: South African team with that those direct, powerful carries, one

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Speaker 3: off the ruck, doing the simple things. Well, even the

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Speaker 3: wingers Mark to Leah, Caleb Clark coming in looking for work,

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Speaker 3: Rico o'whani the same. So it is a bit one

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Speaker 3: dimensional what the Blues throw at you, but it is

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Speaker 3: highly effective, incredibly different to stop, difficult to stop, and look,

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Speaker 3: Vern has red the Blues of their inconsistencies. You know,

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Speaker 3: they've had complacency patches within games, but it's when they

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Speaker 3: have been on top and very dominant. Who was Adulton

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Speaker 3: Popolli talked about they've had a couple of wake up

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Speaker 3: calls this year and their losses against the Crusaders and

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Speaker 3: the Hurricanes, and how that's had a positive impact on

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Speaker 3: their mental space and preparing for finals.

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Speaker 4: But Vern certainly brought a harder edge, isn't here he has?

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Speaker 2: And it's funny you mentioned that around the wings looking

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Speaker 2: for work because they're not getting a lot of it

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Speaker 2: in the user positions and that's what all the Blues

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Speaker 2: have always been about, that expansive style of footy. They

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Speaker 2: can run it from their owning goal and try and

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Speaker 2: make something happen here. But this year we've seen just

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Speaker 2: a very cohesive team around the exits, getting into the

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Speaker 2: right areas the ground and then when they get into

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Speaker 2: you know, the red zone or thirty meters out, they're

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Speaker 2: very direct at that point. They use the likes of

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Speaker 2: Papaliti and Tuebologi before he got injured, now Dowry direct

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Speaker 2: runners to get them into the twenty two and then

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Speaker 2: just from there they inch inch inch four but with purpose,

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Speaker 2: strong carries, really hard running and you know, we was

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Speaker 2: seeing caleber Car the leaguet a few finishes, but they're

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Speaker 2: not you know, scoring sixty seventy meters wonder tries are.

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Speaker 4: They No, they're not.

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Speaker 3: And it is to a degree a test style of

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Speaker 3: football that the Blues are playing. You think about where

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Speaker 3: they're dominant, the set piece, the scrum. It has crushed

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Speaker 3: so many teams this year. They're tactical, kicking where and

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Speaker 3: when they use the ball, and their their style of carrying.

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Speaker 3: They're they're cleaning out their body high. All these little

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Speaker 3: things they've they've got right. And I guess also what's

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Speaker 3: encapsulated their season as a guy like Harry Plummer. You know,

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Speaker 3: you look back throughout the Blues history, Carlos Spencer, they

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Speaker 3: went out and bought Bowden, Barrett's, Stephen Peterefetter. All these

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Speaker 3: guys are classy, silky, you know, quiet flamboyant operators to

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Speaker 3: a degree in their own right. And then you've got

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Speaker 3: Harry Plummer, this local boy who's flitted between twelve and ten.

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Speaker 3: It's had a number of injury issues, very much been

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Speaker 3: second fiddle pretty much all of his career. And then

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Speaker 3: the Blues are now on the cusp of their first

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Speaker 3: fully fledged title in twenty one years, and he's the

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Speaker 3: most unheralded guy driving them around the park kicking fifty

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Speaker 3: twenty two's, you know, being very simple but effective and

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Speaker 3: what he's done. And so that is the Blues in

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Speaker 3: a nutshell this year.

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Speaker 2: It certainly is, and they'll go into the final I

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Speaker 2: think this week as the favorites. But let's go to

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Speaker 2: Saturday afternoon and the Chiefs and Hurricanes, and as we

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Speaker 2: talked about there and you mentioned before, down to a

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Speaker 2: fast start in many ways, the Chiefs came out at

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Speaker 2: the blocks at pace and put the Hurricanes on the

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Speaker 2: back foot. And when you've got to chase the game,

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Speaker 2: that is always a tricky spot to be in, and

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Speaker 2: the Chiefs just forced the Hurricanes to do that. It

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Speaker 2: was never quite out of reach necessarily, but they kept

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Speaker 2: them in arm's length, I thought. And that was a

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Speaker 2: very good Chiefs performance.

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Speaker 4: It was.

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Speaker 3: But on the flip side, it was quite a poor

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Speaker 3: performance from Hurricanes. And right from the start they went

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Speaker 3: away from what's worked for them this year. They wear

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Speaker 3: the Blues didn't look nervous. The Hurricanes did, and they

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Speaker 3: kicked away so much position in their opening quarter and

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Speaker 3: they allowed the Chiefs to run it back at them

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Speaker 3: to chance their just kickkickkick, And this year they've used

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Speaker 3: the ball well, and they nullified the one of their

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Speaker 3: greatest drengths, their loose forwards. I thought, Brett Cameron, you know,

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Speaker 3: didn't have a great night. Reuben Love struggled to weave

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Speaker 3: at the back to impose himself on the game as well.

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Speaker 4: It really was probably one of.

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Speaker 3: The Hurricanes' worst performances on the biggest stage in front

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Speaker 3: of a big home crowds. So yes, the Chiefs came

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Speaker 3: out of the blocks and blew the Hurricanes away, but

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Speaker 3: the Hurricanes helped them do that by giving them so

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Speaker 3: much position and saying, hey, yeah, you bring it to

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Speaker 3: us rather than we're going to take it to you.

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Speaker 2: They did, and the Chiefs used to. I thought, you know,

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Speaker 2: while a Titi superbly, it was incredible, incredible forms.

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Speaker 3: One of the great individual super rugby performances in history.

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Speaker 3: You know, that might be a bit inflammatory to a degree,

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Speaker 3: but I think also with Tit, the potential there has

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Speaker 3: been recognized by the fact you're playing Luke Jacobson up seven.

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Speaker 3: You know, he was the Chiefs, he's the Chief's captain.

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Speaker 3: He's bolted on eight and they've accommodated Wallace a Tit

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Speaker 3: starting at eight. Because that impressed by him and just

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Speaker 3: to look at him physically. He is probably the most

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Speaker 3: traditional style of eight New Zealand has, isn't He's big,

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Speaker 3: He's powerful, but he's so silky and everything he does

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Speaker 3: is ball skills. He could you know, kick as well.

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Speaker 3: Quite reminiscent of Hoskins in terms of his skill set,

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Speaker 3: but probably a bigger man. And geez, that matchup is

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Speaker 3: going to be incredible, isn't it.

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Speaker 4: In the final.

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Speaker 2: It's going to be really good. Look, I was utterly

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Speaker 2: impressed by him. Yeah, the Hurricanes just I don't know.

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Speaker 2: Last week we saw a bit against the Rebels as well,

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Speaker 2: And this is something that Clad McMillan picked up on

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Speaker 2: and spoke about it in his post match media conference

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Speaker 2: on Saturday and also with Jason Pine on weekend. Spat

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Speaker 2: and used to exibb just around some of the things

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Speaker 2: that spotted from the Hurricanes in that Rebels game that

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Speaker 2: may be suggested they weren't entirely comfortable with the style

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Speaker 2: they were playing all that they weren't exactly built for

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Speaker 2: playwer footing and the Chiefs really exploited that exploited some

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Speaker 2: of those eras and that takes good awareness from the Chiefs,

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Speaker 2: but also shows that probably learned a bit from last

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Speaker 2: year where they got undone in the final, and you know,

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Speaker 2: the Hurricanes will take a few lessons from that, I'm sure,

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Speaker 2: but just probably weren't quite built for playoff footing in

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Speaker 2: that regard.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, they say you've got to lose one to win one,

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Speaker 3: and a couple of weeks ago, Verncotta said after the

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Speaker 3: Chiefs blew away the Reds that the Chiefs heads removed

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Speaker 3: their mask, and I think that's a great way of

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Speaker 3: describing it, because we'd banged on and bashed up the

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Speaker 3: Chiefs still a degree throughout the regular season and fair

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Speaker 3: enough too, they were underwhelming, but they have come into

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Speaker 3: this finals and really come out of the blocks and

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Speaker 3: laid down a marker with the style of rugby, with

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Speaker 3: our play, with their cohesiveness, with their big players standing up.

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Speaker 3: You know, really Clayton McMillan seems to have time. They're

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Speaker 3: run this year and that would be a bit. There's

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Speaker 3: a massive lesson for them from from last year and

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Speaker 3: the Hurricanes. You know, they finished top and they almost

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Speaker 3: did a Blues in recent years. You know, if you

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Speaker 3: think about the Blues when they staggered past the Brumbies

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Speaker 3: in the in their semi final. Well, the Hurricanes were

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Speaker 3: unimpressive against the Rebels and then didn't didn't rise again

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Speaker 3: for the Chiefs. So very contrasting and what you want

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Speaker 3: and need from a team coming into successive finals matches.

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Speaker 2: Just picking up on that as well. I guess we

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Speaker 2: talked about them during the season not really hitting any

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Speaker 2: great heights. I still finished fourth, but is there probably

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Speaker 2: a lesson there in the bloated format. This might be

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Speaker 2: something we can ask kivem malloy about a bit later on,

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Speaker 2: but just the you know the nature of the playoffs,

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Speaker 2: knowing that you don't have to beat you have to

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Speaker 2: pick essentially for two weeks at the end of the season,

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Speaker 2: maybe in three and you can win a Super Rugby title,

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Speaker 2: which kind of extinguishes the point of the first fifteen weeks.

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Speaker 4: It does.

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Speaker 3: That's very fair and home advantage is important, but it's

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Speaker 3: not the baer win end or. And I think the

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Speaker 3: Chiefs had never won an away final away semi in

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Speaker 3: their history. Well that they put that to bed, didn't they.

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Speaker 3: And another point on the Chiefs is they did it

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Speaker 3: the hard way. Two yellow cards, so everything was stacked

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Speaker 3: in the Hurricanes favor.

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Speaker 4: They're at home.

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Speaker 3: They had one man advantage for twenty minutes and I

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Speaker 3: know one of those periods they didn't score any points.

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Speaker 3: So they had every opportunity to win that game and

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Speaker 3: couldn't do it. So the Chiefs have taken the hard road.

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Speaker 3: They have to go away from home again the face

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Speaker 3: of a bit of adversity with injuries, but they've already

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Speaker 3: overcome a lot and they showed that within that Hurricanes

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Speaker 3: game as well.

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Speaker 4: Well.

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Speaker 2: They had two tries ruled out as well. I mean

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Speaker 2: obviously ruled out, but shows probably their dominans that they

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Speaker 2: did have those try scoring opportunities to an extent that

305
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Speaker 2: could have even been even further in front of the Hurricanes.

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Speaker 2: The Chiefs the couple of injuries. As we touched on

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Speaker 2: the SEMISONI Takeyo Hole definitely out achilles issue. Seems like

308
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Speaker 2: he's going to miss at least some tests. We don't

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Speaker 2: know how many as yet. Might get a picture on

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Speaker 2: that in the next couple of days, so they're going

311
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Speaker 2: to have to bring in well. Bradley Slater also the

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Speaker 2: possible mcl sort of injury, so he's doubtful for the final.

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Speaker 2: They might to use Claddon's words yesterday, give them a

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Speaker 2: bit of strapping and send them out there. So they

315
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Speaker 2: are going to have to get Tyrone Thompson, who's a

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Speaker 2: player that's been talked about for a number of seasons

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Speaker 2: as a real comer in New Zealand rugby, hasn't really

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Speaker 2: got his opportunities, has been linked with the NRL. This

319
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Speaker 2: year's brother Leo plays for Newcastle, a big opportunity for

320
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Speaker 2: him presenting this weekend and then they're gonna have to

321
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Speaker 2: find another hooker.

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Speaker 3: From some I think Tyrone is going to the NRL,

323
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Speaker 3: so you know what to send off. And there are

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Speaker 3: a number of different storylines around this game in terms

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Speaker 3: of Vern Cotta and Clayton McMillan, Vern coach Clayton made

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Speaker 3: him as captain, so some real nice symmetry there, I know,

327
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Speaker 3: the great mates off the field and Akira Awana playing

328
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Speaker 3: his last game for the Blues, Tyren Thompson going on

329
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Speaker 3: to the RL, so you have these sorts of things.

330
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Speaker 3: But yeah, injury wise, SAMMASONI is a huge loss. He's

331
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Speaker 3: struck form at the right time for the Chiefs and

332
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Speaker 3: if it is an achilles, it is an achilles. If

333
00:16:45,213 --> 00:16:47,053
Speaker 3: it's a rupture that would be season ending, but we

334
00:16:47,133 --> 00:16:51,453
Speaker 3: don't know how bad that is. And when you look

335
00:16:51,493 --> 00:16:54,253
Speaker 3: at the Blues strengths, going that deep in your hook

336
00:16:54,253 --> 00:16:56,853
Speaker 3: of stocks is a concern, particularly from a scrum perspective

337
00:16:56,853 --> 00:17:00,213
Speaker 3: where the Blues are so dominant. So that's a real

338
00:17:00,253 --> 00:17:01,293
Speaker 3: concern for the Chiefs.

339
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Speaker 2: We look at the way the Blues are played and

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00:17:03,533 --> 00:17:07,053
Speaker 2: they've really found what they want out of Rickettellian Eckland

341
00:17:07,053 --> 00:17:09,933
Speaker 2: that they're one two punch kind of liking it to

342
00:17:11,333 --> 00:17:14,733
Speaker 2: the way the Crusaders had Brinhill Mitch Strummond looking for years.

343
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Speaker 2: And now you wouldn't say, and maybe they now are

344
00:17:17,333 --> 00:17:21,093
Speaker 2: in the conversation, but you wouldn't say Rickattelli Eklund's all

345
00:17:21,093 --> 00:17:23,213
Speaker 2: backs players. But they played the role that the coach

346
00:17:23,293 --> 00:17:26,133
Speaker 2: wanted them too, similar to Hall and Drummond, and just

347
00:17:26,213 --> 00:17:30,053
Speaker 2: did the nucleus of the job very very well. That's

348
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Speaker 2: gonna be tough for the chief try and respond to

349
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Speaker 2: this week.

350
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Speaker 3: It is a risky scenario, isn't it, Because let's say

351
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Speaker 3: Bradley Sada has a ligament injury with his knee, You

352
00:17:40,293 --> 00:17:43,573
Speaker 3: strap it up, you give him a jab. Perhaps is

353
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Speaker 3: he going to last the distance Tyrone Thompson not a

354
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Speaker 3: target there. Yeah, Tyron Thompson hasn't played a lot this year.

355
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Speaker 3: How many minutes has he got in him? And then

356
00:17:51,573 --> 00:17:55,173
Speaker 3: you're looking at bringing in a guy millennium Son Adivu,

357
00:17:55,413 --> 00:17:58,613
Speaker 3: who was the former King's College First of Thing captain.

358
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Speaker 3: He's played nineteen games for the Naki but hasn't played

359
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Speaker 3: super rugby massive stage. Let's say he's on in the

360
00:18:04,893 --> 00:18:08,213
Speaker 3: last ten minutes and has a match winning, potentially lineout.

361
00:18:08,653 --> 00:18:12,093
Speaker 3: How's he feeling about that situation? So it's a real

362
00:18:12,613 --> 00:18:14,133
Speaker 3: risky scenario for the Chiefs.

363
00:18:14,453 --> 00:18:18,453
Speaker 2: It certainly is. Indeed, yes, some interesting decisions ahead of

364
00:18:18,573 --> 00:18:19,373
Speaker 2: Claydon McMillan.

365
00:18:19,533 --> 00:18:23,173
Speaker 3: Hopefully they get Sean Stevenson. He is a late exclusion.

366
00:18:23,213 --> 00:18:24,613
Speaker 3: I thought that would be a big loss for them,

367
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Speaker 3: but they seem to navigate that.

368
00:18:26,373 --> 00:18:29,413
Speaker 2: No. Tourre at fullback is becoming more accustomed to that

369
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Speaker 2: position and playing really well. I'm going to move the

370
00:18:32,693 --> 00:18:35,613
Speaker 2: tipping up forward here just to continue this conversation. You

371
00:18:35,693 --> 00:18:39,533
Speaker 2: picked Blues Chiefs Finals. Congratulations, so you moved to sixty

372
00:18:39,533 --> 00:18:40,093
Speaker 2: five points.

373
00:18:40,173 --> 00:18:42,853
Speaker 3: I did, actually, ever, we wager at the tab on

374
00:18:42,893 --> 00:18:44,773
Speaker 3: that as well, So well do you take that?

375
00:18:44,813 --> 00:18:47,933
Speaker 2: I went the Blues canes and that got me one point.

376
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Speaker 2: So I don't think I can overhaul this nineteen point deficit.

377
00:18:52,533 --> 00:18:54,693
Speaker 2: But do you want to? Could we put twenty five

378
00:18:54,733 --> 00:18:55,133
Speaker 2: points on.

379
00:18:57,013 --> 00:18:57,773
Speaker 4: When it's exil?

380
00:18:58,253 --> 00:19:03,453
Speaker 2: All right? Who wins the final inn? Well?

381
00:19:03,613 --> 00:19:06,933
Speaker 3: Look, I want the Chiefs, but I'm going to have

382
00:19:06,973 --> 00:19:12,013
Speaker 3: to tip the Blues. And why I think they're ready.

383
00:19:12,373 --> 00:19:14,213
Speaker 3: They're comfortable in who they are, they know what they

384
00:19:14,213 --> 00:19:17,333
Speaker 3: want to do, they're at home, they're fully fit again,

385
00:19:17,413 --> 00:19:19,293
Speaker 3: players back, they've got an extra day.

386
00:19:19,373 --> 00:19:20,653
Speaker 4: Everything's stacked in their favor.

387
00:19:20,693 --> 00:19:23,413
Speaker 2: Really, I just can't see the chief Chiefs mintum? Is

388
00:19:23,493 --> 00:19:26,893
Speaker 2: that a chief Smarner? Chief Smarner, he's smarting momentum. They

389
00:19:26,933 --> 00:19:28,813
Speaker 2: did the way they played last couple of weeks. I

390
00:19:29,093 --> 00:19:32,853
Speaker 2: don't think that they'll find this fine playing away from

391
00:19:32,893 --> 00:19:34,533
Speaker 2: home too big a challenge. Obviously it's going to be

392
00:19:34,533 --> 00:19:36,733
Speaker 2: a challenge, but I don't think that's an issue really

393
00:19:36,773 --> 00:19:39,253
Speaker 2: for them. They get the start's going to be key, well,

394
00:19:39,293 --> 00:19:40,573
Speaker 2: not in the first ten to fifteen minutes. I think

395
00:19:40,573 --> 00:19:42,053
Speaker 2: how this game is going to go. It could be

396
00:19:42,093 --> 00:19:45,013
Speaker 2: an arm wrestle. But if the Blues can start against

397
00:19:45,013 --> 00:19:47,333
Speaker 2: the Brumbies, it's going to be half for the Chiefs

398
00:19:47,333 --> 00:19:48,693
Speaker 2: to try and chase the game from.

399
00:19:48,533 --> 00:19:51,413
Speaker 3: That point h And you look back to that, it

400
00:19:51,453 --> 00:19:54,773
Speaker 3: was Claik McMillan, you know that now infamous line. It

401
00:19:54,893 --> 00:19:57,973
Speaker 3: was two weeks ago the Chiefs lost to the Blues

402
00:19:58,013 --> 00:20:00,573
Speaker 3: and the rigular season match at Eaton Park, and they

403
00:20:00,573 --> 00:20:02,933
Speaker 3: had at least half a dozen guys missing, and they

404
00:20:02,973 --> 00:20:05,973
Speaker 3: weren't actually that far away they were, they were beaten.

405
00:20:06,973 --> 00:20:10,773
Speaker 3: But Claik McMillan, the post Press corrence said I'll see

406
00:20:10,773 --> 00:20:13,453
Speaker 3: you back here in three weeks and what do you

407
00:20:13,533 --> 00:20:14,733
Speaker 3: know to earn profit?

408
00:20:14,893 --> 00:20:18,733
Speaker 2: Profit? Clayson got it right. Indeed he did right. Let's

409
00:20:18,813 --> 00:20:22,693
Speaker 2: get into our all black selections. So we did these

410
00:20:22,693 --> 00:20:25,893
Speaker 2: a few weeks ago. I've re selected my team and

411
00:20:26,733 --> 00:20:28,573
Speaker 2: I'm going to run through now. This is going to

412
00:20:28,573 --> 00:20:34,293
Speaker 2: be named next Monday afternoon, around five thirty ish. So

413
00:20:34,533 --> 00:20:37,333
Speaker 2: there's obviously been a few players that are now unavailable

414
00:20:37,373 --> 00:20:39,813
Speaker 2: since we selected. I've had a few different changes of

415
00:20:39,933 --> 00:20:41,813
Speaker 2: heart around some of these things. So I'm going to

416
00:20:41,853 --> 00:20:45,413
Speaker 2: read out what I think now and you can respond

417
00:20:45,453 --> 00:20:47,533
Speaker 2: to to that lemb if that works for you, just

418
00:20:47,573 --> 00:20:50,533
Speaker 2: do it all right. Props ethan degree Terrell Loanback's offer

419
00:20:50,573 --> 00:20:55,533
Speaker 2: Thonga Fasi to Mighty Williams Fletcher Nule. Now I'd Selectavy Numia,

420
00:20:56,093 --> 00:20:58,493
Speaker 2: but we haven't got a complete picture on how fit

421
00:20:58,573 --> 00:21:02,773
Speaker 2: he is as yet, so if not, I would go

422
00:21:02,933 --> 00:21:05,493
Speaker 2: with George Bower, so that there'd be six props.

423
00:21:06,773 --> 00:21:11,213
Speaker 3: Yeah, very interesting to see prognosis on nomea cruel timing

424
00:21:11,293 --> 00:21:15,653
Speaker 3: for him, like Patrick Twopolo to Samasoni Takaho and others.

425
00:21:15,733 --> 00:21:18,373
Speaker 3: But yeah, I think there's a chance they potentially go

426
00:21:18,493 --> 00:21:21,373
Speaker 3: five props. So I'm actually going to go five and

427
00:21:21,653 --> 00:21:25,093
Speaker 3: add an extra loose forward because I'm finding that incredibly

428
00:21:25,093 --> 00:21:26,333
Speaker 3: difficult to select.

429
00:21:26,533 --> 00:21:27,773
Speaker 2: You'll get to that in the moment. I found it

430
00:21:27,893 --> 00:21:30,333
Speaker 2: very difficult to select as I was putting this together. Okay,

431
00:21:30,373 --> 00:21:33,693
Speaker 2: so I went George Bauer. If Nimir is injured. There's

432
00:21:33,733 --> 00:21:36,133
Speaker 2: not a lot of depth that loose hid in New

433
00:21:36,253 --> 00:21:38,773
Speaker 2: Zealand at the moment.

434
00:21:39,413 --> 00:21:40,453
Speaker 4: No, not not really.

435
00:21:40,493 --> 00:21:43,373
Speaker 3: There's Joe Moody, but he doesn't have a super rugby contract,

436
00:21:43,413 --> 00:21:45,933
Speaker 3: so it would be a bit of a not a

437
00:21:45,933 --> 00:21:48,693
Speaker 3: desperate selection, but a very much a stop gat one.

438
00:21:49,013 --> 00:21:51,933
Speaker 3: So you'd think they probably would go George Bauer.

439
00:21:52,493 --> 00:21:55,293
Speaker 2: Aiden Ross has been there but discarded pretty quickly. In

440
00:21:55,373 --> 00:22:00,093
Speaker 2: twenty twenty two. I guess Joshua Forzatour looks like a

441
00:22:00,133 --> 00:22:03,053
Speaker 2: plaid for the future, but maybe too soon from as yet.

442
00:22:03,333 --> 00:22:06,333
Speaker 4: Yeah, too soon. So yeah, I think it's basically between.

443
00:22:06,613 --> 00:22:09,213
Speaker 3: I think if they are selecting the next it is

444
00:22:09,293 --> 00:22:10,333
Speaker 3: likely to be George Bauer.

445
00:22:10,413 --> 00:22:15,213
Speaker 2: Okay hookers, Cody Taylor suffer now SAMASONI Takyo who is

446
00:22:15,213 --> 00:22:16,973
Speaker 2: going to be injured, and it sounds like for the

447
00:22:16,973 --> 00:22:19,773
Speaker 2: part of the Test season, So I've gone Ricky Rickettelli.

448
00:22:20,213 --> 00:22:22,573
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that's fair. He's been very consistent for

449
00:22:22,613 --> 00:22:25,493
Speaker 3: the Blues this year, matured in what he's doing. He

450
00:22:26,613 --> 00:22:30,213
Speaker 3: is quite small, I think, but low center of gravity,

451
00:22:31,533 --> 00:22:34,493
Speaker 3: very good for the Blues this year, nailing his throwing.

452
00:22:34,693 --> 00:22:36,613
Speaker 4: So I think he's next. Cab off the rank.

453
00:22:36,653 --> 00:22:39,413
Speaker 3: George Bell was probably in the conversation, but I didn't

454
00:22:39,413 --> 00:22:41,853
Speaker 3: think he had a great season for the Crusaders, and

455
00:22:42,453 --> 00:22:45,613
Speaker 3: depth elsewhere is not flash.

456
00:22:45,133 --> 00:22:47,213
Speaker 2: No, it's not. I was trying to think who else

457
00:22:47,213 --> 00:22:50,413
Speaker 2: could be in the conversation, and there's not many that

458
00:22:50,493 --> 00:22:53,693
Speaker 2: are close to the conversation. In all honesty, there's quite

459
00:22:53,693 --> 00:22:57,333
Speaker 2: a big drop off. Someone like a Jack Taylor at

460
00:22:57,373 --> 00:22:59,853
Speaker 2: a Honders looks promising, but again far too soon. George

461
00:22:59,853 --> 00:23:01,813
Speaker 2: bell looks promising, didn't have a great season. I didn't

462
00:23:01,853 --> 00:23:04,733
Speaker 2: think Henry Beller's brother again looks like it may be

463
00:23:04,813 --> 00:23:07,213
Speaker 2: a contender for the future, but again very very early.

464
00:23:07,333 --> 00:23:10,973
Speaker 2: So beyond the top three in the country, there is

465
00:23:11,013 --> 00:23:15,573
Speaker 2: a bit of a drop off locks Scott Barrett two

466
00:23:15,613 --> 00:23:18,613
Speaker 2: po VI. When we did this last time, I had

467
00:23:18,653 --> 00:23:21,893
Speaker 2: Patrick typolot To and Lockla McConnell now is injured. McConnell

468
00:23:21,933 --> 00:23:23,933
Speaker 2: has been injured, haven't seen a lot from him recently,

469
00:23:23,973 --> 00:23:26,133
Speaker 2: and seems to have been surpassed even when fit, by

470
00:23:26,173 --> 00:23:30,133
Speaker 2: Sam Dowry. Having mulled over what we talked about last week,

471
00:23:30,333 --> 00:23:35,053
Speaker 2: I'm going to go Sam Dowry and Josh Lord, who

472
00:23:35,893 --> 00:23:39,853
Speaker 2: reports suggested would be fit for the opening or around

473
00:23:40,013 --> 00:23:42,533
Speaker 2: early July, so so that Josh Lord if not, and

474
00:23:42,573 --> 00:23:45,053
Speaker 2: I told Arkoi would be my pick.

475
00:23:46,933 --> 00:23:49,453
Speaker 3: Yeah, I agree to a point. I think Sam Derry's

476
00:23:49,493 --> 00:23:53,413
Speaker 3: got to be in that conversation. Whether Razor has got

477
00:23:53,413 --> 00:23:57,493
Speaker 3: over him leaving the Crusaders. I guess we'll wait and see.

478
00:23:57,493 --> 00:24:00,573
Speaker 3: But those third and fourth ones are very out for debate.

479
00:24:00,693 --> 00:24:03,813
Speaker 3: I still am surprised that Monarchy Selbu Rica is not

480
00:24:04,213 --> 00:24:08,213
Speaker 3: on the bench for the Chiefs. I think we probably

481
00:24:08,173 --> 00:24:10,933
Speaker 3: found out a wee bit about the Hurricanes locks at

482
00:24:10,973 --> 00:24:13,733
Speaker 3: the weekend, a bit of a black mark for them.

483
00:24:14,253 --> 00:24:19,133
Speaker 3: So you're really scratching around for compelling contenders there. So

484
00:24:20,333 --> 00:24:22,133
Speaker 3: I really don't know who that fourth fox is going

485
00:24:22,213 --> 00:24:22,413
Speaker 3: to be.

486
00:24:22,573 --> 00:24:25,293
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's a tricky one. Let's go to loose

487
00:24:25,293 --> 00:24:28,453
Speaker 2: Fords because this is a really interesting selection. Now I've

488
00:24:28,453 --> 00:24:34,053
Speaker 2: selected five or only for the five I selected, sorry,

489
00:24:34,053 --> 00:24:37,133
Speaker 2: I think the six because just go side note for

490
00:24:37,133 --> 00:24:39,653
Speaker 2: a point. When we sitched this, originally we selected thirty

491
00:24:39,653 --> 00:24:42,053
Speaker 2: three players. We now believe, well, no, it's going to

492
00:24:42,053 --> 00:24:43,973
Speaker 2: be thirty two. So I had to cut someone somewhere,

493
00:24:44,013 --> 00:24:48,173
Speaker 2: and I've got a loose forward. So I had Artie Savia,

494
00:24:48,253 --> 00:24:50,533
Speaker 2: Sam Kine, Dolden, Papa le Braid, and you'll see Ethan

495
00:24:50,573 --> 00:24:53,133
Speaker 2: black at a Semipenny fen Now last time, I'm now

496
00:24:53,213 --> 00:24:57,773
Speaker 2: selecting Artie Savia, Dolden, Papa le Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson,

497
00:24:57,853 --> 00:25:02,133
Speaker 2: and Hoskinstitucco. So I've left out Brandon your Seae, Semipenny

498
00:25:02,173 --> 00:25:05,413
Speaker 2: feenwe In, Sam Kane Kane is obviously injured. Braandon your Sea,

499
00:25:05,613 --> 00:25:08,973
Speaker 2: I think is not as just run out a little

500
00:25:08,973 --> 00:25:11,573
Speaker 2: bit of puff hitting into the playoff stages. I think

501
00:25:11,613 --> 00:25:16,093
Speaker 2: he still had a good season. Seven Penny Female, I like,

502
00:25:16,533 --> 00:25:19,533
Speaker 2: but I have a couple of worries just around his

503
00:25:19,653 --> 00:25:23,293
Speaker 2: discipline and some of his tachning technique. So those are

504
00:25:23,333 --> 00:25:23,653
Speaker 2: my five.

505
00:25:24,373 --> 00:25:26,173
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think you're right about Bradon Yo say he

506
00:25:26,293 --> 00:25:29,493
Speaker 3: was a big mover for the season, but I think

507
00:25:29,533 --> 00:25:32,653
Speaker 3: it's lost a bit of ground on Hoskinstituto. And while

508
00:25:32,693 --> 00:25:35,613
Speaker 3: it's only it's not just one performance, but Wallas a

509
00:25:35,693 --> 00:25:39,693
Speaker 3: TC very much elevated his presence at the weekends to

510
00:25:40,413 --> 00:25:43,333
Speaker 3: being in the conversation. I don't think he's quite there yet,

511
00:25:43,773 --> 00:25:47,653
Speaker 3: but another big performance in the final. These performances at

512
00:25:47,693 --> 00:25:49,373
Speaker 3: this stage of the year count for a lot more

513
00:25:49,693 --> 00:25:52,413
Speaker 3: than earlier in the season. I've given myself a bit

514
00:25:52,453 --> 00:25:55,093
Speaker 3: more rigor room here, so I'm taking six with a

515
00:25:55,213 --> 00:25:58,213
Speaker 3: leaving out one prop. So I am taking Summer PENNI Female,

516
00:25:58,573 --> 00:26:01,573
Speaker 3: and I agree that there is a degree of risk

517
00:26:02,493 --> 00:26:06,133
Speaker 3: about his the style of his play, but he also.

518
00:26:05,973 --> 00:26:07,173
Speaker 4: Brings a real point of difference.

519
00:26:07,173 --> 00:26:09,893
Speaker 3: If you're looking for an out and out six, you

520
00:26:09,933 --> 00:26:13,013
Speaker 3: know that real enforcer somebody who strikes fear in the opposition.

521
00:26:13,933 --> 00:26:17,333
Speaker 4: That's him, So I would like to see him included.

522
00:26:17,653 --> 00:26:19,733
Speaker 2: Yeah the other Yeah, well I agree with Walls. He

523
00:26:19,773 --> 00:26:21,933
Speaker 2: had it stormer and we look at the Super Rugby

524
00:26:21,973 --> 00:26:24,693
Speaker 2: semi final last year. We are a kra and host

525
00:26:24,773 --> 00:26:26,493
Speaker 2: intitut to play themselves out of all blacks and all

526
00:26:26,493 --> 00:26:30,173
Speaker 2: blacks fifteen positions. So what Hoskins did anyway? So these

527
00:26:30,533 --> 00:26:33,453
Speaker 2: these matters do count and stepping up in a semi final,

528
00:26:33,493 --> 00:26:36,373
Speaker 2: there's no mean feat from a youngster like that. If

529
00:26:36,413 --> 00:26:38,533
Speaker 2: I could make room from my would but I just can't.

530
00:26:38,813 --> 00:26:41,173
Speaker 2: Peter Lucky is the other one who has had a

531
00:26:41,293 --> 00:26:44,373
Speaker 2: very good season. But so many options there, in fact,

532
00:26:45,573 --> 00:26:47,573
Speaker 2: four of them can play open side flanket that I

533
00:26:47,733 --> 00:26:51,013
Speaker 2: just couldn't justify taking Peter Luckey as another open side.

534
00:26:51,533 --> 00:26:53,453
Speaker 3: Yeah, there's no rush with a guy like Peter Lucky.

535
00:26:53,493 --> 00:26:55,773
Speaker 3: I think he has had a great year. A thirty

536
00:26:55,813 --> 00:26:58,733
Speaker 3: two man squads limited, I think they're potentially going to

537
00:26:58,773 --> 00:27:02,093
Speaker 3: take thirty six for the rugby champion of the Ragby Championship.

538
00:27:02,093 --> 00:27:03,773
Speaker 3: It gives you a lot more room. India tool will

539
00:27:03,813 --> 00:27:07,173
Speaker 3: be more. Again, it's a long season, but with that

540
00:27:07,853 --> 00:27:11,773
Speaker 3: versus around the open sides, you probably don't need to

541
00:27:11,813 --> 00:27:13,533
Speaker 3: take Peter luck I just yet.

542
00:27:14,013 --> 00:27:17,133
Speaker 2: Halfbacks, I've gone TJ. Pettinar Fin like Christy Courtz Rata,

543
00:27:17,253 --> 00:27:20,693
Speaker 2: which is the same three as last time. Any thoughts, Yeah,

544
00:27:20,693 --> 00:27:22,413
Speaker 2: I don't know if Finn's done quite enough yet.

545
00:27:22,733 --> 00:27:25,573
Speaker 3: He got one telling turnover against the Brumby's quite close

546
00:27:25,613 --> 00:27:28,413
Speaker 3: to his line to sort of sum up his point

547
00:27:28,413 --> 00:27:32,573
Speaker 3: of difference, that that defensive ability very nuggety gets in

548
00:27:32,653 --> 00:27:35,493
Speaker 3: there and scraps away. He's only had two starts I

549
00:27:35,573 --> 00:27:39,253
Speaker 3: think maybe three since coming back from injury. I'm a

550
00:27:39,333 --> 00:27:43,173
Speaker 3: big Noah Hotham fan, so I think that's a three

551
00:27:43,253 --> 00:27:46,813
Speaker 3: that they would go with. If I was selecting the squads,

552
00:27:47,093 --> 00:27:49,453
Speaker 3: I'd be a bit bold and I would take no

553
00:27:49,613 --> 00:27:52,293
Speaker 3: hope them with Cortez, Ratama and t J. Pettan because

554
00:27:52,973 --> 00:27:55,253
Speaker 3: I want to see those young guys invested them for

555
00:27:55,333 --> 00:27:55,773
Speaker 3: the future.

556
00:27:56,453 --> 00:27:59,493
Speaker 2: First five is no change. McKenzie Barrett Petter Fetter. I'm

557
00:27:59,613 --> 00:28:01,813
Speaker 2: not convinced that Peter Fetter is going to make it,

558
00:28:01,973 --> 00:28:05,133
Speaker 2: but I've select him an lay on the basis of

559
00:28:05,413 --> 00:28:06,013
Speaker 2: what I've seen there.

560
00:28:06,253 --> 00:28:08,253
Speaker 3: If you're selecting three first five, z, those are you

561
00:28:08,413 --> 00:28:15,893
Speaker 3: of three Interestingly enough, Petifetter's heads virtually zero. He's played

562
00:28:16,093 --> 00:28:19,053
Speaker 3: maybe half a game at ten for the Blues since

563
00:28:19,093 --> 00:28:21,293
Speaker 3: coming back from injury. He was sidelined for two months,

564
00:28:21,333 --> 00:28:23,973
Speaker 3: so hasn't had a chance to stake his claim at

565
00:28:23,973 --> 00:28:26,733
Speaker 3: all there. But he does come into first receiver and

566
00:28:26,853 --> 00:28:28,933
Speaker 3: play that role for the Blues with the Harry Plummer

567
00:28:28,973 --> 00:28:32,973
Speaker 3: and the dualmaker type role. So if they're selecting three,

568
00:28:33,093 --> 00:28:35,133
Speaker 3: that will be the that will be the compilation.

569
00:28:35,333 --> 00:28:37,133
Speaker 2: Did Barrett play but at first five for Coastal or

570
00:28:37,133 --> 00:28:38,293
Speaker 2: do you play it full back? I don't know.

571
00:28:38,733 --> 00:28:40,133
Speaker 4: Sure came off the bench second half.

572
00:28:40,293 --> 00:28:42,293
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I heard a few whispers a few weeks

573
00:28:42,333 --> 00:28:44,293
Speaker 3: back he was going down and they got shut down.

574
00:28:44,413 --> 00:28:46,893
Speaker 4: So it's very keen to keep it on the quiet.

575
00:28:46,973 --> 00:28:48,933
Speaker 2: You kept it on the quiet, but I think I

576
00:28:49,013 --> 00:28:51,453
Speaker 2: heard it about four o'clock on Saturday afternoon. I guess

577
00:28:51,493 --> 00:28:55,133
Speaker 2: we played for Coastal today midfield, same as when we

578
00:28:55,253 --> 00:28:57,973
Speaker 2: last drafted this. Jordi Barrett, ricco Yuani and telling it

579
00:28:58,053 --> 00:29:00,333
Speaker 2: abound Billy Procter, Yeah, lock itin.

580
00:29:00,493 --> 00:29:04,053
Speaker 3: I guess The only question there is whether Razor thinks

581
00:29:04,293 --> 00:29:05,493
Speaker 3: David have Allie's done enough?

582
00:29:05,573 --> 00:29:08,933
Speaker 2: But I don't I can't see the evidence for it.

583
00:29:09,013 --> 00:29:12,733
Speaker 2: Outside backs. Last time round I had Caleb Clark and

584
00:29:12,813 --> 00:29:16,293
Speaker 2: Moni Nadawa, Mark Talia Rubin Love. Caleb Clark doesn't make

585
00:29:16,333 --> 00:29:18,773
Speaker 2: the cut this time, which is probably a bit rough.

586
00:29:18,893 --> 00:29:21,053
Speaker 2: But Severa Reese had a very very good season in

587
00:29:21,093 --> 00:29:24,653
Speaker 2: a pork Crusaders team, So I've gone with severe Reese

588
00:29:25,093 --> 00:29:27,093
Speaker 2: over Caleb Clark on this occasion.

589
00:29:27,893 --> 00:29:31,333
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think like other Hurricanes, I think Rubin Love

590
00:29:31,373 --> 00:29:33,933
Speaker 3: didn't have his best performance for the Hurricanes. Whether that

591
00:29:34,053 --> 00:29:36,613
Speaker 3: counts against him for Black selection, time will tell. But

592
00:29:37,933 --> 00:29:41,213
Speaker 3: when you're looking at that squad, Bowden Barratt's you're only

593
00:29:41,293 --> 00:29:45,213
Speaker 3: out and out fall back to a degree can play there,

594
00:29:45,693 --> 00:29:48,373
Speaker 3: I guess McKenzie. But he's your your ten, new one

595
00:29:48,413 --> 00:29:52,093
Speaker 3: and focusing on that. So maybe Ruben Love's at risk.

596
00:29:52,253 --> 00:29:56,093
Speaker 3: Not sure, but if you want to, yeah, I guess

597
00:29:56,133 --> 00:29:59,133
Speaker 3: it's whether they take the third ten or invest in

598
00:29:59,213 --> 00:30:03,453
Speaker 3: Ruben Love. I'm selecting Caleb Clark. I think he has

599
00:30:03,613 --> 00:30:06,413
Speaker 3: come back in exceptional shape this year. He lost a

600
00:30:06,453 --> 00:30:07,973
Speaker 3: lot of weight. He's actually put a bit more on

601
00:30:08,893 --> 00:30:13,213
Speaker 3: later in the year to satisfy cdd A ball in

602
00:30:13,293 --> 00:30:15,493
Speaker 3: the way he's getting involved. I think he brings a

603
00:30:15,573 --> 00:30:18,093
Speaker 3: point of difference in the air with his ability to

604
00:30:18,133 --> 00:30:21,933
Speaker 3: take restarts. His work rate's been exceptional, so at this

605
00:30:22,013 --> 00:30:25,653
Speaker 3: stage I would probably not take Sevu, which.

606
00:30:26,173 --> 00:30:28,773
Speaker 4: As harsh because he was the best crusader all year.

607
00:30:29,813 --> 00:30:32,573
Speaker 3: But I think Ammonia no Nadawa really stepped up for

608
00:30:32,613 --> 00:30:34,013
Speaker 3: the chiefs at the weekend, didn't they as well?

609
00:30:34,053 --> 00:30:36,693
Speaker 2: I thought he's excellent. Yeah, I really did. So that's

610
00:30:36,733 --> 00:30:39,893
Speaker 2: the squad there, eighteen fourteen split thirty two man squad

611
00:30:41,133 --> 00:30:46,373
Speaker 2: and the actual squad will be announced Monday. I saw

612
00:30:46,413 --> 00:30:48,453
Speaker 2: a bit of conversation last night on social media around

613
00:30:48,493 --> 00:30:50,573
Speaker 2: the definition of Bolt. If we get that cleared up

614
00:30:50,693 --> 00:30:53,053
Speaker 2: for next weekend, that would be very handy.

615
00:30:54,533 --> 00:30:56,333
Speaker 3: Yeah, who's a bolter and that squad probably Wallace the

616
00:30:56,373 --> 00:30:59,293
Speaker 3: TT is the only one really on the fringe.

617
00:30:59,653 --> 00:31:01,733
Speaker 2: Bolt is going to be someone that very few plead

618
00:31:01,773 --> 00:31:05,853
Speaker 2: people had in their MOX squads. Shortly. Yeah, it's a

619
00:31:06,893 --> 00:31:09,453
Speaker 2: player at a bolt out of nowhere. That's the Bolton means,

620
00:31:09,493 --> 00:31:09,733
Speaker 2: isn't it.

621
00:31:10,133 --> 00:31:12,653
Speaker 4: I can't remember his name right now. That's some Yeah,

622
00:31:13,213 --> 00:31:13,693
Speaker 4: Josh Lord.

623
00:31:13,733 --> 00:31:16,173
Speaker 2: A couple of years ago, Brick Cameron, Brick Cameron, those

624
00:31:16,253 --> 00:31:19,973
Speaker 2: year Boulters, Billy Propton not a Poulter. We got it

625
00:31:20,093 --> 00:31:21,893
Speaker 2: cleared up right the second break and Rugby to come

626
00:31:21,973 --> 00:31:25,133
Speaker 2: back with the Final four our MVP Middle as well

627
00:31:25,173 --> 00:31:27,773
Speaker 2: and Kivin mlloy super Ruggy boards year to come as well.

628
00:31:28,493 --> 00:31:32,573
Speaker 1: This is Rugby Direct, a podcast for real rugby fans.

629
00:31:40,293 --> 00:31:43,373
Speaker 2: You're back with Rugby Direct time for our final four.

630
00:31:43,533 --> 00:31:47,213
Speaker 2: Four quick questions around the rugby world. It's rip through them,

631
00:31:47,573 --> 00:31:50,053
Speaker 2: Liam grab the Hurricane season out of ten.

632
00:31:50,013 --> 00:31:52,373
Speaker 4: For me, Look, it's going to be an eight.

633
00:31:52,773 --> 00:31:56,453
Speaker 3: I think exceptional year, regular season year finished top and

634
00:31:57,093 --> 00:32:00,533
Speaker 3: deservingly so I think when you take a step back

635
00:32:00,573 --> 00:32:03,133
Speaker 3: at it, look at that squad, the fact that artist

636
00:32:03,133 --> 00:32:05,173
Speaker 3: Severe wasn't there, they lost, came Roy Guard, you got

637
00:32:05,213 --> 00:32:08,133
Speaker 3: a first year head coach coming on board. For me,

638
00:32:08,373 --> 00:32:14,453
Speaker 3: they really did exceed expectations, very very disappointing, underwhelming finished

639
00:32:14,493 --> 00:32:19,773
Speaker 3: to play like that in a semi final. But if

640
00:32:19,853 --> 00:32:21,173
Speaker 3: you had told me at the start of the year

641
00:32:21,173 --> 00:32:23,653
Speaker 3: they were going to finish top and lo's a semifinal,

642
00:32:23,773 --> 00:32:28,373
Speaker 3: I would say that's a successful year. So I don't

643
00:32:28,373 --> 00:32:32,373
Speaker 3: want to let the end totally shape the narrative, but

644
00:32:32,773 --> 00:32:34,853
Speaker 3: it did leave a bit of a sour taste.

645
00:32:35,413 --> 00:32:38,813
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm going to go seven and a half because

646
00:32:40,173 --> 00:32:42,253
Speaker 2: similar to you, we didn't have them that high in

647
00:32:42,373 --> 00:32:47,333
Speaker 2: terms of women, did our preseason predictions, but they were

648
00:32:47,373 --> 00:32:49,133
Speaker 2: clearly the form team for a long period of this

649
00:32:49,213 --> 00:32:52,133
Speaker 2: competition and just ran out a puff I think towards

650
00:32:52,173 --> 00:32:55,253
Speaker 2: the end he finished top. I think making a semi

651
00:32:55,333 --> 00:32:58,733
Speaker 2: final is and being beaten there is under achievement. So

652
00:32:59,133 --> 00:33:01,093
Speaker 2: take a half a point for me there, but seven

653
00:33:01,133 --> 00:33:03,173
Speaker 2: and a half out of ten. I mean Clake ledla

654
00:33:03,253 --> 00:33:06,853
Speaker 2: fird season in charge, especially at fifteen's level at Super

655
00:33:06,893 --> 00:33:09,653
Speaker 2: Aguia level. Very very good from them and plenty of

656
00:33:09,693 --> 00:33:13,213
Speaker 2: build on next year with Adie Savier comeback. Topic number two,

657
00:33:13,213 --> 00:33:15,053
Speaker 2: Why did no one want to see the Brumby's play

658
00:33:15,093 --> 00:33:17,173
Speaker 2: the Blues in the Super Braakmy semi final at Eating Park.

659
00:33:17,573 --> 00:33:19,533
Speaker 4: There's a number of factors in this one as they

660
00:33:19,533 --> 00:33:20,853
Speaker 4: are an Australian team.

661
00:33:21,013 --> 00:33:23,653
Speaker 3: Yeah, and that is a big factor if you look

662
00:33:23,653 --> 00:33:26,853
Speaker 3: at the crowds across the whole season. You look at

663
00:33:26,853 --> 00:33:31,773
Speaker 3: who turned up for the Reds Chiefs quarterfinal, the Rebels

664
00:33:31,853 --> 00:33:39,253
Speaker 3: Hurricanes quarterfinal and yeah the Blues Brumby's semi final. Kiwis

665
00:33:40,493 --> 00:33:42,973
Speaker 3: expect what they've been given from the Australian teams and

666
00:33:43,413 --> 00:33:46,133
Speaker 3: it's now Australian teams are now zero to eighteen in

667
00:33:46,173 --> 00:33:51,133
Speaker 3: New Zealand for playoff games, and until there's a consistent

668
00:33:51,253 --> 00:33:55,253
Speaker 3: degree of unpredictability, there is going to be a degree

669
00:33:55,293 --> 00:33:59,253
Speaker 3: of apathy with Australian teams and that's been proven.

670
00:33:59,373 --> 00:34:00,373
Speaker 4: So that was a factor.

671
00:34:00,893 --> 00:34:03,533
Speaker 3: The Brumby style of Arabi is probably a factor, and

672
00:34:03,653 --> 00:34:06,413
Speaker 3: the factor was just absolutely pissing down for most of

673
00:34:06,413 --> 00:34:07,133
Speaker 3: the day in Auckland.

674
00:34:07,453 --> 00:34:09,853
Speaker 4: Is what effector for a walk up crowd.

675
00:34:10,093 --> 00:34:12,253
Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree that the rain was a big one

676
00:34:12,293 --> 00:34:14,373
Speaker 2: as well, but I mean it was bucketing down to

677
00:34:14,413 --> 00:34:17,213
Speaker 2: about two to two thirty on Friday and then started

678
00:34:17,293 --> 00:34:19,413
Speaker 2: running again later in the day as well during the

679
00:34:19,453 --> 00:34:22,173
Speaker 2: game and afterwards. The rain is a big factor, but

680
00:34:22,573 --> 00:34:24,173
Speaker 2: I think the overwhelming element is that the fact that

681
00:34:24,173 --> 00:34:26,053
Speaker 2: it's the Australian team. If it had been any of

682
00:34:26,053 --> 00:34:30,493
Speaker 2: the New Zealand franchises playing them, would have been thirty plus.

683
00:34:30,613 --> 00:34:32,613
Speaker 2: I reckon they would have got. The fact of the

684
00:34:32,653 --> 00:34:34,613
Speaker 2: matter is that the Australian teams are to draw card

685
00:34:34,693 --> 00:34:36,333
Speaker 2: and that is a big issue for Super Ragby to

686
00:34:36,413 --> 00:34:39,013
Speaker 2: try and fix, but more so Rugby Australia to try

687
00:34:39,053 --> 00:34:43,013
Speaker 2: and fix, and with the Rebels joining the great Graveyard

688
00:34:43,053 --> 00:34:45,773
Speaker 2: of Super rugby teams, it's hoped that the talent card

689
00:34:45,813 --> 00:34:50,373
Speaker 2: and Gordon aside, can move to those other teams and

690
00:34:51,133 --> 00:34:52,773
Speaker 2: lift them up to the point where there is some

691
00:34:52,893 --> 00:34:55,533
Speaker 2: real jeopardy when the Brumbies come to town for a

692
00:34:55,573 --> 00:34:57,573
Speaker 2: semi final, or the Reds or whoever it might be

693
00:34:58,173 --> 00:34:59,853
Speaker 2: that you do not know how this is going to

694
00:34:59,893 --> 00:35:02,573
Speaker 2: play out, because it played out exactly as many would

695
00:35:02,573 --> 00:35:03,613
Speaker 2: have expected on Friday night.

696
00:35:03,933 --> 00:35:06,413
Speaker 4: Yes, that predictably. Is that just on the Carter Gordon thing.

697
00:35:07,333 --> 00:35:12,333
Speaker 3: That's tools the absolute face of mismanagement that as Australian

698
00:35:12,413 --> 00:35:16,053
Speaker 3: rugby over the past couple of years, Hamish mcclennan, Eddie Jones,

699
00:35:16,933 --> 00:35:20,173
Speaker 3: they have really a lot to answer for because Carter

700
00:35:20,293 --> 00:35:22,973
Speaker 3: Gordon is a massive talent and he's a massive loss.

701
00:35:22,973 --> 00:35:25,573
Speaker 2: He should not be leaving the game now. Yeah, good

702
00:35:25,573 --> 00:35:27,333
Speaker 2: pick up for the Titans. Looking forward to having him

703
00:35:27,413 --> 00:35:29,493
Speaker 2: in my NRL fantasy team next year because I think

704
00:35:29,493 --> 00:35:31,493
Speaker 2: you'll be quite low value to start with, but plenty

705
00:35:31,533 --> 00:35:34,253
Speaker 2: of upsides, so I'll be getting on. That's T twenty twelve.

706
00:35:34,293 --> 00:35:35,973
Speaker 4: Less money to go to the error which is a

707
00:35:36,013 --> 00:35:37,013
Speaker 4: lot that does.

708
00:35:36,933 --> 00:35:38,053
Speaker 2: Say, say quite a lot.

709
00:35:38,413 --> 00:35:38,533
Speaker 3: Right.

710
00:35:38,653 --> 00:35:40,613
Speaker 2: Leaving aside our own selections which you've just heard, which

711
00:35:40,653 --> 00:35:43,133
Speaker 2: position will cause the most debate for your black selectors

712
00:35:43,133 --> 00:35:44,333
Speaker 2: this week? I just want to pin you down to

713
00:35:44,413 --> 00:35:48,693
Speaker 2: one limb Okay Locke. I think there's a lack of

714
00:35:48,813 --> 00:35:51,373
Speaker 2: compelling candidates, so I expect.

715
00:35:51,133 --> 00:35:54,053
Speaker 3: That it'll be some raal robust debate about who those

716
00:35:54,133 --> 00:35:55,293
Speaker 3: third and fourth candidates are.

717
00:35:56,453 --> 00:35:58,973
Speaker 2: I reckon lose forward because it's a matter of, as

718
00:35:59,053 --> 00:36:01,413
Speaker 2: we touched on there, how many they take and who

719
00:36:01,493 --> 00:36:04,053
Speaker 2: they take and what cover you need the cross blindside

720
00:36:04,053 --> 00:36:07,373
Speaker 2: open side number eight, So I think that mix will

721
00:36:07,453 --> 00:36:10,173
Speaker 2: be the point of contention. I agree about a lot

722
00:36:10,213 --> 00:36:12,333
Speaker 2: to an extent, but I think the cream rising to

723
00:36:12,373 --> 00:36:15,013
Speaker 2: the top in terms of dowry and maybe there's one

724
00:36:15,053 --> 00:36:17,413
Speaker 2: position there that they do consider, but I'm going to

725
00:36:17,493 --> 00:36:19,493
Speaker 2: lose forward there. And topic four, we heard Clark laid

726
00:36:19,573 --> 00:36:22,893
Speaker 2: Law and CLAYT. Macmillan both unhappy about the refereeing of

727
00:36:23,013 --> 00:36:28,093
Speaker 2: high tackles inconsistency across the board following the semi final

728
00:36:28,173 --> 00:36:29,533
Speaker 2: on the weekend. Do they have a point?

729
00:36:30,653 --> 00:36:33,253
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm not into refbashing at all, but I thought

730
00:36:33,813 --> 00:36:36,413
Speaker 3: it was quite fast, caught times some of the not

731
00:36:36,573 --> 00:36:39,093
Speaker 3: just the decisions, but I think it's the inconsistency that

732
00:36:39,613 --> 00:36:40,413
Speaker 3: leaves frustration.

733
00:36:41,453 --> 00:36:41,733
Speaker 4: CLAYT.

734
00:36:41,733 --> 00:36:44,613
Speaker 3: Macmillan was absolutely spinning chips and the coaching box when

735
00:36:45,013 --> 00:36:48,293
Speaker 3: I think it was TJ ped Andara, similar sort of

736
00:36:48,373 --> 00:36:52,293
Speaker 3: tackle to which a Summer penny female head clash yellow

737
00:36:52,333 --> 00:36:53,373
Speaker 3: card on Pedanata.

738
00:36:53,733 --> 00:36:55,813
Speaker 4: I can't remember who Pedinara was on.

739
00:36:55,973 --> 00:37:00,853
Speaker 3: It might have been Setti or female and a very

740
00:37:00,893 --> 00:37:06,453
Speaker 3: similar incidents and nothing came of it. So that's what

741
00:37:07,173 --> 00:37:11,813
Speaker 3: leaves coaches, fans disillusions, and I think there was a

742
00:37:11,973 --> 00:37:16,293
Speaker 3: real for it's been great this year to not have

743
00:37:16,453 --> 00:37:21,693
Speaker 3: the TMO overbearing influence, but that was a match where

744
00:37:22,253 --> 00:37:24,173
Speaker 3: that was the case and there was a frustration, a

745
00:37:24,213 --> 00:37:26,573
Speaker 3: lot of stoppages, a lot of going back tries, a

746
00:37:26,613 --> 00:37:31,373
Speaker 3: ruled out for incidents. So hopefully that's not the case

747
00:37:31,413 --> 00:37:31,893
Speaker 3: for the final.

748
00:37:32,253 --> 00:37:35,493
Speaker 2: Let's hope. So the one thing for me, it just

749
00:37:35,493 --> 00:37:37,373
Speaker 2: seems across the board now the seven of the USC

750
00:37:37,573 --> 00:37:40,453
Speaker 2: final or semi finals on the weekend as well, the

751
00:37:40,613 --> 00:37:43,293
Speaker 2: inconsistency across the board is becoming a real bug beer.

752
00:37:43,453 --> 00:37:45,213
Speaker 2: And this goes to the point that mean you've made

753
00:37:45,213 --> 00:37:47,773
Speaker 2: is that rugby's rule book needs to be simplified, needs

754
00:37:47,813 --> 00:37:50,493
Speaker 2: to be We needs to have some clear guidelines over

755
00:37:50,573 --> 00:37:52,533
Speaker 2: what is a red water is a yellow because you

756
00:37:52,613 --> 00:37:54,973
Speaker 2: look at incidents now and half the fans might say

757
00:37:55,013 --> 00:37:56,533
Speaker 2: that it's a red, half might say it's a yellow.

758
00:37:57,573 --> 00:37:58,893
Speaker 2: You need to get to the point where it is

759
00:37:58,933 --> 00:38:01,373
Speaker 2: a lot clearer for fans world Rugby don't seem in

760
00:38:01,373 --> 00:38:03,973
Speaker 2: any hurry to do that, which is a real shame.

761
00:38:04,053 --> 00:38:06,293
Speaker 2: But we're getting more and more of this across the

762
00:38:06,413 --> 00:38:11,293
Speaker 2: water franchise level. But let's move on to MVP medal

763
00:38:11,413 --> 00:38:14,653
Speaker 2: voting and this is the final one. Hoskins at two

764
00:38:14,693 --> 00:38:16,373
Speaker 2: too went into the final round with a eight point

765
00:38:16,453 --> 00:38:22,133
Speaker 2: lead over Dalton Papaale, Billy Procter on nine, suffer More

766
00:38:22,213 --> 00:38:25,293
Speaker 2: on eight, and then a whole host of players. I

767
00:38:25,773 --> 00:38:27,293
Speaker 2: was meant into count up how many we've got, but

768
00:38:27,293 --> 00:38:30,133
Speaker 2: I reckon theyre probably about twenty five thirty had points

769
00:38:30,533 --> 00:38:34,373
Speaker 2: over the course of the season. So I'm going to

770
00:38:34,413 --> 00:38:37,893
Speaker 2: give my three two ones first, and I suspect our

771
00:38:39,093 --> 00:38:41,773
Speaker 2: three might be similar in the fact Wallace a Titi

772
00:38:41,893 --> 00:38:44,253
Speaker 2: is going to get my three points. Thought he was

773
00:38:44,773 --> 00:38:47,013
Speaker 2: excellent as we touched on earlier in the podcast that

774
00:38:47,133 --> 00:38:51,093
Speaker 2: was a rampaging effort on all cylinders across all sides

775
00:38:51,133 --> 00:38:53,813
Speaker 2: of the park from war Titi and the fact that

776
00:38:54,413 --> 00:38:56,333
Speaker 2: you know we've touched on it before. I think he

777
00:38:56,413 --> 00:38:59,573
Speaker 2: got points at some point earlier in the season. He's

778
00:38:59,573 --> 00:39:03,933
Speaker 2: got five already, but the fact that he's put himself

779
00:39:03,973 --> 00:39:06,733
Speaker 2: now into all Blacks consideration player from completely nowhere at

780
00:39:06,773 --> 00:39:08,053
Speaker 2: the start of the season speaks to how good that

781
00:39:08,093 --> 00:39:11,533
Speaker 2: before Wents was. My two points goes to a J Lamb.

782
00:39:11,573 --> 00:39:13,493
Speaker 2: Thought he was very very good in a position that

783
00:39:13,613 --> 00:39:17,253
Speaker 2: I wasn't sure was suited to him in second five

784
00:39:17,493 --> 00:39:19,973
Speaker 2: more a winger or center. He made it his own

785
00:39:20,133 --> 00:39:22,213
Speaker 2: on the weekend. And the point now that Bryce he

786
00:39:22,413 --> 00:39:24,693
Speaker 2: might be back by you probably stick with someone like

787
00:39:24,813 --> 00:39:27,293
Speaker 2: a J Lamb, I think when you look at that

788
00:39:27,373 --> 00:39:29,573
Speaker 2: this week. And then my one point goes to Courtez Ratama,

789
00:39:29,653 --> 00:39:31,573
Speaker 2: who I thought had a good game and outpointed T. J.

790
00:39:31,693 --> 00:39:33,933
Speaker 2: Pitanara in the half back stakes in that semi final.

791
00:39:34,653 --> 00:39:35,493
Speaker 4: Yep, all very fair.

792
00:39:35,533 --> 00:39:37,533
Speaker 3: I think it's fair to say Wallace cleaned up, doesn't

793
00:39:37,933 --> 00:39:40,333
Speaker 3: It was him and him in daylight is ball carrying

794
00:39:40,493 --> 00:39:43,613
Speaker 3: his prominence, So he gets my three. I thought Damien

795
00:39:43,653 --> 00:39:46,853
Speaker 3: McKenzie was very good for the Chiefs, influential, great goal kicking,

796
00:39:47,253 --> 00:39:50,493
Speaker 3: really stepping up at the right time. So that's heartening

797
00:39:50,613 --> 00:39:53,493
Speaker 3: for Scott Robinson for has bolted on starting first five

798
00:39:54,093 --> 00:39:58,133
Speaker 3: and Stalton Papolle. I think he's stepped up and assumed

799
00:39:58,173 --> 00:40:01,853
Speaker 3: the captaincy and Patrick Tupaloto's absence, so he gets my one.

800
00:40:02,053 --> 00:40:05,373
Speaker 2: Well, Hoskins to two to wins the Rugby Direct MVP medal,

801
00:40:05,413 --> 00:40:09,813
Speaker 2: So congratulations Hoskins on that final achievement, joining two other

802
00:40:09,853 --> 00:40:11,573
Speaker 2: players whose names escaped me at this point in time,

803
00:40:11,573 --> 00:40:14,133
Speaker 2: Boden Barrett one one year. Hoskins loves his blaking, so

804
00:40:14,613 --> 00:40:16,333
Speaker 2: I'll make sure make sure you get that middle left

805
00:40:16,333 --> 00:40:16,813
Speaker 2: cross to him.

806
00:40:16,813 --> 00:40:17,213
Speaker 4: Get it out.

807
00:40:17,253 --> 00:40:19,293
Speaker 2: So right, let's take a break on Rugby Direct. Come

808
00:40:19,333 --> 00:40:22,413
Speaker 2: back with Kivin mcloy the cheer of superkod pacific after

809
00:40:22,453 --> 00:40:25,813
Speaker 2: this for yourself a real rugby fan, this is Rugby Direct.

810
00:40:28,333 --> 00:40:32,253
Speaker 2: Every try try it's sixty si, every tackle pack get

811
00:40:32,333 --> 00:40:36,853
Speaker 2: up again before time.

812
00:40:36,973 --> 00:40:38,053
Speaker 4: It's Rugby Direct.

813
00:40:39,893 --> 00:40:43,773
Speaker 2: Pleasure to have super Rugby board cheer Kiven mcloy with

814
00:40:43,853 --> 00:40:45,613
Speaker 2: us on Rugby Direct. Kevin, thanks for joining us.

815
00:40:46,053 --> 00:40:46,693
Speaker 4: Great to be here.

816
00:40:46,893 --> 00:40:50,573
Speaker 2: What's a culmination of what the last fifteen sixteen weeks?

817
00:40:50,613 --> 00:40:53,253
Speaker 2: We have our final the Blues and the Chiefs, and

818
00:40:54,573 --> 00:40:56,493
Speaker 2: Eden Park's going to host it. How excited are you

819
00:40:56,573 --> 00:40:57,213
Speaker 2: for the weekly hit?

820
00:40:57,533 --> 00:40:58,133
Speaker 4: Very excited.

821
00:40:59,653 --> 00:41:02,253
Speaker 5: Look, I think it's a pretty ideal way to have

822
00:41:02,333 --> 00:41:07,293
Speaker 5: a showcase. We're looking forward to ideally having a pack stadium,

823
00:41:07,453 --> 00:41:11,373
Speaker 5: you know, forty plus people as your final with two

824
00:41:12,053 --> 00:41:14,093
Speaker 5: very hot teams. At the moment, I'm not sure we

825
00:41:14,133 --> 00:41:15,893
Speaker 5: could ask very much more, to be honest.

826
00:41:16,013 --> 00:41:18,133
Speaker 2: How would you assess the season that's been.

827
00:41:19,933 --> 00:41:22,773
Speaker 5: Look, I think the best thing for us has been

828
00:41:22,773 --> 00:41:25,093
Speaker 5: the quality of the product. There's been some great rugby

829
00:41:25,333 --> 00:41:27,733
Speaker 5: this year, and as long as the product's good, you

830
00:41:27,773 --> 00:41:30,413
Speaker 5: can build on it from there. So being very happy

831
00:41:30,493 --> 00:41:33,093
Speaker 5: with the quality of a lot of the games, there's

832
00:41:33,173 --> 00:41:35,613
Speaker 5: been a number of things I think around almost I

833
00:41:35,653 --> 00:41:37,573
Speaker 5: want to call around the fringes of it that we

834
00:41:37,733 --> 00:41:40,413
Speaker 5: can learn to do better next season. I think there

835
00:41:40,453 --> 00:41:43,333
Speaker 5: are elements of the draw that we can improve on. Absolutely,

836
00:41:44,293 --> 00:41:45,733
Speaker 5: we're having a close look at what we do a

837
00:41:45,813 --> 00:41:48,693
Speaker 5: souper around next year. I think that's something that needs

838
00:41:48,733 --> 00:41:51,413
Speaker 5: to be looked at. But as long as we've got

839
00:41:51,533 --> 00:41:53,133
Speaker 5: a strong quality a product.

840
00:41:53,293 --> 00:41:53,813
Speaker 4: I think we're on.

841
00:41:53,973 --> 00:41:56,133
Speaker 5: You know, we've got a pretty good base. And the

842
00:41:56,213 --> 00:41:57,813
Speaker 5: other thing that I think we've been very happy with

843
00:41:58,093 --> 00:42:01,253
Speaker 5: is being the officials and a lot of work and

844
00:42:01,333 --> 00:42:04,693
Speaker 5: conversations with them at the beginning of the season, especially

845
00:42:04,813 --> 00:42:06,613
Speaker 5: after what happened in that World Cup final. We did

846
00:42:06,693 --> 00:42:09,933
Speaker 5: not want to have a season and where rugby was

847
00:42:09,973 --> 00:42:13,013
Speaker 5: blighted by TMOS. And to be honest, the officials has

848
00:42:13,053 --> 00:42:15,773
Speaker 5: been great and working with the officials, I mean they've

849
00:42:15,773 --> 00:42:18,453
Speaker 5: got exactly the same attitude we have in terms of

850
00:42:18,573 --> 00:42:21,133
Speaker 5: making these games far more appealing to fans.

851
00:42:21,733 --> 00:42:25,333
Speaker 3: When you talk about what's worked well the officiating, the

852
00:42:25,853 --> 00:42:30,893
Speaker 3: less focus on TMOS, some of the rule tweaks, and

853
00:42:31,053 --> 00:42:33,573
Speaker 3: then coming to the draw, I guess if we look

854
00:42:33,573 --> 00:42:36,453
Speaker 3: ahead to next year, what specific things are we talking

855
00:42:36,453 --> 00:42:40,893
Speaker 3: about daytime forty you know, Easter week in scheduling those

856
00:42:40,973 --> 00:42:41,573
Speaker 3: sorts of things.

857
00:42:42,133 --> 00:42:43,133
Speaker 4: Yep, that's exactly it.

858
00:42:44,013 --> 00:42:48,573
Speaker 5: Trying to get more afternoon games, thinking about Sundays, and

859
00:42:49,013 --> 00:42:51,293
Speaker 5: that's a bit of a challenge for the five day turnaround.

860
00:42:51,333 --> 00:42:53,293
Speaker 5: But do we have occasions where we don't have the

861
00:42:53,333 --> 00:42:55,493
Speaker 5: five day turnaround? And you know, not all the time,

862
00:42:55,573 --> 00:42:57,693
Speaker 5: but maybe once or twice in the season, a club

863
00:42:57,773 --> 00:42:58,453
Speaker 5: has to live with that.

864
00:43:00,733 --> 00:43:01,213
Speaker 4: Referees.

865
00:43:01,373 --> 00:43:04,813
Speaker 5: You know, we've tested the concept of miking the refs

866
00:43:04,853 --> 00:43:06,773
Speaker 5: up in the stadium and they've been doing it with

867
00:43:06,853 --> 00:43:08,333
Speaker 5: the Brumby has been doing it for a little while now.

868
00:43:08,413 --> 00:43:10,053
Speaker 5: We've tested it a couple of times. We tested it

869
00:43:10,093 --> 00:43:13,013
Speaker 5: in Chrostitch. I think there's a lot more we can

870
00:43:13,053 --> 00:43:15,053
Speaker 5: do with that, so, you know, just so the crowds

871
00:43:15,133 --> 00:43:17,613
Speaker 5: know what's going on. You know, that's a pretty obvious

872
00:43:17,653 --> 00:43:22,053
Speaker 5: thing to be doing. Looking at the drawer around areas

873
00:43:22,133 --> 00:43:24,333
Speaker 5: like Anzac Day and you know, we just gave an

874
00:43:24,413 --> 00:43:26,853
Speaker 5: Zac Day away this season. You know, what do we

875
00:43:26,893 --> 00:43:29,573
Speaker 5: do around en Zac Day to actually make that something

876
00:43:29,613 --> 00:43:31,573
Speaker 5: that's far more attractive in the context of the whole

877
00:43:31,613 --> 00:43:33,133
Speaker 5: competition as well, because.

878
00:43:32,933 --> 00:43:34,933
Speaker 2: You look at the NRL and they do what three

879
00:43:35,093 --> 00:43:37,933
Speaker 2: four games maybe three on a day, But this year

880
00:43:37,933 --> 00:43:40,533
Speaker 2: I think you played ew zy on Australian teams on

881
00:43:40,653 --> 00:43:43,373
Speaker 2: the one weekend, plus MOREEA against VG, but nothing on

882
00:43:43,453 --> 00:43:45,653
Speaker 2: the day itself. So those are the thing opportunities you

883
00:43:45,733 --> 00:43:47,053
Speaker 2: need to take advantage.

884
00:43:46,573 --> 00:43:49,093
Speaker 5: Of more absolutely, and maybe you know, one of the

885
00:43:49,133 --> 00:43:51,053
Speaker 5: things we're looking at is do we combine or do

886
00:43:51,133 --> 00:43:54,973
Speaker 5: we have super Round over Anzac weekend right, and then

887
00:43:55,333 --> 00:43:58,253
Speaker 5: turn it into a real New Zealand versus Aussie you know,

888
00:43:58,933 --> 00:44:02,533
Speaker 5: and just take maximum advantage of the ability for people

889
00:44:02,573 --> 00:44:06,413
Speaker 5: to travel as well with that extra day. So it's

890
00:44:06,653 --> 00:44:08,533
Speaker 5: all those sort of things that we're looking at right

891
00:44:08,653 --> 00:44:10,973
Speaker 5: now because it's a fairly hot time for us in

892
00:44:11,053 --> 00:44:12,853
Speaker 5: terms of the next couple of weeks getting the straw right.

893
00:44:13,693 --> 00:44:15,693
Speaker 3: If we pick up on super Round, I guess without

894
00:44:16,173 --> 00:44:20,133
Speaker 3: Melbourne Rebels presence there next year, it's fairly well signposted

895
00:44:20,213 --> 00:44:22,973
Speaker 3: that it's hardly like it not be in Melbourne. If

896
00:44:23,013 --> 00:44:26,133
Speaker 3: we look at the alternatives, there's a bit of a

897
00:44:26,293 --> 00:44:29,693
Speaker 3: romantic scenario around maybe Fiji, but then there's challenges around

898
00:44:29,693 --> 00:44:34,853
Speaker 3: accommodation and lighting and the like. New Zealand's I guess,

899
00:44:34,893 --> 00:44:36,493
Speaker 3: I think there is a desire to have it here,

900
00:44:36,533 --> 00:44:40,293
Speaker 3: but probably not in the business of cities bidding for

901
00:44:40,533 --> 00:44:43,253
Speaker 3: sports events in the same way that Australia does. So

902
00:44:43,773 --> 00:44:46,373
Speaker 3: does that mean it's more likely to go to a

903
00:44:46,453 --> 00:44:49,573
Speaker 3: city like Perth or Brisbane. How far down the line

904
00:44:49,653 --> 00:44:51,853
Speaker 3: are you with where super Round will be?

905
00:44:52,253 --> 00:44:56,413
Speaker 5: Well, you've summed it up pretty well. Actually, where a

906
00:44:56,493 --> 00:44:58,693
Speaker 5: reasonable way down the line with those discussions because it's

907
00:44:58,693 --> 00:45:02,173
Speaker 5: a critical part of the draw. So yes, in an

908
00:45:02,293 --> 00:45:04,413
Speaker 5: ideal world, it'd be great to have it in Fiji

909
00:45:04,453 --> 00:45:06,333
Speaker 5: if you talk about fan centric how good would that be?

910
00:45:07,773 --> 00:45:10,213
Speaker 5: But there is You're right, there's some infrastructure challenges here.

911
00:45:10,253 --> 00:45:12,333
Speaker 5: It's not completely out of the mix, and so we're

912
00:45:12,333 --> 00:45:15,093
Speaker 5: still looking at it. Perce have put their hand up

913
00:45:15,253 --> 00:45:17,773
Speaker 5: and Perce could be quite attractive. There's some challenges there

914
00:45:17,853 --> 00:45:20,933
Speaker 5: with the distance of travel, but in terms of stadium

915
00:45:21,013 --> 00:45:23,853
Speaker 5: and support and you know, Perce could be an attractive venue,

916
00:45:25,293 --> 00:45:27,973
Speaker 5: not so much Brisbane but potentially Gold Coast down that

917
00:45:28,093 --> 00:45:30,773
Speaker 5: area because you know that would take a lot of

918
00:45:30,813 --> 00:45:33,693
Speaker 5: boxes for us. But as you probably understand, it's a

919
00:45:33,773 --> 00:45:36,653
Speaker 5: massive financial consideration and that's one of the reasons why

920
00:45:36,893 --> 00:45:38,893
Speaker 5: we can't look to have it in New Zealand because

921
00:45:39,773 --> 00:45:41,253
Speaker 5: you know, the reason we had it in Melbourne was

922
00:45:41,293 --> 00:45:43,893
Speaker 5: a Victorian state government wrote a nice big check for

923
00:45:44,013 --> 00:45:47,293
Speaker 5: all the teams that missed out on home advantages. So

924
00:45:47,773 --> 00:45:50,853
Speaker 5: you know, we are reliant on that financial backing for it,

925
00:45:51,173 --> 00:45:53,653
Speaker 5: and that does take a lot of the news. What

926
00:45:53,813 --> 00:45:56,373
Speaker 5: does take New Zealand out of it completely at the moment, Unfortunately, a.

927
00:45:56,373 --> 00:45:57,813
Speaker 2: Lot of que is on the Gold Coast, a lot

928
00:45:57,853 --> 00:46:00,173
Speaker 2: of keys like going the Gold Coast for holidays.

929
00:45:59,973 --> 00:46:04,293
Speaker 5: Exactly right, and easy travel, you know, great little stadium,

930
00:46:04,573 --> 00:46:08,093
Speaker 5: you know you could, So it's very much what's in

931
00:46:08,093 --> 00:46:09,853
Speaker 5: the main for us as well. We're certainly looking at that.

932
00:46:10,053 --> 00:46:14,973
Speaker 3: Yep, conceptually, if we look at the Super Rugby Board

933
00:46:15,093 --> 00:46:17,733
Speaker 3: and the Commission, it's been set up, you know, in

934
00:46:17,813 --> 00:46:21,853
Speaker 3: the past year to put the competition front and center

935
00:46:21,973 --> 00:46:26,613
Speaker 3: because historically the national unions have used it largely as

936
00:46:26,653 --> 00:46:29,773
Speaker 3: a vehicle for the test scene. And I guess that's

937
00:46:29,813 --> 00:46:31,533
Speaker 3: part and pastor of rugby that the test scene is

938
00:46:31,533 --> 00:46:35,413
Speaker 3: always going to take priority. But how much I guess

939
00:46:35,773 --> 00:46:40,133
Speaker 3: power do you have to enact change? You know, the

940
00:46:40,253 --> 00:46:42,973
Speaker 3: national units are still heavily involved. I guess it's an

941
00:46:43,013 --> 00:46:46,013
Speaker 3: ongoing process. But this I imagine there's things you'd like

942
00:46:46,133 --> 00:46:48,253
Speaker 3: to do and then you maybe get some pushback. So

943
00:46:48,853 --> 00:46:53,373
Speaker 3: just generally, what's the Super Rugby Commission Board role and

944
00:46:54,133 --> 00:46:55,893
Speaker 3: how easy is it to get things done?

945
00:46:56,493 --> 00:46:56,693
Speaker 2: Yeah?

946
00:46:56,933 --> 00:46:57,413
Speaker 4: Good question.

947
00:46:58,493 --> 00:47:01,093
Speaker 5: So we're governed by a JV agreement which has been

948
00:47:01,093 --> 00:47:04,533
Speaker 5: agreed to by both the unions. Now and you said

949
00:47:04,573 --> 00:47:06,653
Speaker 5: this in your opening in your comments just seen it's

950
00:47:06,653 --> 00:47:09,453
Speaker 5: absolutely right. The Union's fair play to them have recognized

951
00:47:09,533 --> 00:47:13,293
Speaker 5: that the Super Rubbie competition itself needs some specific and

952
00:47:13,373 --> 00:47:16,253
Speaker 5: deliberate focus, which is what the Commission has been put

953
00:47:16,293 --> 00:47:19,613
Speaker 5: into place to do. We governed by this JV agreement

954
00:47:19,693 --> 00:47:24,013
Speaker 5: which which basically says our core remit is around bums

955
00:47:24,053 --> 00:47:27,093
Speaker 5: on seats and eyeballs, right, So it's marketing the game,

956
00:47:27,173 --> 00:47:30,213
Speaker 5: doing better things for the game. Now that leads into

957
00:47:30,213 --> 00:47:32,853
Speaker 5: a number of areas because that can impact shape of

958
00:47:32,933 --> 00:47:35,093
Speaker 5: the game. You know, some of the things that have

959
00:47:35,173 --> 00:47:38,933
Speaker 5: been done around the rules, officiating, which I've mentioned, marketing,

960
00:47:39,933 --> 00:47:43,333
Speaker 5: comms plans. There are a number of areas that are

961
00:47:43,373 --> 00:47:45,933
Speaker 5: called major matters that we just don't get ourselves involved.

962
00:47:45,973 --> 00:47:48,853
Speaker 5: And we can't as a board change the complete structure

963
00:47:48,853 --> 00:47:51,453
Speaker 5: of the competition, so that's really up to the unions.

964
00:47:51,973 --> 00:47:52,133
Speaker 4: Now.

965
00:47:52,933 --> 00:47:56,213
Speaker 5: What the Commission does and the Board does though, however,

966
00:47:56,333 --> 00:47:59,093
Speaker 5: is provide a great forum for discussion. So some of

967
00:47:59,173 --> 00:48:02,253
Speaker 5: these meteor issues around the future of the competition and

968
00:48:02,653 --> 00:48:05,213
Speaker 5: some of the things that are worth discussing. That's the

969
00:48:05,293 --> 00:48:08,093
Speaker 5: discussion point. And you know, we've got fo we've got

970
00:48:08,133 --> 00:48:10,773
Speaker 5: more Robinson, We've got you know, the key people sitting

971
00:48:10,773 --> 00:48:14,053
Speaker 5: around the board table. Ultimately can we make the decision. No,

972
00:48:14,493 --> 00:48:17,853
Speaker 5: but we can have a pretty good discussion and raise

973
00:48:17,933 --> 00:48:19,973
Speaker 5: issues that can then go back to the Unions for

974
00:48:20,333 --> 00:48:24,093
Speaker 5: hopefully for ratification or otherwise. So if nothing else, I

975
00:48:24,173 --> 00:48:26,613
Speaker 5: think we've got a good forum to be discussing some

976
00:48:26,693 --> 00:48:27,933
Speaker 5: of these other key issues as well.

977
00:48:28,293 --> 00:48:30,773
Speaker 2: So in terms of the rebels decision this year, you

978
00:48:30,893 --> 00:48:33,133
Speaker 2: just had to watch and wait and see what Rugby

979
00:48:33,133 --> 00:48:34,093
Speaker 2: Australia did there.

980
00:48:33,933 --> 00:48:36,293
Speaker 5: One hundred percent there was Rugby Australia's call. We had

981
00:48:36,333 --> 00:48:38,733
Speaker 5: to watch and wait and then once we're wants the

982
00:48:38,773 --> 00:48:41,573
Speaker 5: decision had be made. The ramifications of an eleven team

983
00:48:42,253 --> 00:48:43,613
Speaker 5: draw we worked from there.

984
00:48:44,213 --> 00:48:46,053
Speaker 2: Yeah, what kind of impact is it going to have,

985
00:48:46,293 --> 00:48:48,493
Speaker 2: I guess on Super Rugby next year, but the next

986
00:48:48,533 --> 00:48:50,733
Speaker 2: five years not having a team in Melbourne and that

987
00:48:51,053 --> 00:48:53,293
Speaker 2: eleven teams scenario you've got at the moment.

988
00:48:53,613 --> 00:48:56,573
Speaker 5: Yeah, I'm not sure about the impact of the team

989
00:48:56,653 --> 00:49:00,173
Speaker 5: in Melbourne, which is such a big concern. The eleven

990
00:49:00,373 --> 00:49:02,693
Speaker 5: teams next year is just a bit nigley, you know,

991
00:49:02,773 --> 00:49:05,293
Speaker 5: an odd number for the draw. So but it is

992
00:49:05,333 --> 00:49:06,773
Speaker 5: what it is and we're going to work our way

993
00:49:06,813 --> 00:49:08,933
Speaker 5: through it and there are going to be some advantages

994
00:49:09,013 --> 00:49:11,813
Speaker 5: because you know, every team is going to have a

995
00:49:11,893 --> 00:49:14,413
Speaker 5: couple of bye weeks. Well, you know, I'd like to

996
00:49:14,453 --> 00:49:16,253
Speaker 5: think that doesn't mean that all blacks will have to

997
00:49:16,293 --> 00:49:17,893
Speaker 5: be stood down as often, so you're going to get

998
00:49:17,933 --> 00:49:20,093
Speaker 5: quality players. So there's going to be some aspects to this.

999
00:49:20,173 --> 00:49:23,053
Speaker 5: We're going to rethink the finals, you know, so how

1000
00:49:23,133 --> 00:49:25,093
Speaker 5: many teams actually go into the finals. So there may

1001
00:49:25,173 --> 00:49:27,253
Speaker 5: be you know, for those people who think that eight

1002
00:49:27,333 --> 00:49:29,973
Speaker 5: teams doesn't have a lot of credibility, well we're probably

1003
00:49:30,093 --> 00:49:32,173
Speaker 5: looking at six teams in a different shape of the finals.

1004
00:49:32,213 --> 00:49:34,733
Speaker 5: So there's there's some things that are that are positives

1005
00:49:35,693 --> 00:49:37,733
Speaker 5: going forward. It then becomes really interesting on what we

1006
00:49:37,853 --> 00:49:40,213
Speaker 5: do from twenty six onwards, and the fact that that

1007
00:49:40,533 --> 00:49:43,133
Speaker 5: is obviously the start of broadcast deals on both sides

1008
00:49:43,133 --> 00:49:47,053
Speaker 5: of the Tasman is quite important as well. So we

1009
00:49:47,213 --> 00:49:49,493
Speaker 5: will be and one of the key discussion points is

1010
00:49:49,573 --> 00:49:51,933
Speaker 5: what is the nature of the competition and how many

1011
00:49:51,973 --> 00:49:54,853
Speaker 5: teams will be in the competition from twenty six onwards basically,

1012
00:49:55,893 --> 00:49:58,133
Speaker 5: and what would those what would those teams be.

1013
00:49:59,173 --> 00:50:01,613
Speaker 3: Yes, we'll pick up on the future soon, but just

1014
00:50:01,773 --> 00:50:05,333
Speaker 3: drolling down into that finals format, there was an alternative

1015
00:50:05,573 --> 00:50:09,293
Speaker 3: floated around the seventeen model out of the the NFL.

1016
00:50:11,573 --> 00:50:15,453
Speaker 3: How definitive can you be today about it will be

1017
00:50:15,573 --> 00:50:18,333
Speaker 3: six teams which were the finals in terms of the

1018
00:50:18,413 --> 00:50:20,933
Speaker 3: top two teams getting the week off, And like you say,

1019
00:50:21,573 --> 00:50:24,933
Speaker 3: how important is that from a credibility integrity perspective when

1020
00:50:24,973 --> 00:50:26,253
Speaker 3: you do only have eleven teams.

1021
00:50:26,413 --> 00:50:28,773
Speaker 5: Yeah, I can't be definitive. I can tell you that

1022
00:50:28,893 --> 00:50:30,533
Speaker 5: we had a good discussion on it. We're going to

1023
00:50:30,573 --> 00:50:33,253
Speaker 5: have to make a decision reasonably soon because we'll have

1024
00:50:33,373 --> 00:50:35,493
Speaker 5: a you know, we have to nail in the fact

1025
00:50:35,493 --> 00:50:38,933
Speaker 5: that we'll have sixteen rounds and then the three rounds

1026
00:50:39,013 --> 00:50:42,973
Speaker 5: probably for a nineteen week competition. Sorry, there's one extra

1027
00:50:43,013 --> 00:50:45,613
Speaker 5: week than this year. There's one extra weekman this year. Yep,

1028
00:50:47,333 --> 00:50:49,813
Speaker 5: but it was it's something we haven't made a final

1029
00:50:49,893 --> 00:50:53,973
Speaker 5: decision on yet. So sixteen six teams or seven teams

1030
00:50:54,093 --> 00:50:58,373
Speaker 5: is still a discussion point. If you want a personal perspective,

1031
00:50:58,373 --> 00:51:00,813
Speaker 5: I think you should be six just because that makes

1032
00:51:00,853 --> 00:51:01,293
Speaker 5: more sense.

1033
00:51:01,613 --> 00:51:02,493
Speaker 4: I think yeap.

1034
00:51:03,733 --> 00:51:07,093
Speaker 5: Where six gets tricky is remember a lot of these

1035
00:51:07,253 --> 00:51:10,773
Speaker 5: teams and they all run at a pretty lean financial

1036
00:51:12,453 --> 00:51:14,693
Speaker 5: you know, they're they're only on a shoe string budget.

1037
00:51:14,733 --> 00:51:19,253
Speaker 5: These guys, you could end up finishing second and you know,

1038
00:51:19,533 --> 00:51:23,213
Speaker 5: and then potentially only in the finals thing, or even

1039
00:51:23,293 --> 00:51:25,893
Speaker 5: first only having one home game and getting knocked out,

1040
00:51:25,973 --> 00:51:30,253
Speaker 5: and so that that can hurt financially because these teams,

1041
00:51:30,333 --> 00:51:34,053
Speaker 5: you know, are really reliant on finals football to help

1042
00:51:34,053 --> 00:51:35,893
Speaker 5: their balance sheets. So we're going to have to think

1043
00:51:35,933 --> 00:51:37,773
Speaker 5: that one through is a little bit as well if

1044
00:51:37,813 --> 00:51:38,853
Speaker 5: we do go to six teams.

1045
00:51:39,453 --> 00:51:40,893
Speaker 2: If you look at the eight teams at the moment,

1046
00:51:41,093 --> 00:51:43,573
Speaker 2: I don't think there's been a team from that five

1047
00:51:43,653 --> 00:51:47,013
Speaker 2: to eight block that's beaten a higher ranked team in

1048
00:51:47,133 --> 00:51:50,653
Speaker 2: the years we've had the quarter finals. So what I

1049
00:51:50,693 --> 00:51:52,933
Speaker 2: guess thats have you come to a realization as a

1050
00:51:52,973 --> 00:51:56,893
Speaker 2: board that it's probably not working even before the rebels scenario.

1051
00:51:57,133 --> 00:51:58,653
Speaker 5: Well, it's a bit of a double edged sword, isn't it,

1052
00:51:58,733 --> 00:52:01,373
Speaker 5: Because you're right, there is that element. But the other

1053
00:52:01,493 --> 00:52:03,893
Speaker 5: element to that is we went into round fifteen, the

1054
00:52:03,973 --> 00:52:06,173
Speaker 5: final round, and there was only one game that was

1055
00:52:06,453 --> 00:52:09,053
Speaker 5: you know, that was I think it was the Wartars

1056
00:52:09,053 --> 00:52:10,973
Speaker 5: and Rids was the only game that was irrelevant. Every

1057
00:52:11,013 --> 00:52:12,853
Speaker 5: other game there was something on it in terms of

1058
00:52:12,933 --> 00:52:16,733
Speaker 5: how the top eight looked. So but look, I think

1059
00:52:16,773 --> 00:52:18,853
Speaker 5: when we decide on or we have the conversation and

1060
00:52:19,013 --> 00:52:21,373
Speaker 5: work out for twenty six onwards how many teams we

1061
00:52:21,453 --> 00:52:23,973
Speaker 5: actually have. I think there'll be another conversation around what

1062
00:52:24,053 --> 00:52:25,973
Speaker 5: the finals makeup looks like.

1063
00:52:26,053 --> 00:52:28,933
Speaker 3: Frankly, I guess if we cast the head to that

1064
00:52:29,373 --> 00:52:35,213
Speaker 3: twenty twenty six window and the forecasting, you know that

1065
00:52:35,333 --> 00:52:38,093
Speaker 3: eleven teams is an ideal that in a perfect world

1066
00:52:38,693 --> 00:52:43,693
Speaker 3: you would add another team maybe more. How realistic is

1067
00:52:43,773 --> 00:52:47,733
Speaker 3: that and what is a realistic destination for that team?

1068
00:52:48,613 --> 00:52:50,693
Speaker 5: When you say destination in which team, who would it be?

1069
00:52:51,213 --> 00:52:53,653
Speaker 5: I think at the moment, obviously it's really early days.

1070
00:52:53,693 --> 00:52:57,653
Speaker 5: But if you look at the obvious candidates, you've got

1071
00:52:58,013 --> 00:53:01,973
Speaker 5: potentially bringing Japanese teams into the competition, You've got the Haguaris.

1072
00:53:03,733 --> 00:53:05,893
Speaker 5: I don't think there's an option to bring South African

1073
00:53:05,933 --> 00:53:10,693
Speaker 5: teams back into the competition. And then outside of that,

1074
00:53:10,853 --> 00:53:13,173
Speaker 5: you know you've got potential, you know, probably more of

1075
00:53:13,213 --> 00:53:15,173
Speaker 5: a stretch. Do you look at the West coast of America.

1076
00:53:15,333 --> 00:53:18,493
Speaker 5: I'm not quite sure they're ready for a high performance context.

1077
00:53:18,613 --> 00:53:22,773
Speaker 5: So I think all of that will be up for discussion,

1078
00:53:23,213 --> 00:53:25,453
Speaker 5: and a lot of that, to be fair, will be

1079
00:53:25,573 --> 00:53:28,933
Speaker 5: drawn by the two unions that that clearly falls is

1080
00:53:28,973 --> 00:53:30,893
Speaker 5: a major matter in those conversations.

1081
00:53:31,053 --> 00:53:32,533
Speaker 2: Yeah, because I guess how far do you push it?

1082
00:53:32,573 --> 00:53:35,373
Speaker 2: Because one of the criticisms of Super Rugby, especially when

1083
00:53:35,413 --> 00:53:37,173
Speaker 2: you know pp South African teams and Japanese it was

1084
00:53:37,253 --> 00:53:41,333
Speaker 2: run over about six time zones and became increasingly hard

1085
00:53:41,413 --> 00:53:47,053
Speaker 2: to follow, very cumbersome in terms of its number of

1086
00:53:47,133 --> 00:53:49,933
Speaker 2: teams and the way it works. So how how do

1087
00:53:50,053 --> 00:53:52,613
Speaker 2: you go just balance that with the need to expand

1088
00:53:52,733 --> 00:53:55,133
Speaker 2: and the need to look at new horizons.

1089
00:53:55,333 --> 00:53:55,853
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's right.

1090
00:53:55,893 --> 00:53:57,413
Speaker 5: I think if you take a fans lens on this,

1091
00:53:57,573 --> 00:54:00,173
Speaker 5: we have sort of mucked around with this competition so

1092
00:54:00,293 --> 00:54:03,413
Speaker 5: many times, from Super fifteen to Super twelve to you know,

1093
00:54:03,533 --> 00:54:06,053
Speaker 5: it's like, okay, let's keep a consistency of what the

1094
00:54:06,133 --> 00:54:09,533
Speaker 5: competition is and the structure of it for as long

1095
00:54:09,573 --> 00:54:11,853
Speaker 5: as we possibly can. So so the best leagues in

1096
00:54:11,853 --> 00:54:13,773
Speaker 5: the world aren't mucking ground with the structure of their

1097
00:54:13,813 --> 00:54:17,613
Speaker 5: competitions every other year. So now we are in a

1098
00:54:17,653 --> 00:54:20,093
Speaker 5: situation where twenty six onwards we are going to have

1099
00:54:20,173 --> 00:54:22,333
Speaker 5: to introduce at least one other team to get ourselves

1100
00:54:22,373 --> 00:54:25,093
Speaker 5: back to a balance. But having it, we have to

1101
00:54:25,133 --> 00:54:29,333
Speaker 5: be really cognizant of that team being appropriate and high

1102
00:54:29,373 --> 00:54:31,933
Speaker 5: performance context. So they're going to add to the competition

1103
00:54:32,653 --> 00:54:34,733
Speaker 5: and we're also going to have to be cognizant the

1104
00:54:34,813 --> 00:54:37,133
Speaker 5: fans are going to still understand that, you know, there's

1105
00:54:37,213 --> 00:54:39,813
Speaker 5: some real credibility in the nature of the competition as well,

1106
00:54:40,813 --> 00:54:42,533
Speaker 5: and all of that will go into the mix and

1107
00:54:42,573 --> 00:54:45,373
Speaker 5: the discussions, and then of course, overlaying all that, you've

1108
00:54:45,413 --> 00:54:47,853
Speaker 5: got broadcaster discussions and the number of games they want,

1109
00:54:47,933 --> 00:54:50,013
Speaker 5: the time zones that work for them, and viewership and

1110
00:54:50,773 --> 00:54:53,133
Speaker 5: those are really important considerations as well.

1111
00:54:53,933 --> 00:54:55,533
Speaker 4: On those broadcast negotiations.

1112
00:54:55,573 --> 00:54:59,493
Speaker 3: You know, they're extremely important to the financial future of

1113
00:54:59,733 --> 00:55:01,533
Speaker 3: New Zealand and Australia and I guess they're coming to

1114
00:55:01,613 --> 00:55:07,133
Speaker 3: a head now to a degree. So and those broadcast

1115
00:55:07,213 --> 00:55:09,693
Speaker 3: negotiations are going to want blueprints for the future for

1116
00:55:09,773 --> 00:55:13,013
Speaker 3: Super Rugby, for Rugby Championship and the like. So how

1117
00:55:13,093 --> 00:55:17,293
Speaker 3: long do you have to establish a plan for who

1118
00:55:17,373 --> 00:55:19,613
Speaker 3: and where that that twelve team is going to be?

1119
00:55:20,253 --> 00:55:23,493
Speaker 5: Well, I think those are that's those are ongoing discussions

1120
00:55:23,533 --> 00:55:26,453
Speaker 5: that the unions are having now and that's very much

1121
00:55:26,773 --> 00:55:29,853
Speaker 5: in that's very much major matter for the for the unions.

1122
00:55:29,853 --> 00:55:33,053
Speaker 5: I guess our role in that is if it was

1123
00:55:33,133 --> 00:55:35,653
Speaker 5: a Rasky the unions that be responsible, we'd be the

1124
00:55:36,573 --> 00:55:40,013
Speaker 5: s is supportive or actually informative and saying hey, this

1125
00:55:40,133 --> 00:55:42,813
Speaker 5: is what we'd like to see and just remembering the

1126
00:55:42,853 --> 00:55:45,773
Speaker 5: integrity of the competition. We just we just solowly focused

1127
00:55:45,813 --> 00:55:49,293
Speaker 5: on what's going to be good for this competition. But

1128
00:55:50,373 --> 00:55:53,213
Speaker 5: I understand that those broadcast conversations are absolutely active and

1129
00:55:53,333 --> 00:55:55,933
Speaker 5: live now and there is going to be some time

1130
00:55:56,013 --> 00:55:59,013
Speaker 5: pressure on that the closer we get to understanding what

1131
00:55:59,093 --> 00:56:00,693
Speaker 5: the deal is going to be for twenty six onwards.

1132
00:56:00,773 --> 00:56:03,973
Speaker 3: Yeah, do you have a view more broadly on Super

1133
00:56:04,053 --> 00:56:07,013
Speaker 3: Rugby about things like a draft or.

1134
00:56:08,573 --> 00:56:08,933
Speaker 4: Selection?

1135
00:56:10,013 --> 00:56:13,413
Speaker 3: For you, I know you're probably powerless to a degree,

1136
00:56:13,933 --> 00:56:18,453
Speaker 3: but for just you know, floating the idea here about

1137
00:56:19,133 --> 00:56:23,613
Speaker 3: selection across the Super Rugby. You know all blacks been

1138
00:56:23,653 --> 00:56:27,253
Speaker 3: able to play for Australian teams and vice versa. Do

1139
00:56:27,373 --> 00:56:30,093
Speaker 3: you envision a day where that happens or is it

1140
00:56:30,133 --> 00:56:31,213
Speaker 3: a bit of a bridge too far?

1141
00:56:32,653 --> 00:56:35,693
Speaker 5: I'll give you, I guess a personal view, and it

1142
00:56:35,813 --> 00:56:37,933
Speaker 5: is something going back to a conversation before where I

1143
00:56:38,013 --> 00:56:40,493
Speaker 5: think it's a good discussion point for for us to

1144
00:56:40,533 --> 00:56:43,853
Speaker 5: have around the table. Draft might be at this stage

1145
00:56:44,013 --> 00:56:46,893
Speaker 5: even in the medium term a step too far. Having

1146
00:56:47,013 --> 00:56:52,013
Speaker 5: said that, you know, again personal perspective, Rich Manger, right, Well,

1147
00:56:52,173 --> 00:56:55,533
Speaker 5: you know, Andrew Forrester at the Force could probably write

1148
00:56:55,533 --> 00:56:57,413
Speaker 5: as big a check as the guys have written in Japan.

1149
00:56:57,933 --> 00:57:00,133
Speaker 5: And if he was allowed to stay and that was

1150
00:57:00,213 --> 00:57:04,133
Speaker 5: still within the Super Rugby ecosystem, he was still eligible

1151
00:57:04,173 --> 00:57:05,973
Speaker 5: for the All Blacks. How good would that be? Right

1152
00:57:06,093 --> 00:57:09,053
Speaker 5: for the competition? Ardie Severe goes to the war attas

1153
00:57:09,413 --> 00:57:11,733
Speaker 5: you know, that would help the competition and the crowd

1154
00:57:11,853 --> 00:57:14,493
Speaker 5: as well. You know, you take some of these really

1155
00:57:14,573 --> 00:57:17,373
Speaker 5: good players and allow them to move within the ecosystem

1156
00:57:17,373 --> 00:57:19,693
Speaker 5: of super rugby. That just even if it was just

1157
00:57:20,293 --> 00:57:23,533
Speaker 5: an arrangement with the top fifteen to twenty players, so

1158
00:57:23,933 --> 00:57:26,973
Speaker 5: you're not necessarily impacting the high performance development of younger

1159
00:57:27,013 --> 00:57:29,773
Speaker 5: players coming through. But once you've reached that superstar status,

1160
00:57:30,293 --> 00:57:32,493
Speaker 5: you know, you could start ranking these players and there's

1161
00:57:32,733 --> 00:57:34,413
Speaker 5: there's a cost for them and they can move around

1162
00:57:34,453 --> 00:57:38,453
Speaker 5: the competition. And again, purely from a competition perspective, how

1163
00:57:38,533 --> 00:57:39,093
Speaker 5: cool would that be?

1164
00:57:39,813 --> 00:57:43,093
Speaker 2: Indeed, I guess from Australian perspective which we don't often

1165
00:57:43,173 --> 00:57:45,413
Speaker 2: consider here in New Zealand. But they haven't won the

1166
00:57:45,493 --> 00:57:48,333
Speaker 2: compinent number of years. The teams have been not on

1167
00:57:48,373 --> 00:57:50,773
Speaker 2: the final for a number of years, you see on

1168
00:57:51,213 --> 00:57:52,853
Speaker 2: various articles. So do you think it's time to pull

1169
00:57:52,893 --> 00:57:54,693
Speaker 2: out of Super Rugby even you know that, I know

1170
00:57:54,773 --> 00:57:56,613
Speaker 2: the deal in place to twenty thirty and go to

1171
00:57:56,693 --> 00:57:59,493
Speaker 2: a club competition or something over there. But what value

1172
00:57:59,613 --> 00:58:01,053
Speaker 2: is Super Rugby providing to Australia.

1173
00:58:01,053 --> 00:58:05,133
Speaker 5: I guess at the moment, Well, it's it's a tough

1174
00:58:05,293 --> 00:58:08,653
Speaker 5: environment for them over there. At the moment, I think

1175
00:58:08,733 --> 00:58:11,813
Speaker 5: the you know, with Standard Broadcaster, it's a it's a

1176
00:58:11,933 --> 00:58:15,013
Speaker 5: limited streaming channel, so it's it's really hard to get

1177
00:58:15,133 --> 00:58:19,213
Speaker 5: much visibility. I know in terms of marketing, budgets are

1178
00:58:19,213 --> 00:58:25,453
Speaker 5: completely dwarfed by n r L and NFL and a

1179
00:58:25,653 --> 00:58:28,573
Speaker 5: f L, so it's a it's really tough to get

1180
00:58:28,573 --> 00:58:31,893
Speaker 5: any traction. And so I think what's going to be

1181
00:58:31,933 --> 00:58:33,733
Speaker 5: really important for them in the next little while is

1182
00:58:33,773 --> 00:58:37,453
Speaker 5: the Australian team starts to perform and win a few

1183
00:58:37,533 --> 00:58:40,493
Speaker 5: games and that people start to actually fall back in

1184
00:58:40,533 --> 00:58:43,573
Speaker 5: love with rugby again. The audience is there, and the

1185
00:58:43,693 --> 00:58:46,213
Speaker 5: and the passion is there, but at the moment it's

1186
00:58:46,573 --> 00:58:48,773
Speaker 5: with the lack of success and some of the other

1187
00:58:49,493 --> 00:58:51,733
Speaker 5: sort of issues that have gone on in rugby in Australia.

1188
00:58:53,093 --> 00:58:54,573
Speaker 5: I know it's it's hard to get traction.

1189
00:58:55,133 --> 00:58:58,693
Speaker 2: It really is good new CEO about to start. What's

1190
00:58:58,733 --> 00:59:01,533
Speaker 2: he going to bring to super about to start?

1191
00:59:01,533 --> 00:59:02,453
Speaker 4: I wish it was about.

1192
00:59:04,813 --> 00:59:06,413
Speaker 2: Remember my brain when he was when he was going

1193
00:59:06,493 --> 00:59:07,093
Speaker 2: to get on board.

1194
00:59:07,293 --> 00:59:09,733
Speaker 5: Jack Jack Measley. He starts on July twenty seconds, so

1195
00:59:10,653 --> 00:59:15,493
Speaker 5: he unfortunately had twelve weeks three months. Yeah, notice Pier

1196
00:59:15,533 --> 00:59:17,413
Speaker 5: which is quite brutal, and he's on gardening leave at

1197
00:59:17,413 --> 00:59:19,973
Speaker 5: the moment. Actually, we're bringing him over for the final.

1198
00:59:22,493 --> 00:59:24,533
Speaker 5: I can't wait for them to start. I mean, the

1199
00:59:24,613 --> 00:59:27,453
Speaker 5: great thing about what Jack will be doing is that

1200
00:59:27,613 --> 00:59:30,293
Speaker 5: he will be one hundred percent focused on this competition,

1201
00:59:30,613 --> 00:59:32,373
Speaker 5: living and breathing it. And at the moment, you know,

1202
00:59:33,253 --> 00:59:35,333
Speaker 5: it's fine that we've got this governance board in place,

1203
00:59:35,373 --> 00:59:37,253
Speaker 5: but as a governance board, we can only do so much.

1204
00:59:37,653 --> 00:59:39,173
Speaker 5: And there's a lot of things that you know, a

1205
00:59:39,253 --> 00:59:40,893
Speaker 5: lot of great ideas, a lot of things that need

1206
00:59:40,973 --> 00:59:43,413
Speaker 5: to be implemented that you need a team to go

1207
00:59:43,453 --> 00:59:48,773
Speaker 5: ahead and do. And Jack was Jack was an outstanding candidate.

1208
00:59:49,693 --> 00:59:52,333
Speaker 5: And I think we said before he's got a really

1209
00:59:52,333 --> 00:59:53,533
Speaker 5: strong background of marketing.

1210
00:59:53,813 --> 00:59:56,893
Speaker 4: So he's you know, the A.

1211
00:59:57,013 --> 00:59:59,533
Speaker 5: League experience is good because he's had to learn to

1212
00:59:59,573 --> 01:00:01,093
Speaker 5: scrap and fight there as well, and he's going to

1213
01:00:01,133 --> 01:00:02,733
Speaker 5: have to learn to scrap and fight, especially in that

1214
01:00:02,813 --> 01:00:06,213
Speaker 5: Australian environment. As we're saying, he's a rugby man. He

1215
01:00:06,293 --> 01:00:10,413
Speaker 5: loves his rugby th is playing until just recently, and

1216
01:00:10,813 --> 01:00:13,373
Speaker 5: so I can't wait to him for him to get

1217
01:00:13,413 --> 01:00:16,293
Speaker 5: on board actually, because that will allow us to have

1218
01:00:16,653 --> 01:00:18,613
Speaker 5: some more traction and to say we're going to have

1219
01:00:18,693 --> 01:00:22,213
Speaker 5: somebody living and breathing. What's good for the competition twenty

1220
01:00:22,213 --> 01:00:23,773
Speaker 5: four hours, you know, seven days a week.

1221
01:00:23,813 --> 01:00:24,373
Speaker 4: That's perfect.

1222
01:00:24,893 --> 01:00:27,493
Speaker 2: Just on that though, because as you mentioned that, sometimes

1223
01:00:27,573 --> 01:00:30,013
Speaker 2: it's a super akable you're a wee bit powerless or

1224
01:00:30,493 --> 01:00:33,173
Speaker 2: you can't influence timid decision. So what power I guess

1225
01:00:33,693 --> 01:00:34,693
Speaker 2: is he going to bring or have?

1226
01:00:35,253 --> 01:00:38,173
Speaker 5: Well, one of he'll be doing. You know, there's still

1227
01:00:38,293 --> 01:00:40,253
Speaker 5: within the context of what I was talking about with

1228
01:00:41,013 --> 01:00:44,813
Speaker 5: eyeballs and bums on seats and marketing the game, how

1229
01:00:44,853 --> 01:00:47,053
Speaker 5: we do with for the officials, number, the shape of

1230
01:00:47,093 --> 01:00:51,813
Speaker 5: the game elements, communication plans, you know, things like fantasy leagues.

1231
01:00:51,893 --> 01:00:55,133
Speaker 5: There's a boy you start to list it out, you

1232
01:00:55,173 --> 01:00:58,413
Speaker 5: know the draw, making sure that draw the Sunday football

1233
01:00:58,413 --> 01:01:01,253
Speaker 5: we're talking about potentially afternoon football. Are the implications of

1234
01:01:01,333 --> 01:01:04,013
Speaker 5: that there's you know, it doesn't take you very long

1235
01:01:04,053 --> 01:01:05,693
Speaker 5: before you've got a long list of things that he

1236
01:01:05,773 --> 01:01:09,533
Speaker 5: can absolutely still be influencing and be quite effective for

1237
01:01:09,653 --> 01:01:10,213
Speaker 5: the competition.

1238
01:01:10,413 --> 01:01:14,973
Speaker 3: Yep, if we bring it back to this weekend, Eden

1239
01:01:15,053 --> 01:01:18,653
Speaker 3: Park Chiefs Blues, we certainly can't let you escape without

1240
01:01:18,653 --> 01:01:19,053
Speaker 3: a prediction.

1241
01:01:22,413 --> 01:01:26,693
Speaker 5: I'm not I'm completely neutral. My prediction is that there'd

1242
01:01:26,733 --> 01:01:29,133
Speaker 5: be a great crowd in the great game. That's probably

1243
01:01:30,093 --> 01:01:32,213
Speaker 5: all that I should be really saying. I'm going to

1244
01:01:32,293 --> 01:01:33,853
Speaker 5: tell you what I am really looking forward to. If

1245
01:01:33,853 --> 01:01:36,213
Speaker 5: you're if you're if you're a rugby fan, how good

1246
01:01:36,293 --> 01:01:38,453
Speaker 5: is this going to be? I mean, this should be

1247
01:01:38,533 --> 01:01:42,693
Speaker 5: an absolute cracker And as I say, just really hoping

1248
01:01:42,773 --> 01:01:44,733
Speaker 5: that as a showcase, even it's played in front of

1249
01:01:44,813 --> 01:01:46,373
Speaker 5: a full crowd, it'll be superb.

1250
01:01:46,573 --> 01:01:48,133
Speaker 2: Yeah, let's hope for that. Given below, thank you for

1251
01:01:48,213 --> 01:01:50,133
Speaker 2: joining us on Rugby Direct. Grateful for your time, Thank you,

1252
01:01:50,533 --> 01:01:52,933
Speaker 2: thank you. Thanks guys, that's a fascinating chat with Given below,

1253
01:01:52,973 --> 01:01:55,653
Speaker 2: wasn't it? Liam? Plenty of issues you'd be up for

1254
01:01:55,653 --> 01:01:57,373
Speaker 2: a trip with the Gold Coast for Super Round.

1255
01:01:57,853 --> 01:02:01,933
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm sure somebody Gold Coast Airways can d get

1256
01:02:02,013 --> 01:02:03,053
Speaker 3: us over there and get us here.

1257
01:02:03,093 --> 01:02:04,893
Speaker 4: But yeah, some some big takeaways there.

1258
01:02:04,933 --> 01:02:08,693
Speaker 3: I guess Super Around not coming to New Zealand's Super

1259
01:02:08,733 --> 01:02:11,533
Speaker 3: Ugby Commission family in favor of a sixteen finals format

1260
01:02:11,653 --> 01:02:12,053
Speaker 3: next year.

1261
01:02:12,653 --> 01:02:15,373
Speaker 4: And who knows where that twelve teams coming from.

1262
01:02:15,493 --> 01:02:18,613
Speaker 2: It could be from anywhere at this point in time.

1263
01:02:18,693 --> 01:02:21,573
Speaker 2: That'll do us for Rugby Direct will be back next Tuesday,

1264
01:02:22,133 --> 01:02:24,853
Speaker 2: live from the People's City, the Garden City, the city

1265
01:02:24,893 --> 01:02:26,933
Speaker 2: that shines, christ Church.

1266
01:02:27,253 --> 01:02:29,133
Speaker 3: I'll have to pick up the move, won't we. It's

1267
01:02:29,293 --> 01:02:30,613
Speaker 3: gonna be a somber, somber place.

1268
01:02:30,733 --> 01:02:32,813
Speaker 2: I'm expecting a sort of welcome at the airport, the

1269
01:02:33,533 --> 01:02:37,453
Speaker 2: celebratory sort of hucker is I come down the the

1270
01:02:37,853 --> 01:02:40,493
Speaker 2: escalators welcoming one of their favorite sons home.

1271
01:02:41,533 --> 01:02:44,053
Speaker 4: It's gonna be a Blues, Chiefs, Heavy or Blacks team,

1272
01:02:44,053 --> 01:02:44,333
Speaker 4: isn't it.

1273
01:02:44,493 --> 01:02:47,093
Speaker 2: M Yeah, well we'll get to that next week. We'll

1274
01:02:47,093 --> 01:02:49,013
Speaker 2: be in christ Church. The squad naming is on Monday.

1275
01:02:49,053 --> 01:02:51,853
Speaker 2: Will be back with you on Tuesday on Rugby Direct.

1276
01:02:51,893 --> 01:02:53,733
Speaker 2: Very much looking forward to that. On behalf of Liam

1277
01:02:53,813 --> 01:02:56,413
Speaker 2: Napier wishing you a very good weekend. Thanks to our

1278
01:02:56,453 --> 01:02:58,533
Speaker 2: friends at Habit Health for technic all your aches and

1279
01:02:58,533 --> 01:03:00,013
Speaker 2: pains to spatter work book on line and it habit

1280
01:03:00,093 --> 01:03:01,533
Speaker 2: on Health to see a physio. Get back in the

1281
01:03:01,573 --> 01:03:03,773
Speaker 2: game faster thanks to Last and Bars English as well.

1282
01:03:03,893 --> 01:03:10,373
Speaker 2: Get your Tuesday for more from Newstalk st B.

1283
01:03:10,653 --> 01:03:13,893
Speaker 1: Listen live on air or online, and keep our shows

1284
01:03:13,933 --> 01:03:17,253
Speaker 1: with you wherever you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.