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Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B.

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Speaker 1: Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.

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Speaker 1: Straight down the Middle of Drum Dickney Scuy Try get

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

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Speaker 1: Elliot Smith and Liam Napier powered by News Talks EDB.

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Speaker 2: Welcome, It's Rugby Direct, powered by Habit Health tankling all

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Speaker 2: your aches and paynes from sports and work.

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Speaker 3: We have our finalists in Super Rugby.

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Speaker 2: Elliott Smith Liam Napier Back for another week, but really

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Speaker 2: the biggest story of the weekend the comeback. Liam Napier

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Speaker 2: returns to the rugby fields emotional time. I'm sure Liam,

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Speaker 2: how did it go? Would you come through the game?

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Speaker 3: Who was it?

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Speaker 2: Four?

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Speaker 3: Again?

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Speaker 4: The Pontsib Hustlers the great championship winning teams team. Yeah,

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Speaker 4: the range of emotions, the body is feeling all thirty

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Speaker 4: seven and a half years today. What do we do

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Speaker 4: three days on the post match probably has something to

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Speaker 4: do with that. Yeah. I had to leave it three

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Speaker 4: quarter time and go to cover the Blues. So it

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Speaker 4: was a real throwback to the days of playing footy

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Speaker 4: and then covering foody. But no great reunion A lot

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Speaker 4: of good times on and off the fields and reminded

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Speaker 4: me why I'm retired.

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Speaker 2: So this is that you're done this, You're you're not

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Speaker 2: planning any further comebacks.

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Speaker 4: I'm open to calls from the Parliamentary match and the

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Speaker 4: Barbarians and you know, maybe the classics.

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Speaker 1: Well.

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Speaker 2: Also the log aweighted Media versus in ZR match, which

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Speaker 2: has been in the offing for a few years hasn't

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Speaker 2: quite happened.

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Speaker 4: It's a lot of chats still waiting for that envelope

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Speaker 4: in the post.

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Speaker 2: Indeed, well, let's get into the weekend that was the

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Speaker 2: final round of Super Rugby's around Robin was going back

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Speaker 2: to Saturday night the Hurricanes and Mwana PACIFICAP and I

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Speaker 2: guess but going into this game there was a feeling

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Speaker 2: that maybe Mlwana had run their race, given the way

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Speaker 2: they were beaten the previous week against the Chiefs. Obviously

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Speaker 2: they knew that the Blues had beaten the Waratas and

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Speaker 2: they would need a bonus point when that was always

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Speaker 2: going to be tough in Wellington regardless. But unfortunately for

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Speaker 2: Mljuana it felt like they just ran out of steam

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Speaker 2: at the wrong end of the season. That big win

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Speaker 2: over the Blue is what two or three weeks ago

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Speaker 2: now felt like a final for them, and unfortunately, with

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Speaker 2: their playoff hopes on the line, they've failed to deliver,

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Speaker 2: which I'm sure sounds harsh, but that's the reality of it.

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Speaker 2: They just didn't quite get there in the end with

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Speaker 2: those two big games at the end of the season.

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Speaker 4: I think it was always going to be massively tough,

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Speaker 4: wasn't it the run home the Blues, Chiefs and Hurricanes,

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Speaker 4: And it does seem like their final was against the Blues,

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Speaker 4: and look in the context of where they were and

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Speaker 4: where they've come from, that was a massive result. They

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Speaker 4: were beaten very comfortably by the Blues earlier in the year.

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Speaker 4: To get that result in Albany was huge for them,

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Speaker 4: and you have to think that result against the Chiefs

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Speaker 4: left some real psychological scars and they couldn't get back

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Speaker 4: up from that. But look to see twenty thousand in

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Speaker 4: the Capitol for that match as a testament to how

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Speaker 4: far Moana have come and their appeal, their value to

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Speaker 4: this competition. Ardie Severe's homecoming in Wellington. I think the

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Speaker 4: Canes average crowd this year something like ten thousand, so

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Speaker 4: they've doubled the Hurricanes' home crowd by going to Wellington,

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Speaker 4: so complete blowout on the field. They scored first and

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Speaker 4: then were never in that match and clearly run out

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Speaker 4: of steam, which will be just disappointing because consistency is

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Speaker 4: their major work on, isn't it. They've been good with

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Speaker 4: the matches. I've had some great results, but yeah, are

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Speaker 4: very deflating into the year from a performance perspective.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, we'll dig into that again in the final four.

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Speaker 2: The Hurricanes, though the train continued to roll on sixty

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Speaker 2: four points at home. A bit of a tune up

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Speaker 2: before the playoffs, obviously just getting some of their combinations

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Speaker 2: back out on the field. Brick Cameron goes into ten.

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Speaker 2: I wasn't quite sure that was the right move, but

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Speaker 2: I thought he played well. Ruben Love at fullback and

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Speaker 2: I think, you know, the Omega Jents and properly combination

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Speaker 2: also working well. The four packs rolling on. So in

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Speaker 2: terms of the Hurricanes, you probably couldn't have asked too

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Speaker 2: much more. In terms of a final round performance.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, they get in some some players back. Brick Cameron's

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Speaker 4: big Devin Flanders was impressive coming back. It's hard to

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Speaker 4: know how much to take out of that game, and

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Speaker 4: it is going to be very very different going to Canberra.

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Speaker 4: Arctic cold in the in the middle of winter. The

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Speaker 4: style of game that you're going to confront in Canberra

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Speaker 4: is kick heavy more you know, one off the ruck

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Speaker 4: type scenario, so Poles apart to what we saw in Wellington.

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Speaker 4: But the Hurricanes have built I would argue, more momentum

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Speaker 4: than any other team coming into the finals. Since that

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Speaker 4: draw in Perth, they've knocked over the Chiefs and been

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Speaker 4: really impressive, built a lot of momentum in their attack

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Speaker 4: in particular, and they've lost some figures as well, with

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Speaker 4: Riley Higgins who was a big influence coming back moving

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Speaker 4: out and then Peter humunger Jensen with his best performance

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Speaker 4: since he was an All Black at the weekend. So look,

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Speaker 4: get on board the cane train.

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Speaker 2: Okay, it's enough for that. Blues beating the Wartars forty

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Speaker 2: six to six. They went into this game knowing but

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Speaker 2: they had to put the best foot forward they possibly could,

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Speaker 2: whether it was a win or a bonus point win,

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Speaker 2: whatever they could to basically try and cancel O what

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Speaker 2: one I might have done later that evening and then

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Speaker 2: it didn't matter. But the Blues went out and steamrolled

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Speaker 2: the Waratars, who were I thought shocking at times. This

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Speaker 2: is a team that had a lot of promise this year,

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Speaker 2: had their playoffs hopes on the line, and basically came

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Speaker 2: to Eden Park and were turnstiles in the end. And look,

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Speaker 2: they were there for twenty minutes, maybe in the first spell,

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Speaker 2: but this was probably up there with the Blues best

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Speaker 2: performances of the season. I know they ran the Chiefs

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Speaker 2: close and Hamilton, the Crusaders and christ Church, but in

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Speaker 2: terms of comprehensive victories, hard to go past that one.

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Speaker 2: In terms of just shutting the war Tars out completely,

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Speaker 2: not allowing their triline to be breached, a sign of

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Speaker 2: where the Blues maybe could go in the playoffs. We

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Speaker 2: haven't seen a lot of it this year. But they

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Speaker 2: were more expansive, I thought, on Saturday evening than we've

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Speaker 2: seen this season yet, Talia grabbing a couple of tries,

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Speaker 2: Rico Yuwani playing a bit more open than what we've

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Speaker 2: seen this year. So look, the Blues have a tough

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Speaker 2: task ahead of them given where they're at, but the

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Speaker 2: title defense remains alive for at least one more week.

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Speaker 5: I ran into Paul Tito.

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Speaker 4: Straight after that game, came out of the media box

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Speaker 4: and the coaching boxes right next door, and he was

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Speaker 4: standing outside and he was stunned with how bad the

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Speaker 4: war Tars were. She said to me, like, wow, they

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Speaker 4: had everything to play for and they were that bad.

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Speaker 4: So I think the Blues, certainly the coaching team will

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Speaker 4: be keeping that result in context. But yeah, certainly I

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Speaker 4: agree in terms of everything ran the Blues way, but

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Speaker 4: they did. The core of their game was there. They

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Speaker 4: dominated the set piece. They scored one try through Rick

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Speaker 4: Telly with the mall, but they were They did chase

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Speaker 4: a width a lot more. Boden Barrett, I think, you know,

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Speaker 4: his goalkicking was off and he sent one out on

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Speaker 4: the fall, but he set up two triers through the

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Speaker 4: boot and they were far more expensive. So maybe the

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Speaker 4: Blues have found a wee bit more balance to their game.

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Speaker 5: Let's find out.

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Speaker 4: Interesting to see, but they will take a lot of

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Speaker 4: confidence from that. There was a knockout match. We were

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Speaker 4: their postmatch and we heard about how they harnessed the

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Speaker 4: emotion of guys like Harry Plummer, Mark Talia, Rick Telly,

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Speaker 4: Adrian Choate. All moving on at the end of this year,

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Speaker 4: had they lost that game, that there's a finality to that.

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Speaker 4: So the Blues have had a a terrible year by

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Speaker 4: their standards, very underwhelming, but they will be hopeful that

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Speaker 4: they've found form at the right time. What do you

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Speaker 4: make of I guess the swagger of guys like Riccowani

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Speaker 4: is saying postmatch in a reference to American sports NBA

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Speaker 4: and the MLB, you shouldn't let us get one.

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Speaker 2: I mean, it is a very American mindset, and I

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Speaker 2: guess Rico has always tended to use the American style

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Speaker 2: of trash talk and motivation. Whatever works, I guess for

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Speaker 2: a player. I guess it's probably not the traditional Newseon style.

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Speaker 2: I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but whatever

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Speaker 2: works for a player. If that's the kind of performance

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Speaker 2: at Rico Yuwani is going to deliver on the back

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Speaker 2: of that sort of motivation, great, if you could back

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Speaker 2: it up this weekend, even better. Because this hasn't been

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Speaker 2: probably Rico Yuani's been super rugby season. There has been

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Speaker 2: questions as to whether he's going to be the starting

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Speaker 2: center for the All Blacks. So if he can find

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Speaker 2: something that motivates him, you'd think just the nature of

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Speaker 2: super rugby and wanting to defend the title might be enough,

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Speaker 2: but hey, if he's going to find another element to

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Speaker 2: help him press those buttons and get his best performance

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Speaker 2: out of the park, I think good on him. And

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Speaker 2: we've seen that with the Johnny Sixton thing previously. That's

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Speaker 2: clearly what he feeds off. He clearly reacts well to

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Speaker 2: it and delivers his best performances on that side of it.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I love it. Personally, Rico is not everyone's cup

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Speaker 4: of tea. But to project that confidence, to stoke the narratives,

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Speaker 4: to create interest, to put his personality out there like

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Speaker 4: that rugby needs it.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and he backs it up as well. When he

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Speaker 2: puts it out there. You know, you think of various

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Speaker 2: things he did last year leading up to that Irish Test.

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Speaker 2: You know, he didn't do a lot of media, but

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Speaker 2: he spoke to me that week leading up to it

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Speaker 2: and didn't want to fan the flames necessarily. But when

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Speaker 2: he got the result, you know, he lead the hucker

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Speaker 2: that night in Dublin. He got the result, and you

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Speaker 2: know he can to the win. He goes the sports,

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Speaker 2: he can continue building that narrative, I suppose.

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Speaker 4: Yeah.

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Speaker 5: Well, from a punter's fan point of view.

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Speaker 4: Would you rather somebody you know, generating that and just

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Speaker 4: putting themselves out there, or somebody just chucking Yeah, the cliches,

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Speaker 4: you know, like sports about sports entertainment, So more of

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Speaker 4: it the better for me.

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Speaker 3: That's right.

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Speaker 2: Entertaining game Friday Night Crusaders thirty three, Brumbies thirty one,

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Speaker 2: A game that really had it all, almost a game

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Speaker 2: with two halves to a certain extent. Crusader's up twenty

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Speaker 2: five to fourteen at halftime and then fell apart a

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Speaker 2: little bit in the second spell.

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Speaker 3: I thought that was noticeable.

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Speaker 2: When Ethan Blackadder went off, he had a good forty minutes,

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Speaker 2: was getting some go forward for the Crusaders. He went off,

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Speaker 2: they weren't quite as good, They weren't quite as polished.

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Speaker 2: The Brumbies also began to find some rhythm in the

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Speaker 2: second spell. Rob Valatini I thought was excellent for them.

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Speaker 2: But the Crusaders really did lose their way in the

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Speaker 2: second spell, and we're perhaps lucky to win it. George

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Speaker 2: Bell gets the winning tricrit to him because that all

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Speaker 2: was going nowhere stopped went to the I mean there's

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Speaker 2: been a controversy as well, with the sevaries. Possible knock

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Speaker 2: on definitely.

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Speaker 3: Let's see.

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Speaker 2: I've seen some angles, but maybe it doesn't look like

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Speaker 2: he's knocked it on.

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Speaker 5: Those red tins and glasses.

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Speaker 2: Well, you know, camera angles can be funny things. The

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Speaker 2: Crusaders get out of jail almost but I think a

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Speaker 2: good win for them heading into the playoffs.

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Speaker 4: Look, Camera is an incredibly tough place to go at

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Speaker 4: the best time of year and when there's everything on

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Speaker 4: the line like that, this was a very good win

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Speaker 4: for the Crusaders. It wasn't complete, it wasn't perfect, but

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Speaker 4: you absolutely take those and run from Canberra one. You

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Speaker 4: mentioned the George Bell try, but there was a brilliant

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Speaker 4: tackle from Scott Barrett which you could equally say won

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Speaker 4: them that match.

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Speaker 5: And you know, we've I've certainly been.

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Speaker 4: Critical of Scott's Barrett's performances this year and a lot

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Speaker 4: of talk abouts whether he should retain the ALLA captaincy

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Speaker 4: with Ardie Severe that was a moment which some people

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Speaker 4: may overlook, but that was very, very pivotal.

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Speaker 2: Well, that talk about Artie being the All Blacks captain

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Speaker 2: certainly died down and over the last couple of weeks

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Speaker 2: he's not solely responsible for his team conceding one hundred

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Speaker 2: nearly one hundred and fifty points in two weeks and

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Speaker 2: only scoring nineteen. But the leadership required in those sort

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Speaker 2: of games to not blow out, you know, I think

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Speaker 2: you know, there's some questions that probably were being left

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Speaker 2: on the table of the last couple of weeks round that.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, he's starting to stand up at the right time

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Speaker 5: of year.

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Speaker 4: Scott Barrett's and there were others for the Crusaders as

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Speaker 4: well to Mighty Williams played I think seventy odd minutes.

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Speaker 4: You mentioned Ethan Blackheader some big. He was a big

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Speaker 4: presence at the breakdown. Christian Leo, who's been huge for

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Speaker 4: the Crusaders, did so again and notably it sounds like

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Speaker 4: the reinforcements are really on the way. Potentially Will Jordan,

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Speaker 4: David Hevilli and Fletcher newl So some massive ins coming

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Speaker 4: back at the right time of year.

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Speaker 2: If Will Jordan's not there, they don't win the Super

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Speaker 2: RAGBYI i'most say they will win Super Rakby title, but

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Speaker 2: if Jordan's not fit, they will not win the Super

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Speaker 2: Brakedy title.

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Speaker 4: I agree he has such an impact on their attack

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Speaker 4: and I think David Heavili will be such a calming

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Speaker 4: figure for that back line as well. But yeah, the

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Speaker 4: Crusaders can't get Will Jordan back soon enough. And you

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Speaker 4: suspect there is probably a little bit of conflict in

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Speaker 4: the background there with the All Blacks as well a

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Speaker 4: few of the All Blacks.

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Speaker 5: You're thinking, look, just.

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Speaker 4: Just take it easy to give him all the time

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Speaker 4: he needs, we need him, you know later in the

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Speaker 4: year where Rob Penny's like, I need him back. Well.

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Speaker 2: Scott Robertson of course had Sam white Lockett his disposal

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Speaker 2: in twenty twenty three, played the final, played eighteen minutes

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Speaker 2: and then I don't think compared for the All Blacks

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Speaker 2: until for a month for a month or soo. So

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Speaker 2: you know, Scott Robinson knows what that's all about. And

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Speaker 2: maybe a bit of payback potentially of sorts coming there.

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Speaker 2: And the first game off the round Chiefs Highland is

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Speaker 2: forty one twenty four. Chicks are very very good. That's

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Speaker 2: an early momentum that was sort of stopped a little

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Speaker 2: bit by the Quinti Pyre injury stoppage.

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Speaker 3: Fortunately he looks like he's okay.

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Speaker 2: I had a fearly routine win for the Chiefs to

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Speaker 2: make sure they got top spot.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, it was this. The Honders have come good. They

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Speaker 4: had come good at the back end of this year,

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Speaker 4: two very close losses, but this was a wee bit

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Speaker 4: of a step back. They blew a number of chances

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Speaker 4: they were in that game and created enough, but I

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Speaker 4: think a lingering sense of frustration. I heard Ethan Degrout

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Speaker 4: talking postmatch with Sky Sport about his reflections on the

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Speaker 4: year and a lot of frustrations, but also a lot

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Speaker 4: of faith in what the Honders have built. And we

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Speaker 4: did see last week Tavatavanawa, Jacob Ritamvuoki Nipkins, Ethan de

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Speaker 4: Groot And there's one other big tongue in tel big, big,

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Speaker 4: big re signings in the context of the Honders.

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Speaker 5: So interesting to see where they go.

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Speaker 4: But those are key planks for them to lock in

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Speaker 4: for a team that struggles on the recruit front.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, there's a few whispers doing the rounds that they

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Speaker 2: are looking at younger players and I think Jamie just

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Speaker 2: might have actually said this publicly, but the New Zealand

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Speaker 2: under twenty players could be some targets there that have

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Speaker 2: got their positions. You know, they're behind a few at

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Speaker 2: their home Super Rugby franchise or province. They could look

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Speaker 2: to those players and really that's what the first tenure

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Speaker 2: of Jamie Joseph was built on. Some players that were

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Speaker 2: wanted elsewhere or had their paths blocked elsewhere. Some battlers

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Speaker 2: that they threw into the mix as well for want

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Speaker 2: of a better term, and all that came into a

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Speaker 2: melting pot and worked and delivered them a Super Rugby

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Speaker 2: title in twenty fifteen. And it feels like Jamie Joseph

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Speaker 2: is trying to run that back as best as he

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Speaker 2: possibly can.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, and they have gone that way in recent years,

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Speaker 4: haven't they even prior to Joseph investing in youth the

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Speaker 4: likes of Cam Miller and Sean Withee and a number

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Speaker 4: of holand Fabian holland big time who should be an

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Speaker 4: All Black that this year fully fledged, they're not losing

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Speaker 4: too many. I think Sam Gilbert's off to I would

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Speaker 4: argue not a massive loss. He came off the bench

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Speaker 4: at the weekend. So the core of that team will

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Speaker 4: remain and if they can bring through a few more

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Speaker 4: than those younger guys, hopefully they can kick on next year.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely, So we have our Pluffs Set Chiefs play the Blues,

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Speaker 2: Crusaders play the Reds Brumby's Hurricanes this weekend. I mean

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Speaker 2: those six teams. Most people would have had a mix

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Speaker 2: of those six teams. Maybe you will take one two teams.

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Speaker 2: At the start of the season. I'm trying to think

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Speaker 2: I picked Blues wartized to be the Super Rugby Final.

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Speaker 2: I think you might have gone Blues Chiefs of memory

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Speaker 2: serves a bit earlier on in the season. But those

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Speaker 2: are the six teams we have. There's the playoff format,

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Speaker 2: which has already been derided before we've even seen it

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Speaker 2: in action. Not my favorite format, to be honest. Because

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Speaker 2: I tell me to Brumby's Hurricanes on Saturday night, both

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Speaker 2: those teams will know, they could know that they've got

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Speaker 2: a second chance next week, regardless of what happens. It's

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Speaker 2: whether they go to Hamilton or where they go to

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Speaker 2: christ that's if the other two games go to form,

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Speaker 2: which they may not. But I'm not sold on this

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Speaker 2: format as it is, but we'll see how it plays

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Speaker 2: out this weekend.

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Speaker 4: Well, let's just touch on that lucky highest lucky loser,

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Speaker 4: the highest ranked losing team, because I didn't know the

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Speaker 4: quirk that you inform me on Saturday night after the

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Speaker 4: Blues game that say the Chiefs, the Blues go to

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Speaker 4: Hamilton and upset the Chiefs, then as you relyvant for me,

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Speaker 4: that the Chiefs would then still host a home semi.

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Speaker 4: So the Chiefs, if they lose this weekend, drop one

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Speaker 4: seating place to second. What's your view on that, Well,

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Speaker 4: I think I should drop the board with the pile.

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Speaker 4: That's your second life. But you've got to do it hardway.

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Speaker 4: Now you've got to be.

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Speaker 2: Away from home. You're still in the pass, but you've

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Speaker 2: got to do away from home. So I would slide

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Speaker 2: whoever it is, whether it's the Chiefs or Crusaders, everyone

356
00:18:04,933 --> 00:18:08,293
Speaker 2: goes up. Everyone goes up, and the losing team slide

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Speaker 2: to the bottom and yep, you're still in there. But hey,

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Speaker 2: you're going to have to go to christ Church, Canberra,

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Speaker 2: well whatever it might be, and win the playoffs that way,

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Speaker 2: so I can understand why they've got a second life.

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Speaker 2: Not my favorite format necessarily. I think the reward for

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Speaker 2: the Crusaders and Chiefs would have been to have a

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Speaker 2: week off and get some bodies ready for a semi

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00:18:26,533 --> 00:18:28,653
Speaker 2: final the following week and have the Rumbies played the

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Speaker 2: Blues and the Hurricanes play the Reds. But this was

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Speaker 2: very much done as a TV thing, and we'd almost

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Speaker 2: got away from that from a Super Rugby perspective, the

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Speaker 2: eight team format had gone for the quarter finals, but

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Speaker 2: that still lingers just a little bit that they're putting

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Speaker 2: broadcast preference above competition integrity.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, one hundred percent.

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Speaker 4: I agree that a second life is a massive advantage

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Speaker 4: and I think that's enough reward for finishing top. So

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Speaker 4: I would also like to see if the Chiefs lose

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Speaker 4: for them to go to the bottom of the pack.

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Speaker 4: Apparently it's also somewhat done so you can't get a

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Speaker 4: repeat this week of any of the match ups this weekend,

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Speaker 4: so that's another quirk. But all in all, I think

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Speaker 4: a second life is just such an advantage, isn't it.

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Speaker 4: So the Chiefs going to this weekend, it's not sudden

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Speaker 4: death for them, No, it's not. And they're the only

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00:19:23,093 --> 00:19:26,613
Speaker 4: team that can have that mentality. So whether that's a

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Speaker 4: psychological advantage for the Blues maybe, who knows, but that

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Speaker 4: it is a massive reward for finishing first.

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Speaker 2: And it's a weird scheduling quirk that the Brumbies and

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Speaker 2: Hurricanes game is last. Now, as I said that those

387
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Speaker 2: two games go to the form book, the first two

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Speaker 2: they will know that basically the winner goes somewhere, the

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Speaker 2: loser goes somewhere else. They're both still in the playoffs.

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Speaker 2: I think there was a bit of hope from the

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Speaker 2: Brumbies that they would have that game move forward. For

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Speaker 2: other reasons. I think there's an AFL game in Canberra

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Speaker 2: on Saturday night. They wanted to play it Saturday afternoons,

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Speaker 2: so maybe four o'clock, five o'clock local time potentially, But

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Speaker 2: for TV reasons, once again, it is going to be

396
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Speaker 2: the late game, and that has its own quirk in

397
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Speaker 2: terms of how teams are rock shit, you know theory,

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Speaker 2: if you've got a player that's fifty fifty, you're not

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Speaker 2: going to risk them. No, you might pull them out

400
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Speaker 2: of the line out, you know, an hour before kickoff.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, and interesting to see what sort of turnout the

402
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Speaker 4: Bumbies get for that game, because I looked in the

403
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Speaker 4: stands on Saturday night and it was Friday night pretty barren.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, the battling I think in Canberra, and.

405
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Speaker 4: I understand it's freezing cold and all the rest of it.

406
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Speaker 4: But this is your team, you know, fighting for you know,

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Speaker 4: second place. So and this weekend is a quarterfinal. If

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Speaker 4: you're not going to turn out then then when are you?

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Speaker 2: Well, yeah, that's right, the thriller and the chiller in

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Speaker 2: Canbra it was on the weekend, absolutely right.

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Speaker 3: That will do us the first half of Rugby Direct.

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Speaker 2: Come back with some Final four topics after this.

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Speaker 1: This is Rugby Direct, a podcast for real rugby fans.

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Speaker 2: Try that's sixty secondary tackle tackles.

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Speaker 3: Get up again, well afore time it's Rugby Direct.

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Speaker 2: Lad You're back with Rugby Direct powered by Habit Health,

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Speaker 2: tackling all your aches and pains from sports and timeline

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Speaker 2: for the final four Mowana Pacificer Mister the Super Rugby Playoffs. Now,

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Speaker 2: it's obviously been an improved season, but lim I want

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Speaker 2: you to grade their season from eight to if and.

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Speaker 3: Where do they head to for twenty twenty six.

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Speaker 5: I'm usually a very hard marker elliot.

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Speaker 3: With none then the history of Rugby directs.

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Speaker 4: But I am going to give them a bee because

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Speaker 4: I think you have to contextualize where they've come from.

426
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Speaker 4: They beat four or the five New Zealand teams and

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Speaker 4: if you said that to me at the start of

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Speaker 4: the year, I would have laughed in your face, to

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Speaker 4: be honest. Massive recruitment of Artie Severe which was hugely

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Speaker 4: inspirational for them, and I just think in the context

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Speaker 4: of them previously not having a home, attracting one hundred fans,

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Speaker 4: their future being questioned at every turn, both financially and

433
00:22:07,053 --> 00:22:10,773
Speaker 4: from a performance perspective of I think they really built

434
00:22:10,853 --> 00:22:15,653
Speaker 4: a culture, a platform to a launch pad, and the

435
00:22:15,733 --> 00:22:18,053
Speaker 4: end of the year can sour that and shape it

436
00:22:18,093 --> 00:22:23,493
Speaker 4: to a degree. But in terms of their well external

437
00:22:23,613 --> 00:22:25,773
Speaker 4: expectations at the start of this year, I think they

438
00:22:25,813 --> 00:22:28,973
Speaker 4: improved significantly and I never expected them to be in

439
00:22:29,013 --> 00:22:33,053
Speaker 4: the playoff picture and be fighting for that, so I

440
00:22:33,213 --> 00:22:35,493
Speaker 4: was largely impressed. And yeah, there's still a lot of

441
00:22:35,493 --> 00:22:37,933
Speaker 4: work to do, but if you look at their roster

442
00:22:38,093 --> 00:22:41,693
Speaker 4: as well, that easily the weakest of the They are

443
00:22:41,733 --> 00:22:44,973
Speaker 4: a six pseudo New Zealand franchise. They're based in New

444
00:22:45,093 --> 00:22:47,853
Speaker 4: Zealand's they pick a lot of their talent from NPC

445
00:22:48,253 --> 00:22:51,373
Speaker 4: cast offfs and the like. There's a lot of work

446
00:22:51,413 --> 00:22:53,293
Speaker 4: they can do in terms of their recruitment from the

447
00:22:53,333 --> 00:22:58,013
Speaker 4: Islands and bridging that gap, and you know, retaining top

448
00:22:58,053 --> 00:23:00,573
Speaker 4: talent Toarmoy Flal going to the Chiefs is a big blow.

449
00:23:00,693 --> 00:23:02,653
Speaker 4: Artist Severe is not going to be there next year.

450
00:23:03,173 --> 00:23:06,493
Speaker 4: He's got a sabbatical, but he will come back, So

451
00:23:07,253 --> 00:23:10,293
Speaker 4: big challenge now for them to leverage that and build

452
00:23:10,333 --> 00:23:13,253
Speaker 4: on it because next year they will have an element

453
00:23:13,293 --> 00:23:13,973
Speaker 4: of expectation.

454
00:23:14,213 --> 00:23:17,613
Speaker 2: They will and they won't have Artie Savere as our understanding.

455
00:23:17,693 --> 00:23:21,013
Speaker 2: But if i'm more Wana Pacifica, I'm desperately trying to

456
00:23:21,013 --> 00:23:23,733
Speaker 2: get that deferred to twenty twenty eight or somewhere around

457
00:23:23,733 --> 00:23:25,893
Speaker 2: the I know he's only contracted till twenty twenty seven

458
00:23:26,253 --> 00:23:28,813
Speaker 2: with New Zealand Rugby and Mowana Pacifica, but if there's

459
00:23:28,813 --> 00:23:30,573
Speaker 2: some way you can get him to defer it to

460
00:23:30,613 --> 00:23:34,373
Speaker 2: twenty twenty eight, because I'm sure the All Blacks and

461
00:23:34,413 --> 00:23:36,293
Speaker 2: New Zealand Raby want a part of that line series

462
00:23:36,293 --> 00:23:38,493
Speaker 2: in twenty nine. Maybe is a Swan song in New Zealand.

463
00:23:38,493 --> 00:23:41,093
Speaker 2: But if you can get that deferred somehow, some way

464
00:23:41,213 --> 00:23:44,013
Speaker 2: and continue to build the blocks that you've got on

465
00:23:44,093 --> 00:23:47,253
Speaker 2: success this year of more Wana Pacifica, then I think

466
00:23:47,293 --> 00:23:50,653
Speaker 2: that's a must. Because without Ardi, that team drops back,

467
00:23:50,773 --> 00:23:53,453
Speaker 2: just regardless because he is such a player, of quality,

468
00:23:53,533 --> 00:23:57,333
Speaker 2: of inspiration of his leadership, So I think if there's

469
00:23:57,333 --> 00:24:00,173
Speaker 2: anyway around it, and there probably isn't, but I'm working

470
00:24:00,253 --> 00:24:01,533
Speaker 2: the phones. I'm trying to give them the phone to

471
00:24:01,573 --> 00:24:03,813
Speaker 2: Kobe or wherever he's going next year as agent and

472
00:24:03,853 --> 00:24:06,293
Speaker 2: seeing if you can sort of massage things a little

473
00:24:06,293 --> 00:24:08,293
Speaker 2: bit and try and keep him there. I give them

474
00:24:08,533 --> 00:24:11,693
Speaker 2: a minus for the season. I think you're right. No

475
00:24:11,813 --> 00:24:13,893
Speaker 2: one had any expectations on them this year. We probably

476
00:24:13,933 --> 00:24:16,253
Speaker 2: all thought that Adi Savuare was going to make this

477
00:24:16,333 --> 00:24:19,213
Speaker 2: team best as somehow we didn't think it would result

478
00:24:19,253 --> 00:24:22,213
Speaker 2: in wins over the Blues, over the Crusaders, of the Highlanders,

479
00:24:22,253 --> 00:24:26,213
Speaker 2: over the Hurricanes once again. So to be there on

480
00:24:26,573 --> 00:24:29,013
Speaker 2: the final day of the regular season and with a

481
00:24:29,093 --> 00:24:30,693
Speaker 2: chance of making the playoffs, I think is a good

482
00:24:30,693 --> 00:24:34,453
Speaker 2: outcome for Mowana. But those two defeats, you know, almost

483
00:24:34,453 --> 00:24:36,253
Speaker 2: conceding one hundred and fifty over the last couple of weeks,

484
00:24:36,253 --> 00:24:37,773
Speaker 2: will stick in the crawl, and you hope it sticks

485
00:24:37,773 --> 00:24:40,253
Speaker 2: in the craw because, as you alluded to earlier in

486
00:24:40,253 --> 00:24:43,293
Speaker 2: the podcast, it's about consistency now Fromana Pacific here and

487
00:24:43,733 --> 00:24:47,093
Speaker 2: finding ways where they can't just get up for big games,

488
00:24:47,133 --> 00:24:49,293
Speaker 2: but they get up for every game. And they lost

489
00:24:49,333 --> 00:24:51,493
Speaker 2: to the forth earlier in the season, the game they

490
00:24:51,493 --> 00:24:53,653
Speaker 2: probably should have won, they lost away to the Reds,

491
00:24:53,693 --> 00:24:55,973
Speaker 2: a game that they probably would have lost either way.

492
00:24:55,973 --> 00:24:58,493
Speaker 2: But they it took a while to get going, and

493
00:24:58,573 --> 00:25:00,893
Speaker 2: but once they did, you know, they were sort of

494
00:25:00,933 --> 00:25:03,733
Speaker 2: away and you hope that the building blocks are there

495
00:25:04,053 --> 00:25:04,373
Speaker 2: for them.

496
00:25:04,933 --> 00:25:06,093
Speaker 3: In twenty twenty six.

497
00:25:06,413 --> 00:25:11,613
Speaker 2: Shannon Frazelle and Richie Wanger in another title for Toshiba,

498
00:25:11,693 --> 00:25:14,893
Speaker 2: Brave Loopus against the Koboda Spears. Watched a bit of

499
00:25:14,933 --> 00:25:19,573
Speaker 2: this on Sunday afternoon on Rugby Pass TV, and Richie

500
00:25:19,613 --> 00:25:21,773
Speaker 2: Wong had played with a broken hand of sorts. He

501
00:25:21,853 --> 00:25:24,693
Speaker 2: was in the cryo chamber. According to our friend Rugby

502
00:25:24,693 --> 00:25:28,093
Speaker 2: gp jp on on Twitter, had to go everything through

503
00:25:28,133 --> 00:25:32,133
Speaker 2: everything but title success, as follows Richie wonger around, doesn't it?

504
00:25:32,173 --> 00:25:34,573
Speaker 5: Sure does? Man? What can't the man do?

505
00:25:35,053 --> 00:25:38,093
Speaker 4: Back to back titles in Japan and seems to be,

506
00:25:38,373 --> 00:25:40,773
Speaker 4: you know, loving life over there. He's got one more

507
00:25:40,853 --> 00:25:45,093
Speaker 4: year and of what banking close to two million bucks.

508
00:25:45,133 --> 00:25:45,773
Speaker 5: It's not bad, does it?

509
00:25:45,773 --> 00:25:46,573
Speaker 3: It's not bad at all?

510
00:25:46,773 --> 00:25:50,933
Speaker 2: And you know, obviously we have reported and heard previously

511
00:25:50,973 --> 00:25:53,093
Speaker 2: that the NZR tried to get him out of that deal.

512
00:25:53,213 --> 00:25:56,493
Speaker 2: After this point he'll be back for another year though

513
00:25:56,533 --> 00:26:00,093
Speaker 2: with Tashiba. The expectation is but not confirmed that maybe

514
00:26:00,093 --> 00:26:01,853
Speaker 2: he'll return to New Zealand at some point in twenty

515
00:26:01,893 --> 00:26:04,133
Speaker 2: twenty six cheif result, it's gone a bit quiet on

516
00:26:04,133 --> 00:26:08,493
Speaker 2: that front around there now he's off contract with she

517
00:26:08,853 --> 00:26:10,893
Speaker 2: been quite a big part of their success. Al those

518
00:26:12,093 --> 00:26:13,853
Speaker 2: friend of mine sent me some statistics and I think

519
00:26:13,933 --> 00:26:16,973
Speaker 2: yellow cards have been a fairly regular thing for mister Frazell.

520
00:26:17,173 --> 00:26:20,293
Speaker 2: But having sealed that he's the kind of player that

521
00:26:20,333 --> 00:26:23,013
Speaker 2: New Zealand rugby could use that blindside flanker spot still

522
00:26:23,053 --> 00:26:26,733
Speaker 2: up in the air. Any whispers around as to when

523
00:26:26,733 --> 00:26:28,253
Speaker 2: we might see him back in New Zealand rugby.

524
00:26:29,053 --> 00:26:32,013
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think it sounds like Frazel will recommit for

525
00:26:32,173 --> 00:26:36,773
Speaker 4: one more year and then highly likely that Richie and

526
00:26:37,453 --> 00:26:41,293
Speaker 4: Shen Frazel will come home and contest places in the

527
00:26:41,333 --> 00:26:45,453
Speaker 4: World Cup squad. So are we looking at July twenty

528
00:26:45,653 --> 00:26:50,173
Speaker 4: twenty six six They will both highly likely return home

529
00:26:50,253 --> 00:26:53,173
Speaker 4: have an eighteen month lead into the World Cup and

530
00:26:54,053 --> 00:26:56,093
Speaker 4: you know what a boost that would be for the

531
00:26:56,093 --> 00:26:59,813
Speaker 4: All Blacks and they're super rugby teams that they align with.

532
00:27:00,653 --> 00:27:04,053
Speaker 4: Who knows whether Richie goes to the Crusaders or perhaps Moana.

533
00:27:05,573 --> 00:27:09,213
Speaker 4: Frazelle always played for the Landers, so I'm sure they'd

534
00:27:09,253 --> 00:27:12,013
Speaker 4: be desperate to get him back. And as you mentioned

535
00:27:12,013 --> 00:27:15,493
Speaker 4: there that that blindside role. S Titi clearly stepped in

536
00:27:16,093 --> 00:27:19,653
Speaker 4: for the All Blacks last year, but all expectations are

537
00:27:19,693 --> 00:27:19,893
Speaker 4: that he.

538
00:27:19,893 --> 00:27:21,173
Speaker 5: Will move to the back of the scrum.

539
00:27:21,453 --> 00:27:25,533
Speaker 4: He will go to seven and then the perennial question

540
00:27:25,813 --> 00:27:28,933
Speaker 4: of who is the All Black blindside remains. We've seen

541
00:27:29,813 --> 00:27:35,893
Speaker 4: Ethan Blackadder, look Jacobson, who else? There's been plenty of

542
00:27:35,893 --> 00:27:39,813
Speaker 4: candidates there, haven't there? Yes, now is the other one

543
00:27:40,413 --> 00:27:43,133
Speaker 4: who's just started to come into the starting fold for

544
00:27:43,173 --> 00:27:45,533
Speaker 4: the Chiefs. Whether he retains that position for the playoffs,

545
00:27:45,573 --> 00:27:49,253
Speaker 4: we'll see. But nobody other than sa Titi has grabbed

546
00:27:49,253 --> 00:27:53,733
Speaker 4: that Jerome Kindo mantle since Frazell left. In his last

547
00:27:53,733 --> 00:27:56,693
Speaker 4: two years with the All Blacks, he was exceptional. Jason

548
00:27:56,773 --> 00:27:59,813
Speaker 4: Ryan made his frustrations clear at the World Cup when

549
00:27:59,853 --> 00:28:02,253
Speaker 4: he said more should have been done from a contracting

550
00:28:02,293 --> 00:28:05,573
Speaker 4: perspective to keep Shinn and Frazel, that he shouldn't have

551
00:28:05,613 --> 00:28:08,613
Speaker 4: been allowed to leave to go to Japan, so I

552
00:28:08,613 --> 00:28:10,373
Speaker 4: think the All Blacks would be desperate to get him

553
00:28:10,373 --> 00:28:14,093
Speaker 4: back and it would significantly bolster their ranks on the

554
00:28:14,093 --> 00:28:16,493
Speaker 4: back of guys like Leicester, Fining and Nuku coming back

555
00:28:16,493 --> 00:28:18,293
Speaker 4: into the mix for the Rugby Championship this year.

556
00:28:18,373 --> 00:28:19,773
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's right that one's sort of got under the

557
00:28:19,813 --> 00:28:22,413
Speaker 2: raider a little bit. He's been very very good for Toulon.

558
00:28:22,933 --> 00:28:25,933
Speaker 2: Now no one down here watches Top fourteen, so you

559
00:28:25,933 --> 00:28:30,853
Speaker 2: wouldn't know, but very very good for Toulon, and he

560
00:28:30,933 --> 00:28:33,573
Speaker 2: will be back in for the Rugby Championship presumably once

561
00:28:33,573 --> 00:28:35,653
Speaker 2: he's played a couple of games for I think he's

562
00:28:35,653 --> 00:28:39,413
Speaker 2: still Lumba Tasman in the NPC in pre season back

563
00:28:39,453 --> 00:28:41,573
Speaker 2: in the mixt you would think for the Rugby Championship.

564
00:28:42,453 --> 00:28:44,053
Speaker 2: This is an interally one for the weekend topic number

565
00:28:44,093 --> 00:28:48,173
Speaker 2: three on the final four penalty shootout to the side

566
00:28:48,253 --> 00:28:51,613
Speaker 2: Munster against the Sharks in the UC.

567
00:28:51,893 --> 00:28:52,093
Speaker 3: Now.

568
00:28:52,093 --> 00:28:53,653
Speaker 2: I track this down and watched a bit of it

569
00:28:54,613 --> 00:28:58,253
Speaker 2: over the weekend. I don't particularly like it. It is

570
00:28:58,253 --> 00:28:59,853
Speaker 2: in the Super Rugby rule, so if one of the

571
00:28:59,853 --> 00:29:03,213
Speaker 2: games is tied this weekend after extra time, that's what

572
00:29:03,293 --> 00:29:03,933
Speaker 2: it's going to.

573
00:29:05,573 --> 00:29:08,493
Speaker 3: Not a great way to decide a rugby game. Are

574
00:29:08,493 --> 00:29:10,093
Speaker 3: you said on this? We don't see it too often.

575
00:29:11,653 --> 00:29:12,453
Speaker 3: Thank god.

576
00:29:13,853 --> 00:29:16,693
Speaker 4: It's not great, But I don't think anything is when

577
00:29:16,693 --> 00:29:18,093
Speaker 4: you get to that point, you know, what are you

578
00:29:18,133 --> 00:29:18,493
Speaker 4: going to do?

579
00:29:18,893 --> 00:29:20,053
Speaker 5: Have a boundary count back?

580
00:29:20,613 --> 00:29:21,653
Speaker 3: Yeah, don't bring that up.

581
00:29:23,533 --> 00:29:26,413
Speaker 4: You can go back to. One of the common ones

582
00:29:26,453 --> 00:29:28,973
Speaker 4: in club rugby is actually who scored the first try

583
00:29:29,373 --> 00:29:32,013
Speaker 4: in the match, which I think is pretty irrelevant as well.

584
00:29:32,053 --> 00:29:33,613
Speaker 3: I try to get anut one hundred or whatever.

585
00:29:33,653 --> 00:29:37,933
Speaker 5: It's yeah, exactly, so much has happened since then. I

586
00:29:37,973 --> 00:29:38,493
Speaker 5: don't mind it.

587
00:29:38,533 --> 00:29:42,333
Speaker 4: I think it brings an element of drama. I don't

588
00:29:42,333 --> 00:29:45,373
Speaker 4: know if it's necessarily fair, but when you've played one

589
00:29:45,413 --> 00:29:50,813
Speaker 4: hundred odd minutes, it does create, particularly for casual fans,

590
00:29:50,933 --> 00:29:54,813
Speaker 4: a lot of intrigue. I would actually quite like to

591
00:29:54,813 --> 00:29:57,373
Speaker 4: see a drop kick because I think it's the hardest

592
00:29:57,373 --> 00:30:01,813
Speaker 4: skill to execute. But that's just my own personal quirk,

593
00:30:01,933 --> 00:30:04,453
Speaker 4: so I don't love it, but I don't know if

594
00:30:04,453 --> 00:30:06,053
Speaker 4: there's a better method out there either.

595
00:30:06,173 --> 00:30:07,813
Speaker 2: What I would like to do, and this is reliant

596
00:30:07,813 --> 00:30:10,213
Speaker 2: on points scored in extra time? Is it the team

597
00:30:10,213 --> 00:30:12,933
Speaker 2: that scores the first try or points in the in

598
00:30:13,493 --> 00:30:16,253
Speaker 2: the extra time period, which isn't goal on a point

599
00:30:17,573 --> 00:30:21,573
Speaker 2: wins efforts drawn at the ends of the one hundred minutes,

600
00:30:21,613 --> 00:30:24,293
Speaker 2: so the game continues, but it's on the opposition team

601
00:30:24,293 --> 00:30:26,253
Speaker 2: to try and score and get back in front. So

602
00:30:26,653 --> 00:30:28,773
Speaker 2: that's what I would possibly look to do. So again

603
00:30:28,853 --> 00:30:31,093
Speaker 2: contingent on points being scored in the extra time period.

604
00:30:33,213 --> 00:30:35,413
Speaker 2: We're talking, you know game this might happen once every

605
00:30:35,853 --> 00:30:38,333
Speaker 2: three four years in professional AGUAI doesn't happen too often,

606
00:30:38,973 --> 00:30:40,613
Speaker 2: and both teams are out on their feet by the end.

607
00:30:40,653 --> 00:30:42,453
Speaker 2: We saw Jaden Hendrix, so get a bit of cramp

608
00:30:42,493 --> 00:30:44,653
Speaker 2: and give the old wink to the monster supporters that

609
00:30:44,693 --> 00:30:47,973
Speaker 2: didn't go players and supporters that didn't go down too well.

610
00:30:48,733 --> 00:30:51,173
Speaker 2: But again not something we see too often. Having said that,

611
00:30:51,293 --> 00:30:53,533
Speaker 2: drop goals, I don't mind that severe risk could be

612
00:30:53,573 --> 00:30:54,693
Speaker 2: in the mix for the frustators.

613
00:30:55,493 --> 00:30:56,933
Speaker 5: Yeah, and there was.

614
00:30:56,893 --> 00:30:58,013
Speaker 3: A difference on Friday night.

615
00:30:58,013 --> 00:30:59,653
Speaker 2: We didn't touch on that when we talked about the

616
00:30:59,693 --> 00:31:01,093
Speaker 2: games before the sever Roostrup goal.

617
00:31:01,173 --> 00:31:02,933
Speaker 4: I'm sure there's a few forwards out there that would

618
00:31:02,973 --> 00:31:05,373
Speaker 4: love to stick their hand up as well, and you

619
00:31:05,373 --> 00:31:09,893
Speaker 4: know there would be surprising candidates with that skill. Artie

620
00:31:09,893 --> 00:31:12,853
Speaker 4: Severe Wallace a tez you'd back some of these guys

621
00:31:13,093 --> 00:31:16,093
Speaker 4: to pull that skill off. There's a few props out

622
00:31:16,093 --> 00:31:19,373
Speaker 4: there that love to kick goals at training and step up.

623
00:31:19,413 --> 00:31:21,173
Speaker 4: But yeah, I mean, you certainly wouldn't want to rag

624
00:31:21,213 --> 00:31:23,053
Speaker 4: the World Cup final and decided by it, would you.

625
00:31:23,053 --> 00:31:25,693
Speaker 2: No, you wouldn't top number four of the war Tars

626
00:31:25,693 --> 00:31:27,853
Speaker 2: and Force were there or thereabouts. For a while there

627
00:31:27,893 --> 00:31:30,053
Speaker 2: was a lot of chatter about how many Australian teams

628
00:31:30,053 --> 00:31:33,373
Speaker 2: are in the top six but at the cutoff they've

629
00:31:33,373 --> 00:31:36,693
Speaker 2: missed the cut to use the golfing term, and the

630
00:31:36,813 --> 00:31:39,693
Speaker 2: question is did they actually improve or did they go backwards? Liam,

631
00:31:39,773 --> 00:31:41,773
Speaker 2: the Warritars in the Force, I know both teams close

632
00:31:41,813 --> 00:31:42,373
Speaker 2: to your heart.

633
00:31:43,493 --> 00:31:46,133
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think the war Tars improved from where they were.

634
00:31:46,173 --> 00:31:50,773
Speaker 4: But look this top six format for all Super Rugby's

635
00:31:50,893 --> 00:31:54,373
Speaker 4: upsets and jeopardy and it has been a fantastic season.

636
00:31:54,413 --> 00:31:57,293
Speaker 4: But the top six are basically the top six that

637
00:31:57,333 --> 00:32:00,213
Speaker 4: we've had for the past five years or so, right,

638
00:32:00,293 --> 00:32:05,053
Speaker 4: so reasonably predictable. And yes, the Australian teams have been

639
00:32:05,493 --> 00:32:09,133
Speaker 4: much more competitive and spreading that talent and the wake

640
00:32:09,213 --> 00:32:13,493
Speaker 4: of the Melbourne rebulves demise has improved Super Ragby. But

641
00:32:13,613 --> 00:32:16,413
Speaker 4: it's not born out in the playoff mix.

642
00:32:16,653 --> 00:32:18,493
Speaker 3: No, it's not the war Tars. I thought.

643
00:32:19,173 --> 00:32:21,613
Speaker 2: Kept chopping and changing your ten, they're ten. That's never

644
00:32:21,653 --> 00:32:23,853
Speaker 2: going to be the recipe to winning a Super Rugby title.

645
00:32:24,773 --> 00:32:26,773
Speaker 2: Can't figure out how taint abd was stuck on the

646
00:32:26,773 --> 00:32:29,853
Speaker 2: sidelines for so long the season or stuck on the

647
00:32:29,853 --> 00:32:33,373
Speaker 2: bench they went around different options. Dbit was clearly their

648
00:32:33,373 --> 00:32:35,933
Speaker 2: best ten and yet refused to pick them. So you

649
00:32:35,973 --> 00:32:38,093
Speaker 2: being injured didn't certainly help at the back ends of

650
00:32:38,133 --> 00:32:41,093
Speaker 2: the season as they needed wins, but they flattered to deceive.

651
00:32:41,413 --> 00:32:43,333
Speaker 2: I thought the war Atars and for the roster that

652
00:32:43,333 --> 00:32:46,413
Speaker 2: they've got having picked up a few players from the Rebels,

653
00:32:47,053 --> 00:32:51,213
Speaker 2: I thought were ultimately disappointing. The Force have been pretenders

654
00:32:51,253 --> 00:32:54,373
Speaker 2: for their entire history. You know, there's a lot of

655
00:32:54,453 --> 00:32:58,773
Speaker 2: quality players in the mix at the Western Force, but

656
00:32:59,053 --> 00:33:01,693
Speaker 2: they just don't have the key elements, you know, Donaldson,

657
00:33:01,693 --> 00:33:03,933
Speaker 2: I thought, I had a good season at ten, but

658
00:33:04,213 --> 00:33:07,493
Speaker 2: they were lacking, you know, a big four pack, a

659
00:33:07,493 --> 00:33:10,773
Speaker 2: lot of journeyman do I say it apart from Tizano

660
00:33:11,013 --> 00:33:14,893
Speaker 2: in that full pack, So yeah, I mean there was

661
00:33:14,933 --> 00:33:19,453
Speaker 2: some promising players, but again, the Western Force and the

662
00:33:20,053 --> 00:33:22,653
Speaker 2: wartor is probably hamstruying a little bit by their four packs.

663
00:33:23,253 --> 00:33:25,773
Speaker 4: Yeah, and it's a similar, same old, same old in

664
00:33:25,893 --> 00:33:29,493
Speaker 4: that the Australian teams were much better at home, so

665
00:33:29,573 --> 00:33:32,493
Speaker 4: the Force tough to be in Perth and the Warts

666
00:33:32,613 --> 00:33:36,613
Speaker 4: had some good victories at home and then they completely

667
00:33:36,613 --> 00:33:38,933
Speaker 4: ship the bed when they crossed the Tasman The Warts

668
00:33:39,453 --> 00:33:44,853
Speaker 4: blow on away at Eden Park and when you look

669
00:33:44,853 --> 00:33:46,773
Speaker 4: at that into this weekend, I'm pretty sure I'm right

670
00:33:46,813 --> 00:33:50,733
Speaker 4: and saying an Australian team has never won a playoff

671
00:33:50,773 --> 00:33:57,013
Speaker 4: game in New Zealand. So until those records and until

672
00:33:57,053 --> 00:34:00,893
Speaker 4: that gap is bridged, that that's almost like the final

673
00:34:00,933 --> 00:34:03,973
Speaker 4: frontier for super rugby, isn't it. And just what you're

674
00:34:04,013 --> 00:34:08,773
Speaker 4: saying about. An interesting side note about what we're talking about.

675
00:34:08,813 --> 00:34:11,893
Speaker 4: Before Riquiwane and rugby embracing at Star Power talked to

676
00:34:11,893 --> 00:34:15,253
Speaker 4: a number of people around that Blues game and their

677
00:34:15,253 --> 00:34:18,453
Speaker 4: disappointment that he wasn't there, and I think we see

678
00:34:18,453 --> 00:34:21,853
Speaker 4: that with Artie Severe and his home home coming to Wellington.

679
00:34:23,453 --> 00:34:25,973
Speaker 4: It's a big factor in bringing crowds along and putting

680
00:34:26,013 --> 00:34:28,533
Speaker 4: bums on seats, and while rugby is a team sport,

681
00:34:29,613 --> 00:34:33,653
Speaker 4: embracing that star power and promoting those personalities. I think

682
00:34:33,693 --> 00:34:36,373
Speaker 4: it can do a better job of that because that

683
00:34:36,493 --> 00:34:38,453
Speaker 4: does really bring people in, it does.

684
00:34:38,573 --> 00:34:40,573
Speaker 2: Yeah, and sure Lee would have got more bums on seats.

685
00:34:40,613 --> 00:34:44,013
Speaker 2: I'm sure on Saturday afternoon it was a pretty poor

686
00:34:44,013 --> 00:34:46,973
Speaker 2: crowd at Eden Park. There were some factors. Wasn't a

687
00:34:46,973 --> 00:34:49,013
Speaker 2: great day in Auckland. That would have been Auckland left

688
00:34:49,053 --> 00:34:52,093
Speaker 2: Ce's Grand Final day potentially if they'd made it, so

689
00:34:52,133 --> 00:34:54,053
Speaker 2: people may be held off tickling there. But it was

690
00:34:54,093 --> 00:34:55,973
Speaker 2: a must win game for the Blues and it was

691
00:34:55,973 --> 00:34:58,653
Speaker 2: a pretty poor crowd. But the crowd's have been poor

692
00:34:59,053 --> 00:35:01,933
Speaker 2: throughout this entire season, though very good last year when

693
00:35:01,933 --> 00:35:05,453
Speaker 2: they're on that winning run and it feels like almost, oh,

694
00:35:05,693 --> 00:35:07,693
Speaker 2: we've completed that now with one super Rugby don't need

695
00:35:07,693 --> 00:35:09,773
Speaker 2: to go back next year and so they need to

696
00:35:09,773 --> 00:35:12,973
Speaker 2: figure out that, you know, the derby games are Hurricanes, Crusaders,

697
00:35:13,293 --> 00:35:17,533
Speaker 2: atrociously bad crowds, games that are usually marquee fixtures for

698
00:35:17,613 --> 00:35:21,093
Speaker 2: the Blues. So it feels like almost winning the title

699
00:35:21,133 --> 00:35:22,973
Speaker 2: has been the worst possible thing that could happen for

700
00:35:23,013 --> 00:35:25,613
Speaker 2: them because the crowds have stayed away and gone well,

701
00:35:25,653 --> 00:35:26,453
Speaker 2: we saw that last year.

702
00:35:26,493 --> 00:35:27,373
Speaker 3: We don't need to see it again.

703
00:35:27,453 --> 00:35:30,293
Speaker 2: So until they figured that out, it's going to be

704
00:35:30,453 --> 00:35:31,213
Speaker 2: a tough old cell.

705
00:35:31,573 --> 00:35:34,853
Speaker 4: Yeah, potentially a bit of apathy there with winning the title,

706
00:35:35,173 --> 00:35:37,573
Speaker 4: but also it's been an underwhelming season for the Blues.

707
00:35:37,613 --> 00:35:41,933
Speaker 4: And when you've got other successful teams in your market

708
00:35:42,533 --> 00:35:46,373
Speaker 4: such as Aukann FC and the Warriors both going on

709
00:35:46,453 --> 00:35:51,013
Speaker 4: runs out Mount Smart Moaana Pacifica potentially offering a point

710
00:35:51,053 --> 00:35:54,973
Speaker 4: of difference across the bridge as well, the Blues are

711
00:35:54,973 --> 00:35:55,933
Speaker 4: looking over their shoulder.

712
00:35:55,933 --> 00:35:57,453
Speaker 5: I think they need to do a bit more to

713
00:35:57,813 --> 00:35:58,573
Speaker 5: sell themselves.

714
00:35:58,693 --> 00:36:00,413
Speaker 2: Yeah, getting away from it and Park would be good,

715
00:36:00,453 --> 00:36:05,413
Speaker 2: but unfortunately that is our national stadium. Right tipping time. Now,

716
00:36:05,813 --> 00:36:08,493
Speaker 2: let's just recap the last round of regular season if

717
00:36:08,493 --> 00:36:14,373
Speaker 2: we possibly could, Elliot Smith five from five Chiefs, Crusaders, Blues, Canes, Reds.

718
00:36:15,053 --> 00:36:18,933
Speaker 2: You drop the ball and checking the Brumbie. Sweet the Crusaders, Bumbies.

719
00:36:18,613 --> 00:36:19,093
Speaker 5: Leat me down.

720
00:36:19,173 --> 00:36:21,733
Speaker 2: So there is a six Bmies. There is a six

721
00:36:21,773 --> 00:36:24,133
Speaker 2: point gap. There are six games left in the regular as.

722
00:36:24,173 --> 00:36:27,333
Speaker 2: Six games left in the season. Oh well, and so

723
00:36:27,573 --> 00:36:30,813
Speaker 2: get them all. Well, we've got to put opposite for

724
00:36:30,933 --> 00:36:35,373
Speaker 2: everyone from here on and yeah, right, let's see how

725
00:36:35,373 --> 00:36:39,893
Speaker 2: we go Crusaders reads Friday nights the Apollo Project Stadium.

726
00:36:40,213 --> 00:36:41,173
Speaker 5: Yes, unless.

727
00:36:44,413 --> 00:36:47,173
Speaker 2: Possibly Crusaders maybe maybe maybe the last game at the

728
00:36:47,173 --> 00:36:48,653
Speaker 2: Polo Project Stadium if they lose.

729
00:36:49,373 --> 00:36:52,333
Speaker 4: Well, the Crusaders have also never lost the home playoff game,

730
00:36:52,413 --> 00:36:56,613
Speaker 4: is there right, that's correct? Yeah, good luck doubing against them.

731
00:36:56,733 --> 00:36:58,733
Speaker 2: Okay, well, I'm going to pick the Crusaders and they

732
00:36:58,773 --> 00:37:00,533
Speaker 2: are Chiefs Blues Saturday night.

733
00:37:03,413 --> 00:37:06,813
Speaker 5: Oh wow, I'm going to go. I'm going to go

734
00:37:06,853 --> 00:37:07,893
Speaker 5: the Blues there. Yeah, why not?

735
00:37:08,693 --> 00:37:11,373
Speaker 4: They've got nothing to lose, the proper sudden death and

736
00:37:11,413 --> 00:37:15,453
Speaker 4: they only lost by one point an Xavier Taile conversion

737
00:37:15,493 --> 00:37:18,573
Speaker 4: that hit the post in that regular season match earlier

738
00:37:18,573 --> 00:37:22,173
Speaker 4: in there, when they've been bang average for most of

739
00:37:22,173 --> 00:37:22,413
Speaker 4: the year.

740
00:37:22,453 --> 00:37:24,053
Speaker 5: They get up for the Chiefs, so they will get

741
00:37:24,133 --> 00:37:25,533
Speaker 5: up for this game. Not out of the question.

742
00:37:25,773 --> 00:37:27,733
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm going to go the Chiefs and the Brumbi's

743
00:37:27,813 --> 00:37:30,253
Speaker 2: Hurricanes to Elliott.

744
00:37:30,453 --> 00:37:32,293
Speaker 5: Get on that cane train.

745
00:37:32,573 --> 00:37:35,733
Speaker 2: Up the horses this weekend in Canberra. Cane train is

746
00:37:35,773 --> 00:37:38,893
Speaker 2: going to come to maybe temporary or maybe possibly full,

747
00:37:38,933 --> 00:37:41,933
Speaker 2: independent on how the rest of the games go this weekend.

748
00:37:41,973 --> 00:37:45,973
Speaker 2: Let's get into MVP Middle voting time Adista viap Out

749
00:37:46,013 --> 00:37:48,853
Speaker 2: on top twenty five points, twelve points clear of Boaden

750
00:37:48,933 --> 00:37:52,453
Speaker 2: barrett Is on thirteen and then third equal Damian McKenzie

751
00:37:52,453 --> 00:37:54,933
Speaker 2: and to Morthy Taver tavernaw w. I Liam, you're three

752
00:37:54,973 --> 00:37:55,413
Speaker 2: two ones.

753
00:37:55,453 --> 00:37:59,533
Speaker 4: If you'd be so kind, I'm going to purvive for three.

754
00:37:59,773 --> 00:38:02,853
Speaker 4: A herculean performance from him. Not often you see locks

755
00:38:03,373 --> 00:38:08,933
Speaker 4: striding arts spark memories of one Sam White Lock doing likewise.

756
00:38:09,333 --> 00:38:12,893
Speaker 4: Tupu scored from close range long range, So big performance

757
00:38:12,893 --> 00:38:15,933
Speaker 4: from him too. To Ta Mighty Williams, huge seventy minute

758
00:38:15,933 --> 00:38:20,493
Speaker 4: shift for a prop anytime that happens, impressive, he's really

759
00:38:20,533 --> 00:38:24,533
Speaker 4: coming in some good form. And one to Tavatavanawa, who's

760
00:38:24,613 --> 00:38:27,853
Speaker 4: been massive for the Landers at the back end this year.

761
00:38:27,853 --> 00:38:30,813
Speaker 4: And I see our stable mate Phil Gifford, he is

762
00:38:30,893 --> 00:38:33,773
Speaker 4: saying he is a must inclusion in the All Blacks.

763
00:38:33,853 --> 00:38:34,693
Speaker 3: What do you think about that?

764
00:38:35,613 --> 00:38:37,773
Speaker 4: I think he's got to go very close because he

765
00:38:38,053 --> 00:38:42,213
Speaker 4: is a point of difference his ball carrying. I think

766
00:38:42,253 --> 00:38:44,973
Speaker 4: he's got more turnovers by quite a long way than

767
00:38:45,013 --> 00:38:46,533
Speaker 4: anybody else in the comp this year.

768
00:38:46,893 --> 00:38:51,653
Speaker 5: And while that's not a core function of.

769
00:38:51,613 --> 00:38:57,173
Speaker 4: A midfielder, is an increasingly prevalent in the game. What's

770
00:38:57,173 --> 00:39:00,333
Speaker 4: his best position? Not too sure, but he's a guy

771
00:39:00,373 --> 00:39:02,333
Speaker 4: that you could bring off the bench and be a

772
00:39:02,373 --> 00:39:06,493
Speaker 4: bit of a game changer. And yeah, he's just he's

773
00:39:06,493 --> 00:39:09,213
Speaker 4: won out of the box. He's dynamic, powerful.

774
00:39:09,813 --> 00:39:11,293
Speaker 2: I don't think he's got the top end pace to

775
00:39:11,293 --> 00:39:14,813
Speaker 2: be a test match winger. I don't think there's a

776
00:39:14,813 --> 00:39:17,533
Speaker 2: lot of pace out there, to be honest, from all

777
00:39:17,533 --> 00:39:22,533
Speaker 2: Blacks contender wingers. At the moment, I would have him close.

778
00:39:22,733 --> 00:39:25,533
Speaker 2: I just do worry about some of the actual core

779
00:39:26,293 --> 00:39:30,533
Speaker 2: responsibilities and duties as a midfielder and whether his distribution

780
00:39:30,933 --> 00:39:33,053
Speaker 2: is up to it. His kicking games pretty good by

781
00:39:33,093 --> 00:39:36,333
Speaker 2: and large. He's very good at finding spaces. Turnover obviously

782
00:39:36,453 --> 00:39:38,413
Speaker 2: he's mentioned is good. I'm just not sure on the

783
00:39:38,453 --> 00:39:41,413
Speaker 2: core core facets of actually being a midfielder and whether

784
00:39:41,453 --> 00:39:44,773
Speaker 2: he's got that. But he's a point of difference and

785
00:39:44,853 --> 00:39:47,013
Speaker 2: when the always have struggled to put together a bench

786
00:39:47,093 --> 00:39:49,813
Speaker 2: that has impact in recent times, he would add some

787
00:39:49,853 --> 00:39:51,173
Speaker 2: real impact to the bench.

788
00:39:51,213 --> 00:39:52,213
Speaker 3: In Jusey twenty three.

789
00:39:52,693 --> 00:39:55,253
Speaker 4: Yeah, and I think if you're an all black coach

790
00:39:55,333 --> 00:39:58,573
Speaker 4: party or realm should be upscaling players and making them better.

791
00:39:58,613 --> 00:40:02,453
Speaker 4: So some of those deficiencies that you mention, that should

792
00:40:02,453 --> 00:40:04,773
Speaker 4: be a core function of an all Black coaching team

793
00:40:04,813 --> 00:40:08,613
Speaker 4: to bring certain players improve them, right, And if you're

794
00:40:08,653 --> 00:40:12,373
Speaker 4: looking at a David Havilli and Antoine Letter Brown are

795
00:40:12,453 --> 00:40:16,453
Speaker 4: very similar players. So having something different in your squad

796
00:40:16,573 --> 00:40:20,093
Speaker 4: does appeal. Was having a lot of upside.

797
00:40:19,733 --> 00:40:21,653
Speaker 2: My three two ones this week. Peter among A Jensen

798
00:40:21,693 --> 00:40:23,573
Speaker 2: gets my three back to some of that form that

799
00:40:23,613 --> 00:40:26,933
Speaker 2: we perhaps saw five years ago now when he made

800
00:40:27,013 --> 00:40:30,053
Speaker 2: his All Blacks one off All Black's appearance when he

801
00:40:30,093 --> 00:40:32,093
Speaker 2: was called in for injury for that test at Cooper's

802
00:40:32,093 --> 00:40:36,013
Speaker 2: Catch Park aka Eden Park. Tupa v gets my two

803
00:40:36,093 --> 00:40:38,693
Speaker 2: again as you mentioned, outstanding performance. Ethan black Adder gets

804
00:40:38,693 --> 00:40:41,173
Speaker 2: my one very very good for the Crusaders and that

805
00:40:41,293 --> 00:40:44,373
Speaker 2: opening forty and a noticeable drop off when he wasn't

806
00:40:44,413 --> 00:40:46,093
Speaker 2: out on the park in that second forty. So that's

807
00:40:46,133 --> 00:40:48,253
Speaker 2: our three to ones for another where we'll keep that

808
00:40:48,373 --> 00:40:50,973
Speaker 2: rolling through the plavs. It's not done yet. The official

809
00:40:50,973 --> 00:40:53,773
Speaker 2: Super Rugby one might be done, but this is the

810
00:40:53,853 --> 00:40:55,853
Speaker 2: actual proper one and we go right.

811
00:40:55,693 --> 00:40:56,413
Speaker 3: Through to the final.

812
00:40:56,653 --> 00:40:57,973
Speaker 5: That's all right, very coveted.

813
00:40:58,133 --> 00:40:59,573
Speaker 2: You can only be an MVP if you're actually right

814
00:40:59,613 --> 00:41:01,453
Speaker 2: at the point end of season. Surely you can't win

815
00:41:01,493 --> 00:41:03,893
Speaker 2: a regular season matters for nothing. How often we hear.

816
00:41:03,773 --> 00:41:07,093
Speaker 4: That that's right business end. Time to stand up, Come

817
00:41:07,133 --> 00:41:07,933
Speaker 4: get the medal.

818
00:41:07,813 --> 00:41:11,013
Speaker 2: Come get the rgby Direct medal that has been rightby

819
00:41:11,013 --> 00:41:13,813
Speaker 2: Direct for another week with our friends at Habit Health

820
00:41:14,013 --> 00:41:16,973
Speaker 2: tackling all your aches and pains from sports and work.

821
00:41:16,973 --> 00:41:19,413
Speaker 2: I thanks Last and Bars English. We'll be back next

822
00:41:19,453 --> 00:41:21,773
Speaker 2: week when six become four.

823
00:41:22,293 --> 00:41:23,533
Speaker 5: Up the Canes, up the Reds.

824
00:41:23,693 --> 00:41:24,333
Speaker 3: That's enough.

825
00:41:29,453 --> 00:41:32,093
Speaker 1: For more from News Talks at b Listen live on

826
00:41:32,173 --> 00:41:35,133
Speaker 1: air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever

827
00:41:35,173 --> 00:41:37,773
Speaker 1: you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio