WEBVTT - What next for the All Blacks after Scott Robertson cut? 0:00:05.480 --> 0:00:05.880 Kyoda. 0:00:05.960 --> 0:00:09.119 I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page, a 0:00:09.200 --> 0:00:16.920 daily podcast presented by the New Zealand Herald. All Blacks 0:00:17.040 --> 0:00:20.959 head coach Scott Raiser Robertson is out of the role 0:00:21.320 --> 0:00:25.640 just two years into his four year contract after reports 0:00:25.680 --> 0:00:30.160 of widespread frustration from players and staff and a damning 0:00:30.360 --> 0:00:36.000 internal review. Questions remain, what went so wrong for Razor, 0:00:36.600 --> 0:00:39.839 what does this mean for our World Cup campaign? And 0:00:40.280 --> 0:00:43.000 who will have the job of cleaning. 0:00:42.560 --> 0:00:43.839 Up this mess? 0:00:44.400 --> 0:00:47.680 The All Blacks drama spells the beginning of a huge 0:00:47.920 --> 0:00:51.440 year for sport. Twenty twenty six sees hopes of a 0:00:51.560 --> 0:00:54.840 record medal hole for New Zealand at the Winter Olympics 0:00:55.040 --> 0:00:57.600 and a chance to cheer on the All Whites on 0:00:57.720 --> 0:00:58.800 the world stage. 0:00:59.240 --> 0:01:01.720 And of course we're all curious. 0:01:01.360 --> 0:01:05.280 To see how Natbow and Z will rebuild public trust. 0:01:05.680 --> 0:01:08.440 All this and more today on the Front Page with 0:01:08.600 --> 0:01:11.240 Herald Sports reporter Alex Pound. 0:01:14.080 --> 0:01:16.039 So, Alex, a major. 0:01:15.880 --> 0:01:19.080 Start to the year, obviously, the sporting year that is, 0:01:19.120 --> 0:01:25.760 with Razor being cut. How surprising or unsurprising is this news? 0:01:26.360 --> 0:01:28.160 Yeah, it's a weird one, isn't it, Because in a 0:01:28.200 --> 0:01:30.840 way it's sort of the only thing that makes sense 0:01:31.160 --> 0:01:33.560 if what's been put out there is true about the 0:01:33.760 --> 0:01:36.600 play on happiness and the failings of the environment. But 0:01:36.640 --> 0:01:40.000 at the same time this is really uncharted territory for 0:01:40.040 --> 0:01:40.800 the game in New Zealand. 0:01:41.200 --> 0:01:45.720 Is that because it's two years into a four year contract. 0:01:46.080 --> 0:01:48.600 No, it's never been. You don't know, we have never 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:51.240 outright sacked a coach. You know. You remember the twenty 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:54.080 two Women's World Cup. Glenn Moore left at the start 0:01:54.120 --> 0:01:56.520 of that year, but that was his choice because of 0:01:56.600 --> 0:02:01.680 you almost similar findings and unhappiness within the playing But 0:02:01.840 --> 0:02:04.240 this one being two years out does give a bit 0:02:04.240 --> 0:02:06.800 more time. You remember the twenty nineteen World Cup when 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:09.080 South Africa won it, at the start of twenty eighteen 0:02:09.160 --> 0:02:11.360 they changed coach and like that sort of scene is 0:02:11.360 --> 0:02:13.760 now the absolute latest you can do it. If you 0:02:13.760 --> 0:02:16.119 do want to salvage a World Cup campaign, you sort 0:02:16.120 --> 0:02:18.120 of have to give yourself at least two years. 0:02:18.520 --> 0:02:21.480 Yeah, And because people do say, well, the World Cup 0:02:21.560 --> 0:02:25.880 is eighteen months out seems like a miles away, but 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:28.919 in rugby world it's really not an especially given that 0:02:29.040 --> 0:02:31.959 the All Blacks Tour in South Africa as due this year. 0:02:32.040 --> 0:02:35.480 Hey, yeah, absolutely, like the way rugby is now was 0:02:35.520 --> 0:02:36.840 not just those two. But you have also got the 0:02:36.880 --> 0:02:39.720 New Nations Championship and no one knows how seriously that's 0:02:39.720 --> 0:02:41.280 gonna be taken walk that'll efty the game, like you 0:02:41.320 --> 0:02:44.320 don't really have much room to breathe. It's always something 0:02:44.320 --> 0:02:46.720 into something into something and if it's now, you know 0:02:46.720 --> 0:02:48.680 with a World Cup at the end of twenty seven, 0:02:49.360 --> 0:02:51.359 New Zealand rugby kind of have been backed into a 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:52.639 corner here and. 0:02:52.600 --> 0:02:56.560 Scott Robertson he was really lauded as being like, this 0:02:56.600 --> 0:02:59.520 isn't a major opportunity for the All Blacks when he 0:02:59.639 --> 0:03:02.120 came and took over the side as head coach. 0:03:02.840 --> 0:03:05.800 Can we pinpoint where he lost his edge? 0:03:07.040 --> 0:03:11.200 I think the disappointing thing is that what New Zealand 0:03:11.240 --> 0:03:13.440 rugby and what fans saw in Super rug beat the 0:03:13.440 --> 0:03:16.359 Crusaders was never reproduced with the All Blacks and obviously 0:03:16.440 --> 0:03:19.239 Super rugby and Test rugby are two completely different environments. 0:03:19.520 --> 0:03:22.079 But if Super Rugby is the proven grounds to step 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:24.600 your way into Test rugby, no one had done what 0:03:24.680 --> 0:03:27.680 Scott Robinson did you know the amount of titles the 0:03:27.680 --> 0:03:30.920 Crusaders won in a row and the All Blacks just 0:03:31.200 --> 0:03:33.880 never looked like being able to be as successful as 0:03:33.880 --> 0:03:34.679 the Crusaders were. 0:03:34.800 --> 0:03:35.240 And why not. 0:03:36.480 --> 0:03:39.280 I think the test game and the club game are 0:03:39.320 --> 0:03:41.840 just so different and maybe now we do actually have 0:03:41.880 --> 0:03:44.880 evidence of that. You remember, you know, so Graham Henry 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:47.400 and Steve Hanson were both incredibly successful Black coaches, but 0:03:47.440 --> 0:03:50.120 they both had to go and fail with other countries 0:03:50.120 --> 0:03:52.160 before they were able to step into the They both 0:03:52.160 --> 0:03:55.400 had really difficult times of Whales, but that what it 0:03:55.400 --> 0:03:57.360 did was it grounded them and how the international game 0:03:57.400 --> 0:03:59.960 actually works before they could take the big job. 0:04:00.320 --> 0:04:03.920 In terms of who could be set to replace him, 0:04:04.000 --> 0:04:05.720 are there any early contenders? 0:04:05.800 --> 0:04:09.080 You can think of Jamie Joseph Looms as the big one. 0:04:09.200 --> 0:04:12.520 You know, he missed out to Scott Robertson after twenty 0:04:12.560 --> 0:04:14.400 twenty three to actually take that job. He was in 0:04:14.440 --> 0:04:18.440 the running in twenty nineteen, when's the Steve Hanson stepped down. 0:04:19.440 --> 0:04:21.960 He's come back to New Zealand to take on the 0:04:22.040 --> 0:04:23.920 job with the Highland as he was in Japan for 0:04:23.960 --> 0:04:27.240 the last for a better part of a decade. Last 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:29.080 year he was given the All Blacks fifteen jobs, so 0:04:29.120 --> 0:04:31.600 effectively the side beneath the All Blacks as a way 0:04:31.600 --> 0:04:33.279 of I guess, keeping him in the picture and maybe 0:04:33.320 --> 0:04:35.560 putting a bit of pressure on Scrubs and saying, hey, look, 0:04:35.960 --> 0:04:38.160 if you can't do it, we do have someone else here. 0:04:38.680 --> 0:04:41.680 So he would loom I guess for many people. As 0:04:41.800 --> 0:04:43.560 the next gave off the rank, he would probably bring 0:04:43.600 --> 0:04:46.040 Tiny Brown with him, those who have a very good relationship. 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:48.120 Tony Brown is currently with the Springbook. So if you 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:50.680 can strengthen yourself and weaken your opponents at the same time, 0:04:50.720 --> 0:04:53.120 New Zealand Rugby would be silly to not explore that 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:55.880 you've got a guy like Dave Rennie who has also 0:04:55.920 --> 0:04:58.360 been in the All Blacks running at one point or another. 0:04:58.440 --> 0:05:00.920 He's now offshore in Japan. You've got a guy like 0:05:01.000 --> 0:05:03.960 Vancotta who's got test experience currently Blues, so there won't 0:05:04.000 --> 0:05:05.400 be a shortage of options with this. This is a 0:05:05.480 --> 0:05:08.400 job that any coach worth their salt will want, you know, 0:05:08.480 --> 0:05:11.799 to coach the All Blacks. So it's just about making 0:05:11.800 --> 0:05:13.520 sure they get the process right. And that's the other 0:05:13.520 --> 0:05:16.800 thing is New Zealand Rugby would be really foolish to 0:05:16.920 --> 0:05:19.240 act and make this decision if they didn't have someone 0:05:19.279 --> 0:05:21.919 else lined up. But it would be a very unneeded 0:05:22.000 --> 0:05:23.160 on rugby like thing to do. 0:05:23.279 --> 0:05:24.960 So we're not going to see an add out onseek 0:05:25.040 --> 0:05:25.480 or anything. 0:05:25.720 --> 0:05:27.880 Maybe I mean search the pay bands and see what's 0:05:27.920 --> 0:05:28.400 playing the month. 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:38.159 But yeah, yeah, And of course you know by now 0:05:38.279 --> 0:05:42.800 who our new head coach for the All Blacks from 0:05:42.880 --> 0:05:46.080 twenty twenty four is Scott Robertson. So I want to 0:05:46.080 --> 0:05:50.760 congratulate Scott on his appointment. It's come following presentation to 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:54.240 the board at our board meeting this morning and I 0:05:54.320 --> 0:05:57.920 confirm that the board was unanimous in supporting Scott as 0:05:58.000 --> 0:06:01.640 our incoming coach from twenty twenty four. 0:06:03.960 --> 0:06:07.120 What kind of pressure will be on the shoulders of 0:06:07.160 --> 0:06:08.000 whoever comes in. 0:06:08.040 --> 0:06:10.760 Next, I mean it's going to be huge, isn't it. 0:06:10.760 --> 0:06:12.800 You know you think of where the All Blacks have 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:15.359 always been historically a team that wins ninety percent of 0:06:15.400 --> 0:06:18.440 the games, and they just haven't done that for you know, 0:06:18.600 --> 0:06:21.680 basically since twenty twenty. You know, that's six years of 0:06:21.800 --> 0:06:24.640 a team not at the level the fans expected them. 0:06:24.880 --> 0:06:27.080 I think that's really been interesting to see New Zealanders 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:29.279 have to adjust to that, and a lot of them haven't. 0:06:29.320 --> 0:06:31.240 You know. You think of where South Africa are you 0:06:31.279 --> 0:06:33.720 think of where Ireland have been wear England are. So 0:06:33.800 --> 0:06:36.480 the pressure on the next coach, whoever that is is, 0:06:36.480 --> 0:06:37.839 is going to be huge and it's going to have 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:40.200 to be an immediate improvement because you know, the New 0:06:40.279 --> 0:06:42.440 Zealand rug beib sament says they don't have a coach, 0:06:43.480 --> 0:06:45.480 So that's really interesting to make this kind of move 0:06:45.520 --> 0:06:47.880 and not know what the next one is or do 0:06:47.960 --> 0:06:51.279 they well you'd think that has have a short list 0:06:51.600 --> 0:06:54.360 of course, you know, but now having to actually act 0:06:54.400 --> 0:06:55.920 on it, you know, are they going to have to 0:06:56.000 --> 0:06:58.359 get someone out from an overseas contract to come and 0:06:58.360 --> 0:07:00.000 be an assistant. You know, if it is Jamie Jo's 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:02.359 from Tiny Brown, Tiny Brown's currently with South Africa, that 0:07:02.480 --> 0:07:05.440 won't be cheap. A guy like Dave ENnie, he's in Japan, 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:07.640 that won't be cheap. So yeah, I think there's going 0:07:07.720 --> 0:07:09.080 to be pressure not just on the airbacks but on 0:07:09.120 --> 0:07:10.800 Newzealand Rugby to really get this right. 0:07:11.400 --> 0:07:14.880 Have you heard anything about those internal frustrations from player 0:07:15.360 --> 0:07:16.560 players and head starts. 0:07:16.800 --> 0:07:18.800 I think that's probably going to be the most frustrating 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:21.400 thing for Scott robertson. This isn't really new like we 0:07:21.760 --> 0:07:24.200 had the review that would have happened at the end 0:07:24.240 --> 0:07:27.760 of last year, which Liam Apim, my colleague wrote earlier 0:07:27.800 --> 0:07:30.920 this week that that did not reflect well on Scrubson. 0:07:30.960 --> 0:07:35.280 You had Ardie Savia, you know, reportedly considering his future 0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:36.720 if he still wanted to ben All Black, is it 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:40.560 worth going overseas? Because let's not forget being an All 0:07:40.600 --> 0:07:43.560 Black as a professional is not in your financial interest. 0:07:43.680 --> 0:07:45.840 You can make so much more money going overseas. You know, 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:48.320 we saw it with Richie Moyng. I've seen it with Shanafrazell, 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:50.880 Harry Plummer who was a fringe All Black and is 0:07:50.920 --> 0:07:53.800 now making exponentially more money in France. So for a 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:58.400 guy like Ardie to actually have that up his sleeve, 0:07:58.720 --> 0:08:00.440 I think it really would have set a lone bells 0:08:00.480 --> 0:08:01.840 off at New Zealand Rugby. 0:08:02.200 --> 0:08:04.600 And in terms of when we hear about it the public, 0:08:04.640 --> 0:08:06.880 I mean, and I say we because I'm the public 0:08:06.880 --> 0:08:09.840 when it comes to sports journalism. As you know, when 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:14.040 I read something like that Ardia Savias stuff from the 0:08:14.080 --> 0:08:18.800 back end, when the information gets to you, how solid 0:08:18.880 --> 0:08:20.960 is it when it ends up on the site? 0:08:21.000 --> 0:08:21.680 Do you know what I mean? 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:24.560 I mean, as a general rule, not just with rugby, 0:08:24.680 --> 0:08:26.680 but with all sort of sports him. If you can 0:08:26.720 --> 0:08:29.240 get it from sort of two places that don't have 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:31.800 anything to do with each other, you've generally got something 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:34.400 that you feel is worth going on. So, I mean, 0:08:34.440 --> 0:08:36.840 I can't speak for haw Liam goes about doing his stories, 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:40.120 but he's not silly and now he does this. 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:43.880 Yes, So generally when you see Ardie Savier's looking overseas 0:08:43.880 --> 0:08:46.360 at other interests, he really actually probably is. 0:08:46.720 --> 0:08:49.400 You know, he's already in Japan right now, He's been 0:08:49.400 --> 0:08:52.080 there a couple of years ago. Like the desire from 0:08:52.120 --> 0:08:55.000 both parties to continue that relationship would be very strong. 0:08:55.040 --> 0:08:57.199 You know, Japanese rugby would get one of the best 0:08:57.200 --> 0:08:59.680 players in the world playing in their league. Ardie Savia 0:08:59.679 --> 0:09:02.040 would have a much easier life. While let's not forget 0:09:02.280 --> 0:09:04.800 the physical demands of playing in Japan is so different 0:09:04.880 --> 0:09:07.800 to playing in New Zealands. You're playing for much less time. 0:09:08.320 --> 0:09:10.040 By playing in Japan, he wouldn't be alible for the 0:09:10.040 --> 0:09:11.959 All Blacks, so they wouldn't have to worry about that. 0:09:12.440 --> 0:09:15.680 So if that's the sort of the way Ardie Savid 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:18.040 would want to go, it would absolutely be open to him. 0:09:18.600 --> 0:09:21.160 And in terms of Razor what next for him? 0:09:21.520 --> 0:09:23.559 Yeah, I mean I imagine he won't jump straight into 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:26.079 another job. He has always said he wanted to win 0:09:26.120 --> 0:09:29.480 the World Cup with two different countries, okay, which I 0:09:29.520 --> 0:09:31.480 mean fair play, Like I mean win it with one 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:32.360 country first, Razor. 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:33.040 Yeah, has he? 0:09:34.200 --> 0:09:37.280 But Scott Robinson finished his playing career in France. You 0:09:37.320 --> 0:09:39.840 know he speaks fluent French like there has always been 0:09:40.280 --> 0:09:43.480 a French connection, if you pardon the pun. So I 0:09:43.520 --> 0:09:46.080 can see him getting a nice club job over there, 0:09:46.240 --> 0:09:49.679 like club sides will not hesitate to get Scott Robertson in. 0:09:49.760 --> 0:09:52.679 You know, as soon as anyone is made or any 0:09:52.720 --> 0:09:55.079 possison is made available, they'll go for Scorobson. He'll be 0:09:55.120 --> 0:09:56.360 at the top of a lot of clubs. I remember 0:09:56.400 --> 0:09:58.000 before he got the All Blacks job, there was talk 0:09:58.080 --> 0:10:00.959 England wanted them, Fiji put in a bid for him, 0:10:01.000 --> 0:10:02.480 and he came out and said buller at the start 0:10:02.480 --> 0:10:04.000 of a pressure was just to sort of give ins 0:10:04.040 --> 0:10:06.000 at Irishov and say if you don't hire me, someone 0:10:06.080 --> 0:10:09.040 else will. Whether or not what's happened with the All 0:10:09.080 --> 0:10:11.800 Blacks has scarred him, it doesn't change the fact that 0:10:11.840 --> 0:10:14.679 he's a very good motivator. Of a group. 0:10:14.880 --> 0:10:15.080 You know. 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:17.440 You hear about his time at the Crusaders, you know, 0:10:17.480 --> 0:10:18.880 and what he was able to do there, Like, they 0:10:18.880 --> 0:10:20.120 hadn't won a title for years. 0:10:20.160 --> 0:10:21.800 Well, it was legendary to say the least. 0:10:21.880 --> 0:10:23.800 Yeah, I mean, they hadn't won a title for a 0:10:23.840 --> 0:10:25.720 decade when he turned up, and then they only won 0:10:25.760 --> 0:10:26.400 when he was there. 0:10:26.840 --> 0:10:29.720 Well, I moved to christ Church originally, and I thought, well, 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:32.760 and that was around his time at the Helm, and 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:34.960 I thought, oh, amazing, I'm going to go for. 0:10:34.960 --> 0:10:37.960 The Crusaders because they obviously win all the time. But 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:41.120 I've come in at the point where Razor turned it around. 0:10:41.160 --> 0:10:43.520 I think there was a stat so the first year 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:47.640 Raiser wasn't at the Crusaders, and the Crusaders struggled under 0:10:47.679 --> 0:10:51.000 Rob Penny. There were children in year three in christ 0:10:51.080 --> 0:10:53.640 Church who had never lived in an era where the 0:10:53.679 --> 0:10:55.480 Crusaders weren't super rugby champions. 0:10:55.679 --> 0:10:57.439 Yeah, you know what I mean. 0:11:04.520 --> 0:11:06.960 The medals for the twenty twenty six Winter Olympic Games 0:11:07.000 --> 0:11:07.920 have now been revealed. 0:11:08.000 --> 0:11:11.920 Today, organizers unveiled the medals for the Milan Courtina Winter Games. 0:11:12.000 --> 0:11:14.800 The big reveal comes about two hundred days before the 0:11:14.840 --> 0:11:18.200 start of the games. The medals designed by the Italian 0:11:18.360 --> 0:11:22.319 state Mint and Polograph against Jude are made from recycled 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:26.200 medals using renewable energy. Each one features a split design 0:11:26.880 --> 0:11:31.120 to symbolize both Olympic Paralympic values. The game start February 0:11:31.200 --> 0:11:34.160 sixth Paralympic Games, so follow in March. 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:39.280 Anyway, if we move on, twenty twenty six is going 0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:42.240 to be a massive year for sports anyway. You look 0:11:42.280 --> 0:11:45.960 at it Winter Olympics, Alex, do you think we will 0:11:46.240 --> 0:11:48.520 likely get our best medal count ever? 0:11:48.800 --> 0:11:49.840 We're hoping for it. 0:11:50.120 --> 0:11:52.559 New Zealand's still relatively quite young in terms of the 0:11:52.559 --> 0:11:54.760 Winter Olympics. So you remember the last one out in 0:11:54.880 --> 0:11:57.920 Beijing was you know, as the benchmarking now because you 0:11:57.960 --> 0:12:01.040 had you know, Zoysidowski, Senter and Nikols both win gold. 0:12:01.640 --> 0:12:04.319 So I don't think it's realistic to come out before 0:12:04.320 --> 0:12:06.120 a Winter the mix and say we need to be 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:07.679 doing this, this and this and we'll have our best 0:12:07.679 --> 0:12:10.120 every games. Like it's just not really Hell's obviously Za 0:12:10.160 --> 0:12:13.320 Sadowski Senate is going to be there again. Alice Robinson 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:16.400 does loom as a metal hopeful this time of maybe 0:12:16.440 --> 0:12:19.760 even a medal favorite. So it's you can never really 0:12:19.800 --> 0:12:22.600 say this is what should happen at any Olympic Games 0:12:22.640 --> 0:12:25.000 or winter all summer. But I mean it's always the hope, 0:12:25.040 --> 0:12:25.360 isn't it? 0:12:25.800 --> 0:12:27.760 And what about COMM Games in Glasgow? 0:12:29.520 --> 0:12:30.400 The Comm Games is weird? 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:33.960 Does anyone watch it anymore? Or is that naughty to say? 0:12:34.040 --> 0:12:36.120 It's probably as naughty to say, but you're saying it 0:12:36.160 --> 0:12:37.760 on the grounds like no one wants to host it. 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:39.800 You know, you remember all the drama with everyone dropping 0:12:39.840 --> 0:12:42.719 out and now you know they've they've found somewhere to 0:12:42.760 --> 0:12:45.760 host it. But it does feel as though we're moving 0:12:45.800 --> 0:12:49.480 into an era where the Commonwealth Games just might not 0:12:49.800 --> 0:12:51.520 carry any sort of weight. But I mean saying that 0:12:51.840 --> 0:12:53.760 I can't watch set the civil furns too after all. 0:12:53.720 --> 0:12:56.680 That last year exactly, Hey, they'll be the one to watch, 0:12:57.240 --> 0:12:58.520 especially in the COMM Games. 0:12:58.559 --> 0:13:00.240 How do you think that they'll go around? 0:13:01.760 --> 0:13:03.400 I think if they can get to the gold medal 0:13:03.960 --> 0:13:07.600 match against Australia, you know, let's be honest, I think 0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:10.040 that's sort of the bare minimum of where the side 0:13:10.080 --> 0:13:12.960 should be. I mean, obviously all the fallout from last 0:13:13.040 --> 0:13:15.160 year as we're still yet to see how that'll all 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:18.320 be resolved, but I think that is always the expectation 0:13:18.400 --> 0:13:20.199 where a silver Fern side into a Commonwealth Games. And 0:13:20.240 --> 0:13:21.800 I've just said we can't go into an Olympics and 0:13:21.840 --> 0:13:25.760 think for expectations, but silver ferns Commonwealth Games like it 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:28.280 is an event that New Zealand have historically performed in. 0:13:29.559 --> 0:13:32.560 Another one football World Cup. It'll be a big one 0:13:32.559 --> 0:13:36.160 this year given the all Whites will be there and 0:13:36.200 --> 0:13:38.360 we'll be able to cheer them on on the world stage. 0:13:38.440 --> 0:13:40.880 What are their chances overall. 0:13:40.559 --> 0:13:43.200 Though, that's another interesting one. Like the last time they 0:13:43.200 --> 0:13:46.640 were there in twenty ten, the New Zealand got out 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:49.200 with three drawers. It wasn't enough to advance, but that 0:13:49.360 --> 0:13:51.200 was such a huge moment to you know, they were 0:13:51.200 --> 0:13:54.160 the only unbeaten team in the whole tournament. You know Spain, 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:57.720 who won, had lost the game. This time. Around New 0:13:57.800 --> 0:14:01.400 Zealand football, you would say probably stronger position, like there 0:14:01.400 --> 0:14:04.280 are so many more players playing and good overseas leagues 0:14:04.280 --> 0:14:07.760 than there were in twenty ten. Football at home is 0:14:07.760 --> 0:14:10.079 obviously a lot stronger now with the Phoenix and Auckland 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:14.200 FC having two teams in the Australian League. But World 0:14:14.280 --> 0:14:16.800 Cups are just so special like this isn't just the 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:19.440 pinnacle penny down. This is the pinnacle for maybe even 0:14:19.480 --> 0:14:20.960 all the sport. Like I don't think there's a bigger 0:14:20.960 --> 0:14:23.040 sporting event on the planey bar the Olympics then the 0:14:23.040 --> 0:14:25.680 Football World Cup. They're going to have a tough time 0:14:25.720 --> 0:14:27.000 of it with the group. You know, it seems like 0:14:27.040 --> 0:14:29.080 Belgium will. 0:14:28.880 --> 0:14:31.080 Be, you know, very difficult. 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:32.960 They got the chief of but Belgium aren't as strong 0:14:32.960 --> 0:14:35.320 as they were, you know, four eight years ago with 0:14:35.320 --> 0:14:37.360 the last couple of World Cups. So I mean, you 0:14:37.400 --> 0:14:39.440 never know that these things we've seen, like you remember Morocco 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:41.240 at the last World Cup noms, especially them, and then 0:14:41.280 --> 0:14:42.640 they got as far as they did. 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:43.480 Yeah that's right. 0:14:43.600 --> 0:14:44.600 Yeah, so who knows. 0:14:45.080 --> 0:14:47.440 And it's the Cup, the first Cup to be held 0:14:47.480 --> 0:14:51.480 by three nations. You've got the United States, Mexico and Canada. 0:14:52.000 --> 0:14:55.000 And I've seen some stuff online, especially about there's apparently 0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:59.680 going to be the first halftime show and people talking 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:04.880 about this americanization of football and people are not really 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:07.640 into it. The fact that they're probably going to be 0:15:07.680 --> 0:15:10.480 calling it soccer the entire time, we'll probably get. 0:15:10.280 --> 0:15:12.920 On people's nerves. What are your feelings about. 0:15:12.680 --> 0:15:15.880 That I'm definitely in the against camp there, like are you. 0:15:16.160 --> 0:15:18.480 That's the whole point of football is that it's not 0:15:18.560 --> 0:15:21.520 America's thing. Yeah, like I know that, Like the US 0:15:21.560 --> 0:15:25.200 has such high representation in football at all levels because 0:15:25.200 --> 0:15:27.880 you know, there's such a big influx of immigrants and 0:15:28.440 --> 0:15:29.240 second generation. 0:15:30.840 --> 0:15:34.160 So it's not we had David Beckham at LA Galaxy. 0:15:35.000 --> 0:15:37.360 Look at some of the the players playing and there domestically. 0:15:37.360 --> 0:15:39.640 Now the women's team is incredible. Oh yeah, you know 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:42.200 they they win everything, but it still just feels a 0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:45.760 bit wrong. Yeah, like you have your own sports America. 0:15:45.840 --> 0:15:46.560 This is our thing. 0:15:46.920 --> 0:15:49.280 It'll bring him big money though, and if the Super 0:15:49.280 --> 0:15:52.160 Bowl was anything to go by, AKA, the. 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:54.440 Super Bowl is always a misnomer of people saying, oh 0:15:54.480 --> 0:15:56.800 it's super bowldruin this many viewers and brings them as much. 0:15:56.960 --> 0:15:59.480 It's there are so many like for America. Sure, because 0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:01.720 you're only really comparing it to the NBA, Major League 0:16:01.760 --> 0:16:08.200 Baseball hockey. But when you compare American football with football football, 0:16:08.840 --> 0:16:09.960 it's chalk and cheese. 0:16:10.240 --> 0:16:14.160 Let's talk cricket. The black Caps will perform in England, 0:16:14.280 --> 0:16:17.000 Ozzie and the T twenty World Cap. How do you 0:16:17.040 --> 0:16:17.600 reckon they'll go. 0:16:18.320 --> 0:16:20.320 The England tour is really interesting because it'll be the 0:16:20.320 --> 0:16:23.520 first one post the Ashes for England. Obviously a lot 0:16:23.520 --> 0:16:26.560 of pressure on the captain and coach Ben Stokes and 0:16:26.560 --> 0:16:27.560 Brenda mccllum. 0:16:27.240 --> 0:16:29.200 And I was in Australia over Christmas, so I know 0:16:29.280 --> 0:16:29.960 a lot about that. 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:32.560 I think that the World Cup comes before that, so 0:16:32.600 --> 0:16:34.960 there might even be a scenario where McCullum gets fired. 0:16:35.520 --> 0:16:35.800 Yeah. 0:16:36.040 --> 0:16:37.960 In terms of New Zealand, look, there are so many 0:16:38.040 --> 0:16:40.280 tournaments crack it now. There's one a year until twenty 0:16:40.320 --> 0:16:42.040 thirty one out the Earls at least one a year, 0:16:43.200 --> 0:16:45.880 so the ability to come in and perform on that 0:16:45.960 --> 0:16:48.840 stage isn't really anything new to any of the teams. 0:16:48.920 --> 0:16:50.640 This will be the first one under Rob Walter, the 0:16:50.680 --> 0:16:53.800 new coach. He was impointed last year, so I have 0:16:53.920 --> 0:16:56.440 high hopes for the team. Walter with South Africa took 0:16:56.600 --> 0:16:59.120 his team to the final and they'd only been together 0:16:59.120 --> 0:17:01.680 for three days before that, so you never know what 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:04.560 can happen. But it's just such an interesting time with 0:17:04.640 --> 0:17:07.760 the amount of tournaments and credit now the Australia too. 0:17:07.760 --> 0:17:09.000 At the end of the year, like you remember than 0:17:09.040 --> 0:17:11.240 twenty nineteen I'm sure you do. You're a huge cricket fan, Shiel. 0:17:12.600 --> 0:17:15.160 New Zealand went to Australian in twenty nineteen with high 0:17:15.160 --> 0:17:16.840 hopes that was the best New Zealand team in a 0:17:16.840 --> 0:17:19.600 long time and they got absolutely smashed. Yeah, there'll be 0:17:19.600 --> 0:17:21.800 similar things this year, not just that. But this is 0:17:21.840 --> 0:17:24.200 a very old Australian side. Like I think there's only 0:17:24.280 --> 0:17:27.800 one player in the starting eleven under thirty, maybe two 0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:32.800 if the start a well to go to Australia and 0:17:32.840 --> 0:17:34.840 when is about so much more than being better than 0:17:34.880 --> 0:17:36.760 that cricket. You have to have so many things go 0:17:36.880 --> 0:17:40.400 your way and everything go against them. But if there's 0:17:40.440 --> 0:17:43.200 no real better time than now, and last. 0:17:42.880 --> 0:17:48.000 But not least, the controversial enhanced games will be this year. 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:51.680 That's the one which permits performance enhancing drugs. 0:17:51.800 --> 0:17:55.080 Encourages it, doesn't it encourages it? First off, what are 0:17:55.080 --> 0:17:56.600 your thoughts on I don't know. 0:17:56.640 --> 0:17:58.760 It's one of those things that I want to see 0:17:58.760 --> 0:17:59.399 what it looks like. 0:17:59.520 --> 0:18:01.879 You want to see what it looks like. You're intrigued 0:18:01.960 --> 0:18:03.240 or you're completely outraged. 0:18:03.359 --> 0:18:05.159 Yeah, if someone's you know, lining up on the one 0:18:05.240 --> 0:18:07.359 hundred meters start line, they're hard explodes from all the 0:18:07.480 --> 0:18:10.879 drugs they've taken. Then, I'm sure that'll be bad, but 0:18:11.000 --> 0:18:12.639 you just want to see records broken, and that's their 0:18:12.680 --> 0:18:15.200 whole rationale for doing it in the first place. 0:18:15.320 --> 0:18:18.680 Alex, give me your wildest prediction. 0:18:18.359 --> 0:18:18.920 Of the year. 0:18:19.640 --> 0:18:23.679