1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,453 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Team podcast 2 00:00:10,573 --> 00:00:11,733 Speaker 1: from News Talks at B. 3 00:00:13,173 --> 00:00:17,493 Speaker 2: Let's be honest, so far as All Blacks tests go, 4 00:00:18,173 --> 00:00:21,333 Speaker 2: this is it's like a little bit of a funny one, 5 00:00:21,413 --> 00:00:24,613 Speaker 2: right if you were just weighing the odds on paper. 6 00:00:25,693 --> 00:00:31,373 Speaker 2: I suppose there is good reason why you might favor Leblin. 7 00:00:32,093 --> 00:00:34,093 Speaker 2: I hadn't actually realized it until this week. But we're 8 00:00:34,093 --> 00:00:37,053 Speaker 2: coming off a three game losing streak against the French, 9 00:00:37,533 --> 00:00:41,013 Speaker 2: and you remember last year's first All Blacks test and 10 00:00:41,093 --> 00:00:44,773 Speaker 2: Dunedin was a nail biting one point victory. The All 11 00:00:44,773 --> 00:00:49,853 Speaker 2: Blacks didn't scream cohesion for their first test under Razor. 12 00:00:50,253 --> 00:00:53,013 Speaker 2: Add to that the fact I still don't think we 13 00:00:53,093 --> 00:00:56,093 Speaker 2: have an emphatic answer for who should start at ten 14 00:00:56,173 --> 00:00:58,573 Speaker 2: and two bo Ai. Surely one of the world's best 15 00:00:58,653 --> 00:01:04,413 Speaker 2: locks is starting as blindside flank tonight. And yet, and 16 00:01:04,893 --> 00:01:08,653 Speaker 2: yet the French playing eight debutantes and have left a 17 00:01:08,693 --> 00:01:11,693 Speaker 2: slab of their elite stars back home. If it were 18 00:01:11,773 --> 00:01:14,133 Speaker 2: any other test nation, I think New Zealand Rugby would 19 00:01:14,133 --> 00:01:16,053 Speaker 2: have the right to kick up a bit of a fuss, 20 00:01:16,053 --> 00:01:18,053 Speaker 2: a bit of a stink about the whole situation. But 21 00:01:18,133 --> 00:01:22,293 Speaker 2: given the French, and given the French history of spirited 22 00:01:22,533 --> 00:01:26,133 Speaker 2: unpredictability on the rugby football pitch, it probably makes sense 23 00:01:26,653 --> 00:01:31,053 Speaker 2: to secure a dominant victory before moaning about the standard 24 00:01:31,133 --> 00:01:33,373 Speaker 2: of the opposition. Don't you think you can just imagine it, 25 00:01:33,413 --> 00:01:33,773 Speaker 2: can't you? 26 00:01:34,453 --> 00:01:34,573 Speaker 1: Like? 27 00:01:34,973 --> 00:01:39,973 Speaker 2: No sooner would we larger formal complaint than a French 28 00:01:40,093 --> 00:01:42,653 Speaker 2: rugby team with a prop at first five eight, or 29 00:01:42,653 --> 00:01:45,653 Speaker 2: a winger throwing the line outs would intercept an errant 30 00:01:45,693 --> 00:01:48,933 Speaker 2: pass in the eighty fourth minute, or you know, accidentally 31 00:01:49,013 --> 00:01:53,733 Speaker 2: charged down the match winning clearance kick with their replacement 32 00:01:53,813 --> 00:01:58,013 Speaker 2: fullbacks face and a freak moment of sporting brilliance to 33 00:01:58,093 --> 00:02:02,213 Speaker 2: pip the All Blacks for yet another famous victory. An 34 00:02:02,213 --> 00:02:04,893 Speaker 2: all backs test is an all backs test in the 35 00:02:04,933 --> 00:02:09,213 Speaker 2: first of the season always gets fizzing. But truthfully, I 36 00:02:09,293 --> 00:02:12,653 Speaker 2: realized that I had crossed a curious little rubicon of 37 00:02:12,733 --> 00:02:15,573 Speaker 2: sorts this week when I noted in myself an even 38 00:02:15,853 --> 00:02:21,413 Speaker 2: greater sense of excitement about a completely different gallic endeavor 39 00:02:21,453 --> 00:02:25,493 Speaker 2: which happens to coincide with tonight's test. The Tour de 40 00:02:25,533 --> 00:02:27,693 Speaker 2: France kicks off tonight and I don't know what it is, 41 00:02:27,733 --> 00:02:32,813 Speaker 2: but over the last few years it has become appointment 42 00:02:32,893 --> 00:02:36,013 Speaker 2: viewing for me on the international sporting calendar. I think 43 00:02:36,093 --> 00:02:40,573 Speaker 2: it's the kind of the blender, like the romance and 44 00:02:40,613 --> 00:02:44,053 Speaker 2: the agony of it all. The romance and the agony 45 00:02:44,093 --> 00:02:48,973 Speaker 2: are just so alluring that you know, the way that 46 00:02:49,093 --> 00:02:53,173 Speaker 2: riders slowly decay before your eyes over the three weeks 47 00:02:53,253 --> 00:02:55,973 Speaker 2: and over more than three thousand kilometers, the way that 48 00:02:56,133 --> 00:03:01,373 Speaker 2: teams have to work to secure individual victories, the spectators 49 00:03:01,533 --> 00:03:04,693 Speaker 2: lining the road, running with the leaders, often getting far 50 00:03:04,813 --> 00:03:07,613 Speaker 2: closer than would ever be permitted did any other sport. 51 00:03:08,493 --> 00:03:10,813 Speaker 2: And then just the psychology of it. I mean it 52 00:03:10,893 --> 00:03:14,213 Speaker 2: is madness. Imagine cycling for a couple of hundred kilometers 53 00:03:14,413 --> 00:03:17,773 Speaker 2: in intense heat or over a mountain range, only to 54 00:03:17,853 --> 00:03:19,733 Speaker 2: get back to your bed at the end of the 55 00:03:19,813 --> 00:03:21,573 Speaker 2: day and know you have to do it all again 56 00:03:21,813 --> 00:03:24,853 Speaker 2: the next day, and the next day and the day 57 00:03:24,893 --> 00:03:29,973 Speaker 2: after that. I honestly thought after the Lance Armstrong saga 58 00:03:30,013 --> 00:03:32,213 Speaker 2: that I was done with the Tour de France. But 59 00:03:32,293 --> 00:03:35,653 Speaker 2: I don't know. Maybe it was the Netflix treatment, or 60 00:03:36,333 --> 00:03:41,213 Speaker 2: simply the incredible, generation defining rivalry of the world's two 61 00:03:41,253 --> 00:03:45,133 Speaker 2: best riders, Polachar and viner Guard. But I am very 62 00:03:45,213 --> 00:03:47,693 Speaker 2: much back in the saddle. So that's my pick. I 63 00:03:47,733 --> 00:03:51,493 Speaker 2: reckon the All Blacks are well placed to blast the 64 00:03:51,573 --> 00:03:53,973 Speaker 2: French in Dunedin tonight. But if you haven't watched it 65 00:03:54,013 --> 00:03:58,093 Speaker 2: in a while and you want guaranteed sporting drama, hang 66 00:03:58,173 --> 00:04:00,613 Speaker 2: around just a few more hours tonight for Stage one 67 00:04:00,653 --> 00:04:03,173 Speaker 2: of the tour. You will not be disappointed. 68 00:04:03,693 --> 00:04:06,773 Speaker 1: For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame and live 69 00:04:06,893 --> 00:04:09,693 Speaker 1: to News Talks a B from nine am Saturday, or 70 00:04:09,773 --> 00:04:11,653 Speaker 1: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.