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

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

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Speaker 1: Straight down.

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Speaker 2: The Middle, try.

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Speaker 1: Get inside the game from every end of goal. It's

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Speaker 1: Rugby Direct with Elliott Smith and Liam Navier powered by

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Speaker 1: News Talks d B.

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Speaker 2: Welcome into Rugby's Direct Episode two hundred powered by habitaw Physio.

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Speaker 2: Book today and stay in the Game two hundred. Up

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Speaker 2: for Rugby Directs Liam Napier with me as always Liam.

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Speaker 2: What a milestone for a little wee pod. That's it.

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Speaker 3: Raise the bats double ton so greats of the game

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Speaker 3: have never got there.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, here we are. Here, we are two hundred and

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Speaker 2: put yourself on the back. That's right, and nothing special.

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Speaker 2: You know, we're just going to keep our heads down

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Speaker 2: and you know, maybe get the singles still ticking away.

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Speaker 2: You know, job's not done yet, So maybe in the

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Speaker 2: next few weeks we might have some some special celebrations

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Speaker 2: for out two hundred podcast.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, maybe a Fox and Fizz or a Cannabury draft.

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Speaker 2: That's right on the podcast today. In fact, probably with

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Speaker 2: addressing at the top of the show. Over the next

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Speaker 2: few weeks we're going to see how we go with

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Speaker 2: a couple of episodes a week. We'll roll out some

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Speaker 2: predictions previews at the start of the Thursday podcast, and

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Speaker 2: then Monday will be more about reviewing the weekend that

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Speaker 2: was and also keen for your feedback as well. We

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Speaker 2: at two hundred of crowded, a milestone for ourselves. We've

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Speaker 2: got an email now which is great rugby direct at

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Speaker 2: dot co dot inzid if you want to get in touch.

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Speaker 2: Every Thursday on the pod, we'll read a couple of

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Speaker 2: letters or emails and get your feedback on the show

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Speaker 2: and respond to that.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, come at us. Hot takes, rumors around the traps,

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Speaker 3: news reviews, any feedback, anything you like, Come come at

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Speaker 3: us for steam Ahead.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely. We already got into the predictions for the weekend

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Speaker 2: on our Monday podcast. We'll do that on Thursdays from

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Speaker 2: now on. We'll run through the teams and some of

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Speaker 2: the surprises that have been named very shortly. But first

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Speaker 2: and foremost, Liam, some news that you dropped in the

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Speaker 2: last twenty four or so hours. The blue shortlist for

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Speaker 2: the replacement for vern Cotter has come out, or at

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Speaker 2: least you've been able to glean some of that information.

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Speaker 2: Ian Foster and Jason Holland at the pointy end of

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Speaker 2: that shortlist. Some big revelations that two members of recent

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Speaker 2: All Black Stars are poised to potentially be in line

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Speaker 2: for the Blues.

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Speaker 3: Kig yeah or the Blues are well advanced first and

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Speaker 3: foremost in that search to replace Cotder because Cotter and

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Speaker 3: new CEO Carl Budge held transparent discussions throughout the back

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Speaker 3: end of last year. The Blues first and foremost went

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Speaker 3: after Dave Rennie. That was the third time in four

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Speaker 3: years or something like that they went after Rehn's when

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Speaker 3: Leo McDonald was leaving prior to Land and Codder. He

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Speaker 3: knocked them back then and has knocked them back again.

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Speaker 3: He's a chiefs man through and through. I thought he

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Speaker 3: would be a great fit for the Blues. And so

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Speaker 3: Hollands and Ian Foster top of the shortlist. I'm sure

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Speaker 3: they're talking to others. What do you make of those

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Speaker 3: two names? Would they be a good fit for the Blues?

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Speaker 2: I'm not entirely sure. I think Jason Hollands, you know,

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Speaker 2: he gets rave reviews around what he's able to do.

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Speaker 2: I know Duprief in your piece spoke very highly of

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Speaker 2: Jason Honds and the work that he's done, and other coaches,

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Speaker 2: other players that have worked with Jason hond and the

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Speaker 2: Hurricanes environment and also the All Blacks have spoken highly

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Speaker 2: of him. Clearly that All Blacks environment wasn't fit for him,

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Speaker 2: nor was it fit for well most of the coaching stuff,

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Speaker 2: including the head coaching stuff, So I think he's worthy

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Speaker 2: of an opportunity as head coach. He had time at

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Speaker 2: the Hurricanes, obviously doing it there, there was yanked out

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Speaker 2: of that to come to the All Blacks distant coaching job,

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Speaker 2: so it kind of feels like maybe he needs a

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Speaker 2: little bit of a reset, potentially in the form of

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Speaker 2: going back to Super Rugby and laying out your credentials there.

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Speaker 2: Again for Jason Holland, and I'm sure he's got claims

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Speaker 2: maybe down the track to be back on the international

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Speaker 2: coaching stuff, so that could happen. So feels like he

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Speaker 2: needs to go back maybe to Super Rugby or an

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Speaker 2: international coaching job. I'm more surprised about Ian Foster being

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Speaker 2: in the mix because that feels like maybe a step

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Speaker 2: backwards in some regards for Ian Foster coaching in Japan

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Speaker 2: obviously at club level now, but he did the coaching

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Speaker 2: thing at the super rugby level for seven ish seasons

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Speaker 2: off the top of my head for the Chiefs. Kind

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Speaker 2: of been there, done that. I'm not sure where career

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Speaker 2: wise this move would sit for him, so I'm surprised

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Speaker 2: to see his name on that shortest. Yeah.

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Speaker 3: I think Holland is well regarded as an attack coach

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Speaker 3: and he's certainly got more to offer than his current

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Speaker 3: role going back to the Hurricanes as an assist Stince.

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Speaker 3: I think they've got a really strong coaching staff with

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Speaker 3: him going back, so maybe a head coach role for him.

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Speaker 3: Wad appeal Ian Foster I think didn't have great success

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Speaker 3: as a Super ragby head coach with the Chiefs. Took

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Speaker 3: them to one final where they were humbled in South

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Speaker 3: Africa by a very good Bulls team. I think they

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Speaker 3: made one other semi final. He's obviously accrued a lot

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Speaker 3: of experience since then. I think it was twelve years

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Speaker 3: with the All Blacks and as you mentioned, now in Japan,

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Speaker 3: but that's not going very well currently in Japan. Him

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Speaker 3: and Hanson their team up there. I think they've lost

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Speaker 3: nineteen of twenty five games and.

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Speaker 2: A pretty good roster as well.

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Speaker 3: They do and it'll be a massive cultural shift as well.

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Speaker 3: This is a guy Im Foster who played one hundred

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Speaker 3: and forty eight games for wakatur still resides there when

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Speaker 3: he's not in Japan very much. You know, a favorite

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Speaker 3: son in that region.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. Does the being on the shortness indicate that they've

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Speaker 2: shonne an interest in this job.

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Speaker 3: It's that that the Blues are seeking them. So look,

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Speaker 3: there's no guarantees that either of them necessarily want the post,

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Speaker 3: but the top of the que I guess the other question,

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Speaker 3: I think I don't know if either of them are

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Speaker 3: necessarily the right fit. But if not them, then who else?

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Speaker 3: Is there a pathora of other options out there? You've

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Speaker 3: got people like Wayne p Vack, who I guess struggled

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Speaker 3: a little bit with with Wales. And then there's the

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Speaker 3: question of the current coaching staff at the Blues. Guys

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Speaker 3: like Paul Tito is quite highly regarded. You've also got

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Speaker 3: Jason o'haleran and others. What's their future beyond Van Connada's tenure.

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Speaker 3: So some big wider ramifications there for the Blues, but

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Speaker 3: they're clearly well down the track. And if well they

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Speaker 3: won't get ready, will they get Foster? Will they get

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Speaker 3: Holland and if not then then who else.

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Speaker 2: There's not really a great deal of options out there

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Speaker 2: in the world of rugby, is there at that the

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Speaker 2: moment from New Zealand perspective question, did Dave really withdraw

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Speaker 2: before or after the All Blacks job came out? I

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Speaker 2: mean it was never interested in the first place, but

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Speaker 2: we're do you know whether the bat signal was sent

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Speaker 2: up before or after? Before?

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Speaker 3: It was late last year, so that was prior to

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Speaker 3: the decision around Scott Robinson, which was what Jan fifteen,

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Speaker 3: mid Jan something like that. So at that point the

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Speaker 3: All Blacks weren't on his radar, so he just determined

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Speaker 3: that that role wasn't for him. I just had a

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Speaker 3: thought there. One other guy who was quite highly regarded

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Speaker 3: was Ross Filippo. He was at the Chiefs. I think

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Speaker 3: he was even touted about the possibility around the Crusaders.

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Speaker 3: Highly regarded as a smart tactician, I think, well liked

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Speaker 3: by the players. I was quite surprised that he left

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Speaker 3: the Chiefs. I think he's gone up to Japan currently.

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Speaker 3: But there's not a number of names that scream outs

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Speaker 3: as somebody that's going to immediately take this the Blues

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Speaker 3: team forward and the Blues want someone an established head coach,

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Speaker 3: someone that can be their long term, someone that can

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Speaker 3: drive recruitment, retention, and I guess build on the foundations

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Speaker 3: that Coda has laid.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right, and that's probably an ongoing issue with

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Speaker 2: New Zealand rugby. Is the pipeline of coaches and where

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Speaker 2: they go to and once they've hit a certain ceiling,

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Speaker 2: they go to the All Blacks, they go internationally, or

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Speaker 2: they go to Japan and that leaves I think just

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Speaker 2: a sort of wide middle class missing of coaches in

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Speaker 2: New Zealand rugby. You look at maybe Super Rugby and

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Speaker 2: Mark Brown had some success with Otago last year, but

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Speaker 2: it was his first season back after a Crusader a

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Speaker 2: Cannabury stint that didn't work out well with ruben Thorn.

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Speaker 2: Canterbury had Marty Burke for a few seasons and was

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Speaker 2: successful under him, but whether he's ready to make the

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Speaker 2: leap up to Super rugby head coaching. So doesn't feel

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Speaker 2: like that's the realm that blues the room. When you

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Speaker 2: put up Ian Foster and Jason Holland, who have international experience,

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Speaker 2: doesn't feel like they're targeting someone from NBC or even

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Speaker 2: their own staff to move up to that role.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think one of the big things is

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Speaker 3: that recruitment and retention piece, because players will go for

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Speaker 3: a coach or they will potentially leave for a coach. Look,

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Speaker 3: Jamie Joseph has done a good job historically at the

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Speaker 3: Hondas and in recent times he's landed Josh Jacob for

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Speaker 3: next year. So being able to recruit and retain players

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Speaker 3: in that super rugby environment which is highly competitive, is

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Speaker 3: a massive, a massive tick, and clearly the Blues want

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Speaker 3: someone with an established name who can bring that to

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Speaker 3: them absolutely well.

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Speaker 2: Then quite a still in place had the Blues and

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Speaker 2: sprung a bit of a surprise in naming his team

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Speaker 2: for the opening game on Saturday against the Chiefs touring

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Speaker 2: in Barnes at Blindside Flanka, which raised some eyebrows. I

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Speaker 2: knew he was in the wider training group. He's had

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Speaker 2: about a dozen or thereabout games for Canterbury player that

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Speaker 2: I've heard is an immense promise, but hasn't always got

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Speaker 2: a great deal opportunities for Candorbrey even but boy, he

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Speaker 2: must have in Preston preseason because who can play blind

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Speaker 2: side pretty handily is on the bench for this game,

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Speaker 2: and they've gone Torrigan, Barnes and for a day Bill

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Speaker 2: on the blind side flank.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I got to be honest, had to do a

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Speaker 3: bit of research on him. Haven't seen a lot of

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Speaker 3: them play. I think what it speaks to is you

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Speaker 3: tend to see some of these selections early in the

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Speaker 3: season when players have done well, wider squad members have

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Speaker 3: done the full pre season and some of those other players,

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Speaker 3: whether they be All Blacks or All Blacks fifteen, coming later.

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Speaker 3: So those guys are put in the work. But also

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Speaker 3: I think Vernqutder wants a bigger six, and Anton Signa

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Speaker 3: is a traditional seven, and Dalton Papalis there, so he

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Speaker 3: wants that traditional six, the more bigger man, the balance

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Speaker 3: of in that loose forward trio. So I think it's

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Speaker 3: probably a nod to that because they've Adrian Choate's not

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Speaker 3: there and Cameron sil four is not there, and so

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Speaker 3: he's taken a punt and it's good to see young

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Speaker 3: player get a crack.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely, yeah, look at a player of immense promise. Also good

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Speaker 2: offer toing a fussy back up on the field after

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Speaker 2: a very serious neck injury last year. The opponents on Saturday,

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Speaker 2: the Chiefs have decided to leave out a whole host

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Speaker 2: of all blacks. Experienced Damian McKenzie's new dad, so he

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Speaker 2: was never going to probably play this match. But there's

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Speaker 2: no Wallace to tit. No Leroy Carter and the Becks.

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Speaker 2: Mournie Nadawa is also not there. Simon Parker not there.

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Speaker 2: So low on firepower from this for this opening Grand

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Speaker 2: game the Chiefs, although I say that, and the players

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Speaker 2: that they are rolling out in the Lucifard trio, you

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Speaker 2: know Bouchier, Jerome Brown, Luke, Jacobson, no slide on them,

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Speaker 2: very very good players and you know they've got a

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Speaker 2: very good back three when you put in time Waiflour

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Speaker 2: with Mado Soturro. This goes back to the discussion we're

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Speaker 2: having on our Monday podcast around their depth. When you

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Speaker 2: can leave out four or so all Blacks and still

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Speaker 2: put out a team like that, you know you're doing

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Speaker 2: something right, aren't you?

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Speaker 3: Who are and you're right? It is the depth You've

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Speaker 3: still got Jacob, You've got Xavier Rowe and Cortis Rasma

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Speaker 3: that one two half back punch. You've got Quinta Pyra

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Speaker 3: and Daniel Rohner. In the midfield. But I am I'm

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Speaker 3: quite surprised at the odds for this game. The Blues

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Speaker 3: are I think two thirty five outsiders at home. Probably

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Speaker 3: the stronger team on paper, I think, And I think

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Speaker 3: it also goes back to what was saying on Monday

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Speaker 3: about the wind kind of being taken out of the

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Speaker 3: competition at the start when so many all Blacks are

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Speaker 3: must seen, particularly in the headline derby games such as this.

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Speaker 3: So yeah, interesting to see how that game pans out.

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Speaker 3: I'm not sure if you received it, but Jim kay

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Speaker 3: is the new media manager for the Chiefs, sent something

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Speaker 3: out from the Chiefs chief executive saying Eden Park's the

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Speaker 3: national stadium and it should be the Chief's home ground

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Speaker 3: as well. There's plenty of Chiefs guys from the region,

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Speaker 3: so let's see how many Chiefs fans turn up and

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Speaker 3: whether they can get them over the line.

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Speaker 2: Well, you went into the office yesterday, but Eden Park

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Speaker 2: in the Blues sent around. I think we had at

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Speaker 2: one stage four cakes in our office from eden Park

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Speaker 2: in the Blues. Valentine's Day related with the Pink I

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Speaker 2: sing Pink Love hearts and ai image of the middle

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Speaker 2: of the Blues and Chiefs together on Valentine's Day, so

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Speaker 2: it's a nice cake. But yeah, clearly they're doing a

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Speaker 2: bit to hype up the scam and look, that is

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Speaker 2: what we need in Super rugby, isn't it.

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Speaker 3: Yeah. Absolutely, they're in a first kiss cam so I'm

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Speaker 3: sure you'll be front and center for that.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. I don't think the cameras reached the commentary box,

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Speaker 2: which is which is quite well, give them a pointer

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Speaker 2: live Comentry and you still Zibbie Goldswood and I say,

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Speaker 2: Goldsborden and I heart radio of that match Friday night,

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Speaker 2: the Highlanders and Crusaders. Crusaders rolling out will Jordan Cody

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Speaker 2: Taylor off the bench for that game? You look at

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Speaker 2: the Crusaders, fairly settled line up, no deboots or anything

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Speaker 2: in that twenty three Rivers Raharna gets the ten after

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Speaker 2: he steered in the back half of the season last

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Speaker 2: year with Kimera injured. The Highlanders Lucas Casey, was one

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Speaker 2: of the breakout stars of the NPC last year, gets

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Speaker 2: the not at number eight. He's also in the wider

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Speaker 2: training group like Torrian Barnes is so Jamie Joseph rewarding

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Speaker 2: that youth early in the season. They've got Hugh Renton

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Speaker 2: injured currently one of their co captains. But we all

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Speaker 2: said the blow of Fabian Holland's being ruled out for

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Speaker 2: the Super Rugby season in the last couple of days

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Speaker 2: as well, So the Hinlanders probably go from being a

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Speaker 2: team on the cusp of the six maybe with that

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Speaker 2: injury to Holand, to maybe just moving outside it. What

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Speaker 2: do you reckon?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, huge blow for the Landers. They don't have as

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Speaker 3: many hugely influential world class Test players and to lose

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Speaker 3: Holland's and it sounds like he could be out of

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Speaker 3: the July Test for the All Blacks as well, so

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Speaker 3: maybe touch and go for South Africa.

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Speaker 2: Just on him.

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Speaker 3: I think it's probably a reflection of how much rugby

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Speaker 3: he played last year both of the Highlanders played huge

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Speaker 3: minutes and then came into his rookie Test season, was

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Speaker 3: World Breakthrough Player of the Year, featured highly prominently. So

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Speaker 3: I think it's a bit of a warning shot around

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Speaker 3: player workload. Injuries can happen at any time, but I'd

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Speaker 3: don't think from his longevity perspective, missing this link the

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Speaker 3: rugby is going to hurt him and unfortunately, I think

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Speaker 3: it could be another challenging season for the Highlanders. They

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Speaker 3: already lost Hill and Pledger and they were wooden spooners

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Speaker 3: last year. I expect them to improve, but I can

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Speaker 3: see the Crusaders winning that very comfortably. Other talking point

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Speaker 3: is leicstifying a Nookho's return comes on the left wing,

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Speaker 3: but it sounds like he is going to feature perhaps

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Speaker 3: quite regularly as a hybrid player as a loose forward. Yes,

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Speaker 3: and he did that for too long when he was

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Speaker 3: about ten kg heavier. But this is the first time

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Speaker 3: I've really seen this well being talked about publicly and

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Speaker 3: something that's going to happen consistently. Is it an isolated case?

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Speaker 3: And how do you think he would go switching from

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Speaker 3: midfield wing to the loose forward. It's pretty interesting.

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Speaker 2: It is very interesting. Look, I really like the innovation.

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Speaker 2: I'm all about trying things in rugby and I think

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Speaker 2: the sport desperately needs it. And I think maybe in

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Speaker 2: New Zealand have been a little bit too conservative, you know,

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Speaker 2: around six two benches and various other things. If you

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Speaker 2: can find a hybrid player like that, you know. Oli

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Speaker 2: Mathis is another one potentially's with the Crusaders as well.

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Speaker 3: Though they're saying he will stay at open side or

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Speaker 3: loose forward, which is probably good for a young player

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Speaker 3: to focus on one.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, one, and then look, if you've still got the

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Speaker 2: pace and whatever, you can move into the back line

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Speaker 2: or flip between the two a bit later in the Korea. Look,

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Speaker 2: I think it's a really good move. I'm not sure

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Speaker 2: it's going to happen this weekend. They've got a few

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Speaker 2: injuries in the outside backs with mac a springer and

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Speaker 2: a couple other things, but as the season goes on,

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Speaker 2: it could make the makeup of their bench and how

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Speaker 2: they approach that very interesting as the campaign continues. So,

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Speaker 2: as I say all about innovation in rugby, he's got

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Speaker 2: the build for it, doesn't he He does. He does, absolutely,

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Speaker 2: even with dropping ten gigs as well, So I'm excited

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Speaker 2: to see how that goes. No Hurricanes of course this week,

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Speaker 2: so we wait. We do wait to see what team

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Speaker 2: they roll out next week when they open this season.

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Speaker 2: They've got a tricky game first up as well, don't

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Speaker 2: they. They've got the Chieps, is that right? No? The Minor

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Speaker 2: PACIFICA next week, don't they at home?

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Speaker 3: It's coming home, Earliot.

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Speaker 2: I can feel it Okay, I don't know what you

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Speaker 2: feel like, but we'll see as the season goes on.

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Speaker 2: Moving on on Rugby Direct, we have a fantasy league. Indeed,

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Speaker 2: we set it up. Our producer Mark is set one

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Speaker 2: up for us. So if you want to join our league,

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Speaker 2: just search when you go into the league, join the

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Speaker 2: league on the Super Rugby Fantasy website, play Fantasy Rugby

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Speaker 2: dot com and you can join us in there and

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Speaker 2: just search Rugby Direct Podcast. So we'd like to have

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Speaker 2: you there. We're gonna get a prize for the winner.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it will be a bloody good prize, so get

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Speaker 3: around it and come try to take it off me.

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Speaker 2: It's very interesting given the way your team went last year.

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Speaker 2: But you so join us in Rugby Direct Podcast just

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00:18:02,253 --> 00:18:04,733
Speaker 2: such that in they're all one word and you can

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Speaker 2: join our league. Look forward to having you in there.

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Speaker 2: But we are going to run through the teams that

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Speaker 2: we've created, at least for round one and see how

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Speaker 2: much they differ. You've got what a budget, I think

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Speaker 2: fifteen million to create your team. Let's go front Rows first.

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Speaker 2: You go first, and then I'll respond, all right, this

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Speaker 2: is what I got so far.

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Speaker 3: You know, it could be a few late tweaks, but

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Speaker 3: I've gone Aiden Ross switched from the Chiefs to the Reds, Someersoni,

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Speaker 3: Takiajo and Angus Starvel Okay.

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Speaker 2: I've got Ethan Degrouz, Bradley Slater and Tom Robertson out

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Speaker 2: of the force Okay.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, interesting to see Bradley stay to get the start,

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Speaker 3: switch to the Blues and straight into the starting.

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Speaker 2: Max curticklar in the twenty three. I'll go to locks next.

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Speaker 2: I've got Sam Darry and Bobby Body out of the

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Speaker 2: Fijian and Drawer.

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Speaker 3: Nice goood cool. I've got dari as well and to Buvai.

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Speaker 2: Okay. Lucas Casey is my loose forward alongside Carlo Tuzano,

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Speaker 2: who was a fantasy gunment last year. You got to

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Speaker 2: have him and Rob Valatini completes my three. Okay.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I've got Tazano, Fraser mcwright another big performer traditionally,

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Speaker 3: and I've gone Christian Leo. I've actually got quite a

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Speaker 3: host of Crusaders of max them out because I think

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Speaker 3: they will go well this weekend.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. You actually probably got more Crusaders than I have,

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Speaker 2: which is interesting. I know, hope them is my halfback

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Speaker 2: seven Parafeder is my tenor okay, maker, We're aligned there. Okay, Midfield,

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Speaker 2: I'm intrigued to hear what you've got. I've gone Ta

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Speaker 2: Tavanawa okay. And Leicester I've gone Lester and Sualliti. Yeah. Nice,

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Speaker 2: and the warrators influence continues on the outside backs and

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Speaker 2: me Max Jiorgensen, Calor, Tounguey Tower and Corey Tool. Okay.

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Speaker 3: So I've got Jorgensen and tongue in Tao and Sevarice

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Speaker 3: who is my captain?

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Speaker 2: Captain, I've captain Carlo Tizanto, so we will see how

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Speaker 2: that unfolds. Join us, as I say on the Rugby

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Speaker 2: Direct podcast, Super Rugby Fantasy League. Just searching the all

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00:19:55,253 --> 00:19:57,493
Speaker 2: one where Rugby Direct podcast. You can also get in

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00:19:57,493 --> 00:19:59,173
Speaker 2: touch as I mentioned at the top of the podcast

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Speaker 2: Rugby Direct at inzid dot co dot inzi gets in

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Speaker 2: touch with us. Also want to mention mit one of

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Speaker 2: our listeners, Breet, last night at Podsave America their lives

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Speaker 2: in Takapuna. Was great to meet him. Came up and

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Speaker 2: introduced himself and said he's a big fan of the podcast,

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Speaker 2: so it was lovely to meet him and thanks very much.

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Speaker 2: For the listening to the pod.

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Speaker 3: Oh yeah, always great to meet the listeners, and who knows,

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Speaker 3: maybe one day we have our very own live show.

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Speaker 2: There's the dream that is the dream. Thanks to Mark

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Speaker 2: Kelly for producing. We'll be back with you on Monday

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Speaker 2: as Super Rugby gets in the books. Look forward to

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Speaker 2: your accompanied then on Rugby Direct powered by.

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Speaker 1: Habit for more from News Talks ed B Listen live

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