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Speaker 1: Inside the Game from every angle. It's Rugby Direct with
Speaker 1: Elliot Smith and Liam Napier powered by News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2: Welcome into Rugby Direct powered by Habit Heath, tackling all
Speaker 2: your aches and pains from sports and work back for
Speaker 2: another week Elliott Smith and Liam Napier. Plenty to get
Speaker 2: stuck into. But first, some breaking news that has come
Speaker 2: just before we kicked off our recording of Rugby Directs,
Speaker 2: and that is New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson
Speaker 2: to stand down at the ends of twenty twenty five. Liam,
Speaker 2: your initial reaction to this newser There had had been
Speaker 2: a few rumors in recent weeks that this was a
Speaker 2: possibility and now it has been firmed that he's leaving
Speaker 2: at the end of the year.
Speaker 3: Yeah, big news is and Elliott the head of our
Speaker 3: national sport moving on at the end of the year.
Speaker 3: Has it's been a tumultuous six year tenure. I think
Speaker 3: it's fair to say Mark Robinson coming in following Steve
Speaker 3: Cheue two very different characters. Cho was a very dictatorial,
Speaker 3: authoritative figure and Mark Robinson a different type of leader.
Speaker 4: He hasn't had it easy, but it has.
Speaker 3: Been a There's been a lot of upheaval, hasn't There
Speaker 3: COVID unprecedented pandemic, all the closures and the Super Rugby
Speaker 3: upheaval that came out of that Silver Lake, the private
Speaker 3: equity deal that's still in the balance about whether that
Speaker 3: was a good move for the New Zealand game, and
Speaker 3: of course the public fallout around Ian Foster and Robertson
Speaker 3: that the appointment of the All Blacks coach, again unprecedented
Speaker 3: coming during in the lead up to the twenty twenty
Speaker 3: three World Cup. So some very big ticket items on
Speaker 3: Mark Robinson's tenure. And I think there you mentioned the
Speaker 3: whispers the rumors there. The riding had been on the
Speaker 3: wall from the back end of last year when you
Speaker 3: had a new New Zealand Rugby board coming, David Kirk
Speaker 3: the new chairman, and everyone expected at some point he
Speaker 3: would essentially push for change. We've also had the New
Speaker 3: Zealand Rugby commercial co boss move on, Craig Fenton, and
Speaker 3: I think there was always going to be a come
Speaker 3: to Jesus moment where New Zealand Rugby wanted one group
Speaker 3: CEO across those both those boards. So the commercial entity
Speaker 3: of New Zealand Rugby and the rugby arm of the
Speaker 3: New Zealand Rugby board and who that's going to be,
Speaker 3: not too sure. What do you make of I guess
Speaker 3: your initial reaction of the news and I guess your
Speaker 3: reflections of he's not gone yet, but of his time
Speaker 3: on Mark Robinson's time in the hot seat.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it hasn't come easy for Robinson. I
Speaker 2: think compared to Steve Chu probably navigated a few less
Speaker 2: challenges in the global game potentially, and that was exacerbated
Speaker 2: by COVID nineteen. I mean Mark Robinson started the gig
Speaker 2: in January of twenty twenty. The world was a completely
Speaker 2: different place back then to where it is now. And
Speaker 2: it feels like the game is still sort of getting
Speaker 2: back on its feet a little bit after COVID, both
Speaker 2: at super rugby level and an international level. The Silver
Speaker 2: Lake deal, as you said, very much jury out still
Speaker 2: as to whether that was a good idea and whether
Speaker 2: New Zeale Rabya is seeing the benefits of what was
Speaker 2: supposedly promised by silver Lake as a result of them
Speaker 2: pumping that money into elements of the New Zealand game.
Speaker 2: So he's seen a period of change and I think
Speaker 2: the timing's probably right to have someone new come in
Speaker 2: and accelerate that change, or even decelerate the change and
Speaker 2: changed up a bit and look for different ways to
Speaker 2: do things in the national game. I think, yeah, the
Speaker 2: jury is probably out over his legacy is tenure. You know,
Speaker 2: the pull away from South Africa is probably going to
Speaker 2: be something that's attached to him. I know a lot
Speaker 2: of New Zealand rugby fans view that period of Super
Speaker 2: Rugby with South Africa with roast into glasses. It feels
Speaker 2: like this year Super Pacific might have got to the
Speaker 2: point where they envisioned it being when they first split
Speaker 2: away from the South Africans. So ultimately, I think a
Speaker 2: mixed period of legacy. And you know he's judged on
Speaker 2: not only the on field results but also the off
Speaker 2: field results, and I think on that point you probably
Speaker 2: have to say very much a mixed tenure from Mark Robinson.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and that would be reflected if you went out
Speaker 3: to the heart blends of rugby and talked to the
Speaker 3: provincial unions. If you talk to people about the way
Speaker 3: in which Silverlac deal played out, about the all black
Speaker 3: coaching appointment, and a lot of those situations are lose
Speaker 3: lose from a public facing point of view, But at
Speaker 3: times I think there could have been more strong, decisive
Speaker 3: leadership of New Zealand game and I think that's what
Speaker 3: they'll be seeking going forward with a replacement in time.
Speaker 3: Just on your point about South Africa, I think there
Speaker 3: has been an element of history being rewritten there. I
Speaker 3: think South Africa always we're going to go that way.
Speaker 3: COVID accelerated it, maybe it wasn't handled that well. And
Speaker 3: even the friction, the tension with Australia about how many
Speaker 3: teams I've had, well we've seen now that clearly they
Speaker 3: couldn't afford or sustain five teams. So history does shine
Speaker 3: a different light on things. I think Super Rugby is
Speaker 3: more sustainable in its current format and.
Speaker 4: US would be nice to.
Speaker 3: Have South Africa involved, But like you say, a bit
Speaker 3: of rose into glasses there in some respects, and I
Speaker 3: think they were always going to break away and go north.
Speaker 2: He's going to leave at the end of the year.
Speaker 2: There's still a few things to be signed off before
Speaker 2: he does depart. A new broadcast deal, the Women's Rugby
Speaker 2: World Cup in England is still to take place. We
Speaker 2: haven't had rugby's greatest rivalry. These tours against Africa are
Speaker 2: basically they're in the schedule, but it hasn't been officially
Speaker 2: announced that. The Club World Cup hasn't been officially announced,
Speaker 2: the Nation's Cup schedule etc. Hasn't been officially announced. So
Speaker 2: there's a fair bit of work to do before he
Speaker 2: leaves the post at the end of the year, where
Speaker 2: he apparently he's going to go join his family in
Speaker 2: Australia who are based in Queensland. So very understandable for
Speaker 2: from those reasons, but a bit of work to do,
Speaker 2: I guess, you know some part of it and from
Speaker 2: what I unerstand very well respected Mark Robinson around the
Speaker 2: international boards, the international game, bring back tours, there's going
Speaker 2: to be something that he can probably point to as
Speaker 2: part of his legacy.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's some really big ticket items mentioned there. The
Speaker 3: tours concept will be hugely popular once every four years
Speaker 3: and the boom I guess in the Woman's game and
Speaker 3: the Black Ferns will Cup this year and it sounds
Speaker 3: like plans are in the works to really finalize a
Speaker 3: strong calendar for the women's game in this country going forward.
Speaker 3: So yeah, there are some positive steps taken there. And
Speaker 3: as you mentioned, he is going to go join his
Speaker 3: family in Queensland. He's got three kids, understand all you
Speaker 3: want to link up there. But the big one there
Speaker 3: is the broadcast steel. It sounds like Sky is offering
Speaker 3: around eighty five million, which is a significant reduction on
Speaker 3: previous years.
Speaker 4: New Zealand Rugby has.
Speaker 3: Signed a number of different sponsorship deals in recent times
Speaker 3: to plug potentially plug some of those holes. But that
Speaker 3: is going to be really fundamental to funding every level
Speaker 3: of the game. How that broadcast steal plays out.
Speaker 2: Anyone stand out as a possible contender to take over
Speaker 2: this job or is it going to be very much
Speaker 2: an open such I.
Speaker 3: Think it will be open slather to a degree. I
Speaker 3: see it being a one, one group CEO, so you
Speaker 3: will have I think you still have people at the
Speaker 3: head of a commercial code board or in a New
Speaker 3: Zealand Rugby board. But then there's an overarching helicopter figure
Speaker 3: almost like a Director of Rugby type role, but in
Speaker 3: a managerial position, somebody with strong business background but still
Speaker 3: knows the rugby scene. So I don't think there's anyone
Speaker 3: internally that jumps out, but it is going to be
Speaker 3: a massive appointments and I think people like David Kirk
Speaker 3: will have a big say in who that might be.
Speaker 2: Indeed, watch the space say some breaking news out this morning,
Speaker 2: can follow all the reaction on ZID, Herald, dot co
Speaker 2: dot nz. Of course, let's get into the weekend that
Speaker 2: was in Super Rugby and boy this took a turn,
Speaker 2: didn't it. This weekend of Super Rugby qualifying finals, so
Speaker 2: much of that last game being a dead rubber. We'll
Speaker 2: get to what caused that in a moment or two,
Speaker 2: but first and foremost, the Brumbies. Let's start backwards. Brumbies
Speaker 2: beating the Hurricanes thirty five twenty eight, the cane train
Speaker 2: that had been gathering momentum. It's a bit like New
Speaker 2: Zealand's approach to rail. It's come to a grinding halt
Speaker 2: and the Hurricane to be disappointed with this. Look the
Speaker 2: Brumbies with a better team. I think on the night
Speaker 2: the Hurricanes were with them, they led fourteen seven, but
Speaker 2: something switched around the half hour mark, and it felt
Speaker 2: like even before they went behind the school, they began
Speaker 2: chasing the game. The Brumbies just began to get on
Speaker 2: top of the armory so and didn't relent. And boy,
Speaker 2: it was a game with fine margins and the Hurricanes
Speaker 2: are probably disappointed with their discipline. Also, the air account
Speaker 2: through that game.
Speaker 4: Yeah, our friendship was is in jeopardy.
Speaker 3: Actually, I was driving back from the tron and receive
Speaker 3: a gift, a gift in the student night chat group
Speaker 3: that Thomas the tank Engine's coming off the track.
Speaker 4: So it was not well received. It's fair to say
Speaker 4: I think we'd have enjoyed that.
Speaker 2: No, No, I did not what it was the key
Speaker 2: And then obviously you're you've you've you've seen the game,
Speaker 2: and the Hurricanes we frustrated. Perhaps they didn't put their
Speaker 2: best performance out and what turned out to be a
Speaker 2: knockout game.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I devastated.
Speaker 3: You could see Billy Proctor sitting on the posts post
Speaker 3: final whistle carrefee very emotional post match, and that's just
Speaker 3: deflating because, as you mentioned, the Canes had built a
Speaker 3: lot of momentum from being in a real hole and
Speaker 3: getting guys like Billy Proctor back were massive for them
Speaker 3: and they had their draw and Perth knocked over the
Speaker 3: Brumbies and the Chiefs and really did that. They came
Speaker 3: into the finals probably as the form team and to
Speaker 3: go to camera it's an incredibly tough place to win.
Speaker 3: But defensively they let themselves down. The mall defense cost them.
Speaker 3: They considered one really nice set try to Tom Wright,
Speaker 3: but it just always felt like they were chasing the
Speaker 3: game and yeah they could score points, still created a lot,
Speaker 3: but defensively they were exposed. And yeah, they'll reflect on
Speaker 3: that harshly because they set themselves up for a real
Speaker 3: tilt and flopped. I think, you know, they'll be really
Speaker 3: disappointed with the level that they got to because they
Speaker 3: were much better in previous weeks.
Speaker 2: They were and this has been a bit of a
Speaker 2: graveyard for them. Canberra in terms of ending their Super
Speaker 2: Rugby season on a couple of occasions, whether their mindset
Speaker 2: changed given it was a knockout game rather than seating
Speaker 2: game for them, potentially, but it just felt like they
Speaker 2: didn't get enough probably out of ten. I didn't think
Speaker 2: on the weekend Britt Cameron that they moved him back
Speaker 2: into teen with Ruben Love at fullback. Probably didn't get
Speaker 2: enough how of brick Cameron and I thought Flanders and
Speaker 2: duple coref He tried all nine and so did Larkeye,
Speaker 2: but they were beaten I thought by the while other
Speaker 2: Brumbies loose for Valentin, he had another outstanding night. You
Speaker 2: know there's other loose for partners I thought were excellent
Speaker 2: as well, and probably just been into the punch. We
Speaker 2: didn't see Kreefy over the ball as much as we've
Speaker 2: seen him in other games this season. We'll put him
Speaker 2: those big hats and just didn't probably get the ascendency
Speaker 2: up front.
Speaker 3: You look credit to the Brumbies as well. They are
Speaker 3: a good team and tough to beat in camera. And
Speaker 3: this match was in stark contrast, wasn't it to the
Speaker 3: other semi final. It was open, it was quite expensive,
Speaker 3: it was high scoring and Canes just couldn't quite stick
Speaker 3: with the Brumbies.
Speaker 4: It was very tip for tat.
Speaker 3: But yeah, just a couple of really bad defensive lapses
Speaker 3: proved costly. And you're right, I didn't think they got
Speaker 3: enough out of ten. There was some punch at times,
Speaker 3: but little moments that made breaks and you know, bread
Speaker 3: shields go through and just funnels the ball and then
Speaker 3: little occasions like that where they couldn't quite make it stick.
Speaker 3: So it's another early exit for the Canes, probably reflective
Speaker 3: of where they are at in the New Zealand pecking order.
Speaker 3: But having built that momentum into the finals they did.
Speaker 3: It was very familiar of building up hope and then
Speaker 3: letting the balloon down. So tough to take all.
Speaker 2: Right, Let's move back to the Blues twenty Chiefs nineteen
Speaker 2: Blues winning it after the siren in Hamilton. Liam, as
Speaker 2: you mentioned you were there, I wouldn't say you had
Speaker 2: a great seat for it, but given what I've seen
Speaker 2: out of that media box, thanks Chet. Yeah, really good
Speaker 2: thinks the media really appreciates it. Blues though stubborn nineteen
Speaker 2: six down. I mean they were out of it really
Speaker 2: at half time, but they went out of it. They
Speaker 2: should have been at it at half time. The Chiefs
Speaker 2: had so much ball, so much position in territory in
Speaker 2: that first spell, and yet we're only leading what nine
Speaker 2: to three at the break, and if Boden Barrett their
Speaker 2: ball sits up or he can slide onto it and
Speaker 2: score the try, then the Blues would have been a
Speaker 2: hit against the run of play at halftime, but it
Speaker 2: felt like the Chiefs a game of that a sentence
Speaker 2: after the break. Nineteen six games should probably have been
Speaker 2: locked away in a tight tuss all like that. But
Speaker 2: as I said, the Blues a stubborn. They refuse to
Speaker 2: give up. And it took all Lady three minutes, but
Speaker 2: they keep this season alive. Very impressive performance. To keep
Speaker 2: this season going.
Speaker 3: You want to results, I think first of all, I
Speaker 3: want to touch on the Chiefs because bizarre tactics. They
Speaker 3: played into the Blues hands by being so conservative by
Speaker 3: crashing it one off the ruck, and even Verncotta postmatch
Speaker 3: said those tactics surprise the Blues.
Speaker 4: Really did, felt like.
Speaker 3: I feel like the Chiefs went into their shells a
Speaker 3: bit and it did still work for them to a degree.
Speaker 3: They blew I think five chances in the Blues red
Speaker 3: zone in that first half dominated all position. They pretty
Speaker 3: much set up camp and the Blues twenty two. There
Speaker 3: was the quartz at Artema bounce of the ball that
Speaker 3: didn't go his way, but there was I think it
Speaker 3: was a Daniel Rona when Caleb Clark threw that brain
Speaker 3: explosion of a quick throwing a couple of penalties, botched opportunities,
Speaker 3: so the Chiefs could have been up a couple of
Speaker 3: tries at halftime. The Blues actually looked more dangerous when
Speaker 3: they had ball in hand. They lose Ricky Ricottelli and
Speaker 3: the Chiefs don't really punish them for that. And then
Speaker 3: as you mentioned there, the Bowden Barrett brilliance and could
Speaker 3: have easily scored the Blues could.
Speaker 4: Have been up at halftime.
Speaker 3: And before we go into the rest of it, just
Speaker 3: on that boden Bar completely outplayed Damien McKenzie in a.
Speaker 4: Match that matters.
Speaker 3: You know that this was a head to hea battle
Speaker 3: and McKenzie was virtually other than goalkicking non existent. Boden Bar,
Speaker 3: a very influential with his tactical kicking, would have should
Speaker 3: have scored that try. Named Man of the match. So
Speaker 3: really wiped the floor and McKenzie on his home patch.
Speaker 2: Yeah, how much she ascribe to McKenzie's performance, the tactics
Speaker 2: that you mentioned the change in that that it was
Speaker 2: a very un chief slight performance from what we've seen.
Speaker 2: Did they just go well, it's plat footy, we need
Speaker 2: to play this way rather than doing what's worked for them.
Speaker 2: The entire season.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I just had a thought here, I'm just going
Speaker 3: to blow my own trumpet, because a couple of weeks ago,
Speaker 3: do you remember me saying the one team in Super
Speaker 3: Rugby that could beat the Chiefs.
Speaker 4: This was after they pumped Winer was the Blues.
Speaker 2: As you did say that, yep, yeah, it's not even
Speaker 2: the Hurricane.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he did mention that, and that's because the Blues
Speaker 3: forward pack and in their tactics it's built for finals rugby,
Speaker 3: isn't it. And they've had tight tussles with the Chiefs
Speaker 3: and Crusaders this year. But yeah, I just felt the
Speaker 3: Chiefs that they had all that strike. I don't know
Speaker 3: whether losing Antonina Brown and Quincy Pye changed their tactics somewhat.
Speaker 3: They didn't win a confidence to use their back line,
Speaker 3: but it was just so conservative and as you mentioned,
Speaker 3: they're up thirteen points. It should have been shut the gate,
Speaker 3: closed the game out, But the Blues incredibly resilient, aren't
Speaker 3: They just to keep coming back, keep fighting, and it
Speaker 3: was a real role reversal in that second half. They
Speaker 3: set up camp in the Blues twenty two and it
Speaker 3: did feel inevitable even when Hoskinsitutu denied that try.
Speaker 4: It was penalty.
Speaker 2: Clark denied that try for and knocking it off.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was penalty after penalty and just wave after
Speaker 3: wave of the Blues raiding the Chiefs line and what
Speaker 3: a moment for Josh Berry to come off the bench
Speaker 3: bus through. I think it was Arcoy's tackle, reach out
Speaker 3: and score for young promising Locke, such an unlikely hero
Speaker 3: right next to the post. And it was earlier in
Speaker 3: the year March maybe when the Blues went down there
Speaker 3: scored Xavier Taile, twenty year old kids hits the post
Speaker 3: with a conversion. This time it's right next to the
Speaker 3: posts and Boden Barrett throws the ball over and the
Speaker 3: Blues steal it, and Ricco Ajani remains the chief protagonist,
Speaker 3: shushing the crowd and hamming it up. So the Blues
Speaker 3: probably the most hated team and Super Rugby, but they're
Speaker 3: doing the business.
Speaker 2: That's right. It's promotion for the game and if they
Speaker 2: want to build that narrative around them, think great. I
Speaker 2: think that's good for the game. And Rico Juani's done
Speaker 2: a very very good job at doing so great to
Speaker 2: see Cameron so far as all the images of Cameron
Speaker 2: so far in hospital chearing his team on teep A
Speaker 2: lot too mentioned the postgame their thoughts obviously with Cameron
Speaker 2: so far as everyone's are as he goes through this
Speaker 2: tough health battle. But the Blues, now, you know, they're
Speaker 2: going with their tails up to this game in christ yet.
Speaker 2: We'll get to the Crusader's reads at a moment. But
Speaker 2: the Crusader's never lost a home game. Van Koda mentioned, well,
Speaker 2: they've got to lose some time, he said, he.
Speaker 4: Was asked about that, not yet his immediate response, and look.
Speaker 2: They came very close to doing so. But for a
Speaker 2: James a Quanta penalty earlier in the season. The Crusaders
Speaker 2: will go in probably his favorites. But boy, the Blues
Speaker 2: will hid down there with their tails up. The things
Speaker 2: that potentially could count against them. That six day turned
Speaker 2: around for what was a very physical game. But when
Speaker 2: you got that adrenaline and that momentum going, that may
Speaker 2: not matter too much.
Speaker 3: It does feel like the Blues have nothing to lose,
Speaker 3: you know, the defending champions, but they just snuck into
Speaker 3: the playoffs.
Speaker 4: It's been a.
Speaker 3: Rubbish year really, from when you look at this squad
Speaker 3: and where they came from and how dominant they were
Speaker 3: to win that first title in twenty one years last
Speaker 3: year and then yeah they scrape into the playoffs, everyone's
Speaker 3: writing them off, nobody really gives them a chance. And
Speaker 3: it's a similar theme this week really with as you
Speaker 3: mentioned that the record down there in christ Church, most
Speaker 3: people will be tipping the Crusaders, and so the Blues
Speaker 3: maintain their underdog villain status or whatever you want to
Speaker 3: call it, go down there and ye harness their internal
Speaker 3: confidence and with the game that is built for finals rugby.
Speaker 3: So what a match up to arch rivals. I would
Speaker 3: like to see two selection changes from the Blues. I
Speaker 3: know you don't change your warning formula, but I thought
Speaker 3: Finlay Christie was relatively poor again drop the ball at
Speaker 3: the base, there was a thinking one kick charge and
Speaker 3: his kicking was a bit off. Tough of fol Nachi.
Speaker 3: I would bring him back into the mix, even off
Speaker 3: the bench, and zarh Sullivan for me, should be at
Speaker 3: fullback from when you're playing that combative direct game and
Speaker 3: you want to play territory just having his massive boot.
Speaker 4: I looked at Corey Evans.
Speaker 3: He put up a couple of high kicks and went
Speaker 3: to contest them very bravely, but didn't regather them. And
Speaker 3: a couple of clearance kicks only made you know, ten
Speaker 3: to twenty meters you put zar in the pocket, you're
Speaker 3: looking at another forty. So those were two tweaks I
Speaker 3: think the Blue should look at, but I'm not sure
Speaker 3: they will.
Speaker 2: All soun Sullivan and Steph Pittferer become two of the
Speaker 2: forgotten men of New Zealand rugby.
Speaker 4: Well, parafest is injured, Yeah, but isn't he back?
Speaker 2: He's back? Doesn't he fit again? Or very close to
Speaker 2: being fit?
Speaker 4: Pretty close?
Speaker 2: And again with the All Blacks looming, you know, not
Speaker 2: much of a chance to show the WIRs. Let's go
Speaker 2: into that Crusader's Reds game on Friday night. The Crusaders
Speaker 2: just went to work. Really, the Reds failed to fire
Speaker 2: a shot until the game was beyond them, and the
Speaker 2: Crusaders I think can be relatively happy with the eighty
Speaker 2: minutes they turned out. In fact, if you went into
Speaker 2: that game, if your Rob Penny pretty much everything, you know,
Speaker 2: they got through relatively injury free. From what I understand,
Speaker 2: they could sub some of those players before the game
Speaker 2: was done. It wasn't in the balance. Job done for
Speaker 2: the Crusaders, and they took that box on Friday night.
Speaker 3: A lot of the talk from us and outside was
Speaker 3: about the returner will Jordan, but the guy who had
Speaker 3: the biggest impact on this game returning was Fletcher Newel
Speaker 3: and the Crusaders scrum just ate the reds up to
Speaker 3: Mighty Williams and Fletcher Neil Fletcher in particular, just went
Speaker 3: to work and that's where their dominance started and they
Speaker 3: just rolled on. It really was a procession and it's
Speaker 3: what you expect, wasn't it from that matchup? Much tougher
Speaker 3: quest this week, but as you mentioned, they are in
Speaker 3: great shape to Mighty Williams.
Speaker 4: Injury not too bad.
Speaker 2: I don't think it's too bad. I's get a full
Speaker 2: report on that, but I think it's okay, hopefully from
Speaker 2: a Crusader's perspective, because he's I mean, he's on a
Speaker 2: mountain of work this year. He switched to tight head
Speaker 2: for a period of weeks with Fletcher Newell being out.
Speaker 2: He's been excellent. I think for them. Tomody Williams the
Speaker 2: season probably close to being their best player throughout the season.
Speaker 2: Just what he's adding to his game a few times
Speaker 2: he's slotted in a half back and showing a pretty
Speaker 2: good pass, which I know is not his core skills,
Speaker 2: but his scrummaging work has been excellent this season, and
Speaker 2: really liking the way that he's going. So hopefully and
Speaker 2: I haven't had update from Friday night, hopefully it's not
Speaker 2: too bad in that perspective.
Speaker 3: Yeah, big, big performer there, I thought, Christian Leo Werde
Speaker 3: another standout performance from him. James O'Connor was quite patchy
Speaker 3: off the bench, missed touch kick that was kick the
Speaker 3: ball dead and another sort of knock on, so uncharacteristically
Speaker 3: poor performance when he did come on there.
Speaker 4: Big. Focused on the scrum this week.
Speaker 3: I think we've talked a bit about Josh for situr
Speaker 3: and has you know rise this year while going up
Speaker 3: against Fletcher. Massive task to stabilize that scrum because the
Speaker 3: Crusaders clearly came from the Reds there and the Blues
Speaker 3: value their set piece that they backed themselves and so
Speaker 3: that's where this could be. One of the.
Speaker 2: Blues had a few issues at scrum time on the
Speaker 2: weekend and gets got popped up by Olie Norris on
Speaker 2: one occasion. So yeah, that's going to be key part
Speaker 2: of the game, isn't it. And we have our playoff set.
Speaker 2: We'll get into some tipping very very shortly. But you
Speaker 2: know the road to the title runs through christ Church,
Speaker 2: which not many would have expected after that first weekend.
Speaker 2: And what chance do you give the Brumbies of beating
Speaker 2: the Chiefs in Hamilton? You mentioned the Blues have got
Speaker 2: that style of game that can stop them. Well, the
Speaker 2: Brumbies have got that prototype as well. You'd fancy the Chiefs,
Speaker 2: but you know, the Brumbies are really in a similar
Speaker 2: position to the Blues. They've got nothing to lose.
Speaker 4: It was just firstly on the Crusaders.
Speaker 3: Look, it's the title to lose that with the rankings changing,
Speaker 3: with them having the box that they're in the box
Speaker 3: seat home advantage. Freezing in christ Church everything set up
Speaker 3: from just on there. Where the hell was everyone?
Speaker 2: It was freezing.
Speaker 3: There's nobody there, mate, Like did you even care about
Speaker 3: rugby and cushy cold mate? It was like two degrees
Speaker 3: literally no one there. Yeah, what very very poor toun out.
Speaker 2: Okay, that stadium is sucks shit for one, and people
Speaker 2: cannot wait to get them the new stadium. Two They
Speaker 2: were most likely to have a game the following week three.
Speaker 2: That reads a huge draw card arrogance four.
Speaker 3: It was just cold, mate, I don't want to hear
Speaker 3: it's cold, Okay, I get it's cold. It was cold
Speaker 3: and Hamilton's it.
Speaker 2: Was cold and wheat and raining and there is nowhere
Speaker 2: more miserable to be than that tin pot stadium.
Speaker 3: Look, I understand that, but it was a terrible look
Speaker 3: for a quarterfinal match to be played in front of
Speaker 3: no one man when you've had so much success. Just
Speaker 3: going back to the Brumbies, there are a live chance
Speaker 3: the Chiefs need to play more rugby and their confidence
Speaker 3: will be rocked by that. They blew it thirteen point
Speaker 3: lead in the second half and they've got this finals yep, yep,
Speaker 3: yeah hanging over them having lost to was three finals.
Speaker 3: Really if you go back to Super rugby, alter and
Speaker 3: a lot of pressure to try and send off CLAYT
Speaker 3: McMillan in the right fashion, and yeah that was They're
Speaker 3: very lucky to have to retain a home semi final
Speaker 3: this week. But the Brumbies, if they played to their best,
Speaker 3: are a real live chance.
Speaker 2: Indeed, well we'll look forward to that this week in
Speaker 2: commentary of both on Gold Sport and iHeartRadio. Of course,
Speaker 2: will take a break here on Rugby Direct. Come back
Speaker 2: with the second half after this.
Speaker 1: This is Rugby Direct, a vodcast for real rugby fans.
Speaker 2: Every drive, drive and sixty secondary, tackle to tack, tackles,
Speaker 2: get up, agaying you before time.
Speaker 4: It's Rugby Direct.
Speaker 2: Lad, You're back with Rugby Direct, powered by Habit Health,
Speaker 2: tackling all your aches and pains from sport and let's
Speaker 2: get into the final four four rugby topics. Liam and
Speaker 2: I discussed debate, et cetera, et cetera. R three sixty
Speaker 2: A lot of hype coming out of the Northern Hemisphere.
Speaker 2: Any prospect of this working? This franchise competition that supposedly
Speaker 2: we've got some of the greats of franchise sport, the
Speaker 2: NFL owners, the Premier League, the Formula One, they all
Speaker 2: want a slice of R three sixty. Will we ever
Speaker 2: see this actually take the field? This sounds a bit
Speaker 2: Steve Hansen twelve?
Speaker 4: Was it twelve?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 4: The twelves. Yeah.
Speaker 3: Look, there's lots of these concepts around, but I think
Speaker 3: the only way this skits off the ground if Mike
Speaker 3: Tinlkin swindle some royals money because it's literally going to
Speaker 3: take not small fortune to be able to bankroll it
Speaker 3: and look as a disruptor as a means to get
Speaker 3: rugby to think about things differently. It's not the worst
Speaker 3: concept in the world, but oh, it's pretty close. I
Speaker 3: cannot see it getting off the ground.
Speaker 2: No, I just don't know where the desire is from
Speaker 2: this Sevens are battling at the moment. It's very Sevens
Speaker 2: like concept, and they go around the globe. We're going
Speaker 2: to bring all the best players in there. Well, the
Speaker 2: Sevens isn't working. And when you've got no connection, where
Speaker 2: do the home fans go? You know, take it to Argentina,
Speaker 2: to take it to Spain, take it to wherever you want.
Speaker 2: But you need to have home fans and have some
Speaker 2: supporter base, and a globe trotting franchise league doesn't quite work.
Speaker 2: Just because you're putting the best players in the world
Speaker 2: in our team doesn't mean that anyone that you'll have
Speaker 2: any connection to it or want to see it. And
Speaker 2: you can see the best players in the world play
Speaker 2: pretty accessibly in terms of rugby. They go around the globe.
Speaker 2: That's kind of the basis of what makes rugby union
Speaker 2: so good as it is a global game and you
Speaker 2: can go north and see the best players in the
Speaker 2: world and reverse and come down south. So I know
Speaker 2: they're more worried about it in the Northern hemisphere than
Speaker 2: they are seemingly around the Southern hemisphere because they've got
Speaker 2: a lot of issues around the Premiership and everything like that.
Speaker 2: You know where some money could be tempted with a
Speaker 2: lot of those teams in financial difficulty, not saying New
Speaker 2: Zealand and Super Abay clubs aren't in financial hardship as well,
Speaker 2: but it seems like something that's driven out of the
Speaker 2: North that seems more appealing to the North. Just can't
Speaker 2: see it working. And six R three six is a
Speaker 2: terrible name. It sounds like you're sitting down on a
Speaker 2: Monday night to watch Buzz Rothfield and Braith and Astera
Speaker 2: and the boys to watch them debate that the weekend.
Speaker 2: That was Yeah, just just don't see it working.
Speaker 3: No, And it's the cash that you need to bank
Speaker 3: roll that many players, that many teams, the yeah, the
Speaker 3: global travel, all the rest of it. It's who's funding there,
Speaker 3: And that was all that. That's the question of all
Speaker 3: the sort of concepts is who's going to bank roll
Speaker 3: them and why? So Yeah, I think there's been a
Speaker 3: bit of interest up north and players signing signaling their
Speaker 3: interests if it does get off the ground, but that's
Speaker 3: just them looking after their their you know, their patch
Speaker 3: and not ruling things out. But very very surprised if
Speaker 3: this is a fly.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think from what I understand, it's sort
Speaker 2: of be taking to World Rugby Council if they wanted.
Speaker 2: I mean, they could do a rebel league themselves, but
Speaker 2: you wouldn't have allow players to be playing test rugby.
Speaker 2: So if they want the players to be playing, it's
Speaker 2: got to go to World Rugby Council. It needs to
Speaker 2: be backed by a union, so they've got to find
Speaker 2: a union to go. This is a great idea, Let's
Speaker 2: take it to World Rugby Council. Then it needs to
Speaker 2: be voted in after that. So there's so many hopes
Speaker 2: to getting this off the ground. Just can't see it happening.
Speaker 2: Topic number two, the hurricane season. Give us the grade
Speaker 2: from A to.
Speaker 3: Well, if it's tough, isn't it still still down in
Speaker 3: the dumps here? And then you're really kicking a man here. Look,
Speaker 3: they have had a lot of departures in recent years.
Speaker 3: No Jordie, no Ardie. They barely had a first five
Speaker 3: for most of the year. Yeah, so that's something like
Speaker 3: Crusaders from US. Look, I'm going to give them a
Speaker 3: B plus. Okay, I'm giving them a B. So we're similar.
Speaker 3: They came into their own towards the end of the season.
Speaker 3: They had injuries. As you mentioned, they didn't have Ruben
Speaker 3: Love for the first month and a half roughly of
Speaker 3: the competition. Brick Cameron was out for a long period
Speaker 3: of time. They started Riley ho Heepper at ten for
Speaker 3: a number of weeks.
Speaker 4: Harry Godfrey was very good and then they lost him
Speaker 4: as well.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and horn Heeaper is just not the answer. I
Speaker 2: think they missed a track by moving Ruben Love back
Speaker 2: to fifteen in those last couple of weeks by instead
Speaker 2: of putting Brick Cameron. By putting Brick Cameron back in
Speaker 2: at ten, I would have stuck with Ruben Love. He
Speaker 2: was the guy in the hot seat, had the hot hands.
Speaker 2: Bret Cameron's a solid player, but Ruben Love's the future.
Speaker 4: Yeah, just on that. A couple of.
Speaker 3: Tactical blunders from Love and Callum Hark and kicking the
Speaker 3: ball away late in the piece in that match. So
Speaker 3: still a lot to learn from a game management maturity
Speaker 3: point of view when the game is on the line.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they miss Kenning Hollow later in the season, I
Speaker 2: felt as well. Obviously had to move Baalen Sullivan and
Speaker 2: some of the pieces of the back line around.
Speaker 4: More not there for a lot of the years or
Speaker 4: Lomax came back later.
Speaker 2: Yes, they had injuries, but it felt like they were
Speaker 2: gaining momentum and it came to a very sudden stop
Speaker 2: in Canberra, and again it wasn't in theory supposed to
Speaker 2: be sudden death. They couldn't quite get this, So block
Speaker 2: on too twenty twenty six and they'll have Jordy Barrett
Speaker 2: back for next year as well, which is a positive
Speaker 2: for you guys.
Speaker 4: It is.
Speaker 2: It is topic number three on the basis of the weekend.
Speaker 2: If you changed your mind on the Super Rugby playoff format. No,
Speaker 2: and there's a lot of talk about this wasn't.
Speaker 3: There a lot of acts and it was largely around
Speaker 3: the lucky loser type concept. But the one frustration that
Speaker 3: we touched on and talked about was the chief or
Speaker 3: should the Chiefs lose ever, lose only dropped one ranking position,
Speaker 3: and for me, that's almost the biggest scrape with it.
Speaker 3: I think the Chiefs, having lost, should go to fourth
Speaker 3: to have a guaranteed home semi final and be a
Speaker 3: lucky loser. That's a double reward. I think in a
Speaker 3: perfect world the top two teams get.
Speaker 4: The week off. We understand that the broadcasting.
Speaker 3: Financial imperatives behind those decisions to have a full quarter
Speaker 3: final as such, but to only lose one ranking position
Speaker 3: I think in the context of what happened at the
Speaker 3: weekend doesn't feel right.
Speaker 2: I'm kind of with you that I think they should
Speaker 2: slide to last, but also that would have meant the
Speaker 2: Crusaders now play the Chiefs, and probably not a game
Speaker 2: the Crusaders would want this week. I mean, the Blue's
Speaker 2: gonna be tough. A is that they don't get me wrong.
Speaker 4: But don't get a hand pick here. No semi finals.
Speaker 2: But if they slide to the bottom, you're all of
Speaker 2: a sudden facing the best team in the season, you know,
Speaker 2: in the second week of the playoffs, rather than potentially
Speaker 2: in the final. So yeah, I don't think there's a
Speaker 2: per format when you're refusing to give the top two
Speaker 2: teams off, you're sort of always going to lose something
Speaker 2: as a result or be hamstrung by something as a
Speaker 2: result of that. So yeah, Max feelings still despite perhaps
Speaker 2: some of the jeopardy that came into the weekend and
Speaker 2: topic number four not a topic or a debate or anything,
Speaker 2: but Stu Bawson passing away over the weekends one of
Speaker 2: those figures that I don't think you or I would
Speaker 2: have seen live obviously, but a name that probably we
Speaker 2: knew from a young age broadcaster wise, he was on
Speaker 2: the TV, commentated a lot of games. You see some
Speaker 2: highlights maybe from yester year. So he was a real
Speaker 2: character of the game in New Zealand and very very
Speaker 2: sad to hear of his passing and at a very
Speaker 2: young age of seventy.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Wellington in all Black great in the seventies and eighties.
Speaker 3: I grew up in a house where Ebonie and Ivory,
Speaker 3: the book he had with Bernie Fraser was on the
Speaker 3: mantle piece. And yeah, as you mentioned, not just his
Speaker 3: feats on the field but off the feel real character,
Speaker 3: a lot of personality brought that to commentary, very funny
Speaker 3: and engaging, and I think he had a stint put
Speaker 3: in his heart in twenty twenty one and actually worked
Speaker 3: as an orderly in total on the hospital prior to
Speaker 3: passing away over over the weekend. So yeah, very sad news,
Speaker 3: and I'm sure they'll be keenly felt by a number
Speaker 3: of players from his generation. David Campeazy leading the tribute,
Speaker 3: saying he was cocky and confident and had you know,
Speaker 3: as sharp as a tack on and off the field.
Speaker 3: So players of that generation will, yeah, I'm sure rally
Speaker 3: round and share some memories, surely.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, after I had to think, after dinner speeches
Speaker 2: and m seeing gigs. He sort of did over the years,
Speaker 2: very prolific, So very very sad news. Let's get into
Speaker 2: out tipping. Over the course of the weekend, we both
Speaker 2: had two out of three. Liam, you picked the Crusaders
Speaker 2: and Blues, but your Canes you got that pack wrong.
Speaker 2: I picked the Crusades and Brumbies and got the Chiefs
Speaker 2: game wrong. So that means I still lead by six
Speaker 2: points forty nine point five to fifty five five. No
Speaker 2: toots this week Crusaders Blues Friday Nights.
Speaker 3: Look, I'm gonna have to go with the Blues. Aren't underdogs? Villains, villains, villains, yeah,
Speaker 3: taking it was kept in America.
Speaker 4: That was the Canes.
Speaker 2: But the Blues Spider Man, spider Man, Yeah, not really
Speaker 2: a villain, are they. Spiderman's a good guy. Yeah, hey,
Speaker 2: that could be the Jesseys down there this week. Prob
Speaker 2: would clash with the Crusaders. That's some sort of villain revival.
Speaker 2: Can't think of one off the top of my head.
Speaker 2: So you're going to Blues. I'm going to Crusaders to
Speaker 2: win that. Chiefs Brumbies Saturday Night seven o five. The
Speaker 2: Chiefs hot favorite for this one against the Brumbies. You know,
Speaker 2: the Brumbies go across the Tasman nothing to lose. But
Speaker 2: I still think the Chiefs will bounce back. Even though
Speaker 2: you know that game was pretty torrid and they would
Speaker 2: have taken a bit of a rock to the confidence.
Speaker 2: I still think the Chiefs will back. So I'm going
Speaker 2: Crusaders Chiefs one.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm going to the Chiefs too.
Speaker 3: I think I think the Brummy's all get there are
Speaker 3: real nudge But I'd be surprised of the Chiefs that
Speaker 3: they have shown this year they're belity to bounce back
Speaker 3: from a defeat. You think about that lost to the
Speaker 3: Hurricanes and Wellington Clate mcmellon made them listen to the
Speaker 3: Hurricanes team song, and.
Speaker 4: God knows what he listened to on the weekend, I
Speaker 4: can only imagine.
Speaker 3: And they did bounce back emphatically from that defeat, so
Speaker 3: surely everything to play for, they've got to get up.
Speaker 2: We'll see MVP Metal voting time three two ones. Ardie
Speaker 2: sav leads by twelve points, Boden Barrett on thirteen points
Speaker 2: and second and to Marthy Tapa tab naw Way in eleven.
Speaker 2: Now he can't get any more points. We do continue
Speaker 2: it during the playoffs. My three two ones, Christian Leo
Speaker 2: Willie gets my three points. He led the way on
Speaker 2: the weekend. I think he's right in that all Blacks mix.
Speaker 2: I think he was second only to Will Jordan for
Speaker 2: number of carries. He was just everywhere for the Crusaders
Speaker 2: on the weekend. He gets my three hoskins. The two
Speaker 2: he gets my two probably has been performed in a
Speaker 2: tight game. I just thought he led the punch for
Speaker 2: the Blues in a way we haven't seen. Patrick Tweeple
Speaker 2: or two gets my one. Boden Barrett probably should have
Speaker 2: got a point at some point because he outpointed and
Speaker 2: was out of the match. But that's the three to two.
Speaker 2: When I went to that certain point in time, I'm
Speaker 2: gonna go Hoskins for three.
Speaker 3: I thought he was exceptional and I think he has
Speaker 3: been standing up big time at the back end of
Speaker 3: the year for the Blues. And it's some of the
Speaker 3: criticisms of his game where he's actually coming to the fours.
Speaker 3: It's that combativeness. It's you know, the physical exchanges in
Speaker 3: defense at the breakdown with ball in hand, he's making
Speaker 3: real hard meters. So I think he's one of the
Speaker 3: former loose forwards in this competition really standing up.
Speaker 4: So three to him, two to Fletch Newell.
Speaker 3: I just think he was a massive driving force behind
Speaker 3: that Crusader's victory. And I'm going to give one to
Speaker 3: Boden just for his tactical control, clearly out Shawn McKenzie there.
Speaker 2: Indeed, Well, there you go our three two ones of
Speaker 2: Boden gains a point on Ardie Savia and the rankings
Speaker 2: moves to fourteen. Another week of three two ones next week,
Speaker 2: And speaking of next week, we pick he's a bit
Speaker 2: a homework for a liam Our thirty five Man All
Speaker 2: Black squad to face France. This will be a last
Speaker 2: podcast before the squad is announced, So next week on
Speaker 2: our edition of the podcast, I want you to pick
Speaker 2: your thirty five names. You can pick it however you like,
Speaker 2: but I want those thirty five names and I'll do
Speaker 2: the same.
Speaker 3: You can handle that, won't go with the dog ate
Speaker 3: my homework excuse and yes we were. The following week
Speaker 3: after the Super Ugby Final, you know, will be jetting
Speaker 3: our way to the beautiful Tartanucky Coasts, yes, where the
Speaker 3: All Black squad will be announced at the Coastal Rugby.
Speaker 2: Club, hopefully ned some interviews and some thoughts and and
Speaker 2: get the podcast going down there. It'll be busy or
Speaker 2: game because we're wrapping the the Super Rugby Final between
Speaker 2: the and the Chiefs. Maybe maybe not Blues Brumbies Blues Chiefs.
Speaker 2: We'll be wrapping something as well. No, it will not
Speaker 2: be and that's probably a good note to furnish it
Speaker 2: on for Rugby Direct for another week. Thanks for our
Speaker 2: friends that habit health, tackling all your aches and pains
Speaker 2: from sport and work. Our thanks to the last and
Speaker 2: Bars English. But we will see you next.
Speaker 1: Week for more from News Talks, ed B. Listen live
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