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Speaker 2: book Today and Stay in the Game Rugby Direct Back.
Speaker 2: We had Super Rugby Around one and the books. Elliott
Speaker 2: Smith with me is Liam Napier, rugby writer, correspondent, co host,
Speaker 2: et cetera, et cetera, Liam, Super Rugby Round ones in
Speaker 2: the Books. Overall, how did you feel about the quality
Speaker 2: of rugby we saw over the weekend.
Speaker 3: I think it was a typical first round, Elliott. Great
Speaker 3: to have it back on our earways. Suffered somewhat from
Speaker 3: not having the best team in the competition start the round.
Speaker 3: The Hurricanes, you know, almost came out in protest with
Speaker 3: them not there right okay, but there was some quality.
Speaker 3: There was some great passages, and I think there was
Speaker 3: some clunkiness as well and some underwhelming long.
Speaker 4: Patches as well.
Speaker 3: So I expect the season to get better, but great
Speaker 3: to see some upsets. I think that's crucial for this competition.
Speaker 3: We don't want it to be highly predictable, don't want
Speaker 3: it to be.
Speaker 4: Scripted, do we.
Speaker 3: So props to the Highlanders in particular, everyone's second favorite
Speaker 3: team for the week.
Speaker 2: Not my second favorite team, but that's all right. You
Speaker 2: know everyone else could have their second favorite teams the Highlanders.
Speaker 2: Let's start the Highlanders twenty five Crusaders twenty three under
Speaker 2: the roof in Dunedin, and this was a very good
Speaker 2: performance from the Highlanders. I thought it first half took
Speaker 2: advantage of the Crusaders eras Crusaders couldn't hold onto any
Speaker 2: ball for that first period and just took their opportunities
Speaker 2: when they came. I think you've got to look at
Speaker 2: the Crusaders and go, you know, maybe you know Cody,
Speaker 2: Taylor and Wild and I know they had all blacks rice,
Speaker 2: but they looked a lot better when they were on
Speaker 2: the park, but they just Crusaders looked clunky for that
Speaker 2: first forty but the Highlanders looked like a team and
Speaker 2: maybe because they hadn't had as many all blacks through
Speaker 2: pre season, but they looked like a team ready to
Speaker 2: go for Round one. The Crusaders looked like they've been
Speaker 2: caught by surprise that super rugby had got underway.
Speaker 3: It will start with the Highlanders. I think almost need
Speaker 3: to offer an apology. Round one didn't give them a chance,
Speaker 3: and this picture thought the Crusaders would do it comfortably.
Speaker 3: And I heard this morning actually that the tab made
Speaker 3: a killing on that game. One punter put ten grand
Speaker 3: on the Crusaders. I certainly had them in a few multis,
Speaker 3: so not to that extent.
Speaker 2: Well, I think counts ten grand lighter this morning.
Speaker 3: But the context around the Highlanders, isn't it having lost
Speaker 3: the LM. Pledger, Fabian Hollands, they just seem like they're
Speaker 3: on the Rackabit and Jamie Joseph the distraction around that.
Speaker 4: Look at their roster.
Speaker 3: It doesn't have the star stuttered names of the other
Speaker 3: New Zealand franchises, but they turned up and I was
Speaker 3: really impressed with some of their non headline players. Jack Taylor,
Speaker 3: I know the line out really struggled, but he was
Speaker 3: good around the field. Lucas Casey was good, good on debut.
Speaker 3: And then when they do get that front foot platform,
Speaker 3: the outside backs in particular lethal Jacob Ratamavuki Nipkins, Caleb Tungytowe.
Speaker 3: The try that he scored just blistering pace. He is
Speaker 3: an out and out finisher. It was a real statement
Speaker 3: finished from him to beat fi Haki and one another
Speaker 3: in the corner. You know, he didn't have a lot
Speaker 3: of room to move, but pure pace and they just
Speaker 3: kept coming.
Speaker 4: The Hoighlanders.
Speaker 3: It was quite a smart tactical decision to switch the
Speaker 3: front rows to match what the Crusaders.
Speaker 4: Were doing with their bench.
Speaker 3: And it did feel like watching that game that the
Speaker 3: Crusaders would come over the top. When they was at
Speaker 3: the fifty minute mark, they introduced their bomb, scored six
Speaker 3: players as you mentioned, Will Jordan, Cody Taylor, Fletcher Newell,
Speaker 3: there was a host of others and the Crusaders just
Speaker 3: went about their methodical grinds that felt like they were
Speaker 3: going to come over the top.
Speaker 2: Was that a mistake, Well, yeah, I guess they're balancing that.
Speaker 2: All blacks restands. This is the juggling act that super
Speaker 2: rugby coaches have got to deal with, and the Crusaders
Speaker 2: you know, have probably you know the same amount of
Speaker 2: all blots or around about the same as the Chiefs.
Speaker 2: So the Chiefs went to Eden park in one, which
Speaker 2: we'll get to a minute, but you've got a delicate
Speaker 2: balancing act. But it felt like once the Crusaders had
Speaker 2: those all blacks on the park, they looked a lot
Speaker 2: better for that last half hour of the game. And
Speaker 2: as you say, rolling over the top, well, they got
Speaker 2: to the point that they were, you know, out in
Speaker 2: front and had a one point leads and we're looking
Speaker 2: perhaps the better team by that point. The Hinders had
Speaker 2: sort of fallen away a little bit in the game,
Speaker 2: but they gave away the penalty and the Highlanders cam
Speaker 2: Miller clutch enough to win it. So look, I thought
Speaker 2: the Crusaders played their best rugby between the fifty minute
Speaker 2: mark and the seventy eighth minute mark. That Penry I
Speaker 2: felt was correct, but not much that those two players
Speaker 2: could have done in terms of, you know, collecting the
Speaker 2: player coming through. But ultimately they left themselves too much
Speaker 2: work to do because at the first half they were
Speaker 2: just really really out of sorts, and as I say before,
Speaker 2: it felt like they were a team caught by surprise
Speaker 2: that Super Rugby had started on February fourteen.
Speaker 4: They had some good performers.
Speaker 3: Ethan Blackeader was everywhere from open side, but then others
Speaker 3: guys at least defying a nook who I thought was
Speaker 3: really underwhelming.
Speaker 2: We touched on it. I thought it was very underwhelming, just.
Speaker 3: His basic skills, his positional play really just a totally
Speaker 3: off performance. I don't know whether going back to the
Speaker 3: wing or switching into the midfield. We touched on it
Speaker 3: last week about being a hybrid player. He was in
Speaker 3: the ruck at times. Maybe he's got too much on
Speaker 3: his plate.
Speaker 2: Yeah, this could all be the place. He doesn't look
Speaker 2: like a wing anymore for me, And I know the
Speaker 2: Crusaders have a few injuries around the wings that were
Speaker 2: kind of forced to put him there. But he's barely
Speaker 2: played wing for and we played there a couple of
Speaker 2: times the All Blacks last year, but barely played there
Speaker 2: for the best part of three years. And he got
Speaker 2: out done for that first tribe. Poor defensive read and
Speaker 2: then a lot of drop ball as well, which was
Speaker 2: something we saw from him in the All Blacks last
Speaker 2: year as well. One handed carry. He's just not able
Speaker 2: to secure the ball. It feels like there's a really
Speaker 2: quality player there, but he's just got to sharpen up
Speaker 2: on some of those basic sets and I'm not sure
Speaker 2: that he's a great defensive reader of the game. So
Speaker 2: on the left wing he got found out for that tribe.
Speaker 2: But again, at center, you've got to be strong on defense.
Speaker 2: So I think there's a few question marks over him
Speaker 2: this season.
Speaker 3: There's no doubting his physical capabilities ball in hands at pace,
Speaker 3: incredibly difficult to stop. But you those soft skills, catch pass,
Speaker 3: defensive reads like you say, so there's some pretty big
Speaker 3: flaws to for him to.
Speaker 4: Work through there. Interesting around the turnout.
Speaker 3: I think that they got fifteen thousand then it looked
Speaker 3: like a great atmosphere. But I did read something from
Speaker 3: Dylan Cleaver's piece that he made a late decision. He's
Speaker 3: into needing to go to the game, and real backlog
Speaker 3: of people trying to get in, So maybe something for
Speaker 3: the stadium to address there.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's classic New Zealand, doesn't it. Though. You arrive
Speaker 2: and hope, Yeah, you've got enough time without wanting to
Speaker 2: sit in the stands for too long, and then ultimately
Speaker 2: you get in the stands late.
Speaker 4: But look, good turnout.
Speaker 2: Good turnout for round one. I know the few people
Speaker 2: saying they should have done it on Saturday because it
Speaker 2: was obviously I think its O week last week, but
Speaker 2: you know, there are various other considerations. I thought fifteen
Speaker 2: thousand was pretty good and you've got another home game
Speaker 2: this week against the Chiefs, so hopefully a good turn
Speaker 2: out then too.
Speaker 3: Yeah. I think it also speaks to the rivalry. You know,
Speaker 3: the Southern Derby is still a massive fixture on the
Speaker 3: rugby calendar, and you saw what it meant to the
Speaker 3: Harner's coaching box and the players to get.
Speaker 4: Up over the Crusaders.
Speaker 3: That's certainly a match that will always be circled long
Speaker 3: on the calendar, and there was genuine passion and pride
Speaker 3: in that performance.
Speaker 2: The work I didn't have on this opening weekend is why.
Speaker 2: You know they've made a lot about the thirtieth anniversary.
Speaker 2: Why wouldn't you kick it off again with Blues and Hurricanes.
Speaker 2: Now there's probably other reasons that are not privy too,
Speaker 2: but that kicked off Super Rugby in ninety six. Why
Speaker 2: not kick it off in twenty twenty six with Blues
Speaker 2: Hurricanes again? Yeah?
Speaker 4: It would have been an easy one.
Speaker 3: Interesting to note that thirty years ago the Haunters beat
Speaker 3: the Crusaders by two points and thirty years on they
Speaker 3: beat them by two points.
Speaker 2: Uniforms as well. I think that's how in the Crusaders
Speaker 2: campaign and known only six was not one to remember.
Speaker 4: Yeah, another one for the good guys, So up the Landers.
Speaker 2: Okay, that's enough for that. Let's move on to Saturday afternoon.
Speaker 2: More on a pacifica Fiji and Drewer. Good win for
Speaker 2: Winer pacificat on the road the Drewer your latok has
Speaker 2: been a bit of a graveyard for visiting teams. We
Speaker 2: had a lot of question marks over them last week
Speaker 2: around how they were going to roll out this year.
Speaker 2: But to go over Miracle Fire lungy bags a hat
Speaker 2: trick and then they take a win over the Feeder
Speaker 2: and draw a great Round one performance.
Speaker 3: Oh, huge results, particularly given everything that surrounded Moana on
Speaker 3: and off the field, question marks about how they're going
Speaker 3: to cover Adi. I'm not going to say Miracle stepped
Speaker 3: into his shoes. That's way too early, but to really
Speaker 3: come out and deliver a follow me performance that's exactly
Speaker 3: what Wina needed. And you're right about the dur Playing
Speaker 3: in Fiji is the hardest road trip in superb we
Speaker 3: particularly at this time of year with a sweltering heap.
Speaker 3: I think prior to that game, the Duror had won
Speaker 3: fifteen of their twenty two home matches, so incredibly difficult
Speaker 3: place to go. And I don't think you'd say a
Speaker 3: statement performance from Juana. But to come off last year
Speaker 3: where you beat the Blues, you beat the Crusaders, you
Speaker 3: the cusp of the top six, and now everyone's writing
Speaker 3: them off, well, I think people were starting to rethink
Speaker 3: those predictions.
Speaker 2: Yeah, if they can do it over there, then you
Speaker 2: know they can certainly Colleck some other wins drew a
Speaker 2: big question marks over them now. I think they came
Speaker 2: back into the game after they've been blown away by
Speaker 2: Mowana early. But I think it's going to be a
Speaker 2: long season to draw based on about forty eighty minutes.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and it seems like the recurring themes that the
Speaker 3: what I did see that game. It's the same issues
Speaker 3: around basic skills, the line outs being able to convert
Speaker 3: pressure into points when they get down there. You know,
Speaker 3: they just rely on individual brilliant So big question marks
Speaker 3: over their campaign.
Speaker 2: Yeah, let's continue to Saturday Evening. Blues beaten by the
Speaker 2: Chiefs nineteen fifteen. Cortez Ratam scores the winner for the
Speaker 2: Chiefs late in the game. What did you make of
Speaker 2: that game?
Speaker 3: When not a great spectacle? I think two teams that
Speaker 3: were fairly clunky. I think the first half was was
Speaker 3: a reasonable watch, but the second half, certainly for a
Speaker 3: good twenty minutes, was was pretty tough viewing. Lots of mistakes,
Speaker 3: nothing really getting going for either team. I think for
Speaker 3: the Blues, the one big question mark I still have
Speaker 3: is are they doing enough?
Speaker 4: Are they playing enough rugby?
Speaker 3: Are they like I understand Verncotta's style as direct, confrontational,
Speaker 3: you know, squeeze tactics, go to the mall, and that
Speaker 3: doesn't seem like it's going to change. I talked to
Speaker 3: Stephen Peterfetter last week and he was adamant that there
Speaker 3: is room in that structure for Flair, for him to
Speaker 3: put his imprint on the game and have a crack.
Speaker 3: But we barely saw Caleb Clark. I think Mark Tale
Speaker 3: is a big loss. On the other edge the right wing,
Speaker 3: Sullivan was pretty good at fullback, but I just think
Speaker 3: the Blues need to need to be a bit more
Speaker 3: venture because they had ample opportunity at the back end
Speaker 3: of that game to win it, but they just they're
Speaker 3: rolling more got shut down, they gave away a couple
Speaker 3: of penalties, and then boom, one moment the Chiefs steal it.
Speaker 2: They did, and you know, they gave him a couple
Speaker 2: of penalties to open up that door. I just felt
Speaker 2: it was an awful game. Let's be honest, it was
Speaker 2: an awful game of rugby. Didn't rise to any great heights,
Speaker 2: but it did feel like one of those games where
Speaker 2: the Blues were about to basically break the game open.
Speaker 2: You know, they had the advantage, you know, by fifteen twelve,
Speaker 2: and it felt like, you know, one score away and
Speaker 2: the game's probably done. You know, some games do feel
Speaker 2: like that. They left the door open for the Chiefs,
Speaker 2: who I thought were clunky as well, but the Chiefs
Speaker 2: were just you know, good enough to take that final moment.
Speaker 2: I didn't think either team did a great job of
Speaker 2: building pressure throughout that game. It felt like it was
Speaker 2: a game of moments. You know, it was no score
Speaker 2: in the opening thirty minutes, but it felt like, you know,
Speaker 2: the was it five all at half time? It just
Speaker 2: felt like it was one moment stacked on another moment.
Speaker 2: But it wasn't building pressure. I think that was the
Speaker 2: thing for the Blues is that they you mentioned the
Speaker 2: rolling wall and everything like that, that didn't spend enough time
Speaker 2: in the Chiefs red zone to really come home with that,
Speaker 2: you know, that kind of performance to win that game.
Speaker 2: So I don't know that we learned a lot about
Speaker 2: either team in all honesty from that performance.
Speaker 3: No, And both teams have a lot of players to
Speaker 3: come back, particularly the Chiefs a whole host of all
Speaker 3: blacks who didn't feature. I think the bench probably won
Speaker 3: it for them in the end. Summer Penny Female had
Speaker 3: a great line off a really nice delayed to proviaball
Speaker 3: to go through and set up courties Ratama who also
Speaker 3: came off the bench. So I think the Chiefs will
Speaker 3: be happy obviously to come up and sneak that and
Speaker 3: to set themselves up with that firepower they have to
Speaker 3: come back. Damien McKenzie and a host of others tt.
Speaker 2: Leroy Carter and played for the development team. This another
Speaker 2: player that I'm missing as well. It was about five
Speaker 2: of them that they didn't play on Saturday nights.
Speaker 4: Some real fire power, that's most your back line.
Speaker 3: I thought Quinta Pye was really good both over the
Speaker 3: ball and bringing that physicality with his carrying to provide
Speaker 3: was excellence.
Speaker 2: I thought had a good game as well.
Speaker 3: Yeah, the Chiefs line out didn't function very well. Bradley
Speaker 3: Slater was really good your man on debut for the Blues,
Speaker 3: and Yea Zarn Sullivan and a couple of others. But
Speaker 3: the back line didn't see a great deal of ball.
Speaker 2: The back line didn't see a great deal of ball.
Speaker 2: I felt, like, you know, Peter Key, I thought on
Speaker 2: debut was solid. Trying to think back to the commentary A. J. Lamb,
Speaker 2: I didn't think we had a lot of time on ball.
Speaker 2: Clark certainly didn't.
Speaker 4: What about the two teens?
Speaker 3: That was an interesting matchup Stephne de Fetter coming back
Speaker 3: from his last real competitive game since May, and Josh
Speaker 3: Jacob a big chance to start the season with Damien
Speaker 3: mckinn is he welcoming his first child. What did you
Speaker 3: make of both their performances.
Speaker 2: I thought Jacob was pretty good by and large for
Speaker 2: controlling the team, driving them around the park, and I
Speaker 2: suspect that we might see more of Jacob at ten
Speaker 2: this season than McKenzie. Might move mackenzie back at fullback,
Speaker 2: potentially coming later in the game to ten I'm interested
Speaker 2: to see where John O Gibbs it goes with that.
Speaker 2: But I talked in the postmatch about being a big
Speaker 2: fan of Josh Jacob and wanting him to regret basically
Speaker 2: every day going to the Highlanders from twenty twenty seven.
Speaker 2: I'd give a points decision to Josh Jacob. Piafeeda you
Speaker 2: touched on hasn't played since made He looked like a
Speaker 2: player that hadn't played since May. He wull be better
Speaker 2: for that outing. I still think he didn't unlock the
Speaker 2: Blues back line as much as you would have liked.
Speaker 2: I'm not sure he's the long term answer for them
Speaker 2: at ten. I think when Boden Barrett's back, they'll go
Speaker 2: back to Boden and the next few rounds. Once he's
Speaker 2: back for that Crusaders game on the seventh, which is
Speaker 2: around the date or the date that he's he marked.
Speaker 2: So yeah, points decision to Jake for me.
Speaker 3: Yeah. I thought Peterfetter had some nice touches long balls
Speaker 3: early and he kicked one fifty twenty two, but both
Speaker 3: tens struggled off the tea early some really easy misses,
Speaker 3: so I don't think it was an authoritative performance from
Speaker 3: either of them. Maybe a sign of start in the season.
Speaker 3: But yeah, interesting to see how Boden comes back as well.
Speaker 3: Traditionally the All Blacks come back off the bench, and jeez,
Speaker 3: will Jordan set the standard there, didn't they?
Speaker 2: Yeah, he very much did say he was excellent coming
Speaker 2: off the bench of the Crusaders. I've seen some social
Speaker 2: media that they did around Jordan. We're in twenty three
Speaker 2: Michael Jordan, et cetera, So I don't think it twenty
Speaker 2: three for two much longer.
Speaker 4: Michael had a few more hops.
Speaker 2: Maybe both both quality players. Ossie Games Wartas up the
Speaker 2: Reids thirty six twelve. This is a very good performance
Speaker 2: in the war Tars. Game was in the balance up
Speaker 2: until what about twenty to go, and the Wartars just
Speaker 2: broke home and ran in some late tries. Very impressed
Speaker 2: by what they are able to do. I think they'll
Speaker 2: rise up the table a little bit this year. The
Speaker 2: Wartars some really good outside backs Max Jorgncern quality players,
Speaker 2: so I was impressed by that. And the Rumby is
Speaker 2: just too good for the Force. Fifty six to twenty four.
Speaker 2: Signs of life in the Force that we talked a
Speaker 2: bit a little bit about last week that they might
Speaker 2: be back. Well, didn't start particularly well.
Speaker 3: No, that's a drubbing at home, isn't it because traditionally
Speaker 3: they are a lot better in Perth.
Speaker 4: But big result for the Waratars.
Speaker 3: I think that is a statement performance in a derby match.
Speaker 3: They were outsiders to start that week, heavily backed. I
Speaker 3: think their neck and neck going into the game. The
Speaker 3: Red's missing a few but that is a real stake
Speaker 3: in the ground from the Watars and I think they
Speaker 3: can kick on and be genuine contenders this year. I
Speaker 3: think Sydney's not an easy place to go, so yeah,
Speaker 3: interesting to see if they can kick on.
Speaker 2: Indeed, all right, we'll take a quick break here on
Speaker 2: Rugby Direct, come back with Final four and more after this.
Speaker 2: You're back with Rugby Direct. Time now for the Final four, Liam,
Speaker 2: question for you number one. Did the Highlanders win over
Speaker 2: the Crusaders on Friday night? Locke and Jamie Joseph as
Speaker 2: the All Blacks coach.
Speaker 3: Well, the rumor was an overdriven that it's gonna it's
Speaker 3: gonna be announced this week.
Speaker 2: I was hearing it was gonna it's five o'clock Friday
Speaker 2: before the game. There was one rumor going around.
Speaker 4: It's all rubber stamp. It's good to go here.
Speaker 2: Late March early June did a pump first week before
Speaker 2: the All Black time.
Speaker 4: The breaks awave it.
Speaker 3: Look, no it didn't, but it can only help his cause.
Speaker 3: It was a big upset result. But it has one result.
Speaker 2: We're very good in this country of not viewing things
Speaker 2: in context and viewing them in pure isolation. And one
Speaker 2: win is not going to get him the All Blacks
Speaker 2: coaching job. It's the same as if they've been beaten
Speaker 2: by twenty five points was not going to rule him
Speaker 2: out of the All Blacks coaching job. That helps.
Speaker 3: It's certainly it's it's front front viewing as it's front
Speaker 3: of mind. It's there, it's ever present. They've rey had
Speaker 3: a good win in Japan in the weekends. I think
Speaker 3: they beat t Shibam.
Speaker 2: Longer and to black at his team.
Speaker 3: Yeah that's all right, so but that's out of sight,
Speaker 3: out of mind to a degree. Look, yeah it doesn't.
Speaker 3: It won't hurt his chance as well, No, won't.
Speaker 2: And look this will be taking into consideration. But again
Speaker 2: you just don't know that a round one result in
Speaker 2: Super Rugby is going to be the tipping point for
Speaker 2: the the famous five as they come to that conclusion.
Speaker 4: That's a good I like that use that the panel.
Speaker 2: The Panel six Nations. Scotland rumors of their death have
Speaker 2: been greatly exaggerated. Gregor Townsend resigning for another ten years.
Speaker 4: Better again, Gregor is back baby.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that was a really good performance and England were
Speaker 2: quite poor. I thought watched the scame yesterday morning and
Speaker 2: didn't spect Scotland to win. Certainly didn't expect them to
Speaker 2: win thirty one twenty. They were claudy, I thought, and
Speaker 2: just everything that they didn't get right against Italy. They
Speaker 2: looked polished. I thought their fords are really really good.
Speaker 2: Their back line you know, to weep a lot too
Speaker 2: excellent again and Finn Russell won that Battle of the
Speaker 2: tens quite easily over George Ford.
Speaker 3: Yeah, what does do Scotland invest too much in the
Speaker 3: England performance? This is Scotland's fifth win in six games
Speaker 3: over England. England haven't won in Edinburgh since since twenty twenty.
Speaker 3: Great result for Scotland, particularly the bounce back from Italy.
Speaker 3: But it is a one off result and it is important.
Speaker 3: It means a lot to them. The Kelcutter Cup they
Speaker 3: always get up for ENGLM. But does is there too
Speaker 3: much focus for Scotland on one fiction? Does that change
Speaker 3: the complexion of Gregor Town's ends tenure as a whole.
Speaker 2: Quite possibly. You look at the record they've had against England,
Speaker 2: it's very very impressive, but you've got to win consistently
Speaker 2: elsewhere and Scotland haven't been able to do that. And
Speaker 2: you look back to what they did last year in
Speaker 2: the Autumn Nation Series, you know that they should have
Speaker 2: been in the All Blacks at Murrayfield. They should have
Speaker 2: been an Argentina the following weekend at inn at Murrayfield
Speaker 2: and blue what are twenty one? The lead or whatever?
Speaker 2: It was? So, yep, great, they've got the curl cutter cup,
Speaker 2: very very good performance. So I thought, as I say,
Speaker 2: Scotland were excellent, but it's no use if they are
Speaker 2: going to go lose to Italy and Rome in a
Speaker 2: poor game the week before. They've obviously got another game
Speaker 2: coming up this weekend, but they need to back these
Speaker 2: results up. And that's the story I think of Gregor
Speaker 2: Town's ends tenures that they have been high and then
Speaker 2: they've been low and haven't been able to get any consistency.
Speaker 2: So yeah, you're exactly right. The curl Cutter Cup is great,
Speaker 2: but it's consistency that Scottish rugby fans won't.
Speaker 3: Yeah, let's see what happens for the remainder of the
Speaker 3: six nations. Great win because England had won what ten
Speaker 3: twelve games in a row, so to halt that put
Speaker 3: some real context around maybe where England are at as well.
Speaker 3: Great one for Scottish rugby, but you've got to kick on.
Speaker 3: And I also just want to make the point that
Speaker 3: it's time now to genuinely put some respect on Italian
Speaker 3: rugby's name because they could have easily could have. They didn't, No,
Speaker 3: they didn't, but seven points they came within an island
Speaker 3: and they had a try just allowed.
Speaker 2: I thought they tried was being dislow, was pretty dubious,
Speaker 2: maybe out of the hands, potentially slightly forward. But you
Speaker 2: look at it and I go, is there enough for
Speaker 2: a TMO to INTERVENA be so adamant? Is how Holly
Speaker 2: Davidson's change your decision. I didn't think there was enough
Speaker 2: there to go. It has to be overturned. I thought
Speaker 2: it was a fifty to fifty call, and personally I
Speaker 2: hate the TMO. But I think those decisions shouldn't be overruled.
Speaker 2: I think there wasn't enough. You know, it wasn't absolutely
Speaker 2: fluid that it was a forward pass.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think it was probably the right call, but
Speaker 4: it was it was in real time.
Speaker 2: This is my New Year's resolution. I wasn't going to
Speaker 2: buck on at the TMO this year, but I didn't
Speaker 2: think there was enough that to overturn it. Put it
Speaker 2: that way.
Speaker 3: Yeah, good, another good performance from Badly and I think
Speaker 3: the context around with which they are viewed now needs
Speaker 3: to change. So like that, what they're win against Scotland
Speaker 3: last week was not a major surprise. It was an
Speaker 3: upset sure, But to go to Dublin and push Ireland
Speaker 3: to the brink I think shows where they're at. And
Speaker 3: I think they're coming to New Zealand in July, and
Speaker 3: that's in Wellington of all places.
Speaker 2: I saw el Ferguson puts us on Instagram as well.
Speaker 2: You know it is the graveyard for the All Blacks
Speaker 2: Mariki weekend, you know, I think.
Speaker 4: Look it's in there.
Speaker 2: What would you do if a beat the All Blacks?
Speaker 4: I'd probably have to sing the national anthem live on
Speaker 4: Rugby Direct.
Speaker 2: Well, we'll make that happen a lot better than that
Speaker 2: can happen if God for Italy beat the All Blacks
Speaker 2: later in the year and Wales crumbling its France this
Speaker 2: morning in a result that most of us still coming.
Speaker 4: Yeah, Griham times for Welsh rugby. But I also think
Speaker 4: that does show.
Speaker 3: How lethal France are and that back climb with DuPont,
Speaker 3: Jelly Beer ramos Man, they are so good to watch.
Speaker 2: Stack absolutely stacks. You had a piece last week top
Speaker 2: three in the final four around getting fans back into rugby.
Speaker 2: You spoke to Carl Budge who was made this. You
Speaker 2: know one of his aims is the Blues CEO around
Speaker 2: getting fans through the gates. Look that it was a
Speaker 2: very good opening round of Super Rugby. What fifteen ish
Speaker 2: thousand and Dunedin.
Speaker 4: Seventeen Eden Park.
Speaker 2: I know they had aim for maybe twenty didn't quite
Speaker 2: get there, but there was the sale gp on, there
Speaker 2: was other things on over the course of the weekend.
Speaker 2: I guess a good start for getting those fans through
Speaker 2: the gates. But there's to do.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think the challenge is outside of the kiwidobies, right.
Speaker 3: So Chiefs Blues is a headline fixture Heihna's Crusaders probably
Speaker 3: the biggest match of the year in Dnedain and Super Rugby,
Speaker 3: so punters are going to come for those games. It's
Speaker 3: when the foresaw of the drawer. Even the Brumbies who
Speaker 3: are a headline Australian team, that appeal isn't there. So
Speaker 3: I think one thing the Blues are doing well, there's
Speaker 3: one day that with they're packaged up with the racing.
Speaker 3: You can go to the racing and go to the Blues,
Speaker 3: or you know, maybe you partner up with the Warriors
Speaker 3: or another event in the city earlier kickoffs help family
Speaker 3: friendly ticketing prices, or opening up the outer oval and
Speaker 3: following things that have Aukland f C have done with
Speaker 3: They had a big Inlands Beach in a massive slide
Speaker 3: and all these things can sound a wee bit nef
Speaker 3: but I think you just have to try something.
Speaker 2: You do and you're right though those Australian games are
Speaker 2: a hard sell, but then you also look at it
Speaker 2: and go well, Auckland FC players Central Coast, they play
Speaker 2: newcast Lot home, they play and no one knows who's
Speaker 2: in their team unless you're an A league die hard
Speaker 2: with the greatest respect. So those shouldn't be as harder
Speaker 2: to sell those tickets as they are. You look at
Speaker 2: the Warriors, you know, you know, you know those players
Speaker 2: more so perhaps in the NRL, but they don't find
Speaker 2: it hard to sell. So I think we've got a
Speaker 2: view of Australian rugby because we got such a rugby country.
Speaker 2: There's like, oh, this is not worth going to, whereas
Speaker 2: in football and rugby league it's a different conversation. So
Speaker 2: I think the Blues have a harder sell to try
Speaker 2: and get people through the gates of those games. And
Speaker 2: it's interesting to see what car Budge is going to
Speaker 2: try over the next couple of years to try and
Speaker 2: make that happen. Afternoon kickoffs might help for you, force Drewer,
Speaker 2: Rumby's wartors, whatever game, but they can't do that every week.
Speaker 2: So I'm intrigued. Look, innovation is a good thing in drag.
Speaker 2: We need more of it. I think that's super Aquisin
Speaker 2: crying out for some of those sort of blue sky
Speaker 2: sort of thinking.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I do.
Speaker 3: I think it's it's called by just biggest challenge in
Speaker 3: his career. He's done exceptional things for the ASP Classic.
Speaker 3: He's worked with sale GP and a number of other things,
Speaker 3: but coming to a traditionally conservative sport like rugby, going
Speaker 3: to a ground like eden Park that can be very
Speaker 3: restrictive on what they allow you to do starting the
Speaker 3: season with a loss, and also the style of rugby
Speaker 3: the Blues are playing and not necessarily a great attractive proposition.
Speaker 3: So there's a number of challenges there. But I think
Speaker 3: he is a very innovative person, so interested to see
Speaker 3: what he can bring to that environment.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Me, the Blues Crusaders, Blues next time games against
Speaker 2: the Crusaders much seven. The shouldn't have too many issues
Speaker 2: getting a decent crowd for that. It's getting going to
Speaker 2: be a little bit cooler by that point in time.
Speaker 2: Fans have been more tuned to rugby by round four.
Speaker 2: But it might be but you know, there's all sorts
Speaker 2: of Yeah.
Speaker 3: The other challenge is Eden Park half capacity twenty thousand,
Speaker 3: is a full mount smart stadium, so it doesn't look
Speaker 3: the same, it doesn't feel the same from an atmosphere perspective,
Speaker 3: and I would also probably question whether rugby has the
Speaker 3: same die hard fans as say the Warriors do as well.
Speaker 2: No, I don't think they do. I mean there's not
Speaker 2: as I don't think it's a diehard Blues fandom that
Speaker 2: there is for the Warriors, and that's out of borne
Speaker 2: out of different things, different socioeconomic thing. There's so many
Speaker 2: reasons for that. But the Warriors have never wanted thing
Speaker 2: in their entire history. The Blues have won certain things,
Speaker 2: but they're you know, the Warriors fans still turn up
Speaker 2: Rainhaale shine at Mounts Amount Stadium. Blues fans can be fickle.
Speaker 2: There's a certain base there, but I just question, you know,
Speaker 2: there's not the diehards, is there? Yeah? Interesting to see
Speaker 2: where they go to. A good piece on the US
Speaker 2: held worth reading from Liam and number four. We'll get
Speaker 2: some Hurricanes chat in here. Even though play Ruben Love injured,
Speaker 2: we don't know the full details as yet. I heard
Speaker 2: last week he was in a moon boot around Palmston North.
Speaker 2: The Hurricanes acknowledge that with the media release. Was still
Speaker 2: waiting to hear how he goes, but hopefully not out
Speaker 2: for too long because I was really keen to see
Speaker 2: how he's going to go at ten this season.
Speaker 3: I'm hearing it's not serious, which is good news because
Speaker 3: I think everyone would love to see Rygard Love and
Speaker 3: Barrett kick off the season together. Whether that happens this
Speaker 3: week against Moan, I'm not too sure, but I think
Speaker 3: Ruben will be back soon. They've got Brett Cameron there,
Speaker 3: so different type of player, but I think it would
Speaker 3: be good to see Ruben Love getting extended run at ten,
Speaker 3: both for his own stability and career progression and for
Speaker 3: our interest.
Speaker 2: Absolutely right MVP voting. Who'd you come up with? You
Speaker 2: through two ones?
Speaker 3: Lamb, Well one person we didn't mention with the Blues before.
Speaker 3: Just a quick shout out to Torrian Barnes debut. Most
Speaker 3: people probably never heard of him unless you're a die hard.
Speaker 2: Drivers. Shout out to the bus drivers.
Speaker 4: Canonbury and Follower.
Speaker 3: But he hasn't cracked the top three. I'm going miracle
Speaker 3: Fi Lungey. Pretty hard to go past three tries, so
Speaker 3: he gets my three. Toper Vy excellent for the Blues.
Speaker 3: A bit of controversy around his try, but that was legit.
Speaker 3: You can dive for the trial line, just not over
Speaker 3: a ruck and he was excellent at the line out.
Speaker 3: Great soft skills around the field as well, and I'm
Speaker 3: going one to Tavanawa. I thought typically strong over the
Speaker 3: breakdown and with ball in hands, so a good start
Speaker 3: to the season in his comeback.
Speaker 2: Indeed three tries not good enough to get into my
Speaker 2: three two ones. Tuper I gets my three points. I
Speaker 2: thought he's excellent. That is exactly the blueprint of how
Speaker 2: you want and all back to play in Super Rugby.
Speaker 2: He just says to be getting better and better. He got.
Speaker 2: He was excellent last year for the Blacks. Then he
Speaker 2: had an injury layoff. Yeah, quality play to Lucas Casey.
Speaker 2: Very impressed by him on debut, had a good Super
Speaker 2: Rugby season, backed it up, sorry, good NB season backed
Speaker 2: up on debut and Super Rugby similar to Barnes, has
Speaker 2: come out of the wider training group and been thrusting.
Speaker 2: I think those two have big futures in front of them.
Speaker 2: On what we saw over the weekend, and one to
Speaker 2: No Hotham with the Cisco the Thong song. Yeah, yeah, no,
Speaker 2: but dount dunk du r. I don't need you're quite
Speaker 2: evidenus thing on this podcast. I'm not one point for
Speaker 2: not Hotham. Excellent was you know, probably the half back
Speaker 2: of the weekend for mine from a New Zealand perspective
Speaker 2: and a losing effort.
Speaker 4: Yeah, probably shaded from La Christie yep, yep.
Speaker 2: Risen was good off the bench for the Chiefs as well.
Speaker 2: They seem to like using him in that last thirty
Speaker 2: minute role. I mean he's done it for the All
Speaker 2: Blacks number of times, but you know he had a
Speaker 2: bit of a line why element to that last half hour.
Speaker 2: Scored the winning try as well, So interested to see
Speaker 2: how much he starts the season versus zavy Row. But
Speaker 2: watch the space. Those are our three two ones. Also
Speaker 2: get involved with us on fantasy as well. Rugby Direct podcast.
Speaker 2: I heard just before kick off I'd ethan degree to
Speaker 2: my team the hood. He was switched to the bench,
Speaker 2: so I made a late change. I can't remember who
Speaker 2: actually brought it in the end, but I did make
Speaker 2: the late change, so had I think I had a
Speaker 2: decent all weekend. But keep joining us on their Rugby
Speaker 2: Direct podcast as where you find us.
Speaker 3: Yeah, great turn out, thanks for getting on board. There's
Speaker 3: ninety teams in there. Yeah, and the winner will get
Speaker 3: super Rugby jersey.
Speaker 2: So yeah, get am I what's your username? What's your
Speaker 2: team name?
Speaker 1: On?
Speaker 2: I'm forty minute red card es, which isn't in joke
Speaker 2: about twenty minute red cards.
Speaker 4: I'm really hard to decipher Fox and Fazz.
Speaker 2: Fox and this year. So yeah, it would be good
Speaker 2: if he had everyone's actual names alongside them. You can
Speaker 2: sort of figure that out, but those are us too. Anyway,
Speaker 2: get involved Rugby Direct podcast to search for us as well.
Speaker 2: Tipping Wires will run through that on our Thursday podcast.
Speaker 2: Later in the week we'll go through who tips well
Speaker 2: and who didn't. But once we got the team's locked in,
Speaker 2: we will tip for round two. And also we want
Speaker 2: your feedback and your letters and your emails and any
Speaker 2: questions you've got in the Rugby Direct mailbag Rugby Direct
Speaker 2: at inside dot co dot NZI to get in touch
Speaker 2: with us. We'll read out it a couple every week.
Speaker 2: We might even do some sort of special mailbag episodes.
Speaker 2: We run through a lot of feedback, but certainly on
Speaker 2: Thursdays we'll have to answer a couple of questions. So
Speaker 2: keen on any questions you might have for.
Speaker 4: Us two Yeah, questions, hot takes, rumors.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we're open for it all. Rugby Directs the email
Speaker 2: there at NZ dot co dot in z. Thanks to
Speaker 2: Mark Kelly. We'll be back on Thursday with another edition
Speaker 2: of Rugby Directs. Say safe out there, Powered by having
Speaker 2: health physic. Book today and stay at the game.
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