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Speaker 1: Rugby Direct with Elliott Smith and Liam Napier, powered by
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Speaker 2: and your business to a higher level. Elliott Smith with
Speaker 2: me Liam Napier from The New Zealand Herald, as we
Speaker 2: reflect on the All Blacks win over Italy forty seven seventeen.
Speaker 2: Nape's first and foremost your your top line reactions to
Speaker 2: that game where the All Blacks won convincingly but also
Speaker 2: weirdly not convincingly.
Speaker 3: It's a great summary. E let's it's been a bit
Speaker 3: of a whirl windaw hasn't it come back from the
Speaker 3: capitol back in Auckland now. Look a lot to unpack
Speaker 3: from that game. First of all, I think nice to
Speaker 3: have early kickoff five pm, lots of families, lots of kids.
Speaker 3: It was a bit of a battle to sell it out.
Speaker 3: Italy are hard to sell them most other international teams,
Speaker 3: so that was really notable. And then from the All Blacks. Yeah,
Speaker 3: I think one really good quarter and a lot to
Speaker 3: improve otherwise. Look, Italy are the big movers of the
Speaker 3: six nations, but they were missing three of their starters
Speaker 3: and they're at the back end of the year. They
Speaker 3: come off successive losses to Japan and Wales. They were
Speaker 3: very resolute in defense, but I thought the All Blacks
Speaker 3: didn't adapt and had real trouble breaking through. They made
Speaker 3: some good adjustments after halftime, got some pay and then
Speaker 3: finished quite poorly as well. So all in all, I
Speaker 3: think they've really summed up well. And he said it
Speaker 3: was a pass, but he could tell he wasn't happy
Speaker 3: with the overall nature of that performance.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was clunky, It was scratchy, wasn't it. And
Speaker 2: I think the All Blacks have a lot to work
Speaker 2: on head facing Irelands next week. I think it probably
Speaker 2: depends on your point of view on life in general,
Speaker 2: where you're a glass half full, glass half empty sort
Speaker 2: of person. I would probably classify it as a minor
Speaker 2: step back from the first week against France, because there
Speaker 2: were a lot of expectations that they would build on
Speaker 2: what worked well against France and continue to layer.
Speaker 3: That on, particularly having gone with a really strong team
Speaker 3: and not an experimental one.
Speaker 4: That's right.
Speaker 2: So you go, okay, well, these players have had another
Speaker 2: week in the saddle, another seven days to the ten
Speaker 2: they had before the first game against France, so they
Speaker 2: should be a bit clearer around some of the roles.
Speaker 2: I didn't really see that for long periods of the game.
Speaker 2: But when the All Blacks flicked the switch in that
Speaker 2: thirteen fourteen minutes after halftime, they were utterly lethal and
Speaker 2: a sign of what they can do when they everything
Speaker 2: does click for them, and they closed the game down
Speaker 2: and in the matter of thirteen to fourteen minutes with
Speaker 2: those four tries after the break, But as Dave Renny rude,
Speaker 2: they didn't kick on with it. And look, there are
Speaker 2: a couple of reasons potentially for that. There was a
Speaker 2: big long stoppage for Tomaso Allen, which took all the
Speaker 2: momentum out of a game that was already won by
Speaker 2: the All Blacks. But they were playing against fourteen for
Speaker 2: a long period of the back half of the game
Speaker 2: and didn't accelerate what was obviously going to be a win.
Speaker 2: So there was for me a lot to work on
Speaker 2: out of the game, and I think probably as set
Speaker 2: at the top. A minor step back from what we
Speaker 2: saw last week.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think, look, this is a team that's in
Speaker 3: its infancy and growing pains are very evident, and from
Speaker 3: a game plan perspective, I think there has been quite
Speaker 3: significant change. You can see the All Blacks intent to
Speaker 3: retain the ball. They only kicked four times in the
Speaker 3: first half last week it was six. They made the
Speaker 3: I've got some stats here for you. They made three
Speaker 3: hundred and twelve passes, which is their most in the
Speaker 3: last fifteen years according to op the stats, and one
Speaker 3: hundred and eighty eight carries, which is also their fourth
Speaker 3: most in that same timeframe. So that tells you it
Speaker 3: speaks to the game plan, to the ball retention. But
Speaker 3: I just felt, particularly in that first half where the
Speaker 3: Italians were filling the field and defending really well chopped tackles,
Speaker 3: the All Blacks lacked variety and they did score that
Speaker 3: one try with the grubber kick, and it just seems
Speaker 3: a bit lateral, a bit predictable, and they didn't They
Speaker 3: didn't win the physical battle in the collisions, they weren't
Speaker 3: winning the breakdown, and they didn't generate enough go forward
Speaker 3: to allow them to go wide. So they made those
Speaker 3: adjustments after halftime, but against a better team, you want
Speaker 3: them to happen earlier.
Speaker 2: I think I think so too, and I don't think
Speaker 2: they switched. You know, we talk a lot about kicking
Speaker 2: and the All Blacks with the maybe run first or
Speaker 2: keep on hand mentality in the second In the first spel,
Speaker 2: that was crying out for some tactical kicking to try
Speaker 2: and put Italy on the back foot and disrupt the
Speaker 2: game they wanted to play. That wasn't really forthcoming from
Speaker 2: the All Blacks, and they seem to trust or believe
Speaker 2: that the smithod was going to work. And I suppose
Speaker 2: after halftime it did work, but I would have liked
Speaker 2: to see perhaps a.
Speaker 4: Bit more kicking.
Speaker 2: You know. Kicking sort of been painted as the evil
Speaker 2: art over the last few weeks, but I think there's
Speaker 2: still a room for it in a game plan and
Speaker 2: probably could have been unleashed in that first forty.
Speaker 3: Yeah, just when you're not getting that pay that go forwards,
Speaker 3: and maybe that speaks to the lack of dominant ball
Speaker 3: carriers that were that are in that All Black pack. Potentially,
Speaker 3: I think the All Blacks miss Peter Laco he was
Speaker 3: one of their better performers. I felt in the Test
Speaker 3: against France. He's not a massive guy, but his ball
Speaker 3: carrying is one of his real strengths. I thought Wallace
Speaker 3: a Titi had probably his worst test for the All Blacks,
Speaker 3: dropped a lot of pill and so yeah, that that
Speaker 3: twenty minute period after halftime, the All Blacks did make
Speaker 3: some adjustments, a little bit more tactical kicking, a lot
Speaker 3: more clinical with their skill execution in the first half
Speaker 3: as well. There are a few discipline issues. The scrum
Speaker 3: got pings and look the referee and the pedantic performance
Speaker 3: of the overarching TMO didn't help the nature of the spectacle.
Speaker 3: But they didn't get that quick ruck speed that they
Speaker 3: had in christ Church until the second half, and that's
Speaker 3: why I think you saw passes flying out over the
Speaker 3: touch line and a lot of inaccuracy because they were
Speaker 3: playing with men in their faces and they struggled to
Speaker 3: combat their Italian line speed.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Italy clearly worked out the way that the All
Speaker 2: Blacks were going to attack and from Italy side that
Speaker 2: I thought was really poor against Japan. You know, Dave
Speaker 2: Renny put it down to the heat on Thursday. Maybe
Speaker 2: that was a factor because they were a lot lot
Speaker 2: better though it was similar to the six nation side
Speaker 2: that we saw earlier in the year and perhaps with
Speaker 2: a little bit more class and claw in that first spell.
Speaker 2: They may have even been in front at halftime, but
Speaker 2: it wasn't to be. But I think they can probably
Speaker 2: hold their heads high a little bit from the way
Speaker 2: that the All Blacks or they put the pressure on
Speaker 2: the All Blacks, especially for the first forty or so
Speaker 2: minutes of the game. If you're an opposition team though,
Speaker 2: and say Ireland were watching that, the win watching that
Speaker 2: because they're about to play. But what would they have
Speaker 2: taken out is they prepare to play the All Blacks
Speaker 2: this week.
Speaker 3: I think the All Blacks attacking blueprints clear and if
Speaker 3: you can bring a bit of line speed, if you
Speaker 3: can put a bit of pressure on, if you can
Speaker 3: deny the All Blacks at quick ruck speed that go forward,
Speaker 3: then you frustrate them. So I think you'd be trying
Speaker 3: to do that. I think you'd still target the All
Speaker 3: Blacks in the air. There wasn't a huge amount of that,
Speaker 3: but the high ball the All Blacks the receiver are
Speaker 3: remember McKenzie dropping one, So I think Islam will still
Speaker 3: come for the all blacks in that department. And then look,
Speaker 3: you have to be aware of the all blacks streats,
Speaker 3: don't you, because when they do get it right, like
Speaker 3: you say, they are lethal. And we saw that with
Speaker 3: Will Jordan. Yeah, three tries, three tries record break in
Speaker 3: the evening and that really did happen in a flash.
Speaker 2: It did, and he had one of the first spell
Speaker 2: and then two bang bang very quickly to take the record.
Speaker 2: And you know, fifty tries as a phenomenal feat in
Speaker 2: test rug be.
Speaker 3: In fifty six tests, yeah, really is.
Speaker 2: He's not the highest New Zealand all time scorer, you know,
Speaker 2: a lot more days when those games were you know,
Speaker 2: the tour matches, various things, but to do it in
Speaker 2: test matches is quite the achievement. And look there are
Speaker 2: a club of six others that have reached fifty tries
Speaker 2: at tess Levely, obviously past Starkala who was an exceptional
Speaker 2: winger in his day as well. And you know, I
Speaker 2: think the record's sixty nine, so what twenty water catch
Speaker 2: and you wouldn't put it past him at this point.
Speaker 2: The strike right that he's got, as you said, and
Speaker 2: you know he's twenty eight now, you know, i'd think
Speaker 2: probably in the second third of his career, probably at
Speaker 2: this point in time. But he just showed his because
Speaker 2: quality and this moved back to the right wing over
Speaker 2: the last couple of you know, a lot of talk
Speaker 2: around whether he should play fullback or right wing. Five
Speaker 2: tries two weeks from the right wing just shows how
Speaker 2: lethal he is on the edge, but he also pops up.
Speaker 4: Around the park. These aren't just falling over the line
Speaker 4: for the tries.
Speaker 2: This is you know, Will Jordan having to go to
Speaker 2: work and set things up, and his acceleration I think
Speaker 2: is a second to none, and Will.
Speaker 3: Rugby acceleration anticipation I for a gap. You just think
Speaker 3: of the many moments we've seen him from sithing through
Speaker 3: on this occasion, I think he should be giving Josh
Speaker 3: Morby a birthday present because I felt Morby was a
Speaker 3: real game changer. He came on about thirty five minutes
Speaker 3: into that match when Lee Occarter departed. Sounds like an
Speaker 3: ac shoulder, which doesn't sound good for Lee. Ricarter had
Speaker 3: a disrupted year, but Morby, for me, on debut, rarely
Speaker 3: sees his chance. He was one of the best on display,
Speaker 3: I felt, and he really brought similar qualities to Jordan. Pace, anticipation,
Speaker 3: scything through on the edge, highly involved and certainly helped
Speaker 3: Jordan break that record.
Speaker 2: He did, and I think his time that he spent
Speaker 2: at fullback and will Jordan's the same, it does help
Speaker 2: them and seeing just the different ways that defenses operate
Speaker 2: where those gaps might be on the park, we'll be
Speaker 2: having to slot in on the left wing, which is
Speaker 2: probably a little bit unfamiliar for him, but you wouldn't
Speaker 2: have really known.
Speaker 4: I thought he was.
Speaker 2: Really really good. It's a remarkable story, isn't it. Given
Speaker 2: he went to France and was seemingly lost to New
Speaker 2: Zealand rugby, comes back and now on his day, on
Speaker 2: his birthday, makes his debut for the All Blacks. Has
Speaker 2: really put his hand up.
Speaker 3: We could almost categorize him as a journeyman. He played
Speaker 3: for Southland, Northland, the Hurricanes, that seemed like as a
Speaker 3: newer New Zealand career was over when he went to France.
Speaker 3: He cut that deal one year short to come back,
Speaker 3: had a breakout season with the Canes and even before
Speaker 3: he departed he did look to have those qualities but
Speaker 3: to do it this year in a championship winning squad
Speaker 3: and then to make your debut in that fashion, I
Speaker 3: think it was a real statement performance.
Speaker 2: It was, and look when he came back, it was like, Okay,
Speaker 2: that's a good pickup for the Hurricanes, but no one's
Speaker 2: thinking international level. This isn't a boost for the All Blacks.
Speaker 2: But it speaks to his ability this year and the
Speaker 2: way that he played that he was deserving opportunity and
Speaker 2: I thought took it as well. Anton Signa, I thought
Speaker 2: really added something when he came on at halftime with
Speaker 2: Luke Jacobson having a carf Nigol as well. He's not
Speaker 2: the biggest player on the park. I know he's had
Speaker 2: a little bit of size, but he's just got tenacity.
Speaker 2: He's got fight in them and he gets over the
Speaker 2: game line with a lot of his carries. He's always active,
Speaker 2: always involved in the game. And yeah, I think we'll
Speaker 2: see a lot more of Anton Signa in a Black jersey.
Speaker 3: It was nice to see him get an extended period
Speaker 3: of time rather than ten minutes at the end. Came on,
Speaker 3: like you said, straight after the break and look he
Speaker 3: at his parents, his brother and brothers and Leicester Fengenoku,
Speaker 3: who was his roommate at Nelson College when he came out,
Speaker 3: and he's on as a teenager from Germany, so very
Speaker 3: special night for him, and I agree, I think we'll
Speaker 3: see a lot more of him, I thought, Sam Dowry
Speaker 3: and Ethan the group was shown again for the All Blacks.
Speaker 3: Billy Proctor not his best test, missed that telling tackle
Speaker 3: on Menoncello early and there was one other pass which
Speaker 3: didn't stick. So yet to make that step up to
Speaker 3: test rugby, I think, and that center Jersey is probably
Speaker 3: quintupires to lose at this point in time.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think.
Speaker 2: I said on Thursday, I'm not convinced that Quint to
Speaker 2: Pyre is a Test level thirteen, but jury's probably out
Speaker 2: on Billy Procter being at Test level thirteen as well.
Speaker 2: Just didn't quite click frohim. I think he threw that
Speaker 2: pass that went over the touch line from memory in
Speaker 2: the first spell it was. It was a clunky night,
Speaker 2: I thought from Billy Proctor. The thing about Billy Procter
Speaker 2: is he's always active in the game and even when
Speaker 2: he perhaps isn't playing well, he's got a lot of
Speaker 2: involved in It makes a lot of tackles. He's very
Speaker 2: very good defensively apart from that obviously obviously look but
Speaker 2: even when he's falling off tackles, it doesn't seem to
Speaker 2: bother him. He gets back in the game very very quickly,
Speaker 2: and I think that'll hold him in good Steed and
Speaker 2: David and he's All Blacks with that that biggest philosophy
Speaker 2: back in game go again. But again we're just not
Speaker 2: seeing that the quality of what we've seen at super
Speaker 2: rugby level for a few seasons now, of what he
Speaker 2: is capable of. So I think you'd probably look this
Speaker 2: week to go Quinta Pie comes back to thirteen.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think so. But I agree that thirteen and
Speaker 3: six still remain very contestable positions for the All Blacks.
Speaker 3: And that's probably been true for at least a year
Speaker 3: or two now.
Speaker 2: It is, and no one's has managed to lock it down,
Speaker 2: you know, probably get onto some team stuff in a
Speaker 2: moment or two round with the changes they might make
Speaker 2: for Ireland. But I think we've seen some players really outshone,
Speaker 2: you know that perhaps the other contenders in the Jersey,
Speaker 2: you know, Luke Jacobson is a shame. It was gonna
Speaker 2: be so Anton Signia for forty minutes. But it was
Speaker 2: also shame we didn't see Luke J. Gibson kick on
Speaker 2: for a bit more in that game, because I thought
Speaker 2: he had another pretty good opening forty minutes. I think
Speaker 2: he might have been pinged once, but.
Speaker 3: He was one of the all blacks bests in that
Speaker 3: first time.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I was really impressed by what he did. A
Speaker 2: lot of he made a couple of line breaks or
Speaker 2: half break opportunities, so I really liked what he did
Speaker 2: and is seemingly slotting and really nicely to that Dave
Speaker 2: any system. Rubin Love at ten second testing probably didn't
Speaker 2: shine too much, almost got yellow carded or did briefly.
Speaker 2: What did you make of rubin Love's second test at ten?
Speaker 3: I wouldn't say it was authoritative, didn't notice him a
Speaker 3: great deal. I think I think he can probably take
Speaker 3: a wee bit more control of the match. But I
Speaker 3: wouldn't say he was playing off the back foot. But
Speaker 3: he certainly certainly went on the front foot. And they
Speaker 3: didn't have that speed, that pace, that same tempo that
Speaker 3: they enjoyed and Christ it so a learning experience for him,
Speaker 3: but I think it wasn't a step forward on what
Speaker 3: we saw the previous week. You know, I think about
Speaker 3: him challenging the line at least a couple of times
Speaker 3: in christ Church and siding through and putting others away.
Speaker 3: There wasn't a great deal o that was there.
Speaker 4: No, there wasn't.
Speaker 2: I think he had that nice fifty to twenty two
Speaker 2: during the second spell. I thought he in the first
Speaker 2: game against Ransie didn't overplay his hand. I think this
Speaker 2: time maybe he underplayed his hand a little bit. And
Speaker 2: it's a fine balance I think for a ten at
Speaker 2: Test level, especially in U ten, to get that sense
Speaker 2: of managing the game. And perhaps that was a trickier
Speaker 2: game to manage given some of the disruptions and various
Speaker 2: other things. But I don't know if Yeah, Similarly, I
Speaker 2: don't know if it was a step forward. I don't
Speaker 2: know if it was a step backwards either. I thought
Speaker 2: it was just a fine performance that without rate going
Speaker 2: to any great heights. So we have Bill Blacks two
Speaker 2: from two now. Just a final thought on that game.
Speaker 2: I'm not sure if you got anything else, but the
Speaker 2: referrering I thought was one of the worst referring performances
Speaker 2: I've seen in a Test matchup that he completely lost
Speaker 2: control of that game in the last twenty minutes or so.
Speaker 2: Luke Ramos it was the first time he refereed to
Speaker 2: the All Blacks, second time referred Italy after controlling their
Speaker 2: Six Nations game against England earlier in the year. He
Speaker 2: is the boss on the field, not the TMO in
Speaker 2: the box. And this is the continuing problem in world
Speaker 2: rugby is that some bloke with a whole bunch of
Speaker 2: feeds gets to choose when to interrupt the game and
Speaker 2: Ben Whitehouse of Wales was the latest to do that
Speaker 2: and it has just become a blight on the game.
Speaker 2: It was the same in Australia, France, same in Japan, Ireland.
Speaker 2: These blokes interrupts. It's awful when they interrupt, but it's
Speaker 2: even worse when they get things wrong. And when they
Speaker 2: intervened on that Leroy Carter, Will Jordan try in the
Speaker 2: first spell incorrectly?
Speaker 4: What are you doing? Man?
Speaker 2: I just I It does my headden and I've spoken
Speaker 2: a million times. The people are probably second on the podcast,
Speaker 2: but we have to get rid of the TMO. I'm sorry.
Speaker 2: If you're not gonna get rid of it, it's try,
Speaker 2: no try or ex of foul play. It's just it's
Speaker 2: beyond a joke.
Speaker 3: Now, yeah, well this was absurd, just the level of interference,
Speaker 3: unnecessary interference. I'm with you to a point. I think
Speaker 3: it's needed for the Howler and World Rugby are meant
Speaker 3: to be taking it off site to an NRL bunker
Speaker 3: type situation, and you can only hope that's going to
Speaker 3: minimize the influence because this was a blight on the spectacle.
Speaker 3: It was already stop start and French refs, unfortunately do
Speaker 3: tend to be that way and the All Blacks seem
Speaker 3: to get these inexperienced refs quite often. But between the
Speaker 3: French ref and the TMO, it really did have a
Speaker 3: massive impact on the nature of that contest. So look, look,
Speaker 3: and the frustration is that Super Rugby's got this right
Speaker 3: and then you go to the elite part of rugby
Speaker 3: and it becomes a face. So it needs to be sorted.
Speaker 4: It does.
Speaker 2: I don't think would Rugby have any idea how to sort.
Speaker 2: I think that's the problem is that they have washed
Speaker 2: their hands of this because they've gone too far and
Speaker 2: they don't have to reel it back in, and they
Speaker 2: don't seem to have any interest in reeling it back
Speaker 2: in and they've appointed referee failed referees by and large,
Speaker 2: or people that have never refereed a rugby game to
Speaker 2: go sit in a box and watch a bunch of
Speaker 2: feeds in intervene, like when was the last time you
Speaker 2: saw Ben white House referee game? When was the last
Speaker 2: time you saw Murray's read vistas and referee game Bret Cohner.
Speaker 2: These blokes are full time tmos and yeah, it's a
Speaker 2: specialist skill because you've got to watch a lot of feeds.
Speaker 2: But they, you know, in terms of their actual involvement
Speaker 2: in a game, they don't have the feel for it.
Speaker 2: I don't think Luke Ramos had the field for it
Speaker 2: last night either, But these blokes don't know so rain toever,
Speaker 2: it just winds me up, and the sooner it changes,
Speaker 2: the better. Let's talk about potential All Blacks changes for
Speaker 2: the game against Ireland at Eden Park. I guess there's
Speaker 2: a few players that set out the game on the
Speaker 2: WEEKI and for a week the way through. Though.
Speaker 4: You know Cody Taylor will start at hooker.
Speaker 2: I presume props Ethan de Groot, Fletcher Yule humidly comes
Speaker 2: back into sight head.
Speaker 3: Yeah, potentially either way around. I think Tywer Olomax will
Speaker 3: be involved. Locks you would think Patrick Twoplo two will
Speaker 3: come back into the mix, but probably not in a
Speaker 3: starting capacity. Sam Dari's played really well to provide. That
Speaker 3: was his first match back the loose four composition. Peter
Speaker 3: Luckey's got to start for me somewhere.
Speaker 2: I think so. Yeah, he just had as a lot
Speaker 2: and I think it was notably missed last night. It
Speaker 2: wasn't helped by w was TD having a poor game,
Speaker 2: Luke Jacobson, Carf Nickel. It didn't sound serious. We'll probably
Speaker 2: find a little bit more about it on Monday, but
Speaker 2: you could change things around a little bit there. I guess, Look,
Speaker 2: if Jacobson's fail, I'm starting him again, but maybe you
Speaker 2: look at a signet. If he's not fit.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I would be surprised if they've really said that
Speaker 3: it was cramp. So if Jacobson's out, then he's pulling
Speaker 3: the wall over our eyes. But if Jacobson's fit, then
Speaker 3: I would expect it to be Ardi eight's, Jacobs seven
Speaker 3: and Lucky six. I don't think you changed the halves.
Speaker 3: Quincy Pie comes back at center, and probably Caleb Clark
Speaker 3: on the left wing, and I think Morby deserves another
Speaker 3: crack from the bench in the outside back department.
Speaker 2: Well, I thought Morby was excellent left I mean, did
Speaker 2: it do enough to have a crack at Eating Park.
Speaker 3: There's a real case for it. I think most teams
Speaker 3: like to have at least one power wing as a
Speaker 3: as a as a contrast. But look, Morbe was excellent
Speaker 3: and I wouldn't be shocked if he's rewarded with another start.
Speaker 3: And then there's other guys who haven't featured. Do they
Speaker 3: come back into the mix, Boden Barrett.
Speaker 2: Well, the way the All Blacks have compiled their bench
Speaker 2: over the last couple of weeks, ten suced with mckinziet
Speaker 2: fall back and love at ten that they don't think
Speaker 2: they need ten covers. So even Barrat has to come
Speaker 2: in and start presumably at fifteen or tim which I
Speaker 2: can't see them doing for this Test match. Or again,
Speaker 2: he's not in the twenty three, so maybe he switches
Speaker 2: with mackenzie and they bring Boden Barridon hasn't had a
Speaker 2: lot of rugby, it's been a while, but yes they're
Speaker 2: rugby at some point. So I've been intrigued to see
Speaker 2: what they do the I thought Antheline Brown added a
Speaker 2: lot off the bench last night as well, but I
Speaker 2: don't know that he's done enough to justify a starting
Speaker 2: Berth or a run on Berth alongside Jordi Barrett. Caleb
Speaker 2: Clark would be interesting. I don't think he had his
Speaker 2: best game against France last week, but he is under
Speaker 2: the high ball, one of the All Blacks best and
Speaker 2: he know he's Eaton Park very very well. And Ireland
Speaker 2: will kick at the All Blacks. You can guarantee that.
Speaker 3: Yep, they will. And other changes. I want to see
Speaker 3: Kyle Preston on the bench. I think he had a
Speaker 3: lot more. There's always going to be a massive drop
Speaker 3: off with roy Guards and he could play eighty minutes
Speaker 3: against Islands. But if you're going to bring on somebody,
Speaker 3: I think it should be Preston. I would also bring
Speaker 3: back new Mia and I suffer more as your other
Speaker 3: front row cover. I just felt like they added more
Speaker 3: in christ Church than what the All Blacks got off
Speaker 3: the bench.
Speaker 2: And Wellington, yeah, I think that Hurricanes loose. Sorry the
Speaker 2: Hurricanes front row. Whether you go yeah Newell off the
Speaker 2: bench or Lomax I think those three are the ideal
Speaker 2: bench players. And then you say Takeyoho byby Signa gets
Speaker 2: another crack and we'll be in the boutside back. So
Speaker 2: maybe there are minimal changes at best. And it's hard
Speaker 2: to see where these players we talked about on Thursday
Speaker 2: night after the team naming, but it's hard to see
Speaker 2: a Parker, A Barrett being selected. Preston maybe maybe, but
Speaker 2: I think there will be at least one or two
Speaker 2: players that don't get the nod for the scam at
Speaker 2: Eden Park and don't play any game any part in
Speaker 2: the series.
Speaker 3: Yeah, someone park is a big body. Maybe they potentially
Speaker 3: think he could bring some punch, but it would be
Speaker 3: pretty tough to not have Signa in the mix somewhere.
Speaker 3: What about Islands, This has been one of the great
Speaker 3: rivalries with the All Blacks over the past eleven years.
Speaker 3: I think that's six and five since twenty sixteen Islands
Speaker 3: breakthrough win in Chicago. The All Blacks had won the
Speaker 3: last three though, and the latest one of those was
Speaker 3: in Chicago last year. We were there. It was very convincing.
Speaker 3: They blew them away in the second half. I think
Speaker 3: from memory with another strong light flurry Cook Quarter blitz.
Speaker 3: Where do you see islands? As this was always going
Speaker 3: to be the All Black's toughest test of their three
Speaker 3: opening Nations Championship games, do you give them a worried
Speaker 3: um No?
Speaker 2: I thought that, Look, they made a few changes last
Speaker 2: night against Japan and Newcast, so I thought that was
Speaker 2: a bit clunky. I suspect they've probably been targeting this
Speaker 2: game against the All Blacks, though, and that makes them dangerous.
Speaker 2: They obviously been Australia last week. But I thought that
Speaker 2: I'm convincing against Japan, and maybe that was down to
Speaker 2: a few factors. It was a weird atmosphere Newcastle neutral territory,
Speaker 2: even though it was a supposed Jampanese home game. But
Speaker 2: they just took a while, and I think Japan had
Speaker 2: been not actually the big movies of the last couple
Speaker 2: of weeks. But you know, they beat Italy convincingly last
Speaker 2: week and we're hanging on twenty six to twenty down
Speaker 2: with about five to go, maybe a little bit longer,
Speaker 2: and Ireland get the late penalty and then late tried
Speaker 2: it to finish things off, but they were right in
Speaker 2: the mix, and you know, if the game had fallen
Speaker 2: a little bit differently, they could well have ended up
Speaker 2: with a narrow wind or a drawer or something like that.
Speaker 2: So I think Ireland will have to improve for Eden Park,
Speaker 2: the All Black says we've talked about for the last
Speaker 2: twenty odd Nerds will have to improve. But I don't
Speaker 2: feel the Ireland other threat that they were twenty twenty
Speaker 2: three and previously obviously twenty twenty two when they had
Speaker 2: that series win. Here they were playing some incredible rugby
Speaker 2: and I just don't think they're at that peak again.
Speaker 2: And there's gonna be the last game of their season,
Speaker 2: so whether they can get up for it, you know,
Speaker 2: one last shot, maybe they can. But I just don't
Speaker 2: know that they're quite where they were were. Is it
Speaker 2: say a couple of years ago.
Speaker 3: No, I think they peaked twenty three just prior to
Speaker 3: that World Cup, and the All Blacks were underdogs, massive
Speaker 3: underdogs for that quarterfinal at the World Cup because of
Speaker 3: the way that Island had played because of their rise.
Speaker 3: I don't know if they've regenerated enough since then or
Speaker 3: significantly evolved their game, but I do give them a
Speaker 3: red hot chance because of the fact that the All
Speaker 3: Blacks have a completely new coaching team that made a
Speaker 3: lot of changes. They yet to convince back at Fortressed
Speaker 3: and Park thirty two years fifty two games unbeaten. That
Speaker 3: certainly evokes a lot of confidence. So I expect the
Speaker 3: All Blacks to win, but I think this could be
Speaker 3: a very tight, tense, nervy match, similar to the one
Speaker 3: in christ Church.
Speaker 2: Well, there's one thing guarantee you over the last couple
Speaker 2: of weeks of the island will scored. The first try
Speaker 2: inside the first two or three minutes just become a
Speaker 2: at Arkill's Hill for the All Blacks terrible starf Yeah,
Speaker 2: and then to get that fixed for this game is actually,
Speaker 2: while we're talking about this, we see on our monitor
Speaker 2: two and a half minutes in Italy scoring. That's something
Speaker 2: they need to fix this week and Anti among has
Speaker 2: spoke about that when we spoke to them at the
Speaker 2: airport today. You know, they need to tidy a few
Speaker 2: things up. And forty seven to seventeen have been largely comfortable.
Speaker 2: Maybe you know there's a feeling of okay, they're on
Speaker 2: the march here. This just does add a little bit
Speaker 2: of tension that it was a clunky, scratchy performance and
Speaker 2: there's a bit to improve as they had to eat in.
Speaker 3: Part there is yeah, and look it's it's challenging to
Speaker 3: come in on ten days preparation for your opening tests
Speaker 3: with literally a whole new management team other than Jason
Speaker 3: Ryan to make widespread changes and so you don't expect
Speaker 3: the All Blacks to be completely polished at this point.
Speaker 3: And that's why I think there will be a bit
Speaker 3: of nerves around this game. The All Blacks have a
Speaker 3: lot to improve and Ireland will test them in several
Speaker 3: areas even if they aren't where they were a few
Speaker 3: years ago.
Speaker 2: Indeed, before we wrap things up here on Rugby Direct,
Speaker 2: so we touched on a couple of those games or
Speaker 2: Japan Ireland caught your eye over the last twenty four hours.
Speaker 2: Very very hard to sort of watch everything. I'm sure
Speaker 2: there'll be some people out there that have managed to
Speaker 2: watch everything at this point. I watched Australia France after
Speaker 2: getting back to the hotel last night, watched a lot
Speaker 2: of Japan Ireland. Australia were right in that test match
Speaker 2: until they weren't, and when they weren't, they completely lost
Speaker 2: the plot against a French team that just began to
Speaker 2: run rampant and send this with French teams when they
Speaker 2: get a sniff and this goes back, you know, forever
Speaker 2: in the French history. But I think back to some
Speaker 2: of those games, the nine to a nine and semi
Speaker 2: final against the All Blacks in the World Cup and
Speaker 2: various other things. When they're on they can take the
Speaker 2: game away from you and just start playing glows. Everything
Speaker 2: just starts sticking for them. And felt like they were
Speaker 2: doing that last night and just rolled over the top
Speaker 2: of the Australians.
Speaker 3: They did. Yes, the Wallabies let at halftime and then
Speaker 3: I think it was thirty to five that the points swing.
Speaker 3: Look Australian rugby, their depths a made major problem and
Speaker 3: we soought that's a starkly illustrated at first five you
Speaker 3: lose Carter Gordon and Ben Donaldson, you throw in a
Speaker 3: Rockie and you finish with Jock Campbell at ten. That's
Speaker 3: a real indictment I think on your development and selection. Yeah.
Speaker 3: I worry for the Wallabies. They should have beaten probably
Speaker 3: all that. I felt like they blew it against Island
Speaker 3: in their opening game. Then they collapse against Front, a
Speaker 3: vastly stronger French team than the one that played the
Speaker 3: or Blecks to be fair. And I think France, as
Speaker 3: you say when they click, are exceptional and they're one
Speaker 3: of the best teams in the world and I could
Speaker 3: see them going really deep at the World Cup next year.
Speaker 3: So there's no embarrassment to lose to them. But it's
Speaker 3: a huge test now for the Wallabies against Italy and
Speaker 3: Perth this week. That won't be easy for them's last test. Yeah,
Speaker 3: and look, if Joe Schmitt can't turn around the Wallabies,
Speaker 3: what have they wont have They won one of their last.
Speaker 2: Ten records of Paul and I was looking at that earlier.
Speaker 2: He might end up having the worst record in the
Speaker 2: professional era for the Walleries, which is quite remarkable given
Speaker 2: the respect and the plaudits that he's had under his name.
Speaker 2: But he is just you know, it's just not working.
Speaker 2: It's just not working. I'm not sure I think Liz
Speaker 2: Kiss is going to be able to do it. But
Speaker 2: that lost not only past six tiers, they lost six
Speaker 2: in a row. There only went over that was that
Speaker 2: Scratchy went against Japan before they went on as part.
Speaker 4: Of the end of year tour.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I saw it was a Christie do
Speaker 2: say it was Christie might have been some decent potentially
Speaker 2: saying that basically this run would have had any other
Speaker 2: will of his coach sacked.
Speaker 4: He's going anyway exactly.
Speaker 3: That's why. It's just not why the questions aren't being asked.
Speaker 3: But yeah, at least Kiss got a hell of a
Speaker 3: task to come in and take over that team with
Speaker 3: just over a year to the World Cup. The spring
Speaker 3: Box with a second string team beats a really informed
Speaker 3: Scottish outfit to push them really deep in that game.
Speaker 3: So I think that was notable for a number of reasons,
Speaker 3: for the fact that the Box can literally change their
Speaker 3: whole team and still beat a team that's in red hot.
Speaker 2: Form experimental team for the South Africans and they still beat,
Speaker 2: as you say, a good, a really good Scotland side.
Speaker 3: Yeah, with Von Russell coming back and one of the
Speaker 3: best nine ten to twelve combinations in the world, playing
Speaker 3: a great brand of rugby and unfortunately for Scotland, they
Speaker 3: seem to be able to push you know this top
Speaker 3: teams to the brink and not Finnish the job.
Speaker 4: It's the execution that lets them down and it did again.
Speaker 4: It was all backs last year. It was South Africa Argentina.
Speaker 2: Yeah, just make turning mistakes and that's probably what keeps
Speaker 2: them from being, you know, top four nation in the
Speaker 2: world at least, you know, in terms of who you
Speaker 2: think that the four teams are. I just don't think
Speaker 2: they're quite there as yet. They've just seen a bit
Speaker 2: more ruthless because they've certainly got the ingredients. They've got
Speaker 2: very good playmakers, great nineteen twelve combo, great outside backs.
Speaker 2: So we're good under the ball, but just let them
Speaker 2: down on the skills. Fiji woful against England in their
Speaker 2: home game at at Liverpool at Everton Stadium.
Speaker 3: Yeah, changing their coach looks like a getting rid of
Speaker 3: mcburn seems like a fastical, dumbfounding decision at this point,
Speaker 3: just as the nation's championship has undermined itself by taking
Speaker 3: the Japanese game to Newcastle and Fiji going to London
Speaker 3: or Everton. I understand the financials and they need to
Speaker 3: minimize travel, but at some point these nations are going
Speaker 3: to have to front and go and play Fiji and
Speaker 3: set aside some financial imperatives.
Speaker 2: Yes they do, and yeah, will that day come, I
Speaker 2: don't know, but it does challenge the integrity of the
Speaker 2: competition from day one when those sort of things are
Speaker 2: happening and you're forcing player. I mean it's it's it's
Speaker 2: already a globe trotting tournament. You were just impacting the
Speaker 2: I think the integrity by having these away.
Speaker 4: I mean that.
Speaker 2: I think I saw a tweet saying that the grand
Speaker 2: announcer at the Everton Stadium announced over the ten or
Speaker 2: that it was Fiji's biggest home crowd ever.
Speaker 4: Well, yes it is to it so.
Speaker 3: It's not exactly.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a little bit fast scol like when the
Speaker 2: you know the I don't Christ's when the Warriors would
Speaker 2: have a game against the West Tigers, the West Tigers
Speaker 2: of the home team, and it's everyone's you know, all
Speaker 2: the bandages, there's the banners of the West Tigers.
Speaker 4: Well it's not really.
Speaker 2: A West Tigers home game, but I appreciate the thought
Speaker 2: none the less.
Speaker 4: That'll do us for Rugby Direct.
Speaker 2: We'll be back on Thursday, once we've got an all
Speaker 2: Blacks team for this big test at Eden Park. But Napes,
Speaker 2: thank you as always in another busy week.
Speaker 3: Awaits indeed look forward to it.
Speaker 4: Can't wait.
Speaker 2: That has been Rugby Directs powered by our friends Access
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Speaker 2: I thanks to to our producer Mark Kelly. We'll see
Speaker 2: you Thursday.
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