1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: Andrew Dickens unbelievably. On February the fourteenth Super Rugby Pacific 2 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 1: is back. The season kicks off in about ninety minutes. 3 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:12,039 Speaker 1: The Crusader's hosting the Hurricanes in the first match. So 4 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:17,319 Speaker 1: I have Crusader's CEO, Colin Mansbridge with me now, Hella 5 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 1: Colinkur Andrew, how are you mate? I'm very good? What 6 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 1: about you have you? Has the trauma of last year 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: resolved itself? 8 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 2: I think so it's interesting when you can do something 9 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 2: about it, as in prepare and get ready, it gives you, 10 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 2: It gives you. 11 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,560 Speaker 3: A chance to put something out there today. So no, 12 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 3: it has resolved itself and we're up for it. 13 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 4: Well, okay, you've still got the same coach. 14 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:45,559 Speaker 3: Yes we have. 15 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 2: I guess if you wanted to make a if you 16 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 2: wanted to make a a position that that's the coach's fault. 17 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 3: Holy that then you'd say change your coach. 18 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 2: But of course we went through a pretty good process 19 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: to come out the other end. 20 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 3: So there's about forty or fifty little things we needed 21 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:03,279 Speaker 3: to do. 22 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 2: And in a game of five margins, you get ten 23 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 2: or fifteen of those right, and you'll be in playoff contention. 24 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: You lost a lot of old heads for last year, 25 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: including your coach obviously, and you've got some new young guns. 26 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: Are the young guns turning into old heads? 27 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 3: I think. 28 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 2: I think half the battle is actually putting the putting 29 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 2: a similar combination. 30 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 3: Together week after week after week and. 31 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 2: Getting players confident in playing with those players and doing 32 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 2: not too many wholesale changes. When you're doing significant number 33 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 2: of wholesale changes, all that cohesion drops out the window. 34 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 3: So I think we've got some We've got much. 35 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 2: More availability in the squad this year, and we've got 36 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 2: some of the old heads and we've got some younger 37 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: guys coming through, got some new people. James O'Connor has 38 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 2: been awesome coming in and so yeah, I know, we're 39 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 2: really really excited about what this script can do. 40 00:01:57,880 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 4: So on that point, you've got the Hurricanes. 41 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: They have four captains, you know, and I think that's 42 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: because they realize that super rugby is a nutritional game 43 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: these days. You have injuries and you want to keep 44 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: you want to keep, as you just said, you want 45 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: to keep some consistency through the season. Is Super Rugby 46 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: Pacific just too tough on the bodies. 47 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 2: I think that the captain's things interesting Andrew, isn't it, 48 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 2: because I think, yeah, they've got four, we've got one, 49 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,119 Speaker 2: but we've got lots of people of the leadership group. 50 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:26,839 Speaker 2: But we've got a number of people in leadership group. 51 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 2: So you want a number of people able to step up. 52 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 2: But it's quite nice to have somebody who's like a 53 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 2: you know, like a captain, somebody who leads on and 54 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 2: off the field and is a sort of focal point 55 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 2: for the group without putting too much pressure on. In 56 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 2: terms of whether it's tough on the body, I think 57 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 2: there's no doubt it's a you know, these are fit, strong, 58 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 2: powerful young men and probably fit a stronger and more 59 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 2: powerful than they They play an exciting brand of high 60 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 2: paced rugby and there's lots of collisions in it, so 61 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 2: it can be it can have some attrition on some 62 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 2: of the bodies, but they do tend to recover reasonably 63 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 2: well and are well looked after. 64 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: And speaking about that attrition, the change this year is 65 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,519 Speaker 1: into the kicking rules and the kicking and the chase, 66 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: et cetera. So are they we've seen it in the 67 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: six Nations? Are these good changes? 68 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,639 Speaker 3: Some of these? I think what's happening? Yes? 69 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 2: In short, yes, I think what's happening all over the 70 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 2: globe is that we've realized that most people involved in 71 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 2: might We've realized that the game has to be attractive, 72 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 2: not only and fun to play, but for fans to 73 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 2: watch and. 74 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 3: So, and it has to be safe. 75 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 2: So if you've got chases going on and people blocking 76 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 2: those chases and therefore the collisions are more dangerous than 77 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 2: they need to be, and also that the contests aren't there, 78 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 2: then I think both the punter and the person who's 79 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 2: playing the game just wants to see that improve. 80 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 3: And so I think lots of these little changes that 81 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 3: have been brought. 82 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 2: In, especially in Super Rugby, we tend to be the 83 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 2: breeding ground of innovation, and it's why it's such a 84 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 2: fast and exciting and interesting competition. 85 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: You've got Brad Moore, he's been talking about that kick game. 86 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: He was talking this morning. He was saying, just don't 87 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:16,840 Speaker 1: just kick it away, kick it away with purpose, you know, 88 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:19,359 Speaker 1: and all that sort of thing. He seems like a 89 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 1: good bloke. How confident are you of keeping him? Because 90 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 1: I understand Wales might want to steal them. 91 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:27,919 Speaker 2: It's always nice when we've got people who want to 92 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 2: steal our coaches. 93 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 3: New Zealand Rugby did a fairly good job over the 94 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,119 Speaker 3: last couple of years and stole a few of ours. 95 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 2: But we're really stoked that Brad's name pops up in 96 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 2: these conversations. He's obviously contracted with us two years and 97 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 2: I think he's really really happy he's come in as 98 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 2: contribution has been excellent. 99 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:49,679 Speaker 3: He's really enjoying the group. 100 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 2: That they're a harmonious group, bout any false harmony being there. 101 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 2: They're testing and challenging each other, and I think he's 102 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:57,919 Speaker 2: really enjoying himself. 103 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:00,839 Speaker 4: I can hear wind. Are you watching footy? 104 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:04,479 Speaker 3: Have I given it away? So? 105 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 2: The development teams just playing at the moment and the 106 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,239 Speaker 2: Crusaders have just gone ahead against Hurricans development, So yes, 107 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:12,239 Speaker 2: I am watching forty. 108 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:14,280 Speaker 4: What's to the crowd? 109 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 2: We'll get between and then fourteen thousand Right at the moment, 110 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 2: the crowd's not that big, but they're starting to come in, 111 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 2: so it'll actually pretty full time and it's a wonderful day, wonderful. 112 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 4: Day for watching foody. How keen are you for the 113 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 4: new stadium? 114 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 3: I can't wait. 115 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 2: I haven't spent a lot of time personally going around 116 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:38,600 Speaker 2: on the inside. 117 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 3: I've spent a lot of time on the outside. But 118 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 3: the feedback about it from suppliers. 119 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 2: And some of our sponsors have been through is that 120 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 2: they are blown away by it will be I forget 121 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 2: the National Stadium being Eden Park. 122 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 3: I'm telling you of the National Stadium as one New 123 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 3: Zealand Stadium next year. I'm convinced of that. 124 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,600 Speaker 1: Oh that's fighting words, mate. All the very best of 125 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: luck with the game that's happening tonight and go the 126 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: Mighty Blues and thank you for your time. 127 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 4: Thanks, that's good. That's color Mansbridge. Here is the Crusaders CEO. 128 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 4: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. 129 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:15,919 Speaker 3: Listen live to news talks. 130 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 2: It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 131 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 2: on iHeartRadio.