Rugby Direct: Episode 221

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you, and the city was buzzing and I tell you what mate, I had so many people come up to me at rockpool bar and various other places and speak about the pod.

So it was great to meet those people that listeners out there. So thanks for coming up to me.

Names escaped me because it was around the large weekend. The cane train was in full force around town.

But yeah, what a weekend and it must been pretty special for you going home and seeing a city that you know had been waiting 15 years for this venue come alive.

Absolutely. Look, I went to Lancaster Park or Jade Stadium, you know, many times as a kid and obviously that had to be demolished and go as many times to a pod project stadium.

But didn't have a connection to that as much because it was temporary. But this has been a stadium that had been long in the waiting.

And you know, you see pictures of the construction, the progress, everything like that and you go, yep, it's looking good.

But we've all been to hotels, Airbnb's, whatever that don't look like the pictures.

And to get in there last Friday morning for a tour and see it, it was quite breathtaking.

Actually, oh yeah, I was really impressed by it. Watch the game from the stands on Friday night.

We were in Rose Zed of Section 302, I think it was my family and I. Jeepers, those steps are pretty steep, deceptively steep.

But I don't think it's bad sitting the house from where I'm sitting and again working from the media areas and the commentary boxes on Saturday and Sunday.

Yeah, it does feel world class and you know, I loved it even I think it's an excellent stadium, but this feels like it's on the world stage.

The stadium's small footprint, there's not a lot of space to it, but what it does, it does very, very well.

And you hope it will be a wake up call to some people around the rest of the country in the North Island of what is possible.

Yes, it was a big budget stadium, 680 mil from memory.

But everything about it works, they stress tested it, I don't think there was too many complaints over the course of the weekend over lines of food, bathrooms, that sort of thing.

So all in all, I think a pretty good job well done and if we extrapolated out to a super round event, I thought it takes incredible amount of boxes.

They had the fan events, I think it was Thursday Friday Saturday and Sunday down at the strip or on Oxford Terrace, which went off.

I was down there on Friday, heaps of fans, all different jerseys, some super rugby jerseys, some NRL, some test jerseys, whatever it might be, added to the sort of collider scope of the experience.

And I think it was a job one well done all around.

I think it's an example of what can be achieved with a can do attitude that when all parties from government to local council really get on boards and invest.

Because I think the government put in $200 million and then you've got local money and you're always going to have detractors in a tough economic climate.

Could this money be better spent elsewhere, but even beyond super rugby, beyond rugby, beyond sports, it's going to put Christchurch right back on the map from a music venue point of view.

There are a few comments about one end of the stadium being open.

While it does look a bit weird, I think they can increase that capacity by 10,000 for a music event.

And they'll be able to roll in the concerts and potentially have some activations down that end.

You think of what Auckland FC have done, where San Pits and big slides for kids, maybe you could have a floating bar or something down that ends.

But being empty does look a bit weird, but the venue as a whole will pay for itself in time.

There's 6 million back into the Christchurch economy and I think they had super cars the weekend before, which was another injection.

And that's just going to continue to roll on.

Absolutely looking at the temporary seating will begin for the all black testing July warriors.

But they only got handed over the stadium on Monday. They didn't have time to build the temporary seats.

I think they probably could have sold them if they had.

So it'll look a lot better when it's at full capacity and that's in there.

I wonder if they can do something a little bit different, maybe a sort of category sports or a fame or something down that end with some pictures or whatever it might be.

Just to add a little bit of variety to the whole area, but all an all pretty good job.

And I think a major tech and I think they worked really hard to get those fan events across the line and signing sessions, get players close to the fans.

I think all involved did a very, very good job.

The rugby on the field, sort of almost like a backseat for periods of it.

Five different games in the end. What's stood out for you?

I guess we talked a little bit last week around less defying Anuku at his open side.

He scored a try. You were on the big screen and on the sky coverage, looking rather unimpressed by the try.

But what did you make of him as an open side flanker because he's retained that for the Hurricanes game Friday night?

Yeah, bold move. And I think largely had to say it paid off. He gave away one early breakdown penalty.

He didn't quite get his timing right there.

But I think the key takeaway is he ripped in. He was highly involved in all all aspects.

Ball in hand, defense. He's roaming the edges. I think later in the match, he switched out to the midfield when Hiveley got his yellow cards.

So that versatility is real value. And I think it is something we'll see clearly see more of.

But that ability, the hybrid player, he's got the build for it.

I think I would be reticent at this point to certainly start him there in a test match.

But from a bench perspective, he does give you options whether it be 7-1 or just utilising his versatility.

I think from a breakdown perspective, the nuances there will still take him a while to get to grips with.

And at test rugby, you have a lot less time, a lot less margin for error.

But great experience for him. And I think he made a great first of it.

Yeah, I was impressed by him, kept a close eye on him for periods of the game. He was pretty easy to tell who he was.

He had the white heat gear on. Didn't go in for as many turnovers as I thought he might.

But I thought his breakdown work was effective enough.

The stats, I think he had a lot more carries that he would have out in the midfield.

And that showed the crusaders in the way they wanted to utilise him.

So yeah, I think a tick and look, this will be a big test as well against a very good hurricane's loose wood trio this weekend.

We can get into that. What else stood out for you? The hurricanes with a very good demolition job of an awful brumpy side.

Yeah, the cane chain was tooting inside and outside of the stadium because a statement performance won him any of this year.

Fending on and off for four tries, his third hat trick this year.

He's on fire isn't he? Yeah, but Ruben loved the ease with which he just cut that brumbies defense to shreds.

Was was was embarrassing for the brumbies. So I'm really really nice set plays, but I tell you what stood out for me from the hurricanes watching them live for the first time this year was just the ferocity of their defense.

The brumbies found it really hard to get through the hurricanes the size of their pack and off the line hitting with real vigor and then attacking the breakdown.

That was really stark for me in the way in which they're playing the game and probably something which gets a little bit overshadowed by their attack and the way that they're just running rampant.

Yeah, I think the details that they probably haven't had in previous seasons are with them this season around that and breakdown work.

It's defense. It's a little things in the game. It's a line out. All those little things are really adding up for them this season that previously they probably got by on having the superstars in the back.

And hoping for the best start of that, but now they're very much getting into the nitty gritty and the details of the team and it's made them a much better output. So I'm very impressed by that.

Another good outing for Rubin love it team as well. Yeah, big time he seems to be growing. He had far too much time in space.

But you've got to take those opportunities. Yes, you got to back yourself. You've got to showcase that speed and then dish to others as well.

So he's growing every week and that's what the hurricanes need. So I think you're also seeing the maturity of guys that have been around in that squad for three, four, five years.

You know, Caleb Delaney, Xavier Numeer, these guys aren't all blacks, but on the cusp and have been on the French for a number of years and they know super rugby.

And they've got a great coaching staff the hurricanes and I think that's starting to come to the fore as well.

Yeah, elsewhere, Blues, Highlanders, Chiefs or one, but they're kind of clunky in their own ways.

You know, and the Crusaders are clunky as well in periods of that game.

But you know, Blues get the job done in super points, but you know, they should never have got to super point. But what else did out from the weekend?

Yeah, similar thing for the Blues, they collapsed against the Highlanders recently.

Didn't they an almost blue that game at Eden Park and then again with the reds, they were up, let them back and got taken to super points.

So I think there's some mental fragility there. They are not closing out games are not being ruthless.

They're going away from what's working for them at the back end of games. Maybe that'll change. Maybe that's complacency, not too sure.

And yeah, the Chiefs, look, I think it's still them in the hurricanes for me.

I'm not convinced about the Crusaders. They had a really tough job of it on Friday night.

I think they were always going to kick clear and with the emotion around that occasion and everything that that weekend was.

But they need some of those guys back. Will Jordan, Scott Barrett's, I just think they are very clunky.

There's still a lot of eras in their game and they're going to need to live significantly this week and in the coming weeks.

Yeah, absolutely. The hurricanes this week, which we'll get on to very, very shortly. So super round is a future.

Does it go back to Christ next year?

It has to. It has to look. You need to reward that city that venue for putting on such a showcase.

It's a no brainer, I think, to go back there next year. But beyond that, I think.

Super rugby needs to keep an open mind. Look, that weekend, for me, was rugby's best weekend in New Zealand since the Wellington Sevenths.

And it's pomp and super rugby desperately needed that. It needs a marquee event.

It needed a good news story with everything around Moana and the uncertainty around the draw and the financial issues and all those things.

Well, here was a real moment in time that they can flap the flagpole. So celebrate it, do it again.

But in a New Zealand context, events can wane and they come, the novelty can we're off that stadium is not always going to be shiny and new.

And I know for a fact that there are others out there. I think to need him would be keen.

I might have to build a few hotels first. That's their big problem. And not only for fans, but to host 10 teams.

And Auckland's New Zealand's largest market doesn't have a comparable stadium. But there's a lot that you could do around Super Rugby to attract people to the city.

Yeah, I think the strengths of Christchurch are that as you touched on earlier, you can basically, you're at the stadium, then full-time blows.

Two minutes later, you're probably going to bearing your hand at one of the fires around the place and as you spill out into the city.

That, to an extent, is the same. In Auckland, you can go to Kingsland. It's going to be massively packed for a Super Round.

But that proximity works so well as that it becomes an event you can hold activations in the city and then you can walk to the stadium from there after getting signatures from your favourite players.

So that proximity isn't the same in every other city, but I do agree that it is going to probably naturally wane because New Zealanders just go to events once twice and then park it.

And especially the fan that is likely to travel in for a Super Round, maybe not likely to go to Christchurch three years in a row.

They might go for a couple of years, then go, well, actually, I'm going to go and go to a test match this year, fly into a test match.

So I think you need to keep it moving somewhere around the place. And maybe it goes to Australia, perhaps after 20, 28, potentially.

Yeah, maybe. Look, Magic Round is brilliant in Brisbane. Suncourt Stadium is a fantastic venue.

Catching Street has that proximity. It just works. So Super Round could work there. I think there was 73,000 fans that attended one New Zealand stadium to Kaha over the three days.

I think there were 13, 14,000 travelling fans and apparently 6,000 of those were from Aussie.

That really does illustrate how popular it was and how many people came from outside the region. I think they had 34,000 hotel beds.

So roaring success has to go back there. Look, maybe it can be the New Wellington 7s. It could even be better.

Maybe you promote people dressing up. Some of my mates went along and wore the horse heads.

Brilliant. Because they're cantons and they got to respect for the horses.

Really missed the horses. Yeah. I gave that one a miss. But there's all sorts of things you can add on, but it was an amazing start.

So back to Christchurch and open up to Buds beyond that.

Yeah, I think so. Look, yeah, Super Ray, we need to capitalize on this because it felt like good publicity that, as you said, the comp desperately needs.

There is a lot of love for these teams. You see the number of jerseys that were around Christchurch over the course of the weekend.

Vintage originals from all the New Zealand franchises. There was a custom merch. There was all sorts around there.

There is a lot of love for these teams about harnessing it and making sure the comp is what it should be.

On that, the New Zealand Herald and our colleague, Gregor Paul, publishing this morning, that the Anzac test between the All Blacks and Wallabies is likely to go ahead in 2027.

And this is a mark change from where it's been previously.

Yeah, massive shift that has come about due to the big wide sweeping changes in the New Zealand Rugby Executive Team.

This is something that Rugby Australia have wanted for at least two years. It was dismissed as being too difficult, not financially viable, too much of a disruption to Super Rugby.

Some of those things might have shifted and some of them are still very relevant. What's your view on this potential test happening next year on Anzac weekend?

And particularly given in the week Super Rugby, Super Round, that was on Anzac weekend too?

Yeah, I don't particularly like it in all honesty. I think it's Australian-driven and the desperate to find a hole in the calendar which works for them.

So to own it, I get their perspective because often the bled is low gets lost in AFL finals. It's a bit later than that this year, but there are elements where it does get a little lost in the calendar.

I get it from Australian perspective, but I think it harms Super Rugby. Super Rugby's already going to have what 10 teams next year. It's already going to have issues getting fan engagement potentially.

You've just had a Super Round that's been exceptional over a long weekend in New Zealand. I don't know why you would tamper with that.

I think it's a really poor decision if it does indeed go ahead. So look, again, I really understand why Australia wants it, but I just don't think it adds help Super Rugby.

I don't think it's, you know, you have what block of what eight nine weeks of Super Rugby then you pause, then you come back what week later and you back into it again.

It just feels a bit bit see for me, and I will reason to it. I mean, yeah, I'm a no, but I think it sounds like it's going to get over the line.

I can see the attraction, particularly from an Australian perspective, like you say, in a market where Rugby battles for airtime and headlines.

Or the NRL and AFL don't have an elite international product that they can pitch up like this.

But Rugby League also had an Anzac test and they went away from it because it was so destructive.

And the key question here is, in this context, does Super Rugby really matter? What message are you sending?

By potentially putting the competition on hiatus for at least a week, potentially taking all blacks and wallabies out for two weeks.

And a competition where you already rest and rotate your stars, where, you know, some of them like Scott Barrett and Cody Taylor and others sit out half for comp and come back.

Yeah, others are on sabbatical overseas, like Rico Arne and Artis Avera.

You're further devaluing a competition that's already in a state of flux.

So there's widespread ramifications for this. The other point is that it probably means going back to a three game Blitterslow Cup Series.

And on form, can you justify that? Is there going to be the interest in it?

Straight from one of them, 20, what, three years? Hard to argue that there is, you know, at this point in time.

And the other thing is that yes, there's no Anzac League test, but the Anzac Day in a rally as well established.

Dragon's Roosters is a marquee game there that storm wars play at home on Anzac Day.

They usually play what three games. Then there's the AFL, which have long established rivalries on Anzac Day.

So where are you getting the media cut through that you desire to put your sport on the show?

I just don't know that they're going to get what they want out of it from Australian perspective.

Look, I don't doubt that it would be a success in terms of a crowd.

If you take it to Perth, it'll be well supported. It'll be well backed financially.

But you also have to then compensate all the likely 10 super clubs.

So that's a fair chunk of change. You're going to be shelling out every year.

And from a fan engagement perspective, you're asking a lot of supporters to be engaged in super rugby.

Check out, check in. It is very disruptive.

And look, at this point, you could say, you know, how much interest is it going to be every year in a potential third dead rubber blood is low.

Well, and as we touched on how do you build up interest in a super run?

And so it's going to be Anzac weekend every year when you move it after the first weekend,

where it was very successful because there was a public holiday on the Monday afterwards

that enabled people to travel back and move about the city and drink as much as they wanted or whatever it was

because they knew they had that buffer of the Monday that those things are sort of quite vital.

You have to find another long weekend, which is potentially King's birthday.

That's not to find around. That's probably of super rugby.

Yeah, so I think it worked really well when it was Anzac weekend

because it's, you know, not smacking the middle of the year, but it's not at the end.

So you're generating interest in your competition and there's still quite a long run way to go.

So it really was the perfect window.

Yeah, I have big questions about that concept. I understand why Australia wanted it.

And New Zealand, the other point from New Zealand perspective, I think,

around the negotiating table, they're probably having to make some concessions

and conversations for the greatest rivalry tour.

Right.

That would be my assumption because, you know, Australia and Argentina have had to take a backseat

during those years from a rugby championship perspective,

while they're all blacks and spring box cash in.

So maybe this is a bit of a conversation. Thank you. Keep Australia onside.

Yeah, I'm not sure that we need to, but that's all right.

Quick break. Come back with more after the sun rugby direct.

You're back with rugby directs. Let's look ahead to the weekend.

That is upcoming in super rugby Pacific.

Big darby to kick things off and that's probably one thing.

Just go back to Super Unbriefly.

Is that next year you need to probably change the schedule up a little bit

and maybe have a darby as the centerpiece of the weekend

with the Crusaders, if there's a home team, obviously play on a Saturday night

against the New Zealand team and it flows, builds up to that,

then it comes back down again on Sunday.

There are little things you could do then and by just changing up the drawer,

I believe.

Yeah, I think you need to have at least one marquee match.

And because of the occasion, that was always going to be the Crusaders,

no matter who they played, but that's not going to be the case in the coming years.

So you do need a marquee fixture, whether that be Blues, Crusaders,

another New Zealand derby, whatever it is, and you could have two Aussie teams playing

or something, but you need something to hang your head on.

Yeah, you do.

Okay, well, let's get into this weekend.

Hurricanes, Crusaders, Hurricanes with a few changes.

Crusaders, Ethan Black at a back for them.

Least fungler to go again on the open side.

David Havilly playing as 150th.

Crusaders riding high, heading to the capitol, Henry Stadium.

Is it time that they knock off the would-be champions of this competition, Liam?

Two, two, Elliot, that's all you need to know, mate.

Look, I think that the Kane's won.

I don't think the Crusaders evoke the same fear for the Hurricanes as they have done in previous years.

I think if there's a team that worries the Hurricanes, it's the Chiefs.

And we saw that in Hamilton.

And I still feel like the Crusaders need to lift significantly from where they were last weekend.

Yeah, I think you're right, but I'm still going to tip them.

Warrata's Force 935, pretty crunch game for the Warrata's after the loss last week in Christchurch.

They're now four points outside the eight as it stands in eighth place.

They need to get the job done against the Force, do they?

Well, the Force did the business for me last time, Elliot.

I think they're vastly improved team this year.

So I'm actually going to tip them to go to Sydney.

Joseph Sui Lee back at Centre.

Great for the comp.

Good to see he's been out since the start of the season with a hamstring injury.

I don't know.

I still don't feel like Centre's his best position.

He's not usualised enough under the high ball and they're using him a lot as a decoy runner.

And it's just not impressed by the Warrata's in general.

So yeah, go Twiggy's Force.

Yeah, I'm going to go to the Tars.

It's so enough from the last week to suggest they'll get the job done.

We have the Fiji Endurer against the Highlanders.

Really interesting game in bar on Saturday afternoon.

Crunch game for both of their playoff hopes.

The Highlanders.

Twentieth on a ladder and seventh Fiji Endurer on 16.

Glenn Jackson said after the game who he was not happy about the referee.

He wasn't happy about Jordan Wabe being appointed to that game with a couple of test touches on the touch line.

He wasn't happy about the knock on from the Chiefsie Sui in the first spell.

Interesting game.

I think the Durer get up at home in this one.

I think so.

I think it's meant to be stonking hot over there as well.

But the Durer have been very competitive in recent weeks.

Haven't they, despite their away struggles?

So going back home, I think they sneak that.

Moana Pacifica and the Blues probably for the last time, North Harbour Stadium.

You saw Moana beat the Blues last year in the corresponding fixture in North Harbour Stadium.

Can they do it again?

You never know, but probably not.

The Blues made a few changes.

Haven't they rested a few?

Stephen Perifeta coming into 10 bone barats and a couple of others, benched AJ Lamb.

But they should still have enough firepower.

I know Don Papa let you this week for them either, but I think the thing you're right.

I don't have too much.

And Red's Brumbies.

Interesting game for both of these teams.

Five of these six in the playoff mix for Super rugby Reds at home.

Reds taking the Blues to Super Point last week.

The Brumbies having a capitulation.

At one point we thought, you know, there may be competition front runners.

Now they're struggling to stay inside the six.

Reds at home, I think it's going to be too strong again.

Yeah, I'm going the Reds in that.

The Brumbies have fallen off a bit of a cliff, haven't they?

They have indeed.

You went five from five.

Super round, I went four from five.

Except for Tepe Moana over the high enders, which didn't happen.

You've opened up a five point lead overall.

Sounds familiar.

Yeah, it does actually.

Although I think I won the whole thing last year.

Can you have the before quite comfortably?

Of course you can follow us on the fantasy as well.

Rugby direct podcast.

I forgot to change my team last week.

Yeah, I'm up to this bit going on.

I'm up to third.

Are you?

Yeah.

Sheep as you might win the jersey yourself.

Yeah.

Mal Bag, also open Rugby direct.

And you talk ZB Dakota in Z.

We will check that next week and get into the Mal Bag.

But that about does us for another week of Rugby direct.

Next, back again on Monday to review the weekend that was.

And the Crusaders surely are sending closer to the top two.

Well, should we have a punt?

Yep.

Sweakin.

Yeah, what are we going to put on it?

Lunch.

Yeah, sure.

All right, brilliant.

Yo.

Yeah.

Well, who do I find the fine dining restaurants?

That's a cash in there.

We need to put all that cash in there.

That's a big business.

The budget only goes so far.

Nopes can catch up.

There's always thanks to Mark Kelly.

And that'll do us for Rugby direct.

For another week, courtesy of our friends at NZ Safety Blackwoods.

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