Rugby Direct

On this week's edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's lead rugby commentator) and Liam Napier (Chief Sports writer at the NZ Herald) analyse the All Blacks series defeat to Ireland and where that leaves the coaching staff and the team going forward.
We take a deep dive into how Ireland dismantled the All Blacks in the capital and played one of the great first halves in New Zealand.
Elliott and Liam also clear the air over how the media conference debacle played out and how that slip-up launched a thousand conspiracy theories.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's podcast Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's lead rugby commentator) and Liam Napier (NZ Herald's chief sports writer) discuss Ireland's first ever win over the All Blacks on New Zealand soil and examine how they were able to win in such convincing fashion and set up a series decider this weekend in the capital.
Elliott and Liam debate the chaotic substitution rules over Ardie Savea and Dalton Papalii as well as look at the Angus Ta'avao situation and ask what World Rugby is exactly trying to achieve in how they classify incidents like that.
The elephant in the room is also discussed - what is the future for the All Blacks coaching staff and how do they fix the issues immediately for Saturday night's decider?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's All Blacks commentator) and Liam Napier (NZ Herald chief sports writer) discuss the All Blacks 42-19 win over Ireland to go 1-nil up in the series heading to Dunedin this week.
We breakdown the ways the All Blacks were able to attack, offering Ireland something unexpected with their play with ball in hand that they didn't see last November and also showing some committed goalline defence.
They also ponder what it will take for Ireland to level the series this week, how that might be achieved and whether the All Blacks will look to blood any further new players 'under the roof'.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's All Blacks commentator) and Liam Napier (NZ Herald rugby writer) react to a hectic 48 hours of news from the All Blacks camp - with six down with Covid including three members of the coaching staff.
We discuss how that might affect the planning for Saturday's match and the make-up of the side, while Joe Schmidt has been called in as an extra voice for the All Blacks in the absence of Foster, John Plumtree and Scott McLeod. What Irish state secrets will be able to provide an insight into?
Elliott and Liam also discuss Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and whether Havili and Goodhue's absence means he will get a call-up for the first test.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's lead rugby commentator) and Liam Napier (Chief Sports Writer at the NZ Herald) break down the Crusaders' emphatic Super Rugby Pacific grand final win over the Blues at Eden Park.
The guys discuss the Crusaders' ability to play grand final footy, to suffocate the Blues and turn the hosts' lineout inside out with incredible regularity.
For this final time this season, the guys dish out their MVP points and crown the highly prestigious and inaugural Rugby Direct Medal.
In addition, the guys give their thumbs up or down to the Super Rugby season as a whole, review the Black Ferns Pac4 series and look ahead to the All Blacks.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's edition of Rugby Direct, we go one-on-one with All Blacks coach Ian Foster about the 36-man squad named for the three-test series against Ireland and discuss the key talking points of his squad including the six new caps, the exclusion of TJ Perenara and Brad Weber at halfback and other key discussion points with Ireland on the horizon.
Liam Napier joins to dissect the squad and where the strengths and weaknesses lie, as well as look ahead to a small matter of a Blues and Crusaders Super Rugby Pacific final.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest edition of Rugby Direct:
Elliott Smith and Liam Napier dissect the Super Rugby Pacific quarter-finals that went exactly to the formbook, at least on the scoreboard but who impressed and who left the guys a bit cold even in progressing through to the last four.
With the Highlanders and Hurricanes signing off for the year, we also review where it went wrong (and right in some areas) for them this year and where both sides need to improve if they're to be contenders for next year.
We also outline what we want to see from the Black Ferns as they return to the park for the Pac-Four series against Australia, Canada and the USA.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier debate the final round of Super Rugby Pacific before the playoffs, including the race for the eighth spot eventually won by the Highlanders.
We wave farewell to the Drua and Moana Pasifika (as well as the Rebels and Force) and assess the two maiden campaigns from the Pacific expansion sides and where they need to improve on next year.
The guys debate what the Blues need to fix as they try and convert their top seeding into a title, while also ponder a controversial non-red card from the weekend and ask whether Pablo Matera got away with one.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this weekend’s episode of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith is joined by Liam Napier, who returns from watching the other code in Brisbane to help analyse week 14 of Super Rugby Pacific, the penultimate round before the playoffs which saw big wins for three kiwi-based sides and a narrow win and narrow losses for a couple of others.
Elliott and Liam dish out the usual MVP points and tipping, as well as ponder the merits of the current playoff structure, whether an Australian side is capable of going all the way and winning the competition and also assess the first seasons of the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika as they prepare to wrap their inaugural seasons.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and special guest Christopher Reive from the New Zealand Herald (@ChrisReive) break down the weekend of rugby that was from Super Rugby Pacific, as the Kiwi sides went 5-nil over their Australian opponents, along with a feisty Pacific derby in Sydney.
Elliott and Christopher also discuss the growing reputation of Stephen Perofeta and whether an All Blacks jersey awaits him in the July series against Ireland, as well as pondering on the back of a kiwi sweep over the weekend whether the Australians have really closed the gap or if it was all bluster.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.