You don't know anything about rugby. Don't talk.
Gregan. Drop go from Larkham Australian creep forward. They've got the advantage.
Worst press conference. Well done boys.
Hi everyone and welcome to the Gadget Teams podcast for the week. I'm the happy man and it's just Sully with me tonight to go through the first wallaby squad of the year. Evening, Sully. How are you going?
I'm good mate. How are you? Good, good.
Just a bit of a change to run on a Thursday. But we waited until the teams were announced so that we'd have something to talk about. Loving life. Uh, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for your support. It's, uh, improving nicely week on week. Please, uh, don't forget to download, rate, subscribe, review on all the platforms we're on YouTube and all those sorts of things. Uh, tonight's probably just going to
really just drill into the Australia and Wales game. We'll touch on a few of the other games that are going on around the world and uh, go for uh, a bit of a shouting at clouds moment at the end. Sully, what were you what was your highlight of the week?
Oh, man. It's, uh, it's, uh, rinse and repeat for me, mate. I, uh, had a had a check in on the Maori, All Blacks, uh, versus, uh, Eddie Jones's team, and, uh, he got smashed again, so I'm happy about that again. So I'm, I'm, I'm sad about Japan. I mean, they don't deserve that, but it's Eddie Jones and I just don't care anymore. So I'm over him. He's had done enough to Australian rugby and the Reds over the years and I'm done. So. Yeah. Yeah.
Schadenfreude is good for the soul, my friend. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. I just like the, uh. I like the fact that the, uh, team, the Australian team looks like. And the Australian coaching seems to be looking like it's run by adults at the moment. So long may that continue. But we're at that point of the year where hope and expectation meets reality. We're about get stuck into the big games so quickly. Let's run through the team for the for the Australians. We've
got uh. James Slipper, uh, at loosehead Matt Fezler at uh hooker Taniela Tupou starts at tighthead. Jeremy Williams and Lukhan Salakaia-loto make up the locking combination. Uh Liam Wright is at six and captain with Fraser McBryde at seven, Rob Valentini at eight, Jake Gordon at nine, Nilo Lucio playing at fly half, Filipo Daugunu and Andrew Kellaway on the wings. Hunter Paisami and Josh Luke make up the
centres and Tom Wright starts on at fullback. The substitutes we've got Billy Pollard as a hooker, Isaac Kelly and Alataua as the props. Angus Blyth, Charlie Kyle make up the loose trio in the back and Tate McDermott, Tom Liner and Dylan Peach are the back replacements. What do you think of the Australian team? Sydney?
Um, yeah, I'm surprised how strong it is, mate. I'm. I'm a little bit, um, concerned about combinations. Like, we've got, uh, props from three different clubs. We've got, uh, locks from two different clubs, you know, back row, um, from two different clubs, uh, halves from different clubs. Um, as I was saying to you earlier, the finishing without injuries, the finishing backline would have a few players or mostly from from one club. If if everyone stays fit, but just
meshing together quickly in like, what was it been two weeks? Uh, it might be difficult to get some cohesion there, but I'm liking it. They all seem to be like form players playing well. The big surprises like two weeks ago before the squad was named, would you think Angus Blythe's name would be on that list?
You could have. Yeah. There's no chance I would, I would have. He for me, for mine. He's the biggest star. He's the biggest surprise. If you look at body of work availability what he's actually done this year. I think if you asked him, he'd be surprised. Yeah. So he just I don't think he's done enough. I think there's there's a whole stack of players who I think have done more. Uh, so yeah, it's a massive surprise for me. Massive surprise. I can I can only hope that they're
they're seeing something that I haven't for a number of years. Really.
Well, he's he's, uh. He he looks he physically, he's got everything that an international lock should have. It's just an attitude adjustment that. Yeah. So maybe that's happened. Going in his limited time this season, I thought I could see a change in him, but that hasn't been enough time to bed that in for me. So. yeah.
Look, if I'd have, you know, using the term that I had last week about Cocker's law, if you say that someone you don't think someone should get the job, you should name a replacement. I think you'd go Nick Frost, Darcy Swain. Both would be more able replacements. And that's coming from a Queenslander. Yeah.
Well, I think Darcy Swain suffers from the same thing that Angus Bligh's suffers from his little head explosion.
So a little bit, a little bit. But I think he's limited that last this year. So I and I think Nick Frost is the sort of has, you know, some big athletic, high quality second rower that I think I would probably have on there. And at a pinch you can throw him at six as well.
So it's I'm surprised not to see him in the side at all.
Yeah yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I thought, uh, Jack Gordon was. Was lucky. I'm surprised to see him.
Yeah. Yeah. He's had a few chances to start in wallaby teams. And I'm surprised the new coaches, I guess. But I'm surprised to see him get another chance.
Yeah, yeah. Look.
It's very hard to take his form because he was playing behind a pack that was really suffering a lot, you know, so the Waratahs really had a difficult year. Maybe they've they've seen him play, you know seen him go around at training where he's actually got a bit of decent ball and, and said well you know what. He can play a bit flatter. He's probably to be honest, he's got a bit of a superior kicking game to, um,
Tate McDermott. But I would have thought Nic White would be in a better place than either of those to, you know, to be the starter. Uh, I don't I like, take McDermott off the bench because I think he's got that capacity to speed the game up if you want to. Well, the back end, but.
I think you choose Nick white if you want to play off nine. Mm. Uh, I, they obviously don't want to pay off nine. They want to play off ten. So.
Yeah.
Yeah. And potentially they want to give Lucy a bit of breathing space. Maybe they've gone with Tate on the bench because of Tom Warner. They maybe they think they can bring them on as a tandem. Yeah. Uh, really excited for Liam Wright. He's had a difficult run with injury. And getting getting the captaincy band is is a testament to his to his work. I do like the fact
that they've, uh, named him just for this test series. Uh, which basically seems to be a bit of a thing of your form will have to dictate that you picked in the team, and then we'll have a series of captains who will go to on that basis. Uh, yeah. I must be a.
I absolutely agree with that. I'm. I don't think you should pick a captain for a year. I think that's that's just wrong. I think you should have a leadership group. And if your captain doesn't make the team, you pick a new captain.
But yeah, the days 35, 40 years ago of guys being the captain, the coach not even talking to them. Half time a long gone with modern technology. You know, people are talking at all times to the players on the field calling whether to go for posts or do whatever. Ultimately, that seems to be a bit of a thing. Look, Liam.
Liam. Liam Wright has had injury problems, but they haven't been similar injuries. And they've all been injuries during matches and haven't like.
Yes. Yeah.
And having said that, he has played all but 16 minutes of this season. So he's.
Played.
A massive I think it's 1100 and something minutes of the season. He's played a massive amount of minutes. So any any worries over injury concerns about Liam Wright this year or should be just forgotten as far as I'm concerned.
Yeah, yeah.
100%. I do like the look of our back three with Andrew Kellaway, Tom Wright, both the form players in their position.
Yeah, I wouldn't worry about which one's the fullback. Um, no, it's as far as I'm concerned, it's a shared role. Yeah. And, um, yeah.
Both have a good kicking game. Can come up into the line. Yeah. If, if you think about, you know, using the Irish comparable playing Andrew Kellaway at uh on the wing is very much like a mack Hansen kind of role where, you know, you can play a bit of ball, he can come into second receiver, you can do a lot of different things. So I expect to see him in a bit of a roving role. The same.
With.
Luke and Daugunu. I wouldn't worry about which ones are the winger and which ones? The outside centre either. I mean they around quite easily.
Yeah, yeah.
And congratulations to Filipo Daugunu. He's really he's progressed quite, quite a lot over the last year and a half. Uh, I think Brad Thorn struck gold when he put him at outside centre. Yeah. Through necessity at about 18 months ago. And, uh, hasn't taken a backward step so can play outside center can play on the wing. Strong defender. Great over the ball.
Well you could see.
Immediately when when thorn did it, it was like a, uh it worked instantly. And, uh, I was surprised he didn't stay there. He. I think he only lasted a week and he went back to wing because I think it was fluke who was injured at the time. I can't remember who it was, but, um. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, but it was, uh.
Yeah. And, uh, I think he's played every game at outside centre this year. I think it this will be his first game at the wing this year. Um.
So yeah.
I like the balance of our back row with Liam Wright. He just gets in and does all the hard work. You've got Fraser Mcreight with a bit of the all court game. And then uh, Rob Valentini obviously is a good run running eight. So I think that gives us really good options there. Yeah, uh I agree. Yeah, obviously it's an inexperienced side, but uh, again, I don't think there's a real natural capacity there for for experience to
come through, given what Eddie did to the team last year. Uh, robbed it of any, any of its real experience and then, uh, picked on a lot of the, the wrong people to be to get, get debutants. So it's a it is a highly inexperienced team when you think that of the starters, Taniela Tupou is the got second highest test cap at 50 and a mere 84 behind James Slipper. And then
the next highest is what, 39 for Valentine. So there's there's not a lot of experience there but there's certainly a lot of ability.
I don't know.
Um I'm not sure they have they haven't added um, all the reserves.
Um.
Things for Allan Alaalatoa have a few caps.
He would, he Haywood.
Tate McDermott will have a few, but Dylan Pietsch, Tom liner, Charlie Cale, Angus Blyth all looking at, uh, and Isaac Collier all looking at uh, debuts. And Billy Pohlad's got one test. So not exactly what you'd call an experience sponsor closes, but it needs must.
And Liam Wright's rights. Never started a, never started a started a test match. And he's, uh, got the captain's armband.
Yeah, yeah, but to be honest.
Liam Wright's been, uh, captaining teams since junior, you know, age, age grades, teams. So he's no stranger to that that role at all.
Yeah. And been he's only 26 and has captained the Reds for since he's been about 22. Uh, and I think I think uh, Brad Thorn installed him as captain when he, when he first got there. Uh, has done a sterling job through difficult and now slightly better times. Yeah. So yeah, it really, really, really liked the look of the team. I think I would have had, uh, maybe Nick Whitestone instead of Jake Gordon, but to be honest, you got to look through it and say, that's pretty
much on on form. Maybe Darcy Swain or, uh, Nick Frost instead of Jeremy Williams or, uh, or Angus Blyth.
Uh, yeah.
You got to say, uh, just just because you have to say it too many times.
Too many times. There's only one, mate.
Well, there's two technically now with.
Andrew.
Kellaway.
Too many stars, mate.
Too many stars. Two, two, two too many.
Just for me.
Maybe that's the, uh. Maybe that was the thing. They they can have no fewer than two in any team. So they had to they had to pick their two best ones to, to go from there.
Yeah.
With the uh let's move on to Wales shall we. With the Welsh team. Really a big bunch of unknown. It's a I follow a little bit of northern rugby and the Welsh. It's a bit hard to follow the URC, uh, from down here. We don't really have that a platform to do. So the, uh Welsh teams, I can tell you don't haven't been doing well in the URC. Most of their team, their uh, their, their squad is picked from the, from the Welsh teams within the URC, but, uh,
but some notable names in there. Uh, you've got Tommy Raphael, who's fantastic, uh, flanker. Gareth Thomas is a well known name. Liam Williams from Saracens is obviously known to everyone. Uh, Nick, Nick Tompkins is also known to a lot of people, but, uh, there's there's not a lot of experience that Christians are playing at Exeter and is a good player, but in reality, it's a pretty. They're probably just as inexperienced as the Australians. I don't know what their cap number is.
I think it's it's about 15 less than us. We, I think we got about 340 caps and there are about 325 from. Yeah. Memory. Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. And if you think Australia's got some poor form running into it off the World Cup, Wales are if they are on a seven match losing streak, they lost every game in the Six Nations, including to Italy. Obviously they lost to South Africa a couple of weeks ago and they lost their quarter final against Argentina. So they're not exactly coming down here in red hot form. Uh, listening to a couple of listening and reading to a couple of things with their captain, they're talking about putting
in a base game. So I think that that's code for we're going to kick the daylights out of the ball and defend like anything. Uh, which will be interesting. Uh, look, the the names that I do know that in that Welsh squad who are worth looking looking at for them. Mason Grady is the I think he's the, uh, one of the centres. He's a very good player. Needs to work on his defence a little bit, but is very good. Very. the big body kind of George North kind of player. Uh,
Tommy Rafael is high quality. He was probably their best best player during the Six Nations. For those that watch the, uh, Christians is.
Um, what does.
What position does Tommy Rafael.
Play?
He's, uh, I think he plays seven. Okay. Seven, six, eight kind of player. Um, you know, just that kind of real hard on ball, tough player who, you know, just takes a lot of lot of beating, uh, there obviously then they're without their, uh, their captain from when they played Australia and gave us a proper flogging at the World Cup. He's injured. Uh, so, you know, they're.
They're.
They're a team that's certainly in transition, probably even more so than Australia at the moment. Uh, I'm actually expecting them to play a lot without the ball and try and work their way back into in and keep the game close and hopefully pinch it at the end. That's my expectations of how they're going to play. Where have you got any comments about the Welsh team my friend?
No, I'm I'm terribly underprepared for the for the Welsh mate. I haven't seen them um play. I haven't even seen them play against South Africa last week. So I'm just winging it here, mate. Unfortunately, yes.
Well, for those of us who are a bit old, you can, uh, certainly feel old by knowing that, uh, one of the reserves for the Welsh is a guy by the name of James Botham. And for context, he's not Ian Botham's son, he's Ian Botham's grandson. So comes from good stock. But, uh, you know, you're getting old when you're watching somebody. When I was growing up, I liked Ian Botham and his grandsons now playing international rugby. Uh, so that's, uh.
One thing I did pick up is the only player left from the team that beat Australia, uh, 40 to 6 in the World Cup was, uh, Liam Williams the only player still in the team from that game? Yeah. So it's a major turnover, um, of, uh, players since then. And, uh, from what I can hear, what I've heard is Warren Gatland has been searching for, um, new players like to take over from, you know, that that, um, that group of players that took them through that golden era. Yeah. Uh,
from from his first in as coach. We've just all got old like the rest of us.
Yeah.
Look, you've got to gotta take your hat off to Gatlin for going back to back to the. Well, look, he's gotten Wells awfully close a couple of times. If you go back to, you know, 2011, they were basically a red card away from getting getting to the final. They would have beaten France. Uh, they made the semi final in Japan. They've they've been a high performing. He's managed to squeeze that lemon pretty dry. I my biggest concern is I think they're just a bit light on
cash at the moment. Uh, their under 20s aren't going great. They're they're sort of struggling at every level. Uh, and it's going to be a bit of a push for them to, to get, uh, get results going forward. But they'll give a good account of themselves. Yeah. I'm going to tip Australia by ten points. But look, I would pick Australia against anyone just because I'm Australian.
So so with.
The limited um, with the limited time together, what game plan do you think Australia is going to trot out? Are they going to, you know, uh, try and kick their way out and defend and hope for scraps? Or are they going to try and run the ball and attack?
Look.
I think they'll be smart enough to not try anything too amazing. I think they'll they'll have worked out a whole stack of starter plays and they'll be pretty on point as far as that's concerned. There. I don't think they're going to try. I don't expect them to try and play too much from deep. I think they'll really just try to work themselves in the right parts of the field and then go from there. They I think they'll back their aerial game. Dangun is good in the air.
Callaway is good in the air. Tom Wright's been very good in the air this year. Uh, look, our back three I think is is looking pretty solid. The and I think we can actually we can actually take them apart up front there there scrums not been going well and they've actually got a, a more inexperienced scrum coming out. So as opposed to at the World Cup where they absolutely handed their asses to us, They I believe they'll
they'll struggle at scrum time. This this time around I would have gone with Alataua starting and Tupo off the bench. But hey potato, potato. Maybe they're looking at getting 30 30 minutes out of two start or whatever. See how he's going. Uh, but yeah, I'm going to I'm going to take Australia by ten. I just think we'll, we'll have a little bit, bit more going on than they will. I think they've had a long season, haven't had a lot of time together. Two weeks ago they played South Africa,
got beaten pretty handily. Uh, yeah I think we and but that's more hope than reality. We've not seen these guys together for some time. It's not like we can point back to last year, last year's World Cup and say, oh, this is what our game should look like.
Yeah, South.
Africa is a completely different beast to what we put out like this. You know, like they're all power. And this is all, um, speed sort of thing, that's all. Yeah.
Yeah. But we're also, you know, we don't know what Australia is going to look like because they haven't played together and the coaching team is completely changed. Yeah. And realistically, I couldn't see any real discernible game plan at any stage last year for Australia. We really didn't seem to have a clue of what what they were trying to achieve. Uh, so no, I'm I'm just reliant on the fact that we've got adults running the show. You know, Laurie Fish
is going to make us good at contact. The Welsh will be hard on the ground, hard on the ball, on the ground. Uh, my biggest concern is one of my favorite TMO. Marius Jonker is having a having a crack. Yeah, he's he's an awful TMO. Maybe it's just a South African accent, you know check check. So but yeah but generally I'm excited. You know we're.
Generally excited week of the.
Year. Uh in rugby mate Australia was stern before the test match. Um. Your natural. I've been writing about it for for the weekend edition. Um, like the the Australian, the Wallabies could be anything this week. We could be world beaters. We could we could be winning the cup in a in a in a month or two. You know, we could be we could be, um, you know, we could be on our way to winning the World Cup. You know, this is the best week in the year because nothing's gone wrong yet.
Yeah, exactly.
New coaches. We've got a new squad. It's. Yeah. And, um, the natural Australian optimism is in full flight.
Correct.
So, um. Yeah. It's wonderful. It's just like this and the and the the week before the Super Rugby season starts is just, um. It's, uh. Nirvana. Yes. Wonderful.
Yeah.
100%. 100%. I look, I just, I we'll all have a little bit more context next week as to what we can say that they, they look like and how they played and who played well and all that sort of stuff. But ultimately, I think we look at the Australian team and with the parameters they put around, who they were going to pick and who they have picked, they're pretty much on form. There's there's only really two out of the 23 that I can, I can look at and go, no, I think they shouldn't be there.
So so I was just looking at the games for the weekend to see if Japan was playing. See if I can salvage something from the weekend. No.
Japan's got Mary all black again, so.
Oh, I'll.
Be I'll be right then. I'll be happy next week.
Yeah. Okay.
So how much are you picking Australia by my friend.
Uh, I'm going to go about like. It's hard to put a number on it because we've got no form for. I've got no form, really, for either team. I'm. We do have form whilst has lost seven in a row. Australia got no form for because it's a new team, a new coaching team. We can no this form of the players individually and it's pretty good I reckon. Like there's no there's no real duds there. Um, I mean, um, Angus Blyth was playing all right. Hasn't got a lot of games on it, but he's a reserve and he's
going to be on for half an hour. Um. Tennille. Tupo. Not the fittest he's ever been. Um, but they're all playing reasonably and was playing his way into in pretty good form. He's getting better every week. Um, Jake Gordon was probably one of the better Waratahs players as much as we give him crap. So yes, there is good form individually whether they can meld them quickly into a team and that works pretty well is another thing. But, um, you as a as an Aussie, I'm going to back him,
I'm going to say by 10 to 15. So two tries either converted or unconverted. So 10 to 14. Um hoping for a smashing, but who knows? Um, that's. Yeah, but it's a it's a lottery, isn't it?
It is.
It is. Absolutely, absolutely. Look, uh, we'll just quickly touch on some of the other games for the weekend.
It's a smorgasbord this weekend. It is.
A smorgasbord. Some of which you can see and some of which you can't. But, uh, for those of you who've got rugby pass TV, the Australian under 20s are playing Italy in a at 3 a.m. tomorrow morning. But, uh, do yourself a favor. Get up, turn your socials off, and, uh, jump on and watch it. Uh, directly after that. It should be fine. Uh, other games.
You know.
Pretty sure you can get that on YouTube.
Yeah, you can, you can.
They do stream it and I think they link it through YouTube. But, uh, if you've got the Rugby Pass TV app, it's actually got a whole stack of content on there. It's really good resource. And, uh, you can see some really cool games across the whole of the spectrum. Uh, the men's internationals this weekend we've got Samoa are playing Italy. The, uh, should be an interesting game. I've seen the Samoan side. It's got a fair few names that we recognize. It's
been played in Apia, so that'll be a cracker. Be a great occasion. Uh, hope to get some footage of that for my one of the games of the of the weekend. Georgia v Fiji.
Yeah.
At 2 a.m. on, uh, on, uh, Saturday. It's going to be played in, uh, in Georgia. That'll be a cracking game. Real contrast of styles. Most of all, the Fijians will be in the team. So it'll be a really, really good game. The USA are playing Romania the and obviously for our for us the big games for the weekend. Uh New Zealand are playing England. I'm going to take New Zealand. What about you, Sally?
Yeah. Anyone? Anyone against England? Yeah. New Zealand, definitely New Zealand. Um, that'll be so interesting. Um, you know, new coach for New Zealand. So like, not. Oh, I'm interested to see how good, how long. Um. Sami Peni Finau last international.
Rugby.
Before he gets his first yellow card. Um or Or he can go his kamikaze hits. Um, yeah. Like hits. But, um, that's an interesting team. Um, what was the comment all Aussie front row for? Yes. But, um, yeah, I think the All Blacks can get up against England. That's going to be a good game though.
Yeah, yeah.
No, I said that just to get a rise out of Carl, but, uh.
It didn't really work. Yeah.
Apparently Codie Taylor's first junior club was Logan in Brisbane. Um, Logan boy. Tyrel. Tyrel Lomax obviously is from Canberra. And, uh, Ethan. The group was born on the Gold Coast. So there you go. Um, now I look, I, I like New Zealand. They let's be let's be honest, they're it's a very good looking team. Hoskins. Sotutu didn't get it. Didn't make the squad. I have no idea how, but, uh. And he could well be Super Rugby player of the year. Yeah,
the good team all throughout the English fancy themselves. They really do. Listening to a few of the English podcasts this week and some of their media, they, they sort of think they've got a good, good shot at winning. Look, I think reality's going to bite them. When don't they really do have a high expectation of what they should be doing. But yeah, I'm I don't think.
They're still telling us that they were the better team in the ashes. Um, last year was it last year with the baseball when, um, both. We got, um, stumped, which was the anniversary last week or something. Yeah. So they're saying that they they flogged us. So they're still even in hindsight, they're the better side as far as they're.
So yeah.
Anyway, we'll see what happens on the weekend, obviously. Uh, then that's the game before the Australia Wales game. Then immediately after about the same time, Japan will be playing the Maori All Black again. So. So they'll be hoping for another 5050 gap on them again.
They personally. Yeah. Especially if the, the uh yeah. If the worst happens anyway, it go. Yeah.
Uh, South.
Africa are playing Ireland. This will be a good this would be a cracking game. This this will be worth getting up at 1:00 in the morning to have a look at. I, um, Ireland have won I think the last 2 or 3 against South Africa. Um, they've won like five out of the last six, but like the last six games apparently have all been less than a score. Uh, the Spurs are up for it. You can really tell some of the commentary. They've really been trying to build
some beef with Island. Uh, you know, some of the commentary is just absolutely crazy, you know? Oh, well, you know, getting upset because they said to them after they beat them in the pool stages, we'll see you in the final. How is that something that you should be thinking is derogatory? Um, you know, or because you think you're going to beat the All Blacks? They only lost by a point to point or two points to the All Blacks. So no, it's, uh, South Africa are a weird mob. I'm probably going to
take Ireland in this game. I think they're they're good. They're missing the they're missing their halfback. They've got a few players out injured and one's going to the, uh, going to the, uh, Olympics.
Oh, I don't know, mate. It's that, uh, it's the altitude. And it's in South Africa.
Okay.
Glasgow in the USA said seemed to prove that altitude didn't matter.
Okay.
Yeah.
But that was robbed, mate. They were robbed.
They were robbed? Yes.
Yeah. Look, it'll be it'll be a cracking game and, um, it'll be next level physicality that one. Argentina are playing The French don't know which French team is going to turn up. Apparently they've sent out the bunch of kids to Argentina. Now DuPont, obviously all of their top 13 players were playing in the final last week, so I don't know what that French team will look like. They generally don't tour well in their off season. Uh, and then Chile are playing Hong.
Kong.
And Canada are playing Scotland. So plenty of uh, plenty of games this weekend.
That is a crap. Yeah.
And yeah. Like those those, uh, the Kiwis in England and uh, Springboks and uh, Ireland are just that's the cream of the crop and that, uh, Fiji game. I reckon that'll be a cracker too.
Yeah. Me too, me too. I'm, uh, an investigate how I can watch that. Because I think that will be a really interesting game. Yeah. Georgians Jordan's playing at home.
I wonder what the temperature is going to be like in Georgia this time of year. I'm not sure what it'll be.
I have to find out it. From my understanding of Georgia, it's either one of two things. Really, really hot or really, really cold.
Yeah, well, you have to think it's hot. Yeah.
Yeah. This time of year, you'd have to expect it would be really hot. So. Yeah. So that's what we think of the, uh, the weekend. Uh, anything on your mind that you want to have a bit of a rant about at the moment, Sally or.
Oh, no, I'm just all all wrapped up in, um. I'm all wrapped up in the build up to this, uh, test match. I'm. I'm just loving it. I'm checking the forums, like, every half hour just to see what people are saying. And I've been. So I was excited to see the the squad. I was excited to see the team or the speculation of the team. Yeah, okay, I'm going to have a rant about one thing I'm sick about. I'm I want the team to be released. Like I want to sit and wait for the team to be released.
At the time. I don't want it to be leaked. Uh, you know, I don't want all such and such is going to be captain or. Or this guy is going to be the halfback. I just want I don't want little bits and pieces to be leaked. I just want
the team to be released. And I think that just builds the tension more than just all these little leaks, like, um, I basically filling in for you for the Thursday news this morning, I was I was able to put together 20 of the 23 players in the right positions today from all the leaks, and that takes a bit of the I mean, some people love it. For me, it took a bit of the fun out of it. Yeah. No, I would prefer just to wait till I don't know when it came out 12:00 today was it.
Yeah, something like that.
And the team to come out and be surprised. I would love that. So yeah. RA some of us would just like to tend to come out without the leaks. Thank you.
Yeah.
Yeah, I, I couldn't agree more. That was going to be my, my little shout at the moment it's I just yeah I'd like it to be a bit of a sense of occasion. Even if they whether they choose to announce it on the Tuesday do it early to try and build it. This is who the team is. But I don't want it. I don't want a drip feed.
I don't like it, I, I think they should do the, you know, do the Elon Musk thing and like different things to different people and see, see or tell different things to different people, whoever they think is, you know, getting getting backhanders from Christy Doran and, and find out who who's actually doing what and then go, right, fellas, you know, this is who we're you're you're the leaker. You're out.
I'm I just assumed that they knew who they were leaking it to. Then it was done on purpose. I'm not. I don't think they're there. I mean, I don't think they're accidental leaks. No, it's part of their their, um, strategy.
But if if.
It's a strategy, it's annoying me. If it's accidental, they need to find out who it is and and bullet them.
But. Yeah. No, the build up.
To this test, the first, uh, test in July. I just love it. I love it like the speculation on who's going to be in the squad. Just. And then when the squad is announced and then when like even when it was trimmed and, and even the speculation are when, uh, Ryan Smith got cut, um, we still don't know. You know, why Ryan Smith got cut from the team? Um, and then the teams announced on the build up to the team and people picking their their first test team. And
nearly everyone, no one picked that test team. Yeah. I mean, and and, um. Yeah, I just love the build up for the first test. So that's what's been on my mind mostly this week.
Yeah.
And yeah. So my rant is the leaks for the build up to the first test for the test team. Just spoil it a little bit for me.
Agreed.
It feels like it should be a sense of occasion. Yeah. You know, the the the team should be. Particularly this one because it's it's a clean slate. It's not like you're looking at it going, oh, well, you know, who are you kind of in the past. You know you've kind of been going, okay, we know roughly what 10 or 12 of the team are. Maybe they're going to change around a little bit on the outside, but you sort of had a clue. Whereas this this really is
a clean slate. He could have picked if he, you know, had the opportunity and picked 15 debutants and pretty much everyone would go, well, it's it is a clean slate. You can start again. Yeah. Uh, look, win, lose or draw, I just hope there's, uh, a fair amount of goodwill that's retained towards, um, Joe Schmidt. Like it's taken an excavator and a lot of digging to get to where
Australia Australian rugby is at the moment. I feel like this is, you know, let's be a little bit patient about how we're going to dig out, uh, start climbing our way out of it.
Yeah. well, look.
Looking at the team, like, besides Frost and Swain, who who would you have in there besides those two?
Yeah, I mean, I'd.
I'd Nick Ward instead of Jake Gordon.
Yeah. And, um, maybe Hodgeman instead of Kalia.
Yeah. Yeah, that's probably fair.
But it's probably fair from that.
And Donaldson maybe I don't know. I mean, Donaldson say a few tests.
Yeah, yeah.
If, uh, I probably could have. I could have lived with Donaldson on the bench as opposed to Tom liner, because, to be honest, if Tom liner, if Tom one of our centres go down, we're we're moving. You know you've got to means you've got to move to new new in and you know, so you've kind of got to shuffle. Yeah. Uh, whereas Tom liner really can't play inside centre. So, you know, if Hunter Paisami goes down who fills his spot, you know. So there's there doesn't Donaldson you could argue you could,
could fill a fair bit of, uh, capacity in that backline. Yeah. Uh, I think they're getting Tom liner to go to sort of give him a bit of a taste, see if he's up to it. Yeah, it'll be interesting if it if it's tight in the lot. It'll take a fair bit of fair bit of bravery if it's tight with ten to go or 20 to go to go. Right. We're going to put Angus Blyth, debutant Charlie Kyle, debutant Tom line and debutant Dylan Peach, debutant on on.
The.
Field it. That's going to take some stones.
Yeah. Oh look, I just.
I, we kind of glossed over uh, before Tom. Right. I really think he's taken a major steps forward this this season. I think his games come a long way from last year. I think he's I think he's been fantastic. So I think him and Andrew Callaway are and, uh, are going to, are going to be great in the backfield. Yeah.
You know.
Tom Roy always had a good head explosion in him of doing something utterly stupid. And if you do that at 15, it generally costs you seven points.
Yeah. Like those little.
But he seems to have eradicated that from his game. And good luck. Good luck to him. Yeah. He's a bloody good rugby player now. Yep. Who can come into second receiver who can. So and he in reality he has in reality they've got three options at second receiver.
He has played inside centre before.
Just quite.
A long time ago though.
Yeah. Mm. Yeah.
No it's all good. All good. Anything else to throw in the in the pot, Mike?
Uh, no, that's me mate.
Okay, well.
Once again.
I think we. I think we've done much better without Carl.
Yeah.
It's always better without Kiwis. I think he'd want to talk about the All Blacks too much.
I think we can dump him and.
Give him the brush.
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You don't know anything about rugby. Don't talk.
Gregan drop go from Larkham Australian great forward. They've got the advantage.
Worst press conference. Well done boys.