How do Ireland close the gap after a season of ups and downs?
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How did the Nations Championship tour finish for Ireland and what was the Eden Park result?
Welcome along to this week's RTE Rugby Podcast, the last RTE Rugby Podcast of the season and a chance to put a ribbon on everything before we pack up for the summer. I'm on my own in the studio as you can see this week, Bernard Jackman is away at the moment but Johnny Holland is with us on the line from Cork. Morning Johnny, how are you? All set for the big final pod of the season?
Oh yeah, it's been a long season for the players but for the journalists I think you've had a tough old season have you? A lot of travel?
There's nothing tough about the travel, Johnny. That is absolutely one of the perks of the job. You know, getting to go to Sydney, even Newcastle, not the most kind of glamorous part of the world, but when else are you going to go to Newcastle and get to see Ireland play? There was a certain novelty to it. And also then, like, to go to Eden Park, as Andy Farrell said, you know, the mecca of New Zealand rugby. Yeah. Although the irony is it was something we were discussing afterwards for a place that has a reputation as such a fortress for New Zealand and where they're completely unbeatable. It doesn't actually really have much of an aura to it. It's actually, in terms of a stadium, it's a... It's kind of a bland enough stadium, you know, it's all grey seats around, the two stands either side behind the goals are quite open.
It doesn't necessarily come across as formidable, but I don't know, there's something about it that the All Blacks obviously are essentially unbeaten there in professional rugby. But look, all things considered, I wouldn't say it's a tough season for the journalists. It's always a great season. I'll enjoy the time off. I won't deny that. And I'll probably spend much of the next few weeks inside the gym trying to get my life back in order after a few weeks on tour. But look, it's been a good season. It always is.
Do you know what I love about Eton Park? Maybe not looking like a fortress when you see it, but when the anthems are being done and the lights are being dimmed everywhere now for these light shows and stuff, but the Adidas branding on the All Blacks jersey is bringing me back to when the All Blacks were untouchable. When you see the stadium and everything is dark and the Adidas sign just going along the back of it, I think it just looks premium, doesn't it? So it's...
the adidas and the all blacks is like uh um it's a real top-end branding i think like it looks unbelievable across the stadium it is yeah that that that is a you know getting to see the the haka and stuff in eden park in new zealand that's a that's a proper perk of the job right there before we actually get into the rugby just went even talking about the kind of in new zealand in general one thing i did notice actually over the the last week or so is the obviously way more than in than in Sydney the conversation you might have in passing with people if they hear an Irish accent is oh you're over for the game and stuff like that but one thing a lot of us definitely did notice over the last week in Auckland was the
the growing threat from rugby league over there is becoming really, really strong. Like, it's no longer the All Blacks are the only show in town. The New Zealand Warriors NRL team were actually playing in Auckland as well at the same time that night on Saturday evening, both games on TV. And... when you're talking to people over there, the odd time I might, you know, if you're buying a coffee or someone and someone remarks in your accent and you're over here for the game and I might say, you know, are you a big All Blacks person? Are you going to the game at the weekend? Are you going to be watching it? And quite a few times you get a, oh no, I'm more Warriors. I'm more Rugby League. There was a lot more of that than I was, than I was expecting.
And, You can even see it with the way the team goes about their kind of community engagements. They do like a community engagement every week. They're very, very keen and very aware, I think, of the threat that Rugby League poses and making sure that the All Blacks brand is out there front and centre.
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Chapters
3 chaptersSpeakers
2 identifiedMore from RTÉ Rugby Podcast
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