Full Transcript for Commentary Box: Andrew Saville and Jason Pine discuss A-League, All Blacks and F1

the casual fan like yourself, Mike. But yeah, pretty robust staff. I think Auckland have got a few growing pains, actually, under their new coach, Pedro Moreira. I noted he said afterwards, oh, we deserve to win. Wellington didn't deserve anything out of that. Well, you've still got to get the ball in the back of the net. 00:02:47 Speaker 1: And there were plenty of shots, weren't there? I mean, I was looking at the stats. I can't remember the stats, but I mean, Auckland shot the ball up 100 times more than Wellington did. 00:02:54 Speaker 4: They had a lot of chances in the last 20 minutes. 00:02:56 Speaker 3: I think that's probably what irritated Pedro Moreira, was his team couldn't finish the chances they had. But you look at Wellington, unbeaten through four games, they've started the season really well. 00:03:06 Speaker 1: Tell you what, Andrew, my love affair with Bowdoin Barrett continues. I mean, how that guy ever sat on a bench, I've got no idea, because the idea is when you put him on the field, he does quite well. 00:03:18 Speaker 5: Let's not forget, Mike, two years ago, start of 2024, when Scott Robertson took over, he was going to pick Bowdoin Barrett, but pretty much had told him he was only going to be used as a squad member, as a bit part player. And over the last couple of years, he just seems to have gotten better with age. I think he was outstanding again. Damien McKenzie as well. Clearly an emotional week. For the All Blacks, losing their head of security, a man who was with the team for a long time and very close to a lot of the management and players. In the first half, it looked like that had taken quite a toll on them. A lot of missed tackles. But under this coaching group, and I've mentioned it before, you've got to have confidence in this coaching group. At halftime in some of the games where they've been behind or looked a bit out of sorts, they've come out in the second half and played very well. 00:04:07 Speaker 2: And that's what they did against Scotland. 00:04:08 Speaker 1: It's three from three, isn't it, Jason? I mean, Wales and England. I mean, England's a test, but there's no reason why we can't win them. 00:04:14 Speaker 2: All, is there? 00:04:15 Speaker 4: I wouldn't have thought so, Mike. No, I think Wales will be very comfortable. 00:04:19 Speaker 3: They'll probably make a lot of changes and run some guys out who haven't had a lot of rugby in the last little while, then England, and then on to whatever happens beyond that, the Nations Championship format. 00:04:27 Speaker 4: I mean, it's probably going to be a playoff for third and fourth. 00:04:31 Speaker 3: I don't think we can make up the points that we need at the top to go past South Africa. 00:04:36 Speaker 4: Although they've got to play France and Ireland, so Who knows? 00:04:38 Speaker 5: Unless South Africa loses one of those games, a loss to France is possible. 00:04:42 Speaker 3: Yeah, I guess it's possible. I just don't see it happening. I

think they'll roll over the top of both of them. But you look at it now. We're 11 months out from a Rugby World Cup. You think about how we're feeling now compared to how we felt a year ago. 00:04:53 Speaker 2: I agree with Sam. 00:04:54 Speaker 3: It was a bit patchy at times on the weekend, but you can forgive them that. I think Dave Rennie has restored confidence. As David Kirk would say, the trajectory is now heading in the right direction. 00:05:05 Speaker 1: Andrew, do you think the Kawaja thing, I take it you picked it up over the weekend, the Kawaja thing in cricket, does that reignite it or is that just a bloke years on who goes, hey, guess what I know? 00:05:16 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think the latter, Mike. Does he have a book to sell? 00:05:21 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's funny you should say that. I always remember when he– was it at Christmastime this year he quit and he gave a very emotional sort of press conference, very articulate, sort of thoughtful kind of guy. So what he says now doesn't surprise me, but it's got that kind of– if you're in the midst of something at the time, say it and have some gonads or don't come back a year later and go, hey, you know what I mean? It's got that about it. 00:05:45 Speaker 2: It does. 00:05:46 Speaker 3: It is interesting because the bowlers, all four bowlers who were there on that tour came out in, what, 2021, I think, and issued this joint statement when there was a bit of scuttlebutt around at that time saying, no, we knew nothing about it at the time. 00:05:59 Speaker 4: Usman Khawaja saying, we all knew. It wasn't just Smith. 00:06:03 Speaker 2: It wasn't just Warner. 00:06:04 Speaker 4: It wasn't just... It was all of us. 00:06:06 Speaker 2: We all knew. 00:06:06 Speaker 3: And by the way, we were doing it in the previous test match as well. So somebody's being economical with the truth. But yeah, Ousmane's got a book to sell. He's always struck me as somebody who sits sort of off to the side of that team in many ways. You know, not your typical Australian brash, you know, brash ochre Aussie. 00:06:22 Speaker 4: He's a bit different from the others. 00:06:24 Speaker 1: By the way, Andrew, do you know, like, when the Indians arrived for the cricket, We were doing this. Oh, it's incredible. The people, the numbers, the bottom line. It's like all I've done so far. There's Eden Park match the other day. No one was there. And then whatever happened over the window. Is this big deal or not? 00:06:41 Speaker 2: Well, the T20 sold out pretty quickly. 00:06:43 Speaker 1: So is that all it was? It's just the T20 and the ODIs and tests and no one cares about it? 00:06:47 Speaker 5: I think there's one day tomorrow in Hamilton. It's during the week, obviously. That might get an OK crowd to it during the evening. And then I think at the Mount, there's a couple of games. Jason, correct me if I'm wrong. 00:06:59 Speaker 2: No, you're right. They should get a fairly decent crowd there. 00:07:02 Speaker 5: But I think it's not only the fans that are here, Mike, but there's massive interest in India, obviously. 00:07:07 Speaker 2: Yeah, sure. 00:07:08 Speaker 5: And that's where engine cricket makes the money, right, on all the TV rights and what have you. But even at the airport, when Coldy arrived at the airport in Auckland and in Wellington the other day, there's fans everywhere. So they're very, very, very, very popular. What about that rugby league? 00:07:22 Speaker 1: Now, that was my next question. 00:07:24 Speaker 2: How big a deal is that? 00:07:25 Speaker 4: I'll tell you what. 00:07:28 Speaker 2: Wasn't he extraordinary? 00:07:30 Speaker 1: Well, if you say so. 00:07:31 Speaker 2: I thought he was outstanding. 00:07:34 Speaker 3: Yeah, he's broken his arm three weeks ago, and he's coming back. I mean, that'll take you and all of us three about six months to recover from, and we don't even do anything particularly physical. 00:07:43 Speaker 4: Speak for yourself, Jason. Yeah, but he's out there making these big tackles. 00:07:48 Speaker 5: I'm asking you to be turning up for work the next day with a brace and plaster. 00:07:52 Speaker 1: Why would I need a brace and plaster? I'd just say my arm would be flopping here. They say, what's happened to your arm? I go, it's broken. 00:07:59 Speaker 3: He doesn't have Dimitri Valmanga running at him full tilt. 00:08:03 Speaker 2: I know. 00:08:04 Speaker 5: And then the high ball and general play, I thought he was brilliant. And aren't you that interested in it, Mike? 00:08:10 Speaker 1: No, I'm just trying to get a read on it because I tell you what, when you live in Auckland, the Samoan Tongan population, they all do the flags, right? And it's only when you see the flags on cars that you understand just how large the Tongan Samoan population is. in a place like Auckland. And it's massive, clearly. And whoever sells the flags, I'm assuming, is sitting in Moria or Bali or somewhere, sitting themselves in the sun, because they'll be multi-millionaires. 00:08:38 Speaker 5: I thought the scores might have been close from both semis, but it looks like Tonga and Samoa might have played their final last week, you know, when they played each other and whacked the crap out. 00:08:46 Speaker 2: Of each other. 00:08:48 Speaker 5: I think I'd give the Kiwis a good chance betting Australia. I think Stacey Jones has got them humming, Mike. 00:08:53 Speaker 1: He's got them. 00:08:54 Speaker 5: Close as a team. They want to play for themselves. They want to play for New Zealand and their families. And I think that the culture in that team looks pretty bloody good. 00:09:01 Speaker 1: Couldn't agree more. Did either of you watch John Higgins play Kieran Wilson in the final of the International in China? 00:09:09 Speaker 4: I think you know the answer to that, Mike. 00:09:12 Speaker 1: Well, it was a blockbuster, fellas. Let me tell you. 00:09:16 Speaker 2: I thought Higgins died. 00:09:17 Speaker 1: It's funny you should say that. Higgins is a classic. He's part of the class of 92, so he's actually not that old, but he's shaped like you, Andrew. 00:09:26 Speaker 2: Who's Hurricane Higgins? 00:09:28 Speaker 1: He looks older than he is. 00:09:32 Speaker 2: Who was Hurricane? Wasn't there a Hurricane Higgins? 00:09:35 Speaker 1: No, that was Hurricane Higgins, you idiot. 00:09:37 Speaker 4: Not John Higgins. They're two different Higgins. 00:09:40 Speaker 2: Don't get your. 00:09:40 Speaker 1: Higgins mixed up. What part of New Brighton did the betting club come from? 00:09:43 Speaker 5: It was scattered around. It was quite a loose sort of formation, Michael. And I'm sure tomorrow is going to be exactly the same. 00:09:55 Speaker 1: What sort of attire are you in i'm not i do not want to see you on the obligatory tv one story where about seven pissed people go to the camera it's really good day here in canary. 00:10:08 Speaker 5: No i i won't be anywhere near that sort of carry on no it'll be there it'll be very it'll be very civilized um. 00:10:16 Speaker 2: Yeah, you can guarantee that. 00:10:18 Speaker 5: Hey, can I just say, one of the highlights of all the election coverage over the weekend, I happened to be tuning into you and Maurice Williamson and Barry Soper at about midnight. 00:10:29 Speaker 2: Don't ask me why. Midnight on Saturday night. And Maurice Williamson revealed his love of F1 and his wife's love of F1. Wasn't that incredible? Is that correct? 00:10:37 Speaker 1: That was like, Raewyn, his wife, and he just, off to the races he went with the F1 talk. 00:10:41 Speaker 2: I found that really interesting, actually. 00:10:43 Speaker 4: Exactly. 00:10:45 Speaker 1: That was what you said, the previous five hours boring as back, but the closing minutes on F1. 00:10:52 Speaker 2: I actually enjoyed Maurice Williamson over the weekend and on Sunday too. He's brilliant. 00:10:57 Speaker 4: Mike, can I just say, I was at a function last night. 00:11:00 Speaker 3: I was helping out with an awards function and three different people said to me, oh, you're the guy off the Mike Hosking breakfast. 00:11:08 Speaker 4: And I felt like saying, well, I've got my own radio show. It's pretty popular. It runs for three hours Saturday, three hours Sunday. I do a bit of football commentary. 00:11:16 Speaker 3: But all I get is, you're the guy on the Mike Hosking commentary box. So my entire claim to fame is 11 minutes. 00:11:25 Speaker 4: On a Monday morning. 00:11:25 Speaker 2: Exactly. 00:11:26 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Hosking train and enjoy the ride, my friends. Andrew Saville and Jason Pine. 00:11:30 Speaker 4: For more from the Mike Hosking Breakfast, listen live to News Talk ZB from 6 a.m. weekdays or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.