March 18, 2025 • 18 mins
On Sports Fix with D'Arcy Waldegrave for Tuesday March 18 2025, NZ Herald rugby scribe Gregor Paul unpacks the united front from NZR around eligibility. All Blacks head coach Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson and NZR CEO Mark Robinson are now singing from the same song sheet. Is this genuine alignment or an attempt to smooth over the wreckage from Scott’s stance earlier?
The Formula 1 season roared into life over the weekend, but it wasn’t all that. Dull race, horrid conditions and a DNF from Liam Lawson. Listen to D’Arcy pull positives out of the mess, and what awaits Liam now?
And Alex Powell, NZ Herald sportswriter, joins D’Arcy to take a closer look at the big sport stories of the day.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks at B.
Follow this and our Wide Ranger podcast now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix howard By News Talks it B yay right,
Welcome into the Sports Fix podcast. My name is Darcy
Waldgrave and coming up in this edition, out of a
yarm with Gregor Paul New Zealand Herald Rugby scribe around
the alignment between n z RS CEO Mark Robinson and
(00:38):
the head coach of the All Blacks Scott Robertson. Have
they actually come to an agreement? Is it all as
it seems? Around player eligibility. We'll talk with Gregor shorty.
I'm predictably going to shoot my mouth off around F
one and what Liam Lawson achieved, Yes, achieved the weekend
at Albert Park and will be joined in the chamber
(01:00):
by Alex Powell, sports news journalist from New Zealand Herald.
That's our plan, so let's put our foot down and
get mongst here on the.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Fix, dissecting the sporting agenda. It's Sportsfix with Darcy.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Waldegrave and in sports Speak today Super Rugby as well
Super Again, jed Our CEO Mark Robinson and AB coach
Scott robertson ron Zby's Rugby Direct podcast, and Mark told
the boys that there are a number of reasons by
the upsurge and interest teams getting unexpectedly beaten or nearly
(01:37):
stumbling at the last being one of the reasons.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
And that's you know, creating jeopardy as Raises mentioned, and
real uncertainty and results. And then I think combined the
commission to be able to stand up in a ralidly
short amount of time, as we've always said, have a
real dedicated focus on the competition.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
And Raiser has spoken of hijacking some successful Springbok tactics
such as the Devastating Bomb Squad, which incorporates the seven
to one pro forward split on the bench. When you
can bring in extual loose forward, it makes a massive
difference to it. Yeah, so you look at it. You know,
we've considered it. It's working in the renovative and you've
(02:17):
got to keep it on that trend. Check out news
to Talk at z B and take a listen to
the whole chat with two Robbos, Elliot Smith and Liam Napier.
That's Rugby Direct. Proper prior preparation prevents piss poor performances.
Rory McElroy sort of dad out before letting his nine
to nine set up his Players Championship victory over the
stumbling JJ Spawn who found the wet stuff for a
(02:39):
triple bogie on the seventeenth, And it was on sent
Batic's day for Rory as well.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
Ah tried to hit a few shots with the cm
Win direction on the range and I knew it was
them distances yesterday and I just sort of had that
little three quarter nine iron dialed in, so once we
got up there, I knew.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
What to do and made a good swing and a
respectable tie for twentieth for Ryan Fox. And that's some
sports spoken today news.
Speaker 5 (03:07):
It's Sports Fix.
Speaker 6 (03:08):
With Valde Greve.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
We'll join now on the Sports Fixed podcast by New
Zealand Herald at rugby writer Gregor Paul talking about the
united front around eligibility. This front is n z Our CEO,
Mark Robinson and Scott robertson the All Blacks head coach.
It looks like they've come together and they have drawn
(03:34):
a line in the sand around eligibility. They are a
united front. Well that's what it looks like, right Gregor.
Speaker 6 (03:42):
Yeah, it looks like it I'm not buying it, to
be Frank, I just don't believe that you have a
coach in Raza who spent what five six seven years
in super rugby looking at player trends, trying to pull
onto his players at a crusaders level. He then had,
what did he have het about six months notice that
(04:03):
he was going to be the All Blacks coach, So
you know he was appointed early. He had six months
building up to that where he gave a lot of
thought about what the right eligibility model might look like,
where market trends were going, you know, what players were
looking at from the contracts. And he was absolutely adamant
that the current eligibility laws were not fit for a purpose.
(04:25):
And this was in November December last year. That he
was still even more certain after coaching the Oblacks per
year that they were not right. Now did the Rugby
Union like the fact that their coach was publicly not
aligned with their eligibility policy. Of course they didn't like that.
So I suspect that what's happened here is that Razor
(04:46):
hasn't changed his mind at all. He's still very much
of the view that the eligibility rules aren't quite right,
But he has also realized that as the all black coach,
he can't publicly fight with his employer. He needs to
be publicly aligned support their policy. He can badger them,
he can advocate behind the scenes as much as he likes.
He can tell them I don't believe it. But when
(05:08):
they ask him and they say, well, we need you
to be publicly aligned and tell the media that you are,
then he's going to have to do that because that
is how you know, that's how employment works start. So
we all have to accept that your employer has a
hold on you to some degree.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Well, I've had that situation myself. You've got to understand.
See lock, I'll agree with you because of my boss,
but don't tell me how to think, and I'll behind.
And that's that's understandable. So could you say stage managed?
These guys both put up front, both put up in
a couple of good rugby journalists for a Rugby direct
to I suppose draw a line in the sand. We
(05:44):
are aligned, even though maybe they're not.
Speaker 6 (05:46):
Yeah, a necessary pr function because because given what Reason
has said at the end of last year, given that
the New Zealand Rugby Board has changed in its entirety
in early February. This issue would become if nothing was said,
it would continue to fester, wouldn't it. Media like you
and I would continue to pukhi prod and questions about
(06:09):
what phrase we're thinking now? So I think a smart
pr move by New Zealand Rugby to get Raiser to
publicly align, try and kill the issue as a media topic,
try and just put it to bed. So as you
know France who come in in July, they don't want
any kind of discussion around peripheral topics around eligibility, so
that's why they've done this.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
But this is leaked to the longer this has gone on,
it's like the boy with the finger and the dike,
and it's going to swallow them whole. But they also
don't want to open a Pandora's box. So it's a
very delicate balance they have. And if you think for
a second the media are going to go away, well
that's not going to happen, isn't it, Because we can
not necessarily see the future. But things change, and they
(06:53):
change in a hurry, and you've got to be cognizant
of that. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (06:56):
Well, I guess people could argue that the player market
trends haven't necessarily changed overly dramatically on the broad picture
basis that there are more there is more money and
more opportunity overseas for New Zealand's best players. The money
they can earn overseas continues to be greater than the
(07:16):
money they can earn here. That's never really changed from
the first days of professionalism, but I think it's become
a little bit more nuanced than that now because you know,
Japan is the game changer in my view, because these
guys are offering at times quite significant amounts of money.
We're talking sort of one million, two million dollar contracts.
(07:39):
They're building a level of credibility in Japan in terms
of the quality of the rugby. It's backed by massive corporations,
so it's got a sustainable financial model. Toyota are going
to continue to fund a rugby team forever because that's
part of their corporate culture and their code of conduct
almost or their charter. Is what I'm trying to say
(08:00):
is to pump money back into sport, to produce better
people and to engage with the community. So it's all
viable and there's a lot of people gravit heating to
Japan and the power of that in three to four
years time will be significantly more than it is. No
to your point and the ability of Japanese clubs to
lure New Zealand's best players over there with the lifestyle,
(08:22):
with the quality of rugby and the money on offer,
it will be very difficult for New Zealand to stop
more and more players from going there.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Sports Vex William Owson didn't set the world on fire
over the weekend at Albert parkin Melbourne for the opening
race of the twenty twenty five Formula One season, but
he didn't set his car on fire either. He didn't
set himself on fire and when push comes to shove,
it could have been a lot worse. Granted it could
have been better, but he hasn't burnt any bridges for
(08:54):
his future at red Ball. Being next for Steppens teammate
is never easy. Essentially, the car is set up for
the whims of the Steppen. He is a very fast,
very aggressive driver who likes to power in and out
of the corners. Liam Lawson just has to get used
the way the car actually operates, and from what I
know of Lim Lawson, the way he goes about his business,
(09:16):
he will take to this setup, he will take to
this car design particularly well. It might take a few races.
Red Bull are notoriously impatient with their co drivers maxves
Stappen four consecutive championships. Plainly, they'll do everything they possibly
can to give him the car he wants, but all
of the other teammates couldn't deal with the bucking Bronco
(09:39):
that he desires. Lim Lawson will have a handful of
races to show the superiors at Red Bull that he
has what it takes. It was his first race at
Albert Park. It was an awful race. It was full
of stoppages, full of rain, full of generally horrid behavior
in a Formula one track. So I don't think it
(09:59):
can read too much into that. Next week, well, in
a few days now, the circus is off to Shanghai.
This is a race. It's not a track cobbled together
on public streets. This has been designed for racing. Again,
Liam Lawson has never raced a race in anger in
a single seater at Shanghai, but I think we saw
(10:21):
enough over the weekend to show that Liam Lawson has
got a future in Formula one. And for those out
there the naysay is going. But that wasn't great. He
didn't look fantastic. Look closely at the race, look at
what he achieved in that car, with the very limited
running he had to that race. I think he did
pretty good. And I'm sure that the faith shown in
(10:43):
him by the Red Bull bosses will be well and
truly repaid sooner rather than later.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfix.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
And we'll joining the Chamber now by sports journalists from
the New Zealand Herald. Alex Palell, Greetings to you, Alex.
I trust is still smiling after what happened at Albert
Bark over the weekend.
Speaker 5 (11:05):
Smiling, mate, how are you now?
Speaker 2 (11:06):
I'm very very good. I wasn't exac smiling. It was
it was damp, wasn't it damp? Literally? Damp figuratively. That's
not the race anybody wants to start the season. If
anyone says, oh, you're just covering up the Liam Lawson,
I'm not. It was a crappy race, and it happens
from time to time.
Speaker 5 (11:22):
It was a tough race, wasn't it. I mean, that's
as bad of a weekend as he could have asked for,
but for me, there was good signs in there. You know,
you look over all, he did have the second fastest
lap in the Grand Prown. I know that's mitigated by
being a wet, dry race, but he was getting better
throughout the weekend. He was limited time on track during practice.
I think ultimately that did cost him and qualifying and
that's why he started so far back. But I don't
(11:44):
see any reason why he can't recover from.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
That, whether improvements. And this is what I saw, and
this is the big thing. I know it's small. I
know it's tiny, but like you, I was looking at
him as much as I can. Well, I couldn't dial
up my f one thing into the TV at my
mate's house to get all the in car cameras and
all of the information between Lim and the team, mainly
because my mate said, you're not touching my new TV.
(12:07):
Get away from it. We go what's the regular coverage?
But watching it as was, he showed incremental advances.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
I mean you look at when he overtook Estebanokkhon's HEAs
it would have been about the thirtieth lap, and that
put him behind Gabriel Bordoletto. The gap when he overtook
Ochen was about eight seconds. By the time the rain
came that gap had been cut to three and a
half seconds. That is a long time in mostport.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
That is a big well when you're talking about tenths
being a long time and one hundred's being closer.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
And that wasn't a pit stop that gave him quick
a tize. That was just being in a better car
and using it.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
So it's all there, well, the setup time, the time
that he didn't have in his car because something mean
pitching early on on the piece. So if you're not
used to a race track and you go there and
you lose thirty laps or there or thereabouts, it's so
hard to catch up from that.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
You look at the guys who were retired early got
Carlos Science didn't make it till the end of the
first lap. He's a multiple race winner and even won
that race last year, so he knows what he's doing.
At Melbourne, Fernandu l Lonso didn't make it past the
first ten lamp, you know, and he's won two well
titled so it's not as though Lawson was the only
one that struggled.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
That was a tough race and the turn, the quick turn,
so three undred and twenty k nine teen through there
was so that caught a lot of people off guard,
especially if they dipped a boot in the grass. It's
all over. But this week back into it again, straight
back on the horse, Shanghai proper race track.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
Yeah, how could you have Shanghai back on the calendar.
It was gone for a couple of years because of
COVID understandably, but geez, I love China. I love that
long back straight.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
The place is. I have actually been there, went saw
a race there once. I tell you what long backstrake
the train journey from Shanghi to the race track. Talk
about a long back straight. Yeah, I'm pleased to see
it again. I'm looking forward to seeing how these new
cars were, what they can achieve around that track, and
hoping that Ferrari can lift their game as well. Huh.
Speaker 5 (14:01):
I mean poor Lewis Hamilton, he's watching the Mercedes cars
he left finished.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
But at least it's a beautiful shade of red. Really
got it right this time around, haven't they.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
What's the quote? You let a kid designer race cardhill,
paint it red.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Red cars go faster? We all know that let's move
away to rugby union. The two Robbos Robertson and Robinson
on the Rugby Direct podcast with Elliott and Liam talking
with Unity around what happens next with the All Blacks.
The big takeaway out of that probably that Robertson's backed.
Speaker 5 (14:33):
Down, yeah, over eligibility, no overseas all backs, which I'm
kind of upset about. I think you look at what
could have happened if they'd open the doors and let
guys go overseas and plan different competitions, that could have
been a lot better for the All Blacks. But I
think it's going to be baby steps on this front.
You know, it might not be till the next World
Cup cycle that they begin to actually let guys experience.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
But they're terrified of opening a Pandora's box, and because
as soon as that happens, it's all over, they can't
do anything. They've got to be very careful in that space.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
Exactly right. But I mean the counter argument to that,
you look at Ireland and the Kiwi guys they've got
playing for the Bundi Aki Jameson, Gibson Park, James Low
when Bundy a Ken Jameson Gibson Park were here, they
were never going to get near the All Blacks. Oh
now they've gone and played in a different system and
a different rugby culture and the two are the best
players in the world. You know, guys will get better
when in different environments. And that's not saying everyone who
(15:22):
guys overseas is going to get better. Because you look
at a guy like Lemasopowanga. You know, he really struggled
playing in England, you know, and it wasn't until you know,
he comes back here and he finds what he knows.
But different you know, different structure, different folks, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I think that for the future they constantly have to
look into this. They don't, they'll fall behind. But as
I said, they go on too fast. The don't even
know what damage they might do to this famed All
Black brand. Have they got their money off the billionaire yet?
Speaker 6 (15:48):
Do you know?
Speaker 2 (15:49):
No doubt it. He was at the Grand Prix, oh
waere you go, having the time of his lifelo And
I did note that Dan Carter was there as well,
and it said Dan Carter, former New Zealand rugby player.
It didn't mention All Black and I thought that's got
to hurt the NZR surely.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
Ah, I mean we're talking about Modus bought brands in
not clicking with rugby, which isn't anything new.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
I couldn't help myself when I saw it, though, Way would.
Speaker 5 (16:13):
You see he was hanging out with Oscopy Estra before
I was hanging out with Liam Lawson.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Well there you go. Look at that all up there,
along with the Zuru bloke and everybody else, all the
life stars of the rich and famous. So one last thing, autumn,
because it is even though we have very late summers
now in New Zealand, the Indian summers, if you will,
what a place to schedule a couple of tea twenty
matches Dunedin.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
Mate, the great Autumn of cricket lives on. I'm glad
we've sold our summer. Yeah, I mean, look, it's just
by we might. We might just limp to the finish
line of the summer of cricket. And if it means,
you know, a T ten in Donedan because there's rain,
then that's what we've got.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
I'm willing to cut them some slack. It would have
been more so if the black Caps had won the
Champions Trophy, but if you look back at the criticism
of New Zealand cricket the lack of preparation the head
of major tournaments for their team, they didn't lack preparation.
It blew the home summer away, so the fans got
to punch on the nose. But we did get into
the final, right.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
Well right, But I mean, this is the issue with
this T twenty series is we've seen the peak of
the summer that was the Champions Trophy and now we're
back here they going, no, this is good too. So well,
you've just given us something that's better than that.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
I'm old school. I look at T twenty as my
least favorite of the three formats and now we've got
five of them.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
I just want to see test crickets. That so much
to ask. Yes, Okay, thanks very much for that. Alex Powell,
Sports Journal, saturdayw Zealand Herold. Thank you very much for
your time and your expertise.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
This is sports Fix, your daily does of sports News,
power by News.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Talks Heavy and that set for sports Fix our podcast
for another day. It's been Tuesday, the eighteenth of March
twenty twenty five. I'm Darcy Autgrave And if you've enjoyed
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(18:05):
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Simple and if its interactive sports talk you want, we've
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(18:28):
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That's it. We've got to Cove. We've got it done.
Thanks for listening. Catch you tomorrow for
Speaker 1 (18:37):
More from News Talks b Listen live on air or online,
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You're listening to a podcast from News Talks at B.
Follow this and our Wide Ranger podcast now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix howard By News Talks it B yay right,
Welcome into the Sports Fix podcast. My name is Darcy
Waldgrave and coming up in this edition, out of a
yarm with Gregor Paul New Zealand Herald Rugby scribe around
the alignment between n z RS CEO Mark Robinson and
(00:38):
the head coach of the All Blacks Scott Robertson. Have
they actually come to an agreement? Is it all as
it seems? Around player eligibility. We'll talk with Gregor shorty.
I'm predictably going to shoot my mouth off around F
one and what Liam Lawson achieved, Yes, achieved the weekend
at Albert Park and will be joined in the chamber
(01:00):
by Alex Powell, sports news journalist from New Zealand Herald.
That's our plan, so let's put our foot down and
get mongst here on the.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Fix, dissecting the sporting agenda. It's Sportsfix with Darcy.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Waldegrave and in sports Speak today Super Rugby as well
Super Again, jed Our CEO Mark Robinson and AB coach
Scott robertson ron Zby's Rugby Direct podcast, and Mark told
the boys that there are a number of reasons by
the upsurge and interest teams getting unexpectedly beaten or nearly
(01:37):
stumbling at the last being one of the reasons.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
And that's you know, creating jeopardy as Raises mentioned, and
real uncertainty and results. And then I think combined the
commission to be able to stand up in a ralidly
short amount of time, as we've always said, have a
real dedicated focus on the competition.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
And Raiser has spoken of hijacking some successful Springbok tactics
such as the Devastating Bomb Squad, which incorporates the seven
to one pro forward split on the bench. When you
can bring in extual loose forward, it makes a massive
difference to it. Yeah, so you look at it. You know,
we've considered it. It's working in the renovative and you've
(02:17):
got to keep it on that trend. Check out news
to Talk at z B and take a listen to
the whole chat with two Robbos, Elliot Smith and Liam Napier.
That's Rugby Direct. Proper prior preparation prevents piss poor performances.
Rory McElroy sort of dad out before letting his nine
to nine set up his Players Championship victory over the
stumbling JJ Spawn who found the wet stuff for a
(02:39):
triple bogie on the seventeenth, And it was on sent
Batic's day for Rory as well.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
Ah tried to hit a few shots with the cm
Win direction on the range and I knew it was
them distances yesterday and I just sort of had that
little three quarter nine iron dialed in, so once we
got up there, I knew.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
What to do and made a good swing and a
respectable tie for twentieth for Ryan Fox. And that's some
sports spoken today news.
Speaker 5 (03:07):
It's Sports Fix.
Speaker 6 (03:08):
With Valde Greve.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
We'll join now on the Sports Fixed podcast by New
Zealand Herald at rugby writer Gregor Paul talking about the
united front around eligibility. This front is n z Our CEO,
Mark Robinson and Scott robertson the All Blacks head coach.
It looks like they've come together and they have drawn
(03:34):
a line in the sand around eligibility. They are a
united front. Well that's what it looks like, right Gregor.
Speaker 6 (03:42):
Yeah, it looks like it I'm not buying it, to
be Frank, I just don't believe that you have a
coach in Raza who spent what five six seven years
in super rugby looking at player trends, trying to pull
onto his players at a crusaders level. He then had,
what did he have het about six months notice that
(04:03):
he was going to be the All Blacks coach, So
you know he was appointed early. He had six months
building up to that where he gave a lot of
thought about what the right eligibility model might look like,
where market trends were going, you know, what players were
looking at from the contracts. And he was absolutely adamant
that the current eligibility laws were not fit for a purpose.
(04:25):
And this was in November December last year. That he
was still even more certain after coaching the Oblacks per
year that they were not right. Now did the Rugby
Union like the fact that their coach was publicly not
aligned with their eligibility policy. Of course they didn't like that.
So I suspect that what's happened here is that Razor
(04:46):
hasn't changed his mind at all. He's still very much
of the view that the eligibility rules aren't quite right,
But he has also realized that as the all black coach,
he can't publicly fight with his employer. He needs to
be publicly aligned support their policy. He can badger them,
he can advocate behind the scenes as much as he likes.
He can tell them I don't believe it. But when
(05:08):
they ask him and they say, well, we need you
to be publicly aligned and tell the media that you are,
then he's going to have to do that because that
is how you know, that's how employment works start. So
we all have to accept that your employer has a
hold on you to some degree.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Well, I've had that situation myself. You've got to understand.
See lock, I'll agree with you because of my boss,
but don't tell me how to think, and I'll behind.
And that's that's understandable. So could you say stage managed?
These guys both put up front, both put up in
a couple of good rugby journalists for a Rugby direct
to I suppose draw a line in the sand. We
(05:44):
are aligned, even though maybe they're not.
Speaker 6 (05:46):
Yeah, a necessary pr function because because given what Reason
has said at the end of last year, given that
the New Zealand Rugby Board has changed in its entirety
in early February. This issue would become if nothing was said,
it would continue to fester, wouldn't it. Media like you
and I would continue to pukhi prod and questions about
(06:09):
what phrase we're thinking now? So I think a smart
pr move by New Zealand Rugby to get Raiser to
publicly align, try and kill the issue as a media topic,
try and just put it to bed. So as you
know France who come in in July, they don't want
any kind of discussion around peripheral topics around eligibility, so
that's why they've done this.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
But this is leaked to the longer this has gone on,
it's like the boy with the finger and the dike,
and it's going to swallow them whole. But they also
don't want to open a Pandora's box. So it's a
very delicate balance they have. And if you think for
a second the media are going to go away, well
that's not going to happen, isn't it, Because we can
not necessarily see the future. But things change, and they
(06:53):
change in a hurry, and you've got to be cognizant
of that. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (06:56):
Well, I guess people could argue that the player market
trends haven't necessarily changed overly dramatically on the broad picture
basis that there are more there is more money and
more opportunity overseas for New Zealand's best players. The money
they can earn overseas continues to be greater than the
(07:16):
money they can earn here. That's never really changed from
the first days of professionalism, but I think it's become
a little bit more nuanced than that now because you know,
Japan is the game changer in my view, because these
guys are offering at times quite significant amounts of money.
We're talking sort of one million, two million dollar contracts.
(07:39):
They're building a level of credibility in Japan in terms
of the quality of the rugby. It's backed by massive corporations,
so it's got a sustainable financial model. Toyota are going
to continue to fund a rugby team forever because that's
part of their corporate culture and their code of conduct
almost or their charter. Is what I'm trying to say
(08:00):
is to pump money back into sport, to produce better
people and to engage with the community. So it's all
viable and there's a lot of people gravit heating to
Japan and the power of that in three to four
years time will be significantly more than it is. No
to your point and the ability of Japanese clubs to
lure New Zealand's best players over there with the lifestyle,
(08:22):
with the quality of rugby and the money on offer,
it will be very difficult for New Zealand to stop
more and more players from going there.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Sports Vex William Owson didn't set the world on fire
over the weekend at Albert parkin Melbourne for the opening
race of the twenty twenty five Formula One season, but
he didn't set his car on fire either. He didn't
set himself on fire and when push comes to shove,
it could have been a lot worse. Granted it could
have been better, but he hasn't burnt any bridges for
(08:54):
his future at red Ball. Being next for Steppens teammate
is never easy. Essentially, the car is set up for
the whims of the Steppen. He is a very fast,
very aggressive driver who likes to power in and out
of the corners. Liam Lawson just has to get used
the way the car actually operates, and from what I
know of Lim Lawson, the way he goes about his business,
(09:16):
he will take to this setup, he will take to
this car design particularly well. It might take a few races.
Red Bull are notoriously impatient with their co drivers maxves
Stappen four consecutive championships. Plainly, they'll do everything they possibly
can to give him the car he wants, but all
of the other teammates couldn't deal with the bucking Bronco
(09:39):
that he desires. Lim Lawson will have a handful of
races to show the superiors at Red Bull that he
has what it takes. It was his first race at
Albert Park. It was an awful race. It was full
of stoppages, full of rain, full of generally horrid behavior
in a Formula one track. So I don't think it
(09:59):
can read too much into that. Next week, well, in
a few days now, the circus is off to Shanghai.
This is a race. It's not a track cobbled together
on public streets. This has been designed for racing. Again,
Liam Lawson has never raced a race in anger in
a single seater at Shanghai, but I think we saw
(10:21):
enough over the weekend to show that Liam Lawson has
got a future in Formula one. And for those out
there the naysay is going. But that wasn't great. He
didn't look fantastic. Look closely at the race, look at
what he achieved in that car, with the very limited
running he had to that race. I think he did
pretty good. And I'm sure that the faith shown in
(10:43):
him by the Red Bull bosses will be well and
truly repaid sooner rather than later.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfix.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
And we'll joining the Chamber now by sports journalists from
the New Zealand Herald. Alex Palell, Greetings to you, Alex.
I trust is still smiling after what happened at Albert
Bark over the weekend.
Speaker 5 (11:05):
Smiling, mate, how are you now?
Speaker 2 (11:06):
I'm very very good. I wasn't exac smiling. It was
it was damp, wasn't it damp? Literally? Damp figuratively. That's
not the race anybody wants to start the season. If
anyone says, oh, you're just covering up the Liam Lawson,
I'm not. It was a crappy race, and it happens
from time to time.
Speaker 5 (11:22):
It was a tough race, wasn't it. I mean, that's
as bad of a weekend as he could have asked for,
but for me, there was good signs in there. You know,
you look over all, he did have the second fastest
lap in the Grand Prown. I know that's mitigated by
being a wet, dry race, but he was getting better
throughout the weekend. He was limited time on track during practice.
I think ultimately that did cost him and qualifying and
that's why he started so far back. But I don't
(11:44):
see any reason why he can't recover from.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
That, whether improvements. And this is what I saw, and
this is the big thing. I know it's small. I
know it's tiny, but like you, I was looking at
him as much as I can. Well, I couldn't dial
up my f one thing into the TV at my
mate's house to get all the in car cameras and
all of the information between Lim and the team, mainly
because my mate said, you're not touching my new TV.
(12:07):
Get away from it. We go what's the regular coverage?
But watching it as was, he showed incremental advances.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
I mean you look at when he overtook Estebanokkhon's HEAs
it would have been about the thirtieth lap, and that
put him behind Gabriel Bordoletto. The gap when he overtook
Ochen was about eight seconds. By the time the rain
came that gap had been cut to three and a
half seconds. That is a long time in mostport.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
That is a big well when you're talking about tenths
being a long time and one hundred's being closer.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
And that wasn't a pit stop that gave him quick
a tize. That was just being in a better car
and using it.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
So it's all there, well, the setup time, the time
that he didn't have in his car because something mean
pitching early on on the piece. So if you're not
used to a race track and you go there and
you lose thirty laps or there or thereabouts, it's so
hard to catch up from that.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
You look at the guys who were retired early got
Carlos Science didn't make it till the end of the
first lap. He's a multiple race winner and even won
that race last year, so he knows what he's doing.
At Melbourne, Fernandu l Lonso didn't make it past the
first ten lamp, you know, and he's won two well
titled so it's not as though Lawson was the only
one that struggled.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
That was a tough race and the turn, the quick turn,
so three undred and twenty k nine teen through there
was so that caught a lot of people off guard,
especially if they dipped a boot in the grass. It's
all over. But this week back into it again, straight
back on the horse, Shanghai proper race track.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
Yeah, how could you have Shanghai back on the calendar.
It was gone for a couple of years because of
COVID understandably, but geez, I love China. I love that
long back straight.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
The place is. I have actually been there, went saw
a race there once. I tell you what long backstrake
the train journey from Shanghi to the race track. Talk
about a long back straight. Yeah, I'm pleased to see
it again. I'm looking forward to seeing how these new
cars were, what they can achieve around that track, and
hoping that Ferrari can lift their game as well. Huh.
Speaker 5 (14:01):
I mean poor Lewis Hamilton, he's watching the Mercedes cars
he left finished.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
But at least it's a beautiful shade of red. Really
got it right this time around, haven't they.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
What's the quote? You let a kid designer race cardhill,
paint it red.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Red cars go faster? We all know that let's move
away to rugby union. The two Robbos Robertson and Robinson
on the Rugby Direct podcast with Elliott and Liam talking
with Unity around what happens next with the All Blacks.
The big takeaway out of that probably that Robertson's backed.
Speaker 5 (14:33):
Down, yeah, over eligibility, no overseas all backs, which I'm
kind of upset about. I think you look at what
could have happened if they'd open the doors and let
guys go overseas and plan different competitions, that could have
been a lot better for the All Blacks. But I
think it's going to be baby steps on this front.
You know, it might not be till the next World
Cup cycle that they begin to actually let guys experience.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
But they're terrified of opening a Pandora's box, and because
as soon as that happens, it's all over, they can't
do anything. They've got to be very careful in that space.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
Exactly right. But I mean the counter argument to that,
you look at Ireland and the Kiwi guys they've got
playing for the Bundi Aki Jameson, Gibson Park, James Low
when Bundy a Ken Jameson Gibson Park were here, they
were never going to get near the All Blacks. Oh
now they've gone and played in a different system and
a different rugby culture and the two are the best
players in the world. You know, guys will get better
when in different environments. And that's not saying everyone who
(15:22):
guys overseas is going to get better. Because you look
at a guy like Lemasopowanga. You know, he really struggled
playing in England, you know, and it wasn't until you know,
he comes back here and he finds what he knows.
But different you know, different structure, different folks, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I think that for the future they constantly have to
look into this. They don't, they'll fall behind. But as
I said, they go on too fast. The don't even
know what damage they might do to this famed All
Black brand. Have they got their money off the billionaire yet?
Speaker 6 (15:48):
Do you know?
Speaker 2 (15:49):
No doubt it. He was at the Grand Prix, oh
waere you go, having the time of his lifelo And
I did note that Dan Carter was there as well,
and it said Dan Carter, former New Zealand rugby player.
It didn't mention All Black and I thought that's got
to hurt the NZR surely.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
Ah, I mean we're talking about Modus bought brands in
not clicking with rugby, which isn't anything new.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
I couldn't help myself when I saw it, though, Way would.
Speaker 5 (16:13):
You see he was hanging out with Oscopy Estra before
I was hanging out with Liam Lawson.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Well there you go. Look at that all up there,
along with the Zuru bloke and everybody else, all the
life stars of the rich and famous. So one last thing, autumn,
because it is even though we have very late summers
now in New Zealand, the Indian summers, if you will,
what a place to schedule a couple of tea twenty
matches Dunedin.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
Mate, the great Autumn of cricket lives on. I'm glad
we've sold our summer. Yeah, I mean, look, it's just
by we might. We might just limp to the finish
line of the summer of cricket. And if it means,
you know, a T ten in Donedan because there's rain,
then that's what we've got.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
I'm willing to cut them some slack. It would have
been more so if the black Caps had won the
Champions Trophy, but if you look back at the criticism
of New Zealand cricket the lack of preparation the head
of major tournaments for their team, they didn't lack preparation.
It blew the home summer away, so the fans got
to punch on the nose. But we did get into
the final, right.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
Well right, But I mean, this is the issue with
this T twenty series is we've seen the peak of
the summer that was the Champions Trophy and now we're
back here they going, no, this is good too. So well,
you've just given us something that's better than that.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
I'm old school. I look at T twenty as my
least favorite of the three formats and now we've got
five of them.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
I just want to see test crickets. That so much
to ask. Yes, Okay, thanks very much for that. Alex Powell,
Sports Journal, saturdayw Zealand Herold. Thank you very much for
your time and your expertise.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
This is sports Fix, your daily does of sports News,
power by News.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Talks Heavy and that set for sports Fix our podcast
for another day. It's been Tuesday, the eighteenth of March
twenty twenty five. I'm Darcy Autgrave And if you've enjoyed
this offering, tell your friends, tell your family, tell your colleagues,
tell someone wandering along the road, shout at them out
the car window, and not only get them to dial
(18:05):
on and but get them to subscribe as well, which
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your inbox at a regular time Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
Simple and if its interactive sports talk you want, we've
got that for you as well, Monday through Friday, Sports
Talk with Jason Pine on Monday, myself Darcy between Tuesday
and Friday. And of course we've got weekend Sports Saturday
(18:28):
Sunday from twelve midday through three o'clock with Jason Pine.
That's it. We've got to Cove. We've got it done.
Thanks for listening. Catch you tomorrow for
Speaker 1 (18:37):
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