Rugby Direct

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier react to NZR re-signing Damian McKenzie and Ruby Tui for a couple more years each. They also assess the Chiefs v Crusaders match and other games from the latest round of Super Rugby, before contemplating the debate around All Blacks players being selected from offshore after it cropped up again in recent days. We also ponder what would posse...

This week on Rugby Direct, Scott Robertson has announced his All Blacks coaching team for when he takes over after the World Cup. So what do Elliott and Liam make of it? We also debate round nine of Super Rugby, whether Anzac Day is appropriately marked in Super Rugby and evaluate Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's decision to head back to league after this year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's Blues/All Blacks commentator) is joined by Nick Bewley (Crusaders commentator) standing in for Liam Napier. We discuss the Chiefs v Hurricanes top of the table match-up in the sun in Wellington, assess Moana Pasifika's first 'real' home game in Apia and assess Rieko Ioane's re-signing with NZR until 2027. Elliott and Nick also cast an eye at...

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott and Liam discuss the latter's exclusive around the probable make up of Scott Robertson's coaching team for the All Blacks next year and beyond. We also review round seven of Super Rugby, look ahead to round eight and try and figure out why rugby executives can't seem to see what the rest of us do around scheduling of games on long weekends. In addition, two playe...

In this episode, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier run the rule over the Chiefs beating the Blues and continuing their unbeaten start to season 2023. We also check in on the Kiwi sides and give a big round of applause to the New Zealand Sevens sides for their victories in Hong Kong. Elliott and Liam also ponder Moana Pasifika and ask where their next win is coming from and if we really need a Wallabie...

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott and Liam review the Super Rugby Aupiki decider which saw a shock win for Matatu. We also examine the latest in the race for the All Blacks assistants jobs and review a round five of Super Rugby Pacific in which it felt like half the competition's players - okay maybe an exaggeration - were being rested. Elliott and Liam also cast an eye on Rugby Australia's big s...

On a special edition of the Rugby Direct podcast, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier discuss the appointment of Scott Robertson as the new All Blacks head coach. We analyse what it means for Robertson himself, take a look at his prospective team and how it might play out this year now for both the current and future All Blacks coaching staffs. We also hear from Robertson as well as NZR chief executive...

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier discuss the Crusaders' bouncing back with a win over the Blues at Eden Park, while the Highlanders are also in the winners' circle for the first time this year. Ireland wrap up the grand slam and Six Nations in dominant fashion overall, so what will it take to stop them in France. And we assess the latest twists and turns of the All Blacks c...

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier analyse the state of the All Blacks coaching race after Joe Schmidt's withdrawal and whether it's just going to remain a two-horse race while also pondering if the early season wobbles of the Crusaders will have any impact. Elliott and Liam assess the Six Nations with a round left, wonder whether there's a better format for Super Rugby Aupik...

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's lead rugby commentator) and Liam Napier (Chief sports writer - NZ Herald) debate the key issues from Super Round in Melbourne. The guys discuss Ardie Savea's throat-slitting gesture, the Highlanders copping a second straight heavy defeat and the Blues losing to the Brumbies in a fascinating match. We also look at Aupiki - can anyone stop the...

Elliott and Liam are back to review the opening round of Super Rugby, as the Crusaders crumbled against the Chiefs, the Blues powered past the Highlanders and the Hurricanes swept past the Reds. We also review round one of Super Rugby Aupiki, the latest Six Nations games and debate the All Blacks coaching saga, which has taken another (!) turn in recent days. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Elliot Smith & Liam Napier kick off 2023 by looking ahead at the busy year of rugby. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's lead rugby commentator) and Liam Napier (chief Sports writer at the New Zealand Herald) were poised to head off into summer but before the boys don the speedos, fire up the BBQ and grab a pool noodle they've been summoned for one last podcast to review what was a mammoth year for rugby in New Zealand. In this bumper podcast, they get stuck into the highs and lows of Su...

On this week's episode of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier dissect the All Black's drawn test against England. Was it their best performance of the year or did it sum up season 2022 for the men in black?     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier have moved from Edinburgh to London ahead of the final All Blacks test of the year, but before they discuss the All Blacks' win over Scotland, they convene to discuss the Black Ferns' almighty World Cup win and what it might mean for women's rugby in New Zealand and assess the interesting nominee's list for World Rugby's Awards....

On this week's episode of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the All Blacks' victory over Wales, the Black Ferns' road to World Cup glory continues and big bad Brodie Retallick sits down for a chat.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's podcast, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the All Blacks' scratchy win over Japan in Tokyo and the Black Ferns thumping of Wales in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final and look ahead to both NZ sides' respective next games. Popular Wales rugby broadcaster Lauren Jenkins joins the pod to give her assessment on what to expect from the hosts this week. And, Elliott and Liam debate...

On this week's Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's All Blacks commentator) and Liam Napier (NZ Herald chief sports writer) review the Black Fern's latest win at the Women's Rugby World Cup ahead of their quarter-final match against Wales. Elliott is in Tokyo with the All Blacks ahead of their opening match of the end-of-year tour against Japan. All that and more on the latest edition of Rug...

On this week's Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's All Blacks commentator) and Liam Napier (NZ Herald chief sports writer) return from activating the sabbatical clauses in their respective contracts and assess the Black Ferns' Rugby World Cup campaign through the first two games and also cast an eye to England and France's progress. Canterbury and Wellington have booked spots in the Bunning...

On this week's Rugby Direct, Kate Wells (Newstalk ZB sport journalist) is joined by former Black Ferns captain and New Zealand Rugby board member Dr Farah Palmer to analyse the opening of the women's Rugby World Cup which kicked off in Auckland last weekend. They discuss the Black Ferns' spine chilling haka, the sold out Eden Park crowd and who can win the tournament. We delve into how this tourna...

On this week's Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's All Blacks commentator) and Liam Napier (NZ Herald chief sports writer) look ahead to the Rugby World Cup 2021 (being played in 2022) kicking off this weekend at Eden Park and ask whether the Black Ferns are a realistic chance of winning it at this point in their rebuild against the likes of England and France. We chat Jordie Barrett's re-s...

On this week's Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's All Blacks commentator) and Liam Napier (NZ Herald chief sports writer) reflect on the All Blacks' 40-14 win over Australia that captured the Rugby Championship for another year. We ask whether Jordie Barrett is now the ABs man at 12, who the top 3 All Blacks are to this point in 2022 and give our marks for the year to date. We also ponder...

On this week's edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's lead rugby commentator) and Liam Napier (chief sports writer - NZ Herald) review the All Blacks and Wallabies' Bledisloe Cup test at Marvel Stadium and the shock decision of referee Mathieu Raynal at the end. We discuss the make up of the side for Eden Park and whether the Wallabies can take some positives from the fact they prob...

On this week's edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's lead rugby commentator) and Liam Napier (chief sports writer - NZ Herald) are in Melbourne ahead of the All Blacks and Wallabies' Bledisloe Cup test at Marvel Stadium on Thursday (which you can hear live on NewstalkZB and Gold Sport). We debate the likely team to be announced by Ian Foster for the match, the challenges the Wallab...

On this week's Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB's All Blacks commentator) and Liam Napier (NZ Herald chief sports writer) discuss the All Blacks' big win over Argentina in Hamilton and debate whether everything has been cured now. We pay tribute to the in-form Samisoni Taukei'aho, debate whether Richie Mo'unga now has a mortgage on the All Blacks 10 jersey and colours are nailed to the mas...