NZ Sporting History: Ric Salizzo, on playing the long game
He got his start as a sports journalist before joining the All Blacks in XX as the teams' first media manager
Ric then went to create and host the irreverent cult 90s TV show SportsCafe, which has now returned as a podcast Sportscafe-ish.
He's also the executive producer of The Crowd goes Wild, which will soon celebrate 20 years on air.
Ric chats to Jesse about his career and what's next.
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RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
‘We were ruthless': How the All Blacks booted their way to victory
Analysis - While the highlight reels will be all about offloads, the All Blacks' 43-17 win was just as much about a masterful control of field position. Scott Robertson was certainly happy to highlight the kicking game in the post-match press conference, saying that his side had learned their lessons from last weekend's much tighter encounter in Dunedin. "Yeah, we got a bit more of a balance," he said. "We played our fullback in the middle of the field so we could put them in the corner, turn them around and put pressure on their set piece. The set piece went great again, that creates opportunities somewhere else when we turn them around and shut down their defensive shape." Codie Taylor scores against France. Photo: Kerry Marshall / It was noticeable early on that Beauden Barrett and Cam Roigard weren't content to simply hoof the ball skyward, although contestable kicking still played a big role. Robertson said that it wasn't just about going up and catching the ball either, with the sometimes messy situation after it bounced very much part of the plan. "They (France) won everything in the first eight or so bounces of the ball last week," he said. "So we were clear on our effort areas. We had to be better as a team and it showed, when the ball bounced we were on a few more than them and it made a massive difference." Barrett, who also continued his good placekicking form with four conversions and a penalty, echoed his coach's sentiments. "There's been a bit of chat around the high ball, but it's winning the scraps around it," he said. Beauden Barrett. Photo: Kerry Marshall / "Sometimes players don't actually go for the ball, they go for a tap back and create a mess, a bit of chaos. So we were working hard on that during the week. It's really important because we didn't win many of those battles last weekend." Meanwhile, the message by stand in captain Ardie Savea before the game to "let the shackles off and be free" certainly inspired some attacking cohesion. Tupou Vaa'i finished off the best try of the night, with the lead-up work featuring four offloads in the tackle. "We spoke during the week about wanting to front up," said Savea. "I think the boys did really well tonight, we were ruthless in most parts of the game." Jordie Barrett is tackled heavily against France. Photo: Kerry Marshall / Robertson was pleased his side trusted themselves on attack, after several key chances went begging last weekend. "It was good to see the referee making the calls and the flow of the game - keeping it fast…we were making sure we were trusting our skill set," he said. It's fair to say this test played out the way many had presumed this series would, after French coach Fabien Galthié overhauled his side from Dunedin. However it is telling that his main kicking weapons - Nolann Le Garrec and Joris Segonds - retained their inside back positions but weren't allowed anywhere near the sort of territorial influence they had in the first test. While the win clinched the Dave Gallaher Cup for the All Blacks, the final test in Hamilton next weekend is an interesting one. Galthié is now able to put together his best side to try and get one back. "This is a series, we might have one two but the third is just as important to us." Asked what he thought whether Galthié would be treating this as a major test match, Robertson had an even shorter answer: "He will now."
1News
2 hours ago
- 1News
All Blacks turn on the accuracy to clinch French series
The All Blacks have won back the Dave Gallaher Trophy with a 43-17 victory over France in Wellington tonight thanks to a first-half performance which blew away the visitors. It is the first time in seven years that the All Blacks have held the trophy and it means the home side have won the three-Test series with one match to come in Hamilton next Saturday night. It was done via a dominant first half, the All Blacks outscoring the visitors four tries to nil in the first 40 minutes and they achieved an accuracy they couldn't manage in the first Test in Dunedin last weekend. In the end the margin of victory - six tries to two - probably flattered the visitors. Brushing off injuries to skipper Scott Barrett and a last-minute problem for Caleb Clarke, the All Blacks displayed a ruthlessness in the first stanza that will please the coaches, with Cam Roigard, Ardie Savea, Codie Taylor and Tupou Vaa'i crossing the line. The All Blacks were hamstring by a yellow card for Beauden Barrett's alleged intentional knock-on in the first half, but after leading 10-0 at that point thanks to a penalty for Barrett and an excellent converted try for Roigard off a front-of-lineout move, it hardly mattered. ADVERTISEMENT The visitors, who pushed the All Blacks all the way under the roof last weekend, took advantage with a penalty but that was their lot in the first half as the home side attacked with verve and vigour against a vastly inexperienced line-up. After competing so well in the first Test of the series, France coach Fabian Galthie elected to make 10 changes to his match-day squad, and it wasn't only the lack of combinations that told in the surprisingly benign weather conditions at the Cake Tin. The French had only 10 caps in their starting XV compared with a remarkable 708 for the All Blacks and the home side made the visitors pay with a composed and mature response high on discipline and low on mistakes – at least in the first half. With a 29-3 advantage at halftime, it was perhaps understandable that the All Blacks took the foot off the throttle a little, the visitors responding with converted tries for halfback Nolann Le Garrec and replacement outside back Antoine Hastoy. But despite New Zealand's ordinary record in Wellington heading into this Test – a victory, two draws and three defeats in since 2018 – the All Blacks were never truly troubled. Tupou Vaa'i celebrates his try in Wellington with Patrick Tuipulotu and Beauden Barrett. (Source: Photosport) Assistant coach Jason Ryan will be pleased with his lineout and excellent variation off the front which led to a score for Roigard, with Vaa'i finishing what was perhaps the try of the series and Savea overtaking Richie McCaw as New Zealand's leading try scoring forward in Test matches with 29 in total. ADVERTISEMENT They were solid in the set piece again and defensively far better than they were in Dunedin, where they leaked three tries, but if were there to be any complaints they may come from a second half which was even in terms of points – 14- all, the All Blacks scoring via Jordan, who scored his 41st try in 43 Tests, and Rieko Ioane. Le Garrec and Hastoy responded for the visitors but overall the All Blacks will be happy after wrapping up the series and attacking with an ambition that got almost immediate results. Lock Patrick Tuipulotu, a replacement for Scott Barrett after the skipper's torn calf suffered in Dunedin, was a solid performer, as was Codie Taylor again, with Vaa'i impressing again on the blindside flank – an experiment which must now be considered a success. Roigard constantly asked questions of the defence, with Beauden Barrett again solid in the No.10 jersey, centre Billy Proctor accurate, and Emoni Narawa shining as a late wing replacement for wing Clarke. It turned out to be a regulation victory for the home side thanks to their improved combinations against a green opposition and they will be favoured to put the French to the sword at Waikato Stadium next Saturday if Galthie decides to again go for a young line-up in the final Test. After getting so close and losing only 31-27 in Dunedin, it would represent a disappointing finish for the French but they will have their goals for this series and are unlikely to change them despite this setback. All Blacks 43 (Cam Roigard, Ardie Savea, Codie Taylor, Tupou Vaa'i, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane tries; Beauden Barrett 5 cons, pen, Jordie Barrett con) France 17 (Leo Barre, Josh Brennan tries; Nolann Le Garrec pen, con, Antoine Hastoy con) Halftime: 29-3
RNZ News
8 hours ago
- RNZ News
Lions crush AUNZ Invitational side as first test looms
Duhan van der Merwe scores a try against New Zealand and Australia, at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday night. Photo: ©INPHO/Billy Stickland Andy Farrell's British and Irish Lions have run in eight tries in a decisive rout. One of the most talked-about fixtures of the Lions tour, the invitational went ahead in Adelaide on Saturday, with an Ian Foster-coached AUSNZ combined side taking the field.
