RuggaMatrix International 005 – We Are Going Platinum

Super 14 trials begin this week and RuggaMatrix is on top of all the action. Show 005 is distinctly Kiwi in flavour with two special guests from rugby’s powerhouse nation. The Heineken Cup is reaching crunch time and Ewen McKenzie gives us a first hand report on last week’s clash with the Scarlets. Les Kiss chimes in from Ireland as the Six Nations rapidly approaches. The Heineken Cup is reaching crunch time and Ewen McKenzie gives us a first hand report on last week’s clash with the Scarlets. Les Kiss chimes in from Ireland as the Six Nations rapidly approaches. Just some of the issues on the table in this week’s show include: Scott Johnson coaching update, Western Force latest, Australian sporting bodies get together for a united stand against binge drinking, Super 14 trials and the Sharks using rugby league great Andrew Johns. Our special guest star this week is new Crusaders head coach Todd Blackadder. The former captain of the All Blacks and Crusaders is our first guest from New Zealand. From our chat it appears the transfer of power from the Robbie Deans regime in Christchurch has been silky smooth – they’ve just got to change the office voicemail! Todd Blackadder talks about the state of the game from his vast experience which has seen him play and coach all over the world. If teams think the Crusaders are heading for a form slump following Dingo Dean’s departure, they might be in for a rude shock. Interestingly Blackadder will go head to head with a good mate of his on Friday – John Mitchell – when the Crusaders play the Western Force in a Super 14 trial match in Perth. Check out the Crusaders website www.crusaders.co.nz. Marc Hinton is this week’s guest panel member. Hinton is one of the most respected rugby writers in the land of the long white cloud and is the co-editor of the online hub of all things on the game in New Zealand www.rugbyheaven.co.nz. His informative and quirky insights into the game have been appearing on the pages of Inside Rugby magazine for much of the past decade and he has amongst his quiver of awards been named NZ sports writer of the year on a number of occasions. Based in Auckland, Hinton has a soft spot for the Highlanders and anything to do with the deep south of New Zealand and when he isn’t writing and commentating on Rugby, he’s organising a pick-up game of basketball to re-live his days as a junior Kiwi representative star. It’s a another bumper episode of RuggaMatrix.