Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - Carlos Spencer Is Back On TV!

Episode Date: August 29, 2023

We chat to All Black legend Carlos Spencer ahead of his brand new TV show that airs on Sky Open tonight!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hits, the Jono and Ben podcast. The Rugby World Cup, just a couple of weeks away in France, and there's a new show on Sky Open. It's on tonight, which was formerly Prime TV. It's on at 8.30, with a couple of hard case rugby legends, Matua Parkinson and Carlos Spencer. They travel around, it's called Lost in France, and he joins us right now, Carlos does, to tell us about it.

Good morning, Carlos. Morning, brother. Good to have you on the show, mate. How yeah i've been good bro yourself yeah no women my women floating along we keep talking rubbish and waking up every morning beautiful uh well we haven't been doing anything cool like you uh lost in france i mean you martua parkinson you're traveling around france uh how did you get this sweet gig? I'm not too sure, to be honest. It must have been drawn out of a hat, I reckon. We were pretty lucky to get a gig like that.

You know, it's been three and a half weeks in France, touring around, pretty special. Ran into some really cool people, you know, learnt a little bit about the French culture and got to experience some pretty mean food. So, pretty lucky. No, it looks very cool. As I said, it's on Sky Open this week, Wednesday night.

And one of the things I saw on the promo is you saying it's a bit different from the main street of Levin in France. So how different was it from Levin? Not that much different, to be honest. I imagine it would have just slightly less culture than Levin, wouldn't it, France? Just different. Yeah, different culture.

Different culture. Are they drinking out of shoes in France? Perfectly timed, heading into a World Cup in France, almost like you guys planned this, which is awesome. But what do you think, like, heading into the World Cup? Because you know how tough it is to win at the World Cup. You've been there before. The All Blacks had a bit of a loss over the weekend.

Do you think it's kind of a good thing that maybe there's a loss heading into a World Cup? I don't think it's a bad thing. It's how we lost and how much we lost probably takes a little bit of a dent to the confidence. You also don't want to take away

anything that they've achieved in the last month and a half because they've played some really good rugby and they would have gone into that South African game feeling pretty confident that they'll have a good look

at themselves for sure. But they'll also be pretty positive in terms of, you know, what they've achieved over the last couple of months. Do you, now obviously you're having played in the professional era, when you have a loss like that, you're pretty much, I imagine you're on the field going, oh God, I know what the reaction is back in New Zealand.

Yeah. Do you factor that in? Do you look at feedback? Do you read the articles or you just have to block it out? I don't think it's a bad thing, you know, reading the articles. I used to love reading the articles because it sort of fires me up,

especially if it's negative stuff. A lot of people don't like the negative stuff and for me personally I don't mind it. You know, that's what makes me work harder and fires me up for the next game. That's interesting because you arguably, I don't want to offend you here, but you were a divisive player.

Yeah, and I think probably a little bit different, and sometimes I did things a little bit differently that people didn't like, and I got criticised for, but that didn't change the way I played and the way I approached the game, and I stuck to my guns, and I didn't change.

And I don't think that criticism's bad, you know what I mean? It's just coming from people that are passionate about the game. Speaking of, like, criticism and stuff, Carlos, I think last time we met you, I banged on about how I just idolized you as a kid in the Wairarapa. I just looked up to you, even had the same haircut as you at school, the little push-forward haircut. I was just like, so I buzz out every time, like, Carlos, do you know, if you like one of my Instagram posts, I'm like, oh my God, play it cool, play it cool. Do you know there's a reason why Carlos isn't in the studio this morning? Probably, probably because I can't come near him, you know, a fanboy out. But when I moved

to Christchurch and did broadcasting school, back in the day, there was someone who would write into the paper in Christchurch. It was an Andrew Merton's fan. And they would write in and go, oh, Carlos shouldn't be there. And so I decided the only time I've ever written into the paper in Christchurch. It was an Andrew Mertens fan. And they would write in and go, oh, Carlos shouldn't be there. And so I decided, the only time I've ever written into the paper, to write in and defend Carlos. And then I got printed the next week. And then the guy wrote back the following week.

And then I wrote back again. We had this little passive-aggressive thing. He was big-upping Mertens. Mertens is great too. I mean, don't get me wrong. But I just loved Carlos. And we had this little thing in the paper back in the day

yeah well that was that rivalry we had not only between obviously Auckland and Canterbury all the Crusaders it was that man that man Mertz rivalry as well

and you know it was really cool and I enjoyed that and I used to love going down there I used to get so much shit but you know I just used to always

love going down there and playing in front of that Canterbury crowd. Oh, Carlos, it's always good to catch up with you. Now, obviously, the program's on this week. Lost in France. What is one thing they're doing better in France than we're doing in New Zealand? I think it's just their culture and the way they live, you know.

It seems like they're a lot more relaxed. Even when you go out for lunch, for two hours, like from 12 to 2, you know, unless you turn up early you just can't get into a restaurant you know they're just sitting there having beers and wine at lunchtime and then they'll bugger off back to work after about three or four glasses of water or really and you know it's unreal they just they just know how to live and just driving around it's so hectic especially in paris yeah traffic, you know, there's no road rage.

There's no one pulling the finger out the bloody window when someone comes in front of you. It's so chill, eh? Probably because they're four wines deep driving, mate. They're probably about... Oh, jeez. Oh, that was an awesome time. Carlos, it's always good to catch up, buddy, and the show looks awesome.

Yeah. Chop, brothers.