Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - Sky Sports Reporter Joe Wheeler On The Heartbreaking All Blacks Loss

Episode Date: October 29, 2023

We chat to Sky Sports reporter Joe Wheeler!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was just a couple of weeks ago, we beat Ireland, things were looking good and Joey Wheeler, former player, now turned Sky Sport presenter, he was dancing on tables in pubs. Oh, they were amazing scenes. Not so amazing, it was heartbreaking scenes yesterday when Joey Wheeler was, he was consoling people that were crying. What makes crying, so much emotion, eh? I've got to give your mate a hug, mate. I've got to give him a hug. Yeah, it was heartbreaking for the players, heartbreaking for the fans yesterday, but well done to South Africa yesterday.

Yeah, the highs and lows. Joe Wheeler's with us this morning. Good morning, fellas. How are you? We're OK. It's a tough start to the week for New Zealand. How are you feeling 24 hours on from that heartbreaking loss? Yeah, still trying to sort of process it all, to be honest. Like, it was a staggering game, wasn't it?

Awesome game of rugby. Had all the drama that we'd expect out of a World Cup final. But, you know, immensely proud of our All Black lads. Like, obviously disappointed, like the whole of the country but the way that they played for 50 minutes of that game with 14 men to give themselves a chance of winning the

World Cup is a staggering feat on its own. They should be really, really proud and so should the nation of them because they were absolutely outstanding but gutted like the rest of the country, I'm sure. A lot of your mates, no doubts, in the team. Have you messaged them?

Yeah, I have flicked a couple of guys' messages, especially a couple of them that are finishing up their international careers. Absolute legends of our game, the likes of Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Aaron Smith, Dane Coles. You know, the list goes on. They'll leave a massive hole in terms of their experience they're going to enjoy the next phase of their careers or or or

lives like said to see them go but and said they couldn't go out on a winning note because they certainly deserve to know just really you know obviously that we're hurting but the players you could see it in their eyes yesterday the emotions they're hurting a lot when you have a big game and you're a big loss like that how long does it take to get over something like that? The first three to six beers taste like absolute crap.

Once you get past that, you'll be celebrating what's been an outstanding World Cup for this side. It is, Vade, you're right. There'll be a lot of what-ifs in that group, but I'm sure they would have celebrated in style because they deserve to. Because there's so much for them to be proud of and to celebrate,

and that's easily forgotten when you have the loss to deal with. Oh, without a doubt, mate. Like, you look at their team and how far they've come. Like, last year, they were just all over the place, right? Like, there were coaching changes. People were talking that and foster was going to get the sack um was sam came the right guy to be leading the all blacks now we're talking about how close they you know a couple of a couple of moments in that game and

and they could have been bringing home world cup and it would have been sir and foster we're talking about so yeah you know like the the growth growth in that team has been nothing short of staggering in the last sort of eight to 10 months, how far they've come and how far their game's come. But also I think in terms of the nation as well, they've probably recaptured that love for the All Blacks and that deep-seated passion that we have for this team. It was on show all around the country,

and I was obviously lucky enough to travel around the country for all the games, and you could just see it in All Blacks fans. They just absolutely love this team, and they're just so, so passionate about it, and that's what I love about the All Blacks and rugby in this country. We've all got an opinion, which is awesome, but that team, yeah, man, they've come a long way in the last sort of eight to ten months.

We just played some audio before, Joey, of you a couple of weeks ago on a table, blinder, you know, like at the end of an All Black win. Yesterday, there was a guy crying you had to console as well. So, you know, mixed emotions. It was very much so, mate, yeah. I would have loved nothing more than to be jumping up and down on tables, belting that out. And, you know, we're all feeling very sorry for the All Blacks.

That's taking up a lot of airtime as well. But how gracious were the South Africans in victory? They're a fantastic side and obviously great ambassadors for the game. They really are the world's best side at the moment. They know how to celebrate, don't they? They're a hard case park. So I'm sure they're enjoying themselves over in Paris at the moment as well. Well, Joe Wheeler, thanks so much for your time,

putting things into perspective and saying some great words about how proud we all are of the team and how they played. You did a great job on Sky Sport. We love watching you, mate. No, thank you very much. I just encourage New Zealand, these men, they've done us proud this whole World Cup. And I don't think they should be vilified for, obviously, not bringing the chocolates home, especially one man, our captain, Sam Kane.

He's been a fantastic leader, and, yeah, he got a red card, but it's not his fault. You know, like, they're humans, and they're just playing the game that we all love and doing it to the best of their ability. So we should be bloody proud of them.