As the days count down to Saturday's Super Rugby Pacific final at Eden Park, the banter between Blues and Chiefs camps is building... but there's someone missing.
Blues hooker Kurt Eklund has dropped into AM, via Zoom, to preview the season climax, only to find Chiefs counterpart and former Bay of Plenty teammate Naitoa Ah Kuoi running late.
"No surprises there," chipped Eklund. "I'm quite shocked he agreed to get up at 7:15am to talk to you guys actually.
"I had to look after him for a season down at the Bay and it was the same sort of stuff. I was having to wake him up to make sure he wasn't late for training and cook him dinner and things like that.
"No surprises that he slept in this morning."
Known for his spectacular dreadlocks, his painted fingernails and solid post-game chat, Ah Kuoi eventually arrives on screen.
"Welcome to the party, mate," offered Eklund.
"Kurt is the boy who cried wolf," insisted Ah Kuoi. "Every time, he's got a story to tell.
"I wasn't surprised to hear him tell stories about me his early in the bloody morning, but it's good to be here."
"Were you still doing your hair?" asked Eklund.
While Eklund has been named on the Blues bench for the final, backing up Ricky Riccitelli, Ah Kuoi will miss the contest through injury, although the exact nature of his wound is unclear, as it turns out.
"Is it a concussion or your ankle?" enquired Eklund. "I seen a photo you posted yesterday and you're in a moonboot, but you're out with concussion, so I can't really put together what's going on."
"Head to toe broken, apparently," said Ah Kuoi. "It's just mind games.
"My ankles are actually sweet, my head is actually sweet... maybe I'm playing, you don't know that."
One player who has made a surprising recovery to make the Blues line-up is captain Patrick Tuipulotu, who was diagnosed with a serious knee injury two weeks ago, but returns a month earlier than expected.
"I don't think anyone really saw that coming, but he was running around on Tuesday and looked in pretty good shape," said Eklund. "Finals footy brings the best out of people and you never know if it's going to be your last - they're so hard to make.
"You want to do everything you can to be out on the park and he has been inspirational really."
Watch video for full interview and join Newshub at 7pm Saturday for live updates of the Blues v Chiefs Super Rugby Pacific final
