8/9 Rugby

An upsetting weekend of rugby was headlined by France triumphantly turning the Six Nations on its head, as Riaan Louw joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones on this week’s Weekend Post-Mortem for The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast. Ireland were thumped at home and now have to answer serious questions; the Brumbies, Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika brought the upsets to Super Rugby Pacific, and one URC Shield has been handed out already? #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Combo #SixNations #SuperRugbyPacific #URC #MLR Find us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-8-9-combo-rugby-podcast/id1729575866 Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The biggest rugby match of 2025 will almost certainly decide this year’s Six Nations tournament, when Ireland host France in Dublin this weekend. The Telegraph’s Charlie Morgan joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones for this week’s episode of The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast, where all the weeds were got into for this blockbuster clash. France have gone down the 7-1 bench split route again, but in doing so have named a bench that almost literally weighs a tonne. Ireland have the benefit of playing a massive game at home, but also have the heartstrings angle covered, with legend stalwarts Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy, and Conor Murray all announcing their intent to retire from International Rugby after the Six Nations. We think there’s maybe only a kick between them. Plus, some quick thoughts Scotland-Wales, and England-Italy, including Steve ‘Slash’ Borthwick going back to the future with a few selections Games of the Week: • 6Ns: Ireland v France, Dublin • SRP Rd.4: Waratahs v Force, Sydney • URC remnant Rd.1: Sharks v Lions, Durban • MLR Rd.4: Miami v Chicago, Fort Lauderdale #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Combo #SixNations #Ireland #France # Scotland #Wales #England #Italy #SuperRugbyPacific #UnitedRugbyChampionship #Top14 #JapanRugbyLeagueOne #MajorLeagueRugby Find us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-8-9-combo-rugby-podcast/id1729575866 Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena (via YouTube Creator Studio) Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Another high-scoring round of Super Rugby Pacific is set to a backdrop of Gene Hackman films, as Brett McKay & Harry Jones launch into another Weekend Post-Mortem for The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast. And there were URC shocks! Edinburgh winning in Limerick, the Stormers silencing the wet Bulls at Loftus, and Ospreys breaking a nine-year duck in Glasgow. Tables are tightening up across the board! Plus: what caught our eye from the Top 14 in France, Japan Rugby League One, and Major League Rugby in the States #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Combo #SuperRugbyPacific #URC #Top14 #JapanRugbyLeagueOne #MLR Find us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-8-9-combo-rugby-podcast/id1729575866 Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes to feed a hungry crowd at a major stadium? Managing Director of Twickenham Experience, Nils Braude, let Brett McKay & Harry Jones behind the curtain in this week’s episode of The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast. Covering everything from your typical stadium fare to partnering with street food vendors, right up to Michelin star hospitality catering in Twickenham’s famed East Stand, and all the sheer numbers that go with it: hundreds of thousands of pints of beer on a matchday, venison not by the kilo but by the herd, and chips by the tonne. You may never look at stadium food the same after this. Games of the Week: • SRP Rd.3: Chiefs v Brumbies, Hamilton • URC Rd.12: Bulls v Stormers, Pretoria • Top 14 Rd.18: Montpellier v Castres • JRLO Wk.11: Urayasu D-Rocks v Toyota Verblitz, Fukushima • MLR Rd.3: Houston SabreCats v Seattle Seawolves, Houston #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Combo #SuperRugbyPacific #UnitedRugbyChampionship #Top14 #JapanRugbyLeagueOne #MajorLeagueRugby Find us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-8-9-combo-rugby-podcast/id1729575866 Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena (via YouTube Creator Studio) Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lighter, whiter shades of playing kit reigned supreme in Week 3 of the Six Nations, and it’s another weekend of high scores in Super Rugby Pacific, as Brett McKay & Harry Jones launch into another Weekend Post-Mortem for The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast. Did Ireland take Wales easy in Cardiff? Were Wales actually very, very good under new coach Matt Sherratt? Has Fabien Galthié made life very difficult for himself at the selection table? And did England really cop criticism for the way they won back the Calcutta Cup after five years? Plus: what caught our eye from Super Rugby Pacific, the URC, the Top 14 in France, Japan Rugby League One, and Major League Rugby in the States #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Combo #SixNations #SuperRugbyPacific #URC #Top14 #JapanRugbyLeagueOne #MLR Find us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-8-9-combo-rugby-podcast/id1729575866 Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sandwich tales, a great Australia start to Super Rugby Pacific, and the return of the Six Nations has Stan Sport commentator Sean Maloney excited, joining Brett McKay & Harry Jones in this week’s milestone episode of The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast. In the 8-9 Combo’s 50th guest episode and 100th overall, the guys compare Harry’s sandwich in a pub in Limerick with Seanny’s extraordinary SuperBowl smoked meat fare, and make everyone hungry, before celebrating the Australian teams start to 2025 to appropriate levels, contemplate Round 3 of the Six Nations and ponder which coach is under pressure now, should a few results go astray, and got through the latest scientific measure that is The Harry Index. Games of the Week: • Six Nations Rd.3: England v Scotland, Twickenham SAT • SRP Rd.2: Chiefs v Crusaders, Hamilton FRI • URC Rd.9 leftover: Bulls v Lions, Pretoria SAT • Top 14 Rd.17: Toulouse v Bayonne SAT • JRLO Wk.9: Kubota Spears v Shizuoka Blue Revs, Tokyo SAT • MLR Rd.1: Chicago Hounds v Utah Warriors, Chicago SAT #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Combo #SixNations #SuperRugbyPacific #UnitedRugbyChampionship #Top14 #JapanRugbyLeagueOne #MajorLeagueRugby Find us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-8-9-combo-rugby-podcast/id1729575866 Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena (via YouTube Creator Studio) Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last minute wins and a Grand Final get-square headlined the first weekend of Super Rugby Pacific, while successive Zebre upsets is the talk of the URC, as Brett McKay & Harry Jones launch into another Weekend Post-Mortem for The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast. The ACT Brumbies took a team laden with debutants to Fiji and did what no Australian team had done before, Munster was most comfortable at home for Harry’s very poetic Irish long weekend, and the Sharks overcame being down to 12 at one point to take a BP win over the Bulls away from Loftus Plus: what caught our eye from the Top 14 in France, Japan Rugby League One, and the opening round of Mahor League Rugby in the States #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Combo #SuperRugbyPacific #URC #Top14 #JapanRugbyLeagueOne #MLR Find us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-8-9-combo-rugby-podcast/id1729575866 Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Curious selections for the opening weekend of Super Rugby Pacific, the French Six Nations fallout, and it’s a second attempt at life post-Warren Gatland in Wales, as Geoff Parkes joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones in this week’s episode of The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast. An already accomplished rugby columnist, Geoff Parkes provides some wonderful perceptions into Super Rugby for 2025, as well as delving into his writing processes that delivered two books over the Australian summer: 'A Year in the Life and Death of the Melbourne Rebels', the fantastic behind-the-scenes look at the 2024 demise of the Rebels, and his debut crime novel 'When the Deep Dark Bush Swallows You Whole', set in rural New Zealand. It’s a fascinating insight into the writer’s mind, and how major writing works come together. Games of the Week: • SRP Rd.1: Waratahs v Highlanders, Sydney FRI • URC Rd.11: Munster v Scarlets, Limerick SAT • Top 14 Rd.16: Clermont v Toulouse SUN • JRLO Wk.9: Black Rams Ricoh v Urayasu D-Rocks, Tokyo SAT • MLR Rd.1: Houston v Chicago, Houston SAT NOTE & APOLOGIES: Brett suffered a connectivity glitch early on in the epsode, and Harry had to board a plane at the end. But we got there! Find us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-8-9-combo-rugby-podcast/id1729575866 Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena (via YouTube Creator Studio) Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Undefeated and ominous-looking Ireland now lead the Six Nations Championship after two rounds in 2025, but England’s late win over France will remain a talking about for a while yet, as Brett McKay & Harry Jones launch into another Weekend Post-Mortem for The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast. Scotland showed some but not enough grit before going down to Ireland at Murrayfield, England’s 80th minute winner to beat France by 1 will keep Twickenham Man happy for weeks, and Italy were just way too good for a Wales who still might not have hit rock bottom. Also: a make-up weekend in the United Rugby Championship, plus Japan Rugby League One Rd.8. #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Combo #SixNations Find us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-8-9-combo-rugby-podcast/id1729575866 Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last week was all about the Seven Deadly Sins within the Six Nations, and for the bumper second round of matches it’s Crime & Punishment. Brett McKay & Harry Jones take a look at three individually intriguing games for the latest episode of The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast. It is, of course, a round with three really interesting matchups, and three games that could go either way. But punishment looms in all three contests, too. Are Wales at rock-bottom with another loss? Can Italy cope with favouritism? Can France cope with favouritism? What would England have to do next with another loss? How does a traditional Celtic rivalry play out? A great weekend of rugby awaits us. And are the Wallabies in for more punishment, with the news Joe Schmidt won’t continue as Head Coach after The Rugby Championship later in the year? Who comes in next? Great question… Games of the Week: Six Nations Rd.2, a South African make-up game in the URC, and the Grand Final replay in Japan all stick out like sore thumbs #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Combo #SixNations Find us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-8-9-combo-rugby-podcast/id1729575866 Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena (via YouTube Creator Studio) Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Six Nations Championship has begun for 2025, with France and Ireland laying down statement wins in Round 1, providing Brett McKay & Harry Jones with the perfect platform to kick off the new Weekend Post-Mortem for The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast. France were completely dominant in their 43-0 win over hapless Wales in Paris on Friday night, with Scotland’s 31-19 win over Italy in Edinburgh, and Ireland’s patient 27-22 win over England in Dublin completed the opening weekend with bonus points for all three winners. Also: Japan’s Rugby League One Rd.7 action gets a mention. #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Combo #SixNations Find us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-8-9-combo-rugby-podcast/id1729575866 Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are many deadly sins on the rugby field, but just which of the Seven Deadly Sins broadly apply to the Six Nations teams was pondered by The Telegraph’s Charlie Morgan, who joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones for the latest episode of second season of The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast. Harry, of course, has committed most of those deadly sins on the rugby field, but he was intrigued with the idea of applying the Seven Deadly Sins to each of England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, and Italy and where they currently sit as we enter the 2025 Six Nations Championship. You just will not have ever heard a tournament preview done like this before. #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Combo #SixNations Find us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-8-9-combo-rugby-podcast/id1729575866 Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena (via YouTube Creator Studio) Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Growing the game globally while at the same time making it sustainable are the big challenges for the new Chair of World Rugby, Brett Robinson, who joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones for the first weekly episode of second season of The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast. Following on from his predecessor, Sir Bill Beaumont – who was the first guest at the very start of the 8-9 Combo, back one year ago – Brett Robinson outlines his vision for the game over the next four years, why the tweaks to the Laws of Rugby are crucial to keep the game moving as a product, and why the proposed Nations Championship to start in 2026 is so important for the future of the game across the rugby world. #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Combo Find us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-8-9-combo-rugby-podcast/id1729575866 Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena (via YouTube Creator Studio) Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast is back for a massive year of rugby in 2025, and Brett McKay & Harry Jones are here with all the details of what to expect this year. The short summary: more Great Rugby Chats every week! They’ll cover it all: the Six Nations, a revamped Super Rugby Pacific, the United Rugby Championship, the Premiership in England, the Top 14 in France, the European Champions Cup, Japan Rugby League One, Major League Rugby in the States, and then – the British & Irish Lions Tour of Australia! Plus, The Rugby Championship + Bledisloe Cup, and all the Internationals in July and November. Find us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena (via YouTube Creator Studio) Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones delved into The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast archives one last time for the summer, to pull together some of the best bits from some of their favourite guests from more than forty weekly guest episodes in 2024. Guest highlights include Matt To’omua, Riaan Louw, Sean Maloney, Tony Johnson, Kevin Foote, Andrew Kellaway, Gareth Whittaker, Brett Cronan, Jamie Wall, James Slipper, and Charlie Morgan. See you soon for Season 2 in 2025! Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena YouTube Creator Music: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCVmjUF49lBFvJruLm0fS2lA/creator_music/track/yDcrlRny5kA Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones delve into The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast archives to share and celebrate their favourite Cheers & Jeers from the start of more than forty weekly guest episodes in 2024. Featuring non-speaking guest appearances by Charlie Morgan, Sam Larner, Riaan Louw, Laurie Fisher, Cam Sheppard, Harry Wilson, Sean Maloney, Jamie Wall, rugby mascots, and all our wonderful guests in 2024. See you back in 2025! Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Now on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones You can find Brett and Harry individually on BlueSky, too! Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones come together on The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast for one last time, to wrap up the 2024 rugby year in one big go – by asking simply, ‘How do we sum up 2024 for…?’ each of the top eight international teams: South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand, France, Argentina, Scotland, England, Australia. But to do that, somehow, the summary is set in the Wild West! Find out who the outlier church is, who the questionable brothel, who is the gunslinger with the hired goons, and who is the villain that every western plot needs. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Now on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones You can find Brett and Harry individually on BlueSky, too! Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones jump into the final Test Match post-mortem of the year with no more thought than usual, with this week's fulltime focus on Ireland’s patience and Australia’s frustrations in the 22-19 result at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, to wrap up the Northern Spring Autumn Series Tours for 2024. A wonderful, gripping contest came from some seriously scrappy rugby – and curious officiating – and that only exaggerates Ireland’s relief, while simultaneously driving the Wallabies frustrations at one that really did get away. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Now on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones You can find Brett and Harry individually on BlueSky, too! Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones lay out the final Games of the Week for 2024, incorporating the final match of the Northern Spring Autumn Series Tours between Ireland and Australian in Dublin, and which will put Joe Schmidt and his gameplan up against his former assistant Andy Farrell and the same gameplan in what will be a fascinating contest. The United Rugby Championship and the English Premiership are both back this week too. Does Schmidt and the Wallabies have one last performance up their sleeve for 2024, and what would an upset win over Ireland mean for Australian rugby heading into 2025, and the arrival of the British & Irish Lions? What would a third loss for Lions nations do for their confidence? And how hard will it be to get back into club and franchise rugby after a big month of Internationals? This week’s Games of the Week: • Ireland v Australia in Dublin URC Rd.7: Munster v Lions in Limerick Premiership Rd.7: Harlequins v Bristol at the Stoop Top 14 Rd.11: Racing 92 v Toulouse in Paris Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Now on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones You can find Brett and Harry individually on BlueSky, too! Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by Irish sportswriter and playwright Patrick McCarry to look back over the final full weekend of the Northern Spring Autumn Series Tour, and then to cast an eye forward to the final international fixture for 2024 this weekend coming, when Ireland host Australia at the Aviva in Dublin this Saturday. The Irish haven’t had the smoothest of time through this Autumn Nations, and have had to make adjustments to the new Law Variations in play, but this weekend, there is also a much revered character to deal with: the return of Joe Schmidt, with his rebuilding Wallabies in tow. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Now on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones You can find Brett and Harry individually on BlueSky, too! Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones jump into another Test Match post-mortem without much thought at all, with this week's fulltime focus on Scotland’s gritty 27-13 win over Australia at a chilly Murrayfield in Edinburgh, the wrap up the final full weekend of Northern Spring Autumn Series Tours. In a game that would have been a statement win for either side, it was the Scots who maintained their shape, their discipline, and their excellent defence to see off the Wallabies, and with it, another shot at a historic Grand Slam. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Now on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones You can find Brett and Harry individually on BlueSky, too! Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones lay out the Games of the Week for the final full weekend of the Northern Spring Autumn Series Tours, the last chance for the Home Nations to save something from the November Tests, and for the southern hemisphere nations to reinforce their claims of global rugby domination. Can Argentina spring one last upset? Can Ireland make one last statement? How much patience is left in Wales? Will New Zealand appease fans at home with a fourth Spring Tour win? Will Scotland blink first, or Australia? And will the full support of the board continue for Steve Borthwick? This week’s Games of the Week: • France v Argentina in Paris • Wales v South Africa in Cardiff • Italy v New Zealand in Turin • Scotland v Australia in Edinburgh Plus, the Top 14 is back: we like the sound of Toulon v Bayonne on Saturday Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Now on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones You can find Brett and Harry individually on BlueSky, too! Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by incoming New South Wales Waratahs coach Dan McKellar, who has put the disappointment of how his Leicester Tigers gig ended, the strong links to his native Queensland, and his storied history with the ACT Brumbies all behind him to get on with the job of restoring the Waratahs to the force Australian rugby needs them to be. Plus, Brett and Harry also dig into the Wallabies’ super impressive 52-20 thumping of Wales in Cardiff, the first time Australia has won consecutive matches on foreign soil since the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Next up for the Wallabies are Scotland at Murrayfield, and a contest that has remained tight for the last few years. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Now on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones You can find Brett and Harry individually on BlueSky, too! Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones jump into another Test Match post-mortem without much thought at all, with this week's fulltime focus on France’s patient 30-29 win over New Zealand in Paris, and South Africa’s well-in-hand 29-20 win over England at Twickenham. Two enthralling contests with lead changes and plenty of drama, and from which there was plenty to talk about straight away – and will be more to talk about for the rest of the week, we’re sure. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Now on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones lay out the Games of the Week for the second full weekend of the Northern Spring Autumn Series Tour, where the Home Nations in particular will be seeking responses after all suffering losses of varying degrees of hurt the previous round. Pressure is starting to mount in certain team environments, and another loss will only add to some already uncomfortable narratives. How much patience does Twickenham Man have left? Equally though, the SANZAAR nations in particular will be wanting to continue their run of performances, with all eyes on South Africa to see if they can make themselves proud again after a win, and Australia determine to ensure the Twickenham triumph was not one-night-only. This week’s Games of the Week: • Ireland v Argentina in Dublin • England v South Africa at Twickenham • France v New Zealand in Paris • Wales v Australia in Cardiff Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by The Telegraph’s senior rugby writer Charlie Morgan to look back over the first full weekend of matches of the Northern Spring Autumn Series Tour, with New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Fiji and South Africa all recording wins in a sweep of southern hemisphere dominance. Of course, that means we probably should brace for some kind of reaction, and in the case of Ireland, England, and Scotland, their supporters are already demanding that. But spare a thought for England coach Steve Borthwick, with the RFU already coming out to publicly back their man. And that always ends well… Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones rip into another Test Match post-mortem before giving it any thought at all, with this week's fulltime focus on the Wallabies absolutely stunning 42-37 comeback win over England at Twickenham, as well as looking back at New Zealand’s 23-13 win over Ireland in Dublin on Friday night An incredible win from Australia. Is it too big a stretch to call it the single greatest win in rugby history? No, we didn’t think so.. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones push Games of the Week deep into the second week of the November Internationals, where they welcome Australian rugby writer for RugbyPass and The Roar, John Ferguson, along for a proper preview look at the biggest Test Matches of the weekend. This week’s Games of the Week: • Ireland v New Zealand in Dublin • England v Australia at Twickenham • Scotland v South Africa at Murrayfield • Top 14 Rd.10: Toulon v Bayonne Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by The Guardian rugby correspondent and surprise new music reviewer (true!) Rob Kitson for a proper review of the first weekend of the Northern Spring Autumn Series Tour, in which New Zealand held out England 24-22 at Twickenham, and Scotland were too good for Fiji, winning 57-17 at Murrayfield. Attention now turns to the first ‘full’ round of the NSAST this weekend coming, with Ireland, Australia, Italy, Argentina, France, Japan, Wales and South Africa all playing their first matches of the northern campaign. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones launch into another Test Match post-mortem before giving it any thought at all, with this week's fulltime focus on a fantastic opening to the Autumn Nations Series where New Zealand have hung on – just – to beat England 24-22 at Twickenham. Did England err in bringing Marcus Smith off? Did New Zealand get away with a win despite a bit of late confusion as to who was doing what? And why haven’t we just always been able to hear ref mics inside the stadium? Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones switch Games of the Week back into international mode for the start of the November Internationals, where the guys set, manage, and temper expectations for the SANZAAR nations, as they work out best and worst case scenarios for South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina from their Northern or Spring Tours, or Autumn Nations Series, or whatever we’re calling this next month of Test rugby. This week’s Games of the Week: • England v New Zealand at Twickenham • Munster v All Blacks XV in Limerick • Scotland v Fiji at Murrayfield • Top 14 Rd.9: Bayonne v Toulouse Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by legendary New Zealand Sky Sport broadcaster and author Tony Johnson to wrap up a thoroughly enjoyable season of NZ’s National Provincial Championship, including the Final decided in OT on Saturday in Wellington, while also looking back and forward at the start of the All Blacks northern tour in Japan and with four Tests to follow in Europe. Despite missing the chance to call the annual NPC Mascot Race, TJ was on hand to call NZ’s 64-19 win over Japan in Yokohama, preceeding matches against England, Ireland, France, and Italy to come over the month of November. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones return with another edition of Games of the Week, where the guys work through the best games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world this weekend, including the NPC Final in New Zealand, and the first of the November internationals a week early, with the All Blacks having a stopover in Japan. And Harry attempts to bring ABBA into the equation… This week’s Games of the Week: • Japan v New Zealand in Yokohama • URC: Leinster v Lions at the Aviva in Dublin • Premiership: Saracens v Leicester in London • Top 14: the Battle of the Tous - Toulouse v Toulon • NPC: Final – Wellington v Bay of Plenty Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones go it alone on The 8-9 Combo this week, delving into a couple of topics they’ve wanted to cover off in a bit of detail: the introduction of new and not-so-new Law Variations into the Autumn Nations Series this November, and the resulting debate that has dominated rugby for weeks leading in, and the arrival and expected impact of high profile league convert and schoolboy rugby prodigy Joseph Sua’ali’i into Australian Rugby and the Wallabies. This is a really entertaining chat through a couple of interesting topics of the day, and they’re topics that just need to be talked through to the get a better handle on what’s happening, why it’s happening, and whether it will or won’t work. Vive la différence! Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones return with another edition of Games of the Week, where the guys work through the best games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world this weekend, before launching into comprehensive and definitive rulings on the best and worst jerseys running around in the Premiership, the URC, and the Top 14 in season 2024/2025. Head to the 8-9 YouTube channel to see the jerseys in all the glory and awfulness: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo This week’s Games of the Week: URC: Stormers v Munster in Cape Town Premiership: Bristol v Saracens in Bristol Top 14: La Rochelle v Bordeaux in La Rochelle NPC: Semi Finals Saturday – Bay of Plenty v Canterbury + Wellington v Waikato Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones get super technical on The 8-9 Combo this week, getting right into the sweet spot of goal-kicking with South African rugby and American football kicking coach and consultant, Wihan van der Riet, founder and professional coach with his Rocketfoot Academy. A former kicker in the Canadian Football League, Wihan has long been a student of legendary NFL kicker Mike Hollis and his ProForm methods, and offers specialist virtual coaching from South Africa. Wihan explains that at the heart of goal-kicking, everything is about body position and momentum, and how those mechanics – rather than how or where you place the ball – control kicking contact. The ball, Wihan says, is the target and the posts (and the flags going up behind them) are just the outcome. Find Wihan van der Riet on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rocketfoot/ - also on Facebook and Twitter – just search for ‘Rocketfoot Academy’ Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones return with another edition of Games of the Week, where the guys work through the best games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world this weekend. This week’s Games of the Week: • URC: Leinster v Munster at Croke Park • Premiership: Leicester v Northampton at Welford Road • Top 14: Bordeaux v Perpignan in Bordeaux • NPC: Quarter Finals across the weekend, but Tasman v Canterbury in Blenheim And find Harry's Confessions of a Rugby Fixer on the Megafoon! Rugby channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlhdvk7g12w Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett McKay and Harry Jones welcome to The 8-9 Combo the new holder of the record for the Most Test Caps for Australia, James Slipper, for first-hand insight into the Wallabies rebuild under Joe Schmidt, and how the Wallabies themselves have marked their performances through the July Internationals and The Rugby Championship. And now, all eyes will be on the Wallabies as the head north for the November Internationals, where they’ll play their last four Tests before the 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour, against England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland in consecutive weeks. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are back with another special edition of Games of the Week, with the guys take a look back at The Rugby Championship for 2024 and discuss once and for all what we have learned about the four SANZAAR national teams from this tournament, and what it might mean for the November internationals in the northern hemisphere. This week’s Games of the Week: • URC: Lions v Edinburgh in Johannesburg • Premiership: Northampton v Harlequins at Franklin’s Gardens • Top 14: boycott in place – France bad • NPC: Tasman v Taranki in Nelson Brought to you by Chasing the Sun 2 available NOW on RugbyPass TV – head to rugbypass.tv and sign up for FREE, to watch wherever you are in the rugby world! Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by Planet Rugby writer and connoisseur of stadium security dominant tackles, Jared Wright, for a full look back on South Africa’s thumping of Argentina to wrap up The Rugby Championship for 2024, and what has really made this Springbok team so dominant on their way to their first southern hemisphere title since 2019. The guys also ponder the future of The Rugby Championship and what it might look like in the years New Zealand and South Africa tour each other. Perhaps this really is the chance for SANZAAR to stop talking about it and finally bring Japan and Fiji into the fold properly. Brought to you by Chasing the Sun 2 available NOW on RugbyPass TV – head to rugbypass.tv and sign up for FREE, to watch wherever you are in the rugby world! Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones launch into another Test Match post-mortem before giving it any thought at all, with this week's fulltime focus on another weird and curious Bledisloe Cup contest in Wellington, where the All Blacks overcame some first half issues to put the Wallabies away 33-13. After their almost comeback in Sydney, this loss in Wellington will have to be one that the Wallabies review harshly after one of their strongest first halves of the year, while the All Blacks made some impressive defensive shifts to regain an even share of possession and territory, which allowed them to get away in the second half. Brought to you by Chasing the Sun 2 available NOW on RugbyPass TV – head to rugbypass.tv and sign up for FREE, to watch wherever you are in the rugby world! Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are back with the final Rugby Championship edition of their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, coming after a weekend where the guys survived each other’s close companies, and have emerged out the other side to explore the final weekend of Test rugby in the southern hemisphere for 2024. Plus, it’s a return to the original Games of the Week format, with the guys pulling out the best games to watch in various competitions back underway, or in their final stages, around the rugby world. This week’s Games of the Week: • Australia v New Zealand in Sydney • Argentina v South Africa in Santiago del Estero • URC: Bulls v Edinburgh in Pretoria • Premiership: Leicester v Bath at Welford Road • Top 14: Racing 92 v La Rochelle in Paris • NPC: North Harbour v Canterbury in Albany Brought to you by Chasing the Sun 2 available NOW on RugbyPass TV – head to rugbypass.tv and sign up for FREE, to watch wherever you are in the rugby world! Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by New Zealand Herald Chief Sportswriter Liam Napier for a trans-Tasman deep-dive into the surprisingly tight first Bledisloe Test of the year in Sydney on the weekend just gone, and what is now likely to eventuate in the return bout in Wellington this weekend coming. Whilst Sydney Bledisloe Tests have often been fairly evenly split in terms of support for both the Wallabies and All Blacks, the 31-28 result in that perhaps for the first time in a long time, both set of fans walked away from the Olympic Stadium reasonably satisfied. And now moving to Wellington, where NZ’s record in recent years isn’t great, there’s life in this series yet. Brought to you by Chasing the Sun 2 available NOW on RugbyPass TV – head to rugbypass.tv and sign up for FREE, to watch wherever you are in the rugby world! Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones launch into another Test Match post-mortem before giving it any thought at all, with this week's fulltime focus on a surprisingly entertaining and tight contest between Australia and New Zealand in the first Bledisloe Cup Test of the year in Sydney. In a classic game of two halves, the Wallabies should now take a lot of confidence to Wellington next week, despite the loss, and the All Blacks will be asking how what should have been a comfortable win suddenly became so uncomfortable. Brought to you by Chasing the Sun 2 available NOW on RugbyPass TV – head to rugbypass.tv and sign up for FREE, to watch wherever you are in the rugby world! Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are back with another Rugby Championship edition of their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week – where this week Harry and Brett are both preparing to make the trip to Sydney for the first Bledisloe Cup Test between the Wallabies and All Blacks. But in a GotW episode a day earlier than normal, we’re left to but speculate on what sort of teams we might see for the Bledisloe contest, and for what Los Pumas might serve up for the Springboks too, with another experimental side named by Rassie Erasmus. Brought to you by Chasing the Sun 2 available NOW on RugbyPass TV – head to rugbypass.tv and sign up for FREE, to watch wherever you are in the rugby world! This week’s Games of the Week: • Australia v New Zealand in Sydney • Argentina v South Africa in Santiago del Estero Plus, Japan and Fiji meet in the Final of the Pacific Nations Cup, and the United Rugby Championship and English Premiership both commence their seasons this weekend. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by TVNZ presenter, SENZ Breakfast radio star and still the pod’s favourite home baker Scotty ‘Sumo’ Steveson for a proper in-depth look back at all that ills New Zealand Rugby, Rugby Australia, and the game as it stands in both countries heading into the first Bledisloe Cup match of the year. Coming at a time where Rassie Erasmus and his Springboks remain four steps ahead of everyone, both the All Blacks and Wallabies find themselves in genuine rebuilds, but that only one of them will admit to. And while NZR and RA are pretending everything is fine, Super Rugby limps along as a shadow of its former self. Brought to you by Chasing the Sun 2 available NOW on RugbyPass TV – head to rugbypass.tv and sign up for FREE, to watch wherever you are in the rugby world! Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by Radio New Zealand sportswriter, author, and new South African travel ambassador Jamie Wall fresh from his tour with the All Blacks for a complete debrief of his two weeks in the Republic. But where a rugby podcast and YouTube video would typically centre around the on-field action, this time around Jamie’s first ever experience in South Africa, and what he learned and consumed about the local cultures, and the vast differences between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and how it has influenced his take on the All Blacks-Springboks rivalry, which he detailed a few years ago in his wonderful book The Hundred Years War. Brought to you by Chasing the Sun 2 coming soon to RugbyPass TV – head to rugbypass.tv and sign up for FREE, to watch wherever you are in the rugby world! Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones launch into another Test Match post-mortem before giving it too much thought, with this week's fulltime focus is on South Africa’s 18-12 win over New Zealand with Harry still there in Cape Town, and Argentina’s record 67-27 thumping of Australia in Santa Fe. It’s South Africa’s fourth straight win over the All Blacks for the first time since 1949, while Los Pumas recorded their biggest ever win over Australia – and it’s the Wallabies worst loss in their history. And all that leading into two Bledisloe Cup Tests… Brought to you by Chasing the Sun 2 coming soon to RugbyPass TV – head to rugbypass.tv and sign up for FREE, to watch wherever you are in the rugby world! Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are back with another Rugby Championship edition of their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week – where this week Harry has shifted south to Cape Town for the second leg of the Greatest Rugby Rivalry between the Springboks and All Blacks. An intriguing contest awaits, with both sides making changes that hint to potential tweaks of their approach for the game. In Argentina, an equally fascinating return leg looms between Los Pumas and the Wallabies, though Australia will be without a couple of really important players. Brought to you by Chasing the Sun 2 coming soon to RugbyPass TV – head to rugbypass.tv and sign up for FREE, to watch wherever you are in the rugby world! This week’s Games of the Week: • South Africa v New Zealand in Cape Town • Argentina v Australia in Santa Fe Plus, it’s Round 3 of the Pacific Nations Cup, and the NPC in NZ, and the Currie Cup in South Africa get a mention, too. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by former Argentinean centre turned commentator Marcelo Bosch, to recap the Wallabies late win over Los Pumas in horrible conditions in La Plata, which now sets up an enticing return contest in Santa Fe – in much nicer weather – this weekend coming. The return match represents a real contrast, where the game could be both tight and open, the result both close and high-scoring. Argentina and Australia find themselves in kind of similar situations right now, and this week’s episode is a great chance to learn more about rugby in Argentina, where Los Pumas remain the pinnacle, but the pathways have been significantly impacted by the loss of the Jaguares from Super Rugby. Brought to you by Chasing the Sun 2 coming soon to RugbyPass TV – head to rugbypass.tv and sign up for FREE, to watch wherever you are in the rugby world! Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/ Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices