8/9 Rugby

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

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones love The Rugby Championship, and what better way to consume the international game than to launch into the Test Match post-mortem before giving it too much thought. This week's fulltime focus is on South Africa’s last-ditch 31-27 win overNew Zealand with Harry still there at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. And head to the 8-9 Combo YouTube channel for an exclusive mini Post-Mortem on Argentina v Australia in La Plata. 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 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

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! Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are back with the next Rugby Championship edition of their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week – where this week Harry is in the carpark of Heathrow Airport in London en route to Johannesburg, to see South Africa v New Zealand at Ellis Park, while Brett is setting his alarm for that blockbuster match, plus Argentina v Australia from La Plata. Two very big games, but for four very different reasons. Which opposition players would you drop into your side right now? The boys conduct their own Test Rugby mock draft, 8-9 style, and ponder how to make South Africa and Australia better. Or New Zealand and Argentina worse, probably. This week’s Games of the Week: • South Africa v New Zealand in Johannesburg • Argentina v Australia in La Plata Plus, it’s Round 2 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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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! Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by highly regarded Australian-based rugby writer and author Geoff Parkes, to consider the mouthwatering third round of The Rugby Championship this weekend coming. A belting weekend of Test rugby awaits, headlined by South Africa hosting New Zealand in Johannesburg, followed by Argentina hosting Australia in La Plata. With teams yet to be named, Geoff and the guys ponder what level the Rugby World Cup Final rematch will go to at Ellis Park, whether the Springboks are in the middle of a lock crisis, and why Argentina should be a game that Joe Schmidt’s rebuilding Wallabies can back themselves to win, and even with Los Pumas still riding high after winning in Wellington in the opening round. 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 Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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! Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by renowned Australian rugby writer and author, noted tourist and regular friend of the pod, the great Jim Tucker, to look back on the second round of The Rugby Championship and the lessons learned for the Wallabies, as they gear up for a now very important tour of Argentina. The tour comes at a crucial point for the Wallabies and new coach Joe Schmidt; after three wins in July followed by heavy losses to South Africa, Schmidt takes his Australian squad to South America next weekend where wins are necessary but certainly not guaranteed after Los Pumas themselves had an up-and-down tour of New Zealand. Is it more pain, or finally some gain for the Wallabies? Also, Harry is introduced to that fine Australian publication, The Betoota Advocate! 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 Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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! Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones love The Rugby Championship, and what better way to consume the international game than to launch into the Test Match post-mortem before giving it too much thought. This week's fulltime focus is on South Africa’s 30-12 win over Australia in the wet west in Perth, and New Zealand’s very much expected 42-10 bounce-back win over Argentina in Auckland. 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

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! Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are back with a special Rugby Championship edition of their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week – where this week Harry enjoys a quality chat with world-renowned SuperSport commentator Matt Pearce on the Wallabies-Springboks Test in Perth this weekend, before Brett and Harry also take a look at the return All Blacks-Los Pumas Test in Auckland. This week’s Games of the Week: New Zealand v Argentina in Auckland Australia v South Africa in Perth 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

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! Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by South African rugby YouTube sensation Riaan Louw to launch into discussions around the second week of The Rugby Championship, with return legs of the first games to be played in Perth and Auckland. Riaan and the guys contemplate where the Springboks might look for improvement, which couple of tweaks from a long list needed the Wallabies can make a difference with, to what degree will the All Blacks bounce back, and how even fewer fears Los Pumas will carry into another game in New Zealand. 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 Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones love The Rugby Championship, and what better way to consume the international game than to launch into the Test Match post-mortem before giving it too much thought. This week's fulltime focus is on South Africa’s record 33-7 win over Australia in Brisbane, and Argentina’s fantastic 38-30 win over New Zealand in Wellington. 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 back with the First Rugby Championship edition of their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week – and the first round of the other big ticket annual series in Test rugby is here which means it’s an easy pick for GotWs this week, with two cracking contests to kick off the southern hemisphere’s premier tournament on either side of the Tasman Sea. This week, unsurprisingly, they’ve picked: • Australia v South Africa in Brisbane • New Zealand v Argentina in Wellington 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 Stuff.co.nz Senior Sportswriter, and SMH rugby columnist Paul Cully to dig deep into the narratives and the four squads as selected for The Rugby Championship, and to try and work out where the Wallabies, Springboks, All Blacks, and Los Pumas are placed heading into the first round of the premiere southern hemisphere international rugby tournament. Paul and the guys dig deep into some really interesting narratives surrounding Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Argentina heading into the first round of the TRC, including the coming together of the first generation of players who have only played Super Rugby, or have only played in the URC – but not across those borders – plus a proper wade into the weeds about the four squads for this year’s tournament. 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 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 Australian and World Rugby Television Match Official Brett Cronan, to help peel back the layers on how the TMO works in professional rugby, and thus help us all learn a thing or two about part of the game we experience every week, but perhaps still don’t fully appreciate. In a revealing chat, Brett walks the guys through the ins and outs of the TMO process, the differences between how TMOs operate in Super Rugby Pacific and International Rugby and what the levels can learn from each other, the benefits of referee-TMO partnerships and why he works so well with Australian colleagues Nic Berry and Angus Gardner, and even the codewords they use between other and what a TMO really means when they use certain phrases. You’ll absolutely learn something you didn’t know before in this chat that lifts the lid on on-field communications. 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 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 a special edition of their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week – with The Rugby Championship starting very soon, the guys take a look back at the July Internationals and discuss once and for all what we now know about the four TRC sides, and what we should expect when the Southern Hemisphere’s premier Test Match tournament begins on August 10. Oh, and it’s Conference Finals weekend in Major League Rugby: EAST: New England v Chicago in Quincy MA on Saturday WEST: Seattle v Dallas in Seattle on Sunday Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones 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 Director and Producer of brilliant Springboks documentary series, Chasing the Sun, Gareth Whittaker, the man behind the twin series which documented the ‘Boks rise in world rugby and culminating in the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup triumphs. In this episode less about rugby and more about the art of storytelling, Gareth runs the guys through just how much footage was shot and not used, how many fully developed stories didn’t make the final cut, the contingency storylines in place if the Boks lost the Final or didn’t make it that far, and how his storytelling was shaped by the great sports documentaries of the time and the people who made them. If you watched Chasing the Sun and wondered how it all came together, so many of your questions will be answered. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones 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 love Test Match Rugby, and what better way to consume the international game than to launch into the post-mortem straight after the final siren. This week, the fulltime focus takes in New Zealand’s 47-5 win over Fiji in San Diego, and Australia’s 40-29 win over Georgia in Sydney. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones 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 international edition of their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, where the guys are again joined former Ireland hooker turned commentator and pundit Bernard Jackman – direct from Ireland Olympic team duties - for one last look back at lessons learned from the July Internationals, and the importance of the long list of rugby Internationals featuring the so-called Tier 2 nations this weekend. This week’s International Games of the Week: • Queensland v Wales, Brisbane • New Zealand v Fiji, San Diego • Australia v Georgia, Sydney • South Africa v Portugal, Bloemfontein Plus, it’s conference semi-final time in Major League Rugby this weekend. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones 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 welcome back onto The 8-9 Combo Senior Rugby Writer for The Telegraph, Charlie Morgan to cast an eye back on the second week of July Internationals in the southern hemisphere, and consider the broader implications of this important week where so-called Tier 2 nations are hosted around the rugby world. With all the two-Test series now done all over the southern hemisphere, the microscope turns to lessons learned by England in New Zealand, by New Zealand from England, who learned more out of South Africa and Ireland and whether they would possibly agree anyway, the size of Warren Gatland’s Welsh rebuild, and whether the Wallabies might be doing un-Joe Schmidt things that actually please Joe Schmidt. Plus, find out what will surely please The Telegraph’s comments section. 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 (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 love Test Match Rugby, and what better way to consume the international game than to react to it straight after the final siren. This week, the fulltime focus takes in New Zealand’s bruising 24-17 win over England in Auckland, and Australia’s workmanlike 36-28 win over Wales in Melbourne. 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 (Yes, Brett and Harry did indeed used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 international edition of their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, where the guys work through the second weekend of July Internationals in the southern hemisphere, including previews of the big ticket series. This week’s International Games of the Week: • New Zealand v England, Auckland • Australia v Wales, Melbourne • South Africa v Ireland, Durban 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 (Yes, Brett and Harry did indeed used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 welcome back to The 8-9 Combo Welsh rugby writer and top shelf video analyst Sam Larner to run the rule over the first round of July Internationals in the southern hemisphere, and contemplate the lessons learned and the early kneejerk reactions ahead of the Second Tests this weekend coming. Sam and the guys go through the major series now underway in the southern hemisphere – New Zealand-England, Australia-Wales, South Africa-Ireland, and Argentina-France – and look at the major lessons learned for the losing sides, the obvious work-ons for the winners, and take an early look at where changes might be made at the selection tables. And ponder who of England, Wales, and Ireland might be best equipped to square their series, while outlining what worked so well for New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland. 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 (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 the first International edition of their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, where the guys work through the first chocka-block weekend of Test Match Rugby in the southern hemisphere, including previews of the big ticket series openers, and even bigger jersey collars. This week’s International Games of the Week: • New Zealand v England, Dunedin • Australia v Wales, Sydney • South Africa v Ireland, Pretoria • Argentina v France, Mendoza Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did indeed used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 Rugby Australia Chair Daniel Herbert for an open and frank discussion that outlines the delicate position the game finds itself in Australia – and how really transformative the next decade can be. Herbert outlines what led RA into the position they are now in the process of recovering from, outlining the reset of strategic direction they’re now implementing, which does include the demise of the Melbourne Rebels, options that may be available to get more games and gametime into Australian players, and how ‘centralisation’ became a dirty word in 2023, while also touching on the first Test against Wales in Sydney this weekend, and legacy Michael Hooper will leave behind, after announcing his retirement from Australian rugby over the 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 (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 Australia’s Major League Rugby record points-scorer and Seattle Seawolves flyhalf/fullback Sam Windsor, to get a true insight into the quality gains in MLR since it was founded in 2017, and how life works for a professional rugby player in the United States. The guys also cover off of two fantastic Finals of Super Rugby Pacific and the United Rugby Championship, won well by the Blues and Glasgow respectively, updates to the Harry Index of global club rankings, the start of the International rugby season, and what smells like a really knee-jerk reaction by the Leicester Tigers to part ways with Australian head coach Dan McKellar. Our thoughts with friends and family of Connor Garden-Bachop. 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 (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 a bumper edition of their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, where the guys work through plenty of important games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world, including the Finals of Super Rugby Pacific and the United Rugby Championship. This week’s Games of the Week: Super Rugby Pacific FINAL Blues (2) v Chiefs (4) in Auckland URC FINAL Bulls (2) v Glasgow Warriors (4) in Pretoria Top 14 – Semi Finals Toulouse (1) v La Rochelle (5) in Toulouse Stade Francais (2) v Bordeaux (3) in Paris MLR Round 17 - San Diego v Houston in San Diego Plus, International rugby starts this weekend! Japan v England in Tokyo South Africa v Wales in London Barbarians v Fiji in London (Twickenham double-header) Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did indeed used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 now-former Melbourne Rebels, and Wallabies fullback Andrew Kellaway in that small post-Super Rugby Pacific window and before things really step up properly through the international season, with the Wales series now less than three weeks away. In this week’s episode, the boys get a great insight into the Rebels ‘mourning period’ as they go their separate ways post-decision, how the Wallabies pre-squad training has been working and how many highlight clips he has to send to Joe Schmidt, and some really good ideas around what can be done to enhance the downtime in rugby and the lessons that could be learned from the NFL. Plus there’s an early preview of the Super Rugby Pacific Final between the Blues and the Chiefs. And a brush with wildlife. 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 (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, where the guys work through all the crucial finals games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world each weekend. It’s finals time in plenty of comps, and this week, they’ve picked: Super Rugby Pacific – Semi Finals Blues (2) v Brumbies (3) in Auckland Hurricanes (1) v Chiefs (4) in Wellington URC – Semi Finals Bulls (2) v Leinster (3) in Pretoria Munster (1) v Glasgow Warriors (4) in Limerick Top 14 – Qualifying Finals Toulon (4) v La Rochelle (5) in Toulon Bordeaux (3) v Racing 92 (6) in Bordeaux MLR Round 16 - Houston v Seattle in Houston Let the guys know what you think! Is there a game you think they’ve missed? 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 (Yes, Brett and Harry did indeed used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 joined on The 8-9 Combo by muckraking New Zealand sportswriter, author, and social media stirrer Jamie Wall, to get into where the four Super Rugby Pacific Quarter Finals were won and lost this weekend just gone. From there, it’s a matter of curious Semi-final scheduling that kind of makes sense (kind of), and a matter of who of the Brumbies and Chiefs can a pull a surprise over the Blues and Hurricanes. Could it be both? Australian rugby fans hope so. Plus Brett & Harry run through the URC Quarter Finals, and the extraordinary Premiership Final between Northampton and Bath at Twickenham. 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 (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, where the guys work through plenty of important games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world each weekend. It’s finals time in plenty of comps, and this week, they’ve picked: Super Rugby Pacific – Quarter Finals Chiefs (4) v Reds (5) in Hamilton Hurricanes (1) v Rebels (8) in Wellington Blues (2) v Drua (7) in Auckland Brumbies (3) v Highlanders (6) in Canberra Premiership - Final: Northampton v Bath at Twickenham URC – Quarter Finals Munster (1) v Ospreys (8) in Limerick Bulls (2) v Benetton (7) in Pretoria Leinster (3) v Ulster (6) in Dublin Glasgow (4) v Stormers (5) in Glasgow Top 14 – La Rochelle v Racing 92 in La Rochelle MLR - Seattle v Utah in Seattle Let the guys know what you think! Is there a game you think they’ve missed? Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did indeed used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok and Challenge Cup-winning Shark prop, and worldwide cake aficionado Ox Nche for another great rugby chat as we head to the pointy end of competitions around the world. Ox takes the guys on a ride through the Sharks’ Challenge Cup triumph over Gloucester, about how deeply he studies opposition front rows and what sort of scrummaging patterns he studies, through all his favourite moments of celebrations with both the Sharks and Springboks, including the final moments of the RWC Final and crazy homecoming in Johannesburg. Plus Brett & Harry offer up some thoughts on the demise of the Melbourne Rebels after last week’s decision from Rugby Australia. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, where the guys work through the best games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world each weekend. This week, they’ve picked: Super Rugby Pacific – Blues v Chiefs in Auckland URC – Benetton v Edinburgh in Treviso Premiership Semi-finals: Northampton v Saracens in Northampton Bath v Sale in Bath Top 14 – Toulouse v La Rochelle in Toulouse MLR - New England v Dallas in Quincy MA Let the guys know what you think! Is there a game you think they’ve missed? Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did indeed used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 barnstorming Queensland backrower Harry Wilson, with the Reds confirmed to a 5th place finish in 2024 before this weekend’s final round, and playing the kind of rugby they hope can take them deep into the Super Rugby Pacific finals series. Though he’s racing the clock to return from a broken arm before the end of Super Rugby Pacific - he’s an outside chance of being back should the Reds reach the Final – Harry and the guys go deep into how Queensland have gone to new levels in 2024, on the biggest dangers ahead in the finals. Plus Brett & Harry give their thoughts on an extraordinary Champions Cup Final in London. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 by renowned Irish pundit and commentator Bernard Jackman for their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, with this week’s focus on London and the Champions Cup Final between Leinster and Toulouse, as well as the Challenge Cup Final between Gloucester and the Sharks. Elsewhere this week, they’ve picked: · Super Rugby Pacific – Chiefs v Hurricanes in Hamilton · Japan League One Final - Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights v Toshiba Brave Lupus in Tokyo Plus a peak at Major League Rugby in the States, too. Let the guys know what you think! Is there a game you think they’ve missed? Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 Melbourne Rebels head coach Kevin Foote, for an open and honest and at times raw conversation that attempts to explain a team playing good rugby under the clouds of a club in Administration. On a number of topics that haven’t had a lot of attention, Kevin gives a pretty raw account of trying to coach a squad of players that currently do not know their employment status beyond the end of June, the frustrations and the stress that goes with that, and the impact the Rebels uncertain future continues to have on his coaches, the families and the club staff. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, where the guys work through the best games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world each weekend. This week, they’ve picked: · Super Rugby Pacific – Fijian Drua v Queensland Reds in Suva · URC: Connacht v Stormers in Galway · Premiership: Harlequins v Bristol in London · Top 14: Montpellier v Toulouse in Montpellier Plus, it’s finals time in Japan, and a peak at Major League Rugby in the States, too. Let the guys know what you think! Is there a game you think they’ve missed? Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 legendary New Zealand broadcaster and author Tony Johnson, fresh from calling one of the games of Super Rugby Pacific this season so far, the Blues v Hurricanes blockbuster at Eden Park on Saturday. With the top eight taking shape and only three rounds of the season remaining, the guys and Tony take a closer look at the state of play among the Kiwi teams, how the demise of the Crusaders is being received (gleefully, mostly), and how the New Zealanders are seeing the rise of the Australian sides in 2024. Plus, the guys applaud the introduction of the Under-20s Rugby Championship, complete over the weekend on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, where the guys work through the best games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world each weekend. This week, they’ve picked: · Super Rugby Pacific – Blues v Hurricanes in Auckland · URC - Bulls v Glasgow in Pretoria · Premiership - Bristol v Saracens in Bristol · Top 14 - Toulouse v Stade Francais in Toulouse Hopefully the AI Overlords approve. The Rugby Championship Under-20s also concludes this Sunday on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Plus, Major League Rugby in the States, too. Let the guys know what you think! Is there a game you think they’ve missed? Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 two-time RWC winning Wallabies and Queensland legend Tim Horan, with the Stan Sport commentator and lover of stadium pies casting his eye over the state of the Australian teams and where the competition favouritism lays with four rounds to play in Super Rugby Pacific. After a fascinating round of Show & Tell with some wonderful memorabilia out of the Horan Archive (a couple of sports bags under the stairs), Tim points forward to what a Wallabies side under new coach Joe Schmidt and the kind of players that might fit that style, who he believes he’s talking to when commentating games, and even some revolutionary thoughts on what might revitalise Super Rugby Pacific and the game in general in the southern hemisphere. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are back with their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, where the guys work through the best games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world each weekend. This week, they’ve picked: Super Rugby Pacific – Crusaders v Queensland Reds in Christchurch Champions Cup Semi-Finals: Leinster v Northampton in Dublin Toulouse v Harlequins in Toulouse Challenge Cup Semi-Finals: Sharks v Clermont in London Gloucester v Benetton in Gloucester The Rugby Championship Under-20s also begins this week on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Plus, Games of the Week from Japan Rugby League One and Major League Rugby in the States, too. Let the guys know what you think! Is there a game you think they’ve missed? Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 Wallabies and former Queensland Reds lock/backrower and now Melbourne Rebels skipper Lukhan Salakaia-Loto for a thoroughly enjoyable chat about life, leadership and the difficulty the Rebels players are experiencing with their futures far from certain. In a chat that covers everything from LSL’s stratospheric rise from starting out in rugby to the Junior Wallabies in 12 months, to the mixed feelings of on-field confidence and off-field anxiety inside the Rebels camp currently, the conversation includes his emergence as a natural born leader within a group featuring a heavy Polynesian cohort, and what his time with the Northampton Saints taught him about his own game. Plus, Lukhan tries to blame his daughter for the current state of his playlist. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) 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 + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices