Shows
The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.72 – Where are the protagonists with Lee CalvertWe’re just days away from the Wallabies v British & Irish Lions Test Match, but why haven’t the protagonists on each side emerged yet? Lee Calvert from the Blood & Mud podcast joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones on The 8/9 Combo Rugby Podcast to ponder what the series has so far missed.
Tidbits about the teams are starting to filter out. The Coach may not pick the Son. Storylines of heartbreak and triumph are emerging, and Exclusives will be claimed. Some will even be actually exclusive. But there is still a treading-water feel about this buil...2025-07-161h 11The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.71 – Brumbies give the Lions a headache with Pat McCarryThe ACT Brumbies gave the British & Irish Lions their sternest test on tour, but how many questions have they answered for Joe Schmidt? Irish Sportswriter, Producer and Playwright Pat McCarry joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones on The 8/9 Combo Rugby Podcast this week for the pulse check on the Lions, little more than a week from the First Test in Brisbane.
Which Lions enhanced their chances in the 36-24 win? How close was that Lions side to the First Test team? And role will the AUNZ Invitational XV game in Adelaide this weekend play, almost...2025-07-101h 11The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.70 – When you're gassed, you can't think with Ben DarwinThe British & Irish Lions on tour present the ultimate test of talent v cohesion. Gain Line Analytics know an awful lot about cohesion and how teams benefit from it, and co-founder and former Wallabies prop Ben Darwin joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones on The 8/9 Combo Rugby Podcast this week to get into the nuts and bolts of it.
So how do the Lions build the cohesion they need? And which positions can be most affected by a lack of cohesion? And what is the best way for the Wallabies to overcome the very abundant...2025-07-031h 17The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.69 – Super Rugby wrap-up… then Lions LIONS! with Geoff ParkesAcclaimed crime and rugby author and notable weekly columnist Geoff Parkes joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones on The 8/9 Combo Rugby Podcast (briefly) to wrap up the Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final, where the Crusaders proved way too strong for the Chiefs in Christchurch.
And Geoff was supposed to join the 8/9 as we slip firmly into Lions Tour mode, too, only for a network outage in New Zealand to rule him out of what still was an interesting discussion, as Brett & Harry turn their attention to the 2025 Briish & Irish Lions Tour of Australia, which begins...2025-06-261h 16The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.68 – Chiefs v the ominous Weight of History with Tony JohnsonLegendary New Zealand commentator Tony Johnson joins Brett McKay & Harry Jones on The 8/9 Combo Rugby Podcast to contemplate the clash of styles, the different journeys, and the mouthwatering contest that awaits the Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final, where the Crusaders host the Chiefs in Christchurch.
The Chiefs will be determined to kick the perennial ‘bridesmaid’ tag in their third straight decider, while the Crusaders will not want to be the team that undoes their incredible 31-game unbeaten streak in finals matches played in the Garden City.
Plus, it’s also t...2025-06-181h 10The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.67 – Bulls, Bath & Beyond with Riaan LouwIt’s the pointiest weekend of all in the URC and the Premiership this weekend, and rugby Youtube star Riaan Louw joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones on The 8/9 Combo Rugby Podcast to ponder style over substance, power over precision.
Leinster host the Bulls in Dublin in the URC Grand Final, while all English rugby eyes turn to a sold out Twickenham, when Bath and Leicester face off in the Premiership Final. Is Dublin still in love with Leinster? Will the Bulls’ private charter plane be their secret source? And who will the neutrals follow in t...2025-06-111h 13The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.66 – Super Rugby fantasies fulfilled with Sean MaloneySuper Rugby Pacific talked a big game this season, promising better, faster rugby and better contests on the field, and even more ambitiously, they promised better social media presence and a significantly better fan engagement. Stan Sport‘s Sean Maloney joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones on The 8/9 Combo Rugby Podcast to concede that yes, they might just have ticked all the boxes.
The regular season of ups and downs has delivered the finals series combatants we probably picked in pre-season, but didn’t think we’d get for most of it, leaving three ripping Qualif...2025-06-041h 16The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.65 – You cannot tame zebras with Huw GriffinRugby YouTube star Huw Griffin makes a rapid return back to The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast with Brett McKay & Harry Jones, as the fallout from the Champions Cup Final celebrations continue. Zebra-related injuries are not something a team typically plans for, but may feature in reviews of Bordeaux’s European campaign.
From there, the URC moves into knockout mode, with Quarter Finals to be played in Scotland, South Africa, and Ireland this weekend, and with upsets possible in one, maybe two games at a stretch. Super Rugby Pacific and the Premiership line up for th...2025-05-281h 20The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.64 – Duran Duran vs. the Villains with Lee CalvertLee Calvert from the outstanding Blood & Mud rugby podcast joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones on The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast to try and make sense of a Champions Cup Final that not too many saw coming, to contemplate where, if anywhere, Northampton and Bordeaux will find their point of difference, and just where 1980s mega group Duran Duran fits into this complicated picture.
Plus, Lee shares some thoughts on the latest developments in Welsh Rugby, where having maintained four professional sides equally as part of a long-term strategy launched in 2024, the WRU announced an...2025-05-211h 08The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.63 – The secrets to Crusaders success with Colin MansbridgeCrusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge joins Brett McKay & Harry Jones on The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast for an in-depth chat about what make the Crusaders so great, both as a team and an organisation. And we have to say, the explanation might surprise you!
Fourteen Super Rugby titles in 29 season puts them in pretty rarified air, in terms of professional rugby, and it’s extraordinary to think that Colin is just the third Crusaders CEO in all that time. And he goes into great depth outlining how that success really just comes from alignment across th...2025-05-141h 21The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.61 – The Champions Cup is saved with Huw GriffinThe Lions Squad Announcements is almost here, the Champions Cup is saved (hoo-RAH!), and rugby YouTube star Huw Griffin joins Brett McKay & Harry Jones on The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast to celebrate the best of British and forget about everything we hated before the semi-final stage.
As all rugby podcasts are at the moment, we’re contractually obliged to mention potential Lions Tour bolters amongst other educated guesswork for the make-up of Andy Farrell’s squad, and we hold up out end of the deal with a bolter from the leftest of left fields. Also...2025-05-071h 13The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastWeekend Post-Mortem: The Saints go marching inA stunned crowd in Dublin and a jubilant one in Bordeaux were the order of the day, as Brett McKay & Harry Jones rip into a Champions Cup Semi-Final edition of the Weekend Post-Mortem for The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast.
Northampton and Bordeaux will face off in the European Final in Cardiff on May 24, after winning their respective Semi-Finals over Leinster and Toulouse in two brilliant games of knockout rugby. In Super Rugby Pacific, the Hurricanes have shaken up the table after knocking off the Chiefs and the ACT Brumbies humbled arch-rivals, the NSW Waratahs...2025-05-0444 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.60 – Who is the most average team in pro rugby?Brett McKay & Harry Jones tackle a very simple question on The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast this week: which team, out of all the teams in all the professional competitions around the rugby world, is bang on average?
And how do you measure which team is properly average? For one thing, it’s not ‘average’ as is in terrible, it’s literally ‘average’. The very bog standard team in each comp, and then the most bog standard of all of them. It could be for and against, it could be tries scored v tries conceded, it could be...2025-04-301h 06The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastWeekend Post-Mortem: Where did those results come from?Upended tipping and fantasy comps and surprise results were the name of the game, as Brett McKay & Harry Jones rip into the Weekend Post-Mortem for The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast.
The Hurricanes beat the Brumbies in Canberra for the first time in years, Scarlets showed Leinster that reputations can often count for nothing, Northampton rediscovered their European form in a Premiership game, and winless for months, La Rochelle have suddenly won two on the trot!
Plus: everything that caught our eye from League One in Japan and Major League...2025-04-2740 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.59 – Crusaders are the Blues, Blues are the Crusaders with Jamie WallIf the Crusaders are well and truly back in 2025 (and they are), then what on earth happened to them last season? Brett McKay & Harry Jones welcome Jamie Wall onto The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast this week, to contemplate that and many questions in and around New Zealand rugby.Last year’s Champions, the Blues, seem to have adapted the position of the 2024 Crusaders however, and this weekend’s crucial clash in Brisbane against the Queensland Reds feels very ‘must win’ for them, an indication of just how far they’ve fallen in 2025. The guys try to wor...2025-04-231h 18The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.58 – Pinching stuff from other Leagues with Riaan LouwRugby YouTube star Riaan Louw joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones on The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast to ponder a very simple concept: what would you pinch from any other League in the rugby world to make your own league that much better?Whether it’s the URC’s graphic, the Top 14 budgets, Super Rugby’s impatient referees, or League One running Japanese and English language websites and social media, there are plenty of things to envy from other comps around the world. And there are things to avoid too. English accounting, for one obvious exampl...2025-04-161h 09The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastWeekend Post-Mortem with Charlie Morgan: Waratahs + Brumbies statement wins, stingy Leinster surge to European favouritismThe Telegraph’s Charlie Morgan joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones for a properly comprehensive review of the Champions Cup Quarter Finals – and Leinster’s surging domination - on the latest Weekend Post-Mortem for The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast.The Irish powerhouse are still yet to concede a point in the knockout stage, while Northampton, Bordeaux, and Toulouse will join them in the Semi-Finals in May. In Super Rugby Pacific, a couple of statement wins from the NSW Waratahs and ACT Brumbies stood out, plus the Blues finally look like reigning champions again.2025-04-141h 00The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.57 - Cascading Uncertainty with Geoff ParkesIt’s the halfway point of Super Rugby Pacific, and that seems the ideal time to start drawing conclusions about the competing teams, as leading columnist turned author Geoff Parkes joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones on The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast.But in Australian rugby, it’s much more than just how each of the four teams are going. Headlined by incumbent Wallabies flyhalf and ACT Brumbies star no.10 Noah Lolesio electing to head Japan rather than deal with the ups and downs of yet another Wallabies coach, Geoff and the guys get into the...2025-04-091h 21The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastWeekend Post-Mortem: Champions Cup blowouts, Moana Pasifika historyChampions Cup Round of 16 blowouts and thrashings that only underline the need for a format re-jig, plus more Super Rugby Pacific intrigue and Moana Pasifika history stand out for Brett McKay & Harry Jones on the latest Weekend Post-Mortem for The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast.The start of the Champions Cup knockout stage saw 114-point games, sixty point thumpings, and average aggregate scores of 72 points a game, but also, some quite exciting rugby. And Moana Pasifika’s 45-28 win over the Waratahs marked the first time in their history they’ve recorded consecutive wins, a well...2025-04-0634 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.56 – The Eternal Quest for Player Welfare with Conrad SmithPlayer welfare, and what that entails in the incredibly broad landscape that is now professional rugby, was the key topic when former Hurricanes and All Blacks great turned players advocate Conrad Smith joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones on The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast this week.Now the Head of Rugby Operations for International Rugby Players, the global players association, Conrad goes into great detail about the sheer volume and breadth of discussions with World Rugby, national Unions, professional competitions, and individual player associations, as they educate players to help them during and after their...2025-04-021h 18The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.55 – Controlling the Volume with Tony JohnsonLegendary Sky Sport NZ commentator Tony Johnson joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones on The8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast this week, as they try to get to the bottom of just why2025 has been the best start to a Super Rugby season in living memory.And it’s not an easy question with one simple answer. It’s not just that all theAustralian team are competitive. It’s not just that anyone can beat anyone onany give weekend. It’s not just that the demise of the M...2025-03-261h 18The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastWeekend Post-Mortem: Waratahs drought-breakers, Bulls the Leinster heartbreakersThe Bulls toppling the traveling Leinster at Loftus and the NSW Waratahs notching their first win over the ACT Brumbies in 14 starts were the headlines for Brett McKay & Harry Jones to launch into another Weekend Post-Mortem for The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast.Plenty of surprises too! Quins won their first London Derby in a good while, Panasonic lost a second straight game for the first time ever in League One guise in Japan, and the Stormers scored a try against Scarlets that just has to be seen to be believed. 2025-03-2341 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.54 – Drinking Water from a Firehose with Tane EdmedBrett McKay & Harry Jones were thrilled to welcome NSW Waratahs flyhalf Tane Edmed onto the show for this week’s episode of The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast, in which Tane conducted a proper Goal-Kicking 101 for the guys that right into the details about his process and ball placement, and even detail like ball set-up and tee height. If you’re a goal-kicking nerd, this is definitely the chat for you.Tanes also shared his experience playing NPC rugby for North Harbour in New Zealand in the back half of 2024, and how that refreshed his game...2025-03-191h 16The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastWeekend Post-Mortem: Liberty, Galthié! And a Maul…France have been crowned Six Nations Champions for 2025, headlining the final Test Match edition of the Weekend Post-Mortem for The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast until the July Internationals.Brett McKay & Harry Jones take a look at all the Round 5 results, in which England continued their resurgence toppling Wales, and Ireland were left to ponder the what-ifs as they did enough to beat Italy. Plus, there were some emphatic statement wins in Super Rugby Pacific (the Blues aren’t done yet), and a massive boilover in League One in Japan!PL...2025-03-1645 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.53 – France Just Go Wildcat with Bernard JackmanFrance blew the 2025 Six Nations tournament apart when they thumped Ireland last weekend in Dublin, and the fallout is still fresh in the mind of former Ireland international turned renowned pundit Bernard Jackman, who joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones for this week’s episode of The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast.The 15-point margin largely flattered Ireland, with Bernard glowing in his praise for the French team, honest in his own underestimations of Les Bleus, and clear still very disappointed about where Ireland now find themselves. It’s a wonderful chat that gets to the bott...2025-03-131h 12The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastWeekend Post-Mortem: Louis the Fourth Round King with Riaan LouwAn 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 #MLRFind us:YouTube: ht...2025-03-0948 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.52 – Persistent but Not Irritating with Charlie MorganThe 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 hearts...2025-03-0654 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastWeekend Post-Mortem: Blues are back + Stormers reign in the Loftus rainAnother 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 States2025-03-0241 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.51 – Feeding All of Twickenham with Nils BraudeEver 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 t...2025-02-261h 10The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastWeekend Post-Mortem: White Jerseys for the Win!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?2025-02-2339 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.50 - Smoked meats, a pony and a mattress with Sean MaloneySandwich 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...2025-02-191h 13The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastWeekend Post-Mortem: Super Rugby madness + Zebre boiloverLast 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 aw...2025-02-1638 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.49 - Rest & Cohesion with Geoff ParkesCurious 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 demi...2025-02-121h 14The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastWeekend Post-Mortem: Scotland the meek, Ireland predestinedUndefeated 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.2025-02-0938 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.48 – Crime and PunishmentLast 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 ha...2025-02-061h 04The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastWeekend Post-Mortem: Ireland Patience Outlasts England SpeedThe 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...2025-02-0235 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.47 – Seven Deadly Sins with Charlie MorganThere 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...2025-01-291h 36The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.46 - The Plans to Grow the Game with Brett RobinsonGrowing 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...2025-01-221h 23The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastWhat’s Coming in 2025?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...2025-01-2110 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastRugby Year in Review – Gunslingers & Baby GeckosBrett 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.2024-12-031h 12The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastTest Match post-mortem 13 – Knock-on, Knock offs in DublinBrett 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: #89Combo2024-11-3028 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 34 – Clash of StyleBrett 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...2024-11-2828 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.42 - Replacing the Snake with Patrick McCarryBrett 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 re...2024-11-261h 09The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastTest Match post-mortem 12 – Murrayfield Maul Chokes Winged WallabiesBrett 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. 2024-11-2427 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 33 – Best be FrontrunnersBrett 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...2024-11-2130 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.41 – Giving Every Ounce with Dan McKellarBrett 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...2024-11-181h 19The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 29 – The Winner Takes it AllBrett 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 Aviv...2024-10-2421 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 27 – Random Calls in LeicesterBrett 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 BlenheimAnd find Harry's Confessions of a Rugby Fixer on the Meg...2024-10-1023 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 25 – Sick of InsolvencyRugby 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.2024-09-2632 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.33 – Familiar Frustrations with Liam NapierRugby 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...2024-09-231h 10The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastTest Match post-mortem 7 – Wanted: Good Starting TeamRugby 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.2024-09-2129 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 24 – Selection SpeculationRugby 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 R...2024-09-1834 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.32 – Rassie the God with Sumo StevensonRugby 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 o...2024-09-161h 14The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.31 – How Good with Jamie WallRugby 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 ha...2024-09-101h 12The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastTest Match post-mortem 6 – Back to Square OneRugby 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 Bledislo...2024-09-0829 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 23 – One-Man Bomb SquadRugby 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.2024-09-0528 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.30 – Consistently Inconsistent with Marcelo BoschRugby 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 grea...2024-09-021h 11The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastTest Match post-mortem 5 – Boks Escape Razor’s EdgeRugby 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...2024-08-3122 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 22 – the 8-9 DraftBrought 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...2024-08-2925 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.29 – Calling All Locks with Geoff ParkesBrought 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....2024-08-261h 10The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.28 - Lab Experiments with Jim TuckerBrought 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.2024-08-191h 10The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastTest Match post-mortem 4 – Contested then UncontestedBrought 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 Argent...2024-08-1730 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 21 – Loaded Benches with Matt PearceBrought 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.2024-08-1551 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.27 – Transient Hyphens with Riaan LouwBrought 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, wh...2024-08-121h 06The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastTest Match post-mortem 3 – Brisbane Boilover + Wellington WhackdownRugby 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: #89ComboTwitter: https://twitter.com/89comboYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twit...2024-08-1032 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 20 – Undisputed UnderdogsRugby 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 So...2024-08-0825 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.26 – Under Pressure with Paul CullyRugby 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...2024-08-051h 18The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.25 – One More Angle with Brett CronanRugby 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 wh...2024-07-291h 13The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 19 – What Have we Learned?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...2024-07-2525 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.24 – Chasing the Sun with Gareth WhittakerRugby 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...2024-07-221h 12The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastTest Match post-mortem 2 – World-leading Wallabies snare fourth straightRugby 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: #89ComboTwitter: https://twitter.com/89comboYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sD...2024-07-2026 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 18 – Equine Excuses with Bernard JackmanRugby 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 • A...2024-07-1846 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.23 – Grownups with Charlie MorganRugby 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...2024-07-151h 08The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastTest Match post-mortem 1 – Unbeaten!Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones love Test Match Rugby, and what betterway 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: #89ComboTwitter: https://twitter.com/89comboYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones 2024-07-1321 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 17 - SwingpropsRugby 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, DurbanSocial media: #89ComboTwitter: https://twitter.com/89comboYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo 2024-07-1128 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.22 – False Countdowns with Sam LarnerRugby 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 winn...2024-07-081h 04The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 16 - HorsecollaringRugby 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, MendozaSocial media: #89ComboTwitt...2024-07-0426 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.21 – Rebuilding the Strategy with Daniel HerbertRugby 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 play...2024-07-011h 15The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.20 – Robbed of Points with Sam WindsorRugby 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...2024-06-241h 23The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 15 – Vikings are ShrinkingRugby 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 - Sa...2024-06-1927 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.19 – Gone to the Birds with Andrew KellawayRugby 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 r...2024-06-171h 10The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 14 – Semi Finals, babyRugby 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...2024-06-1223 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.18 – Alter Egos with Jamie WallRugby 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 th...2024-06-101h 08The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 13 – Toaster in the BathRugby 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...2024-06-0622 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.17 – It’s Cake Enough with Ox NcheRugby 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 Fi...2024-06-031h 14The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 12 – Live from the CarparkRugby 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 yo...2024-05-2917 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.16 – Fully Charged Batteries with Harry WilsonRugby 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...2024-05-271h 13The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 11 – Declaration of Intent with Bernard JackmanRugby 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 State...2024-05-2236 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.15 – Magic of Melbourne with Kevin FooteRugby 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 tha...2024-05-201h 19The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 10 – Penultimate Bizarre HighlightsRugby 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. ...2024-05-1620 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.14 – Crusaders Schadenfreude with Tony JohnsonRugby 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 s...2024-05-131h 09The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 9 – Shoutout to our AI OverlordsRugby 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 t...2024-05-0918 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.13 – Show & Tell with Tim HoranRugby 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 a...2024-05-061h 11The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 8 – Fingers in PiesRugby 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. 2024-05-0218 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.12 – Rapid Rises and Hijacked Playlists with Lukhan Salakaia-LotoRugby 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 bor...2024-04-291h 10The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 7 – Cannot Roll Over AgainRugby 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 – ACT Brumbies v Hurricanes in Canberra
URC: Stormers v Leinster in Cape Town
Premiership: Bath v Saracens in Bath
Top 14: La Rochelle v Toulon in La Rochelle
Plus, Games of the Week from Japan Rugby League One and Major League Rugby in the States, too. 2024-04-2519 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.11 – Intent Behind Everything with Sean MaloneyRugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by Stan Sport commentator, marathon runner, and bad pun extraordinaire Sean Maloney for a mid-season recap on Australian fortunes in Super Rugby Pacific and their runs home over the final six rounds of the competition. The resurgence of the Australian sides in Super Rugby this season has made for a much more enjoyable rugby product for fans, spectators, and broadcasters alike, and Sean explains what sort of difference this has made to Stan’s coverage this season, while also giving some great ins...2024-04-221h 06The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastGames of the Week 6 – Battle of the TousRugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are back with their new 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 ACT Brumbies in Auckland· URC: Bulls v Munster in Pretoria · Premiership: Exeter v Bath in Exeter· Top 14: Toulon v Toulouse in Toulon (aforementioned in the title) Plus, Games of the Week from Japan Rugby League One and Major League Rugby in the Stat...2024-04-1818 minThe 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.10 – Cohesion up the Wazoo with Simon StrachanRugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by co-founder and GM of Sport for Gain Line Analytics, Simon Strachan for a deep dive into the numbers behind the teams playing in not just all the major rugby competitions around the world, but in plenty of other sports as well.In a conversation that will impact the way you think about teams performing well and not so well, Simon explains how Gain Line’s deep analysis and research or playing groups helps teams in numerous sports understand why they ha...2024-04-151h 14The 8-9 Combo Rugby PodcastEp.9 – Just Gotta Freewheel with Laurie FisherRugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by new Wallabies assistant coach and one of the great rugby coaching brains in the game, ‘Lord’ Laurie Fisher, to discuss the ever changing trends in professional rugby as well as gain an insight into the preliminary discussions within Joe Schmidt’s growing Wallabies coaching staff.Where Laurie Fisher has forgotten more about rugby than many of us will ever know, this chat pulls back the layers on his coaching philosophies and his approach around the breakdown and defensive systems in exactl...2024-04-081h 08