8/9 Rugby

Jonathan Drennan from the Sydney Morning Herald returns from holidays to join Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby to quickly get back up to speed with the inner workings and upcoming fixtures for the November leg Nations Championship.

And with breaking Wallabies squad news in the middle of it the discussion! The November Tests represent a massive challenge for the Wallabies, with first up games against England and Scotland, from which wins would bring huge benefits. Elsewhere, Scotland-New Zealand, France-South Africa, and even Italy-Fiji loom as must-watch games in what will be a huge month of international rugby.

#89Rugby #Wallabies #NationsChampionship

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Wallabies & Super Rugby games record holder James Slipper joins Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby to reflect on the Bledisloe Cup, watching from the couch, and how Australia can bounce back on the upcoming Nations Championship.

'Slips' breaks down how the squad processes tough defeats, and what the Wallabies need to sharpen ahead of a gruelling northern tour, as well as pulling back the curtain on his first taste of coaching with the Brumbies, and what his future holds heading toward 2027.

#89Rugby #Wallabies #AllBlacks #AUSvNZL

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The All Blacks piled on more misery for the Wallabies, running in another comprehensive 43-21 win at Accor Stadium in Sydney to complete the clean sweep for 2026. Jim Tucker joined Brett McKay for the final Bledisloe LIVE 8/9 Rugby Post-Mortem for the year.

And it was another disappointing result for Australia, with the contest essentially over when the New Zealand ran in their seventh try just after halftime. The Wallabies would find two tries after that, but it’s fair to say the contest was long gone by that stage.

All attention for the Wallabies now is the Australia A tour of the USA, and the Wallabies’ Nations Championship campaign in November, and it’s fair to say there is much to work on.

#rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #TestRugby #BledisloeCup #AUSvNZL #Wallabies #AllBlacks

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The Bledisloe Cup remains in New Zealand for another year, after another Wallabies opportunity lost extended the Eden Park streak for the All Blacks. Leading NZ commentator Tony Johnson joined Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby to dive into result that has deflated the tyres on both sides of the contest.

Certainly, we saw the All Blacks response to the lost Greatest Rivalry series. They were simply hungrier, and more determined to heed the valuable lessons learned. And sadly, the Wallabies weren’t able to convert the confidence and momentum gained from beating South Africa into meaningful performance on the field.

And now they’ve got to sharpen up for the return leg in Sydney this Saturday.

#89Rugby #Wallabies #AllBlacks #NZLvAUS

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The All Blacks have delivered exactly the kind of response Wallabies fans feared, and precisely what New Zealanders were demanding in the first Bledisloe Cup Test of the year. Jim Tucker joined Brett McKay for another LIVE 8/9 Rugby Post-Mortem, in which the All Blacks have retained the massive mug for another year.

After a tight first half so both teams pretty even at halftime, New Zealand ran in three unanswered tries after halftime to blow the Wallabies away, and the knock this contest on its head, before running away 50-19 winners in a comprehensive 7 tries to 3 win. All attention now turns to the return leg in Sydney next Saturday.

#rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #TestRugby #BledisloeCup #NZLvAUS #Wallabies #AllBlacks

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The Wallabies beat the Springboks, but now the biggest test awaits: the Bledisloe Cup. Former Wallabies lock turned commentator Justin Harrison joined Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby to dive into the week on the rugby calendar that’s both exciting and nerve-wracking for Australian fans.

There will be pressure and expectation on the Wallabies, but what of the pressure and expectation on the All Blacks? Imagine the fallout if they lost a fourth-straight Test? And so how can the Wallabies turn that into opportunity? And how will being front-runners all this year – they’re yet to trail at halftime in 2026 – set them up to put the Kiwis under the pressure that could force them onto the back foot and into errors?

#89Rugby #Wallabies #AllBlacks #NZLvAUS

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Even a couple of days on, it’s still hard to make sense of the way that mad Wallabies-Springboks Test Match on Sunday night. Sean Maloney from Stan Sport joined Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby to try and make sense of it all, and you the audience can the judge of how successful that’s been.

We may never make sense of it. Before it, the Wallabies produced comfortably their best performance of the year, and maybe even their best since the Ellis Park win last year. The ‘Boks were good enough to score three converted tries in the last ten minutes, but ultimately, the damage was done beforehand – and before the four yellow cards created all the mayhem. Great tries, comms failures, a proper team performance to enjoy. And ten minutes of madness.

#89Rugby #Wallabies #Springboks #AUSvRSA

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In one of the craziest Test Matches in living memory, the Wallabies have held on for a thoroughly deserved but quite extraordinary win over the Springboks in Perth. Jim Tucker joined Brett McKay for another LIVE 8/9 Rugby Post-Mortem, to try and make sense of what the rugby world just witnessed.

Leading 42-17 with ten to play, Australia held on for a 42-38 win over South Africa that’s remarkable for so many reasons. If it’s not the four yellow cards in the last 10 minutes, if it’s not the fact that referee Andre Pairdi and his TMO were communicating by a phone run onto the pitch, if it’s not the four disallowed tries and countless other decisions made this way, then just believe us when we say this was a crazy game.

#rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #TestRugby #AUSvRSA #Wallabies #Springboks

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The Springboks have landed in Australia for a one-off Test, and it presents a massive opportunity for the Wallabies in Perth – that’s the view of former NSW Waratahs coach and Wallabies assistant, Dan McKellar, who joined Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby this week.

After promising he wouldn’t be letting his team take Australia lightly again, ‘Boks coach Rassie Erasmus has made 13 changes to his starting XV for this Test, while also loading up with a pretty impressive bench.

Also really interesting to hear Dan’s insights and lessons learned from the aftermath of his time at the Waratahs ending abruptly, and his move to Japan to link up with Black Rams Tokyo in League One.

#89Rugby #Wallabies #Springboks #AUSvRSA

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The Springboks have claimed the Greatest Rivalry series 3-1 over the All Blacks, and Riaan Louw joins Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby to beautifully outline the relief that has been felt across South Africa this week.

A month-long series of stress and anguish, of claims and counter-claims, of controversy and contrived pressure, and that was just the off-field element. On-field produced four fantastic Test Matches between South Africa and New Zealand, culminating in the Boks’ 43-28 win in the 4th Test in Baltimore, allaying the fears of their fans in all corners of the rugby world.

#89Rugby #GreatestRivalry #Springboks #AllBlacks #RSAvNZL

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South Africa have secured the Greatest Rivalry Series with an outstanding win over New Zealand in the 4th Test in Baltimore led them to a 3-1 series win that removes any lingering doubt as to who the best team in the world really is. If there was any left.

A record rugby crowd in the USA of 68,173 packed into the M&T Bank Stadium to see the final instalment in what has been a truly enthralling series. ‘Like four RWC Finals on successive weekends’ has been a common summary of this series, and the Springboks’ 43-28 win over the All Blacks certainly speaks to their standing as world no.1.

A truly remarkable series that has gripped all corners of the rugby world, and a joy for Brett McKay & Pat McCarry to bring these immediate post-match reactions throughout the series.

#rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #GreatestRivalry #RSAvNZL #Springboks #AllBlacks

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The Greatest Rivalry tour has landed in the USA for this weekend’s fourth and final Test, where a banged-up All Blacks team will be desperate to square the series – and split the trophy – with a suddenly rampant Springboks side. The DSPN’s Jamie Wall is a bit banged up too, arriving in the States after a 27 hour leg from Johannesburg.

Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium hosts the final match, and while fans on either side attempt to work out if it’s part of the series or not (it is), the coaches are busy at work getting their teams ready. New Zealand have been hard hit by injuries to key players, while South Africa have faired a little better and been able to rely on a core group of players.

3-1 to the Boks, or two-all. We find out this weekend.

#89Rugby #GreatestRivalry #Springboks #AllBlacks #RSAvNZL

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The Wallabies have gone through a Tour of Argentina undefeated for the first time ever, after they and Los Pumas fought out a 28-28 draw in Mendoza.

In a result that will bring more annoyance than satisfaction, at least in the immediate aftermath, the Wallabies started very well and led 14-0 after half an hour, before the Argentineans scrapped their way back into the contest, and went about denying Australia ball with which to attack and forcing them to make nearly twice as many tackles.

#rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #ARGvAUS #Wallabies #LosPumas

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South Africa have landed a major blow in the Greatest Rivalry Series after a commanding performance in the 3rd Test led them to a 29-24 win over New Zealand in Soweto.

85,976 fans packed into the FNB Stadium and were treated to a game full of first half momentum swings in a pretty even contest, before the Springboks power game stepped up in magnificent fashion to turn the game on its head, and ensure that they now head to Baltimore as raging favourites in next week’s 4th and final Test in what has been an enthralling series.

#rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #GreatestRivalry #RSAvNZL #Springboks #AllBlacks

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The Wallabies have beaten the Pumas in Argentina and will now be desperate to avoid no repeat of the second game record losses that followed in 2024 and 2022. Former Pumas centre Marcelo Bosch is back on 8/9 Rugby, and he hopes they’ve spent the whole week in Mendoza filling up on steak and outstanding wine!

Plus, the Greatest Rivalry series is all square, and now it’s a case of whether South Africa or New Zealand can afford to lose the 3rd Test in Soweto this weekend the least. Hopefully all the off-field tomfoolery and conspiracy theorising can be shoved to the side and the rugby on the field can resume all focus.

Two fascinating games coming in this weekend, what a joy for rugby fans!

#89Rugby #Wallabies #LosPumas #ARGvAUS #GreatestRivalry #Springboks #AllBlacks #RSAvNZL

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The Wallabies have opened their tour of Argentina with an impressive 27-21 win in San Salvador, built on another strong showing from the forwards, and a defensive effort that applied enough pressure to force Los Pumas errors throughout the game.

They head to Mendoza now for the 2nd Test next Saturday with plenty of confidence on the back of four straight wins, and players and supporters alike will be sweating on no repeats of the 2024 and 2022 tours.

#rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #GreatestRivalry #ARGvAUS #Wallabies #LosPumas

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The Greatest Rivalry Series is all locked up after South Africa won a thrilling contest 33-26 over New Zealand in Cape Town.

A much better performance from the Springboks saw them run out 7-point winners despite the All Blacks scoring 4 tries to 3, with Cheslin Kolbe’s flawless kicking from the tee the difference between the two sides. The series is now locked up heading into next weekend’s 3rd Test at FNB Stadium in Soweto, and is well and truly alive!

#rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #GreatestRivalry #RSAvNZL #Springboks #AllBlacks

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Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series was flipped on its head with the All Blacks winning the First Test in Johannesburg, and now the Springboks must regroup to get that series back on level ground. MW Welman from Megafoon Rugby joined Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby to outline exactly how far the First Test loss runs for Springboks fans.

There’s no doubt the Ellis Park result has shaken not just rugby fans, but all of South Africa. The reaction in the immediate aftermath and the days since has been described as “funereal”, after New Zealand pulled off a win that wasn’t totally unexpected, but still never really entered the conversation. It’s fair to say there’s been some soul-searching in Republic this week.

Also, Brett shares some thoughts on the Wallabies in Argentina, and why the two-Test tour presents plenty of opportunity and danger in equal amounts.

#89Rugby #Wallabies #GreatestRivalry #Springboks #AllBlacks #RSAvNZL

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A quite incredible opening to the Greatest Rivalry Series has seen New Zealand outlast South Africa 33-16 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. In what could well be an instant classic in this stories rivalry, the All Blacks scored 5 tries in 1 despite being at times dominated by the Springboks’ set piece game, before the scoreboard pressure simply became too much for the home side, silencing the parochial home crowd in the process.

Plenty for both teams to work on ahead of next weekend’s 2nd Test in Cape Town, but wow, what a way to start the series.

#rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #GreatestRivalry #RSAvNZL #Springboks #AllBlacks

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Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series now moves into the Test Matches, with the Springboks and All Blacks facing off in the First Test at Ellis Park in Johannesburg this weekend. Harry Jones makes a welcome return to 8/9 Rugby to get into the weeds around what’s happened so far, and what happens from here.

Harry’s new concept of carry-pass-ruck as a new measure for how teams are playing makes for a really interesting preview, with the All Blacks’ combined number on Tour pushing back up toward their very high Nations Championship levels, while the Springboks’ number stayed low against Argentina a few weeks back. Where South Africa have been caught out in the past – the Wallabies at Ellis Park last year, for eg – has been when their ‘CPR’ number climbs unusually high.

#89Rugby #Wallabies #GreatestRivalry #Springboks #AllBlacks #RSAvNZL

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