Rugby Rivals - Sir John Kirwan & Victor Matfield

Rassie has picked six uncapped bolters, and Etzebeth, Kolbe and Pollard are all out injured. JK and Victor go head to head on the controversial Springbok squad, then debate NZ Rugby’s decision on the future of Super Rugby.

In this episode:

🟢 The Bok squad for the Nations Championship: six new caps, four World Cup winners missing
🟢 Ahmed, de Klerk, Giliomee, Muller, Norton and Tshituka: are they ready for Test rugby?
🟢 NZ Rugby keeps Super Rugby Pacific and the NPC. Is the competition finally safe, and what does it mean for SA and the rest of the world?

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The All Blacks have swept the Bledisloe Cup, but are they the best team in the world again? Sir John Kirwan and Springbok great Victor Matfield break down the All Blacks’ 43-21 win over the Wallabies in Sydney.

A near-perfect first half had New Zealand 36-7 up at the break, with seven tries on the day including doubles to Josh Moorby and Beauden Barrett, plus Barrett’s 70-metre intercept on halftime. Then came the chaos: a depleted bench, a Chay Fihaki yellow card, and the All Blacks finishing the Test with 13 men.

Just weeks after losing 3-1 in South Africa, have the All Blacks closed the gap on the Springboks? JK and Victor go head to head on the 2-0 Bledisloe sweep, the Wallabies under Les Kiss, and what it all means heading into the Northern Tour.

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Sir John Kirwan and Victor Matfield break down the All Blacks' first Test since the Springbok series, and it was a statement.

New Zealand scored seven tries to three to beat the Wallabies 50–19 at Eden Park. That keeps the Bledisloe Cup in New Zealand for a 24th straight year and extends an Eden Park unbeaten run that goes back to 1994. But it was only 17–14 at the break. Was this as dominant as the scoreboard says?

JK and Victor dig into Damian McKenzie's first start at 10 this year, Scott Barrett's return to the second row, what it means for the return leg in Sydney, and whether the Boks should be paying attention.

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All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick sits down with the world's greatest athlete, two-time Olympic decathlon champion Daley Thompson, in this episode of Winning Matters, brought to you by ALTRAD.

Daley won decathlon gold at Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984, broke the world record four times, went nine years unbeaten, and became the first athlete to win Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European titles and hold the world record. Together, he and Sean break down what really separates winners: practising how to compete, not just how to train; planning years ahead; learning from the habits of the best; and why the fear of wasting your talent matters more than the fear of failure.

CHAPTERS

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:01:12 Welcome Daley Thompson
• 00:02:10 Training twice on Christmas Day
• 00:03:49 Why it was never a sacrifice
• 00:05:49 Finishing 18th at his first Olympics
• 00:08:04 Where the drive came from
• 00:12:58 From football to athletics
• 00:18:34 Turning losses into positives
• 00:19:37 Ten events, one thing
• 00:21:21 Finding the decathlon by accident
• 00:22:27 Practising how to win
• 00:24:58 What winning really means
• 00:27:54 Learning from Caitlyn Jenner
• 00:32:36 Fear of failure vs wasted talent
• 00:37:40 Using the crowd as fuel
• 00:38:20 Seoul 1988 and dealing with defeat
• 00:40:14 The training diary prediction
• 00:44:11 Why the Olympic village breaks athletes
• 00:45:51 Rivalry with Jürgen Hingsen
• 00:46:47 Nine years unbeaten
• 00:47:39 How he'd train athletes today
• 00:49:36 Life after retirement
• 00:50:23 Daley Thompson's Decathlon
• 00:52:56 Growing up robust
• 00:54:31 Are today's athletes as tough?
• 00:56:36 Winning in a team
• 00:57:24 Thanks & ALTRAD

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Bledisloe week is here, and John Kirwan and Victor Matfield are naming the All Blacks who need to stand up against the Wallabies this weekend.

With the Cup on the line, JK and Victor ask whether this All Blacks side is good enough to keep Australia at bay, where the Wallabies could hurt them, and which players are under the most pressure to perform.

Brought to you by RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers: who needs to deliver for the All Blacks?

Plus, for Klipdrift, JK and Victor share their favourite moments from the break, from Victor's holiday to JK's road trip.

Australia led the world champions 42–17 with 15 minutes to go.

Then four yellow cards, a penalty try and a Springbok scrum onslaught turned Perth into chaos - and the Wallabies held on with 11 men.

Springbok great Victor Matfield and All Blacks legend Sir John Kirwan break down one of the wildest finishes in Test rugby: how the Wallabies built a 25-point lead, how the Boks clawed back through the scrum, and whether the result says more about Les Kiss's Wallabies or a Springbok side that got caught out.

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Victor and JK dissect the Baltimore finale with very different emotions. JK isn’t happy with the referee, while Victor is happy with just about everything!

They name the player who delivered across the entire series, break down the moments that decided the final game, and assess how the series has shaped both teams’ futures—with the Rugby World Cup firmly in mind.

Plus, Victor asks: will the All Blacks come under severe pressure if they lose another game this year?

JK is back in green and gold as South Africa take a 2–1 series lead following their victory in Soweto. Victor declares the series won now that the South African leg is over—but he’s quickly reminded there’s still one game to play in the USA before the trophy can be handed out.

The Springboks hit back. South Africa beat the All Blacks 33-26 at DHL Stadium in Cape Town to level Rugby's Greatest Rivalry at 1-1. Sir John Kirwan and Victor Matfield unpack how South Africa saved it, with Ric Salizzo refereeing in the middle.

The Boks led 24-14 at the break through tries to Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende and a returning Siya Kolisi, with Cheslin Kolbe flawless off the tee. New Zealand came late through Leroy Carter and Ardie Savea, but South Africa survived Lood de Jager's 79th-minute yellow card to hold on - the first defeat of Dave Rennie's tenure in his ninth Test in charge.

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JK and Victor are off the leash, so we've handed the mics to the fans. A special edition of Rugby Rivals pits two rugby podcasts against each other ahead of the second test in Cape Town - Rawiri and Gareth from Our Super Smack flying the flag for New Zealand, and Dane from Kick On Rugby holding the line for the Springboks.

The All Blacks have taken first blood in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry - five tries to one, the biggest All Blacks win ever at the ground, the end of a 12-Test Springbok winning streak, and the world No.1 ranking gone.

Sir John Kirwan and Victor Matfield break down how it happened. Why the Boks were 13-12 up at halftime and then nowhere. The scrum dominance that counted for nothing. The All Blacks' tackle-area tactics that Rassie admitted his side didn't see coming. And the big one: with three Tests still to play, can South Africa turn this series around in Cape Town?

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The All Blacks are three from three in South Africa. 142 points scored, 40 conceded - but what have we actually learned?

With the first Test at Ellis Park just days away, Sir John Kirwan and Victor Matfield ask whether this tour has told us anything at all about where the All Blacks are at yet.

Plus: the elephant in the half-empty stadium. 14,759 turned up in Durban. Cape Town fell short of a sellout. Loftus still had tickets on the morning of the game, with the good seats at R1,350. For a tour billed as Rugby's Greatest Rivalry - the first full All Blacks tour of South Africa in 30 years - where are the crowds?

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The All Blacks kicked off their South Africa tour with a scrappy, ill-disciplined 38-21 win over the Stormers in Cape Town —\- surviving three yellow cards and needing four late tries to pull away from what should've been a comfortable night. Meanwhile, the Springboks ground out a nervy 17-10 win over Argentina in Buenos Aires, with the bench "bomb squad" bailing them out late as the Pumas threatened a serious upset.

On this episode, Sir John Kirwan and Victor Matfield break down where Dave Rennie's men went wrong in the Cape Town heat, why the discipline issues are a worry heading deeper into the tour, and how close Rassie Erasmus's Boks came to a shock loss in Argentina. Plenty to unpack from both matches.

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Victor outlines the tactics he'd use to beat the All Blacks and JK counters with his cunning plan to beat South Africa.

Rugby's Greatest Rivalry is here - and Sir John Kirwan and Victor Matfield are making their calls.

Thirty years on from the Incomparables, the All Blacks are back in South Africa for a full tour. Eight matches, four Tests, and the most anticipated series between these two nations in a generation. It starts Friday in Cape Town.

But first - the story that's dominated the build-up. Thousands of South Africans turned out at DHL Stadium to welcome the All Blacks, a genuine sea of black in the heart of Cape Town. The Cape Crusaders are back, and the reaction online has been fierce. JK and Victor go there.

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Sir John Kirwan and Victor Matfield react to Dave Rennie's 44-man All Blacks squad for the Greatest Rivalry Tour of South Africa and Rassie Erasmus' 43-man Springbok group, as the two greatest rivals in world rugby prepare to collide in a four-Test series.

In this episode:
- The uncapped trio - Siale Lauaki, Josh Jacomb and Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa - injecting young talent into the touring squad
- Rieko Ioane and Fabian Holland recalled
- Rassie's big guns return: Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Handré Pollard and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu all back from injury
- The men who won't be there - Kwagga Smith and RG Snyman ruled out for the season
- The first full All Blacks tour of South Africa since 1996 - eight matches, four Tests, one unforgettable series

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The All Blacks ran riot at Eden Park! Sir John Kirwan and Victor Matfield break down a massive weekend of Nations Championship rugby - starting with New Zealand's six-try demolition of Ireland that stretched the Eden Park unbeaten run to 53 matches. JK explains why Dave Rennie's side is starting to click, and what this performance tells us about where the All Blacks are heading.
Then it's over to Durban, where Victor's Springboks shut out Wales 43-0 - seven tries, three wins from three, and maximum log points from the home leg of their campaign. Is anyone stopping the Boks right now?

Plus, the boys look at the state of the Southern vs Northern Hemisphere ledger after three rounds = and with Rugby's Greatest Rivalry looming, the big question: who's really the best team in the world?

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The world champions got a fright! Victor Matfield and Sir John Kirwan break down a wild weekend of Nations Championship rugby - starting with the Springboks being pushed all the way by a fearless Scotland side in Pretoria. Two-nil up in the championship, but should Rassie be worried by 46 missed tackles?

Meanwhile in Wellington, the All Blacks ran in seven tries against Italy as Will Jordan made history - a hat-trick to become the All Blacks' greatest ever try scorer in test matches. JK gives his verdict on the new-look side under Dave Rennie and whether they're ready for Ireland at Eden Park.

Plus: the big calls, the standout performances, and who's looking dangerous heading into Round 3.

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Is this the new age of rugby? Sir John Kirwan and Victor Matfield react to the opening weekend of the inaugural Nations Championship.

The All Blacks edged France 34-32 in a Christchurch thriller in Dave Rennie's first Test in charge, with Ardie Savea leading the side as captain and a new-look backline featuring Ruben Love. Meanwhile, the Springboks dismantled England 45-21, running in seven tries and reminding the world why they're champions.
JK breaks down what Rennie's selections tell us about where this All Blacks team is heading, Victor explains why the Boks' depth is scarier than ever, and the boys debate the big one: is the gap between these two rivals growing or closing?

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Dave Rennie has named his first ever All Blacks squad, and it's a massive one — the test against France kicks off this Saturday. Sir John Kirwan joins Rivals to break down every selection, the big calls, the surprises, and what it means for the new coach's tenure.
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