8/9 Rugby

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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Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport

Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio)

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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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Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport

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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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Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport

Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio)

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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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Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio)

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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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Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport

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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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Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too

And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/

Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport

Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio)

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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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Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too

And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/

Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport

Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio)

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