Beer & Banter

The Boks are back on top of the world — literally. South Africa levelled Rugby's Greatest Rivalry with a 33-26 win over the All Blacks in Cape Town and reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking. But was it the perfect performance? Not a chance. Grab a cold one — we're breaking it all down braai-side.

We get stuck into the good and the ugly: Cheslin Kolbe's Man of the Match masterclass and 18 points off the boot, the direct, no-flair, bomb-it-over attack that got us across the line, and try-time redemption for Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende. But we don't dodge the ugly either — 39 missed tackles from 188, and the defensive lapses that gifted Cam Roigard his try. We hand out our verdict on the officiating too, and it's spicy.

Then it's on to the Soweto decider. Damian Willemse is out with a hammy, Kolbe gets a rare run at 15, and Kurt-Lee Arendse comes flying back in. Rassie's shuffling the front row again — mind games or weather games? And the question we want YOU to answer: Malcolm Marx, starter or supersub? Drop your take in the comments.

And what a final round in the Currie Cup. The Lions booked another semi, the poor Bulls closed out a season without a single win, the Sharks bowed out despite a big finish, and the Pumas threw the kitchen sink at the Cheetahs for an eight-try statement. Griquas? Same old dominance — top of the log and eyeing a home final. We preview both semis: Griquas v Lions in Kimberley and a Cheetahs v Pumas rematch in Bloem.

Are the Boks going to break the FNB hoodoo? Is the Currie Cup staying in Kimberley? Let us know — and tell us if you're heading to Baltimore for the grand finale.

Beer & Banter is BACK | Rassie's Reckoning at Ellis Park, the Bomb Squad Misfire & a Currie Cup Thriller

Episode 1 of 2026

After a few years away, the beers are back on ice and Beer & Banter is officially back — and we've returned to the middle of an absolute storm. The Springboks stunned 33-16 by the All Blacks in the opening Test of the Greatest Rivalry Tour. Is it panic stations? Or is everyone losing their heads over nothing? We pour a cold one and get stuck in.

First, the big one. Dave Rennie has walked into New Zealand and completely revolutionised the All Blacks after the Scott Robertson era — and they turned up at Ellis Park better prepared than anyone in green and gold expected. We ask the question no Bok fan wants to hear: Did the Springboks actually prepare properly for our biggest rivals? Because after the England, Scotland, and Wales games, we've only been playing 20-minute spells of good rugby and switching off for the rest. You cannot do that against the world number one.

We break down the damage: 23 turnovers, two yellow cards in the final ten minutes, entry after entry into the All Blacks 22 with nothing to show for it, and that age-old Bok sin — why on earth are we turning down kickable three-pointers against a side like New Zealand? Every point matters, and we waved too many of them away. Yes, there were dodgy ref calls, there always are — but the ref didn't cough up 23 turnovers, did he?

BUT — and here's where we calm the group chat down — it's not all doom and gloom. That first half we dominated everything except the scoreboard. 13-12 at the break, forwards bossing their pack for a good hour even with Ox off the field. The performance is in there. So take a chill pill, Bok champs: the way the media, the fans and the influencers are carrying on, you'd swear we'd lost to a minnow. The All Blacks were always going to throw the kitchen sink at Test one. Let's see who blinks in Cape Town.

Which brings us to the second Test. In typical Rassie fashion the team dropped on Monday, and we run the ruler over every call: Arendse to 14, Ethan Hooker in for the injured Kolbe, Pollard back in for Sacha, Reinach in for the injured Williams. Ox is fit and hungry to put the AB forwards through the pump again. The pack's largely settled, with a possible return for skipper Siya Kolisi if he passes his fitness test — and if he runs out, this could be the most experienced Springbok side ever assembled. Plus an almost brand-new bench, headlined by a return for Stormers and Springbok legend Deon Fourie. Is the reshuffle a straight response to the Bomb Squad going missing last week? Only Rassie knows. We're especially fired up to see what Cameron Hanekom can do against the men in black.

Then we switch codes for the Currie Cup, and what a season it's been. We're down to the final round before the semis and it's a cracker. The champion Griquas have proven 2025 was no fluke — dominant again, one loss all season, level on log points with a Cheetahs side that's gone up a gear since Faf de Klerk arrived. Both have banked home semis, so this weekend decides who tops the log with a home final potentially on the line. The final two spots? Wide open — everyone but the poor winless Bulls is still alive. We preview the lot: beaten finalists chasing the Stormers, the Sharks needing a full five-point haul against the worst defence in the comp, the Cheetahs off to Nelspruit, and the champs travelling to a revitalised Kavaliers.

It's a belter of a weekend of ruggas and we've got takes on all of it.

Grab a cold one, pull up a chair, and let's go. Thanks for listening, Bok champs — Lekke Bok Champs!

Your pundits are back for another banter-filled episode. 

We reviewed the massive rugby match between the Bulls and the Sharks, the Ashes is in full swing (like we saw from Starc with his first delivery), we also talked about what happened in the UCL and Geoff shares his views on the last UFC of the year.

See you again next week!

Remember to like, share, and follow to catch our next episode as it releases!

Your hosts are back for episode 7 and boy was this a good one. 

We had proper laughs and as always some well-voiced banter as only mates can. We discussed the BIG rugby match of the weekend between the Sharks and the Bulls, we also spoke about United vs Arsenal taking place a bit later to mention a few and Geoff threw in a lekker impersonation there at the end. 

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Have an awesome sporting weekend!

In our 6th installment we discuss:

Rugby:

The URC is back and South African sides have a lot of ground to make up. Now the tides have turned and the Northern Hemisphere sides have traveled to South Africa with most of the SA sides now having their Springboks back. What will this mean for the URC? Will the South now turn the dominance and momentum their way or will it pretty much still be an uphill battle for them?

Cricket:

We give a brief opinion on our thoughts and predictions on the Ashes. Will England keep on dominating the test scene or will Australia carry the momentum from the T20 World Cup with them and become a powerhouse in World Cricket once more?

Football:

United have sacked Ole and now face Chelsea in what is the biggest game of the Premier League weekend. We look at some of the key fixtures of the weekend also looking at what happened last weekend.

That's it from us in South Korea, what are you looking forward to the most for your sporting weekend? Let us know in the comments below

In Episode 5 we talk about:

That's it for this show, remember if you listen on the Anchor app you can send us a voice message to add your voice to our next podcast. You can also catch us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Enjoy another bumper weekend of sports!

In this episode, we look at:

Rugby: The last time the Scots have beaten the Boks was in 2010, will they be able to do so on Saturday? Or will the Boks have the upper hand over an ever-improving Scottish team? The Raeburn Shield, whether you have heard of it before or not, will also be up for grabs between these two old foes. Read more about the Raeburn Shield on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaeburnShield or raeburnshield.com.

Cricket: It's the battle of the teams from Down Under, both teams being underdogs in the semis, have once again confirmed why we all love the T20. It's quick, flashy, and definitely unpredictable. Will the Aussies pitch up once again in this World Cup or will the Black Caps finally break get rid of their World Cup final hoodoo?

Football: For the first time in a long time, Bafana fans have a team they can be proud of. They have put themselves in a nice position to progress to the next round of Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers and now have to at least draw away to one of Africa's best teams. Can they do what is needed or will Bafana fans have to wait another 4 years to see our team in a FIFA World Cup?

Remember if you download the anchor.fm app or listen on anchor.fm/beerandbanter1 you can send us your voice messages which we will discuss in our next podcast.

In this episode:

We have a look at what the Boks need to do to beat Wales and get that all-important first victory since 2013 at the Principality.

Will the Proteas make it to the semi-finals? We discuss their chances and what needs to be done to reach the next stage.

We talk about various footballing topics, like how Arsenal turned their season around, Conte to Tottenham, the Manchester derby, and Bafana's chances of securing a place at the World Cup.

Learn more about Channel O, a football team that is very close to Geoff's heart at 515leadership.com

Leave us your thoughts and remember if you are listening on the Anchor app you can let your voice be heard by sending us a voice message. 

In the second episode of Beer & Banter, we critically analyze some of the biggest talking points in the sporting world at the moment. 

1. What is happening at Manchester United, who seems like they just can't get anything right at the moment.

2. Did Cricket South Africa let the players, especially Quinton de Kock down once again by issuing a blanket directive right before their second world cup match? What needs to happen for the Proteas to reach the knockout stage of the T20 world cup?

3. The transparency in World Rugby and should the ref still be put on a pedestal?

Thank you for listening and please let us know your comments.

Welcome to Beer and Banter episode 1. Meet our hosts Andreas and Geoff, two sports-obsessed Saffas living and working in South Korea. 

In this episode, we give our opinion on the Springboks End of Year tour squad, we do a preview of the Proteas chances at the T20 World Cup, and also look at what has changed for Bafana. 

You won't find the expert analysis here and we say it like it is. Honest and unscripted but still informed. We invite you to listen and enjoy. Let us know how your opinion differs from ours because we believe every fan should be entitled to their own opinion. 

Geoff runs his own blog on mental health and servant leadership 515leadership.com.