This round had everything. A golden-point gut punch in Hamilton, the Drua pulling off a proper stunner in Canberra, and the Crusaders coughing up a 19-nil lead. Just a normal weekend in Super Rugby, obviously.

On this episode, Martin and Jamie rip through all the big Round 10 talking points, starting with whether the Hurricanes blew their shot against the Chiefs and what Damien McKenzie’s control said about the first five battle. We get into the Drua’s away win, the Crusaders’ latest wobble, whether the Blues showed title-winning signs, and where the All Blacks loose forward pecking order is heading.

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Ruben Love at 10? We’re done dancing around it. This week’s DSPN Mailbag gets stuck into the big one, with plenty of you making the case to just hand him the jersey and find out if he’s the real deal.

We also rip through overseas eligibility, whether New Zealand should loosen the rules with a few caveats attached, and if Super Rugby is actually enough to prepare players for test footy.

On top of that, there’s a proper yarn about Springbok-style bench splits, why the rolling maul still does everyone’s head in, and whether people have completely overcooked the reaction to our Sir Graham Henry and Brent Impey interview.

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Super Rugby is back in the spotlight, and not always for the right reasons. We get stuck into what happens next for the competition after Moana Pasifika’s demise, whether the current model is actually working, and why there are still big questions around crowds, structure, and long-term sustainability.

From there, we shift into All Blacks selection and the big calls coming up. Ruben Love is putting his hand up, but is it too soon, or exactly the right time? And then there’s the loose forward debate, where suddenly we’ve got plenty of names, but no clear answers.

We wrap by looking ahead to a massive Hurricanes vs Chiefs clash, with All Blacks spots on the line all over the park and another big test for the competition’s best form team.

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Moana Pasifika is all but done, and we’re still trying to work out what that really means. We get Jamie Wall in to unpack the sadness around the club’s collapse, the funding model that was always under pressure, and the bigger picture for Pacific rugby.

We also get into what a 10-team Super Rugby comp looks like from here, why coaches keep heading offshore, and whether New Zealand rugby is just caught in the same cycle again. Then we finish on this weekend’s big matchups, including the Hurricanes and Chiefs, Patrick Tuipulotu’s return for the Blues, and whether the Crusaders can lift without the horses and without much rhythm.

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What actually needs to change if the All Blacks want to stay at the top? That’s the big question in this one, and we get stuck into it with two men who know the game inside out, Sir Graham Henry and former NZ Rugby chair Brent Impey.

In a very special extended chat, we talk Super Rugby, offshore eligibility, player depth, club rugby, the financial squeeze on the game, and why Sir Graham believes New Zealand cannot keep doing the same thing and expect to stay the best in the world. Brent counters with the economic reality, the value of a strong domestic competition, and why the community game still needs far more attention.

There’s also plenty on Dave Rennie’s new coaching group, player ownership, the lessons from 2007 and 2011, and why both men still reckon the All Blacks have the talent to be right in the fight.

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Not every big hit is a good hit, and not every whistle needs to blow. This week on the DSPN, we get Jeff the Ref back in to work through some of the trickiest calls from the Super Rugby weekend.

We get into tip tackles, head clashes, yellow cards that maybe should not have been, and a few moments where the refs probably left everyone scratching their heads. Jeff also owns a correction from last week, explains why player safety has to stay front and centre, and gives us the referee’s view on penalty counts, back chat, mauls and TMO intervention.

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The vibe rankings are back and things are starting to feel very real.

On the DSPN, Marty and Lachie break down where every Super Rugby team actually sits right now, and more importantly, who’s already out of the race. The Hurricanes are clear at the top, the Chiefs and Blues are chasing, and the big question becomes whether anyone can genuinely disrupt what’s starting to look like a locked-in top six.

We get into the struggles of the bottom teams, why the Highlanders and Force might have missed their moment, and how the Brumbies have quietly built one of the strongest cases in the competition. Plus, we debate just how far the Crusaders can really go and whether their inconsistency rules them out of title contention.

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The Hurricanes are humming, the Chiefs are waiting, and suddenly every big Super Rugby matchup feels like an All Blacks trial.

On the DSPN, Marty is joined by Ant Strachan to break down just how good the Hurricanes really are after putting away the Blues, why Cam Roigard is right at the top of his game, and what Ruben Love is doing to force his way into the test conversation. We also get into the value of combinations, the pressure building around the 10 jersey, and where Damian McKenzie fits into it all.

Then we zoom out to the bigger picture. We talk fresh eyes in the All Blacks coaching group, why these next few weeks matter so much for selection, and whether Super Rugby is giving our best players the platform they need heading into a huge international season.

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The Hurricanes are flying and Martin can barely hide it.

On the DSPN today, Marty and Tony Johnson get stuck into a wild round nine of Super Rugby Pacific, starting with the Canes’ statement win over the Blues. We get into what made them so sharp, why their kicking game keeps putting teams under the pump, and whether Ruben Love is turning every big game into another selection headache for the All Blacks.

There is plenty more on the menu too. The Chiefs did what they had to against Moana Pasifika, but is their form rock solid or still a bit flattering? The Crusaders and Reds served up a slippery mess in Brisbane, the Brumbies kept their hoodoo over New Zealand sides rolling, and Martin and Tony also chew over a couple of refereeing calls that had everyone scratching their heads.

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Marty and Young Producer Lachlan dive into a massive Mailbag session this week, questioning if the All Blacks are looking backwards by sticking with Rieko Ioane and Beauden Barrett. They tackle the bizarre excuses for the Super Rugby Pacific Easter schedule, debate who should lead the team under Dave Rennie, and preview the massive Hurricanes vs Blues clash.

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