Curious selections for the opening weekend of Super Rugby Pacific, the French Six Nations fallout, and it’s a second attempt at life post-Warren Gatland in Wales, as Geoff Parkes joined Brett McKay & Harry Jones in this week’s episode of The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast.

An already accomplished rugby columnist, Geoff Parkes provides some wonderful perceptions into Super Rugby for 2025, as well as delving into his writing processes that delivered two books over the Australian summer: 'A Year in the Life and Death of the Melbourne Rebels', the fantastic behind-the-scenes look at the 2024 demise of the Rebels, and his debut crime novel 'When the Deep Dark Bush Swallows You Whole', set in rural New Zealand. It’s a fascinating insight into the writer’s mind, and how major writing works come together.

Games of the Week:

• SRP Rd.1: Waratahs v Highlanders, Sydney FRI

• URC Rd.11: Munster v Scarlets, Limerick SAT

• Top 14 Rd.16: Clermont v Toulouse SUN

• JRLO Wk.9: Black Rams Ricoh v Urayasu D-Rocks, Tokyo SAT

• MLR Rd.1: Houston v Chicago, Houston SAT

NOTE & APOLOGIES: Brett suffered a connectivity glitch early on in the epsode, and Harry had to board a plane at the end. But we got there!

Find us:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo?sub_confirmation=1

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-8-9-combo-rugby-podcast/id1729575866

Social media: #89Combo

Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social

Find Brett and Harry on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport + @HaribaldiJones

Music: "Stalling" by Topher Mohr & Alex Elena (via YouTube Creator Studio)

Voiceovers by Chookman + Sean Maloney

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