Rugby Rivals - Sir John Kirwan & Victor Matfield

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

• 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

Winning Matters is proudly brought to you by ALTRAD, global leaders in industrial services, equipment and engineered products.

Subscribe for more conversations with serial winners.

#WinningMatters #DaleyThompson #SeanFitzpatrick #AllBlacks

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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