It was a weekend of our favourite sporting delicacy: beautiful, chaotic upsets and we are absolutely feasting. Ireland didn’t just beat England… they systematically dismantled them, with Jamison Gibson-Park running the show like a man who had the English defence on puppet strings. Every counter looked dangerous, every breakdown felt Irish, and England had absolutely no answers.

Down south, the rugby gods delivered something even more outrageous: the Crusaders didn’t just lose — they got hammered. The Brumbies dropped a half-century on them in Christchurch for their first win there in 26 years. Nobody saw it coming, everybody enjoyed it (well… almost everybody). Wales, after weeks of looking like rugby’s saddest soap opera, finally resembled a functioning rugby side again. They still went down to a street-tough, slightly fortunate Scotland — but at least this time there were signs of life and something to actually laugh with instead of at.

We also get stuck into France continuing to look like the team to beat, Italy continuing to be awkwardly competitive, and a Super Rugby round that delivered chaos, entertainment, and confirmation that the Blues still look shaky even when they scrape past the Force. Upsets, chaos, schadenfreude, and a healthy dose of nonsense.

Grab a beer and enjoy.

This week on Two Cents Gets Distracted, Scotland did the most Scottish thing imaginable.

Lose to Italy… then immediately turn around and snap England’s 12-game winning streak.

Yes, the Scots beat the English. The rugby world rejoiced. Bagpipes were heard from space. We are, frankly, delighted.

Meanwhile, Wales have somehow discovered new geological layers of rock bottom. France treated them like training cones, playing Harlem Globetrotters rugby with offloads, flair, and the kind of ominous swagger that should concern literally everyone.

Italy vs Ireland? Suddenly… tight? Competitive? Slightly terrifying if you’re Irish? Is this an Italian renaissance, or are we witnessing the slow fade of Ireland’s golden generation? We attempt to answer that question with absolutely no qualifications whatsoever.

Plus — Super Rugby is back! The Crusaders lost (we celebrate responsibly). The Blues also lost (less fun). Balance has been restored to the universe.

All that, plenty of nonsense, and a decent helping of rugby chat.

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This week the Six Nations roared and rusted to life. We kick things off with France coming out hotter than a sizzling baguette at Stade de France, leaving Ireland flatter than day-old Guinness.

Then, we revel in Italy’s glorious ambush of Scotland,proving once again that it’s tough being Scottish. And, if you thought Wales couldn’t dig deeper, think again: their performance was a full-on Fawlty Towers episode, while England casually strolled in and gave them a rugby spanking.

We also look forward to Super Rugby getting started and unpack some of the new law changes.

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Fresh off our summer break, this first episode of the year drops us straight back into the deep end as we’re still reeling from the bombshell that Razor has been fired. The coaching carousel is already spinning: is Jamie Joseph next in line? ? Or are we about to be introduced to a whole new cast of weird and wonderful rugby powerbrokers?

We also turn our attention north, with the Six Nations kicking off — the “greatest rugby championship in the world”

As ever, expect a healthy mix of hot takes, half-baked theories, international rugby hype, and a solid helping of nonsense.

Welcome back to Two Cents Gets Distracted — where we talk a lot of rubbish and just enough rugby to justify it.

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Big thanks to sports4cast for the beers! - https://sports4cast.com/

The rugby world just got flipped upside down in the middle of summer. Scott “Razor” Robertson is out as All Blacks coach after a brutal internal review and reports suggest the players themselves led the charge.

From Ardie Savea’s alleged refusal to return under Razor, to questions about leadership, culture, and where New Zealand rugby goes next, Two Cents Gets Distracted drops an out-of-season emergency pod to unpack the biggest coaching bombshell in years.

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It’s the final episode of the year, and you know we’re not signing off without our annual dose of chaos. Welcome to the most prestigious, least credible, and proudly unhinged rugby awards show in existence:

The 2CGDS. Tony and Mark return to hand out a fresh selection of awards nobody asked for, celebrate the best and worst moments of the rugby year.

But this year’s finale also carries a weight as Gazza, hung up his boots last week. We take a moment to pay tribute to Gazza, Mark’s dad, a regular on his channel and a genuinely good bloke. A true character: warm, funny, honest, and utterly himself in every moment. Gazza brought joy to so many who watched him, and his presence became a much-loved part of the wider Two Cents community. He will be sorely missed.

So grab a beer, raise a glass for Gazza, and enjoy.

South Africa and Ireland finally squared off in Dublin… and instead of the blockbuster we were promised, we got a full-blown scrum-a-thon of Biblical proportions. The Bok scrum was so dominant it bordered on performance art, Ireland simply ceased to exist in certain dimensions of reality. Add a stack of cards and the whole thing descended into glorious, farcical chaos. (And no, we’re absolutely not criticising the match itself… because we enjoy being alive. Wink.)

England keep marching forward, seeing off a spirited Argentinian comeback as Los Pumas continue to prove they’re becoming a genuine world force. The All Blacks had their turn to comfortably dismiss Wales… though if you squint, you might spot a green shoot or two for the Welsh. Maybe. Hard to say. Probably not.

And over in the “Shambosal Tour of Doom,” Australia rack up their fourth straight loss in Europe — their worst run since 1965 — this time falling to a red-hot French team. At least there were a couple of absolute pearler tries to soften the blow.

All that, plus plenty of rugby chat, nonsense, tangents, and the usual helping of BS

Grab a beer and enjoy!

This week on Two Cents Gets Distracted, the All Blacks served up a bowl of crap to their fans as England handed us a brutal loss, crushing our hopes, rattling the fanbase, and putting Razor and his coaching staff squarely under the blowtorch. And yes, we rant about it. At length. With feeling. Meanwhile, the Boks battled past a fired-up Italian outfit despite copping a red card that may go down as one of the worst decisions of the entire rugby year. Ireland absolutely pumped the Aussies, Wales finally remembered what a win feels like, and Argentina pulled off an outrageous comeback because of course they did — they’re Argentina. All that plus a whole lot of BS chat, whinging, therapy, and emotional processing about the state of the All Blacks. Buckle in. It’s a spicy one.

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Massive thanks to todays sponsor Sorcerot!

Sorcerot is a fantasy themed metal band from Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati. There is a full album stream that is free on youtube.

You can purchase CD/Vinyl/Tape through our bandcamp Links: Bandcamp for physical copies: https://sorcerot.bandcamp.com/album/rotten-magick Full album stream on Youtube:https://youtu.be/LiWye7-B2es?si=DwP6fXT7sWzPI_M3&t=1

This week, the All Blacks (dressed in white) and down to three yellow cards — somehow held off a charging Scotland to keep their undefeated record alive. The Boks ate a full red card and still produced the performance of the weekend, thumping a fired-up France at home. Australia stumbled their way into a famous loss to Italy, and England edged a brilliant-but-gassed Fiji side.

We chat all that and a lot of BS.

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At Soldier Field, the All Blacks and Ireland combined for what could generously be described as a slow-motion car crash — a stop–start slog dominated by a pedantic referee, an eye-rolling red card, and enough resets to make you question your life choices. It was as attractive as… well, something deeply unattractive. Somehow, the All Blacks eventually clawed their way out of the mud and Ireland’s grasp to win, but by then, most viewers were emotionally bruised and spiritually broken.

Over in Twickenham, England pummelled the Wallabies with typical English enthusiasm for suffering — helped along by a peroxide-blonde prodigy who has everyone from pundits to your nan saying “this kid is special” with alarming confidence.

And at Wembley, the Springboks reduced Japan to rugby confetti in front of about twelve people and a seagull.

Grab a beer and enjoy