Show Notes
Squad day has arrived! Dave Rennie and Rassie Erasmus have both named their squads for Rugby's Greatest Rivalry, the first head-to-head tour between the All Blacks and Springboks on South African soil in 30 years. Sione and Fonz break down every selection, the surprise picks, the unlucky omissions, and predict how both teams line up for the opening Test at Ellis Park.
More from RUGBY HEADS
The All Blacks have swept the Bledisloe Cup again, 50-19 at Eden Park and 43-21 in Sydney, and the trophy hasn't left New Zealand since 2003. Former All Black Francis Saili and former Aussie Sevens flyer Kimami Sitauti join Sione to unpack why the gap keeps showing up: the grassroots pathway, the pull of the NRL and AFL, and the big brother, little brother mindset Kiwi kids carry from schoolboys. We back Peter Lakai's player of the match shift, a vintage night from 35-year-old Beauden Barrett at fullback and Max Jorgensen's value out wide, then it's the Bledisloe edition of Streets Won't Forget with Kimami's unbeaten run on the line.What's the real reason the Wallabies can't crack the All Blacks? Drop your take in the comments.
The Eden Park hoodoo lives on. The Wallabies were right in it at 17-14 down at the break, then the All Blacks piled on 26 unanswered points to win 50-19 and lock away the Bledisloe Cup for another year. We get into where it slipped away for Australia, why Jordie Barrett owned the high ball, how Damian McKenzie flipped the momentum from 10, and the defensive fix the Wallabies need before Sydney. Then the Streets Won't Forget quiz goes full Bledisloe edition, and somehow the Wallabies win again.Who's taking Bledisloe 2 in Sydney? Drop your score prediction in the comments.Pillar Sports, official sports tape provider of the Pig Athletic Club BaaBaas. Check them out at https://pillarsports.com/pac
Former All Black and Manu Samoa rep Lima Sopoaga joins Sione and Kimami Sitauti fresh off his behind the scenes stint with the All Blacks in South Africa. With the Springboks taking the series 3-1 and the Wallabies beating the world champs in Perth, we break down both Bledisloe Cup squads, ask what Shannon Frizell and Scott Barrett bring back to a bruised All Blacks pack, and debate whether this is finally the year Australia ends 40 years without a win at Eden Park. Lima backs the All Blacks 35-20, Kimami is tipping the Wallabies 24-21, then the boys go head to head in a Bledisloe edition of Streets Won't Forget.
Four yellow cards, a referee calling his TMO on an iPhone, and 11 Wallabies still hanging on. Sione is joined by Rugby Heads OG Ryan Freney to break down the Springboks' 42-38 loss in Perth: Ryan Lonergan running the show at nine, Paul de Villiers' early pilfers, Rassie Erasmus' 13 changes and whether the Boks finally got rattled, plus the Andrea Piardi and TMO carry-on that nearly handed it back. Then it's on to the Bledisloe, with Hunter Paisami facing a four-game ban, Len Ikitau in doubt, Ardie Savea out for the All Blacks, and Australia chasing a first win at Eden Park since 1986.Saffas, be honest: was Perth a fluke, or are the Wallabies actually back? Drop your Bledisloe prediction below.
The Wallabies had the world champion Springboks beaten 42-17 in Perth, then four yellow cards, a TMO stuck talking to the ref on a mobile phone and a final 15 minutes that felt like it lasted an hour turned a statement win into pure chaos. Sione and Fonz break down Ryan Lonergan's kicking masterclass, Len Ikitau's double, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii owning the high ball in his first start on the wing and Angus Bell's scrum show, before the Bomb Squad roared back and Australia hung on with 11 men to win 42-38 and reclaim the Mandela Challenge Plate. With the Bledisloe up next, is it time for the All Blacks to get worried?Boks fans, Wallabies fans, All Blacks fans: was that the Test of the year or the worst advert rugby has ever had? Tell us in the comments.