This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu (Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief" (Auckland, New Zealand), cover the opening rounds of five European club rugby competitions, break down a massive NRL preliminary finals weekend, and unpack the Wallabies' big win over the Springboks.

Segment 1: Talk Story
Starts at (0:00:00)
The AFL grand final comeback by the Brisbane Lions, daylight savings in Auckland, and a look ahead at the NRL prelims and the Wallabies-Springboks test.

Segment 2: Da Latest Scoop
Starts at (0:02:25)

Premiership Rugby — (0:03:00) to (0:08:23)
Sale v Bristol, Northampton v Newcastle, a viral Bath intercept try, and Michael Vunipola's Leicester debut after his move from Vannes.

URC — (0:08:23) to (0:13:50)
All South African sides win round one, Leinster upset by the Lions, and the WRU's plan to cut Welsh pro sides from four to three.

Top 14 — (0:13:50) to (0:16:49)
Toulouse lead the table, Vannes still searching for a win, and La Rochelle's young side at Pau under Ronan O'Gara's philosophy.

Pro D2 — (0:16:49) to (0:22:39)
Oyonnax, Brive, and Provence unbeaten. Nevers winless. War stories from the Oyonnax away trip and a book recommendation from the Wine Chief.

Championship Rugby — (0:22:39) to (0:26:45)
Worcester top, Ealing unbeaten, Bedford Blues bottom. The new promotion model and why financial protection for clubs matters.

Segment 3: Hot Topics
Starts at (0:28:30)
RWC 2031 in the US under threat and 2035 bids from Spain, Italy, Japan, and the Middle East. NRL prelims — Newcastle's stunning 12-man upset of Penrith and the emotion of their first grand final in 25 years. Wallabies' 42-17 win over the Boks overshadowed by referee comms failures. Rugby Australia devaluing the Schoolboys jersey and New Zealand rugby's financial struggles and Super Rugby format review.

Da Kuleana: We are extracting Da Kuleana segments from past full episodes and releasing them as standalone uploads. Once the back catalogue is complete, Da Kuleana returns to the full episode in a refined format. Keep an eye on the feed.

Outro
Starts at (0:57:48)
The Wine Chief's upcoming VIP wine tasting, Sips and Scrubs at Tonga v Samoa in Hunter Valley, and your Q&A invitation.

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