In Episode 80, Tj is joined by Dane Sherratt from Kick On Rugby to break down New Zealand’s strong tour start, including the win over the Stormers and the 54–0 result against the Sharks, before the final pre-Test audition against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.

TJ and Dane also unpack the Springbok challenge: scrum pressure, the aerial battle, competing fly-half options, New Zealand’s outstanding lock and loose-forward depth, and whether the All Blacks can impose enough tempo to disrupt South Africa across a four-Test series.

In this episode:

• All Blacks tour takeaways from the Stormers and Sharks matches
• Bulls v All Blacks: the final Springboks Test audition
• Richie Mo’unga’s return and the No. 10 debate
• All Blacks injury and selection watch
• Cam Roigard, Kyle Preston and the scrum-half race
• How the All Blacks match the Springbok scrum and kicking game
• Springbok fly-half options: Libbok, Pollard or Feinberg-Mngomezulu
• Is the northern hemisphere finally closing the gap on the south?
• First-Test selection calls and series predictions

Subscribe to The Bonus Point Podcast, follow Kick On Rugby, and let us know: Who starts at 10 for the All Blacks in the first Test against South Africa?

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour is officially underway as the All Blacks open their South African campaign against the DHL Stormers in Cape Town.

In Episode 79, I break down the Stormers team and the biggest storylines heading into the match — including senior Stormers debutant Yaqeen Ahmed at fly-half, his huge matchup opposite Beauden Barrett, and why Hacjivah Dayimani is one of the most exciting hybrid loose forwards in rugby right now.

I also look at the All Blacks’ two potential debutants, the major selection calls shaping Dave Rennie’s squad, and the looming Springbok challenge. South Africa’s rotated front rows have continued to deliver dominant scrum production through the opening Nations Championship rounds, making set piece one of the defining battles of this tour.

In this episode:

• What Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour is
• Stormers v All Blacks preview
• Yaqeen Ahmed’s senior Stormers debut
• Why Hacjivah Dayimani is a hybrid-forward threat
• All Blacks selection and debutant watch
• The Springboks’ scrum depth and rotation
• The biggest questions before the All Blacks face South Africa

Who makes the biggest statement in the opening match: Yaqeen Ahmed, Hacjivah Dayimani, Beauden Barrett, or one of the new All Blacks?

#Rugby #AllBlacks #Stormers #Springboks #RugbysGreatestRivalry #RugbyPodcast #RugbyAnalysis

The 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season wrapped with a statement as the Hurricanes crushed the Chiefs in a record-breaking final, and we break down exactly why they were the best team in the competition. From the key stats and standout performers to the breakout stars forcing their way into the All Blacks conversation, we dig into the numbers, the tactics, and the selection battles that are shaping the next era of New Zealand rugby.

In Episode 77, we break down a massive week in rugby, starting with the Super Rugby semi-finals, the big selection calls, and how the Australian teams have fared across the season. We also look at the launch of Super Rugby Aupiki and the exciting wave of new talent coming into the competition.

In the second half, we shift to the All Blacks, with Tony Brown joining the setup and Kieran Read raising questions about whether New Zealand still has the same edge and belief that defines South Africa. To finish, we get into the Barbarians squad announcement, including TJ Perenara, Duhan van der Merwe, and Kyle Sinckler, plus what it means to see Scott Robertson back in that space.

A big episode on finals rugby, national identity, and the players and teams shaping the next few weeks.

In Episode 76, we’re diving deep into the state of USA Rugby with Rob “The Hammer” Hammerschmidt and Scott “The Big Guy” Ferrara from the Rugby Rant podcast. With the Eagles set for a huge summer of Test rugby, we break down the upcoming Nations Cup fixtures, talk through who should be in the 23 for the first match against Portugal in Denver, and look ahead to what this stretch means for the future of the national team.

We also get into the current Major League Rugby season, including the latest standings, the teams building momentum down the stretch, and the ongoing challenges around viewing access and league growth in the U.S. From there, we zoom out to ask the bigger questions: is USA Rugby on track for 2031

If you’ve ever yelled at a ref… this episode might change your perspective. Or probably not as its a regular occurance amongst rugby fans. In this episode, we sit down with Caleb Greaves, a referee with 12 years of experience across five different associations and a current official in the North Harbour Premier Men’s competition Auckland, NZ. Caleb shares stories from the field, how referees manage chaos in real time, and why it might be one of the toughest jobs in sport. We also unpack his viral approach to recruiting new referees, including the now-infamous “do something dumb until someone signs up” challenge, + how the North Harbour Referees Instagram page is changing the perception of officiating. In the second half, we shift into Super Rugby — breaking down the state of officiating, the chaos at the breakdown, TMO influence, and how players are getting smarter at pushing the limits of the game. Our Bonus Point segment is a new segment we like to call “Whistle Blower” - Some quick fire questions and sure to be a doozy

This is part 1 of a 2 part interview with is with professional rugby player Mathew Skipwith-Garland. Matt is a member of the 2019 Championship winning Bay of Plenty Steamers team (Mitre 10 Cup) and also a current member of the new China Lions franchise (Rapid Rugby). In part 1, our host Tj Olsen talks to Matt about growing up in Brisbane Australia & his progression through the early stages of his rugby career.

We're back with another episode of #LastWeekInRugby and on this weeks edition we speak about the matches over the weekend, what to look forward to for the final week of the regular season (Super Rugby AU), the North vs South Game (NZ) & South Africa potentially replacing Japan in the new "Eight Nations" tournament. Don't want to miss out on this action packed episode!!