Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by Wallabies and former Queensland Reds lock/backrower and now Melbourne Rebels skipper Lukhan Salakaia-Loto for a thoroughly enjoyable chat about life, leadership and the difficulty the Rebels players are experiencing with their futures far from certain.   In a chat that covers everything from LSL’s stratospheric rise from starting out in rugby to the Junior Wallabies in 12 months, to the mixed feelings of on-field confidence and off-field anxiety inside the Rebels camp currently, the conversation includes his emergence as a natural born leader within a group featuring a heavy Polynesian cohort, and what his time with the Northampton Saints taught him about his own game. Plus, Lukhan tries to blame his daughter for the current state of his playlist.   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are back with their end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, where the guys work through the best games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world each weekend.   This week, they’ve picked: Super Rugby Pacific – ACT Brumbies v Hurricanes in Canberra URC: Stormers v Leinster in Cape Town Premiership: Bath v Saracens in Bath Top 14: La Rochelle v Toulon in La Rochelle   Plus, Games of the Week from Japan Rugby League One and Major League Rugby in the States, too.   Let the guys know what you think! Is there a game you think they’ve missed?   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by Stan Sport commentator, marathon runner, and bad pun extraordinaire Sean Maloney for a mid-season recap on Australian fortunes in Super Rugby Pacific and their runs home over the final six rounds of the competition.   The resurgence of the Australian sides in Super Rugby this season has made for a much more enjoyable rugby product for fans, spectators, and broadcasters alike, and Sean explains what sort of difference this has made to Stan’s coverage this season, while also giving some great insight in the behind the scenes working, the narratives behind the games, why it’s so important to mention a promising player by their full name, and why the criticisms can sting when rugby commentary, like everyone’s opinion on the game, is such a subjective thing.   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are back with their new end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, where the guys work through the best games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world each weekend.   This week, they’ve picked: ·       Super Rugby Pacific – Blues v ACT Brumbies in Auckland ·       URC: Bulls v Munster in Pretoria ·       Premiership: Exeter v Bath in Exeter ·       Top 14: Toulon v Toulouse in Toulon (aforementioned in the title)   Plus, Games of the Week from Japan Rugby League One and Major League Rugby in the States, too.   Let the guys know what you think! Is there a game you think they’ve missed?   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by co-founder and GM of Sport for Gain Line Analytics, Simon Strachan for a deep dive into the numbers behind the teams playing in not just all the major rugby competitions around the world, but in plenty of other sports as well. In a conversation that will impact the way you think about teams performing well and not so well, Simon explains how Gain Line’s deep analysis and research or playing groups helps teams in numerous sports understand why they have set themselves up for ongoing success or chronic failure through either their structures or their recruitment, and how across the four leading professional rugby competitions around the world in 2023, three were won by the team with the best Team Work Index.   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are back with their new end-of-week offering, Games of the Week, where the guys work through the best games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world each weekend.   This week, they’ve picked: Super Rugby Pacific – Hurricanes v Chiefs in Wellington Champions Cup Semi-Finals: Bordeaux v Harlequins in Bordeaux Leinster v La Rochelle at the Aviva in Dublin Northampton v Bulls in Northampton Toulouse v Exeter in Toulouse   Plus, Games of the Week from Japan Rugby League One and Major League Rugby in the States, too.   Let the guys know what you think! Is there a game you think they’ve missed?   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by new Wallabies assistant coach and one of the great rugby coaching brains in the game, ‘Lord’ Laurie Fisher, to discuss the ever changing trends in professional rugby as well as gain an insight into the preliminary discussions within Joe Schmidt’s growing Wallabies coaching staff. Where Laurie Fisher has forgotten more about rugby than many of us will ever know, this chat pulls back the layers on his coaching philosophies and his approach around the breakdown and defensive systems in exactly the kind of technical discussion fans of the game love, while Australian fans will really enjoy the level of planning and discussion already happening with Schmidt and his most recent addition to the Wallabies staff, renowned New Zealand scrum guru Mike Cron.   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Find Brett and Harry’s written work on RugbyPass and The Roar: Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contributor/brett-mckay/ Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/haribaldi/   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones have a new offering each week, Games of the Week, where the guys work through the best games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world each weekend.   This week, they’ve picked: Super Rugby Pacific – ACT Brumbies v NSW Waratahs in Canberra Champions Cup Round of 16 - Friday: Harlequins v Glasgow at the Twickenham Stoop Saturday: Stormers v La Rochelle in Cape Town Sunday: Northhampton v Munster in Northampton Plus Games of the Week from Japan Rugby League One and Major League Rugby in the States, too.   Let the guys know what you think! Is there a game you think they’ve missed?   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by South African rugby YouTube star and creator of the weekly Rugby Update, Riaan Louw, for the rundown on the United Rugby Championship in 2024 and whether South Africa cares about Super Rugby anymore.   With the URC (pronounced ‘ERK’) now in it’s third season, TV audiences have hit record levels, crowds are up throughout the competition including in South Africa where the same games in Super Rugby used to draw family and friends only at times. Riaan gives great insight into what has changed in the Republic and as the URC has transitioned away from it’s old Celtic roots. Plus with the Round of 16 and the Quarter Finals to come over the next fortnight in the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, the guys run the rule over the start of the knockout stages in the European competitions.   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones have a new offering each week, Games of the Week, where the guys work through the best games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world each weekend.   This week, they’ve picked: Super Rugby Pacific – Reds v Brumbies in Brisbane United Rugby Championship – Leinster v Bulls in Dublin Premiership – Northampton v Saracens in Northampton Top 14 - Montpellier v Stade Français in Montpellier Plus Games of the Week from Japan Rugby League One and Major League Rugby in the States, too.   Let the guys know what you think! Is there a game you think they’ve missed?   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by NSW Waratahs lock/backrower Ned Hanigan fresh from their heartbreaking golden point loss to the Fijian Drua in Lautoka in Super Rugby Pacific over the weekend.   It was the latest in a line of ‘what if’ games for the Waratahs in 2024, where their performances on the field aren’t quite matched on the scoreboard or the competition standings, and Ned is refreshing in his honesty of where the Waratahs are just missing a trick or two. Plus the guys discuss World Rugby’s recent moves in the “next steps in the process of reimagining rugby’s entertainment factor”, and whether some of the tweaks are needed at all.   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones have a new offering each week, Games of the Week, where the guys work through the best games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world each weekend.   This week, they’ve picked: ·       Super Rugby Pacific – Blues v Crusaders in Auckland ·       United Rugby Championship - Stormers v Edinburgh in Cape Town ·       Premiership – Saracens v Harlequins in London (pack the chinos, chaps!) ·       Top 14 - Bordeaux v Toulouse in Bordeaux Plus Games of the Week from Japan Rugby League One and Major League Rugby in the States, too.   Let the guys know what you think! Is there a game you think they’ve missed?   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by one of the leading analysts in the game, Sam Larner from the Beyond 80 show on RugbyPass TV, for a great chat on how we all consume the game of rugby via stats and analysis.   What stats are meaningful? Which stats should you take notice of? Which one don’t mean as much as you think? There aren’t too many rugby people who have broken down rugby stats and rugby analysis better than Sam, and his Beyond 80 show goes to places where other shows just don’t. Plus the guys run the rule over the 2024 Six Nations, well won by Ireland as expected, but with more than a few surprises following them in the final standings.   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones have a new offering each week, Games of the Week, where the guys work through the best games from each of the best competitions around the rugby world each weekend.   This week, they’ve picked: ·       6 Nations – France v England in Lyon ·       Super Rugby Pacific – Highlanders v Brumbies in Dunedin ·       Japan Rugby League One - Kobe Kobelco Steelers v Saitama Wild Knights in Kobe ·       Major League Rugby - New England Free Jacks v NOLA Gold in Quincy, Massachusetts   Let the guys know what you think! Is there a game you think they’ve missed?   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Now on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined by the looming face of Stan Sport’s rugby coverage, and the host of the Inside Line podcast, Michael Atkinson onto The 8-9 Combo for the first time in 2024, to discuss the flood of rugby content in Australia and just how much of it he hosts.   It’s a smorgasbord for rugby fans in Australia in 2024, with upwards of ten different podcasts and rugby shows four nights a week on Stan, and with the Wallabies RWC doco featuring well alongside the likes of Six Nations: Full Contact on Netflix, and Whistleblowers on RugbyPass. The guys discuss what makes rugby work so well in documentary form, as well as running the eye over a third straight cracking weekend of Super Rugby Pacific.   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Now on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast   Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones   (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!)   Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones welcome former Wallabies, ACT Brumbies, Leicester Tigers, and Melbourne Rebels flyhalf Matt To’omua onto The 8-9 Combo for the first time in 2024, only to learn he’s moved into the podcast they vacated. Now the co-host of Brett and Harry’s former home, The Roar Rugby Podcast, Matt opens up on the promising start to the League One season in Japan for his side, the Mitsubishi Dynaboars, on the very apparent lift in competition quality with the post-RWC influx of international players, what’s caught his eye already in the opening rounds of Super Rugby Pacific, and why he’s really not sure how a Japanese team fits into the current Super Rugby model. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Now on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones welcome Senior Rugby Writer for The Telegraph, Charlie Morgan to The 8-9 Combo, as the 2024 Six Nations looks more and more Ireland’s with every round. Charlie’s written analysis is some of the very best in the game, and in this episode he takes the boys on a proper deep dive into what he saw in Scotland’s wonder win over England at Murrayfield to secure a fourth straight Calcutta Cup. Plus, Charlie offers a wonderful insight into his writing process, from concept to how he operates on game day, during the actual game, and how he progressed to the as-published final article. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo And now on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones welcome to The 8-9 Combo one of their very favourite guests of the past in former Flying Fijians coach Simon Raiwalui. Now World Rugby’s High Performance Pathways and Player Development Manager, Simon opens up to Brett and Harry about the state of the game in the north and south and particularly why South America is ready to explode, his view of RWC 2023 now that he’s four months beyond turning his magnificent Fijian squad into the darlings of the tournament, his thoughts on the future of Super Rugby Pacific and Australian rugby, and a pet subject: the best rugby food he’s tasted around the world! Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo ** Now on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@89combopodcast Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones (Yes, your suspicions were right. Brett and Harry did used to host The Roar Rugby Podcast!) Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones launch the first official episode of The 8-9 Combo with literally the biggest name in international rugby: World Rugby Chair Sir Bill Beaumont. In their maiden episode, Brett and Harry enjoy an engaging discussion with Sir Bill around the legacy of Rugby World Cup 2023 in France, the state of the game internationally, where it is heading and what can still be done to improve rugby as a genuine international sporting spectacle, and why it remains important for rugby to continue leading with regards to player welfare, tackle height, and concussion research and strategy. Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceovers by Chookman + Amelia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are catching up on everything that’s happened in the rugby world since the Rugby World Cup Final more than three months ago. In this final teaser episode, Harry and Brett go through a lot of things – but not everything – that’s happened since they last spoke on a podcast platform, as well as taking note of the first week of the 6 Nations, the first seedling shoots of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season, and a little hint at what to expect when the first full episode drops around the world on February 13 and 14 – featuring about as big a name in the world of international rugby as they come.   Social media: #89Combo Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/89combo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/oakvale-of-albion/extreme Voiceover by Chookman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices