Episodes

  • Ep.36 – The Nations Championship reviso with Jonathan Drennan

    Ep.36 – The Nations Championship reviso with Jonathan Drennan
    Oct 28 2026
    Jonathan Drennan from the Sydney Morning Herald returns from holidays to join Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby to quickly get back up to speed with the inner workings and upcoming fixtures for the November leg Nations Championship. And with breaking Wallabies squad news in the middle of it the discussion! The November Tests represent a massive challenge for the Wallabies, with first up games against England and Scotland, from which wins would bring huge benefits. Elsewhere, Scotland-New Zealand, France-South Africa, and even Italy-Fiji loom as must-watch games in what will be a huge month of international rugby. #89Rugby #Wallabies #NationsChampionship Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    52 mins
  • Ep.35 – Popping the L-plates back on with James Slipper

    Ep.35 – Popping the L-plates back on with James Slipper
    Oct 21 2026
    Wallabies & Super Rugby games record holder James Slipper joins Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby to reflect on the Bledisloe Cup, watching from the couch, and how Australia can bounce back on the upcoming Nations Championship. 'Slips' breaks down how the squad processes tough defeats, and what the Wallabies need to sharpen ahead of a gruelling northern tour, as well as pulling back the curtain on his first taste of coaching with the Brumbies, and what his future holds heading toward 2027. #89Rugby #Wallabies #AllBlacks #AUSvNZL Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    48 mins
  • Bledisloe Cup Post-Mortem: All Blacks clinical, Wallabies comical in Sydney

    Bledisloe Cup Post-Mortem: All Blacks clinical, Wallabies comical in Sydney
    Oct 17 2026
    The All Blacks piled on more misery for the Wallabies, running in another comprehensive 43-21 win at Accor Stadium in Sydney to complete the clean sweep for 2026. Jim Tucker joined Brett McKay for the final Bledisloe LIVE 8/9 Rugby Post-Mortem for the year. And it was another disappointing result for Australia, with the contest essentially over when the New Zealand ran in their seventh try just after halftime. The Wallabies would find two tries after that, but it’s fair to say the contest was long gone by that stage. All attention for the Wallabies now is the Australia A tour of the USA, and the Wallabies’ Nations Championship campaign in November, and it’s fair to say there is much to work on. #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #TestRugby #BledisloeCup #AUSvNZL #Wallabies #AllBlacks Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    33 mins
  • Bledisloe Cup Post-Mortem: All Blacks restore order with Wallabies thumping

    Bledisloe Cup Post-Mortem: All Blacks restore order with Wallabies thumping
    Oct 10 2026
    The All Blacks have delivered exactly the kind of response Wallabies fans feared, and precisely what New Zealanders were demanding in the first Bledisloe Cup Test of the year. Jim Tucker joined Brett McKay for another LIVE 8/9 Rugby Post-Mortem, in which the All Blacks have retained the massive mug for another year. After a tight first half so both teams pretty even at halftime, New Zealand ran in three unanswered tries after halftime to blow the Wallabies away, and the knock this contest on its head, before running away 50-19 winners in a comprehensive 7 tries to 3 win. All attention now turns to the return leg in Sydney next Saturday. #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #TestRugby #BledisloeCup #NZLvAUS #Wallabies #AllBlacks Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • Ep.33 – Equal parts Bledisloe nerves and opportunity with Justin Harrison

    Ep.33 – Equal parts Bledisloe nerves and opportunity with Justin Harrison
    Oct 7 2026
    The Wallabies beat the Springboks, but now the biggest test awaits: the Bledisloe Cup. Former Wallabies lock turned commentator Justin Harrison joined Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby to dive into the week on the rugby calendar that’s both exciting and nerve-wracking for Australian fans. There will be pressure and expectation on the Wallabies, but what of the pressure and expectation on the All Blacks? Imagine the fallout if they lost a fourth-straight Test? And so how can the Wallabies turn that into opportunity? And how will being front-runners all this year – they’re yet to trail at halftime in 2026 – set them up to put the Kiwis under the pressure that could force them onto the back foot and into errors? #89Rugby #Wallabies #AllBlacks #NZLvAUS Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    42 mins
  • Ep.32 – Making sense of all that Perth nonsense with Sean Maloney

    Ep.32 – Making sense of all that Perth nonsense with Sean Maloney
    Sep 30 2026
    Even a couple of days on, it’s still hard to make sense of the way that mad Wallabies-Springboks Test Match on Sunday night. Sean Maloney from Stan Sport joined Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby to try and make sense of it all, and you the audience can the judge of how successful that’s been. We may never make sense of it. Before it, the Wallabies produced comfortably their best performance of the year, and maybe even their best since the Ellis Park win last year. The ‘Boks were good enough to score three converted tries in the last ten minutes, but ultimately, the damage was done beforehand – and before the four yellow cards created all the mayhem. Great tries, comms failures, a proper team performance to enjoy. And ten minutes of madness. #89Rugby #Wallabies #Springboks #AUSvRSA Find us on youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    52 mins
  • Wallabies-Springboks Post-Mortem: It’s happened again. Just…

    Wallabies-Springboks Post-Mortem: It’s happened again. Just…
    Sep 27 2026
    In one of the craziest Test Matches in living memory, the Wallabies have held on for a thoroughly deserved but quite extraordinary win over the Springboks in Perth. Jim Tucker joined Brett McKay for another LIVE 8/9 Rugby Post-Mortem, to try and make sense of what the rugby world just witnessed. Leading 42-17 with ten to play, Australia held on for a 42-38 win over South Africa that’s remarkable for so many reasons. If it’s not the four yellow cards in the last 10 minutes, if it’s not the fact that referee Andre Pairdi and his TMO were communicating by a phone run onto the pitch, if it’s not the four disallowed tries and countless other decisions made this way, then just believe us when we say this was a crazy game. #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #TestRugby #AUSvRSA #Wallabies #Springboks Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    43 mins