Elite Rugby Banter

It’s the young guns (which excludes our panelists, sadly) who take centre stage this episode, from Zekhetelo and the Boogeyman at the Sharks to the Baby Boks and even LBB at Bordeaux. U20s, URC, Super Rugby, and Currie Cup all coming to you courtesy of the boys at ERB.

Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show.

It’s a full house for the first time in forever as we cast our minds back to Six Nations last round excitement, as well as the ongoing Super Rugby Pacific and URC competitions. South African sides remain firmly in contention for playoffs in Europe and at home, and the game appears to be in rude health judging by the unpredictable nature up north. What a time to be a rugby fan!

Ant goes deep on old Sharks rosters while also talking up the new-gen Irishmen. Dick is feeling bubbly in the jacuzzi and gets technical on bonus point standards of deviation. Phil gets us back on track with a level-headed look at the latest URC and Super Rugby tables and cup fixtures. Andy drinks whisky and toasts Scottish success despite their mediocre bronze medal showing (classic Scottish fan) while diagnosing Sacha with Gelantitis!

Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show.

The lads unpack a massive rugby weekend featuring Super Rugby chaos, Blitzboks success, and one of the most entertaining Six Nations rounds in years.

We start down south with a Super Rugby check-in after four rounds: the Chiefs quietly looking strong, the Brumbies stumbling late against the Reds, the Crusaders flirting with panic mode, and the Force discovering that scoring points is easy… defending them is not. We also touch on Rugby Australia’s latest league convert and what the looming World Cup might mean for player movement.

A quick pit stop through Sevens (with the Blitzboks topping the standings) leads into the big news from New Zealand: Dave Rennie vs Jamie Joseph for the All Blacks job and what each candidate could bring to a slightly messy Kiwi setup.

A special word for the Lions - 25/26 South African Shield Champions! What an achievement.

Then it’s time for the main course: Six Nations madness.
• Italy shock England for the first time as selection roulette, brain-dead penalties, and general chaos sink Borthwick’s men.
• Scotland produce one of their best performances in years to hammer France before a late French fightback.
• Ireland grind past Wales while Wales continue their slow rebuild.

Along the way we discuss the brilliance of Menoncello, the resurgence of Kyle Steyn, whether Ireland have quietly regressed to “occasionally good” territory, and why England’s selection decisions might have cost them the tournament.

Finally, we preview a wild final weekend where France, Ireland, and Scotland can all still win the Six Nations—and we ask the real question: is there still a way England could somehow end up with the wooden spoon?

Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show.

Ant is back from faraway lands with a scouting report from Georgia (spoiler: they don’t know much about SA rugby… except that we’re good), and the boys dive into a proper Six Nations mid-tournament temperature check.

We unpack three weeks of Six Nations chaos: France looking like the only adults in the room, Ireland nearly getting Italy'd in Dublin, Scotland doing Scotland things (again), and England discovering that a 12-game streak doesn’t stop you getting put to the sword. Along the way we argue about drifting passes, TMOs who simply can’t help themselves, and whether gold boots are basically a cursed captaincy announcement.

Then it’s a quick whip around the globe: SA’s new U20/U23 Currie Cup bridge (and the return of curtain-raiser nostalgia), early Super Rugby weirdness (Brumbies statement win, Crusaders in the mud, and the usual “it’s early” cop-outs), URC’s return, and Varsity Cup’s latest mad-scientist scoring rule. Also the Lions did the double over the Sharks!

Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show.

After a quick detour to the URC, Ant, Phil and Andy preview the upcoming Six Nations. Will England and Italy's rises supersede Ireland and Scotland's golden (yet greying) generations? Will Dupont carry France or will he be lost to the Winter Olympics? And will Wales...nah, they won't. That and more in this week's episode.

Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show.