RugbyBits

Kooks and Shaun open the 2025 podcasting year for the RugbyBits as they unpack the weekends Champions Cup action.   We look into playing on two fronts as the URC, Champions Cup/Challenge Cup are front and center. We unpack how to fix it and ask for a better academy/youth system to be used to increase the squad depth and save the budget.   We figure out the best plan for 2025 for Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and his terrible injury luck and Kooks applauds the Stormers with SHARKY still not convinced.    We look at what the Sharks, Bulls and Stormers need to qualify for the play off's and talk some news.

Kooks, Shaun and Thala wrap up round 7 of the URC, which saw the Sharks beat the Stormers for the first time, the Bulls win in Connacht and the Lions narrowly losing to Munster. We start at Kings Park and reflect on the crazy finish and how the Stormers almost stole it, how great Kolisi, Esterhuizen and Fassi were and whether Kooks is selling his Dobbo stocks. We move to the Bulls beating Connacht and the big story of the game is Jake White’s comments about Canan Moodie gaining weight. Shaun shares his theory about where those comments come from. We lament a missed chance for the Lions to pick up a big victory over Munster, but rave about Henco van Wyk’s ridiculous solo try. We then preview the Champions Cup and try to predict which teams won’t make the last 16. Find out why Kooks and Thala think the Bulls are well placed, why the Sharks first two weeks are super important and why the Stormers are in danger of being knocked out. In the Challenge Cup we think the Lions and Cheetahs have a good chance of getting to the knockouts. Finally we wrap with other rugby news, including Fiji men and Australia women winning the Dubai Sevens and the seismic transfer of Ilona Maher coming to Bristol Bears and why it’s not part of a World Rugby conspiracy (at least this time).

Kooks and Thala look back on the World Rugby awards and whip out the score cards for each men’s international Tier 1 side for their year. We start by fanboying over Ellie Kildunne and discussing the controversial selections of Antoine Dupont and Jerome Daret. We then discuss what PSDT’s 2nd Player of the Year means for his legacy. We then try to grade each Tier 1 nation’s year. We look at everyone from excellent years for the Springboks and Argentina, to confusing years for England and New Zealand and call Wales and Japan to the headmasters office.

Shaun and Thala are joined by rugby journalist and broadcaster (and hot take artist) Caleb Mutombwa to review the weekend’s Autumn Nations Series. We start with the Springboks victory over England by debating who won the kicking game, the Boks taking turns to step Freddie Steward and which Boks players stocks rose and fell after this game. Caleb reports from the Steven Borthwick press conference and discusses whether the pressure on Borthwick is increasing, his selection failures and whether England are on the right track. We then look at many of the other Autumn Nations Series games over the weekend. We are in awe of the cinematic production of the haka at the Stade France in France’s victory over the All Blacks, the Wallabies extending Wales’ losing streak to 11, Italy overcoming a difficult Georgia opponent, what Ireland’s narrow victory over Argentina tells us about both teams and what Scotland can learn from playing sides like Portugal. Finally we react to the World Rugby Awards nominations which include nominations for three Springboks for men’s 15s Player of the Year, Antoine Dupont starring in the Men’s Sevens Player of the Year, a debate about the Men’s Breakthrough Player of the Year and why the Women’s 15s Player of the Year is Ellie Kildunne’s to lose. We also ask what will happen in Bok Twitter if Caelan Doris wins Player of the Year!