Harry Jones, the grizzly old no.8, and Brett McKay, the unremarkable schoolboy no.9, unite for the short-side set-piece combination you didn't realise you neede...
Brett McKay and Harry Jones lay out the final Games of the Week for 2024, incorporating the final match of the Northern Spring Autumn Series Tours between Ireland and Australian in Dublin, and which will put Joe Schmidt and his gameplan up against his former assistant Andy Farrell and the same gameplan in what will be a fascinating contest. The United Rugby Championship and the English Premiership are both back this week too.
Does Schmidt and the Wallabies have one last performance up their sleeve for 2024, and what would an upset win over Ireland mean for Australian rugby heading into 2025, and the arrival of the British & Irish Lions? What would a third loss for Lions nations do for their confidence? And how hard will it be to get back into club and franchise rugby after a big month of Internationals?
This week’s Games of the Week:
• Ireland v Australia in Dublin
URC Rd.7: Munster v Lions in Limerick
Premiership Rd.7: Harlequins v Bristol at the Stoop
Top 14 Rd.11: Racing 92 v Toulouse in Paris
Social media: #89Combo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo
Now on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social
Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport
Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones
You can find Brett and Harry individually on BlueSky, too!
Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm
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
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28:33
Ep.42 - Replacing the Snake with Patrick McCarry
Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by Irish sportswriter and playwright Patrick McCarry to look back over the final full weekend of the Northern Spring Autumn Series Tour, and then to cast an eye forward to the final international fixture for 2024 this weekend coming, when Ireland host Australia at the Aviva in Dublin this Saturday.
The Irish haven’t had the smoothest of time through this Autumn Nations, and have had to make adjustments to the new Law Variations in play, but this weekend, there is also a much revered character to deal with: the return of Joe Schmidt, with his rebuilding Wallabies in tow.
Social media: #89Combo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo
Now on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social
Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport
Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones
You can find Brett and Harry individually on BlueSky, too!
Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm
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 + Sean Maloney + Amelia
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1:09:09
Test Match post-mortem 12 – Murrayfield Maul Chokes Winged Wallabies
Brett McKay and Harry Jones jump into another Test Match post-mortem without much thought at all, with this week's fulltime focus on Scotland’s gritty 27-13 win over Australia at
a chilly Murrayfield in Edinburgh, the wrap up the final full weekend of Northern Spring Autumn Series Tours.
In a game that would have been a statement win for either side, it was the Scots who maintained their shape, their discipline, and their excellent defence to see off the Wallabies, and with it, another shot at a historic Grand Slam.
Social media: #89Combo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo
Now on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social
Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport
Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones
You can find Brett and Harry individually on BlueSky, too!
Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify!
https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm
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
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27:30
Games of the Week 33 – Best be Frontrunners
Brett McKay and Harry Jones lay out the Games of the Week for the final full weekend of the Northern Spring Autumn Series Tours, the last chance for the Home Nations to save something from the November Tests, and for the southern hemisphere nations to reinforce their claims of global rugby domination.
Can Argentina spring one last upset? Can Ireland make one last statement? How much patience is left in Wales? Will New Zealand appease fans at home with a fourth Spring Tour win? Will Scotland blink first, or Australia? And will the full support of the board continue for Steve Borthwick?
This week’s Games of the Week:
• France v Argentina in Paris
• Wales v South Africa in Cardiff
• Italy v New Zealand in Turin
• Scotland v Australia in Edinburgh
Plus, the Top 14 is back: we like the sound of Toulon v Bayonne on Saturday
Social media: #89Combo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo
Now on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social
Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport
Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones
You can find Brett and Harry individually on BlueSky, too!
Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm
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
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30:15
Ep.41 – Giving Every Ounce with Dan McKellar
Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by incoming New South Wales Waratahs coach Dan McKellar, who has put the disappointment of how his Leicester Tigers gig ended, the strong links to his native Queensland, and his storied history with the ACT Brumbies all behind him to get on with the job of restoring the Waratahs to the force Australian rugby needs them to be.
Plus, Brett and Harry also dig into the Wallabies’ super impressive 52-20 thumping of Wales in Cardiff, the first time Australia has won consecutive matches on foreign soil since the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Next up for the Wallabies are Scotland at Murrayfield, and a contest that has remained tight for the last few years.
Social media: #89Combo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/89combo
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8-9Combo
Now on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/89combo.bsky.social
Brett: https://twitter.com/BMcSport
Harry: https://twitter.com/HaribaldiJones
You can find Brett and Harry individually on BlueSky, too!
Make sure you FOLLOW US on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb24YOtwQhKc0S3sDm
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 + Sean Maloney + Amelia
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Harry Jones, the grizzly old no.8, and Brett McKay, the unremarkable schoolboy no.9, unite for the short-side set-piece combination you didn't realise you needed, coming from the rugby podcast double act you already had.
A couple of hosts who came together on a whim in 2022 have become arguably the best - and maybe the only - South African-American-Australian rugby podcast combination in the rugby world, blending the perfect combination of passion, humour, nonsense, and genuine insight. Tune in every week to find out where on earth Harry is podding from, and how on earth Brett keeps it all flowing as they enjoy great rugby chats with an incredible array of guests.
Listen to The 8-9 Combo Rugby Podcast, The Sky Sports Football Podcast and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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