Aotearoa Rugby Pod

ARP goes live after Dave Rennie's team naming for the opening Greatest Rivalry Tour game against the Bulls.We also react to Richie Mo'unga's announcement and look back at the first two performances.

World Cup-winning Springbok prop Steven Kitshoff joins Ross Karl and Bryn Hall for a Aotearoa Rugby Pod x For The Love Of Rugby South Africa collaboration.We break down what happens behind the scenes to make the Boks so good — from brutal scrum preparation and Rassie’s winning foundations to the systems keeping their wider squad Test-ready.Plus, what the Stormers and Argentina exposed about the All Blacks and Boks.

The All Blacks got the win in Cape Town but it wasn't slick.Their attack didn’t impress like earlier in the season. Bryn Hall and James Parsons break down what changed against the Stormers, why it matters ahead of the Springbok tests, and which players pushed their case for bigger roles on tour.Plus, what Argentina showed against South Africa — and whether there were clues the All Blacks can use.Did much change for Australia in the first test under Les Kiss' and an NPC wrap.

ARP goes live to react to the team Dave Rennie's named for the opening Greatest Rivalry Tour game against the Stormers.Who is in and who isn't and why? What does it mean in the context of test selections?

Thirty years after the All Blacks made history in South Africa, former All Blacks winger and master story teller Eric Rush takes us back to one of the wildest and most significant tours in New Zealand rugby history.He shares brilliant stories from the 1996 tour: hostile crowds, sleepless hotels, a mysteriously missing kicking tee, Nelson Mandela’s powerful message to the team, Jonah Lomu and the unforgettable off-field antics of Mark Ellis.Oh yeh .. and the rugby!What is your greatest memory of the 1996 All Blacks tour? Let us know in the comments.

What are critics overlooking about Ardie Savea’s delayed arrival in South Africa — and how can Beauden Barrett force his way back into the All Blacks’ test team.Ross Karl, Bryn Hall and James Parsons examine the decision to rest the captain and how it actually effects the inner workings of the team.They also look at a rare challenge for Beauden Barrett. After more than a decade as a near-automatic test selection, the All Blacks great now has to prove himself against the Stormers.Plus, what really happens inside the opposition training team, whether Leroy Carter could provide emergency halfback cover, the need for another lock against the Springboks, who has more to lose in the series, Richie Mo’unga’s return and the opening weekend of the NPC.

In this special collab, Aotearoa Rugby Pod and South Africa's Behind the Ruck podcast debate the Greatest Rivalry Tour!Who will win, how will they win, who makes a combined team?Join Bryn, Ross and former Springboks Rudy Paige and Juan de Jongh as they banter about the tour to come!And please give the BTR a follow!

In this week's Boks Watch, Ross and Jip take a look at the Boks squad.We focus on the tough calls Rassie will have to make, considering their outrageous depth that has grown. Will some massive stars miss the 23 for the first Greatest Rivalry test?They also deep dive into the success of the flyhallf options, digging into their success against the major nations - New Zealand, France and Ireland.

All Blacks assistant coach and selector Neil Barnes joins the Aotearoa Rugby Pod to explain how New Zealand will manage an unusually demanding tour of South Africa.Barnes discusses the challenge of preparing separate teams for Test and midweek matches, why every player will remain in contention for the top side and how the selectors constructed a squad capable of handling the physical demands of the tour.He also reveals that the coaching group has sought advice from experienced All Blacks figures, including Sir Graham Henry and John Hart, as it prepares for a style of touring rarely seen in the modern game.The ARP panel then examines the thinking behind the new selections, whether the squad has enough locking cover, which players could emerge during the tour and why Damian McKenzie may finally have found his long-term position at fullback.