The Bonus Point

In Episode 80 , Tj is joined by Dane Sherratt from Kick On Rugby to break down New Zealand’s strong tour start, including the win over the Stormers and the 54–0 result against the Sharks, before the final pre-Test audition against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld. TJ and Dane also unpack the Springbok challenge: scrum pressure, the aerial battle, competing fly-half options, New Zealand’s outstanding lock and loose-forward depth, and whether the All Blacks can impose enough tempo to disrupt South Africa across a four-Test series. In this episode: All Blacks tour takeaways from the Stormers and Sharks matches Bulls v All Blacks: the final Springboks Test audition Richie Mo’unga’s return and the No. 10 debate All Blacks injury and selection watch Cam Roigard, Kyle Preston and the scrum-half race How the All Blacks match the Springbok scrum and kicking game Springbok fly-half options: Libbok, Pollard or Feinberg-Mngomezulu Is the northern hemisphere finally closing the gap on the south? First-Test selection calls and series predictions Subscribe to The Bonus Point Podcast , follow Kick On Rugby, and let us know: Who starts at 10 for the All Blacks in the first Test against South Africa?

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour is officially underway as the All Blacks open their South African campaign against the DHL Stormers in Cape Town. In Episode 79, I break down the Stormers team and the biggest storylines heading into the match — including senior Stormers debutant Yaqeen Ahmed at fly-half, his huge matchup opposite Beauden Barrett, and why Hacjivah Dayimani is one of the most exciting hybrid loose forwards in rugby right now. I also look at the All Blacks’ two potential debutants, the major selection calls shaping Dave Rennie’s squad, and the looming Springbok challenge. South Africa’s rotated front rows have continued to deliver dominant scrum production through the opening Nations Championship rounds, making set piece one of the defining battles of this tour. In this episode: What Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour is Stormers v All Blacks preview Yaqeen Ahmed’s senior Stormers debut Why Hacjivah Dayimani is a hybrid-forward threat All Blacks selection and debutant watch The Springboks’ scrum depth and rotation The biggest questions before the All Blacks face South Africa Who makes the biggest statement in the opening match: Yaqeen Ahmed, Hacjivah Dayimani, Beauden Barrett, or one of the new All Blacks? #Rugby #AllBlacks #Stormers #Springboks #RugbysGreatestRivalry #RugbyPodcast #RugbyAnalysis

The 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season wrapped with a statement as the Hurricanes crushed the Chiefs in a record-breaking final, and we break down exactly why they were the best team in the competition. From the key stats and standout performers to the breakout stars forcing their way into the All Blacks conversation, we dig into the numbers, the tactics, and the selection battles that are shaping the next era of New Zealand rugby.

In Episode 77, we break down a massive week in rugby, starting with the Super Rugby semi-finals, the big selection calls, and how the Australian teams have fared across the season. We also look at the launch of Super Rugby Aupiki and the exciting wave of new talent coming into the competition. In the second half, we shift to the All Blacks, with Tony Brown joining the setup and Kieran Read raising questions about whether New Zealand still has the same edge and belief that defines South Africa. To finish, we get into the Barbarians squad announcement, including TJ Perenara, Duhan van der Merwe, and Kyle Sinckler, plus what it means to see Scott Robertson back in that space. A big episode on finals rugby, national identity, and the players and teams shaping the next few weeks.

In Episode 76, we’re diving deep into the state of USA Rugby with Rob “The Hammer” Hammerschmidt and Scott “The Big Guy” Ferrara from the Rugby Rant podcast. With the Eagles set for a huge summer of Test rugby, we break down the upcoming Nations Cup fixtures, talk through who should be in the 23 for the first match against Portugal in Denver, and look ahead to what this stretch means for the future of the national team. We also get into the current Major League Rugby season, including the latest standings, the teams building momentum down the stretch, and the ongoing challenges around viewing access and league growth in the U.S. From there, we zoom out to ask the bigger questions: is USA Rugby on track for 2031

If you’ve ever yelled at a ref… this episode might change your perspective. Or probably not as its a regular occurance amongst rugby fans. In this episode, we sit down with Caleb Greaves, a referee with 12 years of experience across five different associations and a current official in the North Harbour Premier Men’s competition Auckland, NZ. Caleb shares stories from the field, how referees manage chaos in real time, and why it might be one of the toughest jobs in sport. We also unpack his viral approach to recruiting new referees, including the now-infamous “do something dumb until someone signs up” challenge, + how the North Harbour Referees Instagram page is changing the perception of officiating. In the second half, we shift into Super Rugby — breaking down the state of officiating, the chaos at the breakdown, TMO influence, and how players are getting smarter at pushing the limits of the game. Our Bonus Point segment is a new segment we like to call “Whistle Blower” - Some quick fire questions and sure to be a doozy

Episode 69 of the podcast features an insightful conversation with rugby journalist Jamie Wall, renowned for his deep knowledge and years covering the All Blacks and global rugby. Jamie shares his journey into rugby journalism, highlighting his work covering the All Blacks since 2017 and dives into the All Blacks’ complex and often scrutinized 2025 season, analyzing coaching challenges, standout players, and pivotal tactical decisions. We also unpack the debates around the World Rugby Player of the Year awards, examining fairness in selection and overlooked players. Lastly with the 2027 Rugby World Cup pools announced just yesterday, Jamie provides expert analysis on New Zealand’s draw, the expanded 24-team format, and the strategic path the All Blacks must follow to win the tournament. This episode offers a compelling mix of career insights, current rugby analysis, and forward-looking World Cup preview that any rugby fan will appreciate.

We catch up with Rob "The Hammer" Hammerschmidt (The Rugby Rant) to discuss the EOY tour squads for: All Blacks Wallabies All Blacks XV We have included a sneak peak into the Rugby Rant's Podcast where we spoke about R360...a new and bold competition full of innovation. Is this new competition promising or a pipe dream??

Jason Emery (Maori All Blacks, Old Glory DC) joins the show to chat about USA Rugby qualifying for the RWC in 2027, The upcoming Bledisloe Cup tests in the Rugby Championship & the Women's RWC finals.

This episode is dedicated to the passing of my dad Steve. We are chatting about all the cups that are up for grabs: Pacific Nations Cup The Rugby Championship Women's Rugby World Cup

This weeks episode were chatting about: All Blacks vs France British & Irish Lions vs Wallabies Kalyn Ponga to union!??

We unpack a lot on this weeks podcast. Super Rugby Pacific Finals (Chiefs vs Crusaders) British & Irish Lions vs Argentina Wallabies Squad Ardie Savea off to Japan in 2026 Premiership vs Super Rugby You wont wanna miss this one!!

We are back to chat all about playoff footy!! On this episode, here is what is on the cards: First Half Segment - Super Rugby Quarter & Semi Final Picture Second Half Segment - Ngani Laumape signs with Moana Bonus Point Segment - Who should be the Wallabies captain for the B&IL Tour??

On this weeks episode we are joined by Samantha Lovett (@samloverugby) who is a a freelance digital content creator specializing in enhancing the global appeal of rugby through engaging and innovative content. She has worked with World Rugby, Guinness Six Nations, LA Sevens, etc and she is taking her talents to the Women's Rugby World Cup. We pick her brain about content creation with rugby, everything thats going on in the 7's world and hope to make the game more appealing to the traditional US sports fan.

On this weeks episode we have on old friend join the show to chat about: Our starting Wallabies XV (is Noah & Joseph are out due to injury) IRFU scrapping their 7’s program ANZAC Test Match - Top 3 players we'd want to see Super Rugby Pacific - Round 14 picks

On this weeks episode, Jeremy Lardner (Dua Moana Podcast) joins us to chat about: Moana Pasifika The Pacific Nations Cup The British & Irish Lions Squad

Round 1 of Super Rugby Pacific did not disappoint...and we have a lot of things to chat about!! Our show will feature: Lightning Quick Recap - Round 1 Tj & Guest James Tesoriero (Rugby Director for St Aloysius'​ College & former Randwick Colts Program and Pathways Manager) chat about: 1st half segment - Aussie team clean sweep in RD1 2nd half segment - Player of the year award Bonus Point segment - How the bench is used in the modern game.

Super Rugby Pacific has returned and so has TBP for 2025. We chat with Joe Basser (former Melbourne Rebels Academy, Rugby New York & Anthem RC player) and got his opinion on: Biggest signings in the offseason Our top 4 teams for this season Super Rugby Fantasy picks for round 1

The Razor Era is officially here!! I catch up with Tevita in Santa Barbara so we can chat about: All Blacks in 2024 & the pecking order Missing Players (Snubs OR Valid??) Upcoming Games

On this weeks episode, we catch up with Jason Emery who brings a wealth of experience skill. We get to learn about Jason's career, his move to LA and his thoughts about the double header game this weekend: USA vs Canada (Womens) RFCLA vs Freejacks