The Lekker Rugby Pod!

What if the gap between the All Blacks, the Springboks and the rest of world rugby is bigger than anyone realised?Harry Jones has built something new for the pod: CPR, a specific, simple, brutal statistic that tracks how much each team carries, passes and rucks the ball in attack. Run it across the Nations Championship so far and the picture is stark. New Zealand and South Africa sit at opposite ends of the scale, but both are miles ahead of everyone chasing them.In this episode:- Harry unveils the CPR index and walks through how it's calculated- Why the All Blacks build almost double the rucks of the Springboks- How the All Blacks and Springboks each embody a completely different way to attack- What the numbers mean for selection and conditioning heading into 2027MW and Harry dig into what the numbers actually show, and where the theory still needs work.

Who thought up this strange competition? Did anybody even think it through?Harry Jones sits down with rugby content creator Riaan Louw to pull apart the Nations Championship, rugby's newest and strangest, competition. Not just the idea, but the logic underneath it, a finals ladder that quietly turns southern hemisphere fans into short-term allies of the north. Which is not what they wanted!In this episode:- Why the Nations Championship's finals seeding forces fans to root against their own hemisphere rivals- What's actually working, and what isn't, in the tournament's branding, stats, and graphics- Why Ireland avoided travelling to Japan and what problems that could cause going forward- Riaan's wider verdict on rugby's branding problem, from Ellis Park to Loftus VersfeldIf you enjoy the show, the best thing you can do is LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit the BELL so you never miss an episode.

Is there actually a right way to win test rugby, or is the game splitting into two irreconcilable philosophies?The Lekker Rugby Pod is back, and this one goes deep. MW and Harry break down the spectrum that's quietly reshaping test rugby, with South Africa anchoring one extreme and New Zealand the other, and every other top nation picking a side to copy.In this episode:- The kicking spectrum explained, and why South Africa's attacking kick numbers are unlike anything else in the game- Why real momentum, the kind sports science actually measures, might be disappearing from rugby- A detailed breakdown of the pillar and post system, and exactly how Scotland's line broke through it- Big moments over the slow grind: why scraps are winning more matches than scrums nowHarry and MW also get into Rassie Erasmus's thinking on legacy and succession, the shape of the back line in transition rugby, and whether Paul de Villiers's size is a limiting factor or an asset at test level.

The Bulls have now lost four URC finals in five seasons. Harry Jones was embedded on their bench at Croke Park when the latest chance slipped away.What he witnessed from three meters away tells a story the scoreboard does not. A stunned bench. A Leinster coaching staff burning calories delivering information in real time. Eight Springbok calibre players sitting in silence with no shared framework for what was unfolding in front of them. And in the aftermath, the image Jones cannot shake: Cameron Hanekom, alone under the posts, staring at all of it.This is not a post-match reaction. It is a first-hand account of what a final looks like from the inside, and what it might mean for the Bulls until they solve it.

A year out from Australia 2027, Rassie Erasmus is fast-tracking players most coaches would wait on. Riley Norton at 21. Paul de Villiers stacking man-of-the-match awards at the Stormers. A bomb squad being rebuilt from scratch. The Nations Championship squad is not a holding pattern. It is a blueprint.Jon Cardinelli, one of SA rugby's sharpest analysts, joins Harry Jones on The Lekker Rugby Pod to decode what this next wave of Springboks tells us about 2027.In this episode:Why Riley Norton and Paul de Villiers are being fast-tracked ahead of the All Blacks seriesThe evolution of the bomb squad and why the second hooker might not be a hookerThe prop selections that break every convention about age and experienceElrigh Louw's omission and the silence Rassie left around itRecorded before Rassie's Nations Championship press conference. Some of what Jon and Harry decoded here, Rassie confirmed later. The Elrigh question, he didn't touch.If you enjoy the show, the best thing you can do is LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit the BELL so you never miss an episode.On this episode of The Lekker Rugby Pod, MW Welman and Harry Jones are joined by rugby journalist Jon Cardinelli.

Can the Bulls pull off the upset of the year in Dublin on Friday?With the URC Final days away, MW Welman and Harry Jones go live to break down the Leinster and Bulls team announcements and make the case for why this final might not be the foregone conclusion many expect. The Bulls' front row is the story, and Leinster know it.In this episode:Why the Bulls' pack could be Leinster's worst nightmare in DublinAndrew Porter's withdrawal and what it signals ahead of the finalThe team announcements broken down and what they revealHarry Jones heads behind the scenes with the Bulls on match day Friday

Gráinne Seoige joins the Lekker Rugby Pod to discuss the cultural clash between South Africa and Ireland, Jacques Nienaber's move to Leinster, and the "fake news" targeting Canan Moodie.Back on the Lekker Rugby Pod by popular demand, Gráinne's here to make sense of the moment that exposed just how differently South Africa and Ireland see the same sport, and the same people.In this episode:🏉 The fake news targeting Canan Moodie and his family, and why it does not belong in rugby culture🏉 Why Jacques Nienaber can walk on water in South Africa but faces a very different reality in Ireland🏉 Whether Leinster should hand him the keys to the kingdom for next season🏉 Tony Brown's move to New Zealand and what it really means for the Springboks🏉 What the Bulls vs Leinster final really represents for both countriesIf you enjoy the show, the best thing you can do is LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit the BELL so you never miss an episode.On this episode of the Lekker Rugby Pod, MW Welman and Harry Jones are joined by Gráinne Seoige

"We’re not coming here all the way to Dublin just to take part... we’re coming to win."From the streets of Somerset West to the peak of the world stage, Damian Willemse’s journey is defined by grit, community, and an unbreakable "blue-collar" work ethic. Ahead of the Stormers' URC semi-final clash with Leinster, we go behind the scenes with Damian and head physio Inga Croy to uncover the Why behind the superstar.This isn’t just a rugby interview; it’s a masterclass in elite performance and resilience. We explore: ✅ The Somerset West Connection: How his roots and family values (and his mom's toughness!) fuel his competitive drive. ✅ The Tactical Mind: Damian explains how he scans the field like football legends Messi and Xavi to find 1-2 phases ahead. ✅ The Physio Bond: A rare look at the safe space Inge Croy provides in a high-pressure environment. ✅ Playing Through Pain: The untold story of scoring against Benetton with a grade-one hamstring strain. ✅ The Leinster Blueprint: How the Stormers plan to create chaos in Dublin to reach the final. ✅ Legacy: Why the memory of Uncle Chippie remains the emotional heartbeat of the squad.Damian says he "oozes blue and white." Do you think the Stormers can silence the crowd in Dublin? Drop your score predictions and messages of support for the boys below!

Is Jacques Nienaber being set up to fail to save Leo Cullen's job? Harry Jones and MW Welman expose the Leinster Duplicity and the media witch hunt against the 2x World Cup-winning coach.🎂 IT'S OUR BIRTHDAY! To celebrate, we are diving deep into the Sacrificial Lamb narrative coming out of Dublin. Is the Irish press unfairly targeting Nienaber to protect the Leinster hierarchy? We break down the tactical circular firing squad and why the fix is in for the Bok legend.In this episode:• The "Leinster Duplicity" explained.• Why the defense isn't the problem (and the attack is).• Leo Cullen: The "uninspiring" boardroom survivor?• The "Witch Hunt" in the Irish media.• URC Semi-finals Preview: Leinster vs Stormers.• URC Semi-finals Preview: Glasgow vs BullsSupport our Channel: If you've enjoyed our coverage this year, the best birthday gift you can give us is to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit the BELL so you don't miss any of our episodes!ABOUT MEGAFOON RUGBYGlobal rugby, rooted in South Africa. Megafoon Rugby covers the game from the Springboks to Super Rugby, the URC to the Northern Hemisphere, with knowledge, honesty, and no filler. We're a channel the rugby community trusts.Our shows include The Lekker Rugby Pod, The Loose Pass Rugby Podcast, Out the Boks, Rugby Rundown, The Long Way to the Game, Raw Reactions, A Closer Look, On the Inside, and Press Conferences.Members get the Sunday Briefing every week. Sign up at www.megafoonrugby.com.Follow Megafoon Rugby:Website: www.megafoonrugby.comWhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb7VmEM1noz5uMxTvo2bInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/megafoonrugbyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/markuswelmanTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@megafoonrugbyX: https://x.com/LekkerRugbyPodBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lekkerrugbypod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.com/@megafoonrugbyIs Jacques Nienaber The Sacrificial Lamb for Leinster’s Failures? Birthday Special Lekker Rugby Pod00:00 Lekker Rugby Pod00:50 Two years and Counting04:47 Jacques Nienaber21:52 Leinster vs Stormers43:29 Glasgow vs Bulls58:52 Too Close to the Teams?

The Stormers have the best defence in the URC this season. Fewer than 2.7 tries conceded per game, dominant entry denial into the 22, and a jackal game that suffocates teams before they build momentum. But Norman Laker will be the first to tell you the last three games leaked 15 tries, and Cardiff found the edge.In this Side-by-Side, Harry Jones sits down with Stormers wing Seabelo Senatla and defence coach Norman Laker, literally shoulder to shoulder, for a conversation that goes well beyond tactics. They talk about what 4G pitches actually do to a defensive line, why chaos is not the opposite of structure, how a ten-year relationship between a coach and a player changes what is possible on the field, and what the right emotional register looks like heading into a home quarterfinal against the team that just beat you.Norman is honest and slightly unhinged in the best possible way. Seabelo is thoughtful, precise, and clearly enjoying every second of this stage of his career. Together they are one of the most interesting pairings this Stormers series have produced.On this episode of Lekker Rugby Pod, MW Welman and Harry Jones go side by side with two of the key figures behind the Stormers' defence ahead of the Cardiff quarterfinal.

Four URC quarterfinals. Some of the best rugby minds in the game. One complete preview.MW Welman hosts Harry Jones and Huw Griffin for a full breakdown of every quarterfinal on the card this weekend: Bulls vs Munster, Stormers vs Cardiff, Glasgow vs Connacht, and Leinster vs Lions. MW brings inside knowledge from his time embedded at the Bulls, Harry brings his deep read on the Stormers, and Huw brings a full set of head-to-head stats covering every matchup. The Stormers' revenge mission gets full attention. The one upset that could reshape the semi-finals gets named. The case for Munster pulling off something very Munster at Loftus gets laid out and then picked apart. Glasgow's psychological state after a bruising Champions Cup exit gets examined honestly. And the question hanging over Leinster since Bilbao gets asked directly.On this special hybrid episode of the Lekker Rugby Pod, MW sits down with Harry Jones and Loose Pass co-host Huw Griffin for the most complete URC playoff preview you will find anywhere

Leinster lost another Champions Cup final. The question now is whether Leo Cullen can survive it.Harry Jones, MW Welman and special guest Pat McCarry go back to basics after Bordeaux's win in Bilbao. They pick apart the 24 turnovers, the heat excuses, the predictable attack, and what it says about a coaching structure where Jacques Nienaber's blitz defence has pulled focus away from the attack that used to define Leinster. With an Irishman coaching Bordeaux's attack and knowing every Leinster tendency, the final was always going to be harder than the hype suggested.The harder question sits underneath all of it: does Leo Cullen still have the room to turn this around, or does a squad this good need a different voice at the top?On this episode of the Lekker Rugby Pod, MW Welman and Harry Jones sit down with Irish rugby journalist Pat McCarry to pull apart the Bilbao defeat and ask what comes next for Leinster.

Stormers kicking coach Gareth Wright has three rules for playing without fear. He can't say the first one out loud.Wright and Stormers scrumhalf Imad Khan break down what it actually takes to execute under pressure: box kicks, hang time, the snap, getting charged down, and what to do in the seconds after you make a mistake. Khan, 22 and stepping into a starting role in a big season, talks about playing without fear, finding his voice at scrum time, and the Bishops brotherhood that followed him all the way into professional rugby. Wright talks about the unseen work, the fingernails, and why the rugby purist cursing the box kick from his couch is missing the point entirely. They also unpack the Cardiff loss and what a home quarterfinal at DHL Stadium means to both of them.On this episode of the Lekker Rugby Pod, MW Welman and Harry Jones go Side-by-Side with a coach and his player.

There's smoke around the Stormers camp. Harry Jones, who knows the camp well, explains what the fire actually is.MW and Harry run through the full URC playoff picture ahead of the quarterfinals. What is John Dobson really navigating inside a squad carrying deep frustration after two gut-wrenching losses? Can Johan Ackermann's high-tempo Bulls survive a Munster side built to make games ugly? And for the Lions' Cash van Rooyen, the task may be the hardest of the three: key players injured, heading to Dublin to face a Leinster side chasing the double.Then the European cup finals. Bordeaux against Leinster in the Champions Cup, with a genuine split on who wins and why. Plus the Challenge Cup, where Ulster face a Montpellier side that has had one of the best Top 14 seasons in recent memory.On this episode of The Lekker Rugby Pod, MW Welman and Harry Jones cover the Stormers' internal situation, the URC quarterfinal picture and both European cup finals.

Three journalists were in the room with Dave Rennie and CEO Steve Lancaster at NZR HQ in Auckland. Martin Devlin was one of them.Rennie has a word for what he wants from this team. He has a number every player must hit. He already has a starting XV in mind for the first game in South Africa. What he said in that room has not been reported anywhere else.Martin Devlin is back on the Lekker Rugby Pod, and this is the first of many conversations as we build toward the Greatest Rivalry Tour. We will also be joining Martin on the ground in South Africa for live events during the tour. More details coming soon.On this episode, MW Welman and Harry Jones sit down with Martin to hear what the new All Blacks coach said behind closed doors, and what it means for the tour..

Brok Harris spent years scrumming in Wales. What he learnt there is why the Stormers generated 58 scrum penalties this season. On this episode, scrum coach Brok Harris and tight-head Sazi Sandi break down how the gap between Welsh and South African scrum philosophy shaped the most dominant set piece in the URC. The timings are different. The mindset is different. The risk appetite is completely different. Brok had to figure that out the hard way when he crossed hemispheres. Now he coaches it. Sazi executes it.From Sazi's journey through Grahamstown and St Andrews College to his 50th cap, to Brok's years in Wales before coming home to coach, this is an inside look at the culture and thinking behind a penalty machine.On this episode of The Lekker Rugby Pod, MW Welman and Harry Jones sit down with Brok Harris, DHL Stormers scrum coach, and Sazi Sandi, Stormers tight-head and 50-cap Springbok, ahead of a crucial URC quarter-final positioning game in Cardiff.

Harry Jones has one word for Leinster going into the URC knockouts: ominous. But is it by design, or did they just get hot at the right time?On this week's Lekker Rugby Pod, the Harry Index sizes up every team with a seat at the table. The Bulls are back from the dead and looking dangerous. The Stormers are quietly building toward something big. Glasgow are leaking. And Munster? There is a lot going on at Munster right now.MW and Harry also call the final-round fixtures, including one upset nobody else is picking.

The Stormers are second on the URC log, and yet their attack coach sometimes has no idea what's coming next. That is not a gap in the system. That is the system.Dawie Snyman has spent many years building the Stormers attack around one idea: give the right players the freedom to express themselves and trust what follows. On this episode, he and captain Ruhan Nel break open how that philosophy actually works: How the penalty decision gets made in real time on the field, why the new aerial contest rules have reshaped modern attack, what playing on a 4G surface does to a team that likes to use its feet, and what "peaking" looks like for a squad nobody can quite pin down. Real answers, Not press-conference ones.Ruhan Nel also unpacks his journey from trials rugby at Tuks to Stormers captain, and what sevens taught him about reading a 15-man game.

The Bordeaux versus Bath Champions Cup semi-final ignited a very public clash between two of rugby's most prominent online voices over the standard of commentary, the integrity of the TMO process, and where the line sits between legitimate criticism and agenda-driven noise. MW and Harry work through what each side got right, where both overreached, and what the controversy reveals about the TMO system under pressure. The pod also covers a shifting Harry Index, Leinster rounding into ominous form at exactly the wrong time, the Junior Springboks closing in on a championship, and what the All Blacks depth chart really looks like under pressure.On this episode of the Lekker Rugby Pod, MW Welman and Harry Jones weigh in on the drama that has split rugby online.

MW Welman started a sports channel. Harry Jones was writing about rugby from the other side of the world. One conversation changed everything.In this episode of The Long Way to the Game, Paul Avenant sits down with MW and Harry to tell the full origin story for the first time. How Megafoon Rugby found its footing, how a single phone call became Lekker Rugby Pod, and how a channel that began with Formula One content quietly grew into a rugby platform with a South African heartbeat and a genuinely global footprint. Not a plan they executed. A thing they built, recognised mid-flight, and then pushed as hard as they could. The apology tours, the coaches who pushed back, the WhatsApp from Dobbo, and the breakfast in Pretoria where two men realised their dreams had already been exceeded.Hosted by Paul Avenant, with MW Welman and Harry Jones on The Long Way to the Game.

Franco Smith has been calling himself a Dreamgiver for years. This conversation explains what that actually means.Jamie Lyall, who commentates for World Rugby and writes for RugbyPass, has watched Franco up close since 2022, when a teacher from the Free State arrived in Glasgow with no recruitment budget, inherited a staff, and started coaching scrum sessions he had never run before. Lyall unpacks what makes him different: a cultural intelligence that can hold Jack Dempsey and Sione Tuipulotu inside the same framework, and an ability to make players believe in something before they have any proof it works.The conversation also covers Glasgow's URC title run and that afternoon at Loftus, Franco's legacy at Italy, Kyle Steyn's place in world rugby, and an honest read on Gregor Townsend's record when the pressure is on.On this episode of the Lekker Rugby Pod, MW Welman sits down with rugby broadcaster and journalist Jamie Lyall.

The DHL Stormers are top of the URC log. They also just lost one of their own. This conversation sits inside both of those realities.Rito Hlungwani has built one of the most dominant forwards packs in world rugby. The way he does it, the rituals, the methods, the connection he builds in the room before battle. You won't find it written down anywhere. Ben-Jason Dixon is the engineer inside that machine. The man whose questions in team meetings take weeks to understand, and are always proven right.Together they sat down with Harry Jones and MW Welman before the Stormers' European tour. On Chippie Solomon. On what holds a group together when everything hurts. On what it takes to lead the URC when you're carrying grief.On The Lekker Rugby Pod, MW Welman and Harry Jones explore the people, ideas, and moments shaping South African rugby and the world game.

Gráinne Seoige has watched Ireland and South Africa play each other from both sides of the fence.One of Ireland's most recognisable broadcasters, she now lives in Pretoria, was at Loftus when the Springboks settled the score in 2024, and has been inside SA rugby culture long enough to see the pattern clearly. On this episode she makes the case that the two nations share more than their rivalry suggests: in how they talk, how they host, how they grieve, and why the underdog story never goes away in either country. She also defends Connacht, corrects Harry Jones on the Galway win over the Stormers, and says "hoendervleis" in the most Irish accent you will ever hear at Loftus.On this episode of The Lekker Rugby Pod, MW Welman and Harry Jones sit down with Gráinne Seoige, Irish broadcaster, Connacht fan, and resident of Pretoria.

This is what it looks like when MW and Harry get a room to themselves.No guest. No agenda. Just Harry Jones with a spreadsheet and MW with the questions to make sense of it. Harry has been running numbers on the URC's nine playoff contenders, not just the table, but the categories underneath it: how teams carry, how they defend, how they use the set piece, how they kick and get the ball back. He brings a framework to a race that still has everything to play for, and MW pushes him on every assumption.This is what the Lekker Rugby Pod was built for. MW and Harry, no guest between them, knowing the game well enough to disagree on it. Harry also runs the Harry Index, MW updates the Megafoon Rugby schedule, and there is a story about a Connacht fan, a six-page letter, and an upcoming guest you will not see coming.The Lekker Rugby Pod. MW Welman and Harry Jones. Classic.