DSPN - Devlin Sports Podcast Network

That was one of those Super Rugby weekends where the table shifted, the pressure cranked up, and nobody got to hide.

We get into the Chiefs’ statement win over the Hurricanes in Hamilton, why Damian McKenzie’s influence mattered so much late, and what golden point does to the blood pressure. Then it’s on to the Drua pulling off one of the biggest away wins the comp’s seen, the Crusaders looking vulnerable again, and the Blues doing enough before nearly leaving the back door open.

We also finish on the Black Ferns, with Whitney Hansen’s first big marker as coach. The result over Canada mattered, but so did the way it happened. More structure, more control, and a performance that looked like a side with a clear plan.

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The Super Rugby Vibe Rankings are back and, honestly, it is absolute carnage. This week on DSPN, we try to make sense of a Super Rugby comp where the Chiefs have muscled their way to the top, the Hurricanes picked the wrong time to get loose, and half the ladder feels like it could beat the other half on any given day.

We get into why the Chiefs now deserve the flowers after closing out a huge win over the Canes, why Wellington’s game management let them down late, and why the Blues are still sitting right in the mix. We also try to work out what on earth to do with the Brumbies, Crusaders, Reds, Waratahs, Force, Highlanders and Drua, who all seem to be taking turns confusing us.

Plus, there’s some love for Moana Pasifika’s effort, some proper chat about form versus feel, and a reminder that Super Round is nearly here.

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This round had everything. A golden-point gut punch in Hamilton, the Drua pulling off a proper stunner in Canberra, and the Crusaders coughing up a 19-nil lead. Just a normal weekend in Super Rugby, obviously.

On this episode, Martin and Jamie rip through all the big Round 10 talking points, starting with whether the Hurricanes blew their shot against the Chiefs and what Damien McKenzie’s control said about the first five battle. We get into the Drua’s away win, the Crusaders’ latest wobble, whether the Blues showed title-winning signs, and where the All Blacks loose forward pecking order is heading.
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Ruben Love at 10? We’re done dancing around it. This week’s DSPN Mailbag gets stuck into the big one, with plenty of you making the case to just hand him the jersey and find out if he’s the real deal.

We also rip through overseas eligibility, whether New Zealand should loosen the rules with a few caveats attached, and if Super Rugby is actually enough to prepare players for test footy.

On top of that, there’s a proper yarn about Springbok-style bench splits, why the rolling maul still does everyone’s head in, and whether people have completely overcooked the reaction to our Sir Graham Henry and Brent Impey interview.
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Super Rugby is back in the spotlight, and not always for the right reasons. We get stuck into what happens next for the competition after Moana Pasifika’s demise, whether the current model is actually working, and why there are still big questions around crowds, structure, and long-term sustainability.

From there, we shift into All Blacks selection and the big calls coming up. Ruben Love is putting his hand up, but is it too soon, or exactly the right time? And then there’s the loose forward debate, where suddenly we’ve got plenty of names, but no clear answers.

We wrap by looking ahead to a massive Hurricanes vs Chiefs clash, with All Blacks spots on the line all over the park and another big test for the competition’s best form team.
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