Rugby Rivals - Sir John Kirwan & Victor Matfield

Rugby's Greatest Rivalry is here - and Sir John Kirwan and Victor Matfield are making their calls.

Thirty years on from the Incomparables, the All Blacks are back in South Africa for a full tour. Eight matches, four Tests, and the most anticipated series between these two nations in a generation. It starts Friday in Cape Town.

But first - the story that's dominated the build-up. Thousands of South Africans turned out at DHL Stadium to welcome the All Blacks, a genuine sea of black in the heart of Cape Town. The Cape Crusaders are back, and the reaction online has been fierce. JK and Victor go there.

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Sir John Kirwan and Victor Matfield react to Dave Rennie's 44-man All Blacks squad for the Greatest Rivalry Tour of South Africa and Rassie Erasmus' 43-man Springbok group, as the two greatest rivals in world rugby prepare to collide in a four-Test series.
In this episode:
- The uncapped trio - Siale Lauaki, Josh Jacomb and Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa - injecting young talent into the touring squad
- Rieko Ioane and Fabian Holland recalled
- Rassie's big guns return: Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Handré Pollard and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu all back from injury
- The men who won't be there - Kwagga Smith and RG Snyman ruled out for the season
- The first full All Blacks tour of South Africa since 1996 - eight matches, four Tests, one unforgettable series
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The All Blacks ran riot at Eden Park! Sir John Kirwan and Victor Matfield break down a massive weekend of Nations Championship rugby - starting with New Zealand's six-try demolition of Ireland that stretched the Eden Park unbeaten run to 53 matches. JK explains why Dave Rennie's side is starting to click, and what this performance tells us about where the All Blacks are heading.
Then it's over to Durban, where Victor's Springboks shut out Wales 43-0 - seven tries, three wins from three, and maximum log points from the home leg of their campaign. Is anyone stopping the Boks right now?

Plus, the boys look at the state of the Southern vs Northern Hemisphere ledger after three rounds = and with Rugby's Greatest Rivalry looming, the big question: who's really the best team in the world?

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The world champions got a fright! Victor Matfield and Sir John Kirwan break down a wild weekend of Nations Championship rugby - starting with the Springboks being pushed all the way by a fearless Scotland side in Pretoria. Two-nil up in the championship, but should Rassie be worried by 46 missed tackles?
Meanwhile in Wellington, the All Blacks ran in seven tries against Italy as Will Jordan made history - a hat-trick to become the All Blacks' greatest ever try scorer in test matches. JK gives his verdict on the new-look side under Dave Rennie and whether they're ready for Ireland at Eden Park.
Plus: the big calls, the standout performances, and who's looking dangerous heading into Round 3.
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Is this the new age of rugby? Sir John Kirwan and Victor Matfield react to the opening weekend of the inaugural Nations Championship.

The All Blacks edged France 34-32 in a Christchurch thriller in Dave Rennie's first Test in charge, with Ardie Savea leading the side as captain and a new-look backline featuring Ruben Love. Meanwhile, the Springboks dismantled England 45-21, running in seven tries and reminding the world why they're champions.
JK breaks down what Rennie's selections tell us about where this All Blacks team is heading, Victor explains why the Boks' depth is scarier than ever, and the boys debate the big one: is the gap between these two rivals growing or closing?

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