Super Smack

It’s the Northern Hemisphere’s turn to host the Nations Championship as the teams fight to be crowned champion of a competition clearly set up to give every chance of the North winning something. Anything at this point really. Although it still very much seems South Africa and the All Blacks are who you have to beat if you want to call yourself King of the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

After a gruelling series in Africa and two fast paced Bledisloes, the All Blacks have accumulated the largest injury list in their history, basically forming a squad of walking wounded that would beat most international teams. So what does this mean for their chances going forward into the Northern leg of the Nations Cup? This time the depth really will be tested. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr...

The 24 year cardiac arrest continues for the Wallabies and you wouldn’t be shamed for ticking do-not-resuscitate later this week. Or maybe, just maybe the gold and green Phoenix will rise from the ashes to claim what’s left of their dignity. Only time will tell. Join the boys for a preview of this week’s Bledisloe 2 and an exciting NPC semi final round. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...

This week on the pod, the boys discuss the team naming ahead of Bledisloe 1 at Eden park this Saturday. Is this Aussie’s best chance in years? Or are we being real and not giving them a shit show in hell? And NPC quarters are upon us - anyone but Canterbury please. Please. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The boys are back! After taking a couple of weeks off to commiserate and recuperate after being downtroued by a rampant Springboks side, the lads have surfaced to face the music and look ahead to some more All Blacks victories. We take a look at the heroics of the Wallabies and discuss whether they can keep their scintillating form and really challenge the ABs for the Bledisloe? Is 2026 finally th...

This week on the Smack, the boys lick their wounds as the ABs lose two on the trot in Africa. Did something happen to the men in black or were the Springboks just simply too good? We discuss the stand outs and who the stand-ins might be this weekend in Baltimore, as a drawn series hangs in the balance. Can each side go home with half the Stargate trophy each? All to play for! Hosted on Acast. See...

This week on the pod, Test Two is done and dusted and South Africa almost had a massive aviation disaster on their hands as the celebrations got a little too wild in Cape Town. The All Blacks did everyone a favour and kept the Greatest Rivalry interesting by letting the Springboks get one on the board. It’s all to play for in Game 3! And one man has made himself the main character, soaking up a lo...

The All Blacks have beaten the Springboks in Game One and the whole of South Africa can hardly believe it!  The boys dissect the first test and discuss how the AB’s got a famous victory and where the Boks went wrong. And surely revenge is on the cards this weekend in Cape Town! One thing’s for certain, the All Blacks are only just warming up… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

This week on the pod, the lads discuss the final build up game against the Bulls, with yet another 50 point win from the All Blacks. Can the AB’s take that same speed and physicality into the first test and claim the first scalp against the world champions? The boys preview a possible starting 23 including standout performances from Anton Segner and Rieko Ioane and we talk Rennie vs Rassie - who c...

This week on the pod, the boys review the first game of the tour against the Stormers and discover that everybody just needs to chill out. The Springboks go and prove that new player combos don’t work for anyone, as they barely scrape past a feisty Argentina side. And the NPC is back and the Ranfurly shield is on the move already has Canterbury run salt into the Otago would they opened last season...

This week on the pod! The boys dissect the newly named squad to tour South Africa - the big inclusions and the even bigger omissions. Can the All Blacks replicate the 1996 greats and clinch a series win away from home? Or will the Boks be just too good. And the boys give a few hot tips on how to avoid sabotage by food poisoning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dave Rennie has started off his All Blacks coaching career in style, with 3 from 3 in the Nations Championship and a team that looks hot to trot. The boys discuss some of the stand out performances from the series and look toward the tour of South Africa. Is Beauden Barrett’s time finished at 10, or will he don the black jersey once again? And the ref blaming went to new extremes this week with Ar...

It’s international season already and the boys preview the All Blacks lineup for this weekend’s match against Le Bleu under the roof in Christchurch. Will it be a whopping or will the French put up a fight? And who are the shock selections from Dave Rennie and his new coaching staff. Let’s go! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2026 Super Rugby champions have been crowned in emphatic fashion! We dissect the Hurricanes’ absolute spanking of the Chiefs, as they disappear into obscurity once again at the final hurdle. What will happen now to the old battlers? And are the Hurricanes the greatest super rugby team we’ve ever seen?  All this and the shock All Blacks omissions on this week’s pod! Hosted on Acast. See ac...

It’s time for the grand final and it’s exactly the final we all wanted. Hurricanes vs Chiefs - the two best teams in the competition facing each other in the ultimate showdown for the first time ever in the history of Super Rugby. It’s shaping up to be one of the greatest finals of all time.  Will the Hurricanes home advantage give them their first championship in 10 years, or will the Chiefs...

This week on the pod - after all that, it’s the top four as it finished in the regular season. Go figure. The Hurricanes & Chiefs secured their spots with big wins over the Aussie sides…and the Crusaders convincingly put away the Blues in what was really just a dead rubber. The Blues took the lucky loser card and get a chance to square up once again this weekend. We also saw some BIG HITS and...

 This week on the pod, it’s time for three-quarter finals. We preview the upcoming games: who will make it to the next round, and who will be the coveted lucky loser? Could the Hurricanes and the Chiefs suffer upsets to their bogey teams, the Reds and the Brumbies? Or will home advantage be too much for our Aussie counterparts? And the Blues face a seemingly impossible task of playing in fron...

This week on the pod, it’s the final round of the regular season and there’s 4 team fighting for their place on the ladder. And the ridiculous ‘lucky loser’ system is back again this year, meaning someone will get through even if they lose their quarterfinal - make it make sense!  Angus Gardner was up to his usual tricks - telling players off like a deputy principal or shocked granny.  A...

This week on the pod, it’s crunch time in Super Rugby Pacific with two big rounds to go before the finals. Some epic match ups are on the cards, with 3 confirmed teams in the playoffs and 7 others all vying for spots in the top 6. It really could go each and every way. Will the Hurricanes continue their dominance and claim the title of minor premiers, or can the Chiefs chase them down? And with a...

This week on the Smack! The boys discuss the finals before the finals - as the top teams of the competition all face off against each other in the dying rounds. Are the Crusaders timing their run to perfection YET AGAIN? Was the Horse ban just a elaborate ruse to lull us all into a false sense of security before they cast their biggest spell? There is some serious controversy stirring around the r...

This week on the pod, Round 12 is done and dusted with some big results!  The Reds stake their claim as the top Aussie side, as they send the Brumbies tumbling further down the table. Has Les finally given them the kiss of life? The Force sneak past the Tahs to stamp their mark on the comp at the business end of the season. Could they make a playoff or is it just a bit beyond reach? The Hurri...

It was a super time at Super Round this weekend in Christchurch. The team headed down to the Garden City for the opening of Te Kaha, One New Zealand Stadium and it was a banger! 5 sold out games and plenty of action. The Crusaders gave their fans an opening night to remember as they put away the Waratahs with a hat trick from Dallas McLeod. The Hurricanes once again showed their dominance by destr...

This week on the pod! It’s no longer a theory - it seems well and truly evident that if you have a player celebrating 100 caps, you’re guaranteed a win! There’s something about a centenary celebration that gees the boys up something chronic. And this weekend was a shining example. Luke Jacobsen got his 100th crown, battering the Hurricanes defences and clinching an extra time win to see the Chiefs...

Two major tragedies were thrust upon Super Rugby this week as both the Crusaders horses and Moana Pasifika officially get the axe from our great competition. Is this the future of Super? One axing at a time? In other news, it was poetry in motion as the Canes keep their No.1 status, with a decent thumping of the Blues, as Cam Roigard cements himself as the best halfback - probably in the world. Th...

It’s Easter and you know what that means! Only 3 games of Super Rugby? WTF? Weirdest decision since the inclusion of the Sunwolves. The Easter bunny brought a second consecutive thumping for the Queensland Reds, as the heat turns up on soon-to-be Wallabies coach, Les Kiss. Poor bugger. What has happened to the Brisbane men and can they bounce back to stay in the top 6? The Chiefs finally answer so...