The Lekker Rugby Pod!

How can a win feel worse than a loss?The Bulls watched Ulster claw their way back on a scorching afternoon at Loftus. The Stormers put a big score on the Scarlets and still walked off with more questions than answers. Both results went down as wins on the log, and neither felt like one.MW Welman and Harry Jones look at what those two performances say about the Bulls and Stormers when the opposition stops being mid-table and starts being Leinster, Glasgow or Munster. MW reports from the Loftus press room, where his questions got Johan Ackermann talking more freely than usual. Harry brings the numbers, including strength of schedule and the latest Harry Index.In this episode:- Johan Ackermann opens up at the Loftus press conference- How tough have the Bulls’ and Stormers’ opponents really been?- Turnovers, missed tackles and the case for the Bulls kicking more- The Stormers’ hooker crisis, plus the good, the bad and the ugly for both teamsIs either team ready to go to Dublin and do what Northampton once did?

Why have the Bulls and Stormers suddenly decided Europe is worth chasing with everything they’ve got?Harry Jones is heading to Bordeaux to embed with the Stormers for their Champions Cup clash. He and MW unpack what has shifted this season, what a deep European run could be worth to South African rugby, and where the Sharks fit into the picture. Then the conversation widens.In this episode:- Why the Bulls and Stormers are targeting the Champions Cup this season- How the Harry Index actually works, and why the Hurricanes are on itJohan Ackermann’s long bet on a faster Bulls side- The URC scoring explosion, and why Harry says long live the maul tryPlus, details on the free Megafoon meet and greet in Ballsbridge on 21 November, before the Springboks take on Ireland in Dublin.

Have the All Blacks really bounced back, or did they just meet the right opponent at the right time?The All Blacks got their first chance to respond at Eden Park, with a big Bledisloe win over the Wallabies. On this episode of The Lekker Rugby Pod, Martin Devlin of the Devlin Sports Podcast Network (DSPN) joins Harry Jones and MW Welman to sort out what was fixed from what the Springboks exposed, and to look ahead to Sydney.

Can you explain how the Bulls and the Stormers play in two minutes or less?This quickfire special edition of the Lekker Rugby Pod opens with Jake White’s new job at Fiji, then keeps going. MW Welman plays the complete ignoramus, Harry Jones does the explaining, and neither of them stays on topic for long.In this episode:- Jake White at Fiji and Sean Edwards at the Pumas- The Bulls and Stormers game plans, and which is harder to plan for- The maul law, Marnus van der Merwe’s trapdoor call and Harry’s 33- The brake foot law, and Harry’s view of itWe are also hosting a free Megafoon Meet and Greet in Dublin on Saturday 21 November, from 11:00 to 13:00 at The Schoolhouse in Donnybrook, before Springboks v Ireland. Gráinne Seoige and Leon, Harry Jones and Paul Avenant will be there, with other guests still to be announced. Everyone is welcome.

Why did the Bulls and Stormers both come up short, and how does a team work out what really went wrong?Harry Jones joins MW Welman on the Lekker Rugby Pod to analyse their losses properly, using the Bulls' defeat to Munster and the Stormers' defeat to Edinburgh as the working examples. Harry brings the numbers, and they ask whether a loss comes down to one fixable problem or to something bigger in how a team plays. The conversation also turns to the Springboks, where the tries conceded this season raise questions of their own.In this episode:- How a team diagnoses a loss, and what gets looked at first- The Bulls, the Stormers and the role of game drivers- Lineouts, kick retention and the numbers behind the results- Springbok defence concerns and the latest on Harry's 33