The Lekker Rugby Pod!

Episode 180: Is Leo Cullen Finally Running Out of Road at Leinster? | Pat McCarry

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.

Episode 179: The Stormers' Three Kicking Rules (They Can't Say Out Loud) | Gareth Wright & Imad Khan

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.

Episode 178: Strife Rumours at the Stormers, URC Playoffs and European Cup Finals Preview | Lekker Rugby Pod

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.

Episode 177: What Dave Rennie Told Martin Devlin About the All Blacks

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..

Episode 176: How Welsh Rugby Made the Stormers' Scrum So Dominant | Brok Harris & Sazi Sandi

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.