Heavyweight battle to decide Super Rugby | the AUS Rugby scene with Tony Johnson

The two best teams in Super Rugby Pacific will play in this weekend’s Grand Final. And though the Hurricanes and Chiefs got there as expected, the way they both navigated their Semi Finals was quite unexpected. The great Tony Johnson from Sky Sport TV and Sport Nation radio in NZ joined Brett McKay on the AUS Rugby Scene on 8/9 Rugby this week to work back through both Semi Finals, and ponder the relative strengths and opportunities as both the Hurricanes and Chiefs contemplate a first title in more than a decade. #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #superrugbypacific Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: Tony Johnson returns to the scene 01:25 – The Wellington sell-out: Why the Super Rugby Final is the hottest ticket in town 06:30 – Reflecting on the semi-finals: How the Chiefs and Hurricanes dominated 09:47 – What happened to the Blues' defense? 15:00 – The All Black pecking order: Where do Barrett, McKenzie, and Love sit? 20:15 – Playoff formats and the future of Super Rugby Pacific 25:38 – Matchup Analysis: Heading into the "Heavyweight Battle" 28:20 – Key player focus: The impact of Damian McKenzie and the forward pack 35:40 – Referee spotlight: Angus Gardner and Nick Berry’s influence on the game 38:40 – The quick-tap controversy: Cam Roigard’s opportunism vs. gamesmanship 45:20 – 8/9 Rugby on Substack: Join the exclusive home of "The Wrap" and great rugby discussion Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio)