The last round of pool play is here and knockout rugby has come a week early for a few teams, which makes for a couple of mouth watering clashes to finish pool play. Jake the snake and I first look back at the week that was where we talk about the absolute clinic the All Blacks put on Italy as well as all the other match ups from last week.  I review my fantasy rugby week and how Darcy Graham changed my week and I think it's an easy week for fantasy players this week with some real clear...

Big Brad Mika was one of those guys I loved watching growing up, an absolute beast with the skill set of a back. Capped by the All Blacks just 3 times, after some outstanding years of Super Rugby, where he played for the Crusaders, Blues and the Hurricanes. He's now transitioned into Coaching where he has been coaching in Malaysia for the last 7 years. In this episode we go through.. Life and coaching in Malaysia Growing up doing every sport with his mum having to carry his passport Playing...

How good is the RWC, no game for the All Blacks but that didn’t stop the drame, Aussie gone, Dupont with a facial fracture, Ireland win the battle of the giants it was all go! Plenty to get through in this review with searley and snake. I Also review my fantasy week and give you my thoughts for this weekend. It is a tough week so plenty of thought needs to go into your team for this week. We then jump into the preview and some tricky match ups this weekend with a few split decisions from the...

Sam Matavasi is someone who certainly hasn't had the typical pathway to the top. In this episode we go through his incredible journey of being the young talent who's drinking and poor work ethic held him back from going professional out of school. To where he is now playing for Northampton in the English premiership and of course Fiji at this RWC. Other things we discuss in this episode are... The rise of Fiji at the Rugby World Cup An insight into the camp of everyones 2nd favourite...

How good is the Rugby World Cup, huge wins from NZ, SA and Ireland. Fiji with a massive win in the context of the competition in one of the games of the tournament. England scoring tries. Last week had everything so the lads are all back on board to talk everything RWC both reviewing last week and previewing the week ahead. There are some very juicy match up this week with South Africa v Ireland the pick of them and surprisingly we all agree on the winner of that game and it might not be who...

Phil Burleigh is one of those lads you just can't not like. A top man who has had a very interesting career which has seen him have the highs of playing internationally for Scotland and the lows of battling through some tough injuries. However he has got through those and remarkably is still going strong today as he fast approaches 37. In this episode we go through plenty of good yarns which include... His current situation in Japan with Kyuden His pathway to professional rugby and why he had...

With the first round of the RWC been and gone there was plenty to discuss in this weeks episode with a very special guest joining Searley and I in Jacob Atkins who give us a Northern Hemisphere flavour to the episode. We first look back the all the games from last week Give a quick round up on my fantasy team from last week Preview all the games for this week including a player to watch/ buy for your fantasy team. We get some bold predictions from the great Jake the Snake. Plenty of full...

What an incredible journey Danny Cipriani has had on and off the field! On it he's one of the best ball players at the line we have seen, his understanding of the game is next level and has played some incredible rugby over his 18 year career. The biggest mystery is to why such a talent only ended with 16 caps for his country and something we discuss in detail throughout the episode. Off the field it's like a TV drama, so much has gone on it's hard to believe it's been his life. He's a man...

The time has come, the RWC is almost here starting with some absolute beaut games! Of course What a Lads roving reporter Searley joins us live from France for this one to talk all thing RWC and get the excitement levels humming an incredible weekend of code. In this episode we go through all the games and try to predict a few results. In the back half we also give you the best insight into the RWC Fantasy Rugby you will get, if you're playing the game you need to listen to this before the...

Piri Weepu is a true NZ rugby legend, the instinctive halfback had a unique ability as a 9 and showed all his talents as he helped guided the All Blacks to the 2011 RWC when the nation started the 'Keep Calm Piri is on' movement. We talk about plenty in this one like... Piri's Tiki Tours and how he got his own TV show Growing up in Wainuomata and his love for League Making his way into the Wellington Lions and Hurricanes The fog Final where he was KO'd Missing out on the 2007 RWC with the All...

With the RWC just around the corner I managed to get the sport guru and absolute lad Searley back on What a Lad to talk all thing RWC and get the excitement levels humming for what is going to be a very special Rugby World Cup. In this episode we talk about... All the last warm up games and what those results mean Our predictions for which teams will get out of pool play We share our biggest concerns and what excites us the most for this RWC  We have a go at picking the player of the...

Brendan Chainsaw Laney was one of everyones favourite players in the late 90's, he had the skills and turn of pace to change a game and of course the Chainsaw try celebration!   In this episode we chat through... How it was between boxing and rugby as a teenager, Playing for South Canterbury while at school, The good times playing for Otago and the Highlanders on and off the field, Moving to Scotland and playing against the All Blacks twice in a week! Handling the black lash that came with...

Cory Jane is widely regarded as one of the all time great wingers with a combination of his sharp footwork, deadly fend and ability under the high ball. As his body slowed down he re-invented himself as one of the smartest defensive wingers in the game where he has now taken that knowledge and use it in the coaching world where he now coaches the Hurricanes.   Theres so much in this episode as we discuss - All the different hair styles he's had. - How he practiced his skills growing up by...

TJ Va'a was a school boy star and one of the brightest prospects coming through NZ rugby. The reality of this sport is that not every gifted young player gets to have the careers that they all hope for and TJ certainly fits that category. He  played for the Wellington Lions as a teenager and also made the Hurricanes wider squad and he was well on his way to becoming a household name. Unfortunately straight after school he went on a shocking run of injuries which lead him to retiring at the...

In this episode you'll hear the brutal reality of professional sport, one minute Ollie Hoskins has 2 more years left on his significant London Irish contract, the next minute he has nothing! What makes it worse is that there are now 50 other players in the same boat, on top of the players from Wasps and Worcester meaning that negotiation power as a rugby player is incredibly low. That's not to mention the staff either, so the collapse of London Irish has been very tough times for all involve....

I'm super grateful to get Sione Havili Talitui on What a Lad this week, I know it's not easy to go on a podcast when English is your second language but I'm so glad Sione was brave enough to come on and share his story. It's a story that I think will inspire many young islanders to chase their dreams and gives valuable insight into what a transition from Tonga to NZ as a schoolboy is like. I know Sione as one of the toughest players in the game, he's not a big man but not many hit harder than...

When I saw Ryan Crotty strolling down my street the other day I thought I need to get this Canterbury, Crusader and All Black legend on the podcast because he is one of the great lads! Fresh after returning from Japan after winning the Top League with Kubota, Crotts was straight back helping out at the Crusaders at training which basically sums up what a lad this man is. In this episode he goes through his pathway through the NZ ranks which saw him go from being the ball boy for Dan Carter to...

For episode 200 I could not think of a better guest than the large chested All Black midfielder Jack Goodhue! It was so good to get him on What a Lad to share plenty of laughs and thoughts from his career to date. Jack the proud Northland boy has had a career many dream of. Winning NPC titles with Canterbury, winning 6 Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders and becoming an All Black all make for a great CV. Amongst all that success is also a fair amount of hard times as well, in particular...

When I think of Scotland Rugby I straight away think Greig Laidlaw, the absolute lad who has captained his country more than any other player. He's also someone who has had so many great experiences playing all around the world which included Edinburgh in Scotland, Gloucester in England, Clermont in France and the Shining Arcs in Japan. Over his career he was known as one of the best goal kickers in the game and ended up with the 2nd most point ever scored for Scotland. Having just retired...

What’s better than having one Crusader and All Black legend on the podcast? Thats right, having two of them and for  this episode we have just that, with Sevu Reece and George Bower coming on together. Both Sevu and George have just had major knee surgery which will rule them out for the the year including the RWC. So disappointing for them and all that fans that we won’t get to see them on the biggest stage, however it was awesome to hear both of their mindsets and plans for the 9months...

If there is one job in rugby that is under appreciated it has to be the referee, such a tough job in such a complex game where the expectation is to always be right. This week I was lucky enough to have Paul Williams on What a Lad and Paul is in my opinion one of the best referees in the game. It's always good to get an insight into a different side of the game and hearing more about life as a referee is fascinating. I also think hearing Paul speak helps you realise that he is just a good lad...

Stacey Waaka is one of the biggest stars in the womens game, she has been a key member of the successful NZ womens 7's side as well as the Black Ferns! She has won gold medals at the Commonwealth games and the Olympics and has also won the RWC in both forms of the game. The journey of Stacey's rugby career has been over a period of time where the women's game has changed dramatically. Women's rugby is one of the fastest growing team sports in the world and after seeing the Black Ferns sell...

Codie Taylor is one of NZ rugbys great lads, a champion man on and off the field. He's also one of the best hookers in the modern era where his speed and skillset set him apart. Codie is someone who takes great care of his body, he has a rigorous training and recovery schedule which has certainly helped him avoid injuries throughout his 12 year career to date. However that doesn't mean its all smooth sailing, hearing him speak about how tough it can be under the spotlight when your form isn't...

Israel Dagg is one of the all time greats! At his peak the gifted fullback made rugby look easy, even in the All Black jersey in some of the biggest tests In his first ever podcast appearance, Izzy Dagg is incredibly open and honest about his journey through the good and the bad. He obviously had some amazing highs in the game such as winning Super Rugby with the Crusaders and the 2011 RWC at home. However like everyone he has had some real tough periods to get through too and the moment when...

Life after rugby or life after professional sport is hard. As you would’ve heard in previous episodes with retired players, everyone handles it differently. The goal of this episode is to help prepare players better for that transition and who better to give advice than the legend Tim Bateman. Timmy has nailed his transition, he’s formed NZ’s largest wellbeing centre in @ostudio_nz, he’s written and released 2 top selling children’s books, he’s coaching the Crusaders development team, he’s a...