Two Cents gets Distracted - A Rugby Podcast

In another deeply upsetting week, the All Blacks blew their chance to square the Greatest Rivalry Series at 2–2 and were instead wholly and completely beaten by the Springboks, who deservedly wrapped things up 3–1.
Much to our disappointment and dismay, the right team won.
Despite what some might call a few 50–50 calls. Were they really 50–50 calls, though? Or is Tony just a bit sour? Who knows, really.
Anyway, we go deep on the final Test, assess where both squads are at, lick our wounds, talk some bullshit, and then finally look beyond the Greatest Rivalry Series at what else is happening in the wonderful world of rugby.
Hopefully, at some point soon, we can stop making thumbnails with sad faces. Getting a bit sick of this.
Grab a beer and enjoy.

Thanks to Severn River Rugby Football Club for the beers.
https://www.severnriverrugby.org/

One of the most depressing weeks we’ve ever had to record Two Cents Gets Distracted.
Soak it up, Springbok fans. Your team was better. You won the series in South Africa, and we are very, very sad.
Despite a pretty decent effort from the All Blacks and a cracking start, the Springboks eventually proved their class — particularly at set piece, where we had absolutely no answers.
And then came the moment.
Will Jordan scores. For a few glorious seconds, we tasted hope. Joy. Possibility.
Then it all turned to ashes in our mouths as we sat through perhaps the most painful 15 minutes of Springbok dominance imaginable, watching them completely take the game away from us.
So, naturally, we talk about it. We unload. We grieve. We attempt to process what happened. It is a bitter, bitter pill to swallow.
We also cover Argentina vs Australia — a draw that, from Tony’s perspective at least, was pretty hard to get too excited about after everything we’d just witnessed.
And a massive thanks to Four Paws for sponsoring the NPC segment. What an absolute champion that bloke is.
Grab a beer, Springbok fans enjoy our sadness, and let’s get into it.
Masiev thanks Again to 4paws!!

A very sad week in the 2CGD household as the Springboks get up and beat the All Blacks in Test Two of the greatest rivalry in rugby.
And, annoyingly, it was an absolute cracker.
Two contrasting styles, two heavyweight teams going at each other, and another reminder of exactly why this rivalry is so bloody good. Unfortunately, this one didn’t go our way, which leaves the series locked at 1–1 and sets up a massive, mouth-watering Game Three — the unofficial decider at FNB Stadium in the Republic.
Far more important, obviously, than that little moneymaker happening in Baltimore.
We go deep on the second Test: where it was won and lost, what the Boks did well, what the All Blacks will be kicking themselves about, and what needs to change ahead of the big one.
Tony also goes on a completely calm and measured rant about the outrage surrounding Dave Rennie having the sheer audacity to mention something to the media. We certainly can’t think of any other international rugby coach whose name begins with R who might occasionally use the media to apply a little pressure…
Cough cough, Rassie. Cough cough.
We also touch on the Lions v All Blacks opportunity that popped up during the week, start building toward the enormous third Test, and — because we’re nothing if not thorough — try not to completely forget about our friends in Australia and Argentina.
The Wallabies are quietly putting together something resembling a winning streak. What a time to be alive.
It’s a bit of a doozy.
Grab a beer, settle in, and enjoy.

What. A. Weekend.
The All Blacks have drawn first blood in the Greatest Rivalry Series, knocking over the much-vaunted Springboks in a result that has Tony desperately attempting to remain humble and gracious in victory. Unfortunately, humility has never really been his strong suit. Mark is much better at that sort of thing.
And somehow, the All Blacks actually fucking did it.
For long periods, it felt like the Boks had them under enormous pressure. The scrum was creaking, the high-ball battle was brutal, and physically South Africa seemed to have the upper hand. But instead of folding, the All Blacks did something we haven't seen nearly enough of lately: they played like an All Blacks team.
They absorbed the pressure. They stayed in the fight. And when opportunities appeared, they absolutely feasted.
Five tries to one tells part of the story, but the bigger story was efficiency. South Africa had pressure, territory and dominance in key areas, but couldn't turn enough of it into points. New Zealand, meanwhile, lived off scraps and somehow made every post a winner. Give them half a sniff and — by God — they took it.
We break down all the ins, outs, heroes, concerns and glorious moments from Test One before turning our attention to Cape Town, where a wounded Springbok side will undoubtedly be waiting with violence in their hearts.
It is going to be significantly harder.
And yet...
We're quietly starting to think the All Blacks might be able to fucking do this again.
Plus, in considerably less important but equally satisfying news, Tony's North Harbour got one over Mark's Auckland in the Battle of the Bridge.
The All Blacks win. Harbour win. Tony wins.
It's all coming up Milhouse.
Springbok fans: commiserations. We're trying not to be smug.
Grab a beer and enjoy.

Two Cents Gets Distracted – Greatest Rivalry Series Preview
In a week where the hype is about as hyped as it can possibly be, the speculation is about as speculative as it can possibly be, and our bullshit talking is about as bullshit as it can possibly be… we are finally here.
We sit on the precipice of one of the biggest rugby events in recent memory — more than 30 years in the making — as Test One of the Greatest Rivalry Series: All Blacks vs South Africa is about to kick off.
The All Blacks arrive after three relatively straightforward outings against South African opposition. There was a bit of a wobble against the Stormers early doors, but the Sharks and Bulls were dispatched without too much drama.
So… should New Zealand be feeling confident?
Or has Rassie Erasmus been playing 4D chess again, deliberately lulling the All Blacks into a false sense of security? Were the South African franchises mysteriously instructed not to box kick so the All Blacks wouldn't get any proper preparation?
Conspiracy theories? Absolutely.
Any chance we actually know what we're talking about? Probably not.
Then there are the Boks themselves — back-to-back world champions, as they very much enjoy reminding everybody, over and over and over again.
They've been relatively quiet, relatively private, but now it's all starting to come to the fore. Are they slightly undercooked? Could there be some rust after their last showing against Argentina? Or was the evil mastermind Rassie simply keeping his powder dry for the series that really matters?
The bullshit is high. The speculation is higher. And the hype is very, very real.
And it's about to get even more real.
Grab a beer and enjoy.
A massive thank you to metal's greatest band, Sorcerot, for sponsoring the podcast. Go check out their album Rotten Magic at the link below, and tell them you were sent by the good fellas at Two Cents Gets Distracted.. Go here to here their awesome Album Rotten Magick - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiWye7-B2es&list=RDLiWye7-B2es&start_radio=1&t=1318s