Elite Rugby Banter

It's a special episode! After months of frustrations at being referenced, but not included, Phil and Ant have taken it upon themselves to deliver a statistically minded soliloquy, with this being the first ever episode that none of Ben, Alex, Matt or Adam take part in. Hence, the quality is probably up? Phil and Ant, in all their stats-minded glory, examine the match statistics from the last three meetings between the All Blacks and the Springboks. With a total points tally standing at 82-82, the pair try to make sense of which side is trending more positively towards their next meeting, in Yokohama on 21 September – a match most likely to determine the winner of Pool B (concerns about Italy aside) and even possible World Cup glory! We hope you enjoy! Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show.

What a great day to be alive! The Springboks snatch a winning draw against the All Blacks in New Zealand, and all is well! Alex, Matt and Adam (Ben is at a baptism/christening) run the rule over the weeks' news but most importantly, Australia v Argentina and New Zealand v South Africa. The vast majority of time is spent chatting about the Boks' performance against the All Blacks, particularly Our Lord and Saviour Herschel Jantjies, but there is also time to mention some Afrikaans expletives, Adam having a sulk and someone close to Alex being 'that person' who looks at their phone during the movies. Rugby is great isn't it? Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show. Find us on the Internet!

The Rugby Championship has finally kicked off, and the gang are here to chat all about it (badly). Adam returns after driving 400 km from the east, Matt from crossing a country in the East, Ben pulls in after a braai (and the wine was not energy wine) while Alex multitasks to keep it all afloat. Matt Pearce's commentary notes (including the standard Adam rant), the Springboks' good performance, the Wallabies' awful one, New Zealand v Argentina and a look ahead to next week all make the cut in this week's low energy episode. Oh, and some Currie Cup (main takeaway: Phil and Ant were wrong). The boys hope to be back with more next week (energy we mean). Also Phil, there are no bad edits this time! Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show. Check us out on your local podcast platform.

Alex, Ben and Phil get together to discuss how brave you have to be to mug the Tongan Thor, whether New Zealand's central contracting has imploded on itself, and preview the Rugby Championship. Alex also wonders why he's hosting, refusing to do it again and the gang address the week's latest news, including Barrett movements across the New Zealand Super Rugby landscape. Also, how nice is it that the Aussie front row have dinner together? Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show. We are all over the web, Soundcloud, Apple's thingy, acast, Stitcher and Spotify.

Delaying his needed at a squash game, Alex leads Ant and Phil on a journey of discovery as the Capetoanian trio preview this year's Currie Cup, how teams will line-up, the stench of youth to pervade the competition and the eventual winner. In classic ERB style, Alex hoped for 45 minutes... Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show. Check us out on Soundcloud, whatever Apple uses for podcasts, Stitcher, aCast, Spotify and elsewhere.

It's a full house at ERB HQ, as Ben (whose feeling a bit fluey), Alex (whose attention is demanded by Taniela Two-Poo), Matt (whose going to sleep after 12am) and Adam (who never listens to a full pod) chat about the Super Rugby final, Steve Hansen's comments surrounding Sevu Reece, the ABs squad, give their End of Season Awards straight from the hip, and listen to Ben as he drops another Big Idea. Adam gets blamed, immense issues of law are discussed, Matt speaks about props, Alex goes on a well-considered diatribe and Ben liked the Lions' Spiderman jersey this season. Just another day in the ERB Universe. Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show.

Alex and Ben are joined by a debutante, Phil, and the trio pinball haplessly through news about Israel Folau (again), Western Province Rugby Union going bankrupt (still) and the new Chiefs head coach (it's Gatland). Ben has a Big Idea, Phil brags about having tickets to the Rugby World Cup in Japan, and we discuss the four most attractive props in Super Rugby and Owen Franks. Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show

Adam is back to steer the ship, as he, Croaky Voice Matt and Alex (with a subtle entrance from Ben) discuss the news of the week and the Super Rugby quarterfinals before engaging on players to look out for in Fantasy Rugby 2020 - with Alex perking up whenever a New Zealand team is mentioned - before ending off on a range of subjects, including another terrible team name by Adam, plagiarism and weird happenings in New York (thanks Matt for that). Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show. We can be found on a number of platforms!

Thank you listeners for your patience. Long weekends in South Africa wreck havoc, even though Ben and Matt don't get to experience them... Matt takes the wheel once more with Adam on a bender reportedly near the Hex River Valley. He is joined by Alex and Ben, with the Three Musketeers discussing the latest round of Super Rugby games, the Crusdarers' fudged branding decision, Elite Rugby Banter's own branding future (?!), happenings down in the Shark Tank and how the Stormers and Lions pawned it, and hard. In terms of our future name, more will emerge over the coming week! Adam is in for a surprise, because he doesn't listen. Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show

It's the Matt, Ben and Ant Show, with Alex and Adam in the wind, and apparently on Instagram. Events, unsurprising, proceed smoothly in that Matt-having-a-beer-and-being-"chilled"-on-the-stoep way, as the boys chat about SARU's new contracting model, the Junior World Cup, the pure savagery of the Crusaders' back three, and the permutations of Super Rugby qualification. It's arithmetic, so Ant gets a wee bit excited. Pure bants all day...so, a typical week in the ERB universe! Music by @monstroid, "80s TV Show". You can find us on Soundcloud, iTunes (soon to be defunct), Sportify, Stitcher, and acast.

It's a trio of bleary eyed gentlemen this week, as they discuss matters of extreme importance in the rugby universe. Ben being booked off (and who made queries about appearing towards the end), Alex, Matt and Adam chat about the week's Super Rugby, including the excellent Chiefs v Crusaders match, the Elton Jantjies snafu at the Lions, and other bits in between. It's our shortest episode in a while. Music from @monstroid, "80s TV Show". See you next week. We can be found on various sound platforms too.

The Super Rugby season is approaching crunch time, and lo and behold, the best South African team is from Argentina. Matt and Adam kick things off before Alex and Ben enter fashionably exactly when they meant to, as the gang chat about office politics and emails, Super Rugby, Amanaki Mafi's return, how the Stormers have been transformed plus the usual rambles. Also, for the first time ever, Alex compliments Adam for something he notes about rugby. You know where to find us! Music from @monstroid, '80's TV Show)

It's an early start for the gang, to the point Alex and Adam hadn't even had breakfast. But, thankfully, they filled their bellies chatting about Jordie Barrett's brain explosion, the Jag's excellent performance, refereering (again), the Stormers-Crusaders game and the rest of the Super Rugby action. Ben is also going on a boat. Off the field, baseball, Jeff Goldblum, the Cape Crusaders and Ma'a Nonu being a legend and CV reference make an emergence among other things. That's how we do. Check us out on Soundcloud, Stitcher, acast, iTunes, and Spotify. Music by @monstroid, "80s TV Show"

It's a full house as the gang find form as they discuss Schalk Brits and things coming back to haunt you, a fake century of episodes, referees, positive energy, the latest round of Super Rugby, Fantasy, positive energy, do an ad hoc Marvel novelty XV (with Matt complaining that with an overpowered front row, we are worrying about 12), plus a poll and right before the end, the Blame Game. There is an an Adam Thompson Call Out! Yes! We did all that. Enjoy! Music from @monstroid, 80s TV Show Check us out on acast, Soundcloud, Spotify, Stitcher and iTunes.

Ben and Adam hold the line, as Matt goes karaoking in South Korea and Alex is back in transit from India. In what is the shortest episode in months, the dynamic (yet maybe hungover?) duo chat about the week's games, Izzy Folau not being a nice guy (again), how Ben is the key to his company's golf team, some Fantasy snippets here and there plus the weeks games. Also, JJ Engelbrecht gets an award...which one could it be? Next week should be more entertaining...we promise

The laws of physics were bent by Sevu Reece on Saturday, but have no fear since Ben, Matt and Adam are here. With Alex in India, the Three Ruckerteers (?) fill the time chatting about Alex's love of George Bridge, segues, Rudolph Straeuli being silly, the week's game, Fantasy rugby, and doing it all interrupting each other. We are on Soundcloud, Stitcher, iTunes, Spotify and aCast. Music by @monstroid, 80s TV Show.

It's a full house at the ERB headquarters (metaphorically speaking) with Matt, Ben, Alex and Adam chatting about North Korean tunnels, Ben at high altitude, Alex's disdain for certain rugby data scientists, and Adam doing his best to make sure the gang chat about rugby - including Voyasco's move to centre, an excellent Lions wing, the Highlanders finding their mojo, the Canes squeaking past the Sunwolves, the awful Stormers and Sharks and the coming week. We can be found on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify and acast. Music from @monstroid's "80's TV Show"

Ciao! Adam has returned from Italy, and finds that Ben, Alex and Matt took the week off but have no fear, Ant is here! The pod's favourite Sharks fan joins Adam as the two discuss the fallout of Israel Folau's social media habits, Joe Marler, Adam Thompson being a legend, the weekend's games - including giving the Crusaders the title now, the cracker in Waikato and the Sharks melting down in style - before chatting some polls and blaming someone. For once, it's not Adam. Music: 80s TV Show by @monstroid.

30 seconds into discussing Curwin Bosch's apparent move to WP we start discussing the differences between a 4 and 5 lock. So join us as we spend about 2 hours almost covering this week's rugby news and Super Rugby games. As promised in the show, our email address: elitebantercommentary@gmail.com Also follow Ben on twitter: @Ben_from_Tax Music by Robbie Wessels

Heads up everyone. Instead of just disappearing in the middle of the episode somewhere, Adam has finally taken the plunge and left Alex, Ben and Matt run the show while he's off enjoying his holiday. Someone talks about rugby at one point during the podcast, but for like no longer than 10 minutes.