Scrumbags Rugby Podcast · Pick and Drive Productions

Return of the Scrumbags, Wallabies pip Japan + R360 rants

·1 hr 3 min·4 clips

Australia beat Japan 19-15 after a messy game with disallowed Wallabies tries and a tense finish.

1. Scrumbags Rugby Podcast returns to the Wallabies’ 19-15 win over Japan and the R360 breakaway competition debate. 2. Mitch hosts with Lockie as co-host, and Lockie matters because he has been on Off The Ruck with John Ferguson and is carrying fresh rugby context. 3. The episode asks whether Australia’s current Wallabies squad, selection depth, and R360 developments justify optimism or concern. 4. The hosts say ESPN reported R360 has three years of funding and a target launch around October 2026. 5. They note that Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England, France, Ireland, Italy, and Scotland backed barring players from international duty. 6. The discussion also includes the NRL’s reported 10-year ban on anyone who negotiates or deals with R360. 7. Mitch and Lockie describe R360 as aiming for eight men’s teams, four women’s teams, and around 16 games in a condensed season. 8. They say the planned locations include Miami, Dubai, Boston, and Lisbon, while no team names, owners, coaches, or linked players have been confirmed. 9. Lockie argues that without an Australian franchise and recognisable players, the competition may struggle to matter to Australian fans. 10. The Wallabies segment turns to the back end of the Rugby Championship, including the Bledisloe matches and the Argentina tests. 11. Mitch says Joe Schmidt’s side had a confrontational, physical identity earlier in 2025, but the team has not finished as strongly as it started. 12. Lockie points to Tom Wright’s injury and the changing fly-half picture as key reasons the back line has lacked continuity. 13. The Japan test is framed as a narrow 19-15 win that felt uncomfortable despite the result. 14. Mitch and Lockie say Australia crossed the line multiple times in the first half, but several tries were disallowed by the TMO. 15. They note Joe Schmidt made 13 changes from the Perth Bledisloe and rested or omitted several names, including Fraser McReight, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Lenny Kitau, Alan Alaalatoa, and James Slipper. 16. Early injuries to Luka Onosato and Josh Canham forced Nick Champion de Crespigny into the second row and left the forward pack heavily patched together. 17. Carlo Tizzano, Jake Gordon, and Nick Champion de Crespigny are singled out for high work rates, while Gordon’s kicking and game management are credited late. 18. The tone is conversational, detailed, and skeptical, with both hosts moving between tactical breakdown, selection debate, and broader rugby politics. 19. Rugby fans tracking the Wallabies’ Europe tour and the R360 fight will get the most out of it. 20. Listeners wanting polished match analysis without long selection debate may skip it.

As heard by us

Loose, pointed rugby chat that turns a Wallabies win into a selection debate.

Mitch and Lockie come back after a few weeks away with a conversation that starts personal and then settles into where the Wallabies are sitting.

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Why you'd press play

You want a Wallabies win unpacked with proper rugby banter and some heat.

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