Beer & Banter

Andreas van Tonder

Beer & Banter The beers are on ice and the branna's ready — Beer & Banter is back! Think of us as your mates round the braai, dissecting the game we just watched and arguing about the next one. We talk rugby, football, and cricket — the wins, the heartbreaks, the dodgy ref calls, and everything in between. Analysis for every Tom, Dick, and Harry: no jargon, just honest takes, proper banter, and a few laughs. Thanks to our WeChat crew over on Bokfan. Grab a cold one and let's talk some ruggas. Lekke Bok Champs!

Episodes

  1. Sep 4

    Beer and Banter Episode 2

    The Boks are back on top of the world — literally. South Africa levelled Rugby's Greatest Rivalry with a 33-26 win over the All Blacks in Cape Town and reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking. But was it the perfect performance? Not a chance. Grab a cold one — we're breaking it all down braai-side. We get stuck into the good and the ugly: Cheslin Kolbe's Man of the Match masterclass and 18 points off the boot, the direct, no-flair, bomb-it-over attack that got us across the line, and try-time redemption for Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende. But we don't dodge the ugly either — 39 missed tackles from 188, and the defensive lapses that gifted Cam Roigard his try. We hand out our verdict on the officiating too, and it's spicy. Then it's on to the Soweto decider. Damian Willemse is out with a hammy, Kolbe gets a rare run at 15, and Kurt-Lee Arendse comes flying back in. Rassie's shuffling the front row again — mind games or weather games? And the question we want YOU to answer: Malcolm Marx, starter or supersub? Drop your take in the comments. And what a final round in the Currie Cup. The Lions booked another semi, the poor Bulls closed out a season without a single win, the Sharks bowed out despite a big finish, and the Pumas threw the kitchen sink at the Cheetahs for an eight-try statement. Griquas? Same old dominance — top of the log and eyeing a home final. We preview both semis: Griquas v Lions in Kimberley and a Cheetahs v Pumas rematch in Bloem. Are the Boks going to break the FNB hoodoo? Is the Currie Cup staying in Kimberley? Let us know — and tell us if you're heading to Baltimore for the grand finale.

  2. Aug 26

    Beer & Banter is back

    Beer & Banter is BACK | Rassie's Reckoning at Ellis Park, the Bomb Squad Misfire & a Currie Cup Thriller Episode 1 of 2026 After a few years away, the beers are back on ice and Beer & Banter is officially back — and we've returned to the middle of an absolute storm. The Springboks stunned 33-16 by the All Blacks in the opening Test of the Greatest Rivalry Tour. Is it panic stations? Or is everyone losing their heads over nothing? We pour a cold one and get stuck in. First, the big one. Dave Rennie has walked into New Zealand and completely revolutionised the All Blacks after the Scott Robertson era — and they turned up at Ellis Park better prepared than anyone in green and gold expected. We ask the question no Bok fan wants to hear: Did the Springboks actually prepare properly for our biggest rivals? Because after the England, Scotland, and Wales games, we've only been playing 20-minute spells of good rugby and switching off for the rest. You cannot do that against the world number one. We break down the damage: 23 turnovers, two yellow cards in the final ten minutes, entry after entry into the All Blacks 22 with nothing to show for it, and that age-old Bok sin — why on earth are we turning down kickable three-pointers against a side like New Zealand? Every point matters, and we waved too many of them away. Yes, there were dodgy ref calls, there always are — but the ref didn't cough up 23 turnovers, did he? BUT — and here's where we calm the group chat down — it's not all doom and gloom. That first half we dominated everything except the scoreboard. 13-12 at the break, forwards bossing their pack for a good hour even with Ox off the field. The performance is in there. So take a chill pill, Bok champs: the way the media, the fans and the influencers are carrying on, you'd swear we'd lost to a minnow. The All Blacks were always going to throw the kitchen sink at Test one. Let's see who blinks in Cape Town. Which brings us to the second Test. In typical Rassie fashion the team dropped on Monday, and we run the ruler over every call: Arendse to 14, Ethan Hooker in for the injured Kolbe, Pollard back in for Sacha, Reinach in for the injured Williams. Ox is fit and hungry to put the AB forwards through the pump again. The pack's largely settled, with a possible return for skipper Siya Kolisi if he passes his fitness test — and if he runs out, this could be the most experienced Springbok side ever assembled. Plus an almost brand-new bench, headlined by a return for Stormers and Springbok legend Deon Fourie. Is the reshuffle a straight response to the Bomb Squad going missing last week? Only Rassie knows. We're especially fired up to see what Cameron Hanekom can do against the men in black. Then we switch codes for the Currie Cup, and what a season it's been. We're down to the final round before the semis and it's a cracker. The champion Griquas have proven 2025 was no fluke — dominant again, one loss all season, level on log points with a Cheetahs side that's gone up a gear since Faf de Klerk arrived. Both have banked home semis, so this weekend decides who tops the log with a home final potentially on the line. The final two spots? Wide open — everyone but the poor winless Bulls is still alive. We preview the lot: beaten finalists chasing the Stormers, the Sharks needing a full five-point haul against the worst defence in the comp, the Cheetahs off to Nelspruit, and the champs travelling to a revitalised Kavaliers. It's a belter of a weekend of ruggas and we've got takes on all of it. Grab a cold one, pull up a chair, and let's go. Thanks for listening, Bok champs — Lekke Bok Champs!

  3. 11/18/2021

    Beer & Banter Episode 5

    In Episode 5 we talk about: The Boks vs England. Will England get revenge for the World Cup final or will the Boks once again have too much? The first win at Twickenham in 7 years beckons for this Springbok team. Does World Rugby have an agenda against South African rugby? Listen to what we have to say about the old boys club. The T20 World Cup wrapped up as just T20 cricket can with the most unlikely of winners, Australia, getting their maiden T20 World Cup victory. We also have a look at what will happen in the test series between Sri Lanka and the Windies. South African sport has suffered again at the hands of an official when the Senegalese referee had an absolute shocker in the game between Ghana vs Bafana. What will happen now? The most-watched Football league in the world is back after the international break. We discuss how it will play out in a weekend in which Arsenal will hope to keep up their unbeaten run against a Liverpool team that has been out of sorts the last two game weeks.  The F1 season is proving to be a cracker. At last, the fans have an exciting end-of-the-season battle like they have been asking for so long. Will Max Verstappen be able to keep it up for just 3 more races or will Hamilton's experience win him his 8th Driver's championship?  That's it for this show, remember if you listen on the Anchor app you can send us a voice message to add your voice to our next podcast. You can also catch us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Enjoy another bumper weekend of sports!

About

Beer & Banter The beers are on ice and the branna's ready — Beer & Banter is back! Think of us as your mates round the braai, dissecting the game we just watched and arguing about the next one. We talk rugby, football, and cricket — the wins, the heartbreaks, the dodgy ref calls, and everything in between. Analysis for every Tom, Dick, and Harry: no jargon, just honest takes, proper banter, and a few laughs. Thanks to our WeChat crew over on Bokfan. Grab a cold one and let's talk some ruggas. Lekke Bok Champs!