JacPod To the Last Drop

To the Last Drop

Seasoned rugby writers Brenden Nel and Liam Del Carme have teamed up with Jacaranda FM to bring you 'To The Last Drop', your weekly dose of all things rugby.
They collectively bring almost 60 years of rugby reporting to the microphone diving into the game's most topical news stories, interviewing guests in-the-know, gazing into the fixture list crystal ball, and occasionally exploring the game's weird and wacky.
Like the bounce of the ball, every episode is a journey into the unknown.

TTLD talks tipple too, as our hosts and guests uncork tales that will likely titillate.

New episodes drop every Thursday at 9.00am wherever you get your podcasts.

About the hosts:
Liam Del Carme is one of the country's most enduring sports writers. His time in the newsrooms pre-dates rugby turning professional in the 1990s. Del Carme is currently the rugby writer at The Sunday Times. Del Carme has reported at six Rugby World Cups and around 20 Currie Cup finals. He loves cooking and travel and is the author of the book 'WINGING IT – On tour with the Boks'.

Brenden Nel - Rugby has always been a passion for Brenden, so much so that he made it a career. Since first entering a newsroom at the Citizen almost three decades ago, he has written for some of the biggest titles in the world, including Rapport, the Independent (UK), The Times (UK), South China Morning Post and a host of others. Currently, he covers all things rugby for Supersport.com and has reported on no less than four World Cups, five Sevens World Cups and around 250 test matches in total.
Brenden is also the author of "Derick Hougaard - Dieware storie van Loftus se Liefling” and has a popular YouTube channel under his name.
Weekly English South Africa Sports · Rugby
67 Episodes
1 – 20

No bad blood between Rassie and Gatland

They were at opposite ends of a bitter spat during the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 2021 but Rassie Erasmus and Warren Gatland have since cleared the air. Erasmus and Gatland will again pit their coaching wits against each other when the Boks take on Wales…
20 Nov 37 min

How champions are made

What does it take to have a winning mentality? What does it mean to be mentally tough? Can mental toughness be taught? All these teasing questions are answered on the next episode of To The Last Drop with renowned sports psychologist Henning Gericke. Gericke, a former middle distance athlete of…
13 Nov 47 min

Scotland primed to flower

The improved performances of their teams in the United Rugby Championship will stand Scotland in good stead during their Autumn Series and beyond. SA-born Glasgow Warriors coach Franco Smith tells the To The Last Drop podcast Scotland will give a better account of themselves when they play the Springboks at…
6 Nov 39 min

Rian Oberholzer fronts up to tough questions

SA Rugby chief executive Rian Oberholzer is in the hot seat on the latest edition of To The Last Drop. Presenters Brenden Nel and Liam Del Carme fired wide ranging questions at the veteran rugby administrator, in particular SA Rugby's much publicised proposed equity deal with the Ackerley Sports Group…
30 Oct 39 min

Back of the queue

Vincent Tshituka still wants to play for the Springboks but the Sharks flank that it will be tough. He points to the long conveyor belt of outstanding loose forwards in South Africa as a potential obstacle but is keeping the faith. Hosts Liam Del Carme and Brenden Nel note scrumhalf…
23 Oct 33 min

Ross Tucker on rugby subs: Bigger benches, fewer injuries?

Rugby, as vehicle for delivering a spectacle, is on as smooth a path as it has ever been professor Ross Tucker tells this week's edition of To The Last Drop. The renowned sports scientist who sits on a World Rugby committee tasked with player well-being, especially in relation to concussion,…
16 Oct 46 min

Lions' Horn believes they are ready to gore

South Africa's all conquering teams in last weekend's matches in the United Rugby Championship face a far more daunting challenge this weekend when all go into combat away from home. Still, To The Last Drop hosts Brenden Nel and Liam Del Carme argue all four have a realistic chance of…
9 Oct 41 min

Boks add a spring to their step

On this week's To The Last Drop, Brenden and Liam break down last weekend's Rugby Championship decider between the Springboks and Argentina in Mbombela. They delve into how the title-winning campaign will benefit the Boks down the line and what the team's management may have in store for the end-of-year…
2 Oct 31 min

Rassie makes Manie the Main Man

Our 'To The Last Drop' hosts agree the Springboks have much to atone in this Saturday's Rugby Championship decider against Argentina in Nelspruit. They fell agonisingly short in rural Argentina last weekend but our hosts concur that defeat cannot be placed at the door of just one player. Besides, apart…
26 Sep 44 min

Under the knife Sacha stayed mum

Mziwakhe Nkosi believes Saturday's Currie Cup final is a shot at redemption for the Lions when they clash with the Sharks at Ellis Park. Nkosi admits on the 'To The Last Drop' podcast his players did not cover themselves in glory on that day when they were sucker punched into…
19 Sep 37 min

De Allende gunning for third RWC gold

As much as Springbok rugby is in rude health, the All Blacks find themselves under searching examination following three defeats in their first four Rugby Championship clashes this year. 'To The Last Drop' hosts Brenden Nel and Liam Del Carme argue the All Blacks aren't far off the pace but…
12 Sep 32 min

Rassie, the All Blacks' kryptonite

After their stunning come-from-behind win over the All Blacks at Ellis Park, the Springboks are within touching distance of claiming their first Rugby Championship since 2019. They meet the All Blacks again on Saturday but the tourists have much to ponder ahead to the clash at Cape Town Stadium. The…
5 Sep 39 min

Ackermann surprised by Feinberg-Mngomezulu inclusion

Like everyone else, former Test lock Johan Ackermann is in a state of anticipation ahead of Saturday's Rugby Championship clash between the Springboks and the All Blacks on the latest episode of To The Last Drop. The Boks will hope to firm their grip over the All Blacks with a…
29 Aug 40 min

Swys drops in again, this time with a few bombshells

Coaching guru and popular television pundit Swys de Bruin may have put down the microphone but he sat down with the To The Last Drop team as they looked ahead to the Springboks' clash next weekend against the All Blacks. De Bruin says he is surprised former captain Sam Cane…
22 Aug 37 min

Bobo on Bok history, future and a Perth win

Our hosts this week corner former Bok centre and television pundit Gcobani Bobo. They look ahead to this weekend's Rugby Championship Test between the Springboks and the Wallabies in Perth. Bobo is thoroughly enthused by the much-changed Bok line-up, arguing the World Champions now boast depth that other teams cannot…
15 Aug 38 min

Back with a bang!

'To The Last Drop' returns with two national coaches running the rule over battles to come and one in the recent past respectively. Bok coach Rassie Erasmus looks ahead to the Rugby Championship and talks about his ever-increasing popularity. Blitzboks interim coach Philip Snyman explains his team's remarkable turnaround that…
8 Aug 37 min

Episode 52 - Forza! Os Lobos are here

It's time for the youngsters to take the spotlight for the Springboks with World Cup darlings Portugal in town. The To the Last Drop team chat to Francisco Isaac, Portuguese rugby journalist at large about what to expect and what the test means for Portuguese rugby.
18 Jul 35 min

Episode 51: A proper look at the Loftus test match

In this episode, the guys are joined by Gavin Rich for a proper look at the Loftus test and where it leaves both sides ahead of the Durban second test on Saturday. In a Matt Williams-free zone, they focus solely on rugby and don't take the easy path to talk…
11 Jul 44 min

To the Last Drop Episode 50

One of the most eagerly anticipated inbound rugby series is almost upon us. South Africa and Ireland, the two top ranked teams in the world, will go head-to-head over the next two weeks and our co-hosts delve into the aspects that might help shape the outcome of the series. Helping…
4 Jul 48 min

To The Last Drop | Episode 49

Despite memory lapses and technical glitches co-hosts Brenden and Liam delivered another bumper edition of TTLD. They reflect on the Springboks' opening Test of the year against Wales, the Blitzboks' belated qualification for the Paris Olympics and the URC final. On that score, Glasgow Warriors' coach Franco Smith agreed to…
27 Jun 55 min
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