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
77 Episodes
1 – 20

Lions will fight tooth and nail

The Lions cannot be underestimated Vodacom Bulls' director of rugby Jake White argued ahead of Saturday's Jukskei derby at Loftus Versfeld. White is wary of the Lions after their win over the Stormers but the hosts of 'To The Last Drop' argue the home team will be better suited to…
19 Feb 36 min

Phepsi Buthelezi on facing the Bulls at Loftus

Phepsi Buthelezi and some of his younger teammates have been inspired by the strong Springbok contingent in the Sharks squad. Buthelezi, an energetic flank who played one Test for the Boks last year, believes the high number of Test stars in the Sharks' ranks has had a positive impact on…
12 Feb 37 min

John Dobson & Jake White on the big north-south derby

Bulls coach Jake White is keeping his options open and will consider Willie le Roux at flyhalf for Saturday's United Rugby Championship clash against the Stormers in Cape Town. White sang Le Roux's praises on 'To The Last Drop', highlighting the Bok fullback's match-winning performance against the Lions at Ellis…
5 Feb 37 min

Stormers and Lions need home runs

The Stormers and the Lions are in real danger of not reaching the knock-out rounds of the United Rugby Championship. 'To The Last Drop' hosts Liam Del Carme and Brenden Nel take a deep dive on their prospects in their remaining league matches, with a particular focus on their upcoming…
29 Jan 31 min

SA rugby’s tough start & URC’s biggest clash

‘To the Last Drop’ is back for 2025! Brenden Nel and Liam Del Carme kick off the year by breaking down South Africa’s early Champions Cup exit and looking ahead to an action-packed weekend in the URC. The spotlight is on the Jukskei Derby, where the Lions and Bulls are…
23 Jan 24 min

And that's a wrap for 2024

On the last edition of To The Last Drop for the year podcast hosts Brenden Nel and Liam Del Carme reach into their Christmas stockings, and reveal their wishlist for South African rugby for the New Year. They reflect on a momentous year for Springbok rugby and lament some of…
24 Dec 2024 31 min

Mark Alexander on NZ Māori and SA Rugby’s future (part 2)

Apart from the resumption of long tours from the All Blacks, South African rugby fans can also look forward to the NZ Māori visiting these shores in the not-too-distant future. South African Rugby Union president Mark Alexander explained a multi-layered approach in the strengthening of their bond with New Zealand…
19 Dec 2024 33 min

Equity deal is a necessity for SA Rugby (Part 1)

Having failed in their bid last week, South African Rugby Union president Mark Alexander has reiterated the need to find an equity partner. Speaking on the 'To The Last Drop' podcast, he acknowledged that time is of the essence as the local game needs an injection of cash but also…
12 Dec 2024 29 min

No more excuses: Lions must deliver, says Henco van Wyk

“There are no more excuses,” star Lions midfielder Henco van Wyk insists ahead of his team's Challenge Cup opener against the Ospreys in Swansea. The Lions who last season came tantalisingly close to reaching the play-offs in the United Rugby Championship are yet to play in the knock-out rounds but…
4 Dec 2024 30 min

Blitzboks undaunted by pressure

His team took a lot of confidence from their podium finish at the Paris Olympics, Blitzboks coach Philip Snyman argues ahead of the World Sevens Series in Dubai. He believes his team will also be ready to handle the pressure of playing in Cape Town next week. They will however…
27 Nov 2024 42 min

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 2024 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 2024 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 2024 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 2024 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 2024 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 2024 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 2024 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 2024 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 2024 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 2024 37 min
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