Lions’ strongman expects demolition derby against Bulls
After a disappointing Champions Cup exit, SA rugby looks to bounce back as the URC heats up. Plus, with the Jukskei Derby ahead, Lions prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye shares insights and a surprising career “what-if.”
South African rugby podcast To the Last Drop kicks off with its first episode of 2025 with fresh insights and bold predictions!
Hosts Brenden Nel and Liam Del Carme break down South African rugby’s early struggles and what lies ahead. After crashing out of the Champions Cup, SA teams now have their sights set on the URC, where the action is only getting started.
A major highlight this weekend is the Jukskei Derby, where the Lions and Bulls face off at Ellis Park.
Lions front-row powerhouse Asenathi Ntlabakanye joins the conversation, opening up about his rugby journey, his drive to succeed, and an unexpected career path he might have taken.
Brenden and Liam also weigh in with their predictions for the weekend’s URC matchups. With plenty to discuss, it’s the perfect way to kick off a massive year of rugby.
Listen to the latest episode at the top of this page or directly below. Alternatively, you can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
About the 'To The Last Drop' podcast hosts
Liam Del Carme
Liam 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 has been in the employ of broadsheet newspapers The Argus, Sunday Independent, This Day and Beeld, and 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'. When time allows, he is a television pundit and writes a regular column on timeslive.co.za under the title ‘The Worst of Times’.
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. He loves nothing more when away from the game than a glass of good red wine, a good fire and spending time with his wife and four rescue dogs.
Listen to previous episodes via the full 'To the Last Drop' channel below: