Ugo, Ashy and Danny are back on the sofa to look back at a busy weekend for the Home Nations. They begin with Ireland’s impressive victory over South Africa despite the absence of several key players. With England once again coming so close against the All Blacks, the guys ponder whether it was a missed opportunity for Steve Borthwick’s side. And how close are Wales to ending their winless streak having not won since October? Plus, they delve into what has been learnt about each of the four team...
Jul 15, 2024•54 min
Chris is at Eden Park and looks back on another narrow defeat for England against New Zealand who win the test series 2-0. It was an important learning curve for Steve Borthwick's side, but what are the positives from two straight defeats? What can the team learn from this tour? All Blacks legend Ian Jones and World Cup winner Paul Grayson discuss, plus Chris speaks to England captain Jamie George, head coach Borthwick and New Zealand boss Scott Robertson.
Jul 13, 2024•36 min
We’re less than 24 hours from the second Test at Eden Park which finally brings the curtain down on a long season, and Alex Lowe is back on the pod to preview it all with Chris in the heart of Auckland. England will be without George Furbank who has been ruled out through injury. How much will the absence of the Northampton full-back change England’s gameplan on Saturday? We hear from England flanker Sam Underhill on Freddie Steward coming in to replace Furbank and he tells us how much he’s reli...
Jul 12, 2024•32 min
Chris is at the England team hotel in Auckland to chat to captain, and friend of the pod, Jamie George. We hear how the England team watched their footballing counterparts reach the Euro 2024 final and why Gareth Southgate is such a big inspiration to Jamie and Steve Borthwick. Who will be England's Ollie Watkins at Eden Park on Saturday? Chris also chats to Andrew Strawbridge, who recently joined England's coaching set-up on a permanent basis having helped the All Blacks to reach the Rugby Worl...
Jul 11, 2024•26 min
Tom channels his inner Rassie Erasmus as he highlights some issues with the officiating in the 1st Test between South Africa and Ireland. The Boks use of the bench is once again up for discussion. GRO tries to come up with some positives following another defeat for Wales that’s seen them fall to 11th in the world rankings. And where do England need to improve if they are to end New Zealand’s long unbeaten run at Eden Park?
Jul 10, 2024•50 min
There is no venue in world rugby like Eden Park in Auckland. It is now 30 years since the All Blacks have lost a game at the spiritual home of New Zealand rugby. Ahead of the 2nd Test match with England on Saturday, we ask what is so different about Eden Park, and why do the All Blacks never lose there? Chris is joined by one of the voices of New Zealand rugby in Nigel Yalden, as well as All Blacks legend Ian Jones, who remembers when France stormed the fortress in 1994. And New Zealand back Ste...
Jul 09, 2024•41 min
Ugo, Ashy and Danny pick through the bones of a busy weekend of games. They ask whether England could have done more to steal a win against the All Blacks in Dunedin and explain why a win at Eden Park next weekend is more than a possibility for Borthwick’s men. Did Wales' lack of discipline and experience cost them in Sydney against the Wallabies? And did South Africa against Ireland in Durban live up to the hype? Plus, the guys reveal what fixture they are most looking forward to this weekend....
Jul 08, 2024•51 min
Chris is at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin reflecting on a narrow 16-15 defeat for England in the first test match. All Blacks legend Ian Jones is alongside him, with World Cup winner Paul Grayson joining in from London. It was a case of missed chances for England, but they can take lots of positives into the second and final test at Eden Park next Saturday. Chris speaks to head coach Steve Borthwick, a disappointed England skipper Jamie George and New Zealand head coach Scott 'Razor' Rober...
Jul 06, 2024•37 min
Can England claim their first win in New Zealand since 2003? On the eve of the first Test, we take advice from one of our loyal listeners and head to a bar in Dunedin where Chris chats to rugby correspondent Alex Lowe from The Times. You'll also hear from centre Ollie Lawrence who is back in New Zealand for the first time since 2017 when he toured the country with his school. We find out what the All Blacks captain Scott Barrett is expecting from England and look ahead to Wales and Ireland's ass...
Jul 05, 2024•37 min
Chris is at the All Blacks team hotel as Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson announces his first New Zealand team – and there’s a big surprise at fullback. We get the thoughts of NZ Herald correspondent Liam Napier on Robertson’s squad to face England which also sees the return of TJ Perenara and Damian McKenzie at fly-half. You will hear from the reigning world player of the year Ardie Savea on the challenge he is expecting from England in Dunedin. Chris also manages to grab a word with NZ Rugby chief Mark...
Jul 04, 2024•39 min
Chris, Tom English and Gareth Rhys Owen battle time zones and technical difficulties to bring you the first Nations pod of the summer. We do a deep dive into the many challenges facing Wales on their tour to Australia. Would drawing the series actually suit both Warren Gatland and Joe Schmidt? Tom is still basking in the glory of some Scottish silverware and is there anything other than revenge on the minds of the Springboks as they look to end their losing run against Ireland.
Jul 03, 2024•52 min
Chris has made it to Auckland – short of both sleep and a suitcase – and he heads into the England hotel as Steve Borthwick names his team for the first Test with the All Blacks. Borthwick tells us what he wants from Marcus Smith after picking an unchanged backline, and why Fin Baxter and Ollie Sleightholme are both set for their debut. Vice-captain Henry Slade is on the pod to give some jetlag tips and to reflect on his journey from Test rookie to one of the squad’s senior players. And Alex Mit...
Jul 02, 2024•34 min
Chris, Danny and Ashy are joined by Jamie George and Nick Tompkins to look ahead to a brilliant few weeks of international rugby. Can Ireland win in South Africa, or is it a step too far for Andy Farrell’s side? There is an element of the unknown about the All Blacks, so do England have a chance of making history in New Zealand? Meanwhile Wales have a chance to restore some pride in the jersey against the Wallabies, while Scotland will be gunning for four wins on their tour of the Americas....
Jul 01, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Danny gives Chris and Ashy the lowdown on his day with the Barbarians at Twickenham which ended with another yellow card! England passed their Tokyo Test with flying colours as Eddie Jones’ homecoming ends in defeat. Has Marcus Smith done enough to nail down the 10 shirt for the All Blacks series? Glasgow’s Huw Jones joins from Johannesburg airport after winning the URC. We hear all about their celebrations and get his take on what this victory could do for Scottish rugby. We also talk Wales, th...
Jun 24, 2024•59 min
Chris tracks down Danny, who is a little worse for wear, for a special episode from the Barbarians team hotel in Mayfair. They're joined by some of Danny's Baa Baas team mates starting with All Blacks legend and captain for the week Sam Whitelock. Can Danny convince him to become vice-captain? Zach Mercer talks openly about his move back to the UK and his struggles with England selection. Saracens' new recruit Fergus Burke also joins, plus we discuss the England's team to play Japan and the size...
Jun 19, 2024•58 min
Danny is on the sofa with Ashy and Ugo before he joins up with the Barbarians this week, but his fitness is quicky called into question after a chance encounter with a set of scales at Centre Parcs. Scotland centre Huw Jones joins the pod fresh after reaching the URC final with Glasgow. He talks about their big win at Thomond Park before flying out to South Africa to prepare for their showdown with the Bulls in Pretoria. We also look ahead to Japan v England and Eddie Jones v Steve Borthwick....
Jun 17, 2024•57 min
The pod is back at Twickenham two days after the Premiership final, but this time we're talking England as Steve Borthwick names his 36-man squad for the tour to Japan and New Zealand. Danny, Ugo, Ashy and Chris quiz the England head coach on his decision to take Tom Curry, the inexperience in the back line and style of play. With George Ford missing the summer through injury, which Smith will be wearing the 10 jersey this summer? We also take ski goggles, trophy parades and look ahead to the bu...
Jun 10, 2024•56 min
Chris, Ashy and Matt Dawson bring you reaction to a thrilling Premiership final as Northampton beat 14-man Bath at Twickenham. Courtney Lawes is back on the pod after ending his Saints career on a high and ending the club's long wait for a title. But as Lawes departs, is this current squad full of homegrown talent destined for more success in the future? You will also hear from a disappointed Johann van Graan, we discuss Beno Obano's red card and analyse Finn Russell's performance.
Jun 09, 2024•37 min
We're continuing our build-up to the Premiership final by speaking to two of the biggest names in the game who will run out on Saturday. Sara has been to Bath's training centre at Farleigh House to catch up with Finn Russell, who talks about his desire to win a first trophy since 2015, his partnership with Ben Spencer and how he deals with nerves and pressure. You will also hear from the departing Courtney Lawes ahead of his final appearance for the Saints after 17 seasons. He tells Chris about ...
Jun 06, 2024•52 min
Ugo, Danny & Ashy are on the sofa to round-up Premiership semi-final weekend as Northampton and Bath both emerged from two titanic tussles to book their spot in the big dance at Twickenham. With the top two sides in the league going head-to-head in the final, we pick our combined XV. Which club ended up with the most players? They also discuss Owen Farrell's legacy after he bowed out from English rugby, where does he rank amongst the all-time greats of the English game? There is a look at th...
Jun 03, 2024•55 min
Ashy and Chris are suited and booted for the RPA awards in central London where they manage to track down some of the biggest Premiership names who will be involved in this weekend's play-offs. First up on the pod it's Northampton duo Courtney Lawes and Fin Smith who look ahead to their showdown with Saracens which will be Lawes' final game at the Gardens after 17 seasons! They also grab a word with England and Saracens back row Ben Earl who says they're so focused for Friday night it's 'scary'....
May 30, 2024•44 min
It's Premiership semi-final week, so to kick things off we have a special episode with the directors of rugby from the four clubs competing for a spot at Twickenham this weekend. Mark McCall, Johann van Graan, Phil Dowson and Alex Sanderson are all together to chat to Chris about the challenges of a season that was delayed by the World Cup and put on hold during the Six Nations. Does a 10-team league work? And are we any closer to achieving promotion and relegation? They also discuss big name pl...
May 27, 2024•45 min
Sale's Ben Curry is our special guest this week after they stunned Saracens in the final round of the Premiership. He tells Chris and Ashy what's been behind their remarkable run to the play-offs and why Alex Sanderson had them catching tennis balls wrapped in white tape all week. We also discuss Saracens' farewell tour and whether Northampton's decision to rest key players for the semi-finals will backfire. Also, is the Champions Cup final this weekend the unofficial World Cup final?
May 20, 2024•50 min
Will Saracens or Bath secure a home semi-final? Can Sale hang onto fourth spot? Or will Exeter, Harlequins or Bristol leapfrog them? Ashy, Ugo and Sara look ahead to the final round of the Premiership season which has all the makings of a classic weekend. There is also plenty of fallout from round 16 including THAT 90-0 defeat for Gloucester, late bonus points and emotional send-offs. We find out how Saracens are taking inspiration from Ted Lasso their run-in and Ashy's pet goldfish.
May 13, 2024•52 min
Fresh from his trip to Toulouse, Danny gives Ugo and Chris the inside track on Quins’ defeat in the south of France. He tells us about his latest rendezvous with his favourite scrum-half and how Blair Kinghorn ended up in his bad books on Sunday. We also discuss Northampton’s narrow defeat at Croke Park and ask who will have the edge in the final at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. But will an English club get a better chance of competing for club rugby’s biggest prize? And will Gloucester’s seaso...
May 06, 2024•54 min
Chris, Danny and Ashy are on the sofa as the race for the Premiership play-offs hots up. Are Bristol genuine title contenders after another big win? Elsewhere Harlequins beat the league leaders Northampton, but should Danny have been sent off? And why are scrum-halves the lowest-paid players in the league? We also chat to former England lock Geoff Parling after his appointment to the Australia coaching staff, and discuss how is he set to make rugby history next summer.
Apr 29, 2024•1 hr 5 min
On the 30th anniversary of England's victory in the 1994 World Cup final, Sara sits down with Giselle Mather and Gill Burns to relive that historic day in English women's rugby. It was the tournament that almost never happened, but Scotland stepped in to host at the last minute and the rest as they say is history. Gill and Giselle take us back to the struggles being a rugby player in the early 90s juggling work and even sharing beds with players while on tour. They also delve into the final itse...
Apr 24, 2024•44 min
We're talking reunions on this week's pod after Ugo's trip to see Blue in Liverpool. If there was one team or player in their prime you could pay to watch, who would it be? Bristol get some love after crashing the top four party in the Premiership and that's time of year where we start to talk end of season awards. We get Danny to run the rule over England's plethora of in-form nines now that he has called time on his international career. There are big wins for Munster and Ospreys in the URC, L...
Apr 22, 2024•58 min
We're at full strength on the pod this week with Ugo, Danny, Ashy and Chris all on the sofa to review the Champions Cup quarter-final weekend. We had to start with the thriller in Bordeaux, friend of the pod Marcus Smith drops by to give us - and Danny - the lowdown on that epic win. Is it working having the South African teams in the competition? Do we need a neutral host city for semi-final weekend? We also talk Croke Park, rowing and our favourite Blue hits as Ugo heads to Liverpool for the B...
Apr 15, 2024•56 min
It’s a big day for Danny as he calls time on his England career after 16 years and 101 caps. He tells Chris and Ashy what was behind the decision, the conversation he had with England boss Steve Borthwick and we get to the bottom of how David Beckham sent him a video message for his 100th cap. We also round up the action from the weekend as the Premiership came back with a bang as Saracens laid down a big marker, Gloucester shocked Leicester and Finn Russell finally landed his first drop goal....
Mar 25, 2024•57 min
