Ben Curry is on the pod ahead of his first England start alongside his twin brother Tom. We find out what Ben learnt from Ashy at Sale and discover the two goals that kept him motivated during what he calls 'the dark times'. He also talks openly about how difficult it is to be constantly compared to your twin brother. We also react to the Ireland team and look ahead to a big day for Sam Prendergast and his battle with Marcus Smith. Ugo and Sara join from some rather lavish surroundings in Paris ...
Jan 31, 2025•49 min
Ugo Monye and Chris Jones chat to all the Six Nations captains, but put the rugby to one side and ask the really important questions, like what’s harder – a nine-darter, a 147 or a hole-in-one? You’ll also hear Antoine Dupont sing. Find out how to pronounce Jac Morgan’s name. What position Rory Darge dreams of playing for Liverpool. The greatest sporting achievement in the world, according to Maro Itoje. The one trophy Caelan Doris would love to win as captain and Michele Lamaro tries to convinc...
Jan 30, 2025•51 min
Chris visits the England training camp in Girona and sits down with Cadan Murley who will make his long-awaited England debut this weekend after Steve Borthwick named his team to face Ireland. We deliver Murley a special message from a very proud team-mate, find out which former winger is his biggest inspiration and learn about his early career as a flanker. There was also big news in the back row, as the Curry brothers will become the first twin brothers to play for England. The man in the midd...
Jan 29, 2025•29 min
Chris, Scrum V's Gareth Rhys Owen and Tom English from the BBC Scotland rugby podcast return as the countdown to the Six Nations continues. They delve into what lies ahead for the four home nation teams. Gareth questions whether Warren Gatland still has the passion to guide Wales. Will Simon Easterby’s leadership bring a new look to Ireland? Tom voices his concerns about Scotland’s mounting injury troubles, while Chris explores the challenge facing England. Plus, find out which member of the tea...
Jan 28, 2025•47 min
The pod is daily once again for the Six Nations and to kick things off we are in Rome! Ugo and Chris chat to all the head coaches at the launch. They speak to Ireland's new interim head coach Simon Easterby and find out how he's settling into the role, what changes he will make - if any - and how he is dealing with the pressure of being defending champions. Warren Gatland wants to block out all negativity and build a siege mentality, but do Wales have what it takes to end their terrible losing r...
Jan 27, 2025•53 min
Sara sits down with Zoe Aldcroft after she was appointed Red Roses captain for 2025. Aldcroft tells us what it means to lead the team in a World Cup year and how supportive Marlie Packer has been since replacing her as skipper. We hear all about Aldcroft's leadership style and what motivates her to always go the extra mile. She also revisits the heartbreak of losing to the All Blacks in the last World Cup final and how it affected her love for the game. Head coach John Mitchell explains the reas...
Jan 23, 2025•31 min
Danny, Ashy, and Sara look back at a busy final weekend of the Champions Cup pool stages. They ask whether anyone can challenge Toulouse to lift the cup in May. Is Ashy’s European try-scoring record under threat after Damian Penaud scored six tries at the weekend. And the guys pay tribute to Anthony Watson who announced his retirement last week.
Jan 20, 2025•53 min
Ugo, Ashy and Chris are in Twickenham to bring you reaction to the news that Maro Itoje is the new England captain. It was the big headline as Steve Borthwick named his 36-man squad for the upcoming Six Nations. But with 88 Tests under his belt, why is now the time right for Itoje to lead the team? We hear about his interests off the field and why he is different to previous captains. Tom Willis made the cut but there is no place for Henry Pollock. So what will England's back row look like? We a...
Jan 14, 2025•44 min
Danny is back from his weekend in Toulon and heads straight from the airport to join us Ashy and Chris for the pod. Danny reveals what Dan Biggar said to him on the pitch at the weekend and how difficult it is to find a restaurant in Toulon in January. Everyone is talking about Warren Gatland's Six Nations squad. There's an uncapped fly-half and plenty of experience returning to the fold but it's one or two surprise omissions that have raised a few eyebrows. We also look ahead to an intriguing f...
Jan 13, 2025•47 min
Danny has some big news for the pod and we round up an entertaining yet controversial weekend in the Premiership. There was a blockbuster at Franklin’s Gardens as Northampton edged past Bath at the death thanks to Finn Smith. Are the champions still in the play-off race despite being in eighth? Ollie Lawrence has apologised for his role in the incident with Alex Mitchell, but did the England centre overstep the mark? George Skivington's Welsh contingent continue to impress for Gloucester but whi...
Jan 06, 2025•55 min
Ugo, Ashy and Chris head into the studio in central London to record the last pod of 2024. Ashy gets a few Christmas gripes off his chest before we look ahead to a bumper year in 2025 and put our prediction skills to the test. Who will win the Six Nations and will we see a Grand Slam? And in what order will the home nations finish? We pick our Lions bolters and ask if there is anyone that can stop the Red Roses winning the World Cup. We also round-up a chaotic end to 2024 on the field as Exeter ...
Dec 30, 2024•1 hr
Danny is the only one bringing the festive cheer to the pod as we discuss life as a rugby player at Christmas and how many eggs Ashy has with his Christmas dinner. Chris outlines a tumultuous few weeks for the RFU that has seen Tom Ilube resign as chairman and Sir Bill Beaumont appointed in his place on an interim basis. Warren Gatland is staying on as Wales head coach and has been challenged to deliver success in the Six Nations, but what exactly does that look like for a team that didn't win a...
Dec 23, 2024•59 min
Ashy critiques his son’s performance as one of the three Wise Men in his school’s nativity before we turn our attention to another weekend of Champions Cup action. It wasn’t without its issues again as a number of clubs heavily rotated their teams, but Northampton went fully loaded to Pretoria to face the Bulls and Tommy Freeman joins us to tell them all about their bonus-point win. Glasgow fell agonisingly short in Toulon and Toulouse ran riot in Exeter with Antoine Dupont getting one try close...
Dec 16, 2024•46 min
Chris and Ashy are back to preview round two of the Champions Cup and we find out what role Ashy's son is playing in his Christmas nativity. George Ford is on the pod ahead of Sale's big clash against Racing 92 on Friday. He also reflects on England's autumn and that drop goal against New Zealand. Could a dramatic schedule change reignite interest in the Champions Cup? And what are the big clashes to look forward to this weekend?
Dec 12, 2024•45 min
Ugo, Danny and Chris look back at the opening weekend of the Champions Cup. La Rochelle weathered the storm - quite literally - to beat Bath on the opening night, but did the first round manage to showcase the best of the competition? The pre-tournament favourites all won handsomely, but which British team has the best chance of going deep in the tournament? Henry Pollock continues to make waves, and at only 19 what is the best way to nurture him and the next generation of talent? We also hear a...
Dec 09, 2024•54 min
Sara takes the pod to Bristol to track down American rugby sensation Ilona Maher, who has just announced she will be playing in the PWR next year. Sara chats to her about her first impressions of British food - and the weather! Which Bristol team-mate has she already bonded with? And now she's converted from Sevens to 15s, where will she play? We also hear all about her amazing rise to become the most followed rugby player in the world, why she loves the sport and how she hopes to inspire the ne...
Dec 05, 2024•25 min
Ugo, Danny and Ashy are back on the sofa to discuss the return of the Premiership, but Ashy is surprised by what he saw over the weekend. Has the gap between the domestic and international game ever been greater? Newcastle won again and Exeter lost again. Gloucester and Bristol continue to thrill and both claimed impressive wins on the road. But it meant Joe Marler's farewell didn't go to plan. We look at Andy Farrell's to-do list as he starts work as the Lions head coach and ponder how Scotland...
Dec 02, 2024•58 min
The curtain has come down on the autumn for England, Scotland and Wales. Danny, Chris and Ashy assess where each team are at after testing themselves against the best from the southern hemisphere. How should England reflect on their autumn after only one win in four? And which players' stock has grown this November? Danny's upset the Scotland fans and shares some of the kind messages he's received after Gregor Townsend's side beat Australia in Edinburgh. The WRU have started their review into Wa...
Nov 26, 2024•56 min
Chris and Paul Grayson are at Twickenham to bring you reaction to England's dominant victory over Japan. It ended a run of five straight defeats for Steve Borthwick, but how happy is he with the team's progress this autumn? Jamie George is also on the pod and we get Eddie Jones' take on a tough day at the office for Japan and a less than ideal return to Twickenham for the former England head coach. We are also in Monaco for the World Rugby awards as Sara sits down with the men's and women's play...
Nov 25, 2024•48 min
Chris, Tom, and Gareth are back for the penultimate pod of the autumn. They save the Wales chat for the end, as Gareth tries to make sense of the challenges facing the team. Chris questions whether England's coaching staff might be short on experience, while Tom argues that Scotland's clash with Australia is a must-win, believing it could define their entire year.
Nov 21, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Is time running out for Warren Gatland? Wales have now lost 11 successive Test matches and conceded 50 points at home for the first time. Chris, Ugo and Ashy discuss what needs to change to get Welsh rugby back on track. Is the issue bigger than the head coach? England are also on a losing run. Are there still question marks around their identity under Steve Borthwick and is fitness one of the reasons behind their inability to close out games? Plus, the nominees for the World Rugby Awards are ou...
Nov 18, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Chris, Tom and Gareth return after a clean sweep of defeats for the home nations. They begin with the narrative in Wales as more pressure is being heaped on Warren Gatland. Gareth asks whether the WRU are considering his future. Despite their poor showing against the All Blacks, Tom isn’t concerned for Ireland. And Chris tries to explain what is going on behind the scenes at England.
Nov 14, 2024•59 min
Chris and Ashy bring you a special pod looking ahead to England's massive game against the World Champions South Africa at Twickenham. You'll hear from Ellis Genge on the challenge of facing the Boks up front and how they've been picking themselves up after the shock defeat to Australia. We also Jerry Flannery on how special it is to be working with the double World Cup winners. Follow the Autumn Nations Series on BBC Sounds: Friday 15th November: Ireland v Argentina - 20:10 Saturday 16th Novemb...
Nov 13, 2024•29 min
It was a weekend to forget for the Northern Hemisphere in the Autumn Nations Series. Ugo, Danny and Chris look back on a clean sweep for the Southern Hemisphere sides as the home nations all lost on home turf. To blitz, or not to blitz, that is the question facing England after they shipped 42 points against the Wallabies. Is it time for them to adopt another defensive system? What next for Wales after they suffered a record-equalling 10th Test in a row? Will the WRU give Warren Gatland the time...
Nov 12, 2024•59 min
Chris, Matt Dawson and Paul Grayson bring you reaction to a bonkers game at Twickenham as Max Jorgenson scored an 84th minute to inflict another defeat on England. Why aren't they able to hold onto a lead? England led by 12 points in the first half and then fought back to lead 37-35 with only two minutes to go, but couldn’t see it out. We hear from England captain Jamie George and head coach Steve Borthwick immediately after the full-time whistle on where it went wrong. Is it a coaching issue or...
Nov 09, 2024•54 min
Chris, Tom and Gro are all finally together as the Autumn Nations Series starts in earnest. Gro seeks positives to cling on to as Wales prepare to face Fiji, and we discuss whether Ireland are justifiably favourites against New Zealand on Friday night. Scotland face the stiffest test in world rugby, while after losing to the All Blacks, England are under pressure to return to winning ways against Joe Schmidt’s Australia.
Nov 07, 2024•1 hr 1 min
There's a new rugby autobiography hitting the shelves this week and it's already caused quite a stir. Ugo and Chris quiz Danny about his book and what he's got to say about Eddie Jones' England regime. We continue to pick the bones out of England's last-gasp defeat against the All Blacks and discuss the most effective way to nail a drop goal. But are England scoring enough points under Steve Borthwick? And how do they avoid getting sucked into an arm wrestle when they keep coming up short? Duhan...
Nov 04, 2024•58 min
Chris, Ashy and Matt Dawson react to New Zealand’s dramatic win over England at Twickenham. They pick through the final stages and where the game got away from England. Was it the right decision to bring Marcus Smith and Ben Spencer off? We hear from Jamie George on the pod, who says England need to start closing out tight matches. All Blacks head coach Scott Roberson also gives us his take on another narrow win over England and we wax lyrical about the winning try from Mark Tele'a.
Nov 02, 2024•35 min
The Nations Pod is back! GRO, like Wales, sits out this episode as it falls outside of the international Test window, but Chris and Tom eventually look ahead to the start of the Autumn Nation Series after battling yet more technical issues. How much pressure are England under to beat the All Blacks this Saturday? Steve Borthwick has named his team early picking Ben Spencer at scrum-half and Henry Slade in midfield, despite him only playing 54 minutes this season. Sione Tuipulotu will lead Scotla...
Oct 30, 2024•35 min
To launch our coverage of the autumn nations series, Chris and Ashy head to Jersey to sit down with double World Cup winning South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus. We ask what makes him tick, how he stays motivated, and whether the Springboks can win a third World Cup. And given his emotional connection to South Africa, would he ever coach another international side? We are also joined by the great winger Cheslin Kolbe; what has been his favourite moment in a Springbok jersey, and what’s the driving...
Oct 29, 2024•58 min
