Rugby Union Weekly

Sara, Ashy and Matt Dawson bring you reaction to crazy night Santiago del Estero as England hang on to beat Argentina. But should Bautista Delguy's last-minute try have stood? Was Henry Slade's covering tackle legal? A combined seven yellow cards were shown on Saturday, with England receiving four in the second half and twice being reduced to 13 players. Why are England still struggling with their discipline? Immanuel Feyi-Waboso i...

Chris, Tom and GRO preview the final round of the Nation’s Championship this summer. Can Sam Prendergast cement his position as Ireland's number one fly-half as Andy Farrell's side look to become the first team to win at Eden Park since 1994. Can the Wales maul bring them any joy against the Springboks in Durban? The pod is full of admiration for Jesse Kriel and it prompts GRO to quiz the guys on the most-capped centre partne...

Danny, Ashy and Chris look back at round two of the Nation’s Championship with the north and south both on six wins each. Scotland scored four tries and pushed the Boks all the way in Pretoria. Did they show the England coaching team the best way to attack the double world champions? Danny reacts to Marcus Smith’s cameo at scrum-half against Fiji and we look ahead to England’s trip to Argentina as the injured Alex...

Ashy and Chris bring you instant reaction from the Hill Dickinson stadium as England thrashed Fiji in Liverpool to end their five-match unbeaten run. But what are the positives for England after such a one-sided victory over a disjointed Fiji? We hear from Steve Borthwick who heaps praise on his defence despite scoring 73 points. Noah Caluori is back on the pod after a devastating Test debut. He set up a try with his first touch in...

Ashy and Chris go inside the England camp ahead of the must-win Test against Fiji. After the defeat at Ellis Park, Ashy quizzes skipper Jamie George on the England gameplan against the Boks and why they keep repeating the same mistakes. Centre Henry Slade is also on the pod to discuss his return to the starting XV and England’s state of flux in midfield. Can Slade replicate the influence he's had at Exeter for his country? Fi...

What did we learn from the opening weekend of the Nations Championship? Ashy, Ugo and Danny look back on a dramatic first round of fixtures and ahead to what next weekend has in store. They ask why England appear to have made little progress since the Six Nations, whether Wales can build on their win over Fiji against Argentina, and how impressive Scotland were without their talisman, Finn Russell. Plus, there was also time to comp...

Chris and Grays are at Ellis Park to react to England’s comprehensive defeat by world champions South Africa. After an early Boks blitz, England fought back to make it close at half-time, so what was behind the Springboks’ dominant second-half display? Why were England bossed in key areas? And after five defeats in a row, how important is a win next weekend against Fiji? We hear from 50-cap man Cheslin Kolbe as well as ...

Chris and Paul Grayson take you through the opening round of the Nations Championship as the north v south battles begin. Chris heads to Ellis Park and catches up with England’s vice-captain Ollie Chessum ahead of England’s big test against the Boks. We speak to a confident Jo’burg local before catching up with George Furbank, who reflects on a hectic couple of weeks as he prepares for his first England start sinc...

Chris and Paul Grayson react to the England team to face South Africa. George Furbank gets a first start for nearly two years while Henry Pollock is on the bench. We head inside the England team hotel to catch up with Jamie George. He gives us a great insight into their preparations and reprising his role as captain. Springbok fly-half Manie Libbok is also on the pod, and we are joined by the voice of South African rugby commentato...

Chris and Paul Grayson are in Johannesburg ahead of England’s huge Nations Championship opener against South Africa. They are joined by the sport’s newest knight, Sir Kevin Sinfield, to talk about being awarded the knighthood and his determination to continue raising awareness for MND. Sinfield discusses England’s approach this weekend at Ellis Park and how they are dealing with the unique challenges of playing in...

The inaugural Nation's Championship is here, but are fans actually excited about it? Do they even understand the format? Chris, Danny and Ashy dig into the new competition, the logistical nightmare facing travelling supporters and the huge challenge for players playing back-to-back matches in different continents. Rassie Erasmus has already named his team to face England this weekend, does this help with Steve Borthwick's selection...

Did the new Prem champions, Northampton, make a mistake by letting George Furbank leave? And has Steve Borthwick got the balance right in his Nations Championship squad? Ugo, Chris and DC take a more considered look back at Saturday's Prem final, asking whether Exeter could have done more to trouble Saints. As England's squad for the Nations Championship is named, Ugo asks whether the team should start to be built around Henry Poll...

Chris Jones is joined by Matt Dawson and Chris Ashton as Northampton Saints beat Exeter Chiefs at Twickenham to claim their second Prem title in three years. They break down where Northampton edged the final, and discuss whether they're already building the foundations of a dynasty. We hear from man of the match Henry Pollock and Exeter captain Dafydd Jenkins. Plus, do the RFU need to a plan to ensure there's a pathway for the Prem...

Can Exeter pull off an upset and beat Northampton at Twickenham on Saturday? Chris and Ashy look ahead to the Prem final and discuss where the game could be won and lost. Chiefs Director of Rugby Rob Baxter joins the pod to explain why belief is growing within the Exeter camp, while departing Northampton captain George Furbank reflects on the feel-good factor around the Saints and why he's determined to sign off with one last piece...

The pod has been given exclusive access to the four directors of rugby ahead of this weekend's play-offs. Chris heads to the Prem awards in central London to sit down with Phil Dowson, Johann van Graan, Rob Baxter and Geoff Parling to reflect on the Prem season so far and the quality of rugby. Has there been too many blowouts? And have the recent law changes made it a better or worse spectacle? We also look at the gruelling schedul...

Exeter are into the Prem play-offs and Ugo, Ashy and Danny are joined by Henry Slade to reflect on a memorable win over Saracens, and the Chiefs’ remarkable transformation. Slade also discusses his outstanding form after ending the regular season finishing as the league’s top points scorer. We also break down the final round of the Premiership season, including Bath securing a home semi-final thanks to Thomas du Toit&rs...

Chris and Ashy head to the Saracens training base for a special pod about one of the most influential figures in English club rugby history. After 17 trophy-laden years at Sarries, Mark McCall is standing down as director of rugby at the end of the season. We speak to the man himself who explains why now is the time to move on, and what place he is leaving the club in. Two of Sarries’ senior players, Ben Earl and Nick Tompkin...