Rugby Union Weekly

As the Premiership heads into its mid-season break, Ugo and Ashy look back on a packed weekend of action. They start with one of the games of the season as Bath edged Gloucester at Kingsholm, with Charlie Atkinson outstanding. Are Bath still the force they were last year, or are teams starting to work them out? Harlequins are back under the spotlight, with Ashy asking whether, in another sport, Jason Gilmore would already be gone. ...

Ashy and Chris are in the player’s gym at Twickenham to dissect England’s Six Nations squad and chat to head coach Steve Borthwick. He talks through his picks at tighthead and calling up Exeter number eight Greg Fisilau. We ask how close Northampton’s George Hendy was to making the cut and how many of those named on the rehab list will play in the early part of the tournament. Borthwick also speaks about their opener against Wales ...

The next stop on the Nations Pod Guide is Edinburgh. GRO teaches Chris and Tom a Max Boyce classic and explains why the trip to the Scottish capital is so special for Wales fans. After initially declaring he doesn’t have much to say about the city, Tom tells us about his favourite pubs and praises the commitment of the Scottish rugby fans despite the lack of success in the Six Nations era. The guys also talk Bill McLaren, Flower of...

Ugo, Danny and Ashy reflect on the final round of pool matches in the Champions Cup as Quins stole headlines by knocking out two-time winners La Rochelle. Glasgow qualified with a 100% record to guarantee home advantage until the final. Are the Scots now serious contenders for the big prize? We look at the big winners and losers of the draw for the knockout stage. We hear from a disgruntled Bristol fan and try to plot who will make...

Chris, Tom and GRO are back for the second instalment of the Nation’s pod guide and this time they’re talking about the home of English rugby - Twickenham. Is it still the one scalp that all teams want in the Six Nations? Tom and GRO discuss their complex relationship with HQ and why it is such an intimidating venue. They also share their experiences both good and bad of playing against England. We also tackle the Twickenham cliche...

Danny, Ugo and Chris review an eventful Champions Cup weekend that produced another big upset after Saracens stunned six-time champions Toulouse. They reflect on the battle between the two Willis brothers and if the result means Sarries are back to their best. Henry Pollock rekindled his love-hate relationship with the Bordeaux fans. We wonder if Damian Penaud is on some kind of assist bonus and we welcome our first ever mortgage a...

What makes a great Six Nations city? Is it all about the atmosphere on match day? The stadium itself? Or more about the pubs and the nightlife? In this special mini-series, Chris, Gareth and Tom bring you their ultimate guide to all four cities across the home nations as we begin our build-up to the Six Nations. First up, it’s the home of Welsh rugby, the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. GRO makes a passionate case for why his city...

It’s the first pod of 2026 and there is plenty to discuss with club statements and statement performances on the pitch. Chris, Ashy and Ugo look at what we can and assess the runners and riders ahead of the Six Nations which begins in Paris one month today. Are England finally ready to deliver silverware or will Ireland rise again under Andy Farrell? We analyse the growing issues at Harlequins and Gloucester after damaging defeats ...

After years of podding separately in Cardiff, Stirling and London - Chris, Tom and GRO finally get together to record a Nations Pod in person. They look back at the highs and lows of the game in 2025 which included the Lions tour of Australia and the Red Roses lifting the World Cup. How would you sum up the Lions tour? And how do you best describe another tough year for Wales? Tom challenges the guys to pick one word that sums up e...

Danny tells Ashy and Chris about his trip to visit Santa Claus in Lapland and his husky adventure in -37c. We look back at the final weekend of rugby before Christmas as Harlequins are humbled at Twickenham and Exeter claim another big scalp on the road. Where has it gone wrong for Quins since winning the league in 2021? And are Exeter now genuine title contenders? Sale’s struggles without George Ford continue while Danny zeros in ...

The big shock of the weekend came up at Scotstoun as Glasgow stunned six-time champions Toulouse. Player of the Match Adam Hastings tells Ashy and Chris about their epic comeback and how the navigated the treacherous conditions at the ‘ice rink’. We also hear about Franco Smith’s coaching style and if winning their opening two Champions Cup matches has changed their outlook on this year’s tournament. Bath came unstuck at Toulon, Le...

Chris, Ashy and Ugo pick apart the opening weekend of the Champions Cup. Was it the shot in the arm the tournament needed? Or were there still too many predictable results? Edinburgh caused the biggest upset of the round in what was a great weekend for the Scottish sides. Can Prem champions Bath go all the way this year? Rieko Ioane made his Leinster debut, Mathieu Jalibert shone for defending champions Bordeaux and Noah Caluori sc...

Chris, Tom and GRO bring you immediate reaction to the draw for the 2027 World Cup. England and Wales meet in Pool F while we can look forward to another instalment of the 'Tom English derby' as Scotland and Ireland were drawn together for the third World Cup in a row! But which team is the bigger winner from the draw down under? If South Africa are to deliver the three-peat they will have to do it the hard way - but would another ...

Danny, Ashy and Chris dissect another dismal day for Wales as they end 2025 with a record home defeat. How much would the young Welsh players actually have learned from their 73-0 defeat to South Africa? We also discuss Eben Etzebeth’s red card for the eye gouge on Alex Mann that took the shine off another dominant Springboks win. We look at the return of the Prem and debate whether it’s easier than ever to score tries in the leagu...

In episode two of our bumper Champions Cup preview, Ashy and Chris catch up with Lions hero Hugo Keenan who reflects on his winning try in the MCG and Leinster's ambition to add fifth star to the jersey. High-flying Sale winger Tom Roebuck looks back on his breakthrough autumn with England and reveals he scored his try against the All Blacks with a broken toe! Pau are back in the tournament for the first time in 25 years and Joel K...

It’s finally happened. The stars aligned and we managed to get Ashy and his old sparring partner Manu Tuilagi in the same room to talk about that infamous moment at Welford Road 14 years ago. Chris helps us finally get to the bottom of what sparked it, and we quiz Manu on life in France and his return to fitness. Is the former England centre seriously considering a switch to Samoa for the next World Cup? We do get round to previewi...

Who were the big winners and losers this autumn? Ugo, Danny and Chris reflect on what we’ve learnt this November. Who has progressed and who has regressed? The Springboks have cemented their place at the top of the world game but who would win between them and the great All Blacks team from 2015? The officiating has been a huge talking point over the past four weeks, particularly after events in Dublin this weekend. How do we get t...

England completed their first four-Test autumn clean sweep since 2016 with a nervy win over Argentina. Chris, Ashy and Paul Grayson praise England for battling past a spirited Pumas team on a scrappy afternoon at Twickenham. Max Ojomoh impressed on only his second cap with a try and two assists. Could he become England’s long-term 12 moving forward? He’s on the pod along with head coach Steve Borthwick. What should the expectations...