French RUGBY CONNECTIONS with Veronique Landew & Bill Hooper

And they think it's all over! The season finishes with a magical try from Romain Ntamack - who else?  Zero to hero in a sprint. Tom Dickson and Veronique Landew go through the highs and lows of the climax of the Top 14, which leaves the Toulouse correspondent grinning from ear to ear. As the Bouclier de Brennus enjoys a holiday on Leucate Plage doubling as Tony o'Bridge's surfboard,...

We await the perfect final of the #1 against the #2.  Toulouse has beaten La Rochelle twice this season and is relatively relaxed, chilled on a hammock, swallowing oysters for fun;-)... How will the final-winning habit of o'Gara spoil their day?  On verra. We will see. Our two mastodons of the Top 14 float effortlessly into the final, and what a final it promises to be.  Heft, fatigue, and ar...

Deux demis, or do we have a couple of sémillon?   Veronique Landew and Tom Dickinson enthuse about the festival of rugby in San Sébastien as the Top 14 squeezes down to the two finalists.  Do we go for the obvious winners, or expect some surprising magic from Finn Russell of Racing and Matthieu Jalibert of Bordeaux.  Wrapping up a fine Pro D2 season, with RWC23 ticket hints plus a reminder to see...

A third successive French Double.  La Rochelle and Toulon complete a 3-year run of French teams at the top of both European cups.   Veronique Landew and Tom Dickson analyze the wonderful displays in Dublin where Rugby nudged perfection.  What does it say to the rest of the world when two Northern Hemisphere clubs put on such a thrilling display, way above what clubs and test matches have been serv...

King and Prince of Europe, please rise!  Veronique and Tom are looking forward to historic victories of La Rochelle and Toulon as they stamp French names on to the European Champions Cup and the European Challenge Cup.  Can the mighty Leinster fall in their own back yard?  Oui! Veronique's chou-chou the mighty Vannes travel to Oyonnax for the first Prod D2 semi-final, and ferociously close ma...

Did anyone catch any other Rugby players attending the Coronation apart from Tindall and McCaw?  Did anyone get Tom's gag about McCaw arriving at the Abbey late, coming in at the side, and getting away with it? The end-of-season excitement, upsets, and heroics left Tom and Veronique breathless with admiration not least for Brive, Perpignan, and that man Tony o'Bridge, aka A. Dupont. Stad...

Discipline lads!  Toulouse come a poor second to a mighty Leinster in Dublin.  Tom holds in his abject disappointment and Veronique and him cast their eyes over the critical French games of the week-end, projecting Toulon and La Rochelle into the next stages. A round of applause for 58,614 fans in Twickenham as les Bleues won at least the second half of a cracking Grand Slam Tik-Tok 6 Nations. A r...

We discuss the surprises and upsets as we hit the final straight of Top 14 and Pro D2 with plenty still up for grabs! But without a doubt, it's a huge weekend of the year as England Women host France at Twickenham in front of 60,000+ fans.  Meanwhile in Dublin and Bordeaux, the four strongest clubs of the Northern Hemisphere clash for a place in the final in the Heineken European Cup!  The 4...

Enjoy this 29 mins episode of the latest Top 14 and Pro D2 reviews and French rugby-related news such as the inductees into the Toulon Hall of Fame! It's a first for a top-14 club. Bravo Toulon and for being so innovative and for a delightful evening event, i which past rugby stars were convened.  Enjoy the French rugby CONNECTIONS Podcast, the rugby podcast with the gallic flair!

Can't wait for this European Rugby weekend to start?  You are in good hands as Veronique and Tom preview the European Championship Quarter final and discuss the valiant game away game from Montpellier against Exeter last weekend, in which  "The best team lost" according to Philippe Saint Andre. We have more news about the Pro D2, The women's Six Nations, and the NEW French blue...

Dupont wins a third 6 Nations crown. Veronique and Tom agree that the Top 14 Derby Day was a big success despite top names resting.  Competitions abound with 'Europe', W6N, 7's, ProD2, and the long home sprint of the Top 14. And the biggest competition is 'vote for us' at www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-rugby-podcast Enjoy the French Rugby CONNECTIONS Podca...

An epic 6 Nations finishes. and a New Six Nations women's tournament commences on Saturday! We are so thankful for such a wonderful competition, one to stick in our minds for decades. Celebrating the class and form of the Northern hemisphere teams ahead of a home World Cup for Les Bleus. Enjoy the French Rugby CONNECTIONS Podcast, the podcast with the gallic twist!

Veronique and Tom combine in admiration of the best game the French have put together for decades.  With their first win at Twickenham in 18 years, France beat all records in a comprehensive thrashing of the home team. And yet the French count on England and wish them unlikely success on Sunday. As the Six Nations draws to a close and a likely crowning of Ireland for a Six Nations Grand Slam, in D...

Veronique and Tom emphasise the quality of the 6 Nations tournament so far, and the excitement of the coming weekend.  World Rugby order could be turned upside-down with Italy rampant, France wobbling, and Scotland on a stream of form hoping to put a stop to Ireland's Grand Slam hopes. Two weeks ago Tom correctly predicted all 7 Top 14 home victories and all 3 6N matches, we allow him a momen...

Bravo à Bayonne! Last week's Top 14 delights were headed by an after-the-whistle Camille Lopez winner that keeps Tom's  "chouchous aka Darlings" amazingly in the top 6. Tom predicts 7 home wins in the coming weekend in the Top 14, but all eyes are on the least exciting of the 6 Nations weekends with few reasons to doubt Ireland, France, and England from obvious wins, but Veroni...

What a treat.  Ireland and France slugged out a fest! Best match in decades - really? Six Nations gold.  Thank you. Veronique and Tom try to calm down after the breathtaking first half in Dublin.  Looking ahead to a 'doublons' weekend in the Top 14 and some fine ProD2.  French rugby remains thrilling! Enjoy the French rugby CONNECTIONS Podcast, the rugby podcast with the gallic flair!

This week we share the excitement of Italy's arrival at the top table putting Les Bleus to 18 penalties, and look forward to the coming weekend, in this episode lasting 30 MINS! World #1 hosts World #2 with the top ranking position waiting to be won or lost. The Top 14 motored along in the background and gave us a wonderful week-end of close-fought fun matches cutting up the bottom if not the...

A little Top 14 Music ahead of the 6 Nations big band. Veronique and Tom review a surprisingly exciting week-end of Top 14 full of close exciting matches. Ahead of another week-end of intriguing head-to-heads 'sans internationaux'.  Toulouse vs Bayonne anyone? Without forgetting the incoming Six Nations competition, but are we having the weakest week-end first? Enjoy the French Rugby CON...

Only a few French clubs left in this Champions cup, Toulouse and La Rochelle remain at the top of the Champions competition, but other French teams had had a sorry season. All the South African teams remain; Wales, Ireland and Scotland are very well represented by strong and consistent teams........which bodes well for a tasty Six Nations and World Cup. The Top 14 limps on next week-end with a &ap...

Why is the Champions Cup so challenging? Veronique and Tom digest the fine rugby and incomprehensible administration of the weekend with hardly a complaint and look forward to the tasty forthcoming matches. Berets tipped to the star players as the French squad is announced with some old, some new, and 11 Toulousains.  Will Manny Meafou get his French passport in time to make it a dozen?? Enjoy the...

We are back!!!! Veronique and Tom run through the Top 14, where it seems that English-like weather and stars being rested produced messy play, kicking-rich, penalty-strewn games which brought flankers into their best games of the year so far. Brive is heading up, Pau is dropping down, Clermont is worried, and the two Parisian teams look to be where the excitement will be. Discover also how much of...

We are back, after one week's hiatus due to work commitments! This week, Tom and I talk about in 35 mins on: How the mighty have fallen.  The Top 14 table - so many top flight teams out of position? It's tight too in the ProD2 Getting ready to rock around Europe Welcome to the Stade Toulousain, Jack Willis Enjoy the French Rugby CONNECTIONS, the Rugby podcast with the Gallic flair!

On the French Rugby CONNECTIONS Podcast, we talk about the joyful celebrations of the Marseille test match where the current World Champions were bested by the next. Bad bosses: Rassie and his Trump tendencies and  Ronan o'Gara up in front of the beaks again. Berets off to the Ladies RWC21 results, and bellissimo to la squadra who beat Australia for the first time ever. Today, furious Urios w...

Yes, the Autumn Internationals are on and, Les Bleus have managed to get a win in the dying seconds of the game with a splendid try from Damien Penaud! It was a real thing of beauty! Tom and I discuss beverages drunk in Rugby stadia such as Gin Rhubarb, Armagnac, alcohol-free beer, and of course, the last weekend of the Top 14. Enjoy the French Rugby CONNECTIONS, the rugby podcast with the gallic...

The French Rugby CONNECTIONS Podcast is here! We review and preview the Top14, the ProD2, The women's rugby world cup, and the latest news from the French rugby world. Enjoy the French rugby CONNECTIONS, the Rugby podcast with the Gallic twist.