The Rugby Pod

We break down all the action from the penultimate round of Six Nations action, including France's blitz in Dublin, where a 7-1 bench gamble paid off against Ireland. England finally let loose at Allianz Stadium against Italy, with Ollie Chessum laying down a marker and Marcus Smith getting fans on their feet. Meanwhile, Scotland made it three in a row against Wales, albeit a second-half wobble hig...

Dan Biggar catches up with Wallabies legend Matt Giteau to chat Six Nations, the Lions, Aussie rugby as well as his stellar career. Gits gives an Aussie perspective on the potential Lions squad, including Marcus Smith’s versatility and shift to full-back, Prendgergast's development post Sexton, and how both Smith and Prendergast's journey's compare to his his own as a young Wallaby surrounded by l...

The lads are back and feeling fresh from some winter sun in Miami and the Cayman Islands, and ready for a massive few weeks. With no Six Nations action last weekend, we’re taking a look at who has put their names forward for the Lions squad, including the big calls at 8 and 10. We’ll also preview this weekend’s massive matchups, with a bit of beef in the build up to Ireland v France) love to see i...

England have finally got their hands back on the Calcutta Cup, but was it Scotland throwing it away or England winning it? We get Jim’s take on a gut-wrenching defeat for the Scots and whether Finn’s Lions hopes have taken a hit, and Goodey and Bigs give their take on the England perfroemance. Wales put in a much-improved performance against Ireland—are they turning a corner? Ireland reclaims the...

After a cracking day of Six Nations action, we hear from the coaches and captains in the aftermath. Borthwick & Itjoe react to England’s performance, while Gregor Townsend gives Scotland's take on their disappointment and some big decisions. Matt Sherratt and Jack Morgan reflect on Wales’ incredible resurgence in Cardiff and whether he's considering making the role more permanent, while Simon East...

The Six Nations is back this weekend, but there’s been plenty to talk about off it too. Warren Gatland has walked just days after Wales’ 14th straight defeat—Bigs gives us the inside track on what really went down. We break down what his departure means for Wales, the impact of interim boss Matt Sherratt, and whether it gives them any hope against Ireland. Then, it’s all about the Calcutta Cup. En...

Dan Biggar sits down with England legend Johnny Wilkinson for an exclusive chat on The Pod. The two fly-halves go deep into the pressures of international rugby and the mindset needed to perform at the highest level. Wilkinson reveals the best captain and leader he played under, the scrum-halves that got the best out of him, as well as his iconic Toulon team talk. The lads share stories about the...

The lads are on great form after a cracking weekend of Six Nations ruggers. They were at Allianz stadium for England v France, so they chat about the electric atmosphere and break down an England win in the context of the tournament, but also in terms of the Borthwick and Itoje eras — we also look at whether Finn Smith has cemented himself as the 10 over Marcus. We cover Ireland's impressive perfo...

Dan Biggar and Andy Goode are back to break down a massive weekend in the Six Nations. England welcome France to Allianz Stadium in a crunch match that could shape the title race for both teams— Can England’s new-look attack deliver? Scotland face Ireland in Edinburgh, where the Scots are desperate to derail Irish Grand Slam hopes. And in Rome, Wales have no room for error in a must-win clash agai...

Round one is done and dusted and how good is it to have the Six Nations back on our screens?! England showed some promise in the first half against Ireland, but a second-half fight back saw the hosts turn things around in Dublin—what went wrong for Borthwick’s men, and how did Ireland’s bench make the difference? Scotland made hard work of it against Italy but eventually pulled away, with Huw Jone...

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This week on The Rugby Pod, we’ve got a very special guest – we're joined by one of the most decorated and toughest coaches in either code of rugby, the legendary Shaun Edwards OBE. From his Wales Grand Slam-winning years to building France’s defensive juggernaut, Shaun gives us an insight into what makes him one of the sharpest minds in the game. Dan Biggar gets stuck in with his old coach, remin...

It’s Six Nations Eve, and the lads are buzzing for Round 1! The lads will be previewing round one, including a massive showdown in Dublin between Ireland and England, Scotland's Italian test and France v Wales. We'll also be asking if the Premiership is the right prep for test rugby, if rugby has dropped the ball with Netflix? And what happens if the Six Nations goes behind a paywall? Plus, we’ve...

Jim, Goodey, Bigs, and Rob are back in the studio to dissect the Six Nations squads and preview the tournament in this massive Lions year. The lads chat England captaincy, a massive injury for Scotland, Ireland's 10 question, and Welsh woes. We also review all the drama from the final round of Champions Cup group games and chat with Saints’ rising star Henry Pollock about his standout season and h...

Jim’s dialling in from Spotify HQ in the USA, and Goodey’s fresh off a busy Champions Cup weekend. We’re diving into all the action, including Leinster’s brutal bust-up against La Rochelle, Glasgow's big win against Racing, and Freddie Steward’s Six Nations stock is rising after Leicester's win against Ulster. Plus, Junior Kpoku—England U20 star and Racing 92 powerhouse—joins us to chat about life...

The lads are back from their festive break and after some holiday chat, we dive straight into some rogue rugby predictions for 2025 including whether the Boks might join the Six Nations, Lions Tour predictions and which team the Saudis are buying. We’ll also take a look at the Prem, URC, TOP14 over the Xmas period. We also catch up with Andre Esterhuizen to talk Sharks, life in South Africa, and p...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and The Rugby Pod is bringing you the End of Year Awards & Christmas Special! Jim, Goodey, and Producer Rob look back on the highs, lows, and downright bizarre moments of 2024 with plenty of laughs. From Ireland’s epic comeback in South Africa to the RFU’s financial skid marks, nothing is off-limits in this festive rugby roundup. Who’s the player you’d lea...

The lads dissect a big weekend of Champions Cup rugby. Jim shares some tales from his trip to Paree for the Saracens game, while Goodey has been on the road too. We break down Saracens’ win over Stade Français, Sale’s performance against Racing 92, and England's overall dominance over South African opposition, including Northampton grinding out a win over the Bulls, and Leicester running riot agai...

It’s blowing a gale both on and off the pitch. Goodey’s been on the wet and windy road between London, Bath and Glasgow for the opening round of the Champions Cup, while Jim's tweeting up his own storm over rugby platforms and where fans can watch all the action. We cover all the action, including Saracens win and Tom Willis' England shout, Bordeaux overpowering Leicester, Leinster's Guinness bomb...

We’re back with a packed episode! Jim and Goodey dissect Ireland’s final Autumn Nations match against the Wallabies, Caelan Doris’ Lions captaincy credentials, and Schmidt’s revivied Wallabies. Stephen Ferris joins to rate Ireland’s performances, chat about rising star Sam Prendergast, and debate the Lions back row for 2025. Plus, Champions Cup dark horses, RFU bonuses, and your listeners' questio...

This week, we recap all the winners from the World Rugby Awards from Monaco including player of the year, Coach of the year and the XV Dream Team. On the pitch, England snapped their losing streak with a commanding win over Japan and some bright shoots, but defensive woes remain under scrutiny. Scotland set a record nine wins this year with a lot of players setting down a marker for Lions selectio...

Jim and Bigs are joined in studio by Aussie legends Matt Gitaeu and Drew Mitchell to chat about their Northern Tour on and off the pitch. The lads give some great insight into the Aussie revival, where it's come from and what it means for the Lions Tour. Plus the lads share some cracking stories on dodgy physios in France, playing in the US, and a punch-up last week in Cardiff. Bigs gives us his t...

The lads are feeling inspired after an epic cross-code weekend for the MND charity game in Leeds, before crashing back down to earth with another England loss. We break down all the weekend’s matches including Ireland’s patchy win over Argentina, England’s defensive frailties against South Africa, and Wales’ drubbing by Australia. The lads discuss who England and Wales might be approaching as thei...

Fresh off another loss to the Boks, Steve Borthwick and Jamie George face some tough questions from the media with pressure piling on. Is England’s rebuild on track, or are they running out of excuses? Rassie Erasmus also chats to the press and credits South Africa’s victory to their experience and cohesion, and also offers some advice to Borthwick and England moving forward. Learn more about your...

We're back for a bonus episode to preview England’s massive showdown with South Africa. Can England handle the Bok bomb squad and hold steady in the scrum? What’s the ideal bench strategy and has Borthwick made the right changes? We’re also joined by Mark Mapletoft to discuss England's upcoming stars from the Under 20s and England A ahead of their clash with Australia. Plus we preview Wales vs. Au...