The Nations Pod: Review of the Year

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 each nation's year and the tournaments. They also reflect on the big moments and best performances of the year. And no review of the year is complete without a combined team of the year!

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 on the scrum-halves that are catching his eye this season. Ellie Kildunne scores another wonder try and we answer some of your questions.

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, Leinster scramble over the line against Leicester and Sale pick up a big win on the road. But there were still plenty of blowouts and low attendances in round two, would a 16-team competition solve the issue? There is plenty of transfer and contract chat as several players including Jac Morgan announce they’re on the move next season. Ashy gives us a great insight into the complexities of the contract game and why there is always more than meets than eye.

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 scores on his Champions Cup debut. We also discuss the 12-week ban handed to Eben Etzebeth and whether he will actually benefit from time out the game.

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 Springbok win actually be good for the game? Tom gets all misty-eyed about French players we've never heard of as we imagine just how special a French World Cup win would be.

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 league. Will we see Benhard Janse van Rensburg in an England shirt in the near future? There is another setback for R360 and we look ahead to Wednesday’s World Cup draw.

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 Kpoku tells us they are keen to make a splash and targeting their opener against Northampton. Scarlets are also back in the competition and we sit down with their captain Josh Macleod for an open and honest conversation about how tough it is to be a Welsh player right now with all the uncertainty around the club game.

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 previewing the new Champions Cup season with Saracens legend Jamie George, Glasgow's Rory Darge and World Cup winning Springbok Deon Fourie.

Are South Africa the best team ever? Did Wales offer a glimpse of optimism? And is Gregor Townsend still the man for Scotland? Chris, Tom and Gareth reconvene for the final time this year to unpack the Autumn Internationals. Tom wants Ireland to reset an ageing squad, while Gareth remains positive about Wales. And Chris brings up the substitutions debate, asking whether the game now relies on too many replacements.

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 the balance right between collision and evasion in the modern game as we strive for player safety? We reflect on Malcolm Marx being crowned World Player of the Year and pick our players of the autumn.