The Nations Pod

Is Saturday’s game at Murrayfield Scotland’s best ever opportunity to beat the All Blacks? And what would count as a good autumn for Wales? Just some of the questions that Chris, Tom and Gareth tackle ahead of busy weekend of rugby. Chris argues that England’s strength in depth is their biggest asset, while Tom has serious concerns that Ireland lack the X factor. And Gareth confesses he’s starting to feel like the third wheel in this pod throuple after missing out on the Lion tour.

Which England player is compared to an annoying little brother? Ugo, Danny and Chris praise England's gameplan against Australia and heap praise on Sale's Tom Roebuck. Was it a red? Should it have even been a yellow? We debate the highly controversial Tadhg Beirne dismissal in Chicago and what went wrong for Ireland in the final 20 minutes as the All Blacks avenged their 2016 loss. We also discuss Antoine Dupont's new Toulouse deal and look ahead to this weekend's matches as the Steve Tandy regime begins. Plus, who should be in the frame for World Player of the Year?

England begin their autumn campaign with victory over Australia and extend their winning run to eight matches. Chris is back on the pod with Ashy and Matt Dawson to pick through a contest that was close until the hour mark. What are the big positives for Steve Borthwick and his men? We get the assessment of fly-half George Ford on the match and we discuss why the Wallabies struggled to match their performance at Twickenham this time last year.

Danny and Sara take the pod inside England's training base to preview their opening match of the autumn against Australia. Maro Itoje reflects on a memorable summer for him that saw him tie the knot and captain the Lions to series win over the Wallabies. He also talks about the team's aspirations this November and beyond. Are Steve Borthwick's side capable of winning the World Cup in two years? Richard Wigglesworth chats about his move to defence coach and what we can expect moving forward - as well as his admiration for Joe Marler's exploits on The Traitors. George Ford is also on the pod after he was handed the keys to number 10 and we look ahead to the big clash in Chicago as Jack Crowley gets the nod at fly-half against the All Blacks.

Noah Caluori's meteoric rise continues after being named in England's squad for the autumn internationals. Ashy and Ugo discuss his inclusion and if it was the right decision to leave Adam Radwan out of the squad. What would a good November look like for England? Is a clean sweep possible? Lauren is back on the pod fresh from her honeymoon to give us the lowdown on the big news in Wales as the WRU announce they will be cutting one region. Is it realistically a straight shootout between Ospreys and Scarlets for survival? We look at Henry Slade and Exeter's form and another incredible milestone for Ma'a Nonu.

Sara sits down with England great Emily Scarratt to reflect on her illustrious career. After 17 years, two World Cups wins, 11 Six Nations title, a World Player of the Year gong and 119 caps for her country, ‘Scaz’ has finally hung up her boots. What is the best moment of her career? What is next? We hear about her upbringing on a farm in rural Leicestershire and how that prepared her for a career in rugby. We hear all about the celebrations in Ibiza following the 2025 World Cup win on home soil this summer. As well as the triumphs, Scarratt also looks back on the heartache and setbacks she suffered.

It was a dream weekend for Saracens' Noah Caluori. After scoring a remarkable five tries on Saturday, he was called up to train with the England senior side on Sunday. Ashy and Sara chat to the England head coach Steve Borthwick about English rugby's newest star. Could he actually make his England debut this autumn? But while Borthwick has gained another winger, he has lost a number eight after Tom Willis announced he is leaving English rugby altogether to rejoin Bordeaux. Who is the man to place him in the back row? Plus, we look back on another impressive Exeter performance, the Irish fly-half battle and one of the worst attendances of all time.

We reunite two of Wigan's most famous sons for a special episode of the pod. Ashy chats to Andy Farrell about his new autobiography ‘The Only Way I Know’. They discuss his love of Wigan and how the other code and becoming a father at such a young age helped shape him. Farrell reflects on this summer's Lions tour and gives us an insight into the emotion surrounding calling up his son Owen to join the squad in Australia. Would he like to lead the Lions on another tour? We touch on his time in charge of Ireland and ask what he still wants to achieve as a coach after the disappointment of the quarter-final exit at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. And will Farrell Snr ever coach England in the future?

Danny, Ugo and Ashy review an action-packed derby weekend. Has Marcus Smith played his way into contention at fly-half this autumn? We also pick our England backline as it stands and there is an interesting shout from Ashy at inside centre. Could Bath really go the whole season unbeaten? How worried should Gloucester fans be this season? And after the top unions decided to block international players from joining R360, where does this leave the rebel-league?

Ugo, Danny and Ashy are back, but even though the Prem brought another weekend full of surprises they had to start the pod with the sad news that former England captain and British and Irish Lions legend, Lewis Moody has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease. The guys all played with him and reflect on how the rugby community can get behind Lewis to support him and his family, during this difficult time. And they hear from Moody himself who spoke to BBC about his condition. In terms of the Prem – Leicester’s win against Quins proved to be a comeback for the ages with Ugo admitting that Harlequins are in a hole right now. Even though his Sale side lost to Bath, chat turns to George Ford and if he has the smartest rugby brain in the Prem – and has Owen Farrell given Saracens a lift? Away from matters on the pitch, the trio critique Chris Robshaw’s Strictly performance and Ugo has agreed to a bet if Chris does better than he did…. and is Ashy’s ‘Ash splash dive’ coming back on trend?