The Good, The Bad & The Rugby

In a special bonus edition, Alex and Ben are joined by the Springbok legend Bryan Habana to reveal the nominees for European Player of the Year. Together they drill down into the shortlist, look ahead to the Challenge Cup and Champions Cup Finals, and get a South African view on the task faced by the British and Irish Lions this summer.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex is finally allowed to pick the subject matter for GB&R and so he sets James and Mike the simple task of picking the greatest British and Irish Lions 15 of the professional era. Together the three of them stumble their way through what they believe is the best team - made up of great Lions performers - to win a one-off test match. Who makes it......who are the big omissions.....and who will never speak to Tinds and Hask again after this?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex, Mike and James welcome arguably the most popular man in rugby to GB&R this week: the physical performance manager for Wales, he’s been on the last three Lions tours - and will be on his fourth this summer - and he’s known simply by a pair of alter egos: Bobby Boucher and The Rope. He is the legendary Paul Stridgeon and together they talk wrestling Graham Rowntree, paragliding, the upcoming Lions tour, healing powers, and why he's beloved by players around the world.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Alex, James and Mike take on a simple task: pick their 36-man squad for the Lions tour that includes a starting 15, a captain and a player of the series. Together they ruminate, cogitate and contemplate a myriad of names, line-ups and variations on a theme to try and select a group of men capable of taking down the Springboks on their home turf. This is the definitive GB&R Lions team for 2021 full of well reasoned debate and one or two surprises.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex and Ben are joined by one of the greatest players in European rugby history as Ireland legend Ronan O'Gara drops in from idyllic Ile de Re to talk La Rochelle, nerves, the cult of the modern player, and how affected he was by some of the lows in his career. Plus he discusses who he'd pick at 10 for the Lions and what he'll do if Stade Rochelais win the Heineken Cup.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex and Mike cross codes with one of the greatest players to ever play rugby league - the legendary Kevin Sinfield - in one of the most powerful episodes yet. Together they talk marathons, Rob Burrow, Doddie Weir and the power of friendship. Plus, signing a contract aged 13, making your debut three years later, and almost giving it all up to come to Union.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex, James and Mike are joined by Wayne Pivac to talk about Wales's Six Nations victory, dealing with pressure, and THOSE curtains. Together they dig into the heart of the Welsh sporting psyche, go behind the scenes on a remarkable turnaround, and shine the light on a couple of key men. And there's reflections on a life lived in the New Zealand police, roaming the streets looking for bad guys with Steve Hansen, and the transferable skills from detective to international rugby coach.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex, James and Mike welcome Ellis back from England duty as they go on a deep dive into what went wrong for Eddie Jones's team during the Six Nations. Ellis reveals the levels of racism and the death threats that he received during the competition, James asks if it's really all worth it, and Mike looks back on a fantastic game in Paris, ahead to a tournament denouement on Friday, and reveals something very, very special that happened on Sunday night.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex is joined by a happy Englishman, a sad Frenchman and a relieved Irishman as Mike, Ben and the Premiership's most decorated player, Geordan Murphy look back at a fascinating penultimate round of the Six Nations. They also assess where the competition will be won and lost this weekend, and drill down into what really went wrong at Leicester for the former Tigers Director of Rugby.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex, James and Ben are joined by the newest addition to the GBR team: World Cup winner and former World Player of the Year Emily Scarratt. Together they discuss Emily's new show, the postponement of the Women's World Cup, and the introduction of a Women's Lions team. And they look ahead to this weekend's Six Nations with Le Crunch at the forefront, and James tells us exactly what Eddie Jones and England have been doing since defeat to Wales.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices