The Good, The Bad & The Rugby

Get ready for the Investec Champions Cup final! This week, we're breaking down the Anglo-French showdown between Northampton Saints and Bordeaux, with Ben Kayser's inside track on the big-budget French side and their attacking genius Jalibert. We also delve into Bath's Gallagher Premiership dominance and their upcoming Challenge Cup Final. Plus, huge news on Red Bull's potential takeover of Newcastle Falcons and Antoine Dupont's move into American rugby ownership. All this, plus our final picks for the ultimate Investec Champions Cup Dream Team. Season 5 is sponsored by Continental Tyres.  WOB Group & GB&R Competition Entry Form 00:00 🛞 Strap in with Continental Tyres 02:25 🛁 Bath's Premiership Dominance: Is Their Squad Unstoppable?  10:19 💸 Rugby Ticket Prices: "Obscene" for Fans!!!  13:02 🐯 Leicester Tigers' New Era: Geoff Parling Appointment Discussed  20:03 😇 Northampton's Champions Cup Cohesion 24:39🍷 Bordeaux's "Freak Attack": Jalibert & Lucu's Magic  48:55: 🦓 Investec Champions Cup Dream Team: Our Ultimate Picks!  55:36 🪽 Red Bull Buys Newcastle Falcons?! A Major Game Changer  01:05:49 🇺🇸 Antoine Dupont's American Rugby Investment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Northampton and England winger Tommy Freeman joins the pod for a laugh-out-loud, raw and at times deeply personal chat. Fresh off a Lions call-up and in red-hot form - with 15 tries in his last 10 games - Tommy reflects on the moments that shaped him, from the heartbreak of missing out on the 2023 Rugby World Cup to living with epilepsy. With Saints heading into the Investec Champions Cup Final, we look ahead to his blockbuster showdown with Louis Bielle-Biarrey as Northampton prepare to face Bordeaux. Season 5 is sponsored by Continental Tyres.  WOB Group & GB&R Competition Entry Form 🎧 00:00 – Strap in with Continental Tyres 🦁 02:00 – Freeman’s a Lion  💥 10:00 – Tommy on Pollock  🔄 19:28 – Mr Versatile - winger, fullback, centre... and maybe even a 10? 👬 23:07 – Mitchell & Smith - the big kids of Northampton 👑 27:00 – Hampton Court & Royal Questions  🔥 33:00 – Try Machine 🚨 38:28 – Hooked by Eddie Jones 🐯 42:28 – Why Tigers Passed  💔 43:57 – Missing the 2023 RWC  🧠 45:00 – Living with Epilepsy 🔵 54:36 – The Leinster Recap  🙌 01:00:00 – Fraser Dingwall Appreciation Society  ⚡ 01:04:00 – Final H2H: Freeman vs Bielle-Biarry  🏆 01:08:00 – The People’s Final – Saints vs Bordeaux ⌚ 01:14:30 – Watches of Bath Quiz  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Filmed in style at the House of Rémy Martin, this week’s episode finds Alex, Hask, and Jonny May enjoying life in Cognac-deep in wine country and not far from Bordeaux’s dismantling of Toulouse-as they unpack a seismic weekend in the Investec Champions Cup. Northampton’s young guns stun Leinster, prompting big praise for Pollock, Smith, Freeman and more. But how might the Saints’ heroics shake up Andy Farrell’s Lions selection? Plus, Jonny faces another pronunciation test-this time courtesy of Bielle-Biarrey. Please enjoy your Rémy Martin responsibly. Season 5 is sponsored by Continental Tyres.  WOB Group & GB&R Competition Entry Form 🚗 00:00 – Buckle Up with Continental Tyres 🥃 02:53 – Welcome Rémy Martin! 🎤 05:00 – Hampton Court Live Show Details ☘️ 06:33 – How the Saints Stunned Dublin 🔥 14:51 – Fearless ? Northampton’s Mindset 🎨 24:00 – Pollock’s not so secret talent 🦁 31:30 – How the results will impact the Lions selction 😱 46:24 – What happened to Leinster? 🍷 50:00 – Bordeaux make their first Champions Cup Final! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As French club rugby thrives, English rugby finds itself at a crossroads. Alex and Tins are joined by Jonny May, Courtney Lawes, and rugby powerbroker Simon Gillham [OBE] for a timely conversation on what England can learn from across the Channel. From the dominance of ProD2 and the booming Top 14 to the structural chaos at home, the team digs into the future of the English game. Plus: Courtney’s Lions ambitions & Investec Champions Cup semi-final previews. Tickets are selling fast for finals weekend in Cardiff on the 23rd and 24th of May, head to EPCRugby.com for more details. Season 5 is sponsored by Continental Tyres.  WOB Group & GB&R Competition Entry Form 🛞 00:00 – Buckle Up with Continental Tyres 🎙️ 02:00 – Meet Simon Gillham OBE: Rugby’s Quiet Powerbroker 🤝 05:47 – When Brive Signed Courtney Lawes: Inside the Transfer 🏆 11:14 – Why Promotion & Relegation Still Works 🇫🇷 21:13 – What English Rugby Can Learn from France 📺 27:30 – Prem Rugby’s £200M TV Deal: Gamechanger? ⚠️ 40:18 – The Hidden Problem with Premiership Academies 🏗️ 45:47 – Franchise Model: Big Questions 🔥 51:35 – Investec Champions Cup Semi-Final Preview 🔍 56:59 – Courtney’s  Saints Scouting Report 🦁 01:04:00 – Lions 10 Debate: Smith, Prendergast, Ford, Farrell? 🇫🇷 01:09:49 – Bordeaux v Toulouse: All French Affair 🔮 01:11:50 – Semi-Final Predictions: Who’s Going to Cardiff? 🎯 01:13:50 – Courtney on a 3rd Lions Tour? 🧠 01:18:00 – England’s New Coaching Team & Players to Watch this Summer 🐉 01:21:25 – Dave Reddin Joins Wales Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Godfather of Strength and Conditioning.Fresh from the misty mountains of Peru, Al and Hask are joined by Hask's former Conditioning Coach at Wasps, Craig White; a man whose influence has shaped the face of High-Performance Coaching in rugby. With troublesome tales of managing Trevor Leota at Wasps alongside Shaun Edwards, Craig shares the biggest lessons he learned working with Clive Woodward and Warren Gatland on the 2005 and 2009 Lions Tours. For Craig, everything changed when he took a breather from the hyper-masculine world of rugby just months before the 2011 World Cup to go on a yoga retreat that opened his eyes to mindfulness, nature and a more spiritual style of coaching…Season 5 is sponsored by Continental Tyres. 🛞 00:00 - Strap in with Continental Tyres🐝 01:00 - A Wasps Reunion💪09:38 - Prescribing Brotherhood⚽🏉 16:07 - Football V Rugby, Allardyce V Gatland🤯 20:26 - How Do You Manage Trevor Leota?🦁 25:02 - 2005 + 2009 Lions Tour Double🐯 34:54 - Crouching Tigers Hidden Craig🧘‍♂️ 38:24 - The Life-Changing Yoga Retreat💥 45:19 - Hitting Rock Bottom & Learning How To Feel🌿 52:03 - Get Children Off Screens & In Nature🌍 55:46 - Tier 2 Champion: Uruguay and Chile Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2-time Investec Champions Cup Winner Geordan Murphy joins Hask and Payno to break down the weekend’s action. Leinster have activated cheat mode with Jordie Barrett at 12 and the RG Snyman wrecking shop. Jack Willis checks in from Toulouse to reflect on a gritty win in Toulon, life without Dupont, and his Lions ambitions. Plus: Furbank’s return, Vesty’s attack and Pollock’s swagger lighting up English rugby. Season 5 is sponsored by Continental Tyres. WOB Group & GB&R Competition Entry Form🛞 00:00 – Buckle Up with Continental Tyres🤣 03:28 – Hask’s WILD Rory McIlroy Story ⚡ 06:15 – Leinster Go FULL Cheat Mode🧠 14:52 – How should Leinster deal with Pollock? 😲 26:54 – The Reason Tommy Freeman Left Leicester🔥 29:00 – Just How Lethal is Sam Vesty’s Attack?!🇫🇷 33:20 – Bordeaux Lucu Good👬 39:16 – Willis x Hask Reunite⚔️ 41:51 – Toulon vs Toulouse: Hostility & History 🔍 45:00 – Who Really Is Ugo Mola? 😢 53:29 – The Dupont Void: How Big a Loss?🫡 57:30 – What It Means to Captain Toulouse📈 01:00:00 – Jack’s Rise On & Off the Pitch❤️ 01:07:00 – Brotherly Love: Tom & Jack’s Bond🦁 01:11:00 – Jack’s Lions Nibble🌟 01:17:30 – Investec Dream Team🧩 01:25:00 – New Tigers Coach? No.10? Fin Smith Rumors Fly! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Benjamin Kayser joins Hask and Tins to break down all the action from the Investec Champions Cup knockout stages.What’s next for La Rochelle under O'Gara’s leadership? Has Tadhg Beirne’s recent performances shifted our Lions XV? And with 4 English teams falling in the Round of 16, the guys question whether England's eligibility rules should be changed for Jack Willis.Plus, don’t miss the latest round of Who The Ruck Is That? Can Connor from Aylesford Bulls Rugby Club win £5k for his team?Season 5 is sponsored by Continental Tyres.WOB Group & GB&R Competition Entry Form🦓 00:00 – Welcome to the Investec Quarters🪂 01:00 – Parachute Chaos in Toulouse🤔 04:30 – Can O’Gara Turn La Rochelle’s Fortunes Around?👑 11:20 – Tadhg Beirne: Sorry Not Sorry🌹12:30 – A Tough Weekend for the English Sides🧠 21:19 – The Marcus Smith Dilemma🇫🇷 26:00 – Jack Willis: The French-Based Lion?📈 32:32 – Lions Watch: Who’s Rising? Who’s Falling?🎯 39:00 – Munster’s Miracle Run: Can They Go All the Way?🇫🇷 41:22 – Why the French Still Care About Europe💙 43:23 – Leinster’s Dream Draw🔮 48:15 – Quarter-Final Predictions: Who Makes the Final?🍚 49:30 – Elevate Your Plate: Tilda Rice Time🏉 50:59 – Ultimate Investec Partnerships: The Half-Back Debate🛁 58:53 – Bath for Bath: Tins Caught in a Club Conundrum🏟️ 59:43 – Worcester are Back! But What About Wasps?🕵️ 01:01:17 – Who the Ruck is That?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fresh from his appointment to the British & Irish Lions coaching team, Richard Wigglesworth joins The Good, the Bad & the Rugby for a deep dive into his remarkable journey—from record-breaking Premiership player to key figure in England’s coaching setup. Hask and Tins catch up with their old teammate to discuss the challenges of Lions selection and his reflections on England’s Six Nations campaign under Steve Borthwick.With the Investec Champions Cup knockout stages looming, and with his Lions hat on, Wigglesworth shares his thoughts on the key games and match-ups.Season 5 is sponsored by Continental Tyres.WOB Group & GB&R Competition Entry Form🎂 00:00 – Hask Turns 40! Birthday Surprise 🏉 01:00 – Welcoming Richard Wigglesworth🔥 05:00 – England’s Six Nations: The Review🌹 08:30 – Life Under Steve Borthwick⚡ 14:30 – The Moment It Clicked for England🏆 16:30 – Fin Smith: Winning Machine🔄 18:40 – Hybrid Players: The Future of Rugby?💥 20:16 – Henry Pollock Impact🍚 25:28 – Elevate Your Plate with Tilda Rice🦁 27:00 – Becoming a British & Irish Lions Coach🤜🤛 30:30 – Wigglesworth & Farrell: The Bond🧐 36:21 – GBR’s Lions Selection & Tough Calls🦓 43:39 – Investec Champions Cup: Who’s Got the Edge?💼 59:30 – Bill Sweeney Survives! ⏱️ 01:01:00 – Win Big! Watches of Bath Competition Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex, Hask, and Tins sit down with Red Roses Head Coach John Mitchell to reflect on his diverse coaching career. At just 37, he became Head Coach of the All Blacks, facing intense media scrutiny after their exit from the 2003 Rugby World Cup. His journey then took him to coaching roles in Australia and South Africa, where a life-changing armed robbery shifted his perspective. Now in his third stint with England—having previously worked under Clive Woodward and Eddie Jones—is Mitchell the coach to deliver World Cup glory later this year?Season 5 is sponsored by Continental Tyres.WOB Group & GB&R Competition Entry Form🚗 00:00 – Strap in with Continental Tyres!👴 04:30 – The Tindall x Mitchell Reunion🇳🇿 19:56 – Crashing Out of the 2003 World Cup🔪 25:50 – The Johannesburg Knife Attack👶 36:05 – 37 Years Old & Head Coach of the All Blacks🦫 42:05 – Working for Eddie Jones🏏 48:31 – Being Father to an International Cricketer🌹 53:18 – The Women’s Rugby World Cup🥇 01:04:54 – Greatest Achievement💔 01:05:29 – Toughest Moment🏉 01:09:03 – Best Player & Memories of Jonah Lomu🇺🇾 01:12:00 – Retirement Plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex, Hask, and Tins break down the final weekend of the Six Nations, with England finishing on a high and France securing the title. They discuss England’s resurgence, Wales’ struggles, and Scotland’s recurring issues. The crew also tackles the latest Lions squad predictions, and Payno brings a 99-cap fly-half into the conversation. Plus we look back at Henry Pollock’s impressive debut.Win Tickets to the opening 2 Lions TestsWOB Group & GB&R Competition Entry Form🚀 00:00 – Strap in with Continental Tyres! 🏆 01:45 – Six Nations 2025 Review – What Just Happened?!🔥 07:31 – Has Fin Smith LOCKED IN the England 10 Jersey? 🤔😂 09:12 – Hask’s Tactical Dive… Yes, You Read That Right!📋 12:12 – Steve Borthwick’s Report Card 🐶 17:52 – Henry, the Dog’s Pollocks 👀 26:21 – Well, Well, Wales… What Now?🔄 30:41 – Groundhog Day for Scotland – Again?!🟥 37:24 – Mauvaka Sees Red… Or Does He? 🤨☘️ 45:12 – Ireland: Andy Farrell’s Biggest Challenge Yet!😱 54:24 – Howden Lions Watch – Surprise Picks Incoming?!📉 01:04:02 – Prem Returns… But Newcastle Are in TROUBLE! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices