Rugby Union Weekly

Was Owen Farrell ever in contention for England’s summer tour to Argentina and the US? England head coach Steve Borthwick joins Chris and Danny to reveal all, and to outline what he expects from his young squad over the coming weeks. He also shares his memories of the British and Irish Lions from watching them as a kid to being part of the coaching staff in 2017. And Danny picks out a couple of England players he thinks could make an impact on tour.

Gareth Edwards, Martin Johnson or Willie John McBride? Who is the most iconic British & Irish Lion of all time? In the first episode of a new six-part series, Matt Dawson and Jamie Roberts join Chris to answer that very question. How many Wales legends of the 70s make the cut? Do any coaches make the list? Find out which former Irish and Lions captain misses out. Plus, Matt reveals which Lions legend inspired his dad to give him two middle names.

We’re again podding from the heart of Dublin after Argentina pull off a famous win over the Lions at the Aviva. Chris and Ugo are joined by two former Lions, Dwayne Peel and Anthony Watson, to debate what went wrong - and right - for Andy Farrell’s side, and what they need to fix as they fly to Australia. Did the Lions attack actually show plenty of potential? Will that accuracy come in time? And we pay homage to the Pumas who made a mockery of the bookies’ odds.

Chris, Ugo and 2009 Lion Luke Fitzgerald are in the heart of Dublin ahead of the Lions tour opener against Argentina. What should we expect from Andy Farrell’s men at the Aviva? And should the Pumas be such big underdogs? We hear from Jamie George after his week in Lions camp and Owen Farrell tells Sara why he’s glad Ashy was there to welcome him home. And Lauren Jenkins from Scrum V pops in to talk Jac Morgan, Tomos Williams, and whether the Welsh public will be embracing this Lions tour.

Bath and Leinster end their seasons on a high, lifting the Premiership and URC titles. Will Bath now kick on and pick up next season where they left this one? And what will this mean for Leinster after a few barren years? Owen Farrell is once again a Saracens player after his year in France comes to a premature end. Ashy gives us the inside scope having bumped into him while walking the dog. Plus, they look ahead to the Lions’ warm-up game with Argentina on Friday before they head Down Under.

The wait is over! Bath are Premiership champions again. They ended a 29-year wait for the biggest prize in English rugby with a narrow win over Leicester. Chris, Ashy and Matt Dawson are at Twickenham to bring you reaction to a momentous day for Bath. Finn Russell tells us what it means to clinch the treble and explains why he decided to pass to Max Ojomoh when he was clean through. We also assess where it went wrong for Leicester and whether Dan Cole should have seen yellow for his collision with Finn Russell. And what does the future hold for Leicester with so many key departures at the end of this season.

It's the big one! Saturday sees the finale of the domestic season as Bath and Leicester go head-to-head at Twickenham for the Premiership title. Will Bath lift the trophy for the first time since 1996? Or will Leicester win a record-extending 12 title and send Michael Cheika and their club legends off into the sunset? Is Cheika using the emotion of Saturday to motivate his players? We hear from the Aussie and from Bath legend Tom Dunn, who explains how the club has risen again to the top of the English game under Johann van Graan. Plus, we look ahead to the URC final with Tadhg Furlong and Hugo Keenan both missing the final the Leinster.

We go behind the scenes at the Lions training camp in Portugal to see how preparations have begun for the clash with Argentina in Dublin and the tour down under. Chris chats to Ellis Genge who's already striking up an unexpected 'bromance' with one of the Irish players he's usually slating on the pitch. Genge talks openly about trying to get out of his comfort zone in camp and how he's approaching his first Lions tour aged 30. Forwards coach John Dalziel stops by to talk Argentina and what has impressed him most since the players came into camp. Plus, Jac Morgan tells us how it feels to be flying the flag for Welsh rugby on tour, his memories of the Australia tour in 2013 and he discusses the fierce competition in the back row.

A massive weekend of finals await. Can Bath end their 29-year wait for Premiership glory? Will Leinster finally end their trophy drought? Danny, Ashy and Chris are on the sofa to break it all down. It’s also been a busy week for the Lions with injury and availability issues prompting Andy Farrell to bring reinforcements into camp. Could Argentina be favourites in Dublin? And can the proposed R360 breakaway league succeed? Or is this just rugby’s version of the Saudi league?

It's that time of year where we sit down with all four directors of rugby involved in the Premiership semi-finals. Johann van Graan, Michael Cheika, Alex Sanderson and Pat Lam all join Chris to reflect on a chaotic and action-packed year. We get Cheika's impression of the Prem and hear what the coaches feel sets the league apart. But what are the next steps in order to grow the club game in England? We also get an insight into the difficulty of capturing the right emotions during a high-pressure week, and find out why fly-halves are so invaluable to a team after they continue to be the best paid players in the league.