The Rugby Pod

Big Jim and Goodey are back and are joined by Saracens lock Will Skelton to preview the Champions Cup final against Leinster this weekend. Goodey's not convinced about World Rugby's decision to take four French referees to the World Cup, with just eight from other countries, and we speak to Luke Pearce about what he makes of it all and how excited he is to be heading to his first World Cup as a referee. All that plus a few decent rumours and the week rounded up in the Goode, the Bad and the Ugly...  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big Jim and Goodey are back with the latter finally on the path to better health after hitting the gym for the first time in years this week. We've got three great guests from the success stories of the weekend as we talk to Harry Thacker going back to his old club and inflicting another defeat on them, Sebastian Negri about how massive an achievement it is for Benetton to make the play-offs in the Guinness PRO14 and Georgie Gulliver on the celebrations after Saracens Women won the Tyrrells Premier 15s title for a second year running. All that plus a full round-up and a few juicy rumours as well...  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big Jim's back from Dubai where he spent a while in hospital and practiced his German, we're out of the studio and in the Wolfpack Bar as we analyse Saracens' comprehensive win over Munster and we discover directly from the Leinster camp how Big Jim wrote the Irishmen's team talk for them by predicting that they'd lose by 10 to Toulouse! All that plus a few juicy rumours and the week wrapped up in The Goode, The Bad and The Ugly...  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jim's away in Dubai so Big Joe Marler's back in the studio and we surprise him with a phone call from his old Lions mate Rory Best to discuss one of their nights out in New Zealand, his career and look ahead to the two Irish teams' chances in the Champions Cup semi-finals as well. The Israel Folau and Billy Vunipola incidents and Joe's responses to both are discussed in depth and we check in with Jim on the phone as well as he struggles with the realities of a long flight and family holiday with four kids!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jim and Goodey are back from Hong Kong with tales from on the pitch and off it...you won't want to miss them! We catch up with Ed Slater on Gloucester's season as well as they move to within touching distance of a play-off place and we speak to RPA Chairman Mark Lambert about the upcoming Restart Weekend and the important work the charity is doing. All that plus a couple of juicy rumours and the week rounded up in the Goode, the Bad and the Ugly...  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Goodey's back from Dubai and his bags are packed again as he and Jim head straight from the Pod to the airport for a week in Hong Kong! First, though, they dissect the European quarter-finals with an open cloth...and Darren Cave joins us to talk us through his heroic performance, Stockdale's slip-up and how much his value's gone up by! There's some love for the French, reaction to Mike Ford joining Tigers, big rumours and much more...  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Goodey's away in Dubai so we check in with him at the all you can eat buffet but the King of Bath Freddie Burns is with Big Jim in the studio in his place talking brutally honestly about a certain moment earlier in the season, his love life, Bath's season and much more. We also catch up with the Premiership's Player of the Month Rory Hutchinson, discuss Leicester and how many teams are in a relegation battle and look ahead to the Champions Cup quarter-finals...  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good things come to those who wait! Jim's walked the Calcutta Cup all the way back up to Edinburgh (or missed his flight earlier this week!) and is back to revel in Scotland's Calcutta Cup comeback. We speak to the Scottish hero Finn Russell and also catch up with Welsh Grand Slam winner Rob Evans to find out all about their celebrations and to get the answers to what everyone wants to know about the man of the moment Alun Wyn Jones...  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big Jim and Goodey arrive in the studio after spending two days travelling down from Murrayfield with the Calcutta Cup and Darren Cave joins them in the studio to discuss all things Six Nations. We catch up with Wales centre Scott Williams to discuss their Grand Slam hopes and hear from Red Roses Captain Sarah Hunter on the prospect of sealing a Grand Slam at Twickenham on Saturday and where the women's game is at. All that plus a clip of our chat with Charlie Hodgson, hear what happened when Big Jim and Devin Toner came face to face and much, much more...  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big Jim has some explaining to do about his house in Harpenden that belonged to Nigel Wray, we discuss the effectiveness of the salary cap, the PR problems of the proposed World League and are joined by Ospreys legend Sean Holley to assess the region's potential merger with the Scarlets and the WRU's handling of the situation. All that, plus a look at the Six Nations and the Premiership and the week wrapped up in the Goode, the Bad and the Ugly...  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices