Ugo Monye, Chris Jones, Danny Care and Chris Ashton bring you special guests and cover the biggest stories in rugby union.We'd love to hear from you on the pod;...
Danny is the only one bringing the festive cheer to the pod as we discuss life as a rugby player at Christmas and how many eggs Ashy has with his Christmas dinner. Chris outlines a tumultuous few weeks for the RFU that has seen Tom Ilube resign as chairman and Sir Bill Beaumont appointed in his place on an interim basis. Warren Gatland is staying on as Wales head coach and has been challenged to deliver success in the Six Nations, but what exactly does that look like for a team that didn't win a match in 2024? Bristol win on the road again as they thrash Leicester at Welford Road. Can they go all the way this season, or will they need to tone down their attacking style?
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59:20
Where is Tommy?
Ashy critiques his son’s performance as one of the three Wise Men in his school’s nativity before we turn our attention to another weekend of Champions Cup action. It wasn’t without its issues again as a number of clubs heavily rotated their teams, but Northampton went fully loaded to Pretoria to face the Bulls and Tommy Freeman joins us to tell them all about their bonus-point win. Glasgow fell agonisingly short in Toulon and Toulouse ran riot in Exeter with Antoine Dupont getting one try closer to Ashy’s record. Away from the Champions Cup, Felix Jones has now officially left his role at the RFU. Can we expect him to pop up on the Lions coaching ticket next summer?
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45:36
George Ford and a Wise Man
Chris and Ashy are back to preview round two of the Champions Cup and we find out what role Ashy's son is playing in his Christmas nativity. George Ford is on the pod ahead of Sale's big clash against Racing 92 on Friday. He also reflects on England's autumn and that drop goal against New Zealand. Could a dramatic schedule change reignite interest in the Champions Cup? And what are the big clashes to look forward to this weekend?
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44:44
Stars and Storms
Ugo, Danny and Chris look back at the opening weekend of the Champions Cup. La Rochelle weathered the storm - quite literally - to beat Bath on the opening night, but did the first round manage to showcase the best of the competition? The pre-tournament favourites all won handsomely, but which British team has the best chance of going deep in the tournament? Henry Pollock continues to make waves, and at only 19 what is the best way to nurture him and the next generation of talent? We also hear all about Danny's experience of the Stade Dominique Duvauchelle and how many Christmas trees he has this year.
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53:57
Ilona Maher special
Sara takes the pod to Bristol to track down American rugby sensation Ilona Maher, who has just announced she will be playing in the PWR next year. Sara chats to her about her first impressions of British food - and the weather! Which Bristol team-mate has she already bonded with? And now she's converted from Sevens to 15s, where will she play? We also hear all about her amazing rise to become the most followed rugby player in the world, why she loves the sport and how she hopes to inspire the next generation of young girls to play rugby,
Ugo Monye, Chris Jones, Danny Care and Chris Ashton bring you special guests and cover the biggest stories in rugby union.We'd love to hear from you on the pod; email [email protected] or search for 5 Live Sport on social media to send us a message.
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