Rugby Union Weekly

Chris, Tom and GRO preview the final round of the Nation’s Championship this summer. Can Sam Prendergast cement his position as Ireland's number one fly-half as Andy Farrell's side look to become the first team to win at Eden Park since 1994. Can the Wales maul bring them any joy against the Springboks in Durban? The pod is full of admiration for Jesse Kriel and it prompts GRO to quiz the guys on the most-capped centre partnerships in Test rugby. Is it time for Fiji to move away from the offload game? And can England end the summer on a high? Tom explains why he's got Argentina as favourites in Santiago del Estero.

Danny, Ashy and Chris look back at round two of the Nation’s Championship with the north and south both on six wins each. Scotland scored four tries and pushed the Boks all the way in Pretoria. Did they show the England coaching team the best way to attack the double world champions? Danny reacts to Marcus Smith’s cameo at scrum-half against Fiji and we look ahead to England’s trip to Argentina as the injured Alex Mitchell is replaced by Raffi Quirke. We also look at the logistics issues hampering the tournament and discuss whether some teams are getting an unfair advantage. Will Jordan broke the All Blacks try record at the weekend, but does he make our all-time Nee Zealand back three? The game of the weekend sees Ireland head to Eden Park. Can Andy Farrell’s side finally end the All Blacks’ 32 year, 52 Test, unbeaten home record?

Ashy and Chris bring you instant reaction from the Hill Dickinson stadium as England thrashed Fiji in Liverpool to end their five-match unbeaten run. But what are the positives for England after such a one-sided victory over a disjointed Fiji? We hear from Steve Borthwick who heaps praise on his defence despite scoring 73 points. Noah Caluori is back on the pod after a devastating Test debut. He set up a try with his first touch in international rugby and scored a try with his second. Ashy was impressed with the young winger but it was Tommy Freeman who caught his eye. Should Freeman continue on the wing? And Henry Pollock came on to score an impressive second-half hat-trick. Does he now start in Argentina or was his impact exactly why he’s suited to coming off the bench?

Ashy and Chris go inside the England camp ahead of the must-win Test against Fiji. After the defeat at Ellis Park, Ashy quizzes skipper Jamie George on the England gameplan against the Boks and why they keep repeating the same mistakes. Centre Henry Slade is also on the pod to discuss his return to the starting XV and England’s state of flux in midfield. Can Slade replicate the influence he's had at Exeter for his country? Finn Russell is back for Scotland. Ashy and Chris look ahead to their clash in Pretoria and react to Louis Rees-Zammit dropping to the Wales bench. Why hasn’t the Welsh winger managed to replicate the form eh showed before his NFL stint?

Fresh from his jaunt following Scotland in the World Cup, Tom joins Gareth and Chris to unpick the big talking points from the weekend and look ahead to the second round of the Nations Championship. They assess Scotland's Finn Russell dilemma, ask if South Africa has an advantage with its teams playing in Europe, and discuss whether England's clash with Fiji could define Steve Borthwick's future.