5 Live’s Rugby Union Weekly

The Nations pod is back to run the rule over Andy Farrell’s 38-man squad for the British & Irish Lions. Chris, Tom English and Gareth Rhys Owen see how the squads they picked after the Six Nations compare. GRO is forced to address the elephant in the room as only two Welsh players made the cut. How many more players will be called up? And will Owen Farrell end up in Australia after all? GRO makes a bold call for the 1st Test and shares the WhatsApp debate between Chris and Tom about two number 10s in the group chat.

We are at the O2 for the Lions squad announcement. Fresh from presenting the show, Ugo joins Chris to dissect the 38-man squad. Andy Farrell talks through his selection and why he decided to take Henry Pollock on tour and make Maro Itoje captain. Marcus Smith, Fin Smith and Finn Russell are on the plane, but could there be another fly-half added further down the line? Meanwhile Itoje sits down with us to reveal all the details about the captain’s dinner and why he feels now is the right time to be leading the Lions.

After Northampton stunned Leinster to reach the Champions Cup final, what impact could that result have on Andy Farrell's Lions squad? Ugo, Danny and Ashy discuss who played their way into contention and whose place could now be under threat. Is Maro Itoje now favourite to be named captain on Thursday? Northampton DOR Phil Dowson joins us to relive that epic victory in Dublin and and gives us a great insight into Henry Pollock and how Saints masterminded the victory over a Leinster team packed full of Irish internationals. Plus, there's more change at Exeter and Bath's dream of a treble continues.

Fresh from his Ash Splash at the weekend, England and Northampton star Henry Pollock is our special guest on this week's pod. Pollock chats to Ugo and Ashy about the Champions Cup semi-final with Leinster this weekend and his remarkable rise through the ranks over the past 12 months. We also learn how he deals with criticism on social media and how he stays grounded away from the pitch. There is plenty to discuss in the Premiership as Sale impress again. Is George Ford played his way onto the Lions tour? Plus, what's going on at Exeter? Scarlets and Cardiff boost their URC play-off hopes and do the Red Roses have an issue dealing with pressure?

England held off a late France fightback to secure a fourth consecutive Grand Slam and a seventh straight title. Sara Orchard is joined by Kat Merchant, Katy Daley-McLean and Claire Thomas to dissect how England nearly let the title slip away. The team chat England’s performance with questions around selection and how this England team would fair at the World Cup which is fast approaching. James Burridge catches up with scrum-half Natasha Hunt and how she is feeling after that narrow victory at Twickenham. There are also questions around the other end of the Six Nations table with Wales and Italy playing Sunday for the wooden spoon.

Only France stand in the way of England securing a fourth consecutive Grand Slam. Sara Orchard and Philippa Tuttiett preview the final weekend of the Six Nations, including the big showdown at Twickenham. Red Roses head coach John Mitchell talks about the connection he has formed with his players and how he is still assessing his options at fly-half. French rugby expert Paul Eddison joins the pod to give us the lowdown on their championship, and why they are struggling to keep pace with England. We also look ahead to a huge game for Wales in Italy as Sean Lynn warns his players their World Cup hopes could be in jeopardy if performances don't improve.

Christian Wade is our special guest on the pod! He chats to Ugo, Ashy and Danny about his shock move to rugby league and how it all came about. Does this mean Ashy's Premiership try-scoring record is safe? We also react to Johnny Sexton joining Andy Farrell's Lions coaching team and look at the impact on those in contention for the 10 jersey this summer. Plus, Leinster sign another All Black, and it was a big weekend in the race for a Premiership play-off place.

We are all set for a Grand Slam showdown at Twickenham after England thrashed Scotland and France edged past Italy in Parma in round four. Sara is joined by World Cup winner Katy Daley-McLean and former Scotland international Heather Lockhart to bring you reaction to another big Red Roses win. Who did enough to secure a place for next week’s decider against France? What were the positives for Scotland? And can France finally end their losing streak and stop another England Grand Slam?

With the Red Roses on course for a fourth successive Grand Slam, has the competition becoming too predictable? What can be changed to help make the Six Nations more competitive? Sara Orchard and Philippa Tuttiett discuss what can be done, and crucially, how the other nations can close the gap on England. We go inside the Scotland camp to get the thoughts of head coach Bryan Easson and we hear from Rachel McLachlan who wins her 50th cap on Saturday. Plus, England lock Abbie Ward shares some exciting news and talks to us about her husband Dave Ward leaving Bristol Bears.

Sara Orchard is joined by England World Cup winning captain Katy Daley-McLean to discuss Saturday’s action in the Women’s Six Nations. France beat Wales 42-12 before England thrashed Ireland 49-5 – and this after Ireland had taken a 5-0 lead. So what does that mean for the Championship? How impressive were England and what next for Ireland? We hear from Ireland coach Scott Bemand, while former Wales captain Philippa Tuttiett leaves a voicenote with her thoughts on the performance of Wales. Oh, and Sara and Katy also look forward to Scotland’s match against Italy on Sunday.

Does the round of 16 need to be scrapped? Are Leinster a better team than Ireland? When will English sides be able to compete for club rugby’s biggest prize again? Ugo, Danny and Chris pick through a tricky weekend in the round of 16 for the Champions Cup, as the Irish and French clubs underlined their dominance and Premiership clubs were eliminated. Plus, we talk Jack Willis, Jack Crowley and Tommy Freeman.

Is the hype around Henry Pollock justified? Is he England’s next superstar? If you’ve lost heavily, should you be dancing with an opponent on TikTok? Sarah Bern and Jaz Joyce-Butchers went viral after England’s big win over Wales but some fans didn’t think it was appropriate. And as we head into the round of 16 of the Champions Cup, Mark McCall rests his big England stars for the trip to Toulon. Ugo, Chris and Ashy debate all this and more.

Sara Orchard is joined by former England flyhalf Katy Daley-McLean and former Wales international Philippa Tuttiett to reflect on England's 11-try thrashing Wales in front of a record crowd of over 21,000 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

Sara Orchard and Philippa Tuttiett preview the second round of the Six Nations as England prepare to take on Wales at the Principality Stadium. Philippa and Sara discuss playing at the bigger stadiums but with less fans, versus smaller stadiums that is more likely to sell out. Sara has been into the England camp and caught up with centre Meg Jones who speaks very openly about the death of both her mum and dad last year and this being the first England match without them. Meg talks about what makes teammate Ellie Kildunne so good ahead of her winning her 50th cap this weekend and how she is feeling about playing at the Principality stadium. We also hear from Kayleigh Powell and how Wales are preparing as they head into this huge fixture. Plus Sara and Philippa chat how France are not at the level of England right now and how Scotland can take confidence from their win against Wales. Philippa also shares her views on Eoife Wafer and her potential to be a stand-out player for Ireland. This episode includes theme

Sara and Ashy are in central London chatting to Lions head coach Andy Farrell and four of his assistant coaches in this bumper pod. Farrell tells us whether he will pick French-based players this summer, how many names are on his shortlist for captain and why a lack of Lions coaching experience won't be a problem for his team. Wiggy reflects on his rise through the coaching game and how his family reacted to the news. We also chat to Ireland scrum specialist John Fogarty who treats us to his best Andy Farrell impression. John Dalziel explains how proud he is to be on the Lions coaching ticket, but is feeling 'huge responsibility' to represent Scotland on the tour. There is no Wales representation among the coaching staff, but will that change between now and the end of June? Plus, Simon Easterby reflects on his stint as interim head coach at Ireland and how the experience will benefit him in Australia.

The Red Roses won again, Scotland and Wales produced another thriller and Ireland pushed France all the way in Belfast. Sara rounds up the opening weekend of the Women’s Six Nations and we start in York. World Cup winners Kat Merchant and Katy Daley-McLean look back at England’s 30th successive Six Nations win. But why did their performance drop off so dramatically in the second half? And did the Helena Rowland experiment at fly-half work? Commentator Claire Thomas joins us as we look back at Scotland’s narrow win over Wales on Saturday. Scotland’s Helen Nelsen caught the eye and Sara explains why her performance reminded her of Katy in her prime. We talk Ireland too as head coach Scott Bemand says it's time to ditch the tag of 'plucky losers' after their defeat to France.

What was the most impressive win in the 2025 Six Nations? And which nation actually exceeded expectations this year? Chris, Tom English and Gareth Rhys Owen are back for one last Nations Pod. Tom is claiming a unique Grand Slam for Scotland despite their fourth place finish. But what was the main reason behind another disappointing campaign for Gregor Townsend's side? Are there still more questions than answers when it comes to the future of Welsh rugby following another wooden spoon? And if Andy Farrell needs any help selecting his Lions squad we are here to help. Tom, GRO and Chris have trawled through all the stats and data to pick their 38-man squads for Australia.

Who underperformed and who overachieved in the 2025 Six Nations? Ugo Monye, Sam Warburton and John Barclay are back to round up an eventful tournament that saw France crowned champions on 'Super Saturday'. What next for Wales after a 17th Test defeat on the spin? Sam puts forward some radical ideas to fix Welsh rugby which includes cutting one of the regions and creating an Anglo-Welsh league. Did England silence their pre-tournament critics? And have they found their formula for success? We celebrate the most successful Six Nations coach of all time and there’s no surprise who gets our vote for player of the tournament. What is stopping Scotland from progressing and are they still to reach their peak under Gregor Townsend? Head to the BBC Sounds YouTube channel to watch the episode in full.

Does this Six Nations title signal the start of a dominant period for France? Have England laid down a marker with their record win in Cardiff? And where do Wales go from here, after an 17th successive test defeat? Fraser Brown, Sara Orchard and Chris Jones react to France’s win over Scotland in Paris to claim the 2025 Men’s Six Nations championship and reflect on the tournament. Shaun Edwards joins the pod after becoming the first man to win the six Six Nations titles. We’re in Cardiff with Matt Dawson and Ken Owens after a statement 68-14 win for England condemns Wales to record-equalling defeat. And we’ll discuss what impact the final weekend of the championship might have on Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions selections.Timecodes: 01:00 – France Scotland reaction 07:35 – Shaun Edwards interview 16:06 – A statement win for England? 28:13 – Where do Wales go from here? 36:50 – Where does this Six Nations leave Lions selections?

Is this finally the weekend Wales end their losing run? Chris is greeted in Cardiff by Wales and Lions legend Jamie Roberts to preview the fixture he says brings the best out of the every aspect of Welsh rugby. Tomos Williams discusses his form and teaming up with his Gloucester team-mate ‘Chicken’ on international duty. Chris then heads into the England camp to speak to Sale’s Tom Roebuck ahead of his first Test start. There’s still more to unpick from that England backline with the rugby correspondent for the Times Alex Lowe and Jack Crowley’s selection at 10 this weekend prompts more Lions fly-half debate.