For The Love Of Rugby

You thought the British & Irish Lions tour was over? Think again - it's never over! In today's episode, Ben Youngs & Dan Cole pick their XV for the first Test against New Zealand in 2029. And this totally won't look stupid in four years time...

Anthony Watson has finally dried out from the Sydney storm to join Ben Youngs and Dan Cole as they reflect on an ultimately successful 2025 British & Irish Lions tour. We decide our best moments of the series, vote for our player of the tour, and most importantly realise that Ant is going to come back from his trip to Australia a changed man...

Australia beat the British & Irish Lions in the final game of the 2025 series in a wild and stormy night in Sydney. Ben Youngs and Dan Cole have joined forces in the For The Love Of Rugby virtual studio to discuss how the hosts defeated the tourists, what this means for the Wallabies, and why the Lions shouldn't be disappointed as they take home a 2-1 Test series victory.

Andy Farrell has named a relatively unchanged squad for the final Test of the British & Irish Lions tour as they look to complete an historic 3-0 series victory. Joe Schmidt is missing key forwards Rob Valetini and Allan Alaalatoa and shuffles his deck with Nic White making his final Wallabies appearance. Dan Cole & Ben Youngs analyse a potential shift in tactical approaches, the significance of this match for Australia, and just how those non-Test Lions will be feeling.

Andy Farrell enters the history books as the second coach in the 21st century to win a British & Irish Lions tour. In this episode, Ben Youngs and Dan Cole break down his masterplan that inspired the Lions to defeat Australia.

“Andy Farrell will want to bury Australia in style” - the words of Anthony Watson, fresh from the MCG, as he joins Ben Youngs and Dan Cole to review the second Lions test against the Wallabies. There is an historic whitewash on the table for the Lions this week, if they want it. And we think they do.

The British & Irish Lions have beaten Australia in one of the greatest Test matches in Lions history. Dan Cole and Ben Youngs have assembled in the For The Love Of Rugby virtual studio to discuss a reinvigorated Wallabies side, Hugo Keenan's magical winner, and the raucous celebrations that will ensue for Andy Farrell's history makers.

Andy Farrell has rung the changes ahead of the British & Irish Lions' second Test against Australia. Andrew Porter, Ollie Chessum and Bundee Aki are added to the starting XV, whilst James Ryan, Jac Morgan, Owen Farrell and Blair Kinghorn have made the bench. Joe Schmidt has largely stuck with the same XV for the Wallabies, with the physical additions of Will Skelton and Rob Valetini, in addition to David Porecki slotting in at 2. Dan Cole & Ben Youngs analyse where the match will be won and lost in front of 100,000 fans at the MCG.

It's the last midweek match of the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour of Australia and Andy Farrell's squad were given a physical challenge at the hands of the First Nations & Pasifika XV. How did the Lions overcome their toughest touring opponent? Who will make Saturday's Test team? And Coley finally talks about the infamous "Geography 6"...

Ben Youngs and Dan Cole are feeling the heat as they react to your comments and questions. They're joined by former Lions wing Anthony Watson, who is getting ready to leave Brisbane, after watching the British & Irish Lions beat Australia in the first test of the series. But, how convincing were the Lions? And do the Wallabies have any excuses?

Andy Farrell's British & Irish Lions go 1-0 up in the Test series against Australia's Wallabies after a convincing 27-19 victory in Brisbane's Subcorp Stadium. Dan Cole & Ben Youngs have gathered in the For The Love Of Rugby virtual studio to dissect a convincing victory and look ahead to the rest of the series.

After four long years, we are in a British & Irish Lions Test week! Andy Farrell has named his 23-man squad to face Australia. There's no room for Henry Pollock or Owen Farrell, but Tom Curry wins the race to the openside flanker jersey and Sione Tuipulotu partners Huw Jones in the centres. Ben Youngs and Dan Cole are gathered in the virtual For The Love Of Rugby studio to react to the team. Plus, what to expect from Joe Schmidt's Wallabies and we take you inside the most hallowed of rugby environments as the Lions prepare to take to the Test arena.

Ben Youngs and Dan Cole answer your questions as the Lions reach test week. Another wonderful weekend of international rugby ends with England taking home a series victory against Argentina. Ben and Dan discuss Steve Borthwick's evolving style, George Ford's marvellous form, and the plethora of options in a stacked back row. Plus, Wales finally win a game, Rassie Erasmus is up to his usual tricks, and with Fiji beating Scotland we ask why they couldn't have faced the Lions in Australia.

The final British & Irish Lions match before their Test series against the Wallabies finishes in a comprehensive win for Andy Farrell's side. Ben Youngs and Dan Cole have assembled on the whistle to share their insight into a professional team performance.

Squidge Rugby joins Ben Youngs and Dan Cole to react live to the British & Irish Lions' win over the Brumbies. As Andy Farrell continues to fine tune his Test team, Ollie Chessum looks set to start at 6, but the 7 debate has been blown wide open. Which centre partnership will start against the Wallabies? And how much of a worry is Kinghorn's injury?

Congratulations to George Ford who joins England's 100 club with an absolute masterclass as England win in Argentina. Ben Youngs and Dan Cole give their analysis of that game and answer your British & Irish Lions questions, two days after that pretty uninspiring performance against the Waratahs. 

Andy Farrell's Lions faced their toughest test yet on Australian soil as the New South Wales Waratahs kept them to a scrappy 21-10 victory on Saturday. Former Lions Ben Youngs and Dan Cole have assembled on the final whistle to unpack the action.

Sound the alarm! Ben Youngs and Dan Cole jump into podcast mode for the news that Owen Farrell is on his way to Australia. His Dad has also named the latest British & Irish Lions team to play the Waratahs on Saturday with an A-list front row and a new captain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben Youngs, Dan Cole and Rory Best are team-mates again. This time to watch the Lions in action and bring you their reaction.

The Lions are on their way to Brisbane, potentially with a new scrum-half on the way. Ben Youngs and Dan Cole break down life on the road for rugby's greatest travelling circus as they fly four hours across Australia to face the Reds. They answer your questions, review the Top 14 final and South Africa's latest brutal victory.  To get 20% off your first Thriva blood test, click here: thriva.co and use the code LOVEOFRUGBY

The British & Irish Lions' first match on Australian soil ends in victory as Andy Farrell's side dispatch the Western Force in Perth. Ex-Lions Dan Cole & Ben Youngs are in the For The Love Of Rugby studio to bring you on-the-whistle insight and analysis of the win.

In 2013, the British & Irish Lions headed to Australia with the aim of winning their first tour in 16 years. This summer the Lions return Down Under and Tom Youngs, Dan Cole and Ben Youngs have finally shaken their hangovers and are finally ready to tell the inside story of the last great victorious, glorious and notorious victory.

Quite possibly our most requested guest ever joins today's podcast, it's Ben's brother Tom Youngs! A former Leicester Tigers captain, England hooker and Lions Test starter, Tom joins us in the For The Love Of Rugby studio to wind back the years with tales of Youngs youth, explain how he's become a viral farming influencer, and why he's accepted happiness in retirement.

The 2025 British & Irish Lions tour has begun! Andy Farrell's team may have suffered defeat in Dublin at the hands of a superb Argentina, but there are plenty of positives for the squad to take to Australia.

Not-so-fresh from a final end of season social, Ben Youngs and Dan Cole are joined in the For The Love Of Rugby studio by their former Leicester Tigers skipper and current Pumas captain Julian Montoya to preview the first game of the 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour against Argentina in Dublin.

It's the morning after the night before. A hungover Dan Cole & Ben Youngs are reunited at Welford Road, their home for two decades, to pore over Leicester Tigers' defeat to Bath Rugby in Saturday's Premiership Final.

Ahead of their final match as professional rugby players on Saturday's Premiership Final between Leicester Tigers and Bath, Ben Youngs and Dan Cole take you behind the scenes of the greatest day in domestic rugby. Join them at the team hotel and getting stuck in lifts, join them on the team bus and turning up late to Twickenham, follow them into the changing rooms and of course we'll hear about THAT Freddie Burns drop-goal.

Ben Youngs and Dan Cole are not quite finished yet. In a nail-biting Premiership Playoff, Leicester Tigers clinched victory over Sale Sharks to join Bath Rugby in the final at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium on Saturday. In this episode, you'll be taken inside what Michael Cheika said to his team at half-time, experience the raw final whistle emotions and hear from the one and only Freddie Burns!

Ben Youngs and Dan Cole are back in the For The Love Of Rugby studio to take you inside Leicester Tigers camp as they prepare for their Premiership play-off against Sale Sharks on Saturday. Also, with news that a breakaway franchise league called R360 has emerged, we ask the question as to whether anyone actually wants another revolution in rugby.

Who is the Michael Jordan of the Leicester Tigers Last Dance season? Ben Youngs and Dan Cole give the inside story on an emotional day at Welford Road as they got to run on with their kids (and not George Martin), before a standing ovation as they walked off together after 43 minutes. Only to secure another home game next week in the semi-finals.  Plus Anthony Watson joins for the second half as we pick our ultimate Lions squad from the 2013, 2017 and 2021 tours. Most of the players seem to get picked based on who's the best tourist. To get 20% off your first Thriva blood test, click here: thriva.co and use the code LOVEOFRUGBY

In 2009 Sir Ian McGeechan came back to save the Lions, four year after their disastrous tour of New Zealand. He initially left Tom Croft out of his squad, but through a combination of hard work, scrabble, Alan Quinlan getting banned and Crofty being in the form of his life - he started the first two tests! It was the most brutal test series we'd ever seen, and in this special episode Crofty takes us inside the squad that took on the world champion Springboks, restored pride in the Lions jersey and brought Geech to tears.  To get 20% off your first Thriva blood test, click here: thriva.co and use the code LOVEOFRUGBY

After 118 caps for England, two British & Irish Lions tours and over 340 appearances for his boyhood club Leicester Tigers, Dan Cole has decided that the time is right to hang up his boots at the end of the season. In this episode, we celebrate the career of a true rugby legend, hear from famous faces from the sport, and discover what comes next for one of England's greatest ever players.

Bordeaux Bègles are Champions of Europe after defeating Northampton Saints in the 2025 Investec Champions Cup Final. Ben Youngs and Dan Cole have gathered in the virtual For The Love Of Rugby podcast studio to analyse the action. Elsewhere Bath Rugby secured their second trophy of the season as they romped to a win against Lyon in the EPCR Challenge Cup final. Plus, with the news that a Club World Cup is in the works, is this what rugby really needs?

Part-time guitarist and full-time tackle monster Sam Underhill joins the show to preview Bath Rugby's Challenge Cup Final against Lyon on Friday.   Sam takes us inside a Bath dressing room that has gone from rock bottom to front runners in the Premiership across just three years, discusses his England Summer Tour ambitions, and just how he became a tackle machine.

Geoff Parling is the new Leicester head coach, Danny Care is retiring and Northampton are trying to win the Investec Champions Cup. Saints, England and Lions scrum-half Alex Mitchell joins Ben Youngs and Dan Cole to look ahead to Bordeaux in Cardiff this Saturday.  Get tickets for both European finals here: https://www.eticketing.co.uk/principalitystadium/Events?preFilter=45&preFilterName=EPCR%20Finals%202025?utm_source=EPCR&utm_campaign=EPCR&utm_medium=webArticle&utm_content=Cardiff%202025 To get 20% off your first Thriva blood test, click here: thriva.co and use the code LOVEOFRUGBY

Dan Cole is joined by Squidge Rugby to answer your questions! How did Robbie become the world's biggest rugby YouTuber? Do players use stats in their game? And most importantly who would win in a fight between Napoleon or Churchill?

Will Genia and Ben Youngs went head to head for England, Australia and the Lions for a decade. In this special episode they tell each other how they prepared to take each other on, analyse the best scrum-halves in the world right now and reflect on the 2013 Lions series in Australia. To get 20% off your first Thriva blood test, click here: thriva.co and use the code LOVEOFRUGBY

The British & Irish Lions squad to face Australia has been announced and Ben Youngs and Dan Cole are here with the ultimate guide to the team. In this episode we'll bring you analysis of the final squad and you'll hear from the coach Andy Farrell; the captain Maro Itoje; Lions Ellis Genge, Ollie Chessum, and Elliot Daly; and oracle Squidge Rugby.

It's the most anticipated day in the rugby calendar as Andy Farrell names his British & Irish Lions squad to tour Australia this summer and former Lions Ben Youngs & Dan Cole are watching the action unfold LIVE. You'll be able to watch all the action from the official announcement, plus our very own For The Love Of Rugby alternative commentary and analysis! Watch from 13:45 UK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lOqM-ehd2E&ab_channel=ForTheLoveOfRugby Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Northampton Saints deliver one of the great European performances to defeat Investec Champions Cup favourites Leinster in Dublin and reach the final. What now for Leinster? Were they arrogant with their selections? And what does this mean for Sam Prendergast's British & Irish Lions chances? Andy Farrell names his Lions squad on Thursday, but how many Saints will be in it? Could Henry Pollock have done any more? To get 20% off your first Thriva blood test, click here: thriva.co and use the code LOVEOFRUGBY

With the British & Irish Lions squad announcement merely a week away, Ben Youngs and Dan Cole assemble in the For The Love Of Rugby studio to preview a massive game of European rugby. There are Lions match-ups galore as Leinster host Northampton Saints in the Investec Champions Cup semi-finals, whilst Jack Willis stakes his claim one final time as his Toulouse outfit travel to Bordeaux Bègles. Meanwhile, in the Challenge Cup Owen Farrell will step out for Racing 92 against Lyon knowing that a vintage performance could grant him a ticket to Australia, whilst Edinburgh face one of the trickiest tasks in domestic rugby as they host Finn Russell's superb Bath side.

Maud Muir, Sadia Kabeya and Shaunagh Brown are reunited this week to review the final weekend of the Women's Six Nations and unpack their one point thriller against France in Twickenham.  How do things change in the run up to the biggest game of the tournament? What was the messaging to the girls at half time? And the biggest question of them all: where do you go ‘out-out' after you win the Six Nations?  With Sadia out of the match day squad this week, she got to enjoy life on the other side, and she certainly made the most of the fan experience. To get 20% off your first Thriva blood test, click here: thriva.co and use the code LOVEOFRUGBY