The Rugby Paper Podcast

What a Super Saturday to close what's been a truly fantastic edition of the Six Nations! Drama, superb tries and headlines typified what's been two superb months of action.  Join host Ollie Little and the full house of Rugby Paper columnists to review the weekend, discussing the potential start of an era of French dominance, whether Peato Mauvaka should have seen red and where Wales can go now.  The guys also pick their Player of the Tournament, Try of the Tournament and Moment of the Tournament, before having their latest crack at a British & Irish Lions XV now that the auditions are over! Finally, time for a break for the Rugby Paper Podcast. We wanted to thank you so much at home for your continued investment in the podcast - it wouldn't be possible without you! We hope to see you again very soon.

After a cracking weekend of rugby in which the championship tilted in French favour following their stunning win in Dublin, Ollie Little, Brendan Gallagher and Nick Cain are joined by Wales and British & Irish Lions winger Alex Cuthbert to review the weekend and preview Super Saturday.  The guys look back at the weekend, discussing France and particularly Louis Bielle-Biarrey's attacking talents, Antoine Dupont's injury and England's midfield conundrum. They also debate whether Scotland can stop the French, and if Wales can end their 17-game losing run against England on Saturday. Technical difficulties interfered with the introductory section of the episode, and so you join a couple of minutes in!

A slightly new dynamic for you all today - host Ollie Little has given the columnists the week off! He is joined by Italy, Benetton and former Harlequins winger Louis Lynagh for a general life chit chat! The guys discuss Louis's whirlwind move from England training squads into the Italy starting lineup, gym and Call of Duty and of course previewing a tantalising Six Nations R4!

Three fixtures told three hugely different stories in the third round of the 2025 Six Nations. Ireland held off a promising performance from Wales, England scraped past Scotland for the first time in five years and France broke records in bouncing back to beat Italy.  Plenty to discuss as always, as the podcast debates whether England got lucky against Scotland and if Finn Russell is losing grip of the British & Irish Lions test jersey. For this one, join host Ollie Little, columnists Nick Cain and Brendan Gallagher and renowned rugby commentator for the BBC, ITV, Sky Sports and BT Sport Nick Heath.

It's almost time for the third round of the 2025 Six Nations, and the headline fixture of the weekend takes place at Twickenham as England host Scotland.  With the fixture's winner set for a position to make a charge at winning the Championship and competition for British Lions spots coming up, the stakes couldn't be higher.  Joining host Ollie Little and columnists Brendan Gallagher and Nick Cain to preview the all-important fixture is former Scotland and British and Irish Lions fly-half Craig Chalmers.

A weekend full of statement wins and in the aftermath, a mid-tournament coaching departure. Join the guys to review how England got the job done at Twickenham against a wasteful French side, as well as discussing Ireland's damning 11th consective victory over Scotland. For Wales, a record low 14th straight defeat; news broke of Warren Gatland's departure as head coach just an hour before the guys recorded. They react to the news and debate what's next for Welsh rugby. Joining host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain and Brendan Gallagher to discuss all, former England centre (though currently based in France!) Jamie Noon.

Three home wins marked the start of the 2025 Six Nations as France thrashed Wales, Scotland conquered Italy and Ireland saw off England. So much to look back on and look forward to as Round Two looks even more tantalising.  Will England stick or twist with their selection? Is Antoine Dupont getting even better? Does defeat for Wales this weekend spell the end? Scotland or Ireland?! Joining host Ollie Little and columnists Chris Hewett and Brendan Gallagher to debate all is rugby performance coach and analyst, Irishman Brett Igoe.

Here. We. Go. The Six Nations is just two sleeps away and we can't wait! Join host Ollie Little and a special panel of Rugby Paper columnists Chris Hewett and Nick Cain, but also Richard Isaac from the Rugby Analyst as the guys welcome England, British & Irish Lions and Bath legend Jerry Guscott to preview the Championships. Is third place a success for England? Will there be a Grand Slam winner? Can Wales stop the rot?  We debate all in this one - just hours before Steve Borthwick named his side to face Ireland - and stay till the end to hear our winner, players of the tournament and ones to watch.  Don't forget to play along with our predictions league as well - check them out on the Rugby Paper website!  

What to make of that Champions Cup weekend? On one hand we saw a classic in Northampton's victory over Munster, however the issues with the tournament were highlighted by Toulouse and Bordeaux's drubbings of Leicester and the Sharks, who crashed out at the group stage along with the other South African sides. How can the tournament become more competitive? Is the schedule too much for Springbok sides?  Alongside this scrutiny the countdown to the Six Nations is well and truly on. 10 days out, England and Scotland suffer injury blows so how does this leave selection looking? Join host Ollie Little and columnists Brendan Gallagher and Nick Cain for a deep dive.   

Join Ollie Little, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett for this week's Rugby Paper Podcast edition, recorded just half an hour after it was announced that Maro Itoje would be England's captain for the Six Nations.  The guys react to the England squad announcement before welcoming on former Fiji and Glasgow Warriors scrum half and winger Niko Matawalu. Just as he was on the rugby pitch, Niko is pure entertainment, providing some fantastic stories from his time in the UK.

Happy new year one and all and welcome back to the Rugby Paper Podcast! We hope you had a restful holiday season and are as excited as we are about the year of rugby ahead. Kicking off a Lions year in style with the Six Nations just a month away, the guys are joined by former Australia, Northampton Saints, Waratahs and now Narbonne winger Taqele Naiyaravoro. The gang discuss his time in England, how Cheslin Kolbe transformed the modern-day winger as well as learning about his distant relationship to Josua Tuisova.  Also tune in as the guys discuss England's injury-hit back three as well as that Northampton v Bath thriller.

In our last episode of 2024, the gang is back together in full force. Host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Chris Hewett and Brendan Gallagher come together to review the Champions Cup weekend gone by and debate the tournament's changed format.  Don't miss the Rugby Paper Podcast's awards for 2024, as the guys pick their Player of the Year, Team of the Year, Match of the Year and very finally, Podcast episode of the Year! The podcast also pay tribute to former England outside back Tom Voyce, who tragically lost his life in the floods caused by Storm Darragh at the start of the month.  

Join us for this week's episode of the Rugby Paper Podcast as Harlequins flanker Jack Kenningham joins host Ollie Little and columnists Chris Hewett and Nick Cain following his side's narrow defeat by Racing 92 in the opening round of the Champions Cup.  The guys discuss the tournament's format, Jack's return from injury and England dream as well as the impact of Joe Marler's retirement around camp! Our thoughts and prayers go out to former England international Tom Voyce's family following his disappearance in the Storm Darragh floods over the weekend. 

A jam-packed Autumn Series has come to an end, with Australia pushing hosts Ireland right to the limit in Dublin on Saturday, with the Irish ultimately holding on. Australia have now played all four of the home nations in back to back weeks and will return home with two wins, and what could have been a third. Today, the guys look at how next summer's British & Irish Lions tour down under is shaping up, as well as picking their match, player and surprise of the Autumn.  To do so, Ollie Little, Nick Cain and Brendan Gallagher are joined by Test Rugby and Super Rugby commentator Sean Maloney!  

England got back to winning ways with a routing of Japan at Twickenham on Sunday. However after five consecutive defeats prior questions burn even stronger than they did before the Autumn.  Do England keep faith in the blitz defence? Who are the back row/midfield combinations to take the team forward? Is Steve Borthwick the right head coach? Joining the guys today to assess where England stand is former England and London Irish winger and ITV and Premiership Rugby broadcaster Topsy Ojo.

Three weeks into the Autumn internationals and England and Wales both remain winless. Question marks hang over Steve Borthwick and Warren Gatland's futures going into the final full weekend of November action. With more tantalising fixtures coming up this weekend including Fiji's trip to Ireland, the guys are joined by fearsome Fijian winger Nemani Nadolo to discuss what Steve Borthwick is like as a coach, Fiji's awesome backline and Josua Tuisova's calves! In a cracking episode, Nemani also picks the best four wingers he has ever shared a rugby field with.

It was a great weekend to be south of the equator as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Fiji and Argentina handed out defeats to Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales and Italy. England fell short from a winnable position for the fifth time in six matches against a rejuvenated Wallabies side, while Wales slipped to new lows with a record-equalling tenth consecutive defeat.  Today the guys are joined by former Australia international Joe Tomane. Revelling in his side's win and the arrival on the world stage of Joseph Sua'ali'i, the guys also give their predictions for the upcoming blockbuster weekend of Autumn action. 

With an eight point lead England seemed in control at Twickenham, only for a New Zealand fight back and some questionable substitutions to once again deny the men in white for the third time in as many months.  Did England's tactics blow it? How good is Wallace Sititi? Should New Zealand receive a fine for advancing their haka? The guys are joined by British and Irish Lions and Wales wing Alex Cuthbert to review all, as well as looking ahead to England v Australia and Wales's Autumn international campaign as a whole. 

We loved this one! Following last week's 20-minute red card debate amongst the guys, we thought it best to call upon someone entrusted with enacting its introduction to northern hemisphere test rugby this Autumn. Ollie Little, Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett are joined by RFU international referee and one of the best in the world Luke Pearce to discuss the logic and implications of World Rugby's decision, as well as the guys previewing the Autumn Internationals as a whole.

With the rugby world divided over the trial of the 20-minute red card during the November internationals, it's only right that the Rugby Paper Podcast weighs in. Join host Ollie Little and columnists Brendan Gallagher and Nick Cain for an intense debate around its introduction to northern hemisphere test rugby.  The guys also discuss Newcastle's first victory in 581 days, ending a 25-match losing streak! 

We love a prop episode! The self-professed 'oddball' Nick Auterac joins host Ollie Little and columnists Chris Hewett and Nick Cain for this one. The former Saracens, Bath, Harlequins and Northampton front row is now pursuing a career in TV and film composition, and joins the guys to discuss how it's going as well as look back on his career!  Stick around for the final ten minutes as the gang also react to England's Autumn squad announcement. 

After a few weeks debating the dramatic final rounds of the Rugby Championship, time to revisit the Gallagher Premiership! Three rounds in and despite question marks around how Saracens would enter their new era, they sit unbeaten at the top of the table. However, the winless Exeter Chiefs have endured their worst ever start to a season. One of Exeter's success stories so far this season has been Olly Woodburn, who has been moved to outside centre due to midfield injury struggles. He joins host Ollie Little and Chris Hewett to discuss how he has found the switch, how the Chiefs can bounce back and the need for speed!

The Rugby Championship has a new winner for the first time since 2019, as South Africa clinched the last trophy available to them with a resounding 40-point win over Argentina. At the other end of the table, Australia finish the tournament with just one win and bottom of the table for the second year running. Despite performances improving somewhat for the Wallabies throughout the tournament, the situation is still pretty bleak, not least one year out from a British and Irish Lions tour. Joining Ollie Little, Chris Hewett, Brendan Gallagher and Nick Cain to give his take is a good friend of the podcast and Australian rugby great David Campese. 

For the first time since their involvement in the Rugby Championship, Argentina have secured a win against the other three nations in a single tournament. They downed reigning World Champions South Africa on Saturday to give themselves a slim chance of winning the Rugby Championship for the first time.  Joining the guys to revel in his nation's win and assess their chances of doing the double on Saturday is former Argentina and Saracens centre, Marcelo Bosch. The guys also discuss Eben Etzebeth's phenomenal career as he becomes the most-capped Springbok of all time, as well as discussing whether Argentina would host a British and Irish Lions tour!

The Gallagher Premiership returns! Can Northampton defend their title? How will Saracens fare without Owen Farrell? Will Newcastle give a better account of themselves? Ex-England centre Luther Burrell joins Ollie Little, Brendan Gallagher and Nick Cain to discuss all for this one. A former Saint and Falcon, Luther has seen it all in the Premiership. The guys discuss concussion in rugby, how the top sides are looking and stay until the end for title predictions and ones to watch!

The Rugby Paper Podcast's microscope moves south of the equator for today's episode, as in the latest round of the Rugby Championship South Africa wrapped up their fourth consecutive win against the All Blacks before Argentina condemned Australia to their largest ever defeat.  The Springboks continue to go from strength to strength under Rassie Erasmus, while question marks remain over whether Australia will be able to competitively host the British and Irish Lions next summer. Joining Ollie Little and Brendan Gallagher for this one is former South Africa lock, Juandré Kruger.  

Welcome to a new season of the Rugby Paper Podcast! As the 2024/25 season is about to get underway, what better way to start it than welcoming Racing 92 head coach and former England head coach Stuart Lancaster!  Stuart discusses the impact Owen Farrell has had at Racing since he arrived six weeks ago and looks ahead to his debut as well as the Top 14 season as a whole. He also discusses Siya Kolisi's likely departure and how Racing can match Toulouse.  The guys then discuss this week's announcement of the RFU's new 'enhanced contract' scheme for 25 England players, as well as the worrying implications behind the departures of England defence coach Felix Jones and strength and conditioning coach Aled Walters. 

In the fortnight that has passed since the last episode of the Rugby paper Podcast, we have had the first two rounds of this year's Rugby Championship.  A win for Argentina over New Zealand on their turf was the eye-catcher of weekend one, whilst Australia's struggles have continued at the hands of the irresistible Springboks. Ollie Little, Chris Hewett, Brendan Gallagher and Nick Cain lay out the glaring issues in Australian rugby a year out from the British and Irish Lions tour, as well as previewing the upcoming repeat of the 2023 Rugby World Cup final between South Africa and New Zealand. 

While things are a bit quieter in the rugby world what better time to take a deep dive into the laws of rugby! Ollie Little and the full house of columnists in Nick Cain, Chris Hewett and Brendan Gallagher are joined by RFU referee and Rugby World Cup Final 2023 TMO Tom Foley.  On the menu today, the 20 minute red card, forward passes and Tom's decision to step away from international rugby following the controversy at Rugby World Cup Final 2023. 

Summer Olympics season is upon us! As the rugby season draws to a close, all eyes have turned towards the game's shorter format in Paris, as the best Sevens players in the world are targeting Olympic gold.  Antoine Dupont leads hosts France as favourites in the men's draw, whilst in the women's draw Team GB are trying to go one better having finished fourth in both Tokyo and Rio. Joining the guys in this one is Team GB star Ellie Boatman, who talks about what it's like to be at her first Olympic Games, Team GB's prospects, as well as her inspirational journey to rugby in which she had to overcome an eating disorder. 

The headline fixtures from last Saturday lived up to the hype, with Ciaran Frawley taking centre stage, dropping two goals to give Ireland a memorable win over South Africa.  For England however, it was another near miss against the All Blacks, as Beauden Barrett inspired a New Zealand second half fightback.  Joining the guys today to reflect on all of the weekend's drama, as well as peel back the curtain on what makes his native South African side tick, is former Springbok and Saracens hooker Schalk Brits. 

England ran New Zealand very close, but it sadly wasn't enough in Dunedin as they came up one point short in a game that was there for the taking. Meanwhile, Ireland were felled by South African power and some TMO misfortune as they also fell short against the Springboks on Saturday.  Joining host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett to react to Saturday and discuss whether the home nations can exact revenge this coming weekend, is former England and British and Irish Lions second row, George Kruis.

A huge Saturday in store for all of us tomorrow as England take on the All Blacks on their turf for the first time in ten years and the Irish begin their bid for a first ever series win on South African soil. The mind games have already begun as things are heating up! Joining host Ollie Little and columnists Brendan Gallagher, Chris Hewett and Nick Cain to preview the matchups is former Ireland, Connacht and Leinster lock Mike McCarthy. The podcast also begins with a fantastic tribute to former England and Bath head coach Jack Rowell, who passed away this week aged 87.

In a congested weekend of rugby England put 50 points past Japan to carry some momentum into their two-test series against New Zealand. The Rugby Paper Podcast returns to reflect on the weekend with Ollie Little and Chris Hewett. The guys are then joined by former England prop and women's rugby trailblazer Shaunagh Brown. Shaunagh reflects on her recent retirement, the announcement of a women's British and Irish Lions tour, as well as delving into her crazy life beyond rugby including firefighting, GB athletics, Highland games, Gladiators and much much more!  

Northampton have ended their 10-year drought, securing the Gallagher Premiership title against 14-man Bath in a thriller at Twickenham on Saturday. Tom Pearson was one of the key performers for Saints on Saturday, and he joins host Ollie Little and columnists Chris Hewett, Nick Cain and Brendan Gallagher to reflect on what it means to be Premiership champions.  Before so, the panel debates England's summer squad, following its announcement on Monday.

The big one is upon us! Northampton Saints and Bath are set to battle it out in one of the most eagerly anticipated Gallagher Premiership final in years. Today's episode goes completely off piste, as host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett are joined by TNT Premiership rugby and European Cup rugby anchor Craig Doyle. As well as previewing the final, Craig shares some incredible stories from his career including a fight with Ben Kay, an interview with Tiger Woods and more, and Ollie has a blunder of his own!

What a Champions Cup final it was, and Antoine Dupont's Toulouse ultimately condemned Leinster to a third consecutive final defeat to claim their sixth European crown.  Much to discuss in this week's episode as the Gallagher Premiership playoffs begin this weekend, with Northampton hosting Saracens on Friday night before Sale head to Bath on Saturday. Joining host Ollie Little and columnists Chris Hewett, Nick Cain and Brendan Gallagher for this one is former Northampton and England scrum half Lee Dickson/.

This weekend, the two most decorated European clubs go head to head in a titanic clash for Champions Cup glory. Toulouse and Leinster are both looking to add to their tally of five and four trophies respectively in as box office a matchup as you could ask for in club rugby. Dupont or Gibson-Park? Meafou or McCarthy? Willis or van der Flier? So much to discuss, and joining host Ollie Little, Chris Hewett and Brendan Gallagher to preview the game is former Ireland and Leinster legend Gordon D'Arcy.

The Gallagher Premiership is headed towards a superb Super Saturday, with five teams still in the running for the final two play-off spots! Joining host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Chris Hewett and Brendan Gallagher first to discuss the laws of the game, including TMO interventions, tackle laws and scrums, before the guys preview the all-important weekend, is former Premiership and international referee JP Doyle. 

Plenty on the agenda for the Rugby Paper Podcast this week as Ollie Little and columnists Brendan Gallagher, Chris Hewett and Nick Cain review English disappointment in the Champions Cup semi-finals before they are joined by USA 7s Head Coach Mike Friday to discuss the end of the season, Antoine Dupont and, of course, this summer's Olympic Games.

Following a pivotal weekend of Gallagher Premiership action - not without its controversies - Ollie Little, Brendan Gallagher and Nick Cain are joined by Gloucester back row Ruan Ackermann. The guys discuss Karl Dickson's refereeing controversy at Twickenham last weekend, before Ruan previews Gloucester's EPCR Challenge Cup semi-final clash against Benetton, as well as the potential for him to represent South Africa and England, or maybe even Wales or Scotland!

It all comes down to this! The Women's Six Nations is heading for an epic conclusion in Bordeaux on Saturday as England take on France, with both sides undefeated and in the hunt for a Grand Slam. Joining the Rugby Paper Podcast to preview that game, and explain why she is called 'Daddy Packs', is none other than Red Roses captain and 100-cap club member, Marlie Packer.

The quarter-final stage of the Champions Cup was an absolute try-fest, with 41 tries in four games underpinning headline wins for Harlequins and Leinster.  Joining host Ollie Little and columnists Chris Hewett, Brendan Gallagher and Nick Cain to analyse those games as well as those who put their hand up for England selection is former England, Leicester and Bristol Number 8 Jordan Crane. As defence coach of Bristol Bears, Jordan also discusses the upcoming battle to make the Gallagher Premiership play-offs. 

This is a big one! Plenty on the menu for host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett as they are joined by England World Cup winner and rugby legend Matt Dawson. The guys take trips down memory lane to RWC 2003 and the 1997 British Lions tour, and Matt gives his insight into England and Northampton's development this season. Finally, listen to the end for our Champions Cup quarter-final predictions!

The Red Roses are two rounds into their Six Nations title defence and have come away with two convincing bonus point wins.  New head coach John Mitchell has spoken about developing an attacking brand of rugby to match that of the Black Ferns with a home Rugby World Cup less than 18 months away. Joining host Ollie Little and columnists Brendan Gallagher, Chris Hewett and Nick Cain to reflect on the opening rounds as well as women's rugby as a whole is record-breaking former England head coach Simon Middleton.

The British & Irish Lions are just over a year away from heading down under to take on Australia! With dust settling after the 2024 Six Nations, host Ollie Little called together columnists Chris Hewett, Nick Cain and Brendan Gallagher with one goal: naming a XV to do the business against the Wallabies.  Who would you have in your side? We'd love to know in the comments!

What a Six Nations the 2024 edition has been! Super Saturday did not disappoint, and it was Ireland that ultimately claimed back to back titles. To look back on Saturday's fixtures as well as review the tournament as a whole, host Ollie Little and columnists Brendan Gallagher, Chris Hewett and Nick Cain are joined by rugby refereeing great Nigel Owens.  After beginning by reviewing Wales's torrid season, Nigel also gives some pearls of refereeing wisdom on how to improve the game of rugby. The guys spend the last hour reviewing the championship as a whole.

It is time to look ahead to Six Nations super Saturday! The best Saturday of the year is upon us, and with three tantalising contests to look ahead to, we hope you're as excited as we are.  One of those fixtures is 'Le Crunch', as France take on England to round off the tournament in Lyon. Joining host Ollie Little and columnists Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett to give some truly compelling insights on his native France side's struggles is former French centre and 2011 Rugby World Cup finalist, Maxime Mermoz.

What a weekend of rugby! The latest round of the 2024 Six Nations was without doubt its best so far, as Italy and England pulled off shock upsets in two pulsating encounters on Saturday.  In a very special mini-episode of the Rugby Paper Podcast, host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett react to a stunning round of fixtures.

This week, the Rugby Paper Podcast brings up 100 episodes! A huge thank you to all those who support and continue to follow the podcast - we could not have done it without you.  The guys commemorate the podcast's century by previewing the fourth round of the 2024 Six Nations and in particular looking ahead to England's clash with Ireland at Twickenham. Host Ollie Little and regulars Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett are joined by former Ireland centre and Ulster defence coach Jonny Bell. The panel finish by casting an eye back over the past 100 episodes, reminiscing over their favourite editions and memories.

Refereeing controversy was once again at the heart of the third round of the 2024 Six Nations, as Paolo Garbisi's contentious missed kick denied Italy a first Six Nations win in France. Plenty to discuss for host Ollie Little and columnists Brendan Gallagher, Nick Cain and Chris Hewett in this one! With The Rugby Paper Podcast being such big fans of Portuguese rugby, the guys were very excited to be joined for this episode by Portuguese captain and legend Tomas Appleton to discuss that win against Fiji, meeting Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal's future.