The Good, The Bad & The Rugby

• French Lessons: England's Cross-Channel Wake-Up Call

  As French club rugby thrives, English rugby finds itself at a crossroads. Alex and Tins are joined by Jonny May, Courtney Lawes, and rugby powerbroker Simon Gillham [OBE] for a timely conversation on what England can learn from across the Channel. From the dominance of ProD2 and the booming Top 14 to the structural chaos at home, the team digs into the future of the English game. Plus: Courtney’s Lions ambitions & Investec Champions Cup semi-final previews. Tickets are selling fast for finals weekend in Cardiff on the 23rd and 24th of May, head to EPCRugby.com for more details. Season 5 is sponsored by Continental Tyres.  WOB Group & GB&R Competition Entry Form 🛞 00:00 – Buckle Up with Continental Tyres 🎙️ 02:00 – Meet Simon Gillham OBE: Rugby’s Quiet Powerbroker 🤝 05:47 – When Brive Signed Courtney Lawes: Inside the Transfer 🏆 11:14 – Why Promotion & Relegation Still Works 🇫🇷 21:13 – What English Rugby Can Learn from France 📺 27:30 – Prem Rugby’s £200M TV Deal: Gamechanger? ⚠️ 40:18 – The Hidden Problem with Premiership Academies 🏗️ 45:47 – Franchise Model: Big Questions 🔥 51:35 – Investec Champions Cup Semi-Final Preview 🔍 56:59 – Courtney’s  Saints Scouting Report 🦁 01:04:00 – Lions 10 Debate: Smith, Prendergast, Ford, Farrell? 🇫🇷 01:09:49 – Bordeaux v Toulouse: All French Affair 🔮 01:11:50 – Semi-Final Predictions: Who’s Going to Cardiff? 🎯 01:13:50 – Courtney on a 3rd Lions Tour? 🧠 01:18:00 – England’s New Coaching Team & Players to Watch this Summer 🐉 01:21:25 – Dave Reddin Joins Wales Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• From Lions Coach To Life Coach: Craig White

  The Godfather of Strength and Conditioning. Fresh from the misty mountains of Peru, Al and Hask are joined by Hask's former Conditioning Coach at Wasps, Craig White; a man whose influence has shaped the face of High-Performance Coaching in rugby.  With troublesome tales of managing Trevor Leota at Wasps alongside Shaun Edwards, Craig shares the biggest lessons he learned working with Clive Woodward and Warren Gatland on the 2005 and 2009 Lions Tours. For Craig, everything changed when he took a breather from the hyper-masculine world of rugby just months before the 2011 World Cup to go on a yoga retreat that opened his eyes to mindfulness, nature and a more spiritual style of coaching… Season 5 is sponsored by Continental Tyres.  🛞 00:00 - Strap in with Continental Tyres 🐝 01:00 - A Wasps Reunion 💪09:38 - Prescribing Brotherhood ⚽🏉 16:07 - Football V Rugby, Allardyce V Gatland 🤯 20:26 - How Do You Manage Trevor Leota? 🦁 25:02 - 2005 + 2009 Lions Tour Double 🐯 34:54 - Crouching Tigers Hidden Craig 🧘‍♂️ 38:24 - The Life-Changing Yoga Retreat 💥 45:19 - Hitting Rock Bottom & Learning How To Feel 🌿 52:03 - Get Children Off Screens & In Nature 🌍 55:46 - Tier 2 Champion: Uruguay and Chile Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Henry Pollock: He’s in your head! PLUS Jack Willis joins from Toulouse

  2-time Investec Champions Cup Winner Geordan Murphy joins Hask and Payno to break down the weekend’s action. Leinster have activated cheat mode with Jordie Barrett at 12 and the RG Snyman wrecking shop. Jack Willis checks in from Toulouse to reflect on a gritty win in Toulon, life without Dupont, and his Lions ambitions. Plus: Furbank’s return, Vesty’s attack and Pollock’s swagger lighting up English rugby.  Season 5 is sponsored by Continental Tyres.  WOB Group & GB&R Competition Entry Form 🛞 00:00 – Buckle Up with Continental Tyres 🤣 03:28 – Hask’s WILD Rory McIlroy Story  ⚡ 06:15 – Leinster Go FULL Cheat Mode 🧠 14:52 – How should Leinster deal with Pollock?  😲 26:54 – The Reason Tommy Freeman Left Leicester 🔥 29:00 – Just How Lethal is Sam Vesty’s Attack?! 🇫🇷 33:20 – Bordeaux Lucu Good 👬 39:16 – Willis x Hask Reunite ⚔️ 41:51 – Toulon vs Toulouse: Hostility & History  🔍 45:00 – Who Really Is Ugo Mola?  😢 53:29 – The Dupont Void: How Big a Loss? 🫡 57:30 – What It Means to Captain Toulouse 📈 01:00:00 – Jack’s Rise On & Off the Pitch ❤️ 01:07:00 – Brotherly Love: Tom & Jack’s Bond 🦁 01:11:00 – Jack’s Lions Nibble 🌟 01:17:30 – Investec Dream Team 🧩 01:25:00 – New Tigers Coach? No.10? Fin Smith Rumors Fly! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Epic Cup Knockouts & Lions Spots on the Line!

  Benjamin Kayser joins Hask and Tins to break down all the action from the Investec Champions Cup knockout stages. What’s next for La Rochelle under O'Gara’s leadership? Has Tadhg Beirne’s recent performances shifted our Lions XV? And with 4 English teams falling in the Round of 16, the guys question whether England's eligibility rules should be changed for Jack Willis. Plus, don’t miss the latest round of Who The Ruck Is That? Can Connor from Aylesford Bulls Rugby Club win £5k for his team? Season 5 is sponsored by Continental Tyres. WOB Group & GB&R Competition Entry Form 🦓 00:00 – Welcome to the Investec Quarters 🪂 01:00 – Parachute Chaos in Toulouse 🤔 04:30 – Can O’Gara Turn La Rochelle’s Fortunes Around? 👑 11:20 – Tadhg Beirne: Sorry Not Sorry 🌹12:30 – A Tough Weekend for the English Sides 🧠 21:19 – The Marcus Smith Dilemma 🇫🇷 26:00 – Jack Willis: The French-Based Lion? 📈 32:32 – Lions Watch: Who’s Rising? Who’s Falling? 🎯 39:00 – Munster’s Miracle Run: Can They Go All the Way? 🇫🇷 41:22 – Why the French Still Care About Europe 💙 43:23 – Leinster’s Dream Draw 🔮 48:15 – Quarter-Final Predictions: Who Makes the Final? 🍚 49:30 – Elevate Your Plate: Tilda Rice Time 🏉 50:59 – Ultimate Investec Partnerships: The Half-Back Debate 🛁 58:53 – Bath for Bath: Tins Caught in a Club Conundrum 🏟️ 59:43 – Worcester are Back! But What About Wasps? 🕵️ 01:01:17 – Who the Ruck is That?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Richard the Lionheart: Wigglesworth’s Next Crusade

  Fresh from his appointment to the British & Irish Lions coaching team, Richard Wigglesworth joins The Good, the Bad & the Rugby for a deep dive into his remarkable journey—from record-breaking Premiership player to key figure in England’s coaching setup. Hask and Tins catch up with their old teammate to discuss the challenges of Lions selection and his reflections on England’s Six Nations campaign under Steve Borthwick. With the Investec Champions Cup knockout stages looming, and with his Lions hat on, Wigglesworth shares his thoughts on the key games and match-ups. Season 5 is sponsored by Continental Tyres. WOB Group & GB&R Competition Entry Form 🎂 00:00 – Hask Turns 40! Birthday Surprise  🏉 01:00 – Welcoming Richard Wigglesworth 🔥 05:00 – England’s Six Nations: The Review 🌹 08:30 – Life Under Steve Borthwick ⚡ 14:30 – The Moment It Clicked for England 🏆 16:30 – Fin Smith: Winning Machine 🔄 18:40 – Hybrid Players: The Future of Rugby? 💥 20:16 – Henry Pollock Impact 🍚 25:28 – Elevate Your Plate with Tilda Rice 🦁 27:00 – Becoming a British & Irish Lions Coach 🤜🤛 30:30 – Wigglesworth & Farrell: The Bond 🧐 36:21 – GBR’s Lions Selection & Tough Calls 🦓 43:39 – Investec Champions Cup: Who’s Got the Edge? 💼 59:30 – Bill Sweeney Survives! ⏱️ 01:01:00 – Win Big! Watches of Bath Competition Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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