Brian Moore's Rugby Podcast

The British and Irish Lions have touched down in South Africa and got their tour off to a perfect start with a routine win over a disappointing Sigma Lions XV.Joining Brian in the studio to reflect on the opening tour win is former London Irish winger Topsy Ojo.Josh Adams was the star of the show, the Wales winger crossed for four tries and has definitely laid down an early marker to be starting in the test series when it rolls around in three weeks time.Finn Russell also impressed at fly half, the Scotland playmaker was full of his usual tricks but can he be trusted to start at fly half in the test series or is he best used off the bench?Elsewhere South Africa finally returned to action for the first time since winning the World Cup in 2019. Former Springbok Thinus Delport joins the show to reflect on their win over Georgia and to talk about their latest flying winger Aphelele Fassi who was the star performer on Friday night.Away from the Lions Tour, Marcus Smith finally made his England debut and impressed

The Lions have just touched down in South Africa and their preparations for facing the Springboks are already up in the air.Joining Brian to unpack a busy weekend surrounding the Lions and more is the former England captain Rob Vickerman.After only eight minutes of their opening warm up game against Japan tour captain Alun Wyn Jones was forced off with a dislocated shoulder, meaning he will be out for the entirety of the tour. Head coach Warren Gatland has named three time tourist Conor Murray as the new tour captain to the surprise of many, we speak to Murray's former Munster team mate to find out what the Ireland scrum half is like behind the scenes and whether he thinks he has what it takes to lead the Lions.Elsewhere the entire tour has been thrown into jeopardy after South Africa announced a strict four week lockdown on Sunday night. We discuss the impact the news will have on the squad both on and off the field.Elsewhere Harlequins followed up their thrilling semi final win over Bristol with an equally

We're less than a week away from the first British and Irish Lions game of the 2021 Tour.Joining Brian in the studio to look ahead to the tour is the former South Africa captain and World Cup winner Bob Skinstad.Bob gives us the lowdown on the current South Africa side who haven't played a test match since the 2019 World Cup final as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.England forwards coach Matt Proudfoot was part of the South African coaching setup for that World Cup win and he joins the show to discuss the upcoming series and where he feels it will be one and lost.And Harlequins produced a sensational comeback in the Gallagher Premiership, coming from 28-0 down to defeat Bristol. We speak to the Telegraph's Ben Coles, who was at Ashton Gate , about the match and also about next weeks final against defending Champions Exeter.Read more from Brian every Monday: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/b/bp-bt/brian-moore/ |Save 50% on a Telegraph Sport subscription: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/contact

Ahead of the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa Brian Moore is sitting down with former players and coaches to discuss some of the memories which have made the Lions become the institution it is today.For the third instalment, Brian speaks to former England prop Alex Corbisiero about what it's like to join a Lions Tour late, and how you have to force your way into a settled squad.Alex details his experience in 2013 of finding out he had missed out on selection, then being told he had to make the three-day trip from Argentina to Australia before establishing himself as the starting loosehead prop for the test series.If you would like to donate to Alex's foundation: https://t.co/I6x6PKEhVt?amp=1 |Read more from Brian every Monday: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/b/bp-bt/brian-moore/ |Save 50% on a Telegraph Sport subscription: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/contact |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-n

Ahead of the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa Brian Moore will be sitting down with former players and coaches to discuss some of the memories which have made the Lions become the institution it is today.For the second instalment Brian speaks to former South Africa captain John Smit who discusses what it's like to face the Lions, a privilege only available to Springboks once every twelve years.He shares his memories of the Lions victory in 1997 where he played a small part in the lead up to the test series and discusses the famous test series win in 2009 where he admits he was more nervous than he had been for the World Cup Final two years previously.Read more from Brian every Monday: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/b/bp-bt/brian-moore/ |Save 50% on a Telegraph Sport subscription: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/contact |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Hosted on Acast. See acast

Ahead of the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa Brian Moore will be sitting down with former players and coaches to discuss some of the memories which have made the Lions become the institution it is today.First up is the man dubbed 'Mr Lions', Sir Ian McGeechan. McGeechan had an illustrious Lions career as a player, but it is his work as a head coach which will see him go down a true Lions legend.He takes Brian on a journey through his early days as a player in 1974, right the way through to the historic series in 2009 where he came back as a head coach for one last time following a twelve-year absence.Ahead of this year's tour to South Africa he details what he believes is the secret to a successful tour and more importantly what is required to tame the Springboks.You'll also hear his thoughts on current Lions head coach Warren Gatland, who was part of the 2009 tour, and whether or not he would have made any different selections were he in charge himself.Read more from Sir Ian McGeechan every

The 2021 Six Nations is all said and done for everyone bar France and Scotland following a Super Saturday that well and truly lived up to its name.Joining Brian to recap the final weekend and to look back on the tournament in general is the former England Sevens captain, Rob Vickerman.England failed to back up their impressive performance at home to France, they were on the receiving end of a thrashing by an Ireland side who produced arguably their best performance so far under head coach Andy Farrell.The result has piled more pressure on head coach Eddie Jones who has come in for criticism throughout the Six Nations. Both Brian and Rob agree the England squad is in need of an overhaul but think it would be a mistake to replace Jones right now.The highlight of the weekend, and tournament, came in Paris on Saturday night where Wales' march to an unlikely Grand Slam was halted with the final play of the game. Former Ospreys head coach Sean Holley says the nation is heartbroken but ultimately proud of how the te

Ireland vs England is so often the definitive game of the Six Nations but as we head into the final round of fixtures for this years tournament both sides find themselves playing for pride rather than titles after indifferent campaigns so far.England got themselves firmly back on track with a dogged win over tournament favourites France at Twickenham, meanwhile Ireland picked up a big win away to Scotland despite a late onslaught from Gregor Townsend's side.Joining Brian to discuss the weekend's game and all things Six Nations is the former Ireland captain and British and Irish Lion, Rory Best.The pair reflect on wins for both England and Ireland respectively and discuss the role that under fire captains Jonny Sexton and Owen Farrell could have this weekend.We also hear from former Ospreys head coach Sean Holley who discusses Wales chances against the French as they look to secure the unlikeliest Grand Slam in history!And there's questions on memorable Ireland/England fixtures, tractors, and what to do with I

The Six Nations return this weekend and all eyes will be on Twickenham for the clash between England and Grand Slam chasing France.Joining Brian to look ahead to that game and more is the former England back row and World Rugby Hall of Famer Maggie Alphonsi.They discuss the impressive performances of some of the players outside the England squad in the Gallagher Premiership and ask once again, if it is time for Eddie Jones to look to bring in new faces.Owen Farrell's performance as captain has also been brought into question and both Brian and Maggie agree that England would benefit from having a forward as a captain instead of the under pressure Farrell.As for France, they are playing their first Six Nations game for over a month after being cleared of any wrongdoing for breaching Covid protocols. Former international Thomas Castaignède joins the show to discuss their chances heading into the weekends clash.Plus, there's the latest on the Lions tour after it was confirmed that the option to play in Australia

We've just two rounds left to go in the 2021 Six Nations and Wales are in pole position to win a shock Grand Slam after beating England in an eventful game in Cardiff.Joining Brian to reflect on Englands defeat and more is the former London Irish and England wing Topsy Ojo.They start in Cardiff where England suffered their second defeat of the competition in controversial circumstances as the hosts were awarded two very dubious tries.Despite the misfortune both Brian and Topsy feel Wales deserved to win and that the lack of discipline in particular was the main reason for Englands downfall. There's also a debate surrounding the lack of variety and new faces in the squad.As for the two tries, former international referee (and Wales fan) Nigel Owens joins the show to describe why both of them should have been disallowed.France could have joined Wales on three wins from three games but their game against Scotland was called off after a Covid outbreak. It has since transpired that the French squad left their bubb

We're heading into midway of the Six Nations and it's favourites France and unfancied Wales who remain the only unbeaten sides in the competition.Joining Brian to preview the upcoming round of fixtures is former England centre Tom May. They begin by analysing England's underwhelming campaign so far and Tom expresses his concern over England's Saracens contingent which he says are suffering due to a lack of club rugby.Ahead of the crunch game with Wales on Saturday, Brian says England must test young winger Louis Rees Zammit under the high ball whereas Tom says if they can manage to get the ball to their outside backs they will hand the Welsh their first defeat of the tournament.France have set the standard so far but head into their match with Scotland with a depleted squad due to Covid. Can the Scots replicate their form of round one where they beat England in Twickenham?As for Ireland they take on Italy in a game they should win comfortably. Head coach Andy Farrell has faced criticism after a poor start to

We're two rounds into the 2021 Six Nations and it's just France and Wales who are left undefeated and on course for a Grand SlamJoining Brian to review the weekend's action is the former Fiji sevens coach and Olympic gold medalist Ben Ryan.They start at Twickenham where England picked up the required bonus point win but both Brian and Ben felt a sense of dissatisfaction at the performance as Eddie Jones' side seemed unable to completely shake the hangover from the opening weekend defeat to Scotland.One particular highlight was Jonny May's incredible try before half time, but was it legal? The rugby world seems split on whether it should have been awarded and both Brian and Ben have arguments for and against it being given. Elsewhere Ben has some strong words for rugby's lawmakers after Jack Willis was forced off after being on the wrong end of a 'crocodile roll' from Sebastian Negri.Elsewhere Wales picked up their second consecutive win with a surprise win away to Scotland. The Welsh once again found themselv

We're just one week into the Six Nations and we already have one major upset in the books after Scotland beat England at Twickenham for the first time in 38 years.Joining Brian this week to reflect on the opening round of games is the former England sevens captain Rob Vickerman.They begin at Twickenham, where Scotland outplayed England in all departments and were actually unlucky not to have left the capital with more points. We discuss whether the performance was a one off for Gregor Townsend's side or if it can be the catalyst for them to mount a challenge for the title.As for England, much was made of the performance of their Saracens contingent who largely flattered to deceive. Brian says their inclusion is not the reason for the lacklustre performance but thinks it's time for head coach Eddie Jones to bring in some younger players, specifically at halfback, to freshen up the squad.Ireland opened up their campaign with a defeat away to Wales. Their task was made difficult after a red card early on but the

The 2021 Six Nations has been given the green light to go ahead and we're less than a week away!England and Scotland square off for the 150th time this weekend and joining Brian this week to look ahead to the fixture is the former Scotland scrum half Rory Lawson.The pair discuss England's status as favourites heading into the competition and what, if anything, Scotland can do to upset the odds.Finn Russell says he is a changed man after making amends with the Scotland coaching staff last time out. The Racing 92 star will be key to Scotland's chances and Rory tells us just what has changed for the mercurial fly half since his spat with Gregor Townsend.Elsewhere Wales will be hoping to put a dismal 2020 behind them, they host Ireland first and we get the take of former Wales number 8 Scott Quinnell who's backing Pivac to turn things round for the Welsh.England's Women face uncertainty over their Six Nations campaign just months out from the World Cup in New Zealand. Their side of the competition has been postpo

2020 has been a difficult year for most and the sport of rugby union has been no exception.Joining Brian to look back on the year is former England and London Irish winger Topsy Ojo.Despite difficult circumstances off the pitch, England's men and women both enjoyed huge success on it. Eddie Jones led his side to Six Nations glory and also lifted the inaugural Autumn Nations Cup, we reflect on how the team performed and look ahead to their chances in the upcoming Six Nations.As for the Women's side, they went a full year undefeated and end 2020 as the number one ranked side in the World. Head coach Simon Middleton will now turn his full attention to the World Cup in New Zealand and he joins the show to discuss how he plans on going all the way next Summer.The British and Irish Lions return in 2021, but how is the tour going to look? Hosts South Africa are without a game of competitive rugby since lifting the World Cup in 2019, and with the Covid-19 vaccine yet to be rolled out, the prospect of fans in stadiums

We're into week two of the European season but it's stories off the pitch which dominate the headlines rather than the action on it.Joining Brian in studio to discuss the weekend's action is former England centre Tom May.The pair review the European Champions Cup games that were able to go ahead but they discuss whether or not the competition could be in jeopardy after four games were forfeited due to Covid 19.Domestically, the big news has been that BT Sport and Premiership Rugby have agreed a three year renewal of their existing deal. The broadcaster had been close to withdrawing their bid but eventually agreed to renew a contract which is worth less than the current one, the Telegraph's Chief Rugby Correspondent Gavin Mairs has been covering the story for us and fills us in on the details and what the trickle down effect will be for Premiership clubs.England's women will be without one of their most decorated players for next years World Cup in New Zealand. Katy Daley McLean, who lifted the trophy as capta

Less than two weeks after lifting their second trophy of 2020, England know who their opponents will be for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.Eddie Jones' side have been drawn alongside Argentina and Japan as well as a side from Oceania and the Americas.Joining Brian Moore and co host Rob Vickerman to react to the draw is none other than the England head coach Eddie Jones, who speaks to the show to discuss how he plans on improving the side to ensure they can go one step further from their World Cup Final defeat back in 2019, and also to reflect on what's been a positive year for his side on the pitch amongst difficult circumstances off it.Elsewhere, the major story in the game over the last week has been the revelation that a number of former professional players have been diagnosed with early onset dementia and are pursuing legal action against the games authorities. We get Rob's take on what impact the potential legal action could have on the sport and also get his own personal account of his recent asses

The inaugural Autumn Nations Cup is done and dusted and it's congratulations to England who saw off France in the final after extra time.Joining Brian in the studio to reflect on Sunday's win and England's year overall is the World Rugby Hall of Fame member, Maggie Alphonshi. They discuss more criticism aimed at England over their style of play and try to find the line between entertaining fans and ensuring you win your games.Ireland finished in third place after an impressive win over Scotland in Dublin, former scrum half Eoin Reddan joins the show to discuss how their first year under new head coach Andy Farrell has been perceived from the Irish public and whether there is an over reliance on 35 year old skipper Johnny Sexton.We also assess what impact both Wales and Scotland could have on next years Six Nations, in particular the Welsh, who had a year to forget.Plus we tackle all your questions and look at some of the amazing work done by volunteers at grassroots level during the turbulent last 6 months.Fo

England have made their way into the final of the inaugural Autumn Nations Cup where they will take on Six Nations runners up France at Twickenham.Joining Brian in studio to reflect on the weekend's action is former London Irish and England winger Topsy Ojo.The pair reflect on yet another forward dominated win by England, this time over Wales, in the Autumn Nations Cup. Eddie Jones once again relied on his pack to grind down the Welsh and whilst both Brian and Topsy agree they were in complete control, both want to see England throw the ball around a little more against France in their final match before the Six Nations this Sunday.France qualified for Sunday's final with a routine win over Italy but their preparations for the clash with England have been hampered by having a number of their squad re called to their club sides. We speak with former French international Thomas Castaignède about the battle between French Rugby and their club sides and also about the tragic passing of his former international te

England made it two wins from two with a comfortable win over Ireland in the Autumn Nations Cup in a game which Eddie Jones had billed as his sides most important of 2020.Joining Brian in the studio to reflect on wins for both England's men and women is Harlequins captain Rachael Burford.Johnny May stole the headlines at Twickenham with a sensational try but it could have been avoided if Ireland were more accurate in the lineout. Former skipper Paul O'Connell joins the show to dissect what's gone wrong with the Irish set piece and expresses concern over the developing gap between the two sides since Ireland's Grand Slam win at Twickenham in 2018.Elsewhere Wales finally stopped a run of defeats by beating Georgia 18-0. Wayne Pivac made 13 changes to his team and we speak with former Osprey's head coach Sean Holley about whether any of the new faces will feature this weekend against England and if anyone in Wales is giving them a chance against their great rivals.England's women secured a 2-0 series win over Fr