Brian Moore's Rugby Podcast

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

Round one of the inaugural Autumn Nations Cup is done and dusted, and joining Brian in studio to review the weekend's action is former England centre Tom May.England ran out 40-0 winners over Georgia in their first Twickenham appearance since March and one of their try scorers from the weekend, Elliot Daly joins the show to look back on the win and discuss how this current crop of players have evolved since reaching the World Cup Final a year ago.Next up for England and Daly is a match against Ireland who dispatched Wales with ease in Dublin. We discuss where the Irish could cause England problems and how they will cope in the absence of captain Jonny Sexton and centre Robbie Henshaw. As for Wales it's now six defeats in a row and Brian and Tom discuss the ongoing crisis in Welsh rugby after some supporters called for head coach Wayne Pivac to go following the defeat.Scotland made it five wins in a row with a win away to Italy in Florence. Despite missing the game with an injury fly half Adam Hastings has pla

With the 2020 Six Nations finally put to bed, our attention now turns to the upcoming Autumn Nations Cup, a five week tournament featuring the teams from the Six Nations alongside Georgia and Fiji.Alongside Brian this week to discuss the upcoming series as well as his stellar career for Ireland, Leinster and the British and Irish Lions is London Irish back row Sean O'Brien.Sean talks Brian through his career and unfamiliar route into rugby, his relationship with the likes of Michael Cheika and Joe Schmidt and the horrible impact injuries have had on his career including a hip operation which forced him to miss ten months of action, including the Rugby World Cup in 2019.We also get Sean's memories of two Lions tours in 2013 and 2017 where he scored one of the most memorable tries in test match history and how he thinks next year's tour in South Africa is shaping up.We also answer your questions as ever and take a look at some of the work being done at grassroots level around the country in association with the

Seven months after it was due to conclude, the longest Six Nations in history is finally over.Joining Brian in studio to look back on the tournament is former Fiji Sevens coach and Olympic Gold Medalist Ben Ryan.Congratulations to England who have lifted the trophy for a third time in five years after getting their required bonus point over Italy on the final day. A 'proud' Eddie Jones says attention will now turn onto the upcoming autumn international series as he looks to develop his young squad even further.Elsewhere it was a tournament to forget for Wales who finished fifth and registered their fifth defeat in a row when losing to Scotland on the final day. We chat with former Wales and Lions fly half James Hook to discuss the feeling from Welsh supporters surrounding new head coach Wayne Pivac who has struggled since taking charge.We also assess the campaigns of both France and Ireland who played out an entertaining finale in Paris on Saturday night, many think that the French were the most deserved winn

Seven months after the 2020 Six Nations was ground to a halt we are back for the final round of fixtures this weekend!Joining Brian in studio this week is former England and Newcastle centre Tom May. England need to guarantee a bonus point win at the bare minimum when they take on Italy in Rome but their preparations have been dealt a blow after their warm up game with the Barbarians was called off due to a breach in protocol from a collection of Ba Baa's players.Ireland and France are the other two sides in with a chance of winning the competition, both picked up convincing wins at the weekend ahead of their own showdown in Paris on Saturday night.Elsewhere England's Women were crowned Six Nations Champions for the second year running. We speak with Red Roses captain Sarah Hunter about her experience of winning the title whilst watching from home and how she plans to make it back to back Grand Slams this weekend.The Domestic season has also reached its conclusion and it's a big congratulations to Exeter Chie

After the final round of the 2020 Six Nations was cancelled due to Coronavirus, Brian Moore is joined in studio by former England sevens captain Rob Vickerman to discuss the effects the pandemic is likely to have on the resumption of the tournament as well as the domestic and international calendar.The Gallagher Premiership look set to announce an initial four week suspension following the spread of the virus and the Telegraph's Chief Rugby Correspondent Gavin Mairs joins the show to discuss the plans in place to try and finish the domestic season and also the likely effects the pandemic is likely to have on the Premiership and the tiers beneath which are already struggling to cope financially.Crossing codes into Rugby League, and Super League defied the global health warnings by fulfilling a full round of fixtures over the weekend, it remains to be seen whether the league will continue to play through the pandemic and we get the views of rugby league hall of famer Garry Schofield about whether they should be

There's just one round left in the 2020 Six Nations and as fears over Coronavirus spread across the continent we will be denied the traditional "Super Saturday" after both England and Ireland have their games postponed.On the pitch there was plenty to talk about in a thrilling encounter between England and Wales at Twickenham. Former England back row and World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi is alongside Brian this week to pick the bones out of yet another win for Eddie Jones.Despite a thrilling game on the pitch, it will forever be remembered for a bizarre incident between England prop Joe Marler and Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones. Brian says Marler's behaviour is idiotic in the current climate and that he should accept whatever ban is thrown at him in the wake of the incident.As for Wales it's now three defeats on the spin for them for the first time since 2007. Former centre Mark Taylor joins the show and says there's no need t panic just yet after a valiant effort at Twickenham.Scotland turned in a fantastic per

After a week off , the Six Nations is back for round four and there are three teams still in with a chance of lifting the trophy come two weeks time.Alongside Brian this week to look ahead to the weekends action, is former England hooker George Chuter.After navigating their way past Ireland, England's attention now turns to a home match against old rivals Wales who are hoping to avoid three successive defeats for the first time since 2007. James Hook knows what it's like to win and lose against England and he says it's too early to cast judgement on Wayne Pivac after his Wales squad was hit with even more injuries.There's only two games on this weekend after the Irish government ruled their match with Italy should not go ahead due to concerns over Coronavirus. The Irish Times Liam Toland explains what effect the postponement will have on the IRFU financially and moving forward with a re arranged fixture.Scotland's fixture with France has been given the green light and it's an opportunity for Gregor Townsend

We're past the halfway point of this years Six Nations and France remain the only side with a 100% record following their win over Wales in Cardiff.Joining Brian in studio this week is former England centre Tom May. The pair dissect England's win over Ireland and whether it was a case of English brilliance or Irish sloppiness. Key to England's win was the performance of Manu Tuilagi who maintained his 100% win record over the Irish. Tom has first hand experience of playing against Tuilagi and he believes the centre has become much more than just a ball carrier.Ireland's defeat means France are the only side left with a 100% record after they saw off Wales in Cardiff. Both Brian and Tom think the French could have the bones of a future World Cup winning squad. As for Wales it's now back to back defeats for new boss Wayne Pivac, next up for him is a trip to Twickenham and former Ospreys coach Sean Holley joins the show to look ahead to that one.Plus we answer your questions surrounding the future of Italy after

After a week off we're back for round three of the 2020 Six Nations.Alongside Brian this week for the first time is the former France flanker Serge Betsen who casts his eye over the resurgent French ahead of their trip to Cardiff this weekend.The standout tie of the round comes from Twickenham on Sunday as unbeaten Ireland take on England in Eddie Jones first home game of the tournament. Former Ireland and Lions captain Paul O'Connell knows a thing or two about winning in Twickenham but he's expecting his former side to fall just short of England after their momentum building win over Scotland in round two.As for Wales, they face the prospect of France in front of their home crowd on Saturday evening. Serge gives us the lo down on the impact Shaun Edwards has had on the French side since deferring from Wales after the World Cup, meanwhile former Wales scrum half Rupert Moon is on hand to explain how Wayne Pivac will manage his way around an injury crisis.Away from the Six Nations there's been some big domesti

Storm Ciara may have affected England's dour victory over Scotland but it has not prevented Brian Moore from returning for this weeks Full Contact!After making it back safely from Edinburgh, Brian is joined in studio by former England Sevens captain Rob Vickerman to reflect on Saturdays match in Murrayfield as well as the other headlines from around the Six Nations.The pair discuss what (if anything) can Eddie Jones learn from Saturdays win, and former Scotland winger Tim Visser joins the show to offer his take on what needs to change in order for Gregor Townsend to keep his job, one solution offered up by Brian and Rob is to bring back exiled fly half Finn Russell and make him captain of the side!Elsewhere Andy Farrell won the battle of the new coaches as Ireland and Wales squared off in Dublin. Up next for Farrell is a return to Twickenham where he spent time as England assistant coach, where he will come up against a familiar face in his son Owen Farrell. Former Ireland second row Mike McCarthy was in Dubl

The first week of the 2020 Six Nations is in the history books and it was not one to remember for England and their head coach Eddie Jones.This week, Brian Moore is joined in studio by former Scotland fly half Craig Chalmers to reflect on the opening weekend, including that loss for England in Paris.Former England centre Mike Tindall joins the show and expresses his concerns for England's ageing squad after they were outplayed by a young and daring French side. There's also concerns over England's options at scrum half and number eight after Tom Curry failed to have the desired impact on the game after being moved there from openside flanker.Next up for England is a trip to Murrayfield to take on Scotland who were one major Stuart Hogg error away from picking up a result away to Ireland. Finn Russell will once again miss out on the game as his spat with head coach Gregor Townsend continues, but Craig is confident that the Scots can upset the odds against their old rivals without Russell in the team.It was a c

Brian Moore is back for another series of Full Contact ahead of the 2020 Six Nations Championship.This week former England centre Tom May is alongside Brian to look ahead to the opening round of fixtures in this years tournament. The pair discuss the effect the Saracens salary cap scandal is likely to have on Eddie Jones squad and also who should line up in the back row in the absence of Billy Vunipola who has been ruled out for the entire competition.Scotland face a scandal of their own after star fly half Finn Russell was sent home for breaching team protocol. Former Scotland scrum half Rory Lawson joins the show to weigh in on the debate surrounding Russell and explains what the public perception is of head coach Gregor Townsend who retained his role despite a difficult 2019.Ireland have picked a team with a nice blend of youth and experience for their curtain raiser against Scotland. It's the first Six Nations in charge for new head coach Andy Farrell and we get the opinion of former Ireland back row Alan

After 7 weeks of action in Japan the Rugby World Cup 2019 is now in the history books and it was not meant to be for England who fell short at the final hurdle against a powerful and combative South Africa side.Alongside Brian in studio is 203 World Cup winner and former England scrum half Kyran Bracken. Eddie Jones says he cannot put his finger on what went wrong for England but luckily Brian and Kyran have a few theories of their own which they believe contributed to England’s defeat.As for South Africa they became the first side to lose a game in the World Cup and go on to win the tournament, former Springbok skipper and World Cup winner Bob Skinstad joins the show to describe why the victory means so much more than just a sporting triumph back in a country which is still divided on so many levels.Referee Jerome Garces was the brunt of a lot English fans criticism on Saturday morning but former international referee Jonathan Kaplan explains why he actually had quite a good final, and that the standard of r