England Rugby Pod

The teams have been announced as it's definitely not a 1st XV to face Wales at HQ. That said, there are some interesting combinations and a VC on debut! Only Eddie, only weeks before a Rugby World Cup, but it's no less exciting. Here's what we thought about the selection...

This week we're discussing the training camp in Italy in the build-up to the final week before England's opening warm-up fixture against Wales at HQ.

As Cippers looks unlikely to take his World Cup dreams any further and with Brad Shields out injured, is Alex Dombrandt set for his RWC 2019 call up? Dan thinks so!

As Eddie makes yet more changes to his current training squad we discuss the implications, and it's not all bad. 

This week, in addition to digging ourselves out of the front-row hole we dug last week, we're picking our Luckless XV, an England team that isn't heading to Japan!

With the official RWC training squad now announced, we take a look at who the unlucky seven might be as Eddie has just four weeks to whittle it down to 31. 

This week we're talking Ashton bowing out, Cipriani looking likely to get the call up (to the training squad at least) and it turns out Folau was once a gay pin-up and "a strong advocate for ending all forms of discrimination in sport". Really?

The Nations Championship plans have been abandoned, Folau finds another way to wind up the rugby community and England announce the first of their World Cup training camp contingent.

This week we're looking into the commitment the RFU is showing Eddie and John Mitchell with the news that they've been extended to 2021, we're checking in on our wounded soldiers to see how they're recovering and of course, we're looking ahead to the RWC opener in just 14 weeks!!!

Sarries took on Exeter in the Premiership Playoff final and a young England contingent took on the Baba's at Twickenham - here are our thoughts.