Champions Cup, Premiership preview and player contracts
Evening Standard Rugby Podcast with Lawrence DallaglioShow Notes
In the final episode this year, Lawrence and Steve get festive with a chat about Christmases past and present, reminiscing on family traditions, and their best ever presents as children.
Lol also tells us what he really thinks about South African clubs being part of the European Champions Cup, as the pair chat through the weekend’s European Champions Cup action.
Plus the Evening Standard’s Nick Purewal joins the chaps to talk about hybrid player contracts, changes in the Home Nations coaching staff and whether Henry Arundell was right to resign with Racing 92.
And Lawrence, Steve and Nick all select their rugby highlight from the year and share their hopes for 2024.
In partnership with Voxpod Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Evening Standard Rugby Podcast with Lawrence Dallaglio
Lawrence and Steve are joined by Northampton player, Tom Pearson, who’s fresh from the celebrations of winning the Premiership title. Tom talks about his first year with the club, what it’s like living with his club mate and landlord, Fin Smith, the reaction from locals to bringing home the trophy and his views on red cards in big games.
Fresh from announcing his training squad ahead of the Qatar Airways Cup clash against South Africa at Twickenham and subsequent tour of Australia, Wales Head Coach Warren Gatland joins Lawrence and Steve Cording to chat all things rugby. He shares some of his decision making when it comes to team selection, what he hopes his players will learn as they take on the Springboks and Wallabies, why he’s fearful that players are manipulating laws to win games and what makes coaching in the age of social media more challenging.
This week Lawrence is joined in the studio by rugby legend, Martin Offiah, who shares his rugby journey, chatting about why he made the switch from union to league, what it was like being team mates with Andy Farrell, Shaun Edwards and Jason Robinson at Wigan, how he feels about being immortalised in bronze at Wembley Stadium and why he’s now a supporter of Bath Rugby.
With the Top 4 of the Premiership now decided, Lawrence Dallaglio, Steve Cording and Evening Standard rugby correspondent, Nick Purewal, review the weekend’s performances and discuss the semi-final line up, assessing the key strengths of each team.
Lawrence and Steve are joined in the studio by Harlequins CEO, Laurie Dalrymple, who lifts the lid on the business of running a Premiership club. They chat about the relationship between the RFU, PRL and the clubs, the opportunities to work cohesively to raise the profile of rugby, and why it’s a seminal time in terms of progression for the game.