Rucks, Mauls & Oval Balls
Welcome to Rucks Mauls & Oval Balls, the ultimate podcast for all things English rugby! Hosted by two former university teammates who shared the pitch and forged a lasting bond, this show takes you behind the scenes of the rugby world, blending insightful analysis with a shared passion for the sport. Each episode dives deep into the game, with a special focus on statistics, player performance, team dynamics, and match breakdowns. Whether you're a die-hard fan or new to the game, Rucks, Mauls & Oval Balls offers expert commentary, fun debates, and insider knowledge that you won’t find anywhere else. Tune in for the perfect mix of rugby banter, in-depth analysis, and a true love for the game!
Episodes
59 episodes
S2 Ep 27 - The Pragmatic Prem: A New Prem Rugby Era?
No relegation, franchise-style planning, and a Premiership Rugby “reset” that could change English rugby for the next decade. We get straight into what the new structure really signals: less pretending, more long-term certainty, and a clearer p...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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1:06:25
S2 Ep 26 - Six Nations Super Saturday Sojourn
Ninety-four points in Paris will do funny things to your mood as an England fan. One minute we’re watching England finally play with ambition, carry hard, and move the ball like a proper Test side. The next, we’re staring at another late swing,...
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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1:18:53
S2 Ep 25 - Forza Italia & Up The Scotland... Less Said About England The Better
A weekend of rugby made one truth impossible to ignore: courage and clarity beat caution every time. We open with Ireland steadying their identity against a ferocious Welsh defence, where McCloskey’s carrying and Gibson-Park’s tempo rekindled t...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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1:07:14
S2 Ep 24 - England Exposed, Ireland Composed
A week that began with jokes about sore calves and team-name puns turned into one of our frankest breakdowns yet. We open with the biggest off-field story: reports that the RFU council is set to back a franchise model, pausing promotion and rel...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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1:14:55
S2 Ep 23 - England In Reverse, France In A Different Universe
A round of Six Nations rugby that felt like a truth serum: Italy no longer “plucky,” England stuck in the wrong gear, and France blending steel with swagger. We open in Dublin, where Italy’s identity is no longer a theory but a threat. Their sc...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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1:18:41
S2 Ep 22 - France Flex, Italy Ignite & England Efficient
A night in Marseille told a bigger story: France didn’t just beat Ireland, they showed how to turn slow phases into strike ball against an elite defence. We walk through the blueprint — tall, mobile back-row hybrids, ruthless ruck speed, and a ...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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1:19:03
S2 Ep 21 - Six Nations One Podcast
A shock retirement, a tournament on edge, and three games that could rewrite the pecking order—this Six Nations kickoff special goes deep where the headlines meet the hard questions. We start by reflecting on Uini Atonio’s sudden exit and what ...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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1:19:29
S2 Ep 20 - RFU Strategic Plans Enough To Bring In The Fans?
Two truths collided this week: English rugby is trying to grow up fast, and the Premiership is a brutal teacher. We open with a Barking away day and a soon-to-be dad’s “one last season?” question, then jump into England’s Six Nations squad with...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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1:33:03
S2 Ep 19 - Transfers, Try-Fests & Turmoil
A weekend of rugby that actually moved the needle: transfers shifting the Premiership landscape, a coaching carousel with Razor-sized implications, and European performances that exposed who’s real and who’s bluffing. We open with the Newcastle...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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1:27:36
S2 Ep 18 - Champions Cup Conundrum: Prem Power, South African No Shows & Fading French
A stormy European weekend delivered clarity and chaos in equal measure. Saracens dragged Toulouse into a classic slugfest and found a way, Bordeaux lit up Bordeaux with ruthless counter-punching against Northampton, and the Bulls shipped 61 at ...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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1:20:21
S2 Ep 17 - Gloucester Gloom Grows Whilst Saints Style Shows
A sold-out Kingston Park, a year-long drought snapped, and a recruitment plan that actually makes sense—Newcastle’s resurgence sets the tone for a week where club identity matters more than hype. We unpack how the Red Bull-backed project is pri...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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1:27:25
S2 Ep 16 - Rucks, Mauls & Oval Balls 2025 Rugby Wrap Up w/ Mark Williams (MWRUGBYCOACHING)
Joined by Mark Williams from MWRUGBYCOACHINGTwo hours of rugby without the fluff: we look back at 2025’s biggest swings and set our stall out for 2026. From the Lions’ series win to Elliot Daly breaking French hearts, from Bath’s irresis...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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1:21:32
S2 Ep 15 - Wild Weekend Where Exeter Stun Saracens & Saints Slice Through Sale
A weekend that felt like a pressure test for the Premiership delivered on every front. Leicester bullied the basics and shredded Gloucester’s confidence, Exeter turned the StoneX into a second-half workshop, Saints ran riot against a leggy Sale...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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1:22:56
S2 Ep 14 - Franchises For Prem & Fixing Faltering European Rugby?
A pint-soaked weekend in Cork quickly gives way to the biggest question in English rugby: is a sealed Premiership the only path to stability? We don’t dodge it. We weigh romance versus reality, outline how a franchise model can expand into York...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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1:33:01
S2 Ep 13 - Champions Cup Mega Pod
European rugby didn’t whisper this weekend—it roared. We dive straight into a Champions Cup slate packed with statement wins, shock upsets, and a few uncomfortable truths about where the competition stands. From the moment Sale’s injuries met G...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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1:40:53
S2 Ep 12 - Saints Stumbled, Harlequins Humbled, R360 Crumbled?
A week off and the rugby world refused to sit still. We kick things off with the headlines: R360’s two‑year delay and why the money never looked real, a quietly improving Premiership balance sheet that’s letting clubs hand out deals to 2029, Lo...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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1:38:12
S2 Ep 11 - Bomb Squad, Pom Squad & Los Bombas
A 12–0 hole against the All Blacks usually means lights out. Not this time. We break down how England wrestled control back at Twickenham: Ford’s cold-blooded drop goals, a backline reshuffle that added real speed with Marcus Smith at 15, and a...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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1:33:59
S2 Ep 10 - Fiji Frights & Pom Squad Delights
A bright afternoon in Bath set the scene for a tougher truth: cohesion beats potential. We walk through England A’s sobering loss to a slick New Zealand XV and pull out what matters for selection, development, and how fast “promising” becomes “...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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1:19:33
S2 Ep 09 - USA Unready & England Unleashed
England put on a clinic. We break down how a sharp kicking plan, relentless two‑man tackles, and a late “Pom Squad” surge turned Australia’s momentum to dust, with Alex Mitchell’s box kicking and Tom Roebuck’s aerial work setting the tone. We g...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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1:16:32
S2 Ep 08 – Autumn Action & Prem Rugby Passion
A whirlwind weekend gave us everything: Saints igniting Franklin’s Gardens with 30 minutes of pure velocity, Saracens scrambling to recover, Tigers and Sale trading test-level shots, and the PWR roaring back with pace and bite. We dive straight...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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1:31:51
S2 Ep 07 - Caluori Counting & Harlequins Humbling
Money, momentum, and a meteoric rise collide in a round that had everything—from a test-match brawl at Welford Road to a 65–14 shockwave in north London. We open on England’s Autumn Nations training squad and the headache it exposes: power up f...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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1:26:37
S2 Ep 06 - Derby Days & Broken Plays
Forget clichés—this weekend showed exactly who’s for real and who’s searching for answers. We start with Bath, who didn’t just win, they imposed a standard: relentless collisions, clean set-piece, and a midfield pairing that bends games their w...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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1:16:48
S2 Ep 05 - Prem Power Plays & Player Pains
A rebel league selling glitz and “player IP,” a beloved flanker facing MND, and a Prem weekend that swung on packs, pressure, and poise—this one has layers. We open the hood on R360’s promises and ask the only questions that matter: who sanctio...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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1:28:50
S2 Ep 04 - Red Roses Bloom, Prem Rugby Booms
A world title in one hand, a battered match ball in the other—this week swings from the Red Roses’ crowning moment to a wild Premiership opening round that had big hits, bigger scrums, and even bigger talking points. We start with England’s blu...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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1:28:26