The Scrum Down with Alex Corbisiero: Recent Episodes
Alex Corbisiero, NBC Sports Rugby
The Scrum Down with Alex Corbisiero features regular guest Jonathan Fisher and input from other current Premiership Rugby players. A conversation on all things Rugby related from a player's point of view.
As this season of the Scrum Down comes to the close, we are sadly marking it with the historic event of London Irish entering administration.
In a season which has seen a fantastic Rugby product on the field and lots of success across different formats of the game, it has been blighted by the situations of Wasps, Worcester Warriors and sadly now, London Irish.
Alex Corbisiero is joined by BBC Rugby Correspondent Chris Jones, to chat through news of the administration, what can be done to protect other clubs in the league and how the league can be restructured and what may be next for London Irish
The Gallagher Premiership season may be over, but there is still a lot of confusion and questions over the future of London Irish. Corbs is joined by the BBC’s Chris Jones, to discuss the latest stories, following on from a conditional extension from the RFU possibly being broken, and how that may affect the fate of the club in the near future.
This week on the Scrum Down we continue to cover the developing ownership situation at London Irish, with only a matter of days remaining before the RFU's deadline for Irish to play in the league next year hits. To cover this, Alex Lowe joins again, fresh from a trip to Dublin where he watched the Champions Cup, and then we focus on Twickenham and the forthcoming Premiership Final between Saracens and Sale, and to preview the match we'll be joined by Performance Analyst Ross Hamilton.
Ross Hamilton is back on the Scrum Down to review the semi-final games in the Premiership over the weekend with Saracens and Northampton Saints facing off as well as Sale Sharks and Leicester Tigers.And Alex Lowe is back as we keep on the pulse of the London Irish story, with more clarity on the ownership situation as well as the league preparing contingencies and setting deadliness for the situation to be resolved.
On this weeks Scrum Down we look at both the exciting and worrying sides of the Premiership, with Alex Lowe joining to talk about the concerns that are still causing problems at London Irish as well as the latest developments with Worcester Warriors and Wasps.And then Ross Hamilton joins to go through the Premiership semi-finals by the numbers as we anticipating an exciting set of matches with Saracens taking on Northampton and Sale Sharks facing off against Leicester Tigers.
Alex Lowe joins Corbs to discuss what’s happening at London Irish where the players have not been paid their wages for April.As we’ve had in previous episodes of the Scrum Down, Alex Lowe is the man in the know in the UK to bring us the inside info at the troubled clubs - as he has done with Worcester Warriors and Wasps so far this season. They discuss the status of the takeover deal, the best and worst case scenarios for the club and players, whether the match will go ahead against Exeter this weekend and also the current situation at another troubled club - Worcester Warriors.
Corbs is joined by Scrum Down veterans Alex Lowe and Chris Jones giving insight on the conflicts within the RFU and the latest on tackle laws as well as previewing the Premiership Semi-Finals.
This week's Scrum Down sees the return of Alex Lowe to the podcast, to discuss the state of Premiership Rugby in the UK. From the playoff race to sending-offs and possible bans for Twitter comments, to the future of the league itself with a possible drop to 10 teams including an update on Worcester and Wasps as well as future collaboration with the RFU to strengthen the state of the game in England.
On this weeks Scrum Down, Corbs runs through the past weeks action in the Heineken Champions Cup, discussing travel issues and wage disparities in the teams before touching on his thoughts on what English rugby needs to change and integrate between league and national team to benefit the sport.And then we are joined by USA 7s Eagle Kristi Kirshe to react to USA securing Olympic qualification, their growth as team this year on and off the field and her own journey into Rugby, having not picked up a Rugby ball until just 5 years ago.
London Irish’ Chunya Munga joins Corbs on The Scrum Down fresh off his 50th appearance for the club, the two react to Irish’s big win over Northampton, back to back Premiership Cup Final defeats, the success of the London Irish Academy, the run in to the playoffs ahead for London Irish with two big games remaining and much much more.
For the final time in 2023, The Scrum Down focusses on the Six Nations which has been won by Ireland, who also won a Grand Slam.Corbs is joined again by Ross Hamilton to break down the numbers from the final round, evaluate the teams and see their progress throughout the tournament as well as look at some of the key stats that have determined the outcome of the competition.
We continue our series of ‘Six Nations by The Numbers’ joined by analyst Ross Hamilton to look at a huge 4th round of the Competition where England got a huge wake-up call, Wales finally found winning form and Ireland continued on their way towards a grand slam.Ross and Corbs disect the weekends matches before looking ahead to the next round of the competition.
Round 4 of the Six Nations take place this coming weekend - so continue our run of ‘six nations by the numbers’ podcasts, analyst Ross Hamilton is back with Corbs to look ahead to the key statistics that could make the difference between the teams in the tournament this weekend.
Ross Hamilton is back on the pod to go breakdown the key numbers and stats from each game from the 3rd round of the Six Nations with Alex reacting and adding his insight. And then to talk Six Nations news story’s Alex is joined by the returning Chris Jones of the BBC, they discuss the Welsh player strike drama from last week, the state of the Welsh Team and rugby in Wales, Marcus Smith being dropped and assess Borthwick’s rebuild of the England Team.
This weeks Scrum Down looks ahead to the third round of the Six Nations with analyst Ross Hamilton. We study the Six Nations match ups by the numbers to see where teams are performing best, how they’re styles match up and what will be the key statistics that could decide the games. And then Joe Schroeder from the Men's USA Sevens joins for a look ahead to the LA Sevens at the weekend as well as talking about the release of ‘The Pioneers part 3’ documentary from HSBC which will be released on the NBC Sports YouTube page on Friday
Following the 2nd round of matches at the Six Nations over the weekend, former Ireland international Luke Fitzgerald joins us on the Scrum Down to discuss Ireland - the standout team of the competition so far.After that, Rugby statistician and performance analyst Ross Hamilton is on the show to break down all of the key numbers across the weekend and to analyze the performance of each team in the six nations from a data point of view.
The Six Nations began in dramatic fashion with Scotland keeping hold of the Calcutta cup following victory over England. To react to this and gloat, Corbs is joined again by former Scotland International, Blair Cowan - who earns the podcasts bragging rights after a correct prediction last episode.And then Chris Jones of the BBC joins to summarize the rest of the opening weekend, talk England coach changes and selection for Italy, as well as looking ahead to this weekends matches and the road ahead for the winners and losers in round 1.
This weeks pod features 3 guests as Alex Lowe joins us to revisit the ongoing saga regarding tackle height and the RFU in the UK, before we transition into the 6 nations.Alex talks about the current situation with England’s team and their chances heading into the tournament, and we also get a Scottish and Irish perspective with former Scottish international Blair Cowan and former Ireland international Luke Fitzgerald joining to talk about their teams and how they’re looking going into this years tournament.
2:00 Alex Lowe
2:47 - Tackle Height changes and Upraor
6:33 - why is the RFU doing this now?
10:31 - Double Tackle Laws
13:00 - Will the rules reduce concussion?
14:22 - When will this filter into the professional game?
18:08 - Law Changes overshadowing the Six Nations
24:00 - Sam Sullivan & Cheta Emba
24:20 - Looking ahead to Sydney
25:13 - Looking back at Hamilton Silver
27:31 - Changes from last season
31:11 - Perfect time for possible Olympic Qualification
35:28 - Aaron Cummings & David Still
25:47 - Planning for tournament in Sydney
36:30 - The intensity of the 7s schedule
37:14 - Hamilton Tournament Review
39;41 - year on year differences in performance
47:00 - 7s or 15s?
Corbs and Chris Jones discuss the sacking of Dave Rennie as well as the hiring and ramifications of Eddie Jones as Australia's Head Coach. Later on thoughts Steve Borthwick's first squad as Head Coach of England is assesed.
1:55 - Chris Robshaws’ life after retirement.
05:50 - Steve Evans appointment as England’s new attack coach
12:00 - Kevin Sinfield, England and the Six Nations
17:00 - Getting the Twickenham crowd back onside
19:45 - Chris and Corbs’s combined England 15
31:10 - English Rugby now has options
33:55 - Will England appoint a new captain?
41:00 - Team selection summary
42:50 - Getting behind Steve Borthwick
43:45 - Six Nations predictions
01:30 Joe Taufete’e Intro
01:55 - Joe’s Injury Recovery
04:00 - MLR vs Premiership
4:49 - Departure of Steve Borthwick from Leicester Tigers
6:36 - Joe on Kevin Sinfield
7:36 - Should Leicester be worried with changes?
9:38 - Joe on new Head Coach Richard Wigglesworth
11:33 - Joe on Eagles missing on the World Cup
15:15 - Looking Forwards with the Eagles
16:53 - The departure of Gary Gold
20:19 - Alex Lowe
20:35 - Kevin Sinfield joining the England Setup
27:53 - Kevin’s contribution to England's reboot.
29:17 - Further England coaching team changes
34:00 - England team selection
40:30 - England's number 8 options
01:00 Corbs view on England and Steve Borthwick
08:33 - London Irish win against Saracens
13:55 - The ambition of London Irish
16:10 - Toms career and Journey
21:40 - Tom playing under Eddie Jones
24:00 - Has Tom spoken to Steve Borthwick?
25:00 - Tom’s aims for his career
29:30 - Tom using Breath Coach
33:00 - Similarities with Jonathan Fisher
00:15 Corbs Reacts to 7s and Gary Gold News
06:45 - Steve Borthwick should become the next England Coach
14:00 - Steve Borthwick Tactics
17:00 - England Needing Defensive Improvements
19:30 - Leicester looking for Steve’s replacement
23:00 - Premiership Relaunch
30:10 - Will the restructure fix fundamental league issues?
32:00 - Latest on Wasps and Worcester bids and P Shares
35:55 - Differences between Premiership 1 and 2
1:31 - Eddie Jones Dismissed
1:48 - Chris Jones initial thoughts
2:47 - Alex Lowe initial thoughts
4:11 - Corbs initial thoughts
6:22 - Eddie’s Coaching Staff
8:39 - Eddie’s Failures to rebuild
13:02 - What’s gone wrong since 2019?
16:12 - England ‘botching’ their succession plan
19:26 - Why was Eddie backed until now?
20:40 - Eddie Jones’ Successor
22:23 - Steve Borthwick
35:01 - USA 7s
36:15 - Womens 7s Results in Dubai
37:00 - Mens Results
38:25 - Areas for Improvement
41:18 - representation and leadership in Rugby
43:00 - Dishing the dirt on team mates
00:30 - England Chat
03:55 - England Fans booing
05:10 - Ross Young P1 Recap
09:15 - Player development pathways
13:37 - Should USA Rugby take more control of the pathways?
16:20 - Collectivising the Collegiate System
19:25 - Could World Rugby help finance the collegiate system?
24:27 - Is Dan Payne an unlikely fit?
26:30 - Should the USA share the Players between 7s and 15s?
30:30 - USA and World Rugby’s relationship
36:34 - Does Ross feel under pressure?
38:50 - Eddie Jones
41:00 - Foreign or American Coaches?
43:30 - Wrap up and final thoughts
4:50 - USA World Cup Reaction
8:29 - How big a blow to USA’s upward trajectory is not qualifying?
11:05 - Where does accountability lie?
13:03 - Ideas for moving forward
19:22 - A possible USA team in SLAR?
23:07 - Would SLAR create conflicts with MLR?
26:31 - Calendars and commercial strategies combining
29:25 - Will the USA completely Re-Draw their commercial model?
33:33 - Challenges faced with broadcasting deals
39:02 - Eddie Jones Teaser
On this weeks Scrum Down, we start by talking through the past weekends Rugby World Cup Final. Alex talks with Black Ferns Forwards coach Mike Cron about their transformation to world champions in 6 months and then he chats to former England international Kat Merchant about the final and the aftermath for both teams as well as the future of the woman’s game.
And then, from Dubai - USA Head coach Gary Gold joins Alex ahead of their big world cup qualification decider with Portugal.
1:33 - The Buzz Around the World Cup in New Zealand
2:18 - A sold out World Cup Final
5:06 - England vs Canada
10:01 - New Zealand Vs France
13:21 - The World Cup Final
15:55 - Englands Strengths
22:00 - Chris Jones Intro
22:25 - Autumn Internatioanls
23:39 - Wales vs New Zealand
24:27 - England vs Argentina
31:34 - Is Englands focus too much on the World Cup?
40:47- England need to ‘Bring It’ against Japan
44:04 - Ireland vs South Africa
46:40 - France vs Australia
1:17 - Intro to Abby Gustaitis
3:00 - The Semi Finals Top 4
4:14 - USA Vs Canada
8:11 - The USA Falling Short
10:27 - Where can the US improve?
15:54 - England vs Canada Selfie
18:46 - New Zealand vs France
23:14 - Corbs and Abby’s vote for the win
26:00 Bryce Intro
26:24 - Preparation in the US Squad
27:18 -The mood of the Eagles
30:45 - Coaching time with the Eagles
31:34 International players joining the camp
32:19 - The Passion representing the USA
01:14 Rob Cain Intro
01:35 Rob’s World Cup Experience
02:09 The USA’s World Cup Journey
03:40 USA vs Canada
08:26 Rob’s job so far
09:54 Professionalism growing in the Women’s game
11:48 What does Rob enjoy the most?
12:51 Intro to Chris Jones
16:00 The Womens game and World Cup
17:36 Can the Red Roses generate revenue in the UK?
21:27 France vs Italy
25:23 USA vs Canada
27:00 Understanding Rugby’s stature in the US
36:16 Discussing the Gallagher Premiership
37:19 Wasps Chat
42:11 Premiership Expanding or Contracting
45:47 CVC’s Investment into the Premiership
48:35 Are other teams in trouble?
51:30 Outro
00:43 - Premiership Score Breakdown
02:12 - Premiership Table
03:00 - Wasps Administration
06:11 - Introducing Kate and JoJo
07:00 - USA vs Japan
08:15 - Carrying Momentum into the Canada Game
09:10 - USA vs Italy
13:40 - the USA Experience at the World Cup
16:25 - The USA team commitment
18:50 - What it means to play for your country at the world cup
20:25 - Introducing Ilona Maher
24:22 - Discussing Pool A
26:00 - Discussing Pool B
26:30 - Ilona on USA Vs Japan
31:00 - Ilona’s watch party for Canada vs USA.
31:50 - Pool C
35:00 - Who does Ilona think will win the World Cup?
36:40 - Closer
00:00 World Cup and Gallagher Premiership Run Down
5:16 - Alex Intro and Worcester Discussion
9:39 - Worcester's Owners and Myriad of Companies
11:01 - Red Flags ignored by RFU
14:47 - Could Worcester's troubles have been prevented?
23:30 - Could Worcester put a squad together if the club is saved?
27:15 - The Latest on Wasps
29:50 - Relegation affecting takeover bids
31:25 - Lawrence Dallaglio's Wasps Comments
34:15 - Treating Worcester and Wasps evenly and fairly
37:18 - Could Wasps return to London?
39:45 - Could clubs in the league merge?
01:57 - Introducing Jonathan
02:55 - Jonathan’s step-up to coaching
03:40 - How things are going at London Irish
05:00 - London Irish’s Identity
08:20 - London Irish’s attacking potential
10:30 - Growth going forward for London Irish’ squad
14:04 - Does lack of relegation help the clubs in the Premiership?
16:20 - London Irish’ Academy
20:00 - Jonathan’s coaching journey.
23:50 - Differences between coaching academy players and first teamers
27:00 - Premiership Cup and London Irish
30:00 - Where should London Irish be aiming this season?
34:00 - Possible changes needed to the Premiership Model
39:25 - Show Wrap Up
00:10 Intro And Premiership Run down
02:21 - Alex Lowe Introduction
03:00 - Worcester Warriors
06:00 - Worcester defending a winding up order
08:10 - Worcester’s current owners trying to avoid administration
10:10- Could the owners have avoided the ban from Rugby?
12:30 - Is this a wake-up call for the RFU and Premiership Rugby?
14:50 - The governance of the Premiership
18:00 - Solutions for the league & Possible 10 team formats.
22:15 - Expansion vs. Contraction for The Premiership.
24:00 - Wasps Enter Administration
26:30 - What has happened to Wasps?
29:00 - Was the pandemic to blame for Wasps?
32:20 - Where do the premiership go to fix this?
33:30 - Where aren’t casual Rugby fans engaged in the premiership?
36:30 - Should the RFU take over the development systems of the clubs?
00:50 - Gary Introduction
3:15 - World Cup Qualifications
4:30 - Losing to Chile
7:05 - Fitness in the camp
11:10 - Warm up games in South Africa
14:15 - Gary’s Frustrations
17:00 - Lack of year-round Rugby hampering the Eagles
19:55 - Passion of the squad
22:00 - Struggles of not having regular camp time with the Eagles
25:20 - The commitments of Coaching the Eagles
29:40 - Episode Wrap
00:10 Intro
01:19 Dan Lyle Intro
01:40 Fiji RWC 7’S Win
04:00 Australia Women’s RWC 7’S Win
07:00 Landscape of USA Rugby
16:00: AJ MacGinty
35:00: MacGinty reflects on Eagles 15’s RWC Path to Qualification
44:00 Outro
00:10 Intro
01:30 Alex Lowe Introductions
02:04 Developments with Worcester Warriors
04:30 How are Worcester warriors in such a bad situation?
05:00 MPs calling for Administration
06:30 Warriors ownership group responding to administration calls
07:30 Other clubs struggling with debt in the league.
09:30 Are changes needed for the league?
14:10 What Happens if Worcester Warriors go into administration?
16:00 Ilona Maher
16:40 Excitement before the 7s World Cup
18:40 Opening Game in South Africa for the World Cup
20:40 Ilona and TikTok and using it to promote the game
23:00 How has TikTok helped Ilona?
24:16 What would it mean to win the world cup?
26:30 Perry Baker Joins
27:23 Perry reflecting on the LA 7s and taking it forward
28:40 How does Perry use his experience with younger players?
30:20 What would it mean to have a successful world cup?
31:30 How’s the feeling in the camp?
33:05 - Outro
1:08 - Dan Lyle Head of AEG Rugby talks the success of the LA 7's through hardships
5:25 - USA 7's Captain Abby Gustaitis discusses the Sevens Series Landscape and the future of USA Rugby
10:32 - USA 7's Coach Mike Friday relfects on USA Rugby's performance
14:34 - Australia 7's Billy Meakes on Australia 7's teams priorities for the Weekend and moving forward
16:36 - Ireland 7's Harry McNulty reflects on his experience with 7's rugby
18:50 - NFL/USA Rugby player Nate Ebner comments on the importance of the LA 7's and his rugby future
22:30 - Maurice Longbottom at LA 7's final
01:45 - Rupert introduction
02:35 - Problems at Worcester Warriors
05:15 - Worcester’s 6 Million Tax Bill
06:10 - Worcester's Tax Bill EXCEEDS their salary cap
06:45 - Where’s Worcester’s money gone?
08:25 - Worcester's Owners Intentions
09:05 - Players Discontent
11:00 - Worcester's Assets
12:15 - Olly Lawrence’s Tweet
15:45 - Where will the players go?
19:15 - Impact on Warriors Fans
21:15 - Can CVC help to protect their investment?
23:15 - Other clubs at risk of financial problems
25:15 - Distractions from an exciting season
26:45 - Are there too many clubs in the league?
28:15 - LA Rugby 7s
29:15 - World Rugby 7s series so far
Ahmed is back in charge of the hosting duties for this show as Alex and him discuss all the latest news and reaction of the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa. The two analyze the loss to South Africa A, what we learned from both sides and where they are on their preparations before the first test match. Alex also picks his starting Lions XV based on the Tour so far and highlights what places he still thinks are up for grabs. The boys then round out the pod by discussing Team USA Men and Women's Rugby Sevens chances at the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
The Scrumdown is back as it's British and Irish Lions Tour time and the only way to watch it in the USA is with NBC Sports! Alex is joined by fellow NBC pundit Dan Lyle to discuss all the latest developments of the tour. The boys talk the current COVID disruptions, what it means for the tour, the performances against the Sigma Lions and Cell C Sharks, the tentatively scheduled repeat fixture this weekend, the selection dilemmas facing the coaches, plus the boys pick their starting Lions Test XV's from what we've seen so far.
Alex and Ahmed react to and break down the European Champions Cup final, which aired on NBC this weekend. They also look at the Premiership run into the playoffs and the latest on the British and Irish Lions tour, which is on NBC Sports this summer.
The 2021 British and Irish Lions squad has been selected for the tour to South Africa and Alex Corbisiero and Dan Lyle are here to break it all down. The two start by reflecting on the roller coaster ride that has been if and where the tour will happen, their excitement to be covering it on NBC Sports and what the coverage will look like with the Olympics taking place this summer.
The boys then go through the squad by position, discussing the merits of each selection, who was unlucky to miss out, who will be next in line to be called up and what can we take away from selection relating to the style of play we will see from the Lions. Alex also shares his experience of initial missing out on selection in 2013 and dishes out some advice for those who were unlucky to miss out for this tour.
No Ahmed this week allows Alex to wrestle back control of the hosting duties for this show, where he is joined by Dan Lyle to talk all things Champions Cup on NBC Sports. The two review all the weekend's last 16 knock out action and preview the upcoming quarter final match ups.
Alex and Ahmed are back again talking all things on Rugby on NBC. They reflect on the finale of the Six Nations, look at the Premiership table, preview this weekend's Champions Cup fixtures and Alex picks his current British and Irish Lions XV, plus the first Chuck Norris comparison in show history.
Alex and Ahmed are back with plenty to break down after the "Not so Final" round of Six Nations action. The boys dive deep into the dramatic ending to the Wales vs. France game, talk about their weekend back together at NBC Sports HQ in Stamford, diagnose what is going wrong with England, discuss Eddie Jones' future, preview France vs Scotland, and make their betting predictions.
Alex is back from coaching the LA Giltinis in Hawaii and reveals what he learned being back in a professional environment. Ahmed and Alex also discuss the Wales England referee controversy, the effect of the Scotland France postponement on the tournament, the latest developments with the British and Irish Lions tour, plus the current Premiership Rugby table.
The boys are back again to review the opening round of Six Nations' matches and the fallout, plus look ahead to Round 2. Alex diagnoses where he thinks England are going wrong, makes the case for why Ireland look to have improved despite the loss, confesses his love for France's Antoine Dupont, weighs the prospect of a Six Nations relegation and raves about Ireland adopting Saracens scrum system.
Alex and Ahmed review all the weekend's Premiership Rugby action, discuss the potential of the British and Irish Lions playing their tour in Australia and preview the opening round of the 2021 Six Nations.
No rugby on NBC this weekend but never fear... Alex and Ahmed are here to discuss all of the weeks rugby news! The duo discuss the firing of Harlequins Head of Rugby Paul Gustard, the decision of EPRC to move straight to the knockout rounds of the champions cup, what to do with the Lions tour, Six Nations squad announcements and Alex picks his England team.
The Scrumdown is back and ready for a big 2021. Alex emotionally passes the host torch to Ahmed as the two talk through all of the weekend's Premiership Rugby action, discuss ring fencing the Premiership and this week's cancellation of European rugby.
Alex Corbisiero is joined by Ahmed Fareed (or Johnny Depp?) on the latest episode of the Scrum Down. Corbs gives an update on his cancer diagnosis, plus recap the semifinals of the Heineken Champions Cup. The duo also evaluate the Saracens dynasty and discuss the legacy of the club, and how their future.
Alex and Blaine discuss Premiership's return so far, how teams have managed squad rotation during midweek fixtures, and analyze which teams have managed this period better then others. Plus, the effect of new breakdown interpretations and who's adapting best to it.
Alex Corbisiero examines the biggest games from Round 14 of Premiership Rugby and takes a look ahead to Week 15.
Alex, Dan Lyle, and Blaine Scully preview Premiership Rugby's return after the COVID pandemic, offer their predictions, and examine the opening weekend slate of games.
BBC's Chris Jones joins the show to discuss player contract renegotiations in a COVID world, specifically around Manu Tuilagi and Leicester Tiger cases, plus why Alex believes that Saracens shouldn't be relegated.
Dan Lyle and Blaine Scully join the podcast to discuss the Premiership Rugby announcement of a mid-August return and the direction of rugby going forward, as discussions around new global seasons continue.
Recurring guest Chris Jones details how rugby will return after COVID-19, what Premiership Rugby will look like, and how Australia and New Zealand's example could be a model for bringing back the game.
As numerous leagues around the globe are starting to be called off for the year there are huge questions as to what the next steps for various rugby leagues are. Chris Jones joins the show again and updates us on what the current state of Premiership Rugby is and the many ideas that are being thrown around (5:30). After, steering away from the doom and gloom Alex and Chris take an in depth look at the current race for World Rugby Chairmanship and give us their insights on what they like about Gus Pichot and Bill Beaumont and who they believe is the right man to lead the future of the sport (20:30). Additionally, Alex made an appearance on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast with Chris to discuss his recent diagnosis and battle with testicular cancer and it is well worth the listen
For the second week in a row Alex is joined by a legendary All Black tighthead prop. Owen Franks comes on and gives us an inside look on what his life has been like since joining Northampton and how he is approaching the mental and physical side of self isolating (01:10). After, if you play in the front row you need to listen in as Owen and Alex talk about drills you can be doing to better yourself, common mistakes players are making, and many other helpful tips to improve your game (4:20). To end, having played almost his entire career in New Zealand, Owen tells us the major differences he has noticed on how Premiership teams conduct their scrums (20:30).
Current Bristol Bear and former All Black John Afoa joins the podcast and gives us an inside look on what live of rugby player has been like during the pandemic. John breaks down not only what he has been up to but what Premiership Clubs have doing to keep their players in shape (7:17). After, John and Alex discuss Bristol and why they have been able to find so much success in this year’s campaign and how the team is staying connected (12:20)
With the LA Sevens less than a week away our favorite NBC Sports host, Ahmed Fareed finally makes his debut on The Scrum Down. Alex and Ahmed catch us up on everything we need to know before kickoff in Los Angeles (2:20). After, Alex breaks down each pool and of course gives us his predictions (7:35). To end, Sevens in the United States is examined and Alex explains why it has been able to achieve so much success (19:35)
Former English rugby international and current running back for the Buffalo Bills, Christian Wade joins the show after his first year as an NFL player has come to an end. Christian details why he decided to leave rugby (1:32) and takes us through his journey towards becoming a Bill. After, Christian goes into the similarities and differences between football and rugby touching upon what has been his biggest struggles since making the switch (7:42). To end, the two recap the viral plays from his first season and Christian gives us a glimpse on what the future has in store for him (21:54)
Two rounds of the Six Nations Championship are in the books and Blaine Scully joins Alex to help us navigate through the confusing start to the tournament. Every match is broken down, and each team is analyzed. The guys address what to expect going forward from Ireland in the new Andy Farrell regime (1:45), why Owen Farrell at 12 isn’t working for England (18:00) and why we need to be cautiously optimistic about the new look French squad (22:10). These along with many other questions are answered in this week’s edition of the Scrum Down
Dan Lyle is back in studio with Alex to recap the action packed first round of The Six Nations Championship. The guys breakdown each match (1:00) and go in to depth on England's humbling in France. Dan explains why he has issues with Eddie Jones' team selection and Alex tells why he didn't agree with his tactics (10:45). After, next weekend's matches are previewed and predictions are made (16:25). To end, with the Sevens Series in full swing Alex and Dan take an in depth look at both the US Men's and Women's teams as we begin to get closer to the Olympics (24:12)
The dust has begun to settle in England as Saracens are set to be relegated at the end of the season. BBC Sports Chris Jones joins Alex to discuss how it happened, what it means for Saracens, the Premiership and the England National Team moving forward (01:30). After, the guys turn their attention to the upcoming Six Nations Championship which is now less than a week away. With new faces and coaches about Alex and Chris analyze each team, discussing their strengths and weaknesses (38:30). Tournament dark horses are picked, predictions are made and Alex explains why England might not do as well as everyone is expecting
Abby Gustaitis, co-captain of the USA 7’s team and fiancé of Alex makes her debut on the Scrum Down. Abby recaps USA’s epic series win in Glendale (2:22) and gives an in-depth analysis of the team, discussing what’s it like to be an athlete at the top of their game and the sacrifices you have to make to get there (9:48). To end, Abby gives advice for young female athletes who are trying to obtain success both on and off the rugby pitch (28:18)
BBC Sport’s Chris Jones joins Alex to discuss the Saracens scandal that has rocked the rugby world (1:24). The guys get in to whether the sanctions are just (12:50) and what this means for the Premiership going forward (19:30). After, England legend Dylan Hartley joins the show to discuss his recent retirement announcement as well as look back at his remarkable career (27:30)
South Africa have won the World Cup and Blaine Scully, Dan Lyle, Rupert Cox, Brian Hightower and Leigh Diffey are all in studio to recap the match (1:05). Highlights include Alex's full analysis of the match, including what went wrong for England (8:00). After, the guys talk about the future of World Cups and how the United States should play it's cards in order to grow the game and find success (27:08). To end everyone gives their final takeaway from the World Cup (36:30)
Fresh off his third Rugby World Cup campaign USA Men’s Eagles captain Blaine Scully joins Alex in studio to recap the Semi-Finals (2:30). After, Alex and Blaine preview the Finals matchup between England and South Africa and give their predictions (9:15). To end, Blaine breaks down USA’s performance at the World Cup (18:20) and discusses what the future of rugby looks like in the United States (34:50)
Rupert Cox and Brian Hightower are back this week with Alex to discuss all things World Cup. With the Semi-Finals set the guys look back on how we got here and recap the Quarter-Final matchups (00:47). After, the Semi-Final fixtures between New Zealand v. England and Wales v. South Africa are broken down and of course predictions are made (26:52)
Dan Lyle and Brian Hightower join Alex and discuss USA’s tough loss against Tonga and how the tournament can be looked at for the Eagles as well as how they can improve going forward (00:47). After, the guys recap Japan’s victory over Scotland and how they will match up against South Africa in the Quarter-Finals (09:01). To end, the remaining Quarter-Final games are previewed (16:10)
BBC’s Chris Jones calls in from Japan to join Dan Lyle, Brian Hightower and Alex to discuss England’s win over Argentina and what to expect from them going forward (00:43) as well as looking at France and Japan’s chances (4:50). After, the guys break down what to expect from the remaining pool games (16:30) and what teams should find success in the knockout stages. Finally, they preview the upcoming USA game against Argentina (36:30)
Chris Jones, BBC’s rugby pundit joins Alex and Brian Hightower to discuss the refereeing in the World Cup so far (01:40) and share his thoughts on the upcoming ENG v. ARG match (09:31). After, Alex and Brian break down USA’s poor performance against England and how they can improve in their next match against France (17:10). To end, the guys talk about Japan and Wales' big wins and what it means for the tournament going forward (25:22)
Dan Lyle, Brian Hightower, and Rupert Cox are back with Alex to give their thoughts on the opening games of the Rugby World Cup (1:27). The guys also break down the upcoming match between England and USA (21:35) and discuss what the US need to do to pull off the upset
Dan Lyle, Brian Hightower, and Rupert Cox join Alex to react to the Wales betting scandal (3:10), and to break down every pool of the World Cup (12:17). Before we go, the guys look at how Team USA can define success in the tournament (33:59), and make their predictions for who will win it all (44:34).
Alex is joined this week by fellow NBC Sports Rugby Analyst Dan Lyle to discus the final round of the 6 Nations with instant reaction from after the games. Also Alex and Dan announce NBC's agreement to broadcast the European Champions Cup, making NBC the year-round television home of rugby.
Alex is joined again by friend of the pod, Rob Hoadley to breakdown each game of round 2 of the Six Nations. Also this week, Alex has a different opinion on England's performance than some, Hoadley has thoughts on styles of play, Ireland battling injuries ahead of their match-up against Wales, and France drops several players from their squad.
The opening weekend of the 6 Nations is in the books and Alex is here to recap each game and discuss all 6 teams. With Rob Hoadley returning, they take a deep dive into the Wales victory over Scotland, Ireland's nail-biting win over France and England's rout over Italy, as well as what the rest of the tournament could look like for each team.
This week, Alex is back with a jam-packed episode! To kick-off the NatWest 6 Nations, Alex had a chance to speak with Scotland Head Coach Gregor Townsend & Captain John Barclay, Wales Captain Alun Wyn Jones & Head Coach Warren Gatland, Italy Head Coach Conor O'Shea, and Ireland Captain Rory Best. With this year being the first for the 6 Nations on NBC, Alex also sits down with Rob Hoadley, Former London Wasp, for an in depth preview of the tournament and each squad.
This week, Alex welcomes back BBC Sports' Chris Jones to talk about the Saints' decision to fire Jim Mallinder and where they should go from here. They also discuss possible changes needed in the premiership, and clubs' ability to develop and retain talent.
Alex gives his thoughts on England v Australia and previews the upcoming tests for England, Scotland, & Wales. Also this week, the latest from Welsh players, Ross Moriarty & George North, shares for Samoa's players, and England Women's test vs Canada.
This week, Alex is in the UK for autumn internationals and gives his thoughts on the England-Argentina Match, and Jon Fisher returns to talk about Marland Yarde's exit from Harlequins, the Premiership's injury crisis and the future of rugby.
This week, Alex is joined by BBC Sports' Chris Jones to discus the recent number of citings in rugby, the inequality of the Hughes and Marler bans, and the Parra HIA incident. Also Chris and Alex discuss the announced England roster and make their picks for the starting XV
This week, Alex welcomes to the pod Lauren Jenkins from BBC Wales Sport to talk about the new international selection rules instituted by the Welsh Rugby Union. Together they discuss the positive and negative impacts of the new rule and its short-term and long-term effects for players as well as Welsh rugby.
This week, Alex welcomes Jim Harrison, former Saracens and Scotland player and Co-host of The Rugby Pod. They discuss their experiences dealing with the grind of being a professional and international player and new effects of the global schedule. Alex and Jim also give their thoughts on player welfare, central contracting, and needed changes to the game.
This week, Alex brings in Chris Jones of BBC Sport for an in-depth talk about the new developments on the global rugby schedule and all its implications from its effect on international rugby to labor relations in the Premiership.
This week, Alex speaks to Dan Lyle of AEG rugby about the American Premiership Match in Philadelphia, PA over the weekend. Also Alex speaks to Saracens' full-back, Alex Goode, about the experience of playing in Philly and his secrets to his and Saracens' success.
For the first time in Scrum Down history, Alex shows off his rap skills! Also on the show, Alex takes fan questions from social media about all things rugby, Including Falcons early success and Premiership Rugby in the US.
This week, Jon FIsher three-peats as a guest on the podcast, as he and Alex discuss the Women's World Cup, coaching, and more.
This week on the Scrum Down, Alex and Fish continue their talk on Jon's move to coaching as well as their picks for players poised to breakout in this years Premiership season.
The Scrum Down is back from summer hiatus!! This week Alex is joined by co-host with the most, Jon Fisher, to talk about his recent retirement and transition into coaching. In addition Alex gives his thoughts on the end of the Lions tour and his takeaways from watching an All-blacks training session.
Alex gives his thoughts on the first test between the Lions and the All Blacks, and previews the lineup changes for the second match.
Alex is joined by Dan Bowden and BBC Sport's Chris Jones from Auckland, New Zeland to discuss the upcoming test match between the All Blacks and the British & Irish Lions.
Alex and Luke break down all things Lions, examine some changes the Lions could make and debate their test lineup.
This week, Alex gives his thoughts on the two premiership semifinals and previews the spectacular finals match-up of Wasps vs Exeter Chiefs. Also on the podcast, Alex speaks to Joe Simpson, Wasps' scrum half, about this past weekend's game and the final showdown against Exeter. And then, Alex welcomes Exeter's Geoff Parling to discuss the Chiefs win over Saracens, the differences between this year and last year's trip to the final, and his thoughts on the match-up against the Wasps.
This week, Alex welcomes back USA rugby legend Dan Lyle and together they breakdown the upcoming Premiership semifinals. In addition, Dan announces a Premiership match to be held in Philadelphia in September.
Henry joins Alex to discuss returning from injury, how a journal helped him in his recovery, potentially playing for England and how excited he is to return to the field.
This week Alex welcomes to the podcast Wasps superstar winger, Christian Wade. They discuss Wade’s early success at England U20s, England 7s, and at Wasps. In addition, Wade offers his thoughts on his recent absence from the England roster and the upcoming Premiership playoffs.
This week, Alex gives his view on the recently announced England roster and he looks back on the Champions Cup semi-finals this past weekend and looks ahead to the final at Murrayfield. And we resume our interview with Danny Cipriani to talk about his return to Wasps and keys to success as the playoffs approach.
This week, Alex sits down with Wasps' fly-half Danny Cipriani for the first of a two-part interview. The two discuss Danny's journey from rising star to English rugby exile and his return to stardom in the Premiership.
This week, Alex is joined by Alex Lowe, sports writer for The Times, and they debate and discuss their picks for the upcoming Lions tour.
This week, Alex gives his thoughts on the new global rugby schedule. He is also joined by Dan Lyle of NBC Sports to talk round 19 of the Aviva premiership and looking ahead to the playoffs.
Luke is back to gloat about Ireland-England, discuss the impact of the weather on that match, and give some keys for Champions Cup this weekend, plus Paul O'Connell sits down in an Uber ride to discuss Six Nations, experiencing the New York City and parts some wisdom.
Alex is joined by former Ireland player Luke Fitzgerald to breakdown the upcoming grand-slam deciding match between England and Ireland. They also discuss some breakout players from the 2017 Six Nations and their picks for the Lions squad. Alex also gives his thoughts on England's added match against New Zealand next year.
This week, Alex checks in on Premiership rugby and previews England's upcoming match against Scotland, before diving into twitter questions from the Scrum Down listeners.
This week, Alex is joined by former England 7s player Ollie Phillips to discuss the Rugby Players' Association's new 'Lift the Weight' initiative which confronts the stigma of mental health issues. They also discuss Ollie's own struggles with mental health following an early end to his playing career.
Jonathan Fisher, the co-host with most, returns and speaks with Russell Earnshaw, coach of the England U18s. Together they discuss coaching and developing young rugby players, his coaching philosophy, sports psychology and changing a team's culture.
Alex and Fish discuss the case of Tom Arscott and what Bristol's signing of Steven Luatua, the young All-Black, means for the club. Also Luke Fitzgerald returns for an update on the Six Nations.
Alex and Fish welcome to the podcast Richard Bryan, Rugby Director of the Rugby Players Association, to discuss the role of the RPA, and its view on player representation, funding from the Premiership, collective bargaining, and more.
Alex is joined by former Irish and Leinster star, Luke Fitzgerald to discuss his retirement, the upcoming Lions tour, and the Six Nations.
Jonathan Fisher of Bristol Rugby returns once again and joins Alex in talking about tackling, new sanctions, new techniques, and their effect on the game.
Alex is joined by returning guest Alistair Hargreaves as well as journalist Sam Peters to discuss another concussion controversy and the possible need for more transparency in the HIA process
Alex welcomes back Jonathan Fisher and hands over the reins of the podcast. They are joined by Max Lahiff of Bath Rugby as they discuss his recent columns on Pundit Arena, their time together at the London Irish Academy and some of the challenges in rugby.
Alistair Hargreaves talks approaching the end of one's playing career and transitioning to retirement, the state of concussion protocol, his experience with head injuries, and the culture of the Saracens organization and their unique style of play
Leigh Diffey talks about his initial exposure to the Aviva Premiership and different rugby styles, Alex's transition from player to commentator when it comes to big stories that involve friends, standouts from first half of the season and predictions for the second half.
In the aftermath of the George North concussion situation, The Times' Alex Lowe joins the Scrum Down to give Alex the journalistic perspective on the problems he saw with the scene, how rugby can learn from this and how this same plight can be avoided.
Alex and Fish discuss finding motivation ahead of a big game, taking responsibility for mentorship of the next group of rugby players, the importance of backing your teammate up and having hard conversations with coaches
Fish joins the podcast again to chat with Alex about his experience coaching, Eddie Jones' growth mindset, what they learned as young players and whether or not contact should be policed in the sport.
The silver medalists from Rio sit down with Alex from Dubai to discuss the differences between 7s and 15s, the evolution of sports science, why they run before a match, playing each other as kids and their favorite sevens tournament location.
The Newcastle centre discusses rediscovering his love for the game, the current season, how he bungled a party guest list, the highlight of his career, and why he wants to travel the world.
The former star for the United States rugby team joins the Scrum Down to discuss how to grow the game in the States, Ireland's big win in Chicago over the All Blacks and how rugby has evolved since he retired.
Fish is back! This time, it's live and not a voicemail. Fish and Alex discuss the Premiership season, changes to Bristol and what it's been like for Alex as a retired player.
Alex Corbisiero is joined by Northampton Saints' George North where they discuss everything in the Premiership and North's new found love of coffee, plus Corbisiero breaks down this week's games.
Welcome to the Scrum Down with Alex Corbisiero featuring Jonathan Fisher. Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher for automatic downloads.