Maul or Nothing

It’s the Christmas special!This year, the boys are joined by Bristol Bears flyer Gabriel Ibitoye, bringing some extra holiday cheer and rugby chat. And, of course, to give it that Fijian flair—because we are the official unofficial Fiji podcast—Ryan’s old team mate and friend of the show, Niko Matawalu, is back (just about) to add to the festive fun!From worst Secret Santa stories to Niko’s Christmas chaos, there’s no shortage of laughs. Plus, Marc brings his signature touch with some curious venue and gift decisions!Tune in for some epic exchanges, hilarious banter, and a whole lot of Christmas spirit. Whether you're listening or watching on YouTube, this is the perfect episode to get you in the holiday mood. Merry Christmas to one and all!Use the code MON10 at absoluterugby.co.uk for 10% off Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Head to absoluterugby.co.uk for all your Christmas rugby needs, with the code MON10 for 10% off.We're delighted to be joined by Saints and England star, Tommy Freeman, fresh off the plane from a fabulous win in South Africa over the Bulls.The flying winger talks us through the altitude, King Troll Henry Pollock, some serious niggly play, hearing some pretty harsh heckling, how enjoyable the win was but also just how beautiful South Africa is.He also runs us through his England experience so far, looking ahead to the Six Nations and what its been like having so many of his Saints mates in the squad with him.We also dissect the Bristol Bears Champions Cup clash with La Rochelle and how it went for Max when he was supposed to just be a substitute..... the mindset shift and joking around with Will Skelton. Also what was that Jack Nowell finish?!?What did they get up to after the match and which players led the charge in La Rochelle....Ryan was non stop punditing at the Champions Cup... what was it like watching Max in a Dublin pub... and how did Benetton manage to hold on for the win over Bath trying to do everything to lose that!The boys also give a full round up of the Champions Cup including the failure of all the South African sides to pick up a win. Do they want to be in this competition? Do they care? Is it better than Super Rugby for the Saffa sides?We hear all the hot takes from the fellas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a very special episode of Maul or Nothing with the boys all making their way to Bristol for the Bears Champions Cup clash with the mighty men of Leinster.Max is starting and Ryan is as close as you can be to him working as a pitchside pundit/reporter. The boys manage to have a lovely interview together before the battle commences!While the game doesnt go Max's way he does score Bristol's opening try and generally puts in a barnstorming performance, earning several scrum penalties against his international calibre opponents.Post match we can humbly say that the boys tread the fine line between annoyingly persistent and endearingly pushy to perfection securing interviews with several stars including Jordie Barrett, Ilona Maher, Harry Randall, Harry Thacker and Mike McCarthy. Without a doubt the highlight of the day (citation needed) for each of these lovely people.....And then the boys are finally reunited together in the same room to take us through the rest of the Champions Cup results while seemingly unable to contain their excitement at being back together doing what they do best.Enjoy and as always... We love you!!!! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the Autumn Internationals done and dusted its back to the league clashes as Max's Bristol Bears put on a delicious display or running rugby to outshine Joe Marler on his big day.But what about the build up, how do rugby players get ready for such big matches? Nandos? Did you say Nandos? In any case the game was amazing but what happened between Gabi Ibitoye and Joe Marler? We break down a fabulous contest at the Stoop.We also put the final test match between Ireland and Australia under the microscope. Have Ireland peaked? Who was the Wallabies Man of Tour? Can Prendergast and Crowley ever emulate Johnny Sexton? Do Ireland deserve to make up the bulk of the Lions? Questions that need to be answered.Then it's onto a round up of the Premiership with some big couple of results while over in the URC, Edinburgh almost blow a 35 point lead... Plus friend of the show Adam Hastings suffers a nasty injury, which makes us sad.Then the big one.... It's the Maul or Nothing Champions Cup Preview and there are some seriously tasty ties to look ahead to... From a biased perspective none more so than Bristol vs Leinster where the boys will finally be reunited.We even have a chance to discuss the RFU Bill Sweeney pay scandal.Lots of lols and lots of love for listening and watching. We love you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're delighted to be joined by Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu to discuss the big result of the weekend as Scotland saw off a resurgent Wallabies to end their Home Grand Slam dreams.We hear all about the surprise appearance of Scotlands newest star.... Sione's granny, who flew in to surprise him.Also what about that hit from Joseph Suaalii.... "felt like someone had climbed through my body" and there was a serious load of spiciness out on the pitch with serious amounts of niggle.Whats it like for Sione to play the country where he grew up and how did he become the chatter in chief against many of his friends on the Wallaby side.We hear from Ryan who was at the game as a pundit and the celebrations after the match.We round up all the Autumn Nations matches from the penultimate weekend and provide a state of the union for the different countries... South Africa are the worlds most dominant team..... what about a hypothetical match with France?What can Wales do next? Fiji feelings after a the tour... Sam Cane's last match, the most passionate captains, Australia's stand out performers and plenty more.....And what about England? What have we learned, let's see how Max can describe their current status in the most eloquent way of course...Above all thank you for listening and watching and don't forget to like and more importantly comment!!! We love you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've got the biggest rugby player in the world, literally, Emmanuel Meafou to take us through that record equalling 3rd consecutive France win over New Zealand.What was that Haka like, why did their requests for jersey swaps get turned down and how tough a match was that?Emmanuel also takes us through his incredible journey from Australian rugby reject to France's superstar second row. He also explains why he turned down the NFL, why he's so grateful to be putting on the french jersey and how even a last minute call from Eddie Jones wasnt going to change his mindLegend of a man!The boys also take us through the rise of the Wallabies as they deconstructed Warren Gatlands Wales and turned them into statistically the worst Welsh side of all time.Whats gone wrong? Who's to blame?Conversely they also dive into whats gone Tom Wright for the Wallabies and how good its been seeing a bounce back in the step of the Aussies.There's a good chat on Ireland's controversial win over Argentina.... is it the end of the green northern hemisphere domination or just a blip.Plenty more as well as usual including Max's fiercely contested Wolfcraig Autumn Nations team of the week....Enjoy and as always thanks for listening and watching. We love you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holy hecker what a lot to unpack on an absolutely packed out show.We are delighted to be joined by All Black superstar Caleb Clarke to take us through beating Ireland in Dublin, how quickly Rieko threw the burn of the century on the Irish but what he actually thinks of Johnny Sexton.He also gives the All Black insight on how the haka leader gets picked and why it had to be Rieko Ioane.... also which did he enjoy more beating the English or the Irish....As if that's not enough we then have Wallaby wonderback Tom Wright on that phenonemal win for Australia over England....What did the Wallabies think when Jamie George is captured on big screen grinning as it looked as though England had won the match at the death... We find out about wonderkid Joseph "Sue" Suaalii...,. Apparently he'd never picked up a rugby ball before Saturday which made his performance all the more fascinating....Tom relives that last passage of play and how far theyve been pushing Sue and Angus Bell's buttons on tour...Also will with real Joe Schmidt please Stand up....So much to talk about and so little time to do it in.... the boys talk through Wales amateur hour, Fiji being awesome and a missed opportunity for Scotland but then again The Springboks don't really ever lose when it matters right.... As always thank you our wonderful fans for supporting us. We love you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sorry we've been away for a week but all will be explained in the pod.... The boys are back to break down the utterly fascinating clash between England and New Zealand as well as a far more one sided affair as Scotland and Fiji went head to head at Murrayfield.So, what do the fellas think of all the mud being thrown at George Ford? Is it warranted (it's not) what positives can this team take from another loss to the All Blacks. Is Steve Borthwick to blame for the defeat by trying not to lose rather than trying to win with his substitutions?What about New Zealand, is there a slipperier winger in world rugby right now than Mark Tele'a. How will the kiwis deal with taking on Ireland on Friday?Lots of hot takes on the early England celebrations (surprise surprise Ryan and Max disagree vehemently), whether the new trial laws are working and above all the hooha from the Haka controversy.Up in Scotland it was a much easier ride for the hosts, who thrashed an out of sorts Fiji team that had Ryan Willisonni as conflicted as you'll ever see him... especially as he was spotted in the official Fiji Autumn Internationals team photos (WTF?!!?)The new duel between the double DD's..... Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham.... the record extenders and also an absolutely filthy piece of skill from our old pal Adam Hastings.But what next for Fiji, will the big guns returning manage to reunite our favourite second nation?and how about the Danny Care book spilling all the beans on the Eddie Jones era.... we'd heard a few anecdotes on the show but what do the boys think about all the revelations?Lots of fun to be had, we hope you enjoy it and as always, thanks for listening and watching we love you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Euphoria last week to despair at the death for Max and his Bristol gang against the wily Saracens, they might be new look but their results are old school.We get the boys takes on the new 20 minute red card, as well as the scrum clock. Which side of the fence do the fall on?There's an emphatic Premiership roundup including Michael Cheika's hair dryer treatment, Fitz Harding and Max Llewellyn on flames while over in the URC, Ryan reckons it's a bit unfair how stacked the Sharks are. I mean shouldnt there be a cap on the number of World Cup winners in a squad?And who wins the Wolfcraig moment of the week in the ultimate wing showdown between Duhan van der Merwe and Gabriel Ibitoye?We also get a chance to natter about Rocky Elsom's arrest warrant and did you know Max was a butler in the buff at Katie Price aka Jordan's birthday party????Enjoy and as always, we love you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're delighted to be joined by our old pal Jack Nowell for an update on life in France and the Top 14.He tells us all about how Ronan O'Gara has taken Johnny Sexton's new autobiography and settling in at La Rochelle.We also hear his thoughts on Exeter's current woes, why Henry Slade no longer responds to his messages or calls and the real differences between the Prem and the Top 14.There's also an update on all his pals like Manu Tuilagi, the Simmonds brother and Jonny May who have headed to French pastures new...What about England's next generation of wingers? Nowellsy runs the rule over who he sees as the successors.....And what about the Lions and being eligible for France? Max meanwhile comes off the back of that momentous and dramatic turnaround to see of Jack's old team Exeter.... What a weekend for him while Ryan has been kind enough to join us from his family holiday in Portugal.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time to put Bristol's sensational centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg under the microscope after another starring performance in the derby win over Bath.There are calls in the media for his inclusion in the England squad the minute he's available but will he pick the Red Rose over his Springbok nation? Most importantly how does he keep his luscious mullet locks so luscious? Come and find out! We hear all about what Max is like at work, what the boys of Bristol got up to after the win and how South Africa compares to England.Ryan also gives us a big URC round up with the fastest ever try scored in the competitions history.We round up the rest of the Premiership matches, Michael Cheika's ban and plenty more. Come and join us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week it’s all about the Boks… A sublime performance to lift the Rugby Championship for the first time since 2019 and just their second in 15 years….The boys debate Eben Etzebeth’s standing as one of the greatest locks of all time. There’s competition in there with Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Sam Whitelock, Martin Johnson, Paul O’Connell or Alun Wyn Jones so who exactly is the goat?The fellas take in the last weekend of the Rugby Championship and evaluate how all the countries have fared….There’s also the tastiest of ties to talk through with Max as Bristol lose to Gloucester in the neutral match of the season so far. What on earth happened with that hattrick try for Christian Wade?As always the boys run through all the big talking points from the Prem and URC but we also hear how their weekend together in Glasgow went watching people beat the living daylights out of each other (MMA)Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a packed out show as Leicester's new signing Ben Volavola joins the boys to talk through the start of the Prem season and Fiji winning the PNC as well as reuniting with Michael Cheika, the ultimate man manager.The lads break down the shock of the season so far as Argentina stop the Springboks from winning the Rugby Championship with a game to spare and set up an almighty final round clash. Most importantly both teams flew back on a charter flight together..... how on earth was that?We hear from Max after his first match and first win of the season up at Newcastly. Maxie baby starting in a superpowered front row with Ellis Genge to bring the boys in black to their knees....Ryan is back on presenting and comms duty and teaming up with friend of the show Simon Zebo as the URC kicks off with some big results all over the place, we also round up the other Prem matches including the tasty clash between Bath and Northampton..... handbags all around.And as a special little bonus for everyone we catch up with former UFC fighter Stevie "Braveheart" Ray on dodgy UFC dealings, fighting with a tag on and how you lose 13kg's in 3 days..... Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maul or Nothing is back with a bigger, better and bolder season ahead.We catch up with the boys to find out how their summer was and particularly Max and Ryan's romantic trip around Scotland to go and play with the Worlds Strongest Men, The Staltman brothers.Its time to check in on Max's pre season and find out how the new faces are fitting in, while Ryan has some potentially very big news, that might not be big news but could maybe be absolutely huge news while also possibly being no news at all.The boys look ahead to what promises to be a heck of a year for the show and rugby as a whole with the URC and Prem kicking off while there are tasty autumn internationals to attend, sevens tournaments to party at and the Lions tour on the horizon.We get the predictions for both the URC and the Premiership while Max and Ryan run the rule over the ins and outs of players in both competitions.There's a cheeky Rugby Championship round up and the boys both agree South Africa are now Masters of the Universe..... but what about our dear Australia, can they recover in time for the British and Irish contingent heading down under or will the Wallabies be fed to the Lions?We also get some insight into the Steve Borthwick camp and what happened with Felix Jones.....sort ofWe're back and we're so happy you're joining us on another season of Maul or Nothing. Big love as always! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The boys sit down for an exclusive chat with the leader and captain of the Flying Fijians in Waisea Nayacalevu as well as Northampton’s Prem winning lock forward Temo MayanavanuaWe hear all about the World Cup heartbreak and the genuine belief they were good enough to reach the final. We get an unfiltered version of what happened in the England game and their thoughts on how Fiji officiated compared to Tier 1 Nations. Are the most exciting set of players in the world hindered by the respect they show the officials?We hear from Temo on Northampton’s march to the prem title and how he found France.In fact both players agree that the baguette might just be the greatest single French invention ever.Wais and Temo talk through their perfect 7s team and how good Selestino Ravutaumada really is with the Olympic world at this feet. And what about Waisea just swapping his contract with Manu Tuilagi?The boys put the Fijians under the microscope and hear what this new era holds for the Flying Fijians Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We finally have everyone back and ready to dissect a fascinating summer of international rugby. The Boks and Irish cancel each other out in an epic double header, but was it a fair result? Was there a block that allowed the last gasp drop goal from Frawley? What about our buddy Malcolm Marx and the dreaded Croc Roll….. and are you only as good as your last game (Max 😂)And what about England, will they ever get a better chance to beat the All Blacks in their own back yard? They keep getting so close to beating the best teams in the world but coming short. Is Project Borthwick to be commended or scrutinised?The All Blacks though are up and running in the Razor era, but how does Fiji’s evolution stack up?And Wales? Poor old Wales… They only waited until the 79th minute of their final match of the summer to pick up their first win of 2024…. But a win is a win (even against a second string Queensland Reds side) Most importantly what on earth did Max get up to in Senegal and how come Ryan came back less relaxed following his all inclusive luxury holiday than when he left…. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The MoN boys get the lowdown on everything to do with Fijian rugby from its very own guru Mick Byrne.We are delighted to sit down with the new Fiji coach as he prepares to take on the mighty All Blacks.Fresh from helping to grow the Fijian Drua he’s now ready to build on the Fijian World Cup success and take them to the next level.Mick The Kick has had one of the most varied and impressive careers the only person to coach against himself at international level as head coach of Japan when they took on the All Blacks, the team he was skills coach for at the time as well! 00:00 Intro02:50 Coaching Fiji07:09 The culture in Fiji and Drua13:50 Keeping talent in Fiji 19:27 What makes Fijians so good at rugby?23:09 Micks coaching style25:29 Drinking Cava29:04 Who is Mick excited about coaching32:38 Coaching in Scotland38:23 Two World Cup wins with the All Blacks42:43 Michael Leitch and Japan45:57 Who has Mick learned from the most50:24 How far can Fiji go? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bula Vinaka everyone! We’ve caught up with two rising stars of Fijian rugby as they prepare for their upcoming test against the All Blacks.We hear all about Peni’s antics when Ryan took him under his wing at Glasgow. The smile, the laugh, the stories…. These Matuwalus really are the most magnetic people in the world of rugby and we love them!Frank is hot property but wants to see Fijian Drua win Super Rugby before moving on…. Will it happen? Well the boys have utmost confidence in the upwardly mobile position Fiji rugby finds itself in.So what’s life been like post World Cup and with a new coaching set up?How healthy is the future of Fijian rugby and what did Peni do when he first saw the drinks available at a local Glasgow pub?And what about respect among the Fijian community…. We hear how Peni deals with playing against someone from the same area in Fiji as him (Virimi Vakatawa…) and we’re not sure his coaches will be happy 😂Ryan and Marc head out to the Lensbury Resort while Max is out doing Max things in Senegal 🇸🇳! MoN team up with the Absolute Rugby Gang (10% discount code here: https://absoluterugby.co.uk/discount/MON10) for a Flying Fijian Special! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re delighted to be joined this week by the Wallabies and Exeter and Barbarians Star Scott Sio.He takes the boys through a fun filled time with the Baba’s, how he’s played against Sam Whitelock his whole life and in a funny twist of fate lines up alongside him for Sam’s final match. We go through his Wallabies career and aspirations (Joe Schmidt give him a bell!!!) and that he’d love to put on the Aussie jersey once more. He also walks us through what’s been happening to rugby union in Australia and how to bring back some of its shine.The Eddie Jones project is also put under the microscope and how different life has been after a decade at the brumbies to switching locations to Devon.Speaking of the brumbies, remember when they beat the Lions in 2013…. Scott does! And he tells us all about that wonderful day Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s actually happened…. Can you believe it… Glasgow Warriors are URC champions. They beat the Bulls and the altitude to give Scottish rugby one of its most crowning moments.OBVIOUSLY Ryan was there as a one man hype machine, he’s in the stand with Steve Kitshoff, he’s among the fans, he’s in the winning dressing room, he’s on their bus and he’s absolutely broken on his way home. (You’ll never guess the British and Irish Lions star to his left on his flight home)We are blessed to have a very dusty Huw Jones, wearing his champions cap, take us through all the emotions of the match. The feeling going into it, how they reacted to going 13-0 down in an arena full to the brim with Bulls fans. He then takes us through the celebrations and how Klingon Wilson went full kit on them.There’s also a rather sobering flight home, before they’re back on it and the party goes again.The Maul or Nothing team take you into the heart of an enthralling final and celebrations to match. Enjoy!0:00 - Ryan's ultimate weekend of punditry & Celebrations!9:49 - Ryan's perfect punditry predictions12:50 - Max has been to a Work Colleague's wedding!15:18 - Japan vs England20:27 - South Africa vs Wales - the Baba's curtain-raiser 23:00 - Does all of South Africa have gout? 25:10 - Baba's vs Fiji 30:20 - Sam Whitelock tribute34:00 - Where's the easiest place to hide on a rugby field?36:17 - URC CHAMPION Huw 'Shuggy' Jones joins us!43:55 - Playing at altitude51:40 - Jake White's ref comments Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.