SA v England, ABs v France in Nations Championship opening round + can the Wallabies upset Ireland?

The Nations Championship is here and it’s an absolute rugby overload: France v New Zealand to light the fuse, Wallabies v Ireland in Sydney, and England walking into a Springboks ambush in Johannesburg. David Pembroke and Ewen McKenzie rip through the big selections and the big questions: Ruben Love at 10 for the All Blacks, France’s Bordeaux-heavy combinations, and whether Japan’s calculated gamble on Ryunosuke Ito can shock Italy with Eddie Jones still suspended (Neil Hatley running the show). The Wallabies naming of Josh Nasser, Carter Gordon and Jock Campbell gets the microscope, while South Africa’s power-heavy side has England under serious pressure at Ellis Park. Plus the Nations Cup slate, under-20s scorelines, crowd concerns in Georgia, and why rugby has to keep evolving to get the best players on show. RUGBY UNITY LIVE! IN NEWCASTLE 10 JULY 2026: https://tickets.iwannaticket.com.au/e... SIGN UP TO THE BIG 3 HERE: https://tinyurl.com/big3rugbyunity 👈👈 Ask Eddie Jones and Ewen McKenzie anything! Fill out the form below 👇 https://tinyurl.com/rugbyunityquestions 👈👈 In this episode: 00:00 🏉 World Rugby launches the Nations Championship weekend 01:12 ⏰ Nations Championship marathon: 15 hours of rugby 03:08 🖥️ World Rugby comms: team sheets and info gaps 04:02 📺 TV audience guess: Nations Championship global reach 06:24 🇳🇿 All Blacks v France in Christchurch preview 07:05 🎯 Ruben Love at 10 for New Zealand selection call 08:36 🇫🇷 France lean on Bordeaux combinations for New Zealand 14:17 🇯🇵 Japan v Italy: Eddie Jones suspended, Hatley coaching 15:01 ✨ Ryunosuke Ito starts at 10 for Japan 19:18 🇦🇺 Wallabies team v Ireland: Nasser, Gordon, Campbell calls 22:04 ☘️ Ireland selections: Prendergast, Gibson-Park, bench threats 26:20 🏟️ Fiji v Wales in Cardiff Nations Championship fixture 28:10 🦌 England v South Africa at Ellis Park power test 34:12 🧉 Scotland v Argentina in Córdoba preview and pick 37:18 🌎 Nations Cup fixtures: Uruguay v Georgia, Samoa v Hong Kong China 44:10 🧑‍🎓 Under-20s results: England, France, Argentina big scores 47:28 👥 Under-20 crowds debate and Georgia hosting reality 55:12 🧠 Global season debate: Six Nations, calendar, best players 59:56 👔 Sir Steve Hansen joining Rugby Unity next week 01:05:00 🎟️ Live show Newcastle July 10 fundraiser for Hunter Rugby Call to action: 📌 Can the Wallabies beat Ireland in Sydney, and did Joe Schmidt pick the right 15? 📩 Got a question? Email us: [email protected] 🔔 Subscribe to never miss an episode! 📲 Follow us on socials → TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook & LinkedIn @RugbyUnityPodcast