The 2026 Nations Championship is officially underway and WHAT an opening weekend of international rugby. 🌍🔥

Ryan and Max get stuck into every major Test as the Springboks destroy England, the All Blacks survive a French thriller, Ireland break Australian hearts, Scotland run riot in Argentina and Wales find a way past Fiji.

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🇿🇦 SOUTH AFRICA 45–21 ENGLAND 🏴

England were battered at Ellis Park.

Yes, they fought back brilliantly after a brutal opening quarter. Yes, there were moments of genuine promise.

But this was also England’s fifth consecutive Test defeat and the eighth game in a row in which they have received at least one yellow card.

So we ask the uncomfortable question…

Are England beginning to accept mediocrity?

If Italy, Argentina, Wales, Fiji, Australia or Scotland produced that performance against South Africa, would we call them plucky? Brave? Gallant? Would we praise the fightback and talk about a young team taking positives?

Probably.

But what if it was New Zealand, France or Ireland?

Would they accept being comprehensively put away?

Steve Borthwick has a 56.5% win record across 46 Tests. At what point do “young England team”, “positives to take” and “building towards the World Cup” stop being enough?

Especially when the Springboks were without Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Franco Mostert, Lood de Jager, RG Snyman, Kwagga Smith and Frans Malherbe.

A bad England performance?

Or a huge statement win from the Springboks?

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🇦🇷 ARGENTINA 38–47 SCOTLAND 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Scotland go to Córdoba and produce their best-ever result in Argentina.

Sione Tuipulotu leads from the front, Scotland find another gear and Gregor Townsend’s men start the Nations Championship with a massive away victory.

Is Tom Jordan the natural successor to Finn Russell?

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🇳🇿 NEW ZEALAND 34–32 FRANCE 🇫🇷

A captivating nine-try thriller in Christchurch.

New Zealand strike.

France answer.

France strike.

New Zealand answer.

Brilliant test match rugby and a fabulous first win for the Dave Rennie era. Ryan absolutely stoked for his former coach!

Plus, remember the name: Fehi Fineanganofo. 👀 but is he going to Newcastle Red Bulls? The boys debate players being tied to contracts

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🇦🇺 AUSTRALIA 31–33 IRELAND 🇮🇪

An absolute HUMDINGER in Sydney.

Back and forth. Five tries apiece. Australia with a chance to win it at the death.

But Ireland — and Hugo Keenan in particular — find a way.

Ireland continue building serious depth while Australia provide even more evidence that…

THE WALLABIES ARE BACK.

Carter Gordon, Dylan Pietsch and a wildly entertaining Australian side give Ireland everything they can handle.

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🇫🇯 FIJI 24–39 WALES 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

The brutal efficiency of the driving maul versus the elegance, chaos and outrageous natural ability of Fiji.

Neck and neck deep into the second half before Wales finally pull clear.

And Selestino Ravutaumada probably won’t want to watch that Josh Adams nutmeg too many times. 😭

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The Nations Championship has arrived.

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🎙️ Marc Edwards | Ryan Wilson | Max Lahiff

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George Hendy joins Maul or Nothing live from Ibiza after Northampton Saints’ 2026 PREM Rugby final win over Exeter Chiefs.

The matchwinner talks Saints celebrations, scoring the decisive tries, why this title feels different from two years ago, and the slightly chaotic aftermath of trying to serenade the Saints faithful on stage.

The boys also get stuck into the Henry Pollock Player of the Match debate, whether the stats really backed up the award, and why Northampton looked such worthy champions.

Elsewhere, Ryan recovers from the Dublin fiesta as the show breaks down Leinster’s 36-7 URC final win over the Bulls at Croke Park, Sam Prendergast’s performance, James Lowe’s fishy farewell, Joe McCarthy winding up Ryan, and whether another Bulls final collapse says anything about England vs South Africa.

Plus: Leo Cullen’s confirmed Leinster exit at the end of the 2026-27 season, Maro Itoje being rested, Jamie George captaining England, Noah Caluori’s call-up, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, and whether PREM Rugby moving play-offs to neutral venues from 2029-30 is genius or madness.

Sponsored by Refund Club and Wolfcraig.

00:00 Introduction - Max Holding things together

03:13 Pub Chat

05:12 The Prem Final

08:55 George Hendy Joins

14:24 Sing-Songs, Potholes & Pollock as MoM

29:13 New Prem format for knock out stages

31:20 URC Final

33:31 Joe McCarthy & James Lowe interviews

36:50 Leo’s Leaving; who comes in for Cullen

42:12 Summer Nations Championship Chat

47:21 Wolfcraig.com Use MAUL for 20% off

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It is finals week on Maul or Nothing — and somehow Exeter Chiefs have smashed their way into the 2026 PREM Final.

After a ridiculous comeback against Bath, Rob Baxter’s Chiefs are back at Twickenham, Henry Slade is still absolutely ridiculous, the Exeter scrum is looking like it has snooker balls hidden in its socks, and Bath are left wondering how 41 phases, white-line fever and no Finn Russell magic ended their season.

Max Lahiff joins us after the Premiership awards and a stag do — which already sounds like a medical case study — while Ryan Wilson survives a full daddy day care weekend and returns to help break down one of the maddest play-off weekends in years.

We get stuck into Exeter’s 27-26 semi-final win over Bath, the Chiefs’ unreal play-off record, Stephen Varney’s impact, Santiago Carreras and the drop-goal debate, Bath’s final attacking passage, and whether Finn Russell’s injury ultimately cost them a place in the final.

Then it is Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers: a proper Premiership classic. 76 points, 11 tries, Tom Litchfield’s hat-trick, George Furbank’s farewell fairytale, Henry Pollock carrying like a man possessed, Fin Smith pulling strings, and Rory Hutchinson still not getting nearly enough credit.

And then we look ahead to the big one: Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs in the 2026 PREM Final. Can anyone actually stop Saints? Or are Exeter about to turn the fairytale into a robbery?

Plus, we preview the URC Grand Final as Leinster face the Bulls again. The Bulls are in their fourth final in five years — but is this finally their time? And how much does the URC really matter to Leinster compared with the Champions Cup?

Also featuring:

•⁠ ⁠Max thrown under the bus by Pat Lam

•⁠ ⁠Prem awards chaos

•⁠ ⁠Stag do survival

•⁠ ⁠Ryan’s daddy day care weekend

•⁠ ⁠Exeter v Bath semi-final madness

•⁠ ⁠Henry Slade appreciation hour

•⁠ ⁠Stephen Varney and Exeter’s Italian influence

•⁠ ⁠Santiago Carreras and the drop-goal debate

•⁠ ⁠Bath’s 41-phase heartbreak

•⁠ ⁠Northampton v Leicester: Prem rugby at its best

•⁠ ⁠Tom Litchfield’s breakout night

•⁠ ⁠George Furbank’s final home fairytale

•⁠ ⁠Henry Pollock: world-class chaos machine?

•⁠ ⁠Fin Smith’s control

•⁠ ⁠Rory Hutchinson appreciation

•⁠ ⁠PREM Final predictions

•⁠ ⁠URC Final preview: Leinster v Bulls

•⁠ ⁠Are the Bulls ready to finally do it?

💰 REFUND CLUB

The FCA has confirmed that millions of car finance agreements may have been mis-sold.

⏱️ It takes less than 60 seconds to check whether you could be owed compensation from a previous agreement.

💷 Marc checked and discovered he may be owed £829.

👉 https://www.refundclub.co.uk/maul

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