#15 European Warriors, Freddie Steward Unfiltered, & 2025 Highlights

December 16, 2025·1 hr 17 min·6 clips

Glasgow Warriors stage an unthinkable 21-point comeback against Toulouse, and Freddie Steward joins to discuss England and Leicester.

It starts loose. The lads call it a Christmas Rugby Pod while also insisting it is just a normal one, which is about right. They are straight into Glasgow, Edinburgh, Toulouse, and Jim's sudden local loyalty. Glasgow gets to enjoy itself after coming from 21-0 down against Toulouse, and the panel has plenty to work with: rain, wind, the 4G pitch, and those very visible leggings. Jim gets needled early, and the turncoat gag does some useful work. It keeps the rugby from feeling packaged. The Glasgow result lands more like pub-table triumph than tidy analysis. Then Freddie dials in. The setup is simple: England, Leicester Tigers, and the reputation as the king of the airways under the high ball. The panel know the superpower, so they ask the awkward player question underneath it. How do you improve the weaker parts of your game without wandering away from the thing that got you picked? Freddie answers it cleanly. He says he probably got the balance wrong at first and completely neglected the high ball. That is the moment the chat gets some weight. Labels stick. Freddie accepts that people may talk about the aerial stuff until he retires, but he also wants the fuller version of his game to be seen. The hosts do not treat the high ball like old news. They call it one of the toughest skills in sport and get him to slow the moment down. That is where the episode is strongest. Freddie talks about picking the flight of the ball, and suddenly a familiar highlight-reel action becomes anticipation, timing, speed, contact, knees, elbows, and nerve. The tone stays insider and matey. Nobody stops to explain rugby basics. It moves the way this pod tends to move: nickname, point, interruption, compliment, then a sharper follow-up. The year-end frame is there, with 2025 highlights promised, but this excerpt's best energy is in the Champions Cup reaction and Freddie's high-ball self-audit. The closing beat turns into ad read territory, so the real finish is the panel finding the right mix of ribbing, rugby colour, and a useful high-ball masterclass.

As heard by us

Glasgow's comeback glow and Freddie Steward's high-ball craft give The Rugby Pod a lively Christmas send-off.

The Rugby Pod closes out its Christmas episode with Champions Cup heat, Glasgow crowing, and a 21-0 comeback against Toulouse that gives the hosts plenty to chew on.

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Why you'd press play

Christmas Rugby Pod energy: Glasgow's 21-0-down comeback against Toulouse, a 2025 wrap-up, and Freddie Stewart on the line.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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