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Round four of the Nations Championship is here, and David Pembroke and Ewen McKenzie are joined by special guests Steven Kitshoff and Ben Youngs from the For the Love of Rugby podcasts! The panel digs into Ireland v Argentina (and Ireland’s structure without James Lowe), Italy’s injury-hit task against South Africa and the Rassie “chocolate wheel” of selection, plus Scotland v New Zealand in a brutal Edinburgh assignment. There’s plenty on Wales v Eddie Jones’ Japan too, including Wales’ off-field financial pressure and what it means for the players. France v unbeaten Fiji gets the spotlight under new boss Jake White (and the addition of Gert Smal), before the big one: England v Australia at Twickenham, and why this could turn the heat right up on Steve Borthwick.
Also in this episode:
● Ben Youngs on Nations Championship consequences and ladder pressure
● Ireland v Argentina: structure, 10 selection, consistency debate
● Italy injuries stack up before facing the Springboks
● Scotland v New Zealand: form lines and Edinburgh difficulty
● Wales v Eddie Jones’ Japan and Wales’ off-field turmoil
● Refereeing focus: TMO interruptions, advantage length, hip drops
PLUS: How teams balance World Cup planning, cohesion, and bleeding youth.
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"THE NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS ft. Ben Youngs & Steven Kitshoff from For the Love of Rugby!" is an episode of Rugby Unity. Runtime 55 min. Published November 3, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.