Alex Coles: From Academy "Geek" to England "Educator"

The Good, The Bad & The Rugby

Folding Pocket

Sports News, Sports, Rugby, News

4.5 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 17 December 2025

⏱️ 72 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Northampton and England’s Alex Coles “The Educator” looks back on the WWE-style headlock that sparked his unforgettable nickname. He breaks down the intense pressure behind pro-rugby lineout calling, relives the glory of conquering the legendary Blakiston fitness challenge, and explains how he manages to survive the daily chaos caused by teammate Henry Pollock. Alex also reveals the reason George Furbank should never leave Northampton Saints. A classic episode of GBR - and one you definitely don’t want to miss. 00:00 🛞 Sponsored by Continental Tyres 01:57 🏷️ Why They Call Him "The Educator" 02:58 🏉 Hask at Saints — The Untold Stories 08:50 🎉 What Really Goes On at Team Socials 19:01 📣 Inside the Mind of a Lineout Caller 32:25 🚀 2025: The Year Everything Changes 41:15 ⚔️ Beating the All Blacks 43:17 ✈️ The Argentina Tour! 46:45 😅The Brutal Blakiston Challenge 52:07 🔥 The Real Reason Furbank Must Stay at Saints 57:32 😄 New Nickname Unlocked: Corporal Coles 🪽Castore Discount Code: GBR30 www.castore.com 🔐NORD VPN : https://nordvpn.com/goodbadrugby 📗The Good, The Bad & The Rugby: Unloaded are now available: https://lnk.to/GBRUnlocked/waterstones Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	We met this girl who was in the WWE.
0:02.0	Was she evidently in WWE? Well, she put me in a headlock and I almost passed out what would my name be against her? And Hutch was like the educator because he reads books. Where does Corporal Coles come from? If we were back in the day, this was to Joe Carpenter. You would have been out the front with your mates. I would have been five miles back. I once got a chain that I thought was like awesome. Colsey, get the chain out.
0:24.0	What I don't get involved in. with your mates. I would have been five miles back. I once got a chain that I thought was like awesome.
0:21.6	Colsey, get the chain out, Chief.
0:23.6	I don't get involved in physical, practical jokes because it's a slippery soap.
0:26.6	Do you put a smoke bomb in the office once?
0:29.6	Oh.
0:30.6	Alex Payne trying to keep the sight going forward.
0:33.6	Haskell takes it on now with just relentless chat.
0:36.6	And there's Tyndall to add the finishing
0:38.0	touch of glamour and world cup winning stories, a dominant display by the good, the bad and the
0:44.1	rugby. Hello, Dream Team. Welcome along to this week's episode of the Good, the Bad and the Rugby,
0:48.3	proudly sponsored as always by our fantastic partners, and they are fantastic partners.
0:52.7	They are fantastic partners.
0:58.8	Connell tyres are the official tyre partner of England rugby, engineered for victory.
1:02.6	Their award-winning tyres are built to perform no matter the conditions.
1:07.6	Now, our guest today is a second row, four slash bat row, a product of the Northampton Saints Academy and a former team out of Hasks way back when. He is now
1:11.3	in the form of his career.
1:13.7	2025 has been a big year for the big man. He was a key figure in Saints Champions
1:18.4	Cup run, scoring twice in the final, became a mainstay for England during a flawless
1:22.9	autumn international campaign and played his part in a famous win over the All Blacks.
1:26.9	Off the field, and he can confirm this in a moment or two, he's known as the educator, a graduate in politics philosophy and history and one of the sharpest rugby minds in the England's set up, popular in the dressing room as well, relentless on the pitch. It's a very warm welcome to Alex Coles. Are you happy with all that? Thanks for having me. I don't know about the educator stuff.
	...

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