Episodes
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Ireland have shuffled the pack ahead of the trip to Cardiff to take on Wales this Saturday. Dan Sheehan captains in place of the injured Caelan Doris, while Jamie Osborne gets a run out at fullback. Irish Times rugby correspondent Gerry Thornley joins Nathan Johns to pick through the team selection and what it means for the weekend.
Are there any areas where Wales can challenge some of Ireland’s more inexperienced players? How will Ireland’s lineout fare? Is this simply a show of Irish strength in depth? Will there be any sort of new coach bounce for Wales under the closed Cardiff roof now Matt Sherratt has replaced Warren Gatland?
Produced by John Casey.
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After the first fallow weekend, the Six Nations kicks back into gear this week with Ireland travelling to Cardiff.
However, across the first two rounds of the tournament, Ireland have ranked second bottom of all six teams for lineout success rate. This fits in with the narrative of the Irish coaches battling to fix a set-piece which hasn’t always fired. Devin Toner was Leinster and Ireland’s lineout guru during his playing days. He joins Gordon D’Arcy and Nathan Johns to look back at how he became such an effective set-piece specialist. Who was the best lineout operator he worked with? Do Ireland’s current lineout aficionados have the knowledge required to form a quality set piece? How do Ireland still have success as the lineout numbers remain less than ideal?
We also hear from John O’Sullivan on the weekend’s rugby news. All four provinces were in action with Leinster, Munster and Connacht winning - Ulster lost on the road to Benetton - while there is also some international news. A number of new players have been called into the Six Nations squad, while the Ireland A group to take on England in Bristol has also been revealed.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episodes manquant?
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This week brought the news that Warren Gatland is no longer head coach of Wales. Given their recent 14-match losing run, that Gatland could not continue will be no surprise to many, but the timing, coming midway through the Six Nations, has raised questions. Simon Thomas is a Welsh rugby journalist. He joins Nathan Johns to explain where it all went wrong for Gatland - who of course coached Ireland as well once upon a time. We pick through puzzling tactical decisions, the lack of talent coming through the Welsh pathway plus the future of professional rugby in the country. Is Gatland’s legacy with Wales tarnished?
The country’s growing apathy towards their national team also comes up for discussion, with the runners and riders for Gatland’s replacement thrown in for good measure. One name, familiar to Irish fans, will be of particular interest.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gordon D’Arcy and John O’Sullivan join Nathan Johns to pick through Ireland’s comfortable victory over Scotland at Murrayfield. Are Ireland the most psychologically resilient side in the Six Nations? Will Scotland ever get over their Irish hoodoo? Might things have looked different if Finn Russell and Darcy Graham avoided injury?
The panel explain how Ireland’s game plan dismantled Scotland’s dangerous attack, withstanding a handful of counter-punches to once again assert their superiority. With the Six Nations now heading into a rest week, Ireland’s impressive form under Simon Easterby is analysed, alongside their chances of securing a Grand Slam.
Elsewhere, we pick through Wales’ ongoing decline after their defeat to Italy. France’s implosion in Twickenham is also up for discussion; have we finally seen Antoine Dupont show his human side?
Finally, what of the Ireland U20s, who got their Six Nations campaign back on track with victory over Scotland?
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ireland have not lost to Scotland since 2017, but it seems every year since then the Scots feel closer and closer to ending their hoodoo. Will this year finally be their time?
Nigel Carolan is an Irishman on the inside of Scottish rugby. Originally from Galway, he coached Ireland U20s before becoming Glasgow Warriors’ attack coach. Working with the likes of Huw Jones, Stafford MacDowall and Sione Tuipulotu on a daily basis, he offers unrivalled insight into what makes this dangerous Scottish attack click. Alongside Irish Times sportswriter John O’Sullivan, Carolan analyses how Ireland might stop Scotland’s backline, as well as how the Irish attack, much improved against England, might break through the Scottish wall.
Gerry Thornley joins us later in the podcast to react to the surprise Ireland team selection, with Peter O’Mahony named to start as he resumes his rivalry with Scottish teams. Fresh off Simon Easterby’s press conference, Thornley offers his analysis of why Ireland have picked the team they have.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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After an impressive, comfortable victory over England, do Ireland rival France as favourites for this year’s Six Nations? As Gordon D’Arcy points out on today’s round-up episode, do we need to wait until next week to ascertain France’s true ability after their hammering of Wales on Friday night?
Still, Ireland looked both better coached and more instinctive than an England side which caused problems in the first half. How did Simon Easterby and co rise to the challenge of working without Andy Farrell to prepare this Irish side? Did we expect them to be so rampant in that second half? How important were the contributions of James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park and the returning Dan Sheehan? What does this mean for hopes of a record third title in a row?
Produced by John Casey.
Link: http://www.justgiving.com/team/grandtourcore
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The Six Nations is upon us. Momentum in this tournament is key and Ireland start with one of the harder fixtures with the visit of Steve Borthwick’s England side to Dublin. In round two, Ireland travel to Scotland while England host France. Given the difficult schedule, can either side afford to lose this weekend and if they want to hold realistic title ambitions?
Will Greenwood and Gordon D’Arcy toured together on the 2005 Lions tour. We reunite the two former centres to pick through England specifically. Why has their backline not yet clicked with Marcus Smith at 10? Is Borthwick under pressure for his job? Despite their losing run, are England on the cusp of turning the corner and becoming a threat?
Irish Times rugby correspondent Gerry Thornley also joins us to pick through Ireland’s selection. Should we surprised that Sam Prendergast got the nod at 10? Are Ireland worried about the lineout? Can the scrum survive without Tadhg Furlong and Joe McCarthy?
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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It’s Six Nations week. Ireland get their campaign underway with a tricky assignment against England next weekend. Now under the leadership of Simon Easterby, Ireland are bidding to secure an unprecedented third consecutive Six Nations title.
Did the likes of James Lowe and Dan Sheehan do enough to prove their fitness for Leinster to be included? Who will start in the coveted outhalf jersey? Who should line out at centre?
Gordon D’Arcy joins Nathan Johns to preview the week ahead. Gordon also offers insight into how to prepare for commentating on a Six Nations match ahead of his stint in the Aviva Stadium gantry, while he details why calf injuries - of the sort which have ruled Tadhg Furlong out of the England game - are so difficult to overcome.
Produce by John Casey
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It’s that time of year when Schools rugby, the single most important development tool in Ireland, kicks into gear with the Senior Cup in all four provinces.
Des Berry is the authoritative voice when it comes to covering the Leinster Schools Senior Cup. He joins John O’Sullivan and Nathan Johns to look at this year’s draw. Who are the young names we should look out for? Who have been the best schoolboy players down through the years? Are Blackrock College and St Michael’s once again the favourites this year, or can another school spring a surprise?
We also look at competitions in Munster and Connacht which have already gotten underway, while we chat through the decision to play an Ulster Senior Cup tie as a curtain raiser to a senior provincial game.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Now we know the knockout draw for the Champions Cup, can anyone get in the way of another Leinster vs Toulouse showdown in the final? Can Noel McNamara and Bordeaux get in the way of Antoine Dupont and co on that side of the draw? Can Munster spring an upset in the first ever edition of the Ronan O’Gara derby? Would Ulster have preferred to go on a Challenge Cup run to facing Bordeaux once again? Is winning the Challenge Cup a realistic goal for Connacht?
Gordon d’Arcy and John O’Sullivan join Nathan Johns to discuss all this and more, including centres being thrown at the lineout, RG Snyman vs Dupont and the impact of the new laws on the game.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ireland recently named their squad for the six nations. Widely seen as a continuity selection, there are still a number of talking points. What does Tom Ahern have to do to earn a call up? Are we finally starting to see the next generation of props? Who are the younger developmental players? Is this squad a good reflection on the Emerging Ireland programme?
John O’Sullivan and Gordon D’Arcy join Nathan Johns to discuss all this and more, including Dan Sheehan’s apparent fast recovery from an ACL injury.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Leinster have now beaten La Rochelle on three consecutive occasions. Is this a sign they have turned the corner against bigger French sides, or was it a smash-and-grab with worrying implications for the future?
Gordon D’Arcy believes the bigger picture thinking should be placed to one side for now and that Leinster should be pleased to have come out of a difficult environment with the win. John O’Sullivan, on the other hand, points to a number of concerning trends in the Leinster performance which he thinks do not bode well for the future.
Who is right in this debate? Only time will tell.
On this edition of The Counter Ruck, the panel also discusses another European night in Thomond to remember for Munster, Connacht’s prospects of winning the Challenge Cup and Ulster’s implosion away to Leicester.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Michael Cheika was the head coach who guided Leinster to their first European crown in 2009. Now, coaching Leicester Tigers, he squares off against Irish opposition with Ulster travelling on Saturday night.
Alongside Gordon D’Arcy, who Cheika coached, The Counter Ruck looks back on the Australian’s time in Dublin. How did he convince the top Leinster brass to take a punt on an unproven coach? Did the Leinster players need a good kick up the backside? Are there parallels between Leinster then and Leicester now? Why is Cheika seen as ’the turnaround man’, the coach to call when a side needs an upturn in fortunes?
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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No provincial men’s rugby took place this weekend but Ireland U20s did play their final warm-up match before their Six Nations campaign gets underway in a few weeks’ time. Playing against a Leinster Development XV in Donnybrook, we got a chance to see how Ireland are shaping up under new coach Neil Doak.
Nathan Johns and John O’Sullivan both attended Saturday’s game and run through the talking points. How does this crop compare to other years? Who are the young players to watch out for? Who will most likely go on to have strong professional careers? What to make of the latest young outhalf talent?
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Harry Byrne recently caused a bit of a shock by moving from Leinster to Bristol on a short term loan. On paper, the move makes sense, given Byrne’s lack of game time in the 10 shirt. But why don’t we see more players taking short term punts with a view to returning home an improved player? Should game time not be the primary concern? Have players become too comfortable being squad players in their home environment?
Will Byrne’s move open the floodgates as a model for staying affiliated to your home side while also earning game time, or is this a once off move which only works in these particular circumstances? Gordon D’Arcy joins Nathan Johns to pick through the transfer news and its implications for the wider Irish rugby system.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Munster defence coach Denis Leamy recently described Leinster as ‘brilliantly boring’ due to their current style of play. After watching the weekend’s festive interpro where Leo Cullen’s side secured a dominant 28-7 win, it’s hard to disagree. As South African World Cup-winning coach Jacques Nienaber spends more and more time working with the province, a clear plan focusing on set-piece dominance, power up front and a strong kicking game is starting to emerge.
But are Leinster now too brilliantly boring? The power game is good enough to beat injury-hit sides such as Munster, but can they also show the required flashes of creativity to beat better teams? Gordon D’Arcy joins Nathan Johns to pick through Leinster’s current development, as well as the issues which prevent sides like Munster form keeping pace with their provincial rivals.
We also chat through Ulster’s shock win over Connacht. Have they turned a corner, or did they simply come up with a one-off game plan which cannot be replicated in the coming weeks?
Gordon also tells us about the difficulties of being a player over the Christmas period, while he compares the differing, but no less complex challenges of running through Munster defences to keeping children asleep for Santa.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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When news of Leinster's signing of All Black Jordie Barrett broke back in April of this year, opinion was split. Was it a fair reflection of the dominant province flexing their muscle, or an unfair benefit of the IRFU paying their best players via national contracts?
This season, 10 Leinster players have their salaries paid by the governing body via central contracts, the other provinces combined have three. Is this a cycle of dominance, or a worrying portend of Leinster pulling ahead and destroying competitive balance in the provinces?
Gordon D'Arcy joins Nathan Johns to discuss the issue, how we got here and what can be done about it.
This episode was first published in April 2024.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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We may only be halfway through the rugby season, but the end of the calendar year presents an opportunity to reflect nonetheless. Ireland won a Six Nations, qualified for a women’s World Cup, competed at the Olympics, beat the Black Ferns and won three out of four in November, so was this a successful year? Does the country continue to punch above its weight, and have we become spoiled as rugby fans? Or are we at a stage now when more is needed, especially at provincial level in terms of silverware?
Gordon D’Arcy and John O’Sullivan join Nathan Johns to look back on the year that was, while also pointing to what needs to improve for 2025 to bring more success to Irish rugby.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Ireland women’s team is riding on the crest of a wave after World Cup qualification and a victory over New Zealand in 2024. How does the game look below international level, how are things under the hood? There are a number of moving parts within the domestic structure, including the AIL, provinces and Celtic Challenge. The AIL, though, remains the entry point for many women into rugby.
Joining Nathan Johns to review the women’s game in 2024 is Fiona Reidy, a former international and current director of rugby at AIL champions UL Bohemian, and John Cronin, a senior coach at Railway Union. As women’s rugby looks to expand and introduce more professionalism, what needs to happen at domestic level to ensure the current national success continues?
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This weekend, Sharks head coach John Plumtree made headlines for outlining the unsustainable nature of South African sides trying to compete in European competition. Both the Sharks and the Stormers sent rotated teams north to the UK and both were well beaten. This comes as Bath sent a rotated squad to Treviso and lost, Munster left behind a few regulars to take on Castres and came up short while Ulster’s policy of resting some frontliners last week failed to pay off as they lost this time around to Bordeaux. Even some of the French teams lost their home matches, ones which they are in theory supposed to take more seriously.
All of which begs the question, is the Champions Cup on its last legs? Why should TV companies pay for the rights and fans pay for tickets if the early stages of the tournament only matter to a handful of teams?
Gordon D’Arcy and John O’Sullivan join Nathan Johns to talk through the ramifications, as well as this weekend’s provincial and club rugby action.
Produced by John Casey.
Clips: A charging deer takes out a player / A razzle dazzle chip and chase for St Marys.
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