The Counter Ruck

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.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.