The Counter Ruck: The Irish Times Rugby Podcast

Ireland’s final standing in the Six Nations depends on how you frame it. Third in Europe behind France and England doesn’t sound ideal. But plenty are young enough to remember when campaigns featuring four victories were gold dust. Is the glass half full or half empty?

John O’Sullivan and Gordon D’Arcy were in Rome to take in a clunky victory over Italy and they join host Nathan Johns to dissect the game and the tournament as a whole. Where do Ireland go from here? How will they evolve under Simon Easterby? Does this look a jaded group in need of a refresh? Which players should we keep an eye out on the summer tour? How much of a job will Andy Farrell have on his hands next season to revitalise a group still lacking depth?

Produced by John Casey.

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

Steve Aboud is widely credited with revitalising Italy’s youth development. A number of the players leading the country’s rise from the bottom of the Six Nations pile, names including Garbisi and Menoncello, benefited from the structures he put in place. After a stint in charge of Canada Rugby’s high-performance department, Aboud returns to Rome later this year to head up the professional game. In a previous life, Aboud worked with the IRFU national academies before the provinces started working with the best schools talents. He took our own Gordon D’Arcy into the Irish system at a young age.

Alongside D’Arcy, John O’Sullivan and host Nathan Johns, Aboud appears on The Counter Ruck ahead of Ireland’s clash with Italy. In a lengthy chat, Aboud explains why he is hopeful Italian rugby will continue to grow, while he also addresses the reasons behind his brief departure.

Given Aboud’s talent development expertise, the group get into an in-depth discussion on the best ways to visualise and grow the game, and how to produce the best players. Ireland’s production line is widely praised, but how does it actually look under the hood? Are things as rosy as they seem?

Produced by John Casey.

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

It’s been a long time since Ireland were beaten as badly as Saturday’s French shellacking. Back in 2022 they also lost to 15 points away in New Zealand. Not since 2019, against England, have Ireland been left feeling so shell-shocked at home.

Where did it all go wrong?

Gordon D’Arcy joins Nathan Johns to pick through what was a French defensive masterclass. Following on from last week’s episode on talent development, the pair discuss how France had more powerful, game-changing athletes than Ireland. We also analyse the performance of Ireland’s halfbacks as well as how Ireland’s attack struggles to break down a certain kind of defensive system. 

Longer term, is this the time to rotate the team, to make wholesale changes, or was this result just part of sport’s cyclical, variable nature? Was this a sea change, a sign of France’s growing power in this rivalry or should we not panic just yet?

Produced by John Casey.

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

For the third time in as many years, it looks that the winner of Ireland’s clash with France will go on to win the Six Nations. Who, then, are the favourites for Saturday’s clash in Dublin and why?

Irish Times rugby correspondent Gerry Thornley joins Nathan Johns to preview the clash. What does Ireland’s selection of Jamie Osborne as Mack Hansen’s injury replacement tell us of the impending game plan? Will Ireland continue to be a kick-heavy team? What to make of France’s attack scoring a plethora of tries so far in this competition? 

Produced by John Casey.

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

A regular talking point when Ireland take on France is the competitively younger age of the French line up. Louis Bielle-Biarrey debuted when he was still eligible for France U20s. Where are the 20-year-olds making their way to the Irish senior team?

Is this just a case of a different system of talent development, or is France ahead of Ireland? For all the talk of Ireland’s impressive U20 pipeline, is it producing enough to keep up with bigger nations? Gordon D’Arcy joins John O’Sullivan and Nathan Johns to discuss.

Produced by John Casey.

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

Last weekend, either side of Ireland’s Six Nations victory in Cardiff, other Irish sides struggled. The U20s were on the wrong side of the result in Newport, the first time they’ve lost to Wales at that level since 2018. Ireland A were also in action in a rare second team fixture, losing to England A in Bristol. 

Ireland’s development pathway receives regular praise for punching above its weight. However, was last weekend a reminder of the cyclical nature of talent identification, or are there deeper underlying issues? What to make of the coaching staffs of both junior sides? Did they make the correct decisions, tactically and in terms of selection? 

Despite the results, were there any players who furthered their cause, who enhanced their reputation in a bid to kickstart an international career?

Produced by John Casey.

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

Gordon D’Arcy joins Nathan Johns to debrief the weekend’s Six Nations action. We discuss silly season in the media, how Sam Prendergast can improve tackle technique, the art of defending in the hardest positions and more.

Also on the agenda is France’s impressive dismantling of Italy. Can Ireland take anything of comfort from that display? Were there clues as to how they can keep their grand slam bid alive when the French come to Dublin?

Produced by John Casey.

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

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.

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

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.

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.