The Counter Ruck: The Irish Times Rugby Podcast

Gerry Thornley and Gavin Cummiskey are in studio to break down the most highly anticipated Six Nations in years, with Ireland going in as favourites and everyone else licking their lips at the thought of bringing them down.What can go wrong for Joe Schmidt? Will Manu, Mako Maro and BIlly bring the heft that sees England rise to the top again? Can Wales overcome the loss of Taulupe Faletau? Will this be the tournament where everything comes off for Finn Russell and the Scots. Can France realistically continue being plump useless or will they turn it around when we least expect it? Won't somebody give Conor O'Shea a hug?All these questions and more will be answered in your Added Time Six Nations preview, with Malachy Clerkin and Pat Nugent.

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(In earlier upload of this podcast, our interview with Mark Leibovich had an audio problem which is now fixed - apologies for any inconvenience caused.)It's a cold-weather podcast this morning, as we huddle up and wait for January to pass. To warm us ever so slightly, the leagues are back in the GAA and there's the prospect of this Sunday's SuperBowl on the horizon. We won't be shivering for long.Ian O'Riordan has thawed out just enough from his Sunday in Nowlan Park to come and and talk us through the opening round of the hurling leagues. Brian Cody was cracking jokes after Kilkenny's win over Cork so we obviously have to wonder is anyone going to take this seriously at all, at all.And ahead of the SuperBowl, author Mark Leibovich joins us to talk about his brilliant book Big Game, recounting the past four years of the NFL and taking us inside the mind (and house) of Tom Brady.There will, of course, be a deep dive into Monaghan's win over Dublin in the football league, including some egregious poor-mouthing from the podcast's Monaghan representative. All in your Monday morning Added Time, with Malachy Clerkin and Pat Nugent.

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Another European rugby weekend, another four from four for the Irish teams, meaning all four provinces are through to the knock-out stages. With the Six Nations around the corner, the game couldn't be in better fettle - and neither could we. Gerry Thornley and Gavin Cummiskey are in studio to look back and look forward. Shane Lowry's win in Abu Dhabi on Saturday was a phenomenal show of bottle and guts, coming back from four shots down with six holes to go. Philip Reid joins us on the line to take about a career-changing victory for the big Offaly man. Sean Moran is in as well, walking us through Central Council's decision to bin the hand-pass restriction rule over the weekend. Was this inevitable and will the other four rules make any difference at all? All that plus the attendant madness of both NFL games on Sunday night going to overtime and the everlasting Tom Brady - check it out, your Added Time podcast with Malachy Clerkin and Pat Nugent.Timings:00:14 - NFL06:00 - Rugby25:53 - Golf36:33 - GAA

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You can't ask more from a rugby weekend than all four provinces winning and the chance of all four qualifying for the knock-out stage of European competition. Gavin Cummiskey and John O'Sullivan join us to talk about another few days of stunning success for Irish rugby.The field in the title race in English soccer got chopped from three to two yesterday with Tottenham's hopes surely zapped at the hands (and feet) of David de Gea and Manchester United. Emmet Malone is in studio to talk Ole v Poch, City v Wolves and the tale of Jose Mourinho and the 10 showers.Throw in some hot GAA penalty shoot-out chat and that's your Monday morning Added Time, with Malachy Clerkin and Pat Nugent.

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It's the first Added Time podcast of 2019 and for most of it, we're essentially trying not to tell Pat Nugent what happened in the NFL on Sunday night. In that spirit, Gerry Thornley and Gavin Cummiskey are in studio to break down the Christmas rugby and look ahead to three huge games in the Champions Cup this coming weekend.And Philip Reid is in with us to look ahead to Pádraig Harrington's imminent announcement as the 2020 Ryder Cup captain as well as another Sunday of Rory McIlroy flattering to deceive.There's also a bit of doping news from America where USADA have nailed a 90-year-old track cyclist for testing positive for trenbolone last summer. Anything - anything - to keep the mental finish of the Eagles v Bears game from finding its way into Pat's orbit before he gets to watch the highlights.All in your Added Time podcast with Malachy Clerkin and Pat Nugent.

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Driving home for Christmas? Let us be your co-pilot and we bring the curtain down on 2018 with our Added Time review fo the sporting year.Allow Malachy Clerkin, Pat Nugent, Mary Hannigan and Gavin Cummiskey to ease you down the road with talk of the Grand Slam, beating the All Blacks, the women's hockey team in the World Cup final, Limerick's rise, the eternal Dubs and how Mullinalaghta left the best of the year til last.All in your last and loveliest Added Time of the year.

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With seven shopping days to go before we can turn our attentions to what's in the bargain bin at the sales, it's time for the first annual Added Time Sports Book of the Year podcast. Get in, get schooled, get out and buy. (Note, these books are for you. What you decide to buy as presents are your own business but here at Added Time, we think of you and you only. Treat yourself, then get the brother a voucher or something.)Cliona Foley joins us in studio to go through our top picks of the year, leading up to the big reveal of the best of the best of the best.All in your Added Time podcast with Malachy Clerkin and Pat Nugent.

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With the Irish provinces skating to a clean sweep in Europe over the weekend, it's little surprise that The Irish Times rugby squad are in fine fettle. Gerry Thornley and Gavin Cummiskey are in the house to talk mad stats, flag rows and deadly finishes. And we have some sporting royalty in studio as Sonia O'Sullivan joins us along with Ian O’Riordan to talk about the weekend's European Cross Country Championships and also to assess the athletics year in general. Throw in the magic of Mullinalachta and your Monday couldn't get off to a better start, all in your Added Time with Malachy Clerkin and Pat Nugent.

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If you're confused by the glossy sheen in the sky over Dublin this morning, fear not - it's just a reflection of the shiny suits of the Uefa executives still in town after yesterday's Euro 2020 draw. And though of course we mustn't get carried away with drawing Denmark and Switzerland, it's fair to say that qualification is now a certainty and John Delaney is a football genius. Emmet Malone is in studio to join in our not-at-all premature celebrations.The clock is ticking on the 2020 Olympic cycle and there's a very real threat to boxing's place at the games. We have Johnny Watterson in the building to explain the background to a complicated situation that has left the likes of Kellie Harrington and Joe Ward in limbo less than two year out from the games.The huge NFL story that broke over the weekend saw Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt being released from the Super-Bowl favourites after a domestic violence video featuring him emerged on TMZ. Irish Times writer Dan Comer joins us to break down yet another sorry situation involving an American football player and violence towards women.All this in your Monday morning irish Times with Malachy Clerkin and Pat Nugent.

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It's the usual story - you wait over a century for an Irish team to do a small bit of succession planning and then two come along at once. In the wake of Mick McCarthy/Stephen Kenny on Sunday evening comes Joe Schmidt/Andy Farrell on Monday morning. So basically, everything's sorted manager-wise for the next four years ion soccer and five years in rugby - whatever will we talk about? Plenty, that's what. Gerry Thornley and Gavin Cummiskey are in studio to assess Schmidt's legacy and break down what Farrell and possible Stuart Lancaster have to offer in his wake come the end of the 2019 World Cup. And Emmet Malone joins us on the line to talk all things McCarthy/Kenny. Is it the best of all possible worlds? Would it have been too early for Kenny to get the job? And is John Delaney really out the gap for another two tournament cycles? All in your Monday morning Added Time, with Malachy Clerkin and Gavin Cummiskey.

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