The Counter Ruck

This weekend saw a series of thrilling, high scoring matches in the United Rugby Championship. Leinster, Munster and Connacht all lost - Ulster provided the sole Irish win of the weekend - but fans of attacking rugby cannot say that they were bored. Is this what we want to see from rugby matches, though? Do we want a basketball style, end-to-end product wherever whoever has the ball last takes on the final shot to win?Gordon D’Arcy and John O’Sullivan join Nathan Johns to pick through the weekend’s action and assess the state of the game. Is this an issue of how rugby is officiated? What to make of defence coaches’ role in all this? Are we catering too much to new audiences or younger people with shorter attention spans?Plus, we review the women’s Six Nations where Ireland lost to France, albeit in a way which avoided the heavy defeats of years gone by. Did Ireland’s coaching staff cleverly manage to stick a plaster on the talent gap, or are Ireland making serious strides? Is the domestic game adequately preparing the players for the top level? 

Attention turns to provincial action and the women’s Six Nations after a lengthy men’s international campaign. With senior internationals set to be rested domestically, which young prospects can further their summer tour aspirations with a strong display over the next few weeks? How are Ulster fixed sitting as low as 14th in the table? Connacht seem set for coaching upheaval, how will they fare for the rest of the season? Will Leinster maintain their buffer at the top? Can Munster maintain their position in the top eight? John O’Sullivan joins Nathan Johns to chat through all the talking points. We also preview the women’s Six Nations, analysing if lopsided results in the Celtic Challenge have given Ireland proper preparation for their French challenge this weekend.Produced by John Casey.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.