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Itoje's 100th as England face Ireland
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Following defeat to Scotland in the Calcutta Cup last weekend, England host Ireland in round three of the 6 Nations on Saturday.
Alfie Reynolds, Alex Lowe, Will Kelleher and Charlie Morgan are at the England training base ahead of the match and ask whether England or Ireland are under more pressure heading into the fixture? They chat about Steve Borthwick's squad selection, with Henry Pollock making his first start and Maro Itoje set to earn his 100th cap for his country.
Jack Crowley is set to start at fly-half for the Irish, is that a good or bad thing for England? Would they have rather come up against Sam Prendergast?
Plus, this weekend Wales host Scotland and France play Italy.
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The Ruck Live!
Before the final whistle is blown on the 2026 Guinness Men’s Six Nations, there’s the small matter of Super Saturday. This year the final round promises to be even more explosive, with rivals England and France going head-to-head in the very last match of the competition at the Stade de France.
Tough-tacklers Courtney Lawes and Serge Betsen will join Charlie Morgan, Senior Rugby Writer at The Times, and Alfie Reynolds — host of our podcast The Ruck — to compare notes on Le Crunch and the biggest moments of this year’s tournament.
Book tickets on thetimes.com/events
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Nations Championship Round 3: Are Ireland still a top side? Plus, a new Springbok captain?
53:18|The 3rd round of the Nations Championship saw New Zealand hammer Ireland, England hold on to win against Argentina and South Africa destroy Wales.Alfie Reynolds, Stuart Barnes and Charlie Morgan look back on all the action and Mark Palmer joins to reflect on Scotland's summer.Could it be the end of Siya Kolisi as the Springbok captain? Are Ireland no longer one of the best sides in the world? And, did the officials get the big decision right at the end of Argentina vs England?Can Scotland now compete with the top teams? What do Wales take away from defeat in South Africa? And, can England kick on in November?Borthwick slams the "Negativity Committee" as England dodge disaster
54:46|England finished their Nations Championship matches this summer by beating Argentina 24-31!Steve Borthwick's side produced some of their best rugby of 2026 but also suffered the same disciplinary issues which saw them almost collapse to draw.The TMO saved England when Argentina thought they had scored a try with the final play of the match. So, after a mad match Will Kelleher and Alex Lowe are back in Buenos Aires to reflect on the game, Steve Borthwick's punchy post-match comments and the Nations Championship as a whole.They discuss whether the competition has been more successful than they expected, why Borthwick hit back despite the obvious discipline problems and where this leaves the team heading into November.Can Los Pumas inflict another Argentine defeat on England?
52:51|Argentina host England in the Nations Championship this weekend!Can Los Pumas make it another Argentine win following the football World Cup semi-final?Will Kelleher and Alex Lowe are in Buenos Aires to reflect on an incredible night in the capital and to look ahead to the weekend. They explain why Henry Pollock has been named on the bench by Steve Borthwick, why this is England's biggest test of the summer and the advantage of having Marcus Smith at full-back.Plus, can Ireland be the first side to win at Eden Park in the professional era?How can anyone stop the Springboks?
52:58|After the second round of the Nations Championship Alfie Reynolds, Stuart Barnes and Charlie Morgan look back on all of the action.They ask which nation might be able to compete with South Africa at the next World Cup and what style of rugby could cause them problems. That's after a weakened Springboks team beat Scotland despite an impressive display from Gregor Townsend's men.Plus, are the All Blacks under Dave Rennie once again playing to their strengths? Should Henry Pollock start for England away in Argentina? And, Peter O'Reilly looks ahead to Ireland's trip to Eden Park.England back to winning ways: But did we learn anything?
33:47|England absolutely dismantled Fiji 73-8 to return to winning ways on the second weekend of the Nations Championship.Fiji were ill disciplined and lacking accuracy as Steve Borthwick's side put them to the sword.From Merseyside Alex Lowe and Will Kelleher reflect on a bizarre and messy match. They ask what can England take away from the victory given that Fiji were so poor? Does this ease the pressure on Steve Borthwick? Or is the real test how they get on next week against Argentina?Full strength England face 'must win' Fiji test
40:02|It's the second round of the Nations Championship with England taking on Fiji in Liverpool.How much pressure are Steve Borthwick's team under after their defeat to South Africa?Alfie Reynolds, Alex Lowe, Charlie Morgan and Will Kelleher look ahead to the match and focus on the growing frustration among England fans. They chat about the need for both a result and a performance against a very dangerous Fijian side. Plus, could the success of the England football team at the World Cup distract attention from the under-pressure head coach? They also ask why there is such a disconnect between how the team views its performances and how the supporters view them.Nations Championship starts with a bang. Is captain Pollock the answer for England?
56:46|The opening weekend of the Nations Championship produced some brilliant matches!Alfie Reynolds, Stuart Barnes and Elgan Alderman look back on all the action, including a tight victory for New Zealand against France, an important win for Wales versus Fiji and Scotland beating Argentina away.Peter O'Reilly chats about Ireland's narrow win against Australia where the hosts missed a penalty kick on the last play to win it. Plus, the boys ask how much pressure England and Steve Borthwick are under after they were hammered by South Africa? Barnsey explains why he's made the drastic suggestion that Henry Pollock should be made England captain.England 'obliterated' by ruthless South Africa
49:48|England's opening match in the Nations Championship saw them hammered 45-21 by South Africa at Ellis Park.From the stadium Will Kelleher, Alex Lowe and Charlie Morgan reflect on the match. They ask how much pressure this piles onto England ahead of games against Fiji and Argentina? What does it mean for Steve Borthwick? And, can anyone stop the Springboks winning a third straight World Cup next year?Nobody expected England to win, but even so, how alarming was the performance? Did the way they rallied at the end of the second half do enough to ease concerns?How Can England stun the Springboks?
54:36|What are the odds that England beat South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday?From South Africa, Will Kelleher is joined by Alex Lowe and Charlie Morgan to look ahead to England’s massive opening clash in the Nations Championship at Ellis Park. The panel debates whether Steve Borthwick's side can pull off a monumental upset on South African soil. Is this team stronger than anything they selected in the 6 Nations? How will Henry Pollock perform as he faces the Springboks for the first time? And, how will England play, following their dismal 6 Nations?