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As news reports emerge of English rugby once again being in dire financial straits, while some URC teams continue to live on the edge of their means, a rival competition across the water offers a positive example. France’s Top14 has a lucrative TV deal, record crowds and a thriving second division.
How has France cracked the domestic rugby code, what is it about the Top14 which makes it commercially viable?
French rugby journalist James Harrington joins The Counter Ruck to talk through the league’s development, and to pick out what, if anything, other leagues can learn.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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As the provincial season gets underway, Nathan Johns is joined by Gordon D’Arcy and John O’Sullivan to pick through the opening weekend of action.
We look at how Felipe Contepomi has turned Argentina around, how Ireland took the number one world ranking back from South Africa, and which halfbacks impressed in the provinces.
Monday clips: How to kick five points from the tee / Commentators curse Halfpenny / Contepomi classic
Produced by John Casey
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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When Emerging Ireland first toured South Africa in 2022, the news caused controversy as provinces were left without important players at an early stage of the URC season. This time around, with another squad recently named, has the IRFU gone about things in a better way?
On this episode of The Counter Ruck host Nathan Johns is joined by Gordon D’Arcy and John O’Sullivan to talk through the merits of the tour, pick out the players to watch, a few head scratching calls and lay out what will constitute success.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Host Nathan Johns is joined by Gordon D’Arcy and John O’Sullivan to pick apart Ireland’s win over Australia and highlight the best rugby action you missed over the weekend.
We also talk through provincial recruitment while analysing why the Irish provinces are so appetising for English rugby.
Clip - Fiji's Peni Ravai succumbs to an invisible tackle: https://x.com/WorldRugby/status/1834931315763802437
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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To wrap up what has been a long rugby season filled with extreme highs and at times crushing lows, host Nathan Johns is joined by Gordon D’Arcy and John O’Sullivan in this end of season special.
Having returned from covering the recent tour of South Africa, John regales us with tales of lost luggage and close shaves with the local wildlife. We also chat through the history of famous Irish drop-goals, with Gordon throwing one of his own efforts into the ring, while we hand out some end of season awards to the players involved.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gordon D’Arcy joins host Nathan Johns to pick through Ireland’s series opening defeat to South Africa. Do tactical changes need to be made? Did South Africa’s new attacking philosophy catch Ireland on the hop? What to make of David Humphreys implementing new restrictions on provincial recruitment?
All this is discussed on more on the latest episode of The Counter Ruck. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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John O’Sullivan joins The Counter Ruck from South Africa where he is covering Ireland’s upcoming Test series - minus his luggage. As he avoids borrowing clothes from players - for now - John joins Gordon D’Arcy and host Nathan Johns to look back on Irish tours of old, pick apart the South African hype machine and analyse if this series is a step too far for Ireland in what has been a very busy year. Gordon also recalls the time he picked his Leaving Cert over a trip to South Africa - in hindsight a wise choice.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Irish winners of Super Rugby are somewhat of a rarity. Adam Foy is the head of performance analysis with the Blues, the Auckland based franchise which just won the southern hemisphere’s most prestigious club competition last weekend.
Having previously worked with Munster and Ireland under Joe Schmidt, Foy moved to New Zealand two years ago. As well as number crunching in rugby, he previously did analysis work for the Dublin footballers.
What exactly is the role of the analyst? Is it all numbers and nerds? How do these video boffins get buy in from players and coaches? Has rugby as a sport undergone an analytics revolution previously seen in other sports? Adam gives us his thoughts in the aftermath of a successful season with the Blues.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Leinster and Munster both crashed out of the URC semi-finals in what was a bitter blow to Irish rugby. John O’Sullivan and Nathan Johns chat through the implications of the defeats, as well as Ireland’s squad for their tour of South Africa.
Is Leo Cullen’s job under pressure? How did Munster let things slip at home? Why does Andy Farrell see his players differently to the provincial pecking order? Tune in to find out.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Nigel Carolan, the former Connacht academy manager and Ireland U20s head coach, joins The Counter Ruck from Glasgow. Now the Warriors' attack coach, Carolan faces off against Munster this weekend in the URC semi-final. He talks through his own coaching journey, his attacking philosophy as well as his own experience coaching a number of current Irish internationals at underage level.
Also on the podcast, Gordon D'Arcy joins host Nathan Johns to preview Leinster's trip to South Africa to take on the Bulls as well as that Munster vs Glasgow clash.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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As they prepare to face Leinster this weekend in the URC quarter-finals, this week’s podcast reflects on Ulster’s uptick in fortunes since bringing in Richie Murphy as head coach. In turmoil after a poor league run and an early exit from Europe, Ulster parted ways with previous head coach Dan McFarland. Now under Murphy, the province has recovered somewhat to make the URC playoffs.
Gordon D’Arcy, John O’Sullivan and Nathan Johns discuss how Ulster have improved and what constitutes success in Murphy’s rebuilding project.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gordon D’Arcy joins Nathan Johns to break down Leinster’s third consecutive Champions Cup final defeat. We analyse Leinster’s midfield attack, their decision making around penalties, what could have been done at the breakdown and assess where Leinster go from here domestically and in Europe.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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For the week of an Irish province playing in a European final, there has been plenty of news stories away from Leinster's clash with Toulouse. Simon Zebo announced his retirement, the IRFU revealed that it will tweak its controversial central contracts system while it even emerged that Hugo Keenan will return to Sevens in a bid to make Ireland's Olympics squad.
Joining host Nathan Johns to pick through the news as well as the actual rugby taking place on Saturday is former Ireland international Gordon D'Arcy.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Come July 1st, a number of changes to rugby's laws come into effect. A number of trials will also be seen over the summer as World Rugby continues to grapple with the balance of preserving the sport's values and attracting new audiences.
Have they got that balance right? Are they alienating traditional fans? Is there an irreconcilable difference between attitudes towards the game in the northern and southern hemispheres?
Former referee Owen Doyle joins host Nathan Johns to talk through the changes.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week's podcast is a detailed preview of Saturday's Champions Cup semi-final between Leinster and Northampton Saints at Croke Park.
Nathan Johns, Gordon D'Arcy and John O'Sullivan look back at the last time Leinster played in Croke Park, when one member of the panel scored a memorable try. They also discuss whether the venue has a bearing on the game and what sort of game we can expect on Saturday
Part two is an interview with Northampton's head coach Sam Vesty, focusing on the Saints' defensive improvements, recruitment strategy, attacking philosophies, and the key role of players like Fin Smith and Alex Mitchell in their game plan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In the coming weeks, World Rugby will decide on a proposal to implement a new 20-minute red card. Already seen in the southern hemisphere and Super Rugby, the proposal allows sides to replace a red carded player after 20 minutes in order to preserve the spectacle of a contest, to not kill off games when teams are reduced to 14 players.
Critics of the move say that the measure risks admitting defeat in the battle to change player behaviour and eradicate high tackles as a result of poor technique. The impending decision has been pitted as a battle of philosophies, of attitudes of leniency towards high shots both sides of the equator.
Owen Doyle, a former international referee and an Irish Times columnist, joins Gordon D'Arcy and Nathan Johns to discuss the potential new law and what impact it could have.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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News of Leinster's recent signing of All Black Jordie Barrett has split opinion. Is this a fair reflection of the dominant province flexing their muscle, or an unfair benefit of the IRFU paying their best players via national contracts?
Next season, 10 Leinster players will have their salaries paid by the governing body via central contracts, the other provinces combined have three. Is this a cycle of dominance, or a worrying portend of Leinster pulling ahead and destroying competitive balance in the provinces?
Gordon D'Arcy joins Nathan Johns to discuss the issue, how we got here and what can be done about it.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Few things get the Irish rugby public as excited as a young talent at outhalf. Dannah O'Brien has been on the scene for a while now, making her debut against Japan in 2022. Fresh off starting in Ireland's defeat to Italy last weekend, O'Brien joins The Counter Ruck to talk through her career to date, the first two rounds of this year's Six Nations and how Ireland are trying to progress from last year's wooden spoon.
Gordon D'Arcy also joins host Nathan Johns to talk through the best of the weekend's rugby action including Leinster's win, sickly Munster's defeat and some eye-catching moments from the southern hemisphere.
Produced by John Casey.
https://twitter.com/jimhamilton4/status/1776276230632787982?s=12
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Former Ireland, Leinster and Leicester backrow Shane Jennings joins Gordon D'Arcy and host Nathan Johns. The historical links between Leinster and Leicester, opponents this weekend in the Champions Cup, are profound. In 2005, Jennings and current Leinster head coach Leo Cullen left the province for a two-year stint at the English club. When they returned, they played a significant role in a culture shift that saw the province transition from perennial underachievers to European champions.
Also on this episode of The Counter Ruck, John O'Sullivan breaks down Ireland women's defeat to Italy in the Six Nations.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gordon D’Arcy and Nathan Johns talk through Ireland's defeat to France to begin the women’s Six Nations. We also pick through the best of the action following a mixed weekend for the provinces in the URC.
A week on from the Six Nations, we look at which fringe internationals, now playing before the return of European action, have the best chance of forcing their way into Andy Farrell’s reckoning ahead of the summer tour to South Africa.
Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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