Skip to content
PodcastsRugbyThe Counter Ruck

The Counter Ruck

The Irish Times
The Counter Ruck
Latest episode

223 episodes

  • The Counter Ruck

    Underdog Ireland gear up for All Blacks test

    17/07/2026 | 23 mins.
    Nathan Johns and John O’Sullivan pick through Andy Farrell’s team selection ahead of this weekend’s clash with the All Blacks.

    Are Ireland deservedly underdogs or are we gearing up for another famous win on Kiwi soil?

    Produced by John Casey.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Counter Ruck

    Irish rugby's state of the union down under

    14/07/2026 | 32 mins.
    Gerry Thornley joins Nathan Johns on the line from Auckland to give his take on being at Ireland’s victory over Japan on Saturday.

    We also delve into David Humphreys’ media roundtable last week after the IRFU’s performance director discussed Munster’s Roger Randle U-turn, James Lowe’s departure and Leinster’s hunt for a new head coach.

    Produced by John Casey.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Counter Ruck

    Reaction: Ireland run in five tries as they beat Japan

    11/07/2026 | 22 mins.
    After a 36-20 victory over Japan, Gordon D’Arcy, John O’Sullivan and Nathan Johns analyse Ireland’s performance in their latest Nations Championship action.

    What debutants put in strong performances? Did established players take responsibility? And was there enough on show to generate optimism going into next week's clash with New Zealand?

    Produced by John Casey.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Counter Ruck

    What to make of Ireland's rotation for Japan?

    10/07/2026 | 29 mins.
    Former Leinster and Scotland analyst Brett Igoe joins Nathan Johns to pick through the facts, figures and trends of last weekend’s Nations Championship action.

    We also look at Ireland’s heavily rotated team selection for this weekend in a bid to assess what Andy Farrell is looking for against Eddie Jones’ side.

    Produced by John Casey and Andrew McNair.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The Counter Ruck

    Where do Ireland now stand in the Nations Championship?

    07/07/2026 | 37 mins.
    Fresh off Ireland’s victory over Australia in Sydney, Gerry Thornley dials in from Australia to discuss that win as well as the weekend of Nations Championship rugby as a whole with host Nathan Johns.

    What did we learn from the narrow win over the Wallabies? Are we likely to see many Irish debuts handed out over the three tests?

    And could Japan prove to be a potential banana skin given their wining display against Italy in their Nations Championship opener?

    Produced by John Casey.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More Rugby podcasts
About The Counter Ruck
A rugby podcast from The Irish Times, presented by Nathan Johns with regular panelists John O'Sullivan, Gordon D'Arcy and Gerry Thornley. Produced in association with Ohk Energy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Podcast website

Listen to The Counter Ruck, The Rugby Pod and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app

Get the free radio.net app

  • Stations and podcasts to bookmark
  • Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • Supports Carplay & Android Auto
  • Many other app features
The Counter Ruck: Podcasts in Family