The Ruck

Bordeaux and Leinster reached the Champions Cup final after defeating Bath and Toulon, respectively. The defending champions Bordeaux now have a chance to win back-to-back titles, while Leinster will hope to finally end their Champions Cup drought.But were Bath hard done by? It appeared that match officials were not shown replays for some high tackles. Was this the case?Is it a problem unique to matches broadcast in France? Or is it a wider issue that needs fixing? Plus, they discuss both semi-finals in detail, including Leo Cullen's bizarre, 6-minute, loaded answer in his press conference. And, they look ahead to a big weekend in the Prem.***Allianz Future Fund | Allianz Insurance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

England make the trip to Rome in the 6 Nations following two defeats and two terrible performances against Scotland and Ireland. So how much pressure are they under ahead of facing Italy on Saturday?Alfie Reynolds, Will Kelleher and Alex Lowe are on the streets of the Eternal City to look ahead to the match. They chat about the raft of changes Steve Borthwick has made for the game and what that tells us about the position England find themselves in. Is it bold selection or panic?They also speak with the Italy winger Louis Lynagh who reflects on his move from Harlequins to Benetton - where he now lives with his Italian grandad - and his time in the England setup under Eddie Jones.Plus, the boys look ahead to Ireland v Wales and Scotland vs France this weekend.***Allianz Future Fund | Allianz Insurance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a fallow week in the 6 Nations so Alfie Reynolds, Elgan Alderman and Stuart Barnes discuss all of the action from round three.They chat about Scotland's nervy performance in Cardiff as Gregor Townsend's side (just!) got the victory. Was this Scotland banishing demons from previous campaigns? Or have they once again failed to back up an impressive performance against England?Barnsey gives his verdict on what on earth is going wrong for England following a terrible day at Twickenham in defeat to Ireland. And, Elgan was in Lille as France remained unbeaten by winning against Italy.Could the Italians now be the favorites to beat England for the first time in their history? Are Ireland or Scotland best placed to challenge for the title alongside France? And, which nation benefits from the timing of the fallow week?***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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.***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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scotland destroyed England 31-20 to win the Calcutta Cup!From the stands at Murrayfield Alfie Reynolds, Mark Palmer and Will Kelleher try to unpick a crazy match.The ghosts of Calcutta Cups past came back to haunt England as they once again produced a lacklustre performance in Edinburgh. Their losing streak in the Scottish capital continues. But Scotland were brilliant and bounced back from defeat to Italy the week before.What does this tell us about both sides? Are France the best side in the 6 Nations by some distance? And, why can't England win away?***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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the opening weekend of the 6 Nations Scotland lost against Italy to heap pressure on Gregor Townsend, Ireland lost to France who produced a statement performance and England hammered Wales.Alfie Reynolds is joined by Owen Slot and The Times' new signing, Charlie Morgan, to look back on all the action.The boys discuss whether Townsend departing seems inevitable, whether Andy Farrell has done a poor job in regenerating this Ireland team and whether Thursday night 6 Nations rugby works.Plus, they look ahead to round two which includes a massive Calcutta Cup clash in Edinburgh, Ireland hosting Italy in a game which could go either way and Wales taking on France which could be in front of a half empty Principality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What chance do Wales have of beating England at Twickenham this weekend in the opening round of the 6 Nations? The bookmakers have them as huge outsiders so from the England team hotel Alfie Reynolds, Will Kelleher and Elgan Alderman look ahead to the weekend.They chat about whether Wales can harness the passion and spirit of the country to lift their performance. How will England deal with the expectation that they will compete for the title? And, is the big shock on the opening weekend going to happen in Rome? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alfie and Will welcome Mark Evans back onto The Ruck having returned from his time as the CEO of the Fijian Drua.They chat about the latest developments in Welsh rugby with Y11, the owners of the Ospreys, becoming the WRU's preferred bidder for Cardiff and ask whether there is a danger that rugby in Wales might become like cricket in the West Indies.Mark also gives his views on two of his former clubs Saracens and Harlequins, after it was announced Mark McCall would step away from his role with Sarries at the end of the season and fans at the stoop left early following another disappointing defeat.Plus, Steve Borthwick has named his England squad for the upcoming 6 Nations and was in a very confident mood when Will went to chat with him last week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.