The Ruck

Owen Slot welcomes Alex Lowe, Stuart Barnes and Al Dymock for an in-depth look into England's disastrous campaign and the major questions they now face.Including: has England's world cup chance already gone, why did performance levels drop so quickly and should Eddie Jones' position now be questioned? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones welcomes Times rugby writer Steve James, editor of Rugby World, Sarah Mockford and world cup winner, Michael Lynagh. The panel discuss, who England need to change in the back row, whether all the problems lie there and if this England side has plateaued? There's also debate whether Eddie Jones should make sweeping changes with 5th place looming, if Owen Farrell needs to move to 10 and can they rescue their campaign and stop the Irish grand slam?Also analysed: where England go wrong at the breakdown, why Wales are quietly having an excellent tournament, why the Irish depth is their real strength and the finale of the Women's Six Nations tournament.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode Stephen Jones welcomes Owen Slot and ex-Harlequins CEO and Saracens boss, Mark Evans to cast an eye over Rugby's professional era.They discuss if the unions have too much power, the mass media effect, whether the Premiership is marketed correctly, should lessons should be learned from Australia and America, and if relegation needs abolishing in order to grow?Mark then presents his blueprint to improve the games standing and details his involvement with the stadium for Cornwall project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones welcomes, SJA rugby writer of the year, Owen Slot and ex-Harlequins CEO and Saracens boss, Mark Evans to preview a crucial weekend.Can England strike back if the team is unchanged, are France a national joke, can Scotland improve even further, will Ireland's depth see them to a grand slam and would relegation and promotion for the tournament help or hinder a team like Georgia? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones welcomes the Rugby Paper's, Nick Caine, The Sunday Times, Nigel Botherway and red top favourite, Adam Hathaway.   They discuss the passion and precision of Scotland and where "flummoxed, static and poor" England go next, after being dominated. The panel also detail the changes they would make for England. Do Hartley, Brown and Robshaw survive? Or does the entire game plan need an overhaul? The rest of the weekend is reviewed and players of the weekend picked.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded from England's training camp, Owen Slot welcomes Alex Lowe from The Times and Alex Spink from The Mirror. They discuss why the Calcutta Cup has been such a bore for decades, why Ireland suddenly look beatable and after post match turmoil, why France have gone backwards.There's also an exclusive interview with Dean Benton, Head of Sports Science for England Rugby, who describes the difference in culture when it comes to working with players. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Slot welcomes Rugby World's, Al Dymock and The Observer's, Michael Aylwin to a special episode focusing on the future of the game.Will rugby turn into thirteen man game, can Georgia turn into a tier one side, will we need bigger pitches, can England win three out of the next world cups and will all performance enhancing drugs soon be legal?The panel also debate Stephen Jones' 6 Nations team of the week.Next week is a mailbag special email your questions to [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Slot welcomes Rugby World's, Al Dymock, The Observer's, Michael Aylwin and Times columnist, Ben Kay.The panel discuss, the Sam Underhill tackle, Finn Russell appearing to regress, and opposing coaches putting players under pressure in the media. We also hear who is ahead between grand slam contenders England and Ireland. And the big question question is answered: was it a try?Tomorrow's episode features disagreement over Stephen Jones' team of the week and there is discussion on what the game will look like in 2030. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded in Rome, Owen Slot welcomes Alex Lowe from The Times and Jonny Fordham from The Sun for a review of the 6 Nations first weekend.Up for discussion: why Alex only rated Sam Simmonds 8/10 for his performance against Italy, what shone from England's play, did Scotland believe their only media hype and what will Stephen Jones' mandatory talking points say about Ireland being firm favourites?In the final section, the panel predict the next round of fixtures, pick a team of the week and Owen sets you all homework.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stuart Barnes hosts a special episode, welcoming former Ireland international and Sunday Times columnist Shane Horgan, Wales international and Harlequin, Jamie Roberts, with regulars Stephen Jones and Owen Slot completing the panel. Up for discussion: the volume of player injuries, if the 6 nations is tainted without big stars, why Ireland are the journalists pick to win, where and why England have stagnated, how rugby has evolved in the last four years and the panel predict the player of the tournament. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones welcomes Owen Slot, Al Dymock, Peter O'Reilly and Paul Eddison for a full preview of the 6 nations opening weekend.Every team's strengths and weaknesses are assessed with a comprehensive analysis of the key match ups.Can Ireland overcome the history books and see off France, will England ever get the credit Eddie Jones thinks they deserve, and will the loser of Scotland vs Wales be instantly in the "mental mush"?Also find out what the panel hate about the tournament in a section they'll probably wish had been cut. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special edition of The Ruck, Stephen Jones talks to Wayne Barnes about life as a referee, the tactics officials will be keeping an eye on in the Six Nations and what Nigel Owens sang at his wedding.They also discuss the legality of Saracens’ rush defence, what to do when a player calls for a rival to be sin-binned and whether Richie McCaw truly knew the rule book better than anyone else... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Owen Slot welcomes Alex Lowe and former Saracens player, Will Fraser. They discuss the final round of the European group stages, the reasons behind English rugby having just one representative in the quarters, with player fatigue, declining quality and the cyclical nature of sport considered.Then the panel explore how Saracens recovered off the back of multiple defeats earlier this campaign with unique insight from Fraser's access at the club.Finally England's seven position is debated.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Slot welcomes Stephen Jones and Alex Lowe to discuss another thrilling weekend of European rugby. Peter O'Reilly joins the debate from Dublin and offers his thoughts on the current strong form of the Irish teams and defends the Pro 14 from the opinion they have it much easier than the Premiership sides.The writers also reflect on their favourite European club performance down the years before suggesting what to do with the England team ahead of the squad announcement this week.And as Exeter shock the rugby press by limiting food for journalists to one pasty each, Owen Slot defends himself from multiple allegations he is the reason for the drastic measures.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Ruck returns with Stephen Jones, Owen Slot, Stuart Barnes and Jonny Fordham.The panel discuss why Dylan Hartley's club form will not change Eddie Jones' thinking on starting him for England. Owen explains the book which led Jones to think this way and Jonny reveals the day to day relationship between captain and coach.Stephen and Stuart then disagree on the England coach's criteria and selection policy. There's also a full preview of all the big european action and Stuart explains why he thinks Jordan Larmour could be worth the hype. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Slot welcomes Stephen Jones, Al Dymock and Steve James for a festive round up of 2017. The panel pick their rugby heroes and villains of the year before Owen attempts to conduct a quiz.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones welcomes Steve James, Owen Slot and Al Dymock for the penultimate Ruck of the year.The panel cover: Dan Cole's struggles, Beno Obano's triumphs and Danny Cipriani's impossible task.There's a full review of the European action, including fears for a lack of English quarter finalists. Also find out who on the panel is dodging the christmas games and Al speaks about his investigation into the dark side of player welfare within the game.There's also an Ashes verdict from Steve and find out why Owen may incur the wrath of Mrs Slot on New Years Eve.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Slot, Stephen Jones and Alan Dymock analyse a terrible weekend in Europe results-wise for English clubs. But podcast favourite Peter O'Reilly calls in to explain why it's a different story for the Irish teams. And find out why Toulon are like a bumblebee and why everyone loves La Rochelle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones, Owen Slot and Sam Peters are feeling weary after the autumn internationals, with the debate raging on as to the physical damage that could be done with needless rugby matches being played.The panel also discuss the Saracens slump, whether Eddie Jones is a strong selector and if Danny Cipriani can be a good squad player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Slot welcomes Jonny Fordham of The Sun, Tom Hamilton from ESPN and Al Dymock from Rugby World to reflect on the weekends action.They offer answers to the following: if they were to re-plan their weekends which matches would they have attended, did the world rugby awards pick the right winners and which nation is letting their hemisphere down badly?There's also marks out of ten for each nation's autumn performance, a predicted England side for the six nations and a public service announcement from Al Dymock on the perils of nudity at Japanese spa's. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones is joined by The Times Owen Slot, Rugby World's Al Dymock, and the finest freelancer around, Adam Hathaway.They review England's win over Australia, assess where Scotland missed out against the All Blacks, as well as recapping the other matches before previewing the next series of clashes at the weekend. There's also a debate about the best Scot to ever play the game, the panels thoughts on Samoa and a consideration of player dissent rising in the game.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones is joined by Steve James and Stuart Barnes for a comprehensive round up of the autumn internationals.The panel cover: the difficulty of making a dire game sound exciting as a commentator, whether there are too many test matches, and why do Wales keep coming up short against Australia?England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales are all thoroughly analysed before changes are suggested and predictions made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones returns and welcomes Alex Lowe from The Times, Sarah Mockford from Rugby World, former World Cup winner and man who works upstairs now, Michael Lynagh.In a bumper episode the panel consider: the future of the Barbarians and the best use of the brand? Whether it's a cause for concern most of the England team is still unknown, if this autumn is a great chance to build the second tier for Eddie Jones?Should Wales expect to beat Australia or have the latter turned a corner after their recent victory against the All Blacks?Also has the quality of the French domestic rugby killed their international side, are we on the cusp of another Scottish revival and what would happen to The Sunday Times if Stephen wasn't there? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a podcast first and almost certain last, Owen Slot welcomes, Ben Ryan, Fiji Seven's gold medal winning coach, Sam Peters from The Sunday Times, and his 6 month old daughter Ella. Ben reflects on winning Olympic gold and the players who progressed to have an impact in the main game. He also reveals how close the Pacific Islands came to having a Super Rugby franchise, a vital component, he believes in advancing Fijian rugby. The panel also consider rugby trailing in terms of sports science, whether a recall of Fiji's best would make them a world cup winning side, and why some players are making a loss playing for their country. There's debate on England ahead of the winter internationals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones returns from holiday and welcomes Alex Lowe from The Times, Rugby's finest greyhound expert Adam Hathaway and Rugby World's Alan Dymock.The panel comprehensively review the weekend in addition to picking personal highlights including La Rochelle and Benetton. There's also debate about when to introduce young players and the two sided effect it can have. There's a word for Joy Neville who will run the line for three forthcoming internationals. Then our guests provide a full preview of the autumn internationals (20:34) with Eddie Jones changing his mind again, the "never ending" Scottish rebirth and a massive winter for Wales.There's also music recommendations, wedding planning and legoland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stuart Barnes takes charge for the first time and welcomes Alex Lowe from The Times, resident greyhound expert Adam Hathaway and Rugby World's Sarah Mockford.The panel review the weekends European action, reflect on the amazing result from Russian side Krasny Yar, consider Stephen Jones' article on Rob Andrew, and recall their favourite games of the weekend. Hear why Leone Nakarawa is selected as the player of round one, and why no one would bet one against Saracens even at this early stage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Slot welcomes Times writers Alex Lowe and John Westerby, and commentator Alastair Eykyn. The panel give their insights on the state of the world's international teams going forwards.At the end of the first six week's of the premiership, our guests tell us who's impressing and try to make some very early final four picks. The panel offer their choices for the Premiership 15 to date, some *almost* based on how freely a player will offer a lift to the airport. We hear their picks for potential European Cup Champions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones welcomes Owen Slot from The Times, Tom Hamilton from ESPN and Alex Spink from The Mirror. The panel pick their highlights of the week, including world cup bids and American football at Wembley.In a lacklustre week of rugby the overall quality of the Premiership is debated, notably Wasps vs Bath and Leicester vs Exeter.There's praise for Northampton's new chief executive and George North in addition to Newcastle's academy fuelling their revival. Also under consideration whether the mass injuries of recent weeks have been caused by the law change and should the next English national coach be English is discussed as well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Slot speaks to Will Fraser for the second part of this special.The former Saracens player recalls telling his team mates of his retirement before having to watch them train immediately afterwards.Will also speaks about his new job with the club and offers his opinion on the attritional aspect of the modern game, perhaps surprisingly arguing for the sport to remain as physical as possible and going as far to warn about over sanitising rugby.Finally he offers unique dressing room insight into Saracens success. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Slot welcomes Will Fraser for the first part of this special episode.The former Saracens player reflects on having to retire due to serious injury, the nature of his new routine, including being unsure if he could enter his old dressing room at the weekend.He relives the frustration of injuries and how he coped with the disappointment of missing two summer tours for England. Will also speaks of the inspiration he drew from his brother and offers a rare insight into dealing with a career cut short.Part two is available tomorrow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones, Owen Slot and Alex Lowe are joined by rugby royalty in the form of Rachael Burford. They talk about exporting rugby to the USA and developing grassroots players.Also we hear Rachael's perspective on the World Cup Final and she reveals who she believes to be the greatest player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones welcomes Owen Slot and Alex Lowe from The Times and deputy editor of Rugby World Magazine, Sarah Mockford.The panel discuss their highlights of the rugby weekend (02.00) what Semesa Rokoduguni needs to add to his game to contend for an England place (04.00) and suggestions Leicester are already in crisis are quickly swatted away (07.00). There's a review of all the other Premiership action (09.00) and the Pro 14's new teams sluggish start to life in the division (16:00).There's also an explainer and preview to the Women's Premier 15's season (19:00)Finally the panel reveal what they make of the match up in the USA (28:00) and Stephen doesn't really like Argentina's approach in the rugby championship. (30.00) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Ruck returns for a brand new season as Owen Slot welcomes Stephen Jones, from The Sunday Times, Alex Lowe from The Times and Adam Hathaway, "Rugby's premier greyhound owner".In this weeks show the panel discuss England's "ridiculous" tour to Argentina. (02:00) There are reflections on the opening weekend (8:00) including debate as to whether Leicester have redesigned the way they play (9:00) Stephen asks do the new rules send premiership rugby closer to super rugby? (10:00) Alex Lowe summarises the new rules (12:00) then basks in his recent cricket performance against the RFU (15.00)Then from (17:00) the whole season is mapped out and predicted with the panel debating what the final table will look like. The Ruck will return on Monday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones presents the season finale of The Ruck banishing all others to offer his final thoughts on an incredible series which he describes as "the biggest ever". In the shorter episode he pays tribute to Lions who "return in triumph" after their performances. He selects those who stood out, and praises the courage and confidence of the team unit as well as detailing the reasons they ultimately fell short.Finally Stephen reflects on making the podcast with a colourful cast of characters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Slot welcomes Stephen Jones, Peter O’Reilly and Stuart Barnes to preview the deciding test.The panel bill the game as "one of the biggest games in the history of the sport" due to the initial tour negativity and speculation surrounding the Lions future, all twinned with New Zealand's status as world champions.Also debated in the podcast: Should Mako Vunipola have been dropped, what other changes would the panel make, what influence will the referee have on proceedings, where do the all backs weaknesses lie for the and what should the Lion's tactics be?To close Owen responds to his new nickname and everyone reveals their non-rugby moment of the tour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Auckland, Stephen Jones, Peter O’Reilly and Nick Cain review a stunning second test. Later Owen Slot and Jonny Fordham report from Queenstown.Covered in the podcast: Memories of an incredible weekend, what changed for the Lions, does Warren Gatland need to make changes, plus how will Steve Hansen respond with selection?And do you agree with the kiwi description of Owen Slot? Finally theres a journey to the world famous Stephen Jones urinal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The panel are totally confused by Warren Gatland's second test team selection.Stephen Jones, Peter O’Reilly, Owen Slot and Alex Lowe attempt to make some sense of the XV with only Peter offering any positives for the Lions amongst their detailed analysis. There's also review of the recent draw, and a debate on the 'geography 6' debacle. Finally, Wellington is reviewed in the travel section which closes the pod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones welcomes Owen Slot, Peter O'Reilly and long time sports photographer David Rogers from Getty Images. David has been to nearly every Lions match since 1980 and he recalls the great matches, players and journalists he's seen down the years with a host of anecdotes. Later the panel give us reasons to believe the Lions can turn it around, also what changes Gatland will make? And how good are this New Zealand side compared to the greats? There are mouse-gate and shoe-gate updates as well as thrilling news of Owen's haircut. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of the first test, Stephen Jones, Alex Lowe and Owen Slot analyse Gatland's thinking, decide who's unlucky, and debate whether the logic stacks up for the selection. They also cover: the Lions ambassadors, chaos in the gym, Alex Lowe's dreadful footwear.Stephen Jones then stars in shoe-gate as he attempts to be reunited with his size 15's also there's no glee at all from the panel at Telegraph writers encountering mice in their accommodation. The next episode airs Monday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded From Hamilton, New ZealandStephen Jones is joined by Stuart Barnes, Owen Slot and Peter O'Reilly. Discussed by the panel: can Henshaw, Williams or Stander force their way into contention during the midweek game? Also who will captain in the first test and who makes everyones first test side? Finally, in the first ever Ruck Book Club you can hear the panels reading material on tour from the pretentious to the corporate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Jones is joined by Stuart Barnes, Owen Slot and Peter O'Reilly for a review of NZ pape​rs and a key examination of 'Gatland's Law' in the selection for the Maoris. Also hear why Stuart Barnes is now one fifth Maori and everyones personal highlight of the tour so far.The next episode is on Monday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Slot and Stephen Jones go head to head on a range of Lions issues and come out with about 30 seconds worth of agreement. The weekend victory is reviewed, forthcoming test sides picked and despite the lack of a jingle, there's even a new feature in 'Lion of the Week'. Also featured, a review of England's victories in both mens and women's game.The next episode airs on Thursday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded in Christchurch, The Times' Owen Slot welcomes Stephen Jones from The Sunday Times, Nick Cain from The Rugby Paper and Tom Hamilton from ESPN, to discuss the latest from the tour. There's a preview of the crucial match against crusaders. The panel also debate the merits of their location and each select Lions who have adapted well to New Zealand so far.Next episode on Monday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second episode on the road in New Zealand. Stephen Jones is joined by Nick Cain from The Rugby Paper alongside regulars Stuart Barnes and Owen Slot. Up for debate: are the Lions doomed after one match?There's also a full preview of the Lions v Auckland and Stephen reviews the NZ papers, comparing the quality writing to Enid Blyton... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded in New Zealand The Times' Owen Slot welcomes a bleary eyed Stephen Jones from The Sunday Times, and a jet lagged Jonny Fordham from The Sun for the first Ruck on tour. The panel bring you a flavour of the early days of the tour, hear about team bonding, impressions of the city, a detailed look ahead to the first match, and a comment from Jonny about the Kiwi press seeming a bit 'Aussie lite' which should make him very popular. The Ruck will run bi-weekly from New Zealand, with episodes every Monday and Thursday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second special edition of the podcast Owen Slot is joined by Stephen Jones, Stuart Barnes, Lawrence Dallaglio, and a live studio audience to preview the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand. The second part sees the panel field a range of challenge questions from the audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special edition, Owen Slot is joined by Stephen Jones, Stuart Barnes, Lawrence Dallaglio, and a live studio audience to preview the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand. The panel talk about pre-tour excitement, the challenges of touring a nation completely obsessed with the game and analyse both sides. Also find out why Steven has a special connection to Donald Trump in a Queenstown bar, why in 2005 Lawrence found himself in an deserted hospital after breaking his leg, and how Stuart Barnes found out even the hotel cleaners can be fierce critics. The episode contains some strong language and was recorded live at London Bridge on 22nd May. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final northern hemisphere podcast of the season Owen Slot, Stuart Barnes and Stephen Jones preview the Premiership final, the Pro 12 final and build up to the lions, talking major injuries and starting combinations. Next week the podcast comes from New Zealand as the Lions Tour finally begins. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Stephen Jones welcomes Owen Slot, Alex Lowe and Adam Hathaway. The panel discuss their highlights of the week, if the Rugby Sevens is actually about rugby and whether Saracens are the greatest English club side of all time. They'll also preview the Premiership and Pro 12 semi-finals before trying to make sense of yet another confusing Eddie Jones selection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Slot is joined by Stephen Jones and Stuart Barnes to debate all things rugby from the last 7 days.On the agenda: a review of the final weekend of the Premiership and pro 12 seasons. A comprehensive preview for both of the weekends European finals.Theres a fierce debate over residency rules and whether Mike Brown's recent treatment was fair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.