The Ruck Rugby Podcast

Following the conclusion of the 2025 Lions tour Alfie Reynolds, Alex Lowe, Owen Slot and Will Kelleher bring you one final pod from Australian soil. They reflect on a joyous 7 weeks covering the tour, including their final reflections on the test series and what the future of the Lions tour looks like. How can they make the tour games in Australia more engaging? Should there be a Barmy Army-style supporter package to make it affordable for a younger audience? And, have the Wallabies' performances in the final two matches given hope for their home world cup in 2027? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia ended with one of the most bizarre test matches! Biblical rainfall and a thunderstorm delayed proceedings before Australia won the match in Sydney. Will Kelleher and Alex Lowe join Alfie Reynolds to round up the occasion and the series as a whole. They ask whether Australia were under-prepared for the first test and how much that cost them in the three game series? Is a 2-1 series victory for the Lions an accurate reflection of how good they are? And, what on earth was going on when play was stopped early in the second half? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alfie Reynolds, Alex Lowe and Owen Slot preview the third and final test in the 2025 Lions tour. They discuss why Andy Farrell naming such a strong squad is no surprise as the Lions eye a 3-0 series victory. Plus they ask whether Australia are capable of winning the match to avoid being labelled the 'worst' opposition the Lions have faced. They also salute Tadhg Furlong as he is set to start his 9th straight test and how much winning on Saturday will determine the Lions' legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the controversial ending to the 2nd test between Australia and the Lions, Will and Alfie are joined by Christy Doran, rugby editor of The Roar, to get the Aussie perspective. They chat about how Australian rugby can be successful ahead of a home world cup in 2027 and the importance of winning the final test in the series. Plus, the boys provide an update from the Lions ahead of the final test and ask what is the purpose of a Lions tour? Winning or something more? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The British & Irish Lions have won the test series against Australia! Hugo Kennan scored the winning try in the final play of the game to cap off an extraordinary match at the MCG. Alfie, Alex and Will reflect on a match which will go down in Lions history. They chat about Jac Morgan's controversial clear out at the end of the game, how impressive the Lions were to come from behind and the utter devastation for Australia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the second test between Australia and the British & Irish Lions, Joe Schmidt and Andy Farrell have named their sides. Alex Lowe, Will Kelleher, Owen Slot and Alfie Reynolds are in Melbourne to look ahead to what could be a series clinching match for the Lions, or will Australia respond to their defeat in Brisbane? They discuss both team selections, including Garry Ringrose ruling himself out through injury, Will Skelton's return for the Wallabies and Joe Schmidt's anti-hype approach to the series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The British & Irish Lions won their final tour game on Australian soil as they beat the First Nations and Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. Alfie, Alex, Will and Owen are pitch side to review the match and ask whether it was the best tour game so far? And, does it give an idea on how Australia could beat the Lions int he second test? They also discuss all the selection dilemmas facing Andy Farrell, including whether Owen could feature on Saturday, who replaces Joe McCarthy and whether Jac Morgan could will be involved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The British & Irish Lions are 1-0 up in the test series against Australia. They won 27-19 in Brisbane to gain a huge advantage in the three test series. Alfie Reynolds, Alex Lowe and Will Kelleher are on hand to look back on the match. They discuss a very impressive Lions performance in which they physically dominated the Wallabies and ask how Australia can get back into the series? Plus, they praise Ellis Genge, Tadgh Beirne, Tom Curry and Finn Russell's performances. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia and the Lions have named their matchday squads for the first test in Brisbane on Saturday. Alex Lowe and Will Kelleher are alongside Alfie Reynolds to go through all the big talking points. The Wallabies are without Will Skelton and Rob Valetini, how big a blow is that to their chances? Why has Andy Farrell selected Tom Curry over Jac Morgan? And, is this a Lions squad designed to overpower Australia? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the week of the first test between the Wallabies and the British & Irish Lions! Alfie Reynolds, Will Kelleher, Owen Slot and Stephen Jones are in Brisbane to look ahead to the match. They ask whether the tour matches have adequately prepared the Lions for the series. Plus, what do the latest call-ups tell us about the modern tour? Do they devalue the brand or show the midweek matches between tests need to be a thing of the past? Plus, Will chats to Justin Harrison and Owen Finegan to look back on 2001 when Australia beat the Lions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The British & Irish Lions are heading to Brisbane to prepare for the first test match against the Wallabies. They defeated a combined Australia and New Zealand XV 48-0 in Adelaide but lost Luke Cowan-Dickie to injury and will be without Garry Ringrose for the first match of the test series. Jamie George has been called up as cover at hooker. Alfie, Will and Alex look back on the match and also discuss who Andy Farrell could select in his matchday 23 for that game in a weeks time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The British & Irish Lions defeated the ACT Brumbies 36-24 in Canberra. Another win for Andy Farrell's side but was it another performance which adds more questions for this Lions side? Will Kelleher and Alex Lowe are alongside Alfie Reynolds in an empty GIO Stadium to reflect on the match. They ask how much the Lions are holding back ahead of the test series against Australia? Is fatigue and the busy travel schedule catching up with the side? And, could Blair Kinghorn be ruled out of the tour? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Farrell has named his side to take on the ACT Brumbies on Wednesday and it is the strongest of the tour so far. So, Alex Lowe and Will Kelleher are alongside Alfie Reynolds to ask whether this is the side who will start the first match of the test series against Australia? They chat about which players are fighting to keep their spots in the team and what it tells us about how the Lions are approaching the series. They also reflect on Australia's unconvincing victory over Fiji and whether the incessant TMO interventions are becoming a major problem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The British & Irish Lions defeated the NSW Waratahs 21-10 in Sydney for their third straight victory on Australian soil. But, are problems emerging for head coach Andy Farrell? Alfie Reynolds, Will Kelleher and Alex Lowe reflect on the performance and question whether the players are executing the gameplan in the way the coaches want. They also discuss who is dropping out of test match contention and what the Lions need to do on Wednesday against the Brumbies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Farrell has been called up to the 2025 British & Irish Lions squad! Following the biggest news of the tour so far, Alex Lowe, Stephen Jones and Will Kelleher chat through the reasons for and against Andy bringing Owen onto the tour. Is he too out of form? Or does his vast experience outweigh the risks in his selection? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alfie, Will and Alex are at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane to review the Lions beating Queensland Reds 52-12 to win back to back games on Aussie soil. They chat about Elliot Daly picking up an arm injury which could rule him out of the tour and where that leaves Andy Farrell and his full-back options. They heap praise on Jac Morgan who put in a strong performance in the back row and Alex questions whether the Lions could be playing an ambitious attacking style in these tour games to try and fool the Wallabies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alfie, Will and Alex react to the news that Tomos Williams' Lions tour is over! The Wales scrum-half suffered a hamstring injury on Saturday so Scotland's Ben White has been called up in his place. They also discuss all the other big talking points from Andy Farrell's squad to play the Queensland Reds on Wednesday, including the half-back partnership of Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell, the return of Maro Itoje and the back-row balance. Plus, they speak to Queensland Reds assistant coach, John Fisher. He previously worked at London Irish so chats about the incredible talent they had at the club when it went under, how they can tactically exploit the Lions in a few days and what a great occasion taking on the best of the northern hemisphere will be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The British & Irish Lions are up and running Down Under. They defeated the Western Force 54-7 in Perth and Alfie Reynolds, Alex Lowe, Stephen Jones and Will Kelleher are here to review all of the action. They've decamped to the hotel lobby to look back on the action including the Lions being unable to catch a restart, why Ben White needs to be called up as injury cover immediately and whether we are heading for a tour where the midweek side is actually closer to the test team. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From The Ruck, the rugby podcast from the Times & Sunday Times we present: The Red Lions. A special three-part podcast series covering 75 years of the British & Irish Lions through the voices of the players involved and the pages of The Times and Sunday Times. The Lions have been rugby’s great adventurers since 1888. But it was not until the 1950 tour of New Zealand that they adopted their famous red jersey. Through this series we will build a golden thread that links that band of intrepid adventurers - the last to go on tour by boat - with this year’s ultra professional squad of Lions who will take on Australia. Episode three begins with the Lions struggling for success in the professional era and unable to emulate the triumph of '97 before finishing with the strangest Lions tour of all, during covid times in South Africa. In between Ian McGeechan and Warren Gatland steer the famous red jersey to glory in defeat, victory and a draw. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From The Ruck, the rugby podcast from the Times & Sunday Times we present: The Red Lions. A special three-part podcast series covering 75 years of the British & Irish Lions through the voices of the players involved and the pages of The Times and Sunday Times. The Lions have been rugby’s great adventurers since 1888. But it was not until the 1950 tour of New Zealand that they adopted their famous red jersey. Through this series we will build a golden thread that links that band of intrepid adventurers - the last to go on tour by boat - with this year’s ultra professional squad of Lions who will take on Australia. On episode two we track the lions from 1977 to the glory of 1997, as they struggle to emulate the invinclibes of 74' before their crowning glory of South Africa in 97', which catapulted the lions brand into a whole new stratosphere. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.