England's 6 Nations in ruins after their first-ever defeat to Italy
The Ruck
Reynolds Alfie
3.4 • 566 Ratings
🗓️ 7 March 2026
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
England have lost to Italy for the first time!
Following a historic day in Rome, Alfie Reynolds and Will Kelleher are in the Stadio Olympico to unpack an incredible occasion and hugely damaging England defeat.
What does the future hold for Steve Borthwick? Can he continue as England head coach? How can a team that won 12 matches in a row suddenly look so lost?
They also heap praise on Italy and discuss why this is a significant moment for Italian rugby and the 6 Nations as a whole.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome along to The Ruck, the journalist's rugby podcast from The Times and the Sunday Times. |
| 0:20.3 | We are stood in an empty stadio |
| 0:22.3 | olympico i'm alphi reynolds alongside me is will kellerher hello we witnessed history we witnessed |
| 0:28.3 | italian rugby history their first ever victory over england a brilliant moment for the italians |
| 0:34.3 | a defeat that leaves england with loads of more questions and they already |
| 0:39.1 | had plenty of those. What an evening we had here in Rome? It was a sensational occasion, actually, |
| 0:46.4 | and a real privilege to be here for one of the greatest days in Italian rugby history. It has to |
| 0:53.1 | go down as one of their mightiest victories ever. |
| 0:58.2 | I know they've beaten the Springboks, I know they've beaten every other team of Six Nations, |
| 1:01.3 | but 33 attempts at beating England and they've done it. |
| 1:06.2 | And the place was rocking. |
| 1:07.4 | The atmosphere was amazing. |
| 1:08.5 | When they kicked a ball out, Gonzála Casado and his coaching team were hugging there were tears there were laps of |
| 1:14.1 | honour they got clapped into the press room and out again like what a stunning day |
| 1:19.2 | stunning day to be Italian fan I mean probably a brilliant one to be a Scotland |
| 1:22.9 | fan as well because you go not only did we put 50 on France but then England lost to Italy like this is the |
| 1:29.5 | perfect day to be Scottish but yeah we'll get on to England because there's a lot to say on them but let's |
| 1:35.7 | it's nice to give Italy the credit they deserve and I'm pleased for someone like Lewis liner who |
| 1:40.5 | spoke to on the pod who's like we don't want to to be the underdogs. And look, they're not. |
| 1:44.6 | Not here. |
| 1:45.2 | Not at home. |
| 1:45.9 | Not with that atmosphere. |
... |
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