Hello, welcome back to the Ruck, the journalist's rugby podcast from The Times and the Sunday Times.

I'm Althe Reynolds. We're back in studio on a Monday and I'm delighted to say I am back alongside. To my left, Will Kelloggler. Wait a second. We can't just start like that, can we? Why not? Alfie Reynolds is back, everybody. Isn't that quite exciting? How many people are thinking, oh yeah, forgot he was away. no we haven't don't worry mate Alex Lowe is sat across the table from me as well

Hi Alex

Hello welcome to the father How many people are thinking, oh yeah, I forgot he was away. No, we haven't. Don't worry, mate.

Alex Lowe is sat across the table from me as well.

Hi, Alex.

Hello, welcome to the fatherhood ride.

Thank you very much.

It is interesting.

The prep for this pod has been a bit different to last time.

I'm trying to actually find time to be on my laptop and watch games and all that sort of thing.

But bleary-eyed, a bit tired. Yeah, it's not too bad. Congratulations, Al-Berry much.

Appreciate it.

And Elgin, to my right-hand side, how you doing, Elgin? Hello, I'm very well, thank you. What I need to know, Althe, is, has this given you sense of perspective that when you go home after a big podcast to feet at home that you're not a podcast today, your dad? Has it changed? Yeah, well, you know, I used to think, why would anyone ever want to miss the rock, whereas now my priorities have changed?

And, yeah, I'm just wondering. It's funny, actually, so one of the pods that I was away, before our little boy arrived, Alex at the start of the pod, you get, and I know Alex is a top journalist, has very, very good sources. It said Alfie is waiting the arrival of his daughter. and I thought, even me and Rach don't know that at this point. Alex had some very good contacts in Kingston and H's his dummy. That was a rare journalistic error from me. That's a rugby writer. You're talking to there. It made Rachel and I both laugh, though. Well, Alex must, we're like, well, Alex, must know something here.

You know what?

I wasn't on that one, and I was listening, and I was like, oh, Alex, there's a scoop there. He's been revealed to gender. Amazing. Sh, I'm embarrassed. That's a modern gender reveal that, isn't you? I have to have words of my source. Sorry for getting me wrong. I told them. But look,

Las, good to be back. I've enjoyed the last

few weeks. Thank you for holding down

the... Sorry for getting it wrong. I told them. But look, lads, good to be back. I've enjoyed the last few weeks. Thank you for holding down the fore. And back in time for another round of the Prem. We're going to get on to some of your emails as well. I know a few of you got in touch off the back of last week where you guys were kind of trying to discuss Europe. It comes up every year of Europe, doesn't it? What on earth do we do of the Champions Cup?

But you had your own suggestions.

Some of the listeners have got in touch as well, so we'll get to some of them. And we're going to chat about a bit of the transfer merry-go-round at the moment. It's an interesting time, I think, for players moving ahead of next season in the Gallagher Prem. Alex has been writing about that. In terms of the results at the weekend, though, where do we want to start?

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