How are Leinster and Munster stacking up ahead of their first meeting of the season?
For the first time this season, Gordon D’Arcy and John O’Sullivan are back together on The Counter Ruck to pick through the weekend’s rugby action. Leinster returned to winning ways, Munster won an ill-disciplined affair against Edinburgh, Ulster picked up a statement win over the Bulls while Connacht fell away to Cardiff. With Harry Byrne impressing for Leinster, will he be included in Wednesday’s Ireland squad announcement? Will he or Sam Prendergast start against Munster? After Mike Haley picked up a head injury thanks to a high tackle, what, if anything, can rugby do to fix a discipline issue which won’t go away? How are Leinster and Munster stacking up ahead of their first meeting of the season?Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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50:09
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50:09
Which new academy players could shine for the provinces?
Another provincial preview but this one is a little different. After going through things at senior level, Nathan Johns is joined by John O’Sullivan to look at the new players entering the four provincial academies across Ireland. Which players that impressed at U20 level have earned an opportunity? What names should we look out for? Is Ireland still strong at producing younger talent? A deep dive into the provincial academy structure. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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31:37
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31:37
How many Ireland jerseys are up for grabs ahead of the Autumn Nations Series?
The weekend’s provincial action took a hit as Connacht and Ulster both saw their games postponed courtesy of Storm Amy. Munster managed to get their game in as they saw off Cardiff while Leinster finished up their South African trip with another defeat. It’s the first time they’ve lost their first two fixtures of a campaign since 2003. Is there genuine room for concern or is this just a continuation of their difficult relationship with South African trips? Do Munster look a more cohesive unit as the Croke Park clash looms into view in two rounds’ time? And what does all of this mean for Ireland selection in the coming weeks? Former Ireland international Gordon D’Arcy joins Nathan Johns to discuss. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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26:33
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26:33
How can Ireland build on their World Cup success?
Four years after failing to qualify for the World Cup, few would argue that a valiant quarter-final defeat to France represents progress for the Irish women’s side. How do they keep that going, capitalising on the support which followed them for a month over in England? Lynne Cantwell is the IRFU’s head of women's strategy. A former player, she is tasked with making the sport more visible, helping to improve the standard of player while increasing the commercial viability of the game. With better domestic structures needed, the chance for players to develop both at grassroots and professional level, funding is a necessity for the future of the sport. But how is it all paid for? The financial success of women’s sport more generally is a question plenty of people are grappling with. Lynne Cantwell explains how Irish rugby is doing just that. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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44:33
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44:33
Provincial rivals get a head start on Leinster
The opening weekend of the URC season has been and gone with three out of the four Irish provinces recording victories. Stuart Lancaster and Clayton McMillan opened their accounts with victories for Connacht and Munster respectively, while Ulster saw off the Dragons with their attack impressing under the influence of Richie Murphy’s assistant Mark Sexton. Leinster, though, turned in a horror display down in South Africa. Could they be staring into a 10-point deficit to their rivals just two weeks into the season? How did the other provinces impress after round one? John O’Sullivan joins Nathan Johns to discuss. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Netherlands