Rugby Weekly Extra

Murray, Berch and Gav review Munster’s victory over Ulster, in which Peter O’Mahony’s biggest moment arguably wasn’t even his soaring try.The lads try to make sense of a turbulent season for Connacht, and whether there’s cause for optimism in their homegrown-heavy strategy.Berch gives an insight into how players are navigating rugby’s free agency in a shrunken market, which he believes may ultimately lead to the betterment of Irish rugby.Plus, Terenure College RFC appoint Carlos Spencer as their new head coach: eh, what the…?Note from Gav: Apologies for the first few minutes of my audio -- I knocked a mic cable loose without realising. It improves after about 10 minutes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murray joins Gav from the Lions squad announcement in London to give his thoughts on Andy Farrell's 38-man selection, the "couple of" vacant spots, Henry Pollock's rise, Caelan Doris' injury, the Uefa-like ceremony, and the players from the four nations most unlucky to miss out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Berch, Murray and Gav review the Champions Cup semi-finals, where Northampton Saints produced one of the greatest performances in the history of the competition to upset an off-colour and confounding Leinster side at the Aviva Stadium.The lads assess Leinster's shortcomings in what Berch believes was the worst of their knockout reversals in recent years, and they also discuss the second semi-final as Bordeaux rubber-stamped their credentials against French and European champions Toulouse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy and Murray join Gav to analyse the four Champions Cup semi-finalists and their respective matchups this weekend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time in podcast history, the four provinces all lost in the URC over the weekend, while Ireland women were also defeated in their Six Nations closer.Murray, Berch and Gav take solace in a brilliant AIL finals weekend (and a fine victory for Ireland U19s over France) before peering ahead to what promises to be a tense finish to the campaigns of Munster and Ulster in particular.AIL finals: 00:00Provinces: 26:20Ireland women: 1:08:50  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy and Murray Kinsella check in on the four Irish provinces ahead of another important weekend in the URC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murray, Berch and Gav review an action-packed, controversy-filled URC weekend for the provinces and discuss the two-year shift in dynamic between Wales and Ireland in the Women's Six Nations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy and Murray Kinsella try to keep up on a very busy Wednesday morning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard Jackman and Murray Kinsella reflect on Leinster's latest show of dominance, why Munster will feel woe after Bordeaux, and how Connacht let such a positive start slip. The lads also discuss Ireland's Six Nations defeat to England and their joy for Rory McIlroy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy, Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey drill into the Leinster and Munster performances that earned them Champions Cup quarter-finals, while they also look ahead to Connacht's Challenge Cup clash with Racing 92. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murray joins Berch and Gav on his way home from France to chat about two enthralling encounters in La Rochelle and Bordeaux, where Munster marched on and Ulster brought a gun to a gunfight.The lads discuss Leinster's obliteration of Harlequins and as Murray jets off, Berch and Gav peer ahead to Connacht-Racing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy joins Gavan Casey to provide an analytical preview of Munster's reunion with Ronan O'Gara at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre in the last 16 of the Champions Cup on Saturday.JT also gives his thoughts on one particularly exciting Leinster young gun, has some strong opinions on the red cards shown to Munster's Alex Nankivell and the Stormers' Neethling Douché in the URC weekend just gone, and proposes a law change around kicking which he believes would lead to the betterment of the game (and might lead to more attacking scrums). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Berch and Murray discuss Munster's important win over Connacht, how Ulster pulled off a revival against the Stormers, and why Leinster deservedly celebrated in Durban. The lads also speak about how Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle have been struggling ahead of their date with Munster. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy and Murray Kinsella join Gavan Casey for a Lions pod. The three lads select their personal Lions matchday 23s, with James dipping into Pro D2 for a starter, and a podcast consensus on the 10 jersey that none of the crew expected.The lads also try to predict Farrell's actual 23 for the first Test against the Wallabies using a regrettably complicated snake-draft system.Plus, Murray and JT give their thoughts on Andy Farrell's coaching selections and the implications for Ireland's summer tour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gav, Murray, and Berch sift through the remnants of a wild weekend in the URC and discuss how Ireland have closed the gap to France in the Women's Six Nations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The full complement of James Tracy, Bernard Jackman, Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey assess Ireland's championship, the emerging trends of the 2025 Six Nations, the implications of France and possibly England 'getting their shit together', the lack of ready-made replacements for last Saturday's retiring trio, and whether a poor campaign for the Ireland U20s was really indicative of anything.Plus, the lads tentatively look ahead to the Lions Tour of Australia, picking their captains and discussing The Telegraph's recent report that Andy Farrell is set to select a very Irish-heavy coaching ticket. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Darren Cave joins Murray Kinsella to discuss Jack Crowley's contractual situation and look at the fallout from Ireland's Six Nations defeat to France. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murray Kinsella, Bernard Jackman and Gavan Casey pick through the bones of Ireland's heavy defeat to Les Bleus in a de facto title decider at the Aviva.Berch explains why he felt like 'a fraud' for putting it all down to power on RTÉ on Saturday, and Gavan wonders why that power deficit hasn't shown up in recent meetings between roughly the same packs.The lads unspool that and much more, including the Flament/POM clear-out, the silliness of Joe McCarthy's yellow card, Antoine Dupont's injury and France's sense of injustice at a political level, Sam Prendergast's worst game for Ireland (and why he was still nowhere near to blame for the defeat), and Angus Gardner's contempt for Caelan Doris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ciarán and Murray provide immediate reaction to Ireland's defeat to Les Bleus at the Aviva Stadium. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy joins Murray Kinsella to preview the challenge facing Ireland as France come to Dublin this Saturday in a massive Six Nations clash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murray Kinsella, Bernard Jackman and Gavan Casey reflect on valuable wins for Connacht and Ulster, some emerging standouts for Leinster, and an unacceptable Munster performance in Cork.The lads discuss an increasingly concerning situation for Ronan O'Gara, whose La Rochelle side have lost six games on the spin. Plus, why France are annoyed with the nature of Garry Ringrose's suspension versus the ban received by Romain Ntamack earlier in the competition.And naturally, they look ahead to Ireland v France at the Aviva this Saturday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy joins Murray Kinsella to break down Ireland's Triple Crown-sealing win over Wales. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murray, Berch and Gav discuss the weekend's Six Nations action, Ireland U20s' defeat to Wales, and a miserable 'A' game in Bristol. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murray Kinsella dials in from the chaos of Cardiff to reflect on Ireland's Triple Crown victory with Gavan Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gav is joined by leading Welsh rugby journalist Steffan Thomas of Wales Online ahead of Ireland's Six Nations trip to Cardiff on Saturday.Steffan, who is based in Cardiff, tells listeners what to expect from a Matt Sherratt-influenced Welsh side, which could include a shift across the back row for talisman Jac Morgan.The lads dig into the issues plaguing Welsh rugby, with Gav curious as to how virtually the same pathways managed to produce so many of the best players we've ever seen in the championship and why that pipeline has now dried up.Steffan also explains why he thinks it's time the WRU cut at least one region (which wouldn't automatically be the Dragons), and details his case for either a Welsh breakaway from the URC or some form of Welsh-English conference as part of a URC-Premiership merger.Plus, there's a chat about the need for a DOR within the WRU and crucially, who will replace Warren Gatland as the country's next permanent head coach. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murray, Berch and Gav chat about the medium-term future for Ulster, Munster and Connacht, how they can bridge the gap to Leinster, and where the IRFU can best assist them in their efforts. (0:50)The lads also look back over the URC weekend. (1:06:12) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy joins Murray Kinsella for an in-depth review of Ireland's Six Nations win against Scotland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murray Kinsella, Bernard Jackman and Gavan Casey discuss the Six Nations weekend, which has left Ireland top of the table on maximum points. (0:37)But England have blown the championship race wide open with a potentially transformative win over the butterfingered French. How did that happen, exactly? (52:48)Plus, to what extent can Ireland afford to experiment with selection against rock-bottom Wales? (49:00) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murray Kinsella is on the ground in Scotland to reflect on Ireland's win with Gavan Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy joins Murray Kinsella for a deep dive into Ireland's bonus-point win against England in the Six Nations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard Jackman joins Gavan Casey to review Ireland's bonus-point victory over England.Berch examines Ireland's attack, England's defence, and Steve Borthwick's decision to start three opensides in his back row which contributed to Ireland having a field day at the lineout.The lads look ahead to Scotland, chat Full Contact S2 on Netflix, and assess Jonathan Bell's departure from Ulster. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey give their immediate reaction from the Aviva Stadium to Ireland's win against England. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy joins Gavan Casey to preview the big one on Saturday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Berch and Murray join Gav to give their Six Nations predictions and assess a decidedly mixed weekend for the provinces in the URC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steered by Tadhg Beirne's assessment of Munster's thrilling defeat to Northampton, James Tracy joins Gavan Casey to explore in detail where Munster are going right and where they're going wrong as they seek to turn the corner in their season.JT also gives his thoughts on why England are underrated coming into this Six Nations, how to scrummage against Rabah Slimani, and what separates generational players such as Conor Murray and Jordie Barrett from their peers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard Jackman and Murray Kinsella join Gavan Casey to sift through a mad weekend in the Champions Cup as Ulster joined Leinster and Munster in the last 16, which is a fun story but probably isn't a great reflection on the competition.The lads discuss whether Leinster's resounding victory over Bath was their most complete of the season, and why things should be looking up for Munster with another new Irish-qualified arrival set to join Michael Milne and Lee Barron at the province from next season.Berch, meanwhile, is not yet convinced by Connacht despite their strong response to last month's defeat to Ulster. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy joins Murray Kinsella to get into the detail behind Leinster's excellent defence, as well as why they struggled to close out the game against La Rochelle. The lads also discuss Ireland's 36-man squad for the Six Nations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murray joins Berch and Gav from the train to Bordeaux to chat about a brilliant weekend of Champions Cup rugby. Berch and Gav discuss the learnings, and lack thereof, from the Mack Hansen-match officials controversy.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy joins Gavan Casey to preview the Champions Cup weekend.JT gives his first-hand experience of facing Maro Itoje, a breakdown of Jamie George's irreplicable lineout darts, and an assessment of Saracens' attacking shape ahead of their visit to Thomond Park on Saturday.He also gives his thoughts on the latest instalment of the Leinster-La Rochelle rivalry, and does not share Gavan's overwhelming confidence that Leinster will have too much for Ronan O'Gara's men at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre.Plus: why Leicester may still have too much for Ulster, and which fresh faces will break into Andy Farrell's Ireland squad for the Six Nations? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murray Kinsella, Bernard Jackman and Gavan Casey chat all things La Rochelle, and whether they're still a legitimate threat to Leinster, following their near-embarrassment against Toulouse's 'Espoirs' on Saturday night. (Plus: how good were Toulouse's Espoirs?)The lads review Harry Byrne's debut for Bristol in defeat against Saracens and hypothesise what his future will look like after this initial loan spell in England.Byrne's Bristol were beaten by Saracens, who visit Thomond Park in the Champions Cup this weekend. What kind of team have they become since their 2010s pomp, and will it be too much for Munster?There's also a chat about the Premiership as a whole, and whether its free-spiritedness should be a concern for England head coach Steve Borthwick. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murray and Gav look ahead to a massive year for the Ireland men's and women's national teams, the provinces, and Andy Farrell's Lions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard Jackman and Gavan Casey review the latest interpros, with Ulster earning what could prove a transformative victory over Connacht whose performance lacked a bit of everything.The lads discuss the increasingly Springbok-influenced Leinster and whether their new style would be enough to beat Toulouse in the late stages of Europe.Berch also reflects upon a sobering day for Munster fans whose expectations were already low, and the lads try to find solutions for the states of malaise into which 'the other three provinces' have fallen as the gap between them and 'super province' Leinster continues to widen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard Jackman and Murray Kinsella have a pre-Christmas chat about the URC inter-pro derbies, Mack Hansen's comments, and player salaries in the Top 14. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy joins Gavan Casey to analyse Leinster's victory over Clermont, with a particular focus on their lineout woes, the change in focus between their phase and transition attacks, and the impact of Nienaber's defensive principles almost a year into the job.JT also explains why he feels Munster's defeat to Castres wasn't as bad as it appeared, and why the southern province are actually in a 'good place' heading into their URC interpro with Ulster in Belfast on Friday.Plus, if Craig Casey misses the Six Nations, which young Irish out-half should take his place in Andy Farrell's fold? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard Jackman, Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey wonder if Leinster's win over Clermont was actually... kind of good? Berch talks lineouts, and why Leinster and Munster's in particular have run into such trouble recently.Plus, a bad day in Castres for Munster, who seemed to dearly miss Gavin Coombes. Ulster do a lot right for an hour but still receive a reality check against one of Europe's big boys, and Connacht earn a win in Perpignan which gives them a real shot at a home run in the Challenge Cup.The lads also ponder the future of the Champions Cup, which is facing a bit of an existential and commercial crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy joins Gavan Casey to discuss the provinces’ fortunes in Round 1 of Europe, and look ahead to Round 2. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard Jackman joins Ciarán Kennedy and Murray Kinsella to discuss wins for Leinster, Munster, and Connacht, as well as a tough outing for Ulster in Toulouse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Tracy speaks to Murray Kinsella about what Ireland can do to improve their lineout, why there can be optimism ahead of the Six Nations, and what will be a fun weekend of Champions Cup rugby. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard Jackman, Ciarán Kennedy, and Murray Kinsella review Ireland's autumn international campaign and look towards the Six Nations. The lads also tee up the start of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup this weekend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ciarán Kennedy and Murray Kinsella reflect on a hard-fought win for Ireland against Joe Schmidt's Australia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.