Second Captains

Spain are the women's World Cup champions - a victory for both the universally-admired Spanish coaching system and for one not-very-admired Spanish coach in particular. Mark Critchley and Jonathan Wilson join us to talk through the weekend's football. Chelsea crashed and burned at West Ham - teething problems or a portent of doom? Critch saw Manchester City defang Newcastle, with Phil Foden exceptional - where is he likely to be playing this season? Meanwhile, Wilson was at Spurs to see the liftoff of Angeball. What are the early signs of the new approach at Tottenham? Can Richarlison replace Harry Kane as the centre-forward? And why do Manchester United seem surprised to find themselves playing Premier League matches already? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland eased to a comfortable RWC warm up win over England, but the moment that had everyone cheering was Keith Earls' tumble-try which reminded us all how much he is loved, how fit he is and how good he is at rugby.We chat to Ruaidhri O'Connor of the Irish Independent about Earls' chances of making the squad, Mack and Lowe's magnificent creations, Ireland's lineout woes and Dan Sheehan's injury issues.Plus there's awful England, Rhasidat's run and Ken's 2007 Stephen Jones/Andrew Sheridan RWC memories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Legendary broadcaster Michael Parkinson has died, aged 88. Today we re-release an interview we did with him in 2014, looking back on an unrivalled journalistic career which all started with him writing about football for his local newspaper in Barnsley. He went on to become a well respected sports columnist for The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Times, and was named sports writer of the year in 1998. In his early days on the beat in Yorkshire he came across Arthur Hopcraft, who wrote one of the greatest sports books of all time, “The Football Man”, which Parkinson wrote the foreword for. The two were friends for life, sharing a similar philosophy on the game. We talked to Michael about Hopcraft, football's relevance to English society in the 50's and 60's, why it still matters, writing about the game at a time of huge upheaval, how George Best changed everything and why the modern game held little joy for him. We join all those today saluting one of the greatest broadcasters of all time.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A while back we dared to dream of Rugby World Cup semis and finals, but a proper look at the draw soon sobered us up as the reality of facing France or a fast-improving NZ in a QF hit home. Now with Scotland beating and then pushing France close in successive weekends, we're getting increasingly worried about making it out of the pool stages (and let's not even mention Tonga for now).We ask Tom English, chief sportswriter with BBC Scotland, If Scotland are now the fifth-best team in the world, and why he thinks they have a better chance of beating South Africa than of beating Ireland.France just about won the game on Saturday but lost two stars, Romain Ntamack and Cyril Baille, to injury. This is the first major blow to their long-term plan to win a home world cup - are France finally feeling the pressure?Owen Farrell has run out of "tackle school" tokens and faces a ban after his latest reckless challenge, this time on Wales' Taine Basham. We ask why so many players are losing their discipline when their RWC place depends on them keeping it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The opening weekend hasn't even finished and Ken already wants to walk back Thursday's top four predictions. Is he getting carried away by one 90 minute Newcastle demolition job? The next couple of games will tell us a lot. We talk about the continued transfer frenzy as Chelsea aim to follow up their signing of Moises Caicedo by adding Romeo Lavia - who Liverpool have forlornly gone back to - and, it says here, Michael Olise. Rich Jolly and Jack Pitt-Brooke join us to talk about the opening weekend. Do Chelsea have just the right type of squad to bring the best out of Mauricio Pochettino? Can anyone understand how Chelsea can afford what they're doing? And how do Spurs really feel about selling Harry Kane to Bayern?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether you're ready for it or not, the Premier League is back with Burnley taking on the treble winners Manchester City tomorrow night. We caught up with Jonathan Wilson and John Brewin to ask all the important questions ahead of the upcoming season - Can anyone lay a glove on City? Is England's Declan Rice the man to help Arsenal kick on even further? And can anyone make as big a mess of it as Ken did with last season’s predictions?Plus, it's been a roaringly successful Synth Week on the World Service with the listener entries pouring in. Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caelan Doris was the clear man of the match for Ireland at the weekend, but the most important performance came from outhalf Jack Crowley. His season ended well with Munster, and he continued that good form against Italy. Is he now ahead of Ross Byrne?We chat to Shane Horgan about World Cup warm ups, trying too hard, the back three contenders, dangerous Scots and how Farrell, Catt and O'Connell's horrible experiences at World Cups might be shaping the easy breezy approach this time around.Johnny Sexton will play in a training match against Portugal this week but because of his ban it is most definitely not a game of rugby he is taking part in.Plus there's hat trick hero Amy O'Connor, the. battle of Bayonne and peno shootout drama. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have entered the individual award part of the GAA Season aka ''silly season''. Where once this was all we had to get us through the dark winter, now we have the Club Championship and sure it's not even winter! But those factors aside it seems that individualism still holds a powerful candle in the collective world of the GAA. As we saw this week when tweets and talk turned to the POTY debate.The other great culture war that is this summer tearing at the fabric of our society revolves around two blockbuster films of no semblance to each other. Barbie and Oppenheimer. We sent Ken to watch and review one of them.Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland's World Cup campaign came to an end with a clean sheet, a point, and a public disagreement between the manager and captain.  Gavin Cummiskey joins us from Brisbane to report on Pauw's last press conference of this World Cup, in which she revealed details of a heated in-game exchange with Katie McCabe about who should get substituted next. As for Katie's side of this developing story - she's not giving much away...We also talk to Oluwashina Okeleji, who looks forward to Nigeria's likely second-round encounter with England. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dublin are All-Ireland champions again, and if this was James McCarthy, Mick Fitzsimons and Stephen Cluxton's ninth medal, it was celebrated as if it was their first. Our crack analysis team of Michael Murphy and Paul Flynn talk to us about why this meant so much to Dublin, their mentality monsters, and how the day went so badly wrong for David Clifford. We also discuss Jack McCaffrey's impact, Brian Fenton's composure and Mick Fitzsimons' ultimate vindication. Plus there's the BBC's GAA outreach programme, a celeb-laden halftime show, tactile McDevitt, and taking a whack on the cheekbone for the Dubs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's your man Early like? A regular question posed to the non Ken Early members of the Second Captains team. In this week's Taster episode Eoin and Murph give some thoughts on their colleague - mainly that he's a bloody Pedant.While Oisin McConville joined our front-liners Paul Flynn and Michael Murphy for a very special All Ireland final preview.We also tripped back in time to 1979 to hear how a young Ronnie Whelan - then playing for Home Farm - led out an Irish team against the Basque Country in what was a very hot political atmosphere.Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Brazil defeated Panama 4-0 with lashings of jogo bonito Ken has a stat from the opening 15 WWC matches that may surprise you.Elsewhere, it's reported today that Saudi Arabia would like to spend a billion euros to have Kylian Mbappe grace the Pro League for a single season. How to make sense of this monetary madness? We talk about the Saudi bid with reference to a recent piece by the historian Quinn Slobodian which took a big-picture view of the Kingdom's bid for the future. Can those who profit from climate change.... save us from climate change? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Limerick's four-in-a-row was secured in Croke Park yesterday in thrilling style, and Jamie Wall and Malachy Clerkin are with us today to answer a question being more and more insistently asked - are Limerick the best ever?We congratulate Ken on Limerick's success while he studies the hurling history books and explains why Kilkenny's Cody era is not all it was cracked up to be.And we look at some extraterrestrial performances in the Tour de France and the madness of rain delays in cricket. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The World Cup in Australia and New Zealand kicked off this week, and Ireland are down but certainly not out after an opening-day loss to the hosts. Our man, Ken Early, couldn't be there in person, but he joined us from our studios, huddled around a not-so-tiny TV to watch the game. Meanwhile, Sinéad O'Carroll was on the ground in Sydney, capturing the mood music surrounding the game and the shock in the press box as news broke about Australia losing their star player.Closer to home, it's All Ireland Hurling Final weekend with Limerick and Kilkenny set to clash in what could be some inclement weather conditions. Much to the glee of our senior analyst Jamie Wall.Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three more days till Ireland kick-off in the 2023 World Cup and Denise O’Sullivan looks likely to make it after Friday’s injury scare.In the meantime, there are some typical July stories. Why did Harry Maguire feel the need to comment extensively on losing the Man United captaincy? How much will PIF charge PIF for Allan Saint-Maximin?And why did Memphis Depay’s message in support of Benjamin Mendy seem to strike a chord with so many famous footballers? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the height of summer so that means choices must be made; do you watch the All-Ireland semi-finals, the latest stage in the Tour de France or the epic Wimbledon Final? Thankfully, for you, both Eoin and Ken have had eyes on all events, with Eoin even managing to appear in the flesh at two of the aforementioned peak summer sporting highlights.To chat about the weekend's Gaelic Football the old-school dream team of Oisin McConville and Paul Flynn join us on the line. As we reflect and also look ahead to what could be a mic-drop final for Cluxton and co.While Ken details how he once lost €100k* on a Roger Federer Wimbledon Final, forever tainting his view of the white blazer-wearing Swiss man. He does though like this Alcaraz kid. *not real money Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to a sample of the Second Captains World Service which this week includes Malachy Clerkin and Jamie Wall running the rule over a mouth-watering Hurling weekend that was, with Murph asking are Kinnerk and Kiely the best 'in-game' management duo the GAA has ever seen? With Down and Meath facing off in the Tailteann Cup Final this coming weekend, we take a trip back in time to when a Young dorky Murph and young athletic Shane Horgan had 1 thing in common – the 1991 All Ireland Final The first one either had attended. Murph was smuggled in, while Shane earned his spot by coming through a gruelling, ruthless Meath mini 7’s combine. And with the World Cup now within touching distance we continue to bring the Hype.Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Ireland under 20s rugby squad have achieved a lot on the field, but off it have had to deal with a series of tragedies connected to the playing group, including the sudden death of Greig Oliver, whose son Jack plays with the team. We talk to Irish Independent rugby correspondent Ruaidhri O'Connor about the team's ability to cope, the performances that have got them this far, and some of the stand-out stars who look destined for bigger things.Murph was in Croker this weekend and once again found himself juggling the hurling action with cricket updates, all in the company of some esteemed guests. With Kilkenny in the final again, and Galway left behind, did Henry back the wrong horse?Plus there's 145kg humans, some worryingly good form shown by NZ and SA, Eddie Jones' hatred of smart arses and Murph bids farewell to Hoggwatch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In one month and one day, the Premier League 2023/’24 season will commence with Manchester City’s away day in Burnley. Will Connemara’s Harry Kane be taking his place in the Greatest League On Earth, for another season of scoring lots of goals and winning no trophies - or will he be off to Munich?One man who is out the gap is the last survivor of the Alex Ferguson era. David De Gea’s departure means that for the first time since the relegation season of 1973-74, United in 2023-24 will not feature anyone who has made an appearance for the Glasgow titan. And so the sands of time shift on…Ken also has some breaking news in the quite literal sense. An injury picked up over the course of the weekend has seen the Flame-Haired-Flame-Thrower-Of-Truth struck down and questions now need to be asked over whether or not he is fit to make it down under for the World Cup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to a sample of the Second Captains World Service which this week includes a Ken Early sit-down interview with Irish Captain; Katie McCabe, a happy Paul Flynn chats all things Rampant Dubs and academic and author, Mark Jones joins Ken for a Politics Pod based around his new book; 1923. The Forgotten Crisis in the Year of Hitler's CoupJoin us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Ireland get ready for their last World Cup warm-up game against France this Thursday, The Athletic has published a long investigative piece about Vera Pauw's time as coach of Houston Dash back in 2018. The article includes comments from several players and staff members who worked at the club under Pauw and also an interview with the Ireland coach. We talk through some of the claims and counter-claims that have been made.We also discuss FIFA's plan to trial Arsene Wenger's latest idea for ruining the game, before going through some of what's been going on in the transfer window of the £60 millions.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Murph is of course a true gael, but also the only known link between the GAA world and the cricket world. So with bazball, boos, allegations of cheating and four QF's in croker, he's had a busy weekend.Twelve boxers, five medals, two champions; it was a very good trip to the European Games in Poland for Ireland's boxers with five now qualified for next year's Olympics in Paris, including Olympic and world champ Kellie Harrington. We chat to The42's Gavan Casey about the fallout from Kellie's controversial tweet in October 2022 and her tetchy, awkward interview on Off The Ball in March of this year. In the absence of any real clarity from Kellie on that tweet, we wonder is her reputation treading water until she speaks about it again.We also discuss Zaur Antia's incredible record as a coach and what Amy Broadhurst - who failed to qualify for Paris through these Games - has to do now to get to the Olympics.And Ken and Murph discuss Elon's hate hose and pray that one day he will switch it off. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robbie Keane's coaching career, which includes short spells at Leeds, Boro, Ireland and India - hasn't hit the heights so far, which makes his move to Maccabi Tel Aviv especially intriguing.We chat to Jonathan Wilson about coach Keane, Declan Rice's future plans and what a total failure PSG"s Mbappe-Neymar-Messi project has been.Plus there's Branno at the wheel, and we give excuse after excuse for our pathetic display in the Fair Play Cup - organised by the UNHCR & SARI (Sport Against Racism Ireland) as part of the first ever Refugee Week in Ireland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The games, and the draws, are now happening at such break-neck speed that Eoin can barely keep up, but we endeavor to capture the madness of a manic weekend of Gaelic football with Michael Murphy and Paul Flynn. Mayo are through, and Galway are out - Kildare rue a bundle of missed goal chances, and the Cork football revival continues apace. Monaghan are the team that will not die, and Tyrone are really starting to rumble. And we have Tyrone/Kerry and Dublin/Mayo to look forward to next weekend! Plus there's the world's largest telescope, Portumna's status as the greatest club hurling team of all time, and Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow's unsuccessful charge at a major championship.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to a sample of the Second Captains World Service which this week includes Damien Delaney on how a coach loses the dressing room, Ireland's Eddie Dunbar on his issues with concussion and Michael Murphy's proud Donegal soul.Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another major Sunday in contention, another heart-breaking end for Rory McIlroy. Many of us stayed up until 3am for this latest iteration of Rory's vale of tears, and that didn't help either. Joe Callaghan and Lawrence Donegan join us to discuss whether this was even more difficult to take than St Andrews last year, if Rory needs a new voice in his camp he actually listens to, and what constitutes failure for a man of such sumptuous talent. There was also Leona Maguire's second win on the LPGA Tour, with 4 birdies and an eagle in her last 6 holes, and there was drama closer to home as well as the Gaelic football championship finally sparked into life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tonight the Republic of Ireland take on Gibraltar in the 'more or less sold-out' Aviva Stadium - but the result in Athens on Friday night has cast its shadow right across the weekend… leading to a charged Press Conference on Sunday.One of those Press Conference participants, James McClean, tonight makes his 100th appearance for Ireland. Alongside David Sneyd and Dion Fanning we chat about the trials and tribulations of McClean's career in England, and his unfaltering commitment to Ireland.And so to tonight.... It's a no-win 'must win' game for Stephen Kenny and Ireland. But what of the future? What of the Project? Is Gibraltar to be the rock on which this era runs aground? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to a sample of the Second Captains World Service which this week includes a preview of the Greece Ireland Euro qualifier, the rise of the alien athlete, a close up of Rory-world, Dublin Murph, and the terrible movie that won't go away.Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Novak Djokovic won his 23rd Grand Slam event at the French Open yesterday but in truth that was only the final act of a hugely dramatic fortnight at Roland Garros.Caitlin Thompson of Racquet magazine talks to us about Djokovic’s remarks about Kosovo, the toll being taken on Ukraine’s biggest tennis stars, and Russian and Belarusian players being ignored at the net.We also discuss Kilkenny’s late winner in the Leinster hurling final, Murph’s ultimate humiliation, and our now regular 'look what new amazing thing Rhasidat Adeleke has just done' slot.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester City made sure that Abu Dhabi could look Qatar and Saudi Arabia in the eye when the Persian Gulf powers reminisce about the 22-23 football season by delivering the club and the emirate's first Champions League win in Saturday's final in Istanbul.We talk through the events of the game before Miguel Delaney and Jonathan Wilson join us from Istanbul to discuss City's Treble.How did they feel about the City supremacy? What is the future for Guardiola? Where does the game go from here?Plus there's Julia Roberts' loyalty, Robbie's red hot form, Cannon's decision, Istanbul gridlock, and Ken's donkey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After over 1000 games as a professional football manager, David Moyes has finally won his first major trophy. And what a time to do it, offering a much need reminder of the joy that still exists in this farcical world of ours. We chatted about West Ham's last-minute heroics to claim the Europa Conference League trophy and why 'mickey mouse' tournaments like this are becoming all the more important. Lawrence Donegan and Gavin Cooney also joined us to pick apart the bombshell merger deal that continues to reverberate around the golfing world and beyond. Plus, in the middle of all this, lest we forget there's a Champions League final taking place and our man Ken will be on the ground in Istanbul covering it in style for the World Service.Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two down, one to go for Manchester City, after they eased to FA Cup final victory over Manchester United.We talk through some of the key moments of the final before Mark Critchley and John Brewin join us to reflect on where the defeat leaves United at the end of Erik ten Hag’s first season. Who should stay? who should go? and will they have to sell before they buy?Plus there's Sancho the scapegoat and Londoners' problems with "The North. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Second Captains World Service Murph Paul Flynn and Michael Murphy tried to find a way forward for Gaelic Football; a route that can take the game away from six minute periods of possession. Rule changes, mentality changes? Evolution. In our Second Captains World Service 'I'll Tell You Who Wrote It'' Book Club, we focused on Christopher Mc Dougall's 'Born To Run', with Olympian Ciara Mageean. And with the Most Important FA Cup Final in recent memory fast approaching we chatted with life-long Manchester Red, Nooruddean Choudry, author of Inshallah United. Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What you win is important, but so is how you do it and who you beat along the way, and Munster's gritty run away from home against The Stormers. The Sharks, Glasgow, Leinster and The Stormers again in the final in Cape Town have turned an up and down season into a great one.We drag Barry Murphy away from the celebrations in Limerick to put this URC title in context, and Ruaidhri O'Connor joins us fresh off a flight from Cape Town to discuss the performance, the Hodnett try, the job this coaching team have done in one season and how it may influence Andy Farrell's extended World Cup squad, which is named later this week.Plus there's "le block", Murph on a hot steamy weekend of hurling action and the f bomb cover up.And Kevin "Branno" Brannigan is in studio to talk about his new documentary Kevin Moran: Codebreaker, which airs 9.35pm tonight, Monday 29th May, on RTE 1. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everton live to get away with it another day after finding the relegation plughole already jammed with the soggy remnants of Leeds and Leicester. We trace some of the steps of Leicester's long sleepwalk to the Championship.Erik ten Hag bewitched the Old Trafford crowd with his final-day address and we look at where one of his predecessors went wrong.Raphael Honigstein joins us to talk about the final day of the Bundesliga, when Dortmund produced a mega-bottle to hand Bayern their 11th straight title. How did Oliver Kahn chief-executive his way out of the job? And is Thomas Tuchel sticking around to build the next Bayern team? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Second Captains World Service football man Damien Delaney and our own Ken Early finally went head to head in heated debate the motion: Is Trent at centre mid the long-term solution to Liverpool’s problems? We were also joined in studio by the Jamie Wall / Malachy Clerkin punditry axis. The best duo in the business.Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jose Mourinho once said, with a nod to Hegel: the truth is in the whole. We try to apply that spirit to today’s Salute The Champions podcast.We also talk about the international incident that has been sparked by the racist abuse and controversial sending off of Vinicius Jr at Valencia last night. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leinster once again had a lead against La Rochelle, once again went behind late on, once again were handed a yellow card lifeline, and once again lost a heartbreaking epic Champions Cup final. We herald a truly great coach and leader in O'Gara, pick through the wreckage for Leinster and look at the possible impact on Ireland at the Rugby World Cup.Shane Horgan and Ruaidhri O'Connor join us to discuss the psychological ebb and flow, why Leinster couldn't change the plan mid-game, the tunnel incident, eye contact at the toin coss, the Drop Goal plan and if ROG is a cert for the Ireland job.Plus a listener reveals how Murph and the Second Captains Hurling cadre changed the course of his weekend and in doing so opened his eyes to the power and the glory of Munster Hurling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Second Captains World Service we spoke about movies about crisps, the rigs on refs, cold killers Man City (with Rory Smith and Jonathan Wilson); we also previewed Leinster V La Rochelle with a worried Shane Horgan and chatted penos and the group stages of the football championship with Paul Flynn and Michael Murphy. Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ronnie O'Sullivan was in studio with us to talk about his new book "Unbreakable". We discuss his career, his childhood, his father, his complicated relationship with success and the decision that almost derailed his career. Here is a taster.=Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Munster have finally beaten Leinster, in an epic, in the Aviva, at a stage in knock-out competition where they’ve fallen short time and time again. No wonder Jack Crowley channeled his inner Ronan O’Gara as he wheeled away in celebration after his winning drop goal.Friend of the show, former Munster centre and Live 95 commentator Barry Murphy, joins us today to talk about what a lift this gives his old team before the final against the whoopin' hollerin' Stormers of Cape Town. We discuss Munster's transformation under Rowntree, Mike Prendergast and Denis Leamy, Earls' lazarus-like recovery, and Leinster's haunted dreams.We also look at the pressure that was on the Ireland women's sevens team to make it to the 2024 Olympics, how they coped, and what hope they have of getting a medal in Paris.And there was a marathon Ulster football final which was completely overshadowed by allegations made against Rory Gallagher. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I know it's over, still I cling, I don't know where else I can go... actually, many of the Arsenal fans at the Emirates had already left the ground by the 90-minute mark and never got to see Roberto de Zerbi's triumphant knee slide to celebrate Brighton's third, salt-rubbing goal.We discuss the pretty-much-end of the title race and Arsenal's prospects for next season, with mentions for Matt Damon, Charlton Heston and Eddie Howe.Then we're joined by John Brewin and Lars Sivertsen to talk about the weekend's action. How do they interpret the end of Arsenal's challenge? How did Southampton get it all wrong this season? And how is Lars dealing with Norway's sudden, unexpected domination of the Premier League? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ulster were firm favourites to beat Connacht at home in the URC QF's but Andy Friend's side out-thought and out-fought their opponents in what feels like a significant result for both sides. Why do Ulster continue to struggle in knockout games and why does the province provide so few players to the Irish set up? Gerry Thornley joins in studio to look at what Connacht have done on and off the pitch in recent times, and if an injury-hit Munster can have any optimism against Leinster in the SF next week.We look at how Terenure have become the template for others to follow by rebuilding the club top to bottom over the last 10 years, resulting in a 50 point drubbing for defending champions Clontarf in the All Ireland League final at the Aviva.We also hear from one lucky man holidaying with Shane Curran in the Bay of Naples, and the GAA GO controversy rumbles on, with RTE getting hit hard on this issue... by two of their own flagship programmes, Liveline and The Sunday Game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eddie Howe was left choking on thick creamy spoonfuls of his own medicine as Arsenal gamesmanshipped their way to glory at St James' Park. Might a change in approach benefit the angry Mags?We discuss Martin Ødegaard's team-of-the-season credentials, David de Gea's nightmare at West Ham - and whether the unexpected disorder of the last few minutes against Leeds is a distant rumble of thunder in Man City's clear blue sky as they prepare for the defining match of their season.Then Gavin Cooney joins us in studio to talk about the recent story involving the FAI's request for a new distribution of betting tax to involve sports other than horse and greyhound racing. What is this controversy about? Can anyone say for sure where the government funds for horse and greyhound racing are coming from? And are the FAI being accused of getting the tone wrong?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Second Captains World Service we spoke about the departure of Souness, Steph's shithousing, Big Sam's return, Klopp's manners, Keys and Gray on Messi, Dublin bias, Frank LLLLLampard and lots more.Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Limerick were beaten by Clare this weekend....but the game wasn't on terrestrial TV? Murph defends GAA Go, and wonders if this might be the year when a very good Munster county gets knocked out of the championship. Waterford are gone, but could the All Ireland champs also be in trouble?  Leinster once again outplayed and outsmarted Toulouse in the European Cup, and once again face La Rochelle in the final. Leinster have improved this season, but Shane Horgan explains why he thinks ROG's team will be favourites.Gerry Thornley also joins us in studio to discuss Jack Conan's form and fitness, Josh Van Der Flier's role in Neti's yellow card, the dangers of a 6-2 bench split, why it wasn't a sellout and if the IRFU need to rethink their strategy on separating the 7s and 15s women's teams. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seeing her brother Nhat walk out for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics as Ireland’s number 1 badminton player inspired Thammy Nguyễn to revive her own olympic weightlifting dream, which she’d left on the back burner to run her business and start a family. Now, after winning bronze at the European Championships, Thammy has taken a giant leap forward in her hopes to join her brother in Paris next year. We welcomed both Nhat and Thammy onto the World Service this week to chat about their background, how sport helped them assimilate into Irish life and how a certain Stephen Cluxton played a role in Nhat’s early badminton career.Plus, we get into whether the Limerick hurlers have done much to rehab their reputation since last week and how this current Man City team matches up against the great treble winning United squad of 1999.Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We start today's show with a life-changing email for Murph who realises he's been getting it all wrong, all along.The All-Ireland senior football championship went all-out this weekend with ten games in four provinces - Paul Flynn and Michael Murphy talk us through the highlights including Damien Comer’s tour de force, Donegal’s limp exit, the shambles in Meath, and Armagh rediscovering their mojo (for 1 half, at least).And we discover just what Ken gets up to when the shackles are off. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Arsenal chasing the title on Friday and FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday and Sunday, this weekend was never going to be about Spurs. And yet here we are.We look back at a very special performance by both sides at St James Park.We also talk about whether de Zerbi is standing on the shoulders of giants (or Graham Potter) at Brighton and why proper football people don't use Google. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken has been beating the Trent Alexander-Arnold to central midfield drum for quite some time, to a mixed response from listeners and pundits alike. However, with Liverpool struggling for form Jurgen Klopp saw fit to test this theory against Leeds United, leading to a good display from Trent. Our man saw fit to bask in the glow of vindication.Plus there’s Mal and Jamie Wall on whether Limerick push the rulebook too far while asserting their dominance on the rest, and why everyone loves Todd Boehly.Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.