The Left Wing

Luke Fitzgerald and Will Slattery are joined by Jonathan Bradley as we build up to the Six Nations-defining clash between Ireland and France this Saturday. Sam Prendergast’s tackling, the impact of the bench split and the question-mark over Cian Healy’s involvement are all on the menu this week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're ahead of the game this week as Will Slattery, Luke Fitzgerald and Rúaidhrí O'Connor bring you this week's Left Wing on a Monday where the rugby world is still analysing an Irish win that raised many questions of Simon Easterby's men. The team debate why Jack Crowley isn't getting a look in, Andrew Porter's scrum style, and the power game in world rugby that led to the current red card rules. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ireland are Triple Crown champions after a nervy victory over Wales at the Principality Stadium. Sinéad Kissane, Cian Tracey and Rúaidhrí O'Connor break down the game after the final whistle in Cardiff. Rugby coverage on the Indo Sport podcast is in association with Energia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are days away from Ireland's journey to Cardiff as the Six Nations continues against a Wales team that have been through a tumultuous time. Will and Luke break down what we can expect from the game, ask what may come next for Simon Easterby, and the team give their thoughts on how the Ireland team should be selected. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Jonathan Bradley to reflect on Ireland's dominant win over Scotland that saw them take control of the Six Nations title race. Jonathan lauds the effort of the Ireland forwards while Luke thinks that Robbie Henshaw was fortunate to avoid a yellow card in a crucial period of the game. Luke also assesses Sam Prendergast's performance and points to his defence as one area to improve. France's wasteful defeat against England at Twickenham and another dark day for Welsh rugby are on the menu too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sinead Kissane, Cian Tracey & Ruaidhri O'Connor convene at Murrayfield after Ireland etched an emphatic win in Edinburgh, and another bonus point in what could prove a pivotal weekend in the race for Six Nations supremacy. Rugby coverage on the Indo Sport podcast is in association with Energia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Fitzgerald, Will Slattery and Cian Tracey discuss all the major talking points after Ireland's opening Six Nations win over England. Cian and Will feel that Ireland's performance was a major improvement from November but Luke still thinks Simon Easterby's side have plenty to work on ahead of Sunday's trip to face Scotland. Ireland's bench impact, the Sam Prendergast vs Jack Crowley debate and England's game plan are all on the agenda too. The panel then finishes up by looking at what changes might be made to the team for the clash at Murrayfield.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sinead Kissane is joined by Ruaidhri O'Connor & Cian Tracey at the Aviva Stadium after Ireland turned the tide to topple England in their Six Nations opener. Rugby coverage on Indo Sport is brought to you by Energia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Ruaidhri O'Connor from Ireland's training camp in Portugal to preview the Six Nations championship and Saturday's game against England. The divergence in style between Leinster and Ireland is up for discussion while the lads also break down the selection dilemmas facing Simon Easterby ahead of the opening game.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rúaidhrí O'Connor was on the phone from Rome in this week's episode of the Left Wing as he checked in from the Six Nations launch event in the Italian capital. This week, Will, Luke and Rúaidhrí break down Leinster's path to the Champions Cup final after their win over Bath, discuss their backline selection dilemmas, and ask if Garry Ringrose is the right fit on the wing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke and Will are joined by Jonathan Bradley of BBC Northern Ireland to break down a thrilling weekend of Champions Cup action. The panel start by looking back on Leinster's dramatic win in La Rochelle, before moving on to Munster's vital victory over Saracens at Thomond Park. Ulster's collapse against Leicester and Connacht's Challenge Cup ambitions are up for discussion too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Fitzgerald and BBC Sport's Jonathan Bradley join Will Slattery as the Irish provinces gear up for this weekend's European action. The team break down Leinster's daunting journey to La Rochelle, why Saracens may be able to get past Munster, and take a look at Ulster and Connacht's clashes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The festive Interpro action is all on the menu for Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald for the final Left Wing of 2024. The team give their verdicts on Munster's Jack Crowley decision, Leinster's defence ahead of the Champions Cup, and on a surprisingly strong performance for Ulster in their victory over Connacht. We'd like to wish all out listeners a Happy New Year!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Fitzgerald and Will Slattery are joined by Cian Tracey, who has returned from Munster’s defeat in Castres with stories of off-field treats and on-field disappointment for the Irish province. The team break down the changing fortunes of Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast, talk through the work Munster have left to do in the Champions Cup, and how the lineout issues in Leinster are jarring. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Fitzgerald joins Will Slattery after the opening weekend of Champions Cup action where the performances of RG Snyman and Jordie Barrett put a spanner in the works of Leinster’s team selection process going forward, where Will believes the team’s use of a ‘bomb squad’ may not be so wise. Meanwhile, the lads break down Ulster’s chances ahead of their home game to Bordeaux, and react to the news that Mike Prendergast has applied for the Munster jobSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Fitzgerald and Will Slattery are joined by Jonathan Bradley of BBC NI to give the full review of Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series. The team break down why Ireland looked ‘clunky’ and how the lack of lineout specialists hurt them. The team also weigh in on how Andy Farrell has managed Ireland’s 10s - with an eye for who will start for the provinces in the Champions Cup this weekend.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ruaidhri O'Connor and Cian Tracey join Sinead Kissane in the Aviva Stadium to break down Ireland’s final Autumn Series game, a late victory against Joe Schmidt’s Australia. Coverage of the Autumn Series on Indo Sport is brought to you by Energia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wallabies Head of Analysis & Skills Coach Eoin Toolan joins Will to give his insights into life as a coach in the Australia set-up, including how he deals with the analytical nature of Joe Schmidt, dealing with the burdens of getting messages to the field, and the challenge of attracting Aussie talent to rugby union.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cian Tracey, Luke Fitzgerald and Will Slattery assemble after an Ireland performance that has the world putting Sam Prendergast under the microscope ahead of Australia’s visit. The team ask what Leinster’s 10 pecking order should be, break down what threat Joe Schmidt’s might pose … and some memories of training with Cian Healy come flooding back for Luke. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ruaidhri O'Connor & Cian Tracey join Sinead Kissane to debrief events at The Aviva Stadium after Ireland racked up eight tries in a convincing victory over Fiji.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Managing 10s, finding room for green shoots and dealing with Fijian threats are all on the menu this week as Mike Sherry joins Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald to break down where Ireland sit after a scoreless second half overshadowed their victory over Argentina.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sinéad Kissane is joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor & Cian Tracey at the Aviva Stadium after Ireland managed to hold on and secure victory over a resilient Pumas. Coverage of the Autumn Series on Indo Sport is brought to you by Energia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Fitzgerald, Cian Tracey and Will Slattery pick through where everything went wrong for Ireland against New Zealand. Luke thinks it was a one-off bad performance while Cian and Will wonder whether there are signs of a potential November slump to come. Andy Farrell's tetchy press conference, the 20-minute red card and Australia's dramatic win over England are all up for discussion too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sinead Kissane is joined by Ruaidhri O'Connor & Cian Tracey at the Aviva Stadium after Ireland's 19-game home winning run came to an end at the hands of the All Blacks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Fitzgerald and Will Slattery are joined by All Blacks legend Kieran Read to preview Ireland vs New Zealand on the latest Left Wing podcast. Luke and Will kick things off by looking ahead to Ireland's four-match November campaign and what impact Andy Farrell's departure for the Lions after November might have on his decisions. Double World Cup winner Read then joins the show to give his perspective on where the All Blacks are at under their new coach Scott Robertson. Ireland's team selection, the out-half battle and big-match predictions are all up for discussion too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Slattery is back from his travels to join Sinéad Kissane and Luke Fitzgerald on the Left Wing - and what a week to return. Former Munster hooker Mike Sherry joined the programme as the team give their reaction to the shock announcement that Graham Rowntree has parted ways with Munster by mutual agreement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Left Wing, Sinéad Kissane and Cian Tracey joined Luke Fitzgerald ahead of the Ireland squad announcement, where the team ask if Andy Farrell will use the four-game Autumn series to rotate new talent.The team also discuss Munster’s lineout issues, Jack Crowley's kicking and we react to Leinster extending Leo Cullen’s stay as head coach.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Left Wing, Sinéad Kissane and Rúaidhrí O’Connor joined Luke Fitzgerald to rebuff claims that the Leinster/Munster rivalry is dead, break down where the 10 situation is at, and ask if now would have been a good time for Leinster to travel to South Africa in the URC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Left Wing, Sinéad Kissane and David Kelly joined Luke Fitzgerald to preview this weekend’s pair of Interpro derbies, with Munster set to travel to a boisterous Croke Park on Saturday. The team give their verdicts for both games, discuss whether emotion can benefit Munster in GAA HQ, and ask what impact RG Snyman will have.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We want to introduce Indo Daily listeners to our brand-new sister podcast, Indo Sport. It’s free, it’s daily Monday to Friday and features the best sporting analysis from across the country, with veteran sports broadcaster Joe Molloy at the helm. In this episode Joe sits down with Irish rugby legend Paul O'Connell for an in-depth discussion. From fishing, changing room speeches and coaching in the modern era, and how does O'Connell look back on his career? Subscribe to Indo Sport, wherever you get your podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Left Wing, Sinéad Kissane and David Kelly joined Luke Fitzgerald in the aftermath of a historic victory by the Irish women over New Zealand in the WXV series in Canada. The team also debate the wisdom of players going to places like France to further their career, talk about Johnny Sexton’s new book, and ask if Munster can bounce back from a damaging defeat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Left Wing, Rúaidhrí O’Connor joined Luke Fitzgerald to break down the first week of URC action, and ask if Leinster are using their resources correctly at this stage of the season. Also: what to like about Munster and Connacht after early-doors thriller; is the Emerging Ireland tour fit for purpose; South Africa drop to put Ireland on top of the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2024/25 season is upon us and so is the new season of the Left Wing. Rúaidhrí O’Connor joined Luke Fitzgerald to assess where expectations lie in each Irish province ahead of the URC’s kick-off. Also: what to do about Ireland’s Number 10s; Simon Easterby announced as interim Ireland head coach; How Andy Farrell’s absence will be felt.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest episode of The Left Wing podcast, Luke Fitzgerald, Cian Tracey and Will Slattery select their Lions team to take on Australia next summer. With Andy Farrell set to coach the team down under, the lads speculate as to how much that will benefit the Irish players. Luke think Jack Crowley could well be the starting out-half while everyone agrees that it will be a big season for Garry Ringrose.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Fitzgerald, Cian Tracey and Will Slattery answer readers' questions on the latest episode of The Left Wing podcast. How to give gametime to Ireland's U-20 talent, where Leinster should play Jordie Barrett and whether there is pressure on Paul O'Connell are all topics of discussion. The lads then finish off by asking whether Hugo Keenan should regain his Ireland place in November or if Jamie Osborne should hold onto the 15 jersey.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ruaidhri O'Connor joins Luke Fitzgerald and Will Slattery to reflect on Ireland's famous win over South Africa on the latest episode of The Left Wing podcast. Ciaran Frawley was the hero with a late drop goal and once again his future at Leinster is a big topic of discussion. The lads break down Ireland's stellar first half, South Africa's comeback and the key role Andy Farrell played in the victory.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ruaidhri O'Connor and Cian Tracey joined Will Slattery to digest Ireland's famous win in South Africa after Ciaran Frawley's late drop goal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ruaidhri O'Connor joins Will Slattery to discuss the Ireland team announcement and Andy Farrell's decision to drop Peter O'Mahony for the second Test against the Springboks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ireland's relationship with referees is in the spotlight after the opening Test match defeat to the Springboks on Saturday. Luke Fitzgerald and Ruaidhri O'Connor joined Will Slattery on The Left Wing podcast, with Caelan Doris' interactions with referee Luke Pearce a major discussion point. South Africa's more attacking style of play also caught the eye, although Luke thinks it might be a mistake for the Springboks to move too far away from a power game. The lads finish off by looking ahead to the second Test in Durban this Saturday and discuss what changes Andy Farrell might make after a suffering a number of injuries on SaturdaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ruaidhri O'Connor and Cian Tracey joined Will Slattery on The Left Wing podcast to discuss Ireland's narrow defeat to South Africa in the first Test in Pretoria. Two costly errors from James Lowe in the second half saw the Springboks score a brace of vital tries and the lads are on hand to pick through all the talking points from a dramatic encounter. There were contentious TMO calls, some strong Irish play and some areas of concern as thoughts now turn towards the second Test next weekend.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Osborne has been handed a shock debut at fullback as Andy Farrell named the Ireland team to face the Springboks. Ruaidhri O'Connor joins Will Slattery on The Left Wing podcast to discuss the stern test the Naas youngster will face in Pretoria. Craig Casey starts at scrum-half ahead of Conor Murray while Farrell has opted for a 5/3 bench split with Garry Ringrose wearing the number 23 jersey.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Fitzgerald, Ruaidhri O'Connor and Will Slattery give their verdict on Ireland's chances in South Africa on the latest episode of The Left Wing podcast. The lads preview the first Test, which takes place in Pretoria on Saturday, and discuss the budding rivalry between Ireland and the Springboks. Rassie Erasmus' team selection, areas of concern for Ireland and the Champions Cup draw are all up for discussion too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Fitzgerald, Cian Tracey and Will Slattery look ahead to Ireland's Test series against South Africa on the latest episode of The Left Wing. Despite the club season ending on a sour note for the Irish provinces, Luke thinks that Andy Farrell can build his players up to take on the Springboks. The lads discuss some of the selection dilemmas facing Farrell such as at full back, scrum-half and the back five of the scrum. They then finish up by looking at the Leinster log-jam at out-half featuring Ciaran Frawley, Ross Byrne, Harry Byrne and Sam Prendergast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leinster and Munster's URC semi-final defeats and Ireland's squad announcement were up for discussion on the latest episode of The Left Wing podcast. Ruaidhri O'Connor and Cian Tracey joined Luke Fitzgerald and Will Slattery to pick through a very disappointing weekend for Irish rugby. Luke says Leinster have major questions to answer after a third season without a trophy while Cian says that Munster got their team selection badly wrong for the semi-final loss to Glasgow. Andy Farrell has also named his Ireland squad for the tour to South Africa, and the lads are mixed on whether it is a strong enough selection to beat the Springboks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rúaidhrí O’Connor join Cian Tracey and Luke Fitzgerald to assess the chances of a Leinster v Munster decider in the URC. Leinster have logistical headaches and altitude to contend with as they travel to face the Bulls in Loftus Versfeld - Luke remembers how playing at such heights can impact your body. Meanwhile - Munster can make most of their partnerships; who Andy Farrell may pick to face the Springboks; should Simon Zebo get a call-up? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Fitzgerald and Will Slattery look ahead to the URC playoffs on the latest episode of The Left Wing podcast. Munster are in the box seat after securing top seeding with an exciting win over Ulster and the lads think the Thomond Park factor could see them defend their URC crown. Leinster will have to do it the hard way with a likely trip to South Africa if they beat Ulster in the quarter-finals, with the future of young out-half Sam Prendergast still a big talking point. Hugo Keenan's Sevens switch, Connacht's poor finish to the season and Ulster's resurgence under Richie Murphy are up for discussion too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Fitzgerald, Cian Tracey and Will Slattery break down Leinster's dramatic Champions Cup final defeat to Toulouse on the latest episode of The Left Wing podcast. Poor handling, bad decision making, and some heroic Toulouse defence saw the French side triumph in extra time. The lads discuss all the major talking points after Leinster's third successive Champions Cup final loss, including the pressure on Leo Cullen and attack coach Andrew Goodman, who is now taking up a role with Ireland. The URC is still in play for Leinster, but the question is whether they can bounce back from their latest heart-breaking defeat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was more Champions Cup final heartbreak for Leinster this weekend. They were beaten 31 points to 22 after extra time by Toulouse in an epic final at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London. Rúaidhrí O'Connor and Cian Tracey joined Sinéad Kissane to discuss another lost final for Leinster with Antoine Dupont producing a man-of-the-match performance to lead the French side to a sixth title.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The stage is set for the first Champions Cup final between Leinster and Toulouse tomorrow in London. Leinster are going for their fifth title when they play the French side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Rúaidhrí O'Connor and Cian Tracey joined Sinéad Kissane at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to discuss the team selections and give their final thoughts on what should be an epic game.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest episode of The Left Wing podcast, Ruaidhri O'Connor, Luke Fitzgerald and Will Slattery preview Leinster vs Toulouse in the Champions Cup final Leinster's record in deciders has not been good in the last few years and Ruaidhri thinks the psychological baggage they are carrying could be significant. Luke says Jacques Nienaber's defensive influence could be a deciding factor while the lads also talk through all the big team selection talking points. The URC playoff race, Simon Zebo's retirement and Sam Prendergast's possible loan move are all up for discussion too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.