The Left Wing

It’s opening week of the 2023 Six Nations and the Left Wing podcast is bringing you extra shows throughout the weeks of the championship. Every Monday we’ll bring you the latest squad updates and team-related news and this week Cian Tracey joins Sinéad Kissane with all the latest on the Ireland squad who are currently training in the Algarve. Cian and Sinéad go through the selection calls that Andy Farrell faces for Saturday’s opener with Wales. Warren Gatland was able to get under Joe Schmidt’s skin, can he do the same with Andy Farrell? And there’s also the shocking backdrop to this game with the CEO of Welsh rugby resigning at the weekend amid allegations of a toxic culture at the organisation. Listen out for tomorrow’s exclusive interview with the IRFU international referee, Andrew Brace, who details the shocking abuse and death threats he and his family have received, and he also discusses the increased pressure on refs and the laws he would like to see changed. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or on Twitter @SinéadKissane and @CianTracey1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to look back on the final round of Champions Cup pool games and to look ahead to the Six Nations. The Six Nations launch took place earlier this week, and Cian shares the insights he got from Ireland head coach Andy Farrell and captain Johnny Sexton. Farrell made a big call in dropping Joey Carbery from his Ireland squad - but was it the right one? The lads debate it. Munster's impressive performance in Toulouse, Leinster's warning signs and the RFU's controversial new tackle law are all up for discussion too. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the final round of pool games in the Champions Cup this weekend and Sinéad Kissane is joined by Cian Tracey on the latest Left Wing podcast to discuss the team news and possible permutations for the Irish provinces. On Saturday Leinster are at home to Racing looking to book a home tie in the next round and Ulster face Sale desperately trying to turn around their season. A win for Ulster will see them qualify. Meanwhile, on Sunday, Munster travel to Toulouse in what will be a daunting challenge, though a losing bonus point should be enough to get through and in the Challenge Cup, Connacht are away to Newcastle at 5.30pm on Saturday hoping to win and stay in the top four of their group. Will and Luke will be back on Wednesday for their in-depth review of the weekend action and if you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or on Twitter @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Munster’s Joey Carbery has been axed from Ireland’s Six Nations squad which was announced by Andy Farrell today. Cian Tracey joins Sinéad Kissane on the Left Wing podcast to discuss the massive call by Farrell as well as the make-up of the rest of the squad. Leinster youngster Jamie Osborne is the only uncapped player included while Robbie Hanshaw misses out with his ongoing wrist issue. Overall, there are 20 Leinster players included, eight from Munster, five from Ulster and four from Connacht. Ireland begin their Six Nations campaign against Wales in Cardiff on February 4. Join Sinéad and Cian again on Friday as they discuss the team news and permutations ahead of the weekend’s Champions Cup action. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or on Twitter @sineadkissane and @CianTracey1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor to look ahead to the Ireland Six Nations squad announcement and the final round of Champions Cup pool games. Andy Farrell has question marks over key veterans such as Conor Murray and Bundee Aki after the duo were left out in the cold last weekend - will the Ireland coach keep faith in the pair? The chat then turns to the IRFU's use of central contracts and whether it's the best route forward for Irish rugby. The lads also discuss Eddie Jones' return to Australia, Munster's tough test in Toulouse and Ulster's latest collapse in La Rochelle. Join us again later in the week when there will be further episodes discussing Ireland’s Six Nations squad and looking ahead to the Champions Cup weekend games. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sinéad Kissane looks ahead to Round 3 of this weekend’s Champions Cup action with the Irish Independent’s Rúaidhrí O’Connor and the big news is that Conor Murray has been dropped from the Munster squad to face Northampton in Thomond Park. It’s a big call from coach Graham Rowntree who has picked Craig Casey to start and Paddy Patterson as back-up on the bench. Overall, there are nine changes to the team that beat the Lions last week. For Leinster, who face Gloucester at Kingsholm on Saturday, Garry Ringrose returns to the centre as captain, while Hugo Keenan will make his 50th Leinster appearance and Cian Healy marks 100 European games after being named on the bench. Ireland internationals Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris all return. Elsewhere, Ulster face another stiff test away to reigning champions La Rochelle, while in the Challenge Cup, Connacht are at home to Brive. Will and Luke will be back on Wednesday for their in-depth review of the weekend action and if you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to discuss all the latest rugby news. The show kicks off with a discussion on the amount of minutes Dan Sheehan has played for Leinster and Ireland this year and whether it is better for players to be battle tested or well rested. The chat then turns towards the Champions Cup, and in particular the amount of travel the South African teams have to do in order to compete in the northern hemisphere. Ulster's woeful form, Leinster's cracking clash with the Ospreys and Ben Healy's Munster departure are all on the agenda too. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the first episode of The Left Wing in 2023, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor to discuss all the latest rugby news. The lads kick off by discussing the injury to Johnny Sexton that could rule him out of at least the start of the Six Nations. Joey Carbery, Ross Byrne and Jack Crowley would all be in contention to start against Wales if Sexton misses out, and Luke thinks Byrne could be a good option. The chat then turns to how the provinces fared over the Christmas period. Leinster will be happy after keeping their 100% record intact, while Ulster suffered another damaging defeat against Munster. The lads finish up by discussing potential Ireland Six Nations bolters, with Andy Farrell set to name his squad later this month. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald look back on the latest weekend of Champions Cup action. The lads kick things off looking back on Leinster's win over Gloucester and the decision of the English team to send over a massively weakened side to the RDS. Luke hopes the decision comes back to bite Gloucester and says Leinster won't have learned anything from the 57-0 win. The chat then moves on to Ulster's loss to La Rochelle and the decision for the game to be moved from Belfast to Dublin due to a frozen pitch. Luke says the Ulster players need a major refresh to kick-start their season. Finally, the lads look back on Munster's impressive win in Northampton and Connacht's 100% start to the Challenge Cup. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s round two of the Champions Cup this weekend and Rúaidhrí O’Connor joins Sinéad Kissane on the latest Left Wing podcast to look ahead to the games involving the Irish provinces with all the latest team news. Leinster are going for two wins out of two when they play Gloucester at the RDS, Ulster are up against the defending champions La Rochelle in Belfast on Saturday evening – that’s ground permitting. And on Sunday lunchtime, Munster are away to Northampton Saints at Franklins Gardens, while in the Challenge Cup, Connacht are in France to play Brive and they’re also going for their second win. Will and Luke will be back on Wednesday for their in-depth review of the weekend action and if you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Jonathan Bradley to discuss the opening round of the Champions Cup. Ulster are the first team on the agenda after their embarrassing 39-0 defeat to Sale - Jonathan says it is the worst Ulster performance he has seen in eight years covering the team. However, Luke thinks that coach Dan McFarland can turn things around after what has been a tough few weeks for the squad. Leinster's emphatic win away to Racing 92, Munster's narrow loss to Toulouse and the Champions Cup format are all up for discussion too. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Irish provinces have named their teams for the opening weekend of European action and Rúaidhrí O’Connor joins Sinéad Kissane to preview Racing 92 v Leinster, Munster v Toulouse, Sale Sharks v Ulster and Connacht v Newcastle Falcons. Plus they also discuss the IRFU’s Women's Rugby in Ireland report that has been launched with the IRFU requiring an additional €1.4m per annum to implement their women’s rugby strategy. Will and Luke will be back on Wednesday for their in-depth review of the weekend action and if you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to discuss all the latest rugby news. The show kicks off with the news of Warren Gatland's return to Wales and Eddie Jones' sacking in England - is it too late before the World Cup for the two teams to bounce back or is this the boost they need? The lads then preview the Champions Cup, which kicks off this weekend - is this finally the year Leinster win back the European Cup? If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to assess where the Irish provinces stand heading into a crucial period of the season. After the drama of the November internationals, focus turns to the club game again and we have two big games this coming weekend - Leinster vs Ulster in a derby clash at the RDS, while Munster have a must-win trip to Edinburgh. The lads are in agreement that there is some positivity coming back into the Munster set-up, while Ulster players like Jacob Stockdale and James Hume have something to prove against Leinster. In the second part of the show, Chris Foy in the UK joins Will and Luke to discuss Eddie Jones' future as England coach, with pressure mounting on the RFU to make a change. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Rúaidhrí O’Connor to review the November internationals. The lads kick things off with a look back on Ireland's win over Australia before moving on to why the attack never really clicked during November. Johnny Sexton's absence often sees Ireland fail to hit their regular heights and Luke says the captain's unique skill-set is the reason why. Gregor Townsend's ongoing battle with Finn Russell, England's comeback against New Zealand and whether Ronan O'Gara might succeed Eddie Jones are all up for discussion too. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Josh van der Flier picking up the World Rugby Men's Player of the Year and Terry Kennedy the Men's Sevens Player of the Year to cap off an incredible 2022 for Irish rugby, Sinéad Kissane was in Monaco to hear from the winners and the other Irish nominees. On this episode of the Left Wing podcast, she speaks to van der Flier and Kennedy about their awards, as well as Johnny Sexton, Andy Farrell, Mack Hansen and Dan Sheehan on victory over South Africa. Plus you'll hear from Ruby Tui, World Rugby Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year, and Ireland's Linda Djougang and Amee Leigh Murphy Crowe. Will and Luke will have their in-depth review of Ireland’s Autumn Series on Wednesday and if you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cian Tracey joins Sinéad Kissane from the Aviva Stadium minutes after the final whistle with his post-match reaction to Ireland’s 13-10 victory over Australia. Ross Byrne was the hero with his match-winning penalty four minutes from time but without Johnny Sexton, it was a scrappy performance from Ireland, albeit a record-equalling 12th consecutive home victory. Sinéad will also have a special episode of the Left Wing on Monday from the World Rugby Awards where Johnny Sexton and Josh van der Flier are on the shortlist while Will and Luke will have their in-depth review of Ireland’s Autumn Series on Wednesday. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Indo World Cup will preview every gameday of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Irish Independent football team come together to discuss the potential winners, those who might struggle and the dark horses of the tournament.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy Farrell has named the Ireland team to face Australia in the last of their Autumn internationals and Rúaidhrí O’Connor joins Will Slattery to analyse the starting XV and replacements and he doesn’t agree with the bookies giving Ireland a 13 point spread over the Wallabies. Sinéad Kissane and Cian Tracey will have another Left Wing podcast from the Aviva Stadium on Saturday after the final whistle, plus Will and Luke will have their usual in-depth analysis on the Left Wing on Wednesday. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to look back on Ireland's win over Fiji and look ahead to the clash against Australia. Andy Farrell didn't spare his players after the sloppy performance against Fiji and Cian says that the second-string could be waiting a while for another opportunity. The lads discuss the out-half picture after the injury to Joey Carbery and the promising display from Jack Crowley, while they also pay tribute to Josh van der Flier and Johnny Sexton after their World Player of the Year nominations. The challenge of Wallaby Will Skelton, Rassie Erasmus' latest rant and France's thrilling win over South Africa are all on the agenda too. Will is back with another show on Thursday to go through the Ireland XV that will be named to face Australia on Saturday while Sinéad Kissane will have the immediate post-match reaction from the Aviva Stadium right after the final whistle. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Minutes after the final whistle, Rúaidhrí O’Connor gives his post-match reaction and analysis to Ireland’s 35-17 win over Fiji. Speaking to Sinéad Kissane for this episode of The Left Wing podcast, Rud says that despite the winning run continuing, there is still plenty of room for improvement for this Irish team, especially with the high standards they have set for themselves. The truth is though, without Johnny Sexton there to drive them on, they look far short of being a world number one team. Don’t forget to join Will and Luke on Wednesday for their in-depth review of the game as well as their preview of Ireland v Australia, while Thursday sees The Left Wing discuss the starting XV to face the Wallabies soon after it’s named. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a debut for Athy’s Jeremy Loughman as he’s named in the Ireland XV to face Fiji on Saturday and Cian Tracey joins Sinéad Kissane to go through the line-up named by Andy Farrell which has eight changes. Sinéad and Rúaidhrí O’Connor will be back on Saturday after the final whistle with a post-match Left Wing podcast from the Aviva Stadium analysing Ireland v Fiji and Will and Luke will have their usual in-depth analysis on the Left Wing on Wednesday. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor to look back on Ireland's big win over South Africa. The Irish forwards stood up to the Springbok barrage and Rud and Luke are in agreement that while Andy Farrell's men did a lot of things right, there is also plenty of room for improvement going forward. Thoughts now turn towards Fiji this weekend, although a lot of players played their way out of contention with a poor showing against All Blacks 'A' last week. England's shock defeat to Argentina and France's thrilling win over Australia are up for discussion too. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was raucous and physical but Ireland are on top of the rugby world after a pulsating 19-16 victory over the world champions, South Africa. For this special episode of the Left Wing podcast, right after the full-time whistle from the Aviva Stadium, Sinéad Kissane is joined by Irish Independent rugby writers, Rúaidhrí O’Connor and Cian Tracey to look back on an incredible game. Plus, Will and Luke will have their in-depth analysis on Wednesday and if you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ireland team to face South Africa has been named with Conor Murray set to win his 100th cap and Sinéad Kissane is joined by the Irish Independent’s Rúaidhrí O’Connor to dissect the starting XV and discuss Ireland’s chances. Murray reaches the historic milestone with Jamison Gibson-Park on the bench after recovering from a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Ulster’s Robert Baloucoune has been given an opportunity to stake his claim for a World Cup place starting along with nine others in facing South Africa for the first time. The Ireland team and bench is: H Keenan; R Baloucoune, G Ringrose, R Henshaw, M Hansen; J Sexton (capt), J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan, T Furlong; T Beirne, J Ryan; P O’Mahony, J van der Flier, C Doris. Reps: R Herring, C Healy, F Bealham, K Treadwell, J Conan, J Gibson-Park, J Carbery, S McCloskey. Sinéad, Rúaidhrí and Cian Tracey will be back on Saturday after the final whistle with a post-match Left Wing show from the Aviva Stadium analysing Ireland v South Africa so make sure to listen in then. Meanwhile, Will and Luke will have their usual in-depth analysis on the Left Wing on Wednesday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Springbok legend Bryan Habana joins Will Slattery, Luke Fitzgerald and Cian Tracey on the latest Left Wing podcast to look ahead to Ireland vs South Africa. Bryan joins Will and Luke first to discuss the Springbok team announcement and their formidable bench 'bomb squad'. Bryan thinks South Africa have an edge at second row and that could be the deciding factor in a Springbok win. Cian then joins the lads to give the view from the Ireland camp, after Johnny Sexton addressed the media today. Cian thinks Ireland could prevail narrowly while Luke thinks South Africa's power could be the difference. If you want to get in touch with the show, email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor to look ahead to the Autumn internationals and discuss Leinster's win over Munster. Will kicks things off by asking Rud and Luke what a successful November would look like for Andy Farrell - are results the most important thing or should the Ireland head coach look to blood new players? The age-old question of how many games Johnny Sexton should play is up for discussion too, as is the pecking order at scrum-half. The chat then moves on to Leinster's win over Munster, with Luke bemused by the view that there were many positives for Graham Rowntree to take from the game. Would Munster benefit from a rebuilding season in the Challenge Cup? Rud thinks it wouldn't be the worst option. If you want to get in touch with the show, you can email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will or Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald look ahead to Ireland's November series with Cian Tracey. Andy Farrell has some injury headaches as he prepares to name his squad for the autumn, especially at second row and the back three where a number of star players are unavailable. The lads discuss which players are primed for a big month with Ireland and also assess where Munster are at after a much-improved performance against the Bulls. Chris Foy in the UK then joins Luke and Will to discuss the financial chaos in the English Premiership, with both Worcester and Wasps falling into administration. If you want to get in touch with the show, you can email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor to discuss all the latest rugby news. With the South African sides hitting the ground running and plenty of storylines involving the Irish teams, the lads are in agreement that the URC is a far stronger product than the previous PRO14. Leinster were given a mighty test by the Sharks in the RDS and Luke thinks Leo Cullen's side will greatly benefit from such a tough challenge. For Munster, it was yet another defeat and Rud thinks they will struggle to qualify for the Champions Cup with the increased competition in the URC. Jack Carty's season debut and the fallout from the Emerging Ireland tour are up for discussion too. If you want to get in touch with the show, you can email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will and Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to discuss all the latest rugby news. The chat kicks off with Leinster's win over Ulster, with Luke and Cian in agreement that the difference in forward power was key. Connacht host Munster on Friday night in a must-win game for both teams - Luke thinks the new Munster coaching staff need time to implement their framework but they also need to pick up points fast. The Emerging Ireland tour kicked off with a very one-sided win over the Griquas - is it pointless for the Irish youngsters to be playing such weak opposition? If you want to get in touch with the show, you can email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will or Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor to discuss all the latest rugby news. They kick things off by discussing Stuart Lancaster's end-of-season departure from Leinster to Racing 92. Luke says it is important that Leinster hire the right personality who meshes with the club's values, while Rud thinks Johnny Sexton could possibly join the coaching staff after he retires. The chat then moves on to Munster's disappointing defeat to the Dragons last weekend, with the senior players turning in a very poor performance Bundee Aki's red card and Ulster's blockbuster clash with Leinster on Friday are up for discussion too. If you want to get in touch with the show, you can email your questions and comments to [email protected], or tweet Will or Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to discuss the first round of the URC and the Emerging Ireland squad. Will kicks things off by asking Cian and Luke whether Stuart McCloskey deserves to have more than six Ireland caps after the Ulster centre continued his stellar club form into this season. The chat then turns to the Emerging Ireland tour once again now that the squad has been named - while Cian is still in favour of it, Will and Luke are sceptical about its merits. Munster's continued evolution under their new coaching staff, Leinster's sloppy start to the season and Mathieu Raynal's very controversial time-wasting call against Australia are all up for discussion too. If you want to get in touch with the show, you can email a question to [email protected], or tweet Will or Luke at @slatterywill and @lukefitz11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Left Wing is back for another season and Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor to look ahead to what promises to be a massive year for Irish rugby. The lads kick off with a discussion on the URC launch, where the topic of possibly playing games in Qatar was raised - and Luke and Rud have different views on the subject. The chat then turns to the upcoming 'Emerging Ireland' tour, which the provinces aren't happy about. Should players be taken out of their province during the season for this exercise? Munster's new beginning under Graham Rowntree, Leinster's out-half conundrum and Jacob Stockdale's comeback are all up for discussion too. Luke, Will and the show want to hear from you as well so put your rugby questions to them on social media using #theleftwing or on Twitter @lukefitz11 @slatterywill and each week Will will answer the best ones on-air. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the final Left Wing podcast of the season, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Rúaidhrí O'Connor to reflect on Ireland's historic series win in New Zealand. Ireland's composure and style of play impressed the lads the most and Josh van der Flier stood out as the key man amid a huge number of heroic performers. With Andy Farrell's contract set to run until the 2023 World Cup, should the IRFU move now to offer him a new contract? Luke and Rud go over areas where Ireland can improve to ensure next season is one to remember, while they agree that a few players need regular game time to maximise their talent. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not content with making history last week, this Ireland team cemented themselves in further glory with a series win over New Zealand, beating the All Blacks 32-22 in the third test. For this Left Wing Live podcast, Cian Tracey joins Sinéad Kissane and Rúaidhrí O’Connor live from Wellington with post-match reaction on a famous, famous victory. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by the Irish Independent’s Cian Tracey and Sky New Zealand’s Ross Karl to discuss all the latest news from New Zealand. Will and Luke kick things off with Cian by discussing the performance against the New Zealand Maori, with Kieran Treadwell, Gavin Coombes and Ciaran Frawley standing out. The lads discuss Frawley's future at club level, and whether Leinster will play him more at out-half following his strong display for Ireland. Jaco Peyper's performance is up for discussion too, with everyone in agreement that New Zealand were fortunate to not receive more than one red card. Ross Karl then joins the show, and says that he thinks Ireland will win in Wellington on Saturday and complete a famous series win. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

History has been made. Ireland have finally beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand after a wild second test that saw them win 23-12 in Dunedin. Sinéad Kissane is joined by the Irish Independent’s Rúaidhrí O’Connor and live from Dunedin by Cian Tracey who describes the jubilant scenes at the stadium. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey and Liam Napier of the New Zealand Herald to discuss all the latest news from the Ireland tour. The lads kick off by discussing whether Johnny Sexton should start against the All Blacks in the second test or should Joey Carbery get the nod with a view to the 2023 World Cup? The chat moves onto reasons to be positive ahead of the game in Dunedin, and areas where Ireland could improve and trouble the All Blacks. Liam Napier then joins Luke and Will to give the view from New Zealand, and says that although the All Blacks played well in the first test, they won't be complacent ahead of this weekend. Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ireland have lost their first test of the tour of New Zealand. Andy Farrell's team were beaten 42-19 by the All Blacks at Eden Park, Auckland. The home team scored six tries with Keith Earls and Bundee Aki scoring tries for Ireland while Johnny Sexton could be ruled out of the second test after failing a HIA. Irish Independent rugby correspondent Rúaidhrí O'Connor and Cian Tracey - who's in Auckland - joined Sinéad Kissane on the Left Wing Live to discuss the game. Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey and Ross Karl from Sky New Zealand to discuss an eventful week for the Ireland team. Cian joins the show from Auckland after returning from Ireland's heavy defeat to the New Zealand Maori. Both Cian and Luke are disappointed that more youngsters didn't raise their hand for test-match selection, while they are in agreement that the circumstances around Jeremy Loughman's HIA didn't look good for the sport. The lads discuss Ireland's injury issues ahead of the first test before Ross joined the show to give the view from New Zealand, where he says pressure is coming on the All Blacks to deliver a vintage performance. Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald look ahead to Ireland's tour of New Zealand with the Irish Independent’s Cian Tracey on this week’s Left Wing podcast. Three tests against the All Blacks and two games against the New Zealand Maori are on the schedule in what promises to be a riveting few weeks. Can Ireland win a game on New Zealand soil for the first time ever? The lads are in agreement that it is far from a vintage All Blacks team but there are still areas of concern for Ireland. Cian and Luke think a test win is possible, but that the home team should be too strong overall. Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to discuss Andy Farrell's Ireland squad and the URC semi-finals. The Ireland head coach has selected 40 players to travel to New Zealand for what is set to be an exciting and challenging five-match tour - the lads discuss the players who were unlucky to miss out, lucky to be picked and all the other squad talking points. The chat then moves on to the URC semi-finals, with both Leinster and Ulster beaten by South Africans sides. Were Leinster overconfident? Do Ulster need more tight five reinforcements? There is plenty of food for thought as the Irish provinces end the season empty handed. Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald look back at Ulster's win over Munster and are joined by AP Cronje to look ahead to the URC semi-finals. It is the end of the Johann van Graan era at Thomond Park - but how should we judge the South African's time at Munster? Luke isn't convinced that he achieved a whole lot during his five seasons in charge and thinks that Graham Rowntree is well placed to shake things up in Limerick. Luke was also very impressed with Ulster's win over Munster and thinks they can upset the Stormers in South Africa in the semi-final. AP joins the lads to give the low down on how the Bulls and Stormers are shaping up for the final four, while he also gives an insight into the challenges in travelling down to South Africa on short notice to play. Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to look back on the Champions Cup final. Why did Leinster lose to La Rochelle? Poor execution, a top-class performance from the French side and a weak bench impact are some of the reasons put forward by the lads. While Leinster will have to wait another 12 months to end their Champions Cup drought, it was a coaching masterclass from Ronan O'Gara as he won a third Champions Cup medal after claiming two as a player. The lads also discuss O'Gara's achievement, Leinster's decision to kick multiple penalties and whether the latest defeat will leave lasting scars. Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald look ahead to the Champions Cup final. It is Leinster vs La Rochelle and Johnny Sexton vs Ronan O'Gara as Marseille hosts the European decider this weekend. Will asks Luke what it's like to prepare for a Champions Cup final and how it differs from other big games, while Luke also compares how Michael Cheika and Joe Schmidt prepared Leinster for final appearances. The lads discuss the areas where La Rochelle might target Leinster, as well as where the eastern province can hurt the French side. Can Leinster add a fifth star to their jersey? Luke thinks they are strong enough to get the job done. Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to look back on the Champions Cup semi-final weekend. Leinster are into the final for the first time since 2019 after a very impressive demolition of Toulouse - and Ronan O'Gara is waiting for them after his La Rochelle side saw off Racing 92. Luke was extremely impressed with the pace that Leinster played at and explains the difficulties that it causes for a defence. Cian urges a note of caution around the scrum, after Leinster conceded nine penalties over the quarter-final and semi-final. Ronan O'Gara's achievements at La Rochelle, James Lowe's run of form and the disappointing all-French semi-final are all up for discussion too. Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to look back on the Champions Cup quarter-finals. Leinster booked their place in the semi-final after a dominant win against Leicester in Welford Road, and the lads are in agreement that they are well primed to take on Toulouse in Saturday's semi-final. The French giants outlasted Munster in a dramatic penalty shootout at the Aviva Stadium, and Luke thinks that Munster's defence let them down. Munster's game management, Leinster's semi-final selection and Toulouse's ability to make something out of nothing are all up for discussion too. Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to look ahead to the Champions Cup quarter-finals. It is set to be a bumper weekend, with Munster and Leinster playing back to back on Saturday afternoon. Munster host holders Toulouse in what promises to be a cracker at the Aviva Stadium, and while Cian thinks the French side will be too strong, Luke has an inkling that Munster could produce an upset. We then have a clash of the two most in-form teams in Europe. English table-toppers Leicester host Leinster, who have a commanding lead in the URC. While it won't be easy for Leo Cullen's side, the lads are in agreement that they should have enough to advance to the semi-final stage. Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more, visit: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to look back on the Champions Cup quarter-finals.Leinster booked their place in the semi-final after a dominant win against Leicester in Welford Road, and the lads are in agreement that they are well primed to take on Toulouse in Saturday's semi-final.The French giants outlasted Munster in a dramatic penalty shootout at the Aviva Stadium, and Luke thinks that Munster's defence let them down.Munster's game management, Leinster's semi-final selection and Toulouse's ability to make something out of nothing are all up for discussion too.Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from.For more, visit:www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to look ahead to the Champions Cup quarter-finals.It is set to be a bumper weekend, with Munster and Leinster playing back to back on Saturday afternoon.Munster host holders Toulouse in what promises to be a cracker at the Aviva Stadium, and while Cian thinks the French side will be too strong, Luke has an inkling that Munster could produce an upset.We then have a clash of the two most in-form teams in Europe. English table-toppers Leicester host Leinster, who have a commanding lead in the URC. While it won't be easy for Leo Cullen's side, the lads are in agreement that they should have enough to advance to the semi-final stage.Listen and follow the Left Wing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from.For more, visit:www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/the-left-wing/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.