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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Football on Off the Ball.
I think they can go and win it. They're a very, very difficult team to beat. They don't lose an awful lot of games. I think Morocco are better than Germany. I think people have said to me they fancy Germany as dark horse. People have said they fancy Ecuador or I personally fancy Colombia as a bit of a dark horse. I think Morocco are ahead of all those teams.
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Off the Balls Rugby Daily with Bank of Ireland, a proud sponsor of Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster Rugby. Never stop competing.
You're very welcome along to Thursday's Rugby Daily. I'm Cameron Hill. Now coming up for you today, the Leinster and Bulls teams are out for the URC Grand Final tomorrow. A few big names have been left out of the Ireland squad for their Nations Championship games this July. Isa Nasewa admits he was shocked to hear that James Lowe is leaving Leinster and Ireland this summer.
And are we inching closer to tackles above the sternum being outlawed in elite rugby? First up today, Leinster and the Bulls have named their teams for tomorrow's URC Grand Final at Croke Park. Head coach Leo Cullen has made three changes from the semi-final win over the Stormers, with Taig Furlong and Gerry Kerr promoted to the starting front row.
Furlong has been absent from the Leinster team for the playoffs up to this point due to injury, while Kerr comes in for Andrew Porter, who was ruled out earlier this week with a calf issue. The other change is in the back three. Winger Tommy O'Brien has overcome a back problem to start alongside Hugo Keenan and James Lowe, who will be playing his final game in Dublin.
In the centre, it's as you were. In the centres, it's as you were, with Jamie Osborne and Rico Ioane once again. Jamison Gibson-Park and Sam Prendergast are the half-back partnership, while Ronan Kelleher is preferred to Dan Sheehan at hooker.
Joe McCarthy and James Ryan continue in the second row, while Caelan Dorris is past fit and captains the side at number eight, joined in the back row by Max Deegan and Josh van der Vlier. It's a 5-3 split on the bench this week, so joining Sheehan among the forwards are Alex Usinov, Thomas McCarthy, Dermot Mangan and Jack Conan.
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Chapter 2: What teams are competing in the URC Grand Final?
We were, as I said, four rounds in and we had 20-odd players heading off to international camp so they weren't going to be playing in the next couple of games. It's been an amazing squad effort to get to this stage. It's great to still be playing rugby this time of year. and hopefully we'll have a great day. But we know it's going to be a serious challenge because we're up against a serious team.
So I'm sort of flip-flopping here. Yeah, we want to be really respectful to the opposition, but we also need to be very focused on ourselves and what makes Leinster great. And we've got some great individuals in our team that will be potentially playing for Leinster for the last time tomorrow as well. So we want to make sure we put in a big performance for all the right reasons.
Leinster are bidding to win back-to-back titles for the first time since 2021.
Chapter 3: Who are the notable omissions from the Ireland squad for the Nations Championship?
Our own Susanna Mollen caught up with Tommy O'Brien earlier this week and he explained what motivates him to continue trying to make finals.
I think just knowing how good it was last year when we won and the sense of kind of relief but also the celebrations and being able to share winning a trophy with all your friends in here and family so that's like a massive motivator for us.
Obviously the disappointment of Bilbao, the bright side of it I guess was that we had a chance to go again like the week later and kind of go after another trophy to try and finish the season on a high so that's kind of what we're working towards.
As for the Bulls then, it's an unchanged team named by head coach Johan Ackermann ahead of their second trip to Croke Park in as many seasons.
Chapter 4: Why was Isa Nacewa shocked by James Lowe's exit?
They were 22-21 winners over Glasgow Warriors in their semi-final at Murrayfield two weeks ago. There are 11 Springboks in the starting line-up. together with five on the bench as the Bulls look to go one better after losing three of the last four finals. Susanna was alongside Mick McCarthy and former Leinster head coach Matt Williams on Wednesday night rugby.
Williams gave his thoughts on the Bulls' team selection.
Their bench looks like they're aiming at the last 20.
Chapter 5: What changes are being made to tackle height in rugby?
They're looking at that last 20. And they've also gone 6-2 because even though the team list... reads out number 23 in his AM car is a back rower. So they're only going with two backs. So they're certainly targeting the scrum.
Chapter 6: How did Leinster prepare for the URC Grand Final?
I mean, you don't have to know a lot about rugby to see what the South Africans, how they've dealt with Irish teams in the past. So the scrum's 101. Let me give Robin McBride, the Leinster scrum coach, a big rap. I was concerned, as was Paul Wallace, the great Munster, Leinster, Ireland and Lions tight end prop. Coach Paul, one of the greatest scrummages the game's produced in professional era.
And Paul was concerned going into the semis, into the semifinal about Leinster's scrum. And Robert McBride has... has had that scrum absolutely rock solid and he deserves a lot of credit. One of the things to keep an eye on, if you, in a scrum, if you can get the South Africans low enough and maintain your feet without slipping over, which is not easy, but if you can, it depowers them.
because they can't get the purchase. And it was something Australians did very, very well right through the 90s and the early 2000s, was to, on engagement, come low. And I think that's what's wrong. My observation is that's what Robert McBride's done with that scrum. They'll need to do that. I am concerned that Dan Sheen's not starting because I don't think he's well.
I think he's still carrying an injury. Otherwise, he wouldn't start. Or there might be a little bit more in there to say, well, we know that you know that we know, so he's coming on later because he's a fantastic scrummager himself. It's going to be very interesting. Thomas Clarkson on the bench has been superb. He has done really well.
I think the idea with Ty is let's get him out there, let's see how long he lasts rather than put him on the bench and then you come off the bench and your injury goes. But, you know, McCarthy, Ryan, Deegan, And Vanden Fleer and Doris, Doris, who I think is also carrying, that's a big pack that's going to give a lot of weight behind that front row, which is super, super important.
But I think that's going to be crucial. If they can hold it and not give away too many penalties, they're really in with a fighting chance. But if it becomes a bit of a procession, the South Africans know how to strangle you off the penalties from those scrums.
Now there will be a full preview of the URC Grand Final on tomorrow's Rugby Daily, but there's lots to get your teeth into in the OTB Rugby podcast feed. Leinster greats James Tracy and Eason Asewa were both on off-the-ball breakfast this week for build-up to the game. So click follow in your OTB Rugby feed so you don't miss a second of the action.
If you want to hear all of our rugby coverage on demand, you'd better become a member at offtheball.com forward slash join. Don't forget, you can catch Off The Ball Breakfast live every weekday morning from half past seven on the Go Loud app or in glorious Technicolor on our YouTube channel.
This is Rugby Daily on Off the Ball with Bank of Ireland, a proud sponsor of Irish rugby, never stop competing. Now, as I mentioned, Leinster legend Isa Nasewa joined Gerard Gilroy and Dara Smith-Nocton on this morning's Off the Ball breakfast. He admits he was shocked by the news that James Lowe is leaving the province this summer after nine seasons in blue.
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