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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hey there, we are Indosport with me, John Molloy. We cover sport and we have things like this.
The Netherlands-Japan game was very disappointing first half. Second half good though. Japan are good. Do you know what Ange Postacoglie was saying about Japan? They have a 100-year plan to win the World Cup and they're currently at year 60. He didn't expand it. He should have been asked to tell us more about the plan. 2066. But that's what he was saying.
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Hello everybody and welcome to the Left Wing Podcast. It is URC final week as Leinster prepare to host the Bulls on Friday night in Croke Park in what is a rematch of last year's decider. We've lots to discuss on today's episode of the Left Wing Podcast. Will Slattery here with you as always and delighted to be joined by Luke Fitzgerald. Luke, how are you? I'm good, Will. How are you?
Doing very well. Also with us is Cian Tracy. Cian, how are things? Good lads, how are you? Doing very well, lots to get into. A reminder that the Left Wing Podcast is sponsored by Energia. Energia sponsors rugby in Ireland at all levels, at grassroots with the Energia AIL and as official energy partners at Leinster, Connacht and the Irish men's and women's teams.
The Energia Rugby for All initiative supports inclusion, welcoming everyone of all abilities to participate in the game. Find out more at energy.ie forward slash rugby and avail of an exclusive home energy offer for rugby fans. So a few things I want to discuss tonight, guys. Kind of the general exodus out of Irish rugby.
There's a lot of departure system from the provinces and not that many incomings. There is a squad that will be announced later this week. I want to discuss one or two bits and pieces from that. But obviously the ORC final, Keane, takes precedence. Friday night in Croke Park, 7.30pm kick-off, Leinster Bulls.
As I mentioned, they played in last year's final, which despite promising a lot on paper, never really lived up to the hype. Certainly we gave away LaRue, among other things. Leinster were 19-0 up after 25 minutes and it was lashing rain. It just never felt like this big occasion.
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Chapter 2: What are the key match details for the Leinster vs. Bulls URC final?
I'm sure Leinster were loving it, putting the Bulls to bed early and getting a trophy. But just as a spectacle, it wasn't great. How are you feeling going into this one? We had a kind of a break week for the first time in the URC era. There was a week off. I suppose it was to facilitate maybe cross hemisphere travel, like in this case in the Bulls. But are you excited?
Do you have URC final fever? How are you feeling?
Yeah, I am looking forward to it. I think it's a fitting final at the end of the season. I know the Bulls had a slow start, but what is it? They've won their last eight games, is it, in a row now? And I kind of feel like they've been waiting in the long grass, really. It's no surprise that they've got their act together and they're back in the final.
Thinking back to the final last year, I know the Bulls were in a bit of disarray. It was Jake White's last game in charge. And even earlier today, I was looking back at the difference in what is likely to be the Bulls team this week compared to last year. They're in a much, much stronger position. But I still think that Leinster performance last year was excellent.
I don't think they got the credit they deserved. It was one of their best performances of the season. I think in general, winning the URC got glossed over a little bit last year, even though it was the first time that Leinster won it in its current guise. And I wonder...
if the same thing happens again on Friday night, if Leinster win it, how particularly Leinster supporters and the Leinster players will look back at this season because we all know they judge themselves off the Champions Cup. But as a game, I think this is a superb matchup. I think it's such a dangerous fixture for Leinster. Obviously, we'll get in and talk about
the strengths of the Bulls but they really have the firepower I think to hurt Leinster where they do tend to struggle obviously the main one would be the scrum and with Andrew Porter confirmed to be ruled out with that calf injury that is an area that the Bulls will be looking to go after even more now I think the latest figures at the time of recording were about 30,000 tickets sold I know Rod had an interview with Martin and I the
URC CEO in the Sindo at the weekend I think they were hoping to get around was it the 50,000 mark that they had last year I think they'll be doing very well to get that but I think the break week has at least you're right Will it's given the Bulls a chance to go home I see they're on their way back to Dublin now at the moment but it also gave more time for the organisers to sell tickets
The ticket prices, as far as I can see, have been really reasonably priced. So you'd be hoping for a good crowd at Crow Park on Friday night because I think it will be an excellent game.
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Chapter 3: What is the impact of player departures on Irish rugby?
I think that this Bulls side have all the tools to really cause Leinster trouble, as Cian outlined. The key thing for them is how they travel. And it's kind of always been a little bit of the case with the South African teams to a certain extent. Obviously, super strong at home, have big advantages around Leinster.
you know, kind of altitude and, you know, just harder grounds generally out there when you're playing rugby, which really kind of suits what they have. And they're kind of used to that. It's just a different style of rugby. Although I do think teams have gotten a lot more comfortable with that, particularly the Celtic teams who kind of generally struggle down there.
They probably got a little bit more comfortable over the last couple of years because they're playing there more regularly. But it's kind of the away fixtures that really dictates how the South African teams kind of, you know, how they get on. You're never really worried about the home fixtures for them. The Bulls, I mean, last year, there's definitely a bit of residual thing in my mind.
My big worry is that they don't show up again because I agree. I think on paper, this one is a cracker of a match and you can see how both teams can get at each other. I think both teams, you'd be able to tell I don't think either team will change their plan much about how they think they're going to be effective against each other. And you can see the strengths in both teams.
It's very, very evident, I think, by what style both teams will play. So, you know, the key thing then is going to be who shows up and who delivers on the game plan. Because both game plans, I think, will be effective. And then, obviously, we hope for a barn burner, as you'd say, of a game where both teams may be playing well and maybe having a fairly high-scoring match.
That would be the ideal scenario for all the supporters going to the game and everyone watching. So yeah, watching it closely, I think I'm excited about it. I'm not sure I love the week off, but I do get it actually. I'd never really thought of Keane's kind of point around allowing an extra week for the South African team. I do think that's sensible actually.
My original thought was, oh, I'd like to keep the momentum going when it's fresh in people's minds. But yeah, I can't wait to see what unfolds.
Yeah, I actually, I agree with both of you. I do think the competition has lost momentum. This one week break, I feel like it feels very... I know there's a World Cup on, which obviously isn't usually the case. It's been eight years since we had a Summer World Cup, obviously, because the last one was in Qatar, so there was no competition at that time of year.
So it does feel kind of a little to the side, but it is good that at least both teams are getting better preparation than they would if it was a week-on-week. Albeit the Bulls would have just stayed in the Northern Hemisphere, whereas this time they've actually gone back south and come north again, which poses its own logistical challenge. Yeah.
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Chapter 4: What are the reasons behind James Lowe's departure from Leinster?
Everything basically was up for review. So have they leaned too much on the defensive side of things? Has the attacks
suffered will certain coaches have more of a say next season going forward because that's clearly caused some friction I think behind the scenes I don't think it's not like a review that Munster are undertaking by any means I think every club at the end of the season would undertake a review but Leo Cullen is on record as saying that everything within that review is up for discussion from style of play from everything really Yeah interesting Luke because I also saw that it was mentioned by
I think maybe Robin McBride discussed it that they used this break week to properly review the Bordeaux game whereas because they had the Lions game so quickly afterwards they could only maybe do it to some degree before having to move on to that quarterfinal to prepare for because I'd be very interested to know what they came away from the game subsequently with having maybe looked at it in more depth because we discussed it and I did find some comments from say Leo Cullen in the immediate aftermath about
you know, almost being happy to be there, quite curious. And there was a kind of a real fixation on like the missed opportunities they had as if like that was the only gap between them and Bordeaux on the day. And I was interested to see kind of like Porter and Keenan both discuss how like heartbreaking it was or traumatic the experience was.
And I was kind of interested because for me, the Bordeaux game is so different to their other defeats in the sense that like the Toulouse and La Rochelle ones came down to like, you know, fingernail moments where like they almost had the trophy in their grasp. Whereas against Bordeaux, they just didn't turn up and played really, really badly.
So I would have thought in some ways it would be easier to get over it because they just didn't turn up. And I'm not sure, maybe they haven't accepted that if they're thinking it was small margins, but they dropped the first two kickoffs and put the third one out in the full. They gave away a load of penalties in the first half and conceded five tries.
For me, that's not like a... Is that heartbreaking? I feel like it's more like we didn't turn up and we just need to play better.
So I would feel the other way about that, Will. I think, look, if you show up to the game and you play reasonably well, right, and the opposition just do better than you or comes down to a referee call or comes down to a kick or whatever it is, right, fine margins to me, I think they'd feel like they would hurt more. But I think not showing up would hurt me more just as a...
just as a competitive person. Do you know that kind of way? That's my sense. The first thing that when you were talking about that, the first thing I was like, no, I'd hate to not show up at all. That would feel way worse. That was embarrassing, I thought, at times. Going in at halftime, it must have been like, I knew, like, just get me off this pitch. You know what I mean?
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Chapter 5: How does Tyler Bleyendaal's coaching affect Leinster's attack?
And this was a point, I'm pretty sure I made it in the post-match pod that we did in Bilbao at the time, Will, in terms of those errors. Like that falls on players to hold themselves to higher standards. And I wonder in training even, not even in matches, who are the ones that are calling players out if those standards do slip?
Because like you've touched on, it clearly happens in Ireland camp because you can see the progression in a shorter space of time. But I go back to, it was James Ryan a good few years ago said that when Johnny Sexton wasn't at training, standards don't tend to be the same. And that was such a jarring comment to hear from one of the main leaders of the Leinster and Ireland dressing room.
And we're a few years on from that now. And I wonder who the main leaders are. I don't know, does it come from 10? Because the position has been so much in flux and it still is at the moment. I don't know, does it come from the senior players like James Ryan, like Caelan Dorris, Jack Cohn? And maybe it does.
But I think like those sloppy basic errors is a really good starting point to improve their overall game plan. Because like, let's face it, If Leinster don't improve in those areas on Friday night, as we've touched on at the very start of this chat, the Bulls have the weapons to pick Leinster apart. Like they'll be used to playing against this South African blitz defense.
They have the pace out wide. They didn't have Kirtley Arendt said they're not in the final last year. He's back like one of the best wingers in the world. They've got the set piece to hurt Leinster. So if Leinster aren't on it this weekend, this season could very quickly turn into be a bit of a disaster.
yeah do you know what else is interesting about it guys is like I just I wanted to pick up on that but like the Blayndell thing is like I never heard any chat about him at all at all at all you know that kind of way like I never saw like you know like Nina Barr I think you kind of know you know what he's about he's got the bit of pedigree behind him you know he's got a certain style of play he'll try to implement or impose on the opposition I don't know what Blayndell's about do you?
Well, that's why I raised the point. Like if you were, if an alien came down from space right now, Luke, and you were asked to explain to them what Tyler Blayndoll's attacking philosophy is for this Leinster team, I'm not sure where you'd even start really.
That's what I think. And I feel like, you know, so that's not to say he's not good, by the way. I just I just never hear anyone really talking about him. You know, you don't hear the players talking about, oh, you know, really excited. You know, I never heard when he came in and I haven't heard anything since.
And I'm not sure I see like I'm not sure I see a huge amount of like chronic creativity. I don't see. So if I don't see creativity, then, well, do I see like really low error counts? you know, really good technique and things, you know, some coaches, they probably fall into a couple of categories.
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Chapter 6: What challenges do the Bulls present to Leinster in the upcoming final?
You know how Barcelona are going to play, but how are you going to stop them? They might make slight changes or whatever. Do you know what I'm trying to say to you? Leinster are good enough to be able to do that, and you should be able to see it. You should be able to see what they're trying to achieve every week.
I'm just not sure I see that on the attacking side. Even if you look at the Springboks when Jacques Nienarber was there, they still had the attacking flair. Now, I know that's gone to another level now since Tony Brown has come in as attack coach, but the Springboks still scored really cleverly executed tries with their backline. So there's no reason why Leinster shouldn't be able to do that.
And they have done it at times this season, but it's in the big games when it matters most that we need to be seeing more of it, I would say.
Yeah, we're going to take a quick break and then continue the chat just after this.
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OK, so Leinster Bulls on Friday night, as we are discussing. Keane, it's interesting, you know, you just look ahead to next season and obviously we have a final on Friday night, but just next season for a second. These are the players who are leaving Leinster at the end of the year and these are the players who are coming in. So who's leaving Leinster?
James Lowe, Rico Ioane, Rabbit Slimani, CiarƔn Frawley, Will Connors, Luke McGrath, Jerry Kerr and John McKee. Who's coming in? Joey Carberry. maybe Peter Dooley, apparently, and a few academy guys will be promoted to the senior squad.
Like, that's a fairly... When you read that down, and I'll go to the other provinces, similar stories in some instances, but just from the Leinster perspective, because we're talking about them on Friday and stuff, like, that's fairly jarring in terms of, like, are they better equipped to win Europe next year than they are this year? Absolutely not with those outgoings and incomings.
Yeah.
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Chapter 7: How are injuries affecting the Ireland squad ahead of the summer tour?
It probably wouldn't have mattered after the first half, right? But he would have been valuable when they couldn't break down that Bordeaux defense because it gives you something different. It takes two guys to take him down and he can still get the ball away. And And he's so dangerous when you're kind of close to the line. He's still one of those guys that kind of makes yards.
I just think he gives you something a little bit different, which is always nice to have a little bit of variety to throw at the opposition if you're running up against a brick wall. So I still feel like there's value there that we're leaving on the table. It makes no sense.
It makes no sense. I haven't read a satisfying explanation as to why he is leaving. I know... He wanted the same money he was on now. They wanted to offer him less money. I can understand Leinster not wanting to have to pay the majority because he hasn't been very available for them, maybe. But why the IRFU would deem him not, for the reasons Luke just outlined, a very integral option to have.
He might not be a starter, but as an option, he's invaluable because the other wingers Ireland have are just not that kind of player. And... If Andy Farrell wanted him, as we believe he did, his public pronouncements were very much that he thought he would be signing on, and we're led to believe he wants him, and he's just signed a new bumper deal.
The idea of the IRFU going against his wishes is very perplexing to me. What's your read on why a player Andy Farrell would want a guy who's never been... His cachet has seldom been higher. Surely in the negotiation, he could have mentioned the fact that And it's only a one-year deal. It's not as if, oh, you need to sign him for four years and give him like, you know, a million quid.
It was like a one-year deal to the World Cup, which is the be-all and end-all of what Irish rugby are trying to achieve. It just makes no sense to me that the RFU would think that's not even a rugby investment worth making, even though there is a risk to his age profile and his injury profile.
Yeah, like unfortunately, we haven't heard from Andy Farrell over the last while and we're not going to hear from him as things stand until a couple of days before the game against Australia in Sydney in a few weeks. We haven't heard from David Humphries, the IRFU performance director in quite a while.
We're hoping to speak to him at some stage on the summer tour because ultimately the decision would have fallen on him to sort of give an explanation about I believe the contract that he was offered was obviously on much diminished terms, but that there was incentives there. But I just like Luke can speak to this as a former player.
If your base salary was, you know, half, let's say, but you were saying, oh, if you play X amount of games in a career as volatile again, as you know, only too well, Luke, I mean, you'd be mad to sign a contract like that.
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Chapter 8: What are the implications of the URC final results for Leinster's future?
We just don't have guys that big that often, you know.
Yeah.
He finished the season injured, unfortunately, as well. So I'd say it's probably unlikely that we see him unless he's recovered.
So that's going to be the key point of tension, guys, isn't it? So I'm obviously leaning way more towards the Keane view, but you're obviously going...
you think that there's value in the kind of short term and that little carrot at the end of the Eden Park I'd be 100% more thinking like try and get guys as many guys through the season unscathed playing as much rugby as possible before the World Cup Do you know what I mean? That's my thinking on why you might rest a few guys. I just feel like, you know, you need to be strategic about this.
And you might also uncover a few guys who get, you know, major confidence from playing, you know, Southern, you know, playing a couple of test matches down the Southern Hemisphere who now come back into their province and are a real value add.
You know, that new confidence, a bit of swagger about them coming back into, you know, a few Munster guys, a few Connacht guys, a few Ulster guys, getting a look at the Irish team. I would say some of the other guys who've been the incumbents getting a bit of a break and coming back in fresh.
You've got that little bit of competitive tension now and guys believing that they have a genuine shot or they should be, you know, being really, really considered by Farrell as serious opposition and competition for the guys that are kind of in situ, you know, in a team that's very, very, you know, it's pushing on an age, but it's also very, it's a fairly stable team.
There's not that many guys that it kind of will be, you know, at this moment in time that I see, you know, you know, on the cusp of getting into the team that we haven't really thought about. So it feels like an opportunity for that. It doesn't mean you sacrifice it.
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