The Second Captains Podcast

From the moment we saw the team-sheets, right through to the final moments when they chose not to kick at goal, this was a baffling display by the coaching staff and players, and it all ended with a defeat that will have repercussions far beyond the province of Leinster.We chat to Shane Horgan and Ruaidhrí O'Connor about the mental state of the players for this Northampton game, the starting team chosen, the Nienaber defensive system, the funding model in Irish rugby, and where this latest defeat leaves Leo Cullen.And we try to define what it means to "choke", and if it was arrogance, overthinking or panic that caused the team to not kick that penalty on 75 mins to level the scores.Plus there's Pollock power, Prendergast pawing, and trying to place this defeat in the pantheon of Irish sporting failures.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster menu which this week includes Ken on Arteta's psycho babble and Lamine Yamal's greatness, Diego Torres on Arsenal's decay, Meath beating the Dubs, and Abubaker Abed came to our studio for a sit-down with Ken. Abubaker arrived in Dublin late last month having left the Gaza Strip for the first time in his life. He had hoped to study and become a sports journalist but conflict came to him first, pushing him into becoming an accidental war reporter. Join in the fun for just a fiver a month – no contracts, no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no hidden charges, and no ads. Head to secondcaptains.com/join for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liverpool are the 24-25 Premier League champions. We talk about their victorious campaign, why this should be regarded as one of the great coaching achievements in English football history, and why other Liverpool managers who came close in the past might feel a little envious of the circumstances in which Arne Slot won the Premier League at his first attempt. We also discuss an incredible Copa Del Rey final and the latest theories about why Florentino Perez has allowed Madrid to become a sore-loser "anti-organisation". Neil Atkinson of TAW joins us to talk about why this title means so much to Liverpool, how Arne Slot transformed last season's third-placed side into champions, and what remains to be done for the rest of the season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 years of hurt are over - the Royals have stormed the capital and are back in power, and back in a Leinster final.Some saw this coming, most didn't.We talk to the soothsayer Paul Flynn about where this shock lies on the GAA Richter Scale, how Meath did it, and where this leaves Dublin now.We also chat to Conor McManus about the Leinster final match up, Louth's evolution, and Armagh's win over Tyrone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster menu which this week included Ken on Canham, making football great again. Bohs beating Rovers, Paul Flynn on fabulous football, Liam Rushe and Jamie Wall on hurling's hectic draws, and we have "fun and games" coming on Friday too.Get daily shows for just a fiver a month – no contracts, no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no hidden charges, and no ads. Head to secondcaptains.com/join for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ope Francis, who died today aged 88, once told the players of Celtic FC that the essence of sport lay in 'gratuitousness', to give of yourself without expecting something in return. The idealism of his message doesn't resound widely in top-level football, where the contrasting experiences of two current stars expose the calculating self-interest that fuels the professional game.Beñat Gutierrez joins us from Bilbao, European capital of football for the next few weeks to talk about their defeat last night at the Bernabéu and what they expect from the forthcoming Europa semi-final against Manchester United.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well, that was something. Rory McIlroy's Masters win rightly managed to make it into most of our conversations this week, and we're not even done yet - Lawrence Donegan is slated to do his victory lap tomorrow on the World Service after finally seeing his pre-tournament prediction line up with reality. Ken also sat down with Sol Campbell yesterday, just a couple of hours before Arsenal dumped Real Madrid out of the Champions League once and for all. And a debate raged between our listeners and Ken over whether Bob Dylan is really up to much after all. To sign up for daily, independent, member-led broadcasting, go to secondcaptains.com/join where you'll pay just €5 a month plus VAT, with no minimum contract.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Rory McIlroy’s open heart captivated the world last night, we identify the anti-McIlroy who has become the symbol of the Premier League 24-25.We survey the gallant efforts of the sports media to spin gold out of the straw of the past weekend and inspect some of the suggestions that have been put forward to revive football as a spectacle. Jonathan Wilson and Nick Ames join us to talk about the weekend’s PL action. What was the buzz at Anfield as Arne Slot’s team closes in on the title? Would Kevin de Bruyne be a good short-term signing for another of the big Premier League clubs? And… you know… what did they make of the golf?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After what must surely have been one of the most amazing days of sport any of us has ever seen, Rory McIlroy did what it often seemed he never would: won at Augusta and joined the very, very short list of golfers who've won a career Grand Slam. And he did it in the most 'Rory McIlroy at The Masters' way imaginable. We're joined in studio by Malachy Clerkin of the Irish Times and Gavin Cooney of the 42.ie to breathe it all in, to bask in it, and to relive it less than twelve hours later. Plus there's Jim Nantz's Crying Game, Lawrence Donegan the occasional oracle, and where Rory goes from here.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster menu which this week includes Ken on his all-time Prem XI, Prince William's tactics masterclass before the Villa PSG game, Cork's march to an inevitable All Ireland hurling title and we ask Lawrence Donegan to take responsibility for Rory not yet winning The Masters. We also covered Munster's magic day in La Rochelle, Rice's free kick glory, Madrid in crisis and we have a pol pod coming on Friday too.Join in the fun for just a fiver a month – no contracts, no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no hidden charges, and no ads. Head to secondcaptains.com/join for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.