Much admired long-time zoom contributor, first-time live guest, Caitlin Thompson of Racquet Magazine, joined us in The Brass Monkey in New York’s Meatpacking District. Caitlin regaled us with tales from John McCain’s election tour bus ‘The Straight Talk Express’ and how that experience convinced her to drop political reporting in favour of sports journalism.&nbsp; Plus there’s an extract from our chat with Leinster coach Stuart Lancaster ahead of our game with Scotland as well as a deep dive from Ken into the fallout from the 7-0 at Anfield. Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join

The Straight Talk Express, Lancaster’s Leinster, Wout’s Woes

Munster Complete Transformation, Hurling Is Hot, Kevin Moran Documentary 

What you win is important, but so is how you do it and who you beat along the way, and Munster's gritty run away from home against The Stormers. The Sharks, Glasgow, Leinster and The Stormers again in the final in Cape Town have turned an up and down season into a great one. We drag Barry Murphy away from the celebrations in Limerick to put this URC title in context, and Ruaidhri O'Connor joins us fresh off a flight from Cape Town to discuss the performance, the Hodnett try, the job this coaching team have done in one season and how it may influence Andy Farrell's extended World Cup squad, which is named later this week. Plus there's "le block", Murph on a hot steamy weekend of hurling action and the f bomb cover up. And Kevin "Branno" Brannigan is in studio to talk about his new documentary Kevin Moran: Codebreaker, which airs 9.35pm tonight, Monday 29th May, on RTE 1.

Ep 2649: Munster Complete Transformation, Hurling Is Hot, Kevin Moran Documentary - 29/05/2023

Getting Away With It All My Life

Everton live to get away with it another day after finding the relegation plughole already jammed with the soggy remnants of Leeds and Leicester. We trace some of the steps of Leicester's long sleepwalk to the Championship. Erik ten Hag bewitched the Old Trafford crowd with his final-day address and we look at where one of his predecessors went wrong. Raphael Honigstein joins us to talk about the final day of the Bundesliga, when Dortmund produced a mega-bottle to hand Bayern their 11th straight title. How did Oliver Kahn chief-executive his way out of the job? And is Thomas Tuchel sticking around to build the next Bayern team?

Ep 2648: Getting Away With It All My Life - 29/05/2023

This week on the Second Captains World Service football man Damien Delaney and our own Ken Early finally went head to head in heated debate the motion: Is Trent at centre mid the long-term solution to Liverpool’s problems? We were also joined in studio by the Jamie Wall / Malachy Clerkin punditry axis. The best duo in the business. Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.secondcaptains.com/join/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">secondcaptains.com/join</a>&nbsp;

The Trent Debate, Limerick On The Brink

Look On My Works Ye Mighty And Despair

Jose Mourinho once said, with a nod to Hegel: the truth is in the whole. We try to apply that spirit to today’s Salute The Champions podcast. We also talk about the international incident that has been sparked by the racist abuse and controversial sending off of Vinicius Jr at Valencia last night.

Ep 2644: Look On My Works Ye Mighty And Despair

The ROG Show, Tunnel Vision, Leinster Look Vulnerable Again 

Leinster once again had a lead against La Rochelle, once again went behind late on, once again were handed a yellow card lifeline, and once again lost a heartbreaking epic Champions Cup final. We herald a truly great coach and leader in O'Gara, pick through the wreckage for Leinster and look at the possible impact on Ireland at the Rugby World Cup. Shane Horgan and Ruaidhri O'Connor join us to discuss the psychological ebb and flow, why Leinster couldn't change the plan mid-game, the tunnel incident, eye contact at the toin coss, the Drop Goal plan and if ROG is a cert for the Ireland job. Plus a listener reveals how Murph and the Second Captains Hurling cadre changed the course of his weekend and in doing so opened his eyes to the power and the glory of Munster Hurling.

Ep 2643: The ROG Show, Tunnel Vision, Leinster Look Vulnerable Again 

This week on the Second Captains World Service we spoke about movies about crisps, the rigs on refs, cold killers Man City (with Rory Smith and Jonathan Wilson); we also previewed Leinster V La Rochelle with a worried Shane Horgan and chatted penos and the group stages of the football championship with Paul Flynn and Michael Murphy.&nbsp; Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.secondcaptains.com/join/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">secondcaptains.com/join</a>

Flamin' Hot Fritos, Cold City, The Ref Caste 

Ronnie O'Sullivan was in studio with us to talk about his new book "Unbreakable". We discuss his career, his childhood, his father, his complicated relationship with success and the decision that almost derailed his career. Here is a taster.= Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.secondcaptains.com/join/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">secondcaptains.com/join</a>

Ronnie O'Sullivan In Studio

Munster Slay Dragon, Crowley Channels ROG, Women's Sevens Qualify For The Olympics

Munster have finally beaten Leinster, in an epic, in the Aviva, at a stage in knock-out competition where they’ve fallen short time and time again. No wonder Jack Crowley channeled his inner Ronan O’Gara as he wheeled away in celebration after his winning drop goal. Friend of the show, former Munster centre and Live 95 commentator Barry Murphy, joins us today to talk about what a lift this gives his old team before the final against the whoopin' hollerin' Stormers of Cape Town. We discuss Munster's transformation under Rowntree, Mike Prendergast and Denis Leamy, Earls' lazarus-like recovery, and Leinster's haunted dreams. We also look at the pressure that was on the Ireland women's sevens team to make it to the 2024 Olympics, how they coped, and what hope they have of getting a medal in Paris. And there was a marathon Ulster football final which was completely overshadowed by allegations made against Rory Gallagher.

Ep 2637: Munster Slay Dragon, Crowley Channels ROG, Women's Sevens Qualify For The Olympics - 15/05/2023

Arsenal and the Machine, Saints March Down, Fans Attack

I know it's over, still I cling, I don't know where else I can go... actually, many of the Arsenal fans at the Emirates had already left the ground by the 90-minute mark and never got to see Roberto de Zerbi's triumphant knee slide to celebrate Brighton's third, salt-rubbing goal. We discuss the pretty-much-end of the title race and Arsenal's prospects for next season, with mentions for Matt Damon, Charlton Heston and Eddie Howe. Then we're joined by John Brewin and Lars Sivertsen to talk about the weekend's action. How do they interpret the end of Arsenal's challenge? How did Southampton get it all wrong this season? And how is Lars dealing with Norway's sudden, unexpected domination of the Premier League?

Ep 2636: Arsenal and the Machine, Saints March Down, Fans Attack - 15/05/2023

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The Straight Talk Express, Lancaster’s Leinster, Wout’s Woes

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Ep 2648: Getting Away With It All My Life - 29/05/2023

The Trent Debate, Limerick On The Brink

Ep 2644: Look On My Works Ye Mighty And Despair