80+ column : Mar 5

---

On this week’s column…

🏉 FILLING COLUMN INCHES

🏉 “LE RINGER”

🏉 FRAWLEY A WALLABY?

🏉 AVIVA DOUBLE HEADER

🏉 REF COOLS BOILING BONGI

🏉 WRAP OF A WRAP

🏉 THANK YOU ROSS MOLONY

🏉 UPDATES [Incl Super Rugby, MLR] 

---

FRONT FIVE

A selection of five eye-catching egg-chasing quotes & links from around the ruggersphere, now including a few thoughts added by myself (JLP).

---

At the moment, England look like the fourth-best side in this year’s Six Nations. Say it out loud.

Accepting and moving on

Sam Roberts – Double Dummy Scissors

JLP : I don’t normally put these Front Five articles in any particular order, but still this one had to be first this week.  Two weeks can be an age in modern day media at the best of times, but when England have just failed to Scotland and have to wait before an even more daunting task in the next round even if it is at Twickenham, I’m not so sure that publications will get a whole lotta clicks if they fill their news cycles and column inches with doom and gloom for the duration.  So in a way I get why the English media might be tempted to think “outside the box” for narratives but in some cases, especially Oliver Brown’s if we’re being honest, I’m not sure there ever actually WAS a box.  Sam does a brilliant job here of calling them out.

---

…the men’s and women’s sevens (are) to be played at the Stade de France from Wednesday 24 July 2024 to Tuesday 30 July

Dupont effect and LA title sees France men as favourites for Olympic gold

Alan Dymock – Rugby World

JLP : More on the Sevens below but it’s hard for an Irish fan to avoid being even a little bit begrudging when your side has been eliminated for two tournaments in a row by someone I’m calling “Le Ringer” at least until the IRFU decides whether or not to use provincial players for the Olympics (and I hope we don’t FWIW).

---

“I knew there was interest from over there, but I was never going to go.”

Ciarán Frawley Reveals He Drew Interest From Wallabies Over International Switch

Jonathan Browne – Balls.ie

JLP : I’d say at this stage that it’s almost a non-story when we hear someone on the fringes of a successful test side attracts interest from another nation for which he is qualified.  But in Frawley’s case it’s still newsworthy as his future has been the focus of much speculation over the past year or so.

---

…the…double header (will) be played at Aviva Stadium, on Sunday 28, April. Both games will be broadcast live on TG4

Energia All Ireland League Finals Double Header in Aviva Stadium

IrishRugby.ie

JLP : Club rugby, particularly on the women’s side, is in serious need of a rethink, so while any kind of innovation to do with coverage is good news, hopefully it won’t end up papering over the cracks and that much more work will be done in the near future.  More on the AIL and who is likely to feature in those finals in the Updates section below.

---

“…we are on the same field so if you could show me the same respect that I show you, that would be very much appreciated.”

Ref cools boiling Bongi

SA RugbyMag

JLP : I thought she handled it perfectly.

---

Note – views expressed in “Front Five” links do not necessarily reflect those of HarpinOnRugby

---

WRAP OF A WRAP

Many thanks to Conor & Ciarán for contributing on the wrap, I have decided to shelve the “Bonus Clip” feature for the next while which makes for a much more manageable recording and editing time, obviously.  I would like to encourage the lads to harp on more non-Leinster & Ireland topics but I’ll just have to find another way of doing it, possibly with more regular midweek bonus pods.

If you missed the wrap pod, here’s a link for Spotify but it’s also available on Apple and other platforms, please subscribe and/or leave a review if you can.

---

THANK YOU ROSS

I have rebranded the TikTok videos as “Quick Taps” but in actual fact they have been getting longer as I try to say all I want to in the copy, however in this case I think it’s ok because the news of Ross Molony leaving at the end of the season left me with much to say.  His career has been a perfect example of how it’s possible to establish a decent reputation in the sport without actually playing at the highest level.  

Many try to compare rugby to the American football but in many many ways they are chalk and cheese, not least because rugby has the international element.  The NFL is basically the highest level you can play at in the sport (unless you distinguish between regular season and playoffs) so basically if you are one of the best 30 or so players in the sport, chances are you will be a starter for one of the franchises.  

That just cannot happen in rugby.   It’s not inconceivable for the second best outhalf on the planet to get only a handful of test caps simply because the best one plays for the same nation.  And apart from tweaking residency laws there’s no way to fix that, nor should there be btw.

Anyway, many, many thanks, Ross and I hope Leinster fans join me in giving you a proper send off.

@harpinonrugby

Thank you Ross Molony. Our latest Quick Tap video which is part of our 80+ column which posts every Tuesday afternoon at harpinonrugby.com

♬ original sound – Harpinonrugby.com – Harpinonrugby.com

---

“SVNS” UPDATE

Technically the Women’s side improved on their 9th in Vancouver by finishing 8th in LA but having won in Perth we would have expected a lot more from the past couple of weeks, although the Aussies were clearly lying in wait for us in that first pool match having beaten them on their home turf.

Over in the men’s it was a case of double redemption because after losing to Spain and runaway series leaders Argentina in the pool phase, we overturned them both in the knockouts.  However…in between those bouts of revenge there was the small matter of facing Antoine “Le Ringer” Duponte in the semifinals on Sunday evening Irish time, and you could definitely make a case that he proved the difference.  

From my limited knowledge of this code I thought perhaps Terry Kennedy could have made an effort to make the conversion of his after-buzzer try a little easier for Billy Dardis but still, the win over Spain gave us another bronze finish to both keep us in 2nd position on the series table and draw us that little bit closer to Argentina.

There’s a break for a few weeks until the circus moves to Hong Kong.

LOS ANGELES 7S

IRELAND WOMEN

IRELAND MEN

---

---

---

🔝🐱🐴 UPDATE

Even more daylight now between Stade Français, Toulouse and the rest of the league making them likely candidates for home semifinals.  But again for me the headline makers have to be Racing after defeat in Bordeax means they have now lost more than they won although they are holding on to a top six spot by their fingernails.  On Sunday evening La Rochelle also badly needed a win and Clérmont duly obliged, although they will face a sterner test next weekend when the league leaders come to visit.  Why should the small matter of a Six Nations round stand in the way of more 🔝🐱🐴 fixtures eh?

---

---

Round 18

---

AIL UPDATE 

I know I’m being picky here but the format of the Celtic Challenge is really weird.  After a round robin portion it seems they split into top 3 and bottom 3 for the next three rounds so if that’s the case, you shouldn’t be able to finish lower than 3rd IMO, but anyway with the Wolfhounds already having clinched the title last week, the Clovers’ draw against Edinburgh in Llanelli (another oddity, surely they’d have had a better attendance if one team was at home) left them in 4th.

In the Women’s AIL there was actually a shock as a bottom 5 team actually defeated a top 4 one, a very rare occurrence so fair play to Galwegians who overcame Blackrock.  Meanwhile UL Bohemians continue their 100% start and while their trip to Blackrock next weekend is tie of the round, I still assume their record ill continue.

Finally in the men’s 1A Cork Con scored a big win on the Aviva back pitch to stay in touch with Tarf at the top while Terenure crept into 3rd.  Trinity’s win over City of Armagh made the relegation picture interesting with Shannon also in trouble with just three rounds to go.  Cork Con v Terenure is easily the pick of the next round although the league will take a break for the next couple of weekends.

#SupportYourLocalClub

WOMEN’S CELTIC CHALLENGE

---

---

WOMEN’S AIL

---

---

---

MEN’S AIL

---

---

ROUND 16

---

SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC UPDATE

Don’t know why I haven’t updated this comp here before but better late than never.  Round 2 was the “Super Round” and apparently what made it Super was the fact that all 6 matches were played at the AAMI Stadium in Melbourne.  Perhaps the name “Help Out Rugby in Oz Round” would have been closer to the mark, if a little more clunky.  Anyway the Waratah’s convincing win over the Crusaders was easily the result of the round, I wonder could they repeat the result if they meet each other again in the knockouts.  Overall the round was full of very “Super Rugby looking” scorelines, with only the Brumbies failing to score at least 24pts.

Next week all eyes will no doubt be on the Tahs who host the Highlanders.

---

---

---

MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY UPDATE

Last season my adopted team was the New England Free Jacks but for the 2024 campaign I think I’ll switch my allegiance to the Chicago Hounds who have added Dave Kearney & Nick McCarthy to their ranks and had a decent away win to start the season.

Of course the 2023 season became a bit farcical with multiple clubs going to the wall but somehow they managed to scrape together another 12 teams this season with the LA Giltinis rebranding as Rugby LA (hallelujah) with new franchises in Miami & Charlotte (Anthem RC).

---

---

---

RUGBY EUROPE CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATE

Last week I said “I will be very surprised if it isn’t a Georgia v Portugal final” and overall I wasn’t surprised but that said, Spain sure gave Os Lobos a run for their money.  Georgia will of course be heavily favoured in the final on St Patrick’s Day.

---

HARPIN PREDICTION LEAGUE

I really was pulling too far ahead of the pack so I decided to let them catch up a bit in Round 11, with Kino taking the yellow cap, but from here on in it there will be No More Mr Nice Guy I assure you #ahem.

---

NEXT BATCH OF HARPIN’

That’s it for another week, next we look to rounds 4 & 5 of the Six Nations with an England preview recording on Thursday eve followed by a wrap on Sunday.  By all means do leave your thoughts on our Facebook page after the full time whistle it’s always great to get your opinions.

Finally, as ever, be sure to enjoy your rugby wherever you are.  JLP

---