On this week’s column…
🏉 A NEW DAY FOR 80+
🏉 THE SCHOOL OF HEAD KNOCKS
🏉 NOT THAT 20M🟥 AGAIN?
🏉 WOMEN’S 6N LAUNCH
🏉 BILLY ON THE MOVE
🏉 NIENABER WISDOM
🏉 WRAP OF A WRAP
🏉 WOMEN’S 6N LAUNCH (EXTRA)
🏉 A BONUS TALKING POINT
🏉 EURO REFS
🏉 POST TO POST NEW FEATURE
🏉 UPDATES [Incl AIL & Premiership]
A NEW DAY FOR THE COLUMN…
…literally. In a bit of housekeeping news we’ve switched this column’s publication date from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning – the Quick Tap videos take so much time to produce we need the extra window to get it all together along with, of course, all the “real world” stuff.
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).
“The diagnosis of a young person with CTE is significant as it indicates how early in life the brain has been affected by head knocks.”
First professional rugby union player confirmed to have died with CTE
Michael Aylwin – The Guardian
JLP : I know it was the build up to the final round of Six Nations matches and this was a story from the southern hemisphere, but I really think the wider rugby community could have been more engaged with this story. Unfortunately my second article from this week’s Front Five suggests we are instead moving in a different direction.
…a global red card trial where a carded player is removed for the duration of the match but may be replaced by another player after 20 minutes.
World Rugby reveals phased plan to enhance rugby’s global appeal
JLP : To be fair, this is but one of several changes being proposed and many of them look like they will genuinely help speed up the game (such as actual enforcement of the “use it” call) but effectively reversing the zero tolerance policy on dangerous tackling technique by allowing a player’s team to replace them after 20m is clearly going in the wrong direction and I hope this proposal falls off the sport’s radar for good.
“People are actually genuinely just excited to get going and see where we’re at with the rest of teams.”
McMahon Looks Forward To Opening Weekend
IrishRugby.ie
JLP : I firmly believe separating the men’s and women’s Six Nations was a good idea, but only if there is enough hype around the start of the women’s because the wider public have been trained over the years to switch off from rugby altogether once the men’s tournament is over, there has generally a drop off in engagement with the men’s provincial level anyway without a top women’s event vying for attention as well.
As for Ireland’s task over the coming weeks, well after a whitewash wooden spoon last season, relative success will be a low bar this time around but hopefully the WXV3 triumph together with the inclusion of some of the sevens players will inspire us to greater things. Starting away to France isn’t the ideal start, however, and hopefully the media can succeed in realistically portraying our expectations over the coming weeks.
Best wishes to Scott, Edel, Sam & all involved with the team. There’s a bit more on the Women’s Six Nations further down the column.
Burns’ arrival at Munster will coincide with Joey Carbery’s move to France.
Billy Burns: Munster sign Ulster fly-half on one-year deal
BBC.com
JLP : One of Irish rugby’s poorest kept secrets this season, and if other rumours are to be believed, this isn’t the last out half provincial switch we’ll be reading about this season, with Leinster likely involved in the next announcement. I’ve never had a problem with these moves, once the player and the teams involved are happy it makes sense that the pieces on the board be moved around once in a while to spread out the talent.
“Sometimes [fans]…are so used to Ireland winning that sometimes the way they win is maybe not what they want”
Jacques Nienaber: Opponents raised their game against Ireland
Michael Glennon – RTE.ie
JLP : I actually spotted this article after I recorded my TIkTok rant for this week, it’s like we’re of one mind, even if we do have different amount of RWC winners’ medals….
Note – views expressed in “Front Five” links do not necessarily reflect those of HarpinOnRugby
WRAP OF A WRAP
Great to have Tom & Rich to help me go back over the Ireland/Scotland match, it might not have been a classic from an attacking standpoint but they did come up with some fascinating talking points from it, one which I actually had to cut out as part of my attempt to keep the whole thing around the hour mark, but FWIW I did post that little discussion on YouTube.
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.
QUICK TAP : DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY
I am always intrigued by the two extremes of rugby watchers, with us hyper-critical nerds at one end and the so-called “casual fans” at the other so I cover that in this week’s QT.
LEINSTER INJURY UPDATE
Obviously the names Keenan and Ryan were not ones we wanted to see on the update although for right now it’s more that of the woefully unfortunate Tommy O’Brien that stands out the most as he most certainly would have featured in Parma at the weekend.
I reckon our 23 to play Zebre will be very similar to what we have seen over the Six Nations period.
Harpin’ matchday 23 v Zebre
McErlean, King, Turner, Osborne, Russell, R Byrne, McGrath
Milne, McKee, Clarkson, Molony, Jenkins, Connors, Penny (c), Deegan
Barron, Boyle, Ala’alatoa, Deeny, Ruddock, Murphy, Prendergast, Brownlee
NB : the above matchday 23 is completely from my own mind, I’m certainly not suggesting I have any ITK a la Thornley
INJURY UPDATE – AVAILABLE FOR SELECTION:
N/A
INJURY UPDATE – FURTHER ASSESSMENT REQUIRED:
Cormac Foley: will be further assessed this week as he nears a return from a shoulder injury
Ciarán Frawley: is continuing to follow the Graduated Return to Play Protocols having been released from Ireland camp last week and will be further assessed as the week progresses
Martin Moloney : will be further assessed this week as he nears a return from a bicep injury
INJURY UPDATE – UNAVAILABLE FOR SELECTION:
Hugo Keenan: was ruled out of the Ireland game at the weekend with a hip injury and will be assessed on his return to Leinster
James Ryan: had a procedure on an arm injury and will be assessed over the coming weeks regarding a return to play date
Tommy O’Brien: picked up a hamstring injury last week and will be unavailable for selection
NO FURTHER UPDATES ON:
Alex Soroka (foot), Charlie Ngatai (calf) and Jimmy O’Brien (Neck)
WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS LAUNCH INTERVIEW
After I had set up the Front Five segment at the top of this column, I got an email from the organisers of the Women’s Six Nations complete with free-to-use quotes & links from the tournament launch.
I was fascinated not just by the responses of coach Scott Bemand, but more so by the nature of the questions that were put to him and Edel McMahon – they covered some very pertinent issues that one would assume might not be covered in a high profile press conference like this one.
So here is what they released :
Excited?
Scott: Really exciting, a new challenge. We don’t shy away from what went on results wise last 6 Nations but we’ve done WXV, we’ve built some winning momentum and connections and hopefully now just excited to crack into this year’s 6 Nations.
How much value is there in the Celtic Challenge?
Scott: The Celtic Challenge is going to become bigger as we go through, as a preparation tool. It’s actually been hugely beneficial because of the training piece. The results have been pretty close, pretty competitive. The level of challenge has been appropriate. It’s a good way of bringing the group together albeit across two teams.
Have you found it a challenge to have players further apart geographically?
Scott: I don’t know if it’s more of a challenge. It’s a younger programme. With England, professionalism started a few years before so you would say the maturity of their programme is on a couple of years in terms of how people are developing within the programme.
There’s a reasonable amount of touch points, w’ere going to continue to grow those touch points as we go through. I would say the challenges have always existed. But when you get back into camp, there’s a palpable level of excitement to get back in a room together.
Disappointing Championship in 2023. What is outlook now?
Edel: I was injured for the last 6 Nations so my mindset is a little bit different. A lot of girls have grown since that campaign to be senior players, stepping it up having been to a successful WXV. Like Scott was saying they’ve had an opportunity to play in the Celtic Challenge. We’ve seen where we’ve grown from those performances until now. I think people are excited to see where we’re at.
What is target?
Edel: To qualify for the World Cup. We’ve spoken as a squad, that’s what we want to achieve.
Lots of talk about 7s programme. Is it frustrating that you won’t have access to some of your best players throughout the Championship?
Scott: There’s a strategic goal to do well at the Olympics, there’s a strategic goal to qualify for the World Cup. We’ve got some 7s girls in the programme going into the 6 Nations which will be a continued big part of our pool of players.
Other nations have done it reasonably successfully. You look at New Zealand at the last World Cup with some of the 7s girls coming back into the XVs programme. It can be done.
They’re great people. They add a bit to the environment as well. I think as we get more seamless with those transitions it’ll become smoother and smoother.
When does it get to that next step where the programmes are independent?
Where the game is in terms of playing numbers, that may be some years off. The challenge we face is to get better at transitioning and both succeeding. If we’re successful at an Olympics and a World Cup, that’s got to shine a great spotlight on women’s rugby in Ireland. That’s going to get more interest and traction and help us grow the game.
On the Celtic Challenge, how much of a look-in have you seen to how it’s bridging the gap from the club game to international?
It was coached by IRFU coaches, so it’s almost inside our circle. We had some great conversations. There’s a big piece about the development of coaches, how you can get enough training and support to improve on-pitch performance. There was Ireland coaches at every session. It was hand in hand.
Playing France in France?
Edel: I got to play there two years ago in Toulouse and that was a full crowd. We chat about our experiences on the pitch. I heard quite a lot of noise – from a line break, a big hit, a try score, a turnover of momentum. That was engulfed on the pitch. From an Irish perspective maybe they liked us a bit more than ye found them (to Scott). You kind of zone out of it. It’s an experience to relish.
Sometimes they’ve turned on their own when they make a mistake but it’s a cool experience.
Are you getting enough of a test from prior opponents through WXV or Celtic Challenge?
Scott: It’s a fair point. WXV3 – putting 100 points on Kazakhstan, perhaps it’s not the level of challenge you need going into a 6 Nations. The things that we can control is the training piece. Had experience before about how you can make some quite big gains with how competitive you can make training. Players seem to buy into it as well instead of just drilling.
Being able to try and win it in training. We’ve made it not about preparing a team but preparing a squad. That was one of the successes of WXV3. Girls that were either on the bench or not involved would have felt that they were being prepared and improved to attack training and show what they can do which breeds natural competition. The Spain game did give us a bit of physical nuance. Going into a France game, we know it’s going to be physical, we know what to expect.
I’d like to think the levels of training would prepare us for that.
What is the contracts scenario in Ireland?
There’s currently 43 contracts which is a merge of the 7s and XVs. They got that going relatively not that long ago. So in terms of cycles, it’s in its first iteration. There’s real intent to grow that and to grow that quickly. Post 6 Nations we’ll review that and see where we stand with it – who is developing, progressing and which new players are coming into the market. Celtic Challenge has definitely shown some youngsters coming up through.
Have you spoken to Cliodhna Moloney?
Scott: I know Cli from being based in the UK. I’ve spoken to Cli informally just around wider stuff. There’ll be a time but at the moment it sits where it sits.
A BONUS TALKING POINT
I simply couldn’t resist getting my sarcasm on after France beat England in that final match, not to rub it in for the English fans rather those in their media who tried to push the narrative that should the results go another way and Ireland win the title on bonus points despite having fewer wins than England (a mathematical possibility that has always been possible in over two decades since we’ve had this method in rugby), it would somehow de-legitimize us winning the trophy.
Bottom line is that while this is not my ideal method for deciding a rugby tournament winner, the fact that everyone knows the rules as it kicks off means nobody should really complain about it afterwards.
EURO REFS
Teams of officials have been announced for the last 16 of the EPCR tournaments, Leinster’s is below, click here for the full list.
Leinster v Leicester Tigers
REFEREE : Matthew Carley (Eng)
AR1 : Hamish Smales (Eng)
AR2 : Paul Dix (Eng)
TMO : Andrew Jackson (Eng)
RUGBY BULLETS ON POST TO POST SPORT
Frequent Harpin contributor Ciarán Duffy hosts his own podcast Post To Post Sport which mostly covers Irish women’s football but also does much rugby and as well as updating his site and branding he has started a new feature known as “Rugby Bullets” please follow the link to check it out.
🔝🐱🐴 UPDATE
I was actually surprised the 🔝🐱🐴 was willing to take a week off even for the final round of Six Nations matches, but anyway it’s back this week and with just eight rounds left and the gap in match points between 6th (last playoff place) and 13th (top relegation place) just NINE, pretty much every match will be significant over the coming weeks. Bordeaux v Toulouse seems to be the pick of Round 19.
NO MATCHES LAST WEEKEND
Round 19
SAT MAR 23
TOULON V MONTPELLIER
OYONNAX V PERPIGNAN
CASTRES V RACING 92
CLÉRMONT V PAU
STADE FRANÇAIS V LYON
BAYONNE V LA ROCHELLE
SUN MAR 24
BORDEAUX V TOULOUSE
PREMIERSHIP UPDATE
After a super-long mid season break during which they played out the final matches in the Cup as well as had those money-spinning friendlies with Leinster & Munster, the Premiership kicks back into gear this weekend and has 6 rounds to go. Northampton lead the way but it’s all to play for as only two of the ten clubs have a losing record. Saracens v Quins seems to be the tie of the round.
NO MATCHES LAST WEEKEND
ROUND 13
FRI MAR 22
BRISTOL V NORTHAMPTON
LEICESTER TIGERS V GLOUCESTER
SAT MAR 23
BATH V SALE SHARKS
EXETER CHIEFS V NEWCASTLE
SARACENS V HARLEQUINS
AIL UPDATE
A rare upset in this league last weekend when Suttonians, outside the top 4, won convincingly away to Blackrock College, although with Ballincollig falling to runaway leaders UL Bohs the gap between the playoff places and the rest remains the same. The league takes a break this weekend, presumedly to make way for the launch of the Women’s Six Nations.
Over in the men’s AIL, only three matches left in the regular season and easily the tie of the round is Ballynahinch hosting Lansdowne, more than likely the Ulster side’s last chance of staying in touch with the top four. Cork Con hosting Terenure also looks tasty.
#SupportYourLocalClub
WOMEN’S AIL
Round 15
BLACKROCK 5-17 SUTTONIANS
RAILWAY UNION 72-12 WICKLOW
COOKE 5-67 OLD BELVEDERE
UL BOHS 41-7 BALLINCOLLIG
ROUND 16
SAT MAR 30
BALLINCOLLIG V BLACKROCK
OLD BELVEDERE V RAILWAY UNION
SUTTONIANS V GALWEGIANS
WICKLOW V COOKE
MEN’S AIL
NO MATCHES LAST WEEKEND
ROUND 16
SAT MAR 23
BALLYNAHINCH V LANSDOWNE
CITY OF ARMAGH V SHANNON
CORK CON V TERENURE
UCD V CLONTARF
YOUNG MUNSTER V TRINITY
SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC UPDATE
Eh, do we need to talk about the Crusaders? I mean, obviously with eight of the twelves teams making the playoffs there is still plenty of time for them to claw their way back and who among us would rule them out from securing their millionth SR title, but four defeats out of four to start the season? Wowza. I watched their defeat to the league leading Hurricanes last Friday and it certainly wasn’t the Saders I’ve been used to seeing. Almost reminded me of Leinster’s Matt O’Connor years…anyway overall it’s good for this league to see Aussie teams with winning records plus Moana & the Drua picking up wins. For me Blues v Crusaders is the standout match from the next round.
ROUND 4
CRUSADERS 10-14 HURRICANES
REBELS 26-53 REDS
WESTERN FORCE 14-22 MOANA PASIFIKA
HIGHLANDERS 21-27 BRUMBIES
CHIEFS 46-29 FIJIAN DRUA
WARATAHS 10-12 BLUES
ROUND 5
FRI MAR 22
HURRICANES V REBELS
BRUMBIES V MOANA PASIFIKA
SAT MAR 23
FIJIAN DRUA V WARATAHS
CHIEFS V HIGHLANDERS
BLUES V CRUSADERS
WESTERN FORCE V REDS
MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY UPDATE
Have to say I was disappointed to see that the MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY was in fact using the conference system this season, having only seen one league table over the first few weeks I thought maybe they had seen sense and gone for a model simpler to Super Rugby. Anywho…after three rounds only Seattle and Houston are 100% and they play each other next weekend while my “adopted team” the Chicago Hounds have had a mixed opening three weeks so far and the visit of New England next time out will definitely be a challenge.
Round 3
NEW ENGLAND 27-21 NOLA GOLD
OLD GLORY 22-22 CHICAGO
HOUSTON 30-19 MIAMI
UTAH 13-23 SEATTLE
SAN DIEGO 19-18 LOS ANGELES
ANTHEM RC 28-68 DALLAS
ROUND 4
SEATTLE V HOUSTON
OLD GLORY V SAN DIEGO
MIAMI V ANTHEM RC
DALLAS V NOLA GOLD
CHICAGO V NEW ENGLAND
LOS ANGELES V UTAH
RUGBY EUROPE CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATE
No real surprise here with Georgia capturing another title and I have to say it was ironic that France chose to move their Six Nations fixtures away from Paris because of the Olympic preparations yet this final was held at the Stade Jean Bouin when maybe it could have enjoyed a better atmosphere in either Tblisi or Lisbon? Anyway if you missed the highlights here they are…
HARPIN PREDICTION LEAGUE
Congrats to Kristian who convincingly won our Six Nations Superbru – he successfully predicted 12 of the 15 results, as did I although with nowhere near enough “margin accuracy” meaning I just about pipped Jay to 2nd spot.
Anyway now it’s back to the big prize, namely the Harpin URC Prediction League which of course resumes this weekend. As you see I am in line to retain my title if I keep going as I have but there’s still a long way to go.
NEXT BATCH OF HARPIN’
In my Quick Tap video I point out the contrast between a Six Nations title decider for Ireland in Dublin one week and a URC regular season fixture for Leinster in Parma the next, but here at Harpin Manor we will of course still be giving it the full Harpin treatment starting with a preview on Friday, as ever stay tuned to all our usual places in the ruggersphere for all our content.
Finally, as ever, be sure to enjoy your rugby wherever you are. JLP
HARPIN' ON RUGBY 