As you’ll see a bit down the page, this ‘Thursday Six Nations kickoff’ malarkey is really grinding my gears, not least because it messes up my content schedule. Our preview will record Wednesday evening so I will post this late on Tuesday.
When it comes to the Edinburgh wrap, I was joined by Mr Leinster Royalty himself Tom Coleman who gave an excellent account of the match as well as an overview of Leinster’s season as you’ll see in the bonus chat. We began by focusing on Leinster’s NIQ players. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one cursing RG Snyman during the match on Saturday for overdoing the funky offloads but Tom did a decent job of providing counter point with all the good he’s done, as well as looking at Reiko & Rabah.
…had far to go. And I’ll tell you what, you’d have to go pretty far to convince me that any of the reasons given for bringing this match forward to a goddam Thursday make any sense.
I mean, forgive me for not keeping up on the latest bobsledding and luge news but when this day switch was first announced, and I heard it was to do with the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics, I thought that meant the games were IN France. But they’re not. They’re actually in Italy. So why isn’t it their game with Scotland that gets moved instead of ours????
I mean, going by this article it seems that a weekly ProD2 fixture plus several World Cup matches under a very flawed format somehow makes this marquee matchup going to midweek understandable. Excusez‑moi, mesdames et messieurs, but it doesn’t.
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Ah here, is it the last day of January already? It doesn’t feel like I’d quite gotten finished saying “Ah here, is it the last day of 2025 already?” yet here we are. I must be having tons of fun. It certainly wasn’t from the weather for the past week, mind you. Storm Chandra not only wreaked havoc by causing floods and upturning wheelie bins but took mind to circle back and wreak some more later in the week for good measure.
Which means the forecast for the Aviva tonight of 5॰, little or no wind and 25% rain sounds positively tropical and having been forced to miss the La Rochelle thriller I’m extra looking forward to some live Leinster Rugby this evening.
The latest Harpin preview was a little different this week. The actual format was still the same, but right after the intro when I normally ask my regular guest Keego about last week’s match, he elected to focus on the ban inflicted on Bundee Aki during the week. We don’t discuss what we’re going to say beforehand and I reckon this could have been the most I have ever disagreed with him in all the years we have been doing these preview pods.
Obviously that’s not necessarily a bad thing, in fact many suggest ALL podcasts should have an element of opposing sides, but with this one being so short and the opening segment meant to be brief, we couldn’t really get into it. I did push back a bit, but rather than relitigate the whole matter here you’d be better off listening for yourself so you can do that here. There is also, of course, a decent look ahead to this evening’s match if I do say so myself.
And let’s not forget my latest stint on DublinSouthFM…
But before the spotlight gets turned on the team from the Scottish capital, I’d like to first look at their 1972 Cup rivals the Glasgow Warriors, who consolidated themselves at the top of the URC table (although the Stormers who are 7pts behind them have two games in hand) with a 31-22 victory over Munster last night at Scotstoun.
I didn’t see all of the match, but it was 12-5 to the home side when I joined so I got a decent look at the free flowing rugby they are playing this season. It really was a sight to behold. I spend a lot of my harpin’ time trying to justify Leinster’s defence-centric approach this season but I have to say, at times I do miss the days when we were all freely using the phrase “Leinstertainment” and Glasgow certainly had their own version on display at times last night.
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It’s 7am, somehow later than I usually start doing these articles so I guess from my POV you could call this a “lie-in”. But the family is still asleep and I am alone in a quiet kitchen, apart from the cat who just checked in after a night on the tiles, literally the ones in the garden.
Just in case this is your first time reading this Broken Play, the aim is to kind of do a written version of the Tommy Tiernan Show only that I kind of interview myself with no knowledge of my subject matter; I just type in whatever way my fingers take me and after a quick edit, the post gets published.
Last week that didn’t work so well as I apparently referenced the result of a rugby match that didn’t actually happen, major hat-tip to Harpin’ contributor (and this week’s wrap pod guest) Ciarán Duffy for pointing it out.
There is one regular, predictable section of this article where I plug the latest Harpin’ Preview Show, so I might as well do that here – myself and Keego had a quit chat looking ahead to this evening’s match with Connacht in Galway which also doubles as the formal opening of their shiny new look stadium. Click here to have a look/listen.
I think this week I’d like to harp on the ongoing soap opera that is Welsh Rugby. Well, I say I’d LIKE to, when I’d really rather not. The rivalry between Ireland and our Celtic cousins is quite intense and might have you think I’d be overflowing with Schadenfreude, but I guess I’m just too “nice a guy” to be happy about their current plight.
And no matter how long it might take for the rest of the house to wake up here at Harpin’ Manor, were I to try to explain what’s going on there in detail it would probably take me at least until next week’s Broken Play article. It really is quite the mess.
From my own perspective I suppose I could offer a broader look at what has happened, at least when you compare it to Irish rugby. I know that sounds trite since things are considerably rosier on these shores and comparing the two nations really has an “apples and oranges” feel to it, assuming the two fruits met each other on a rugby pitch at least once a year while slagging each other off for the rest of it.
Hey there, welcome to our latest 80+ column, where my goal is to harp on anything but Leinster & Ireland rugby and, well, I almost get there each week. Almost.
The wrap pod on Sunday featured Leinster’s biggest fan in Gibraltar, Rich Mifsud, who offered his thoughts on the win over Bayonne, ICYMI you can find it here.
It was officially Harpin’ pod number 490 which means a big milestone is on the horizon and if the numbers followed their usual progress then 500 would have been the wrap pod for England v Ireland in the Six Nations so instead to mark the occasion we have a special episode planned, more info on it closer to the time.
For now it’s time to kick off the column with Front Five, a feature I started on the old blog back in 2014. In those days I’d actually choose five articles to post every day to both keep the content flowing and to keep myself up to date on what’s happening in the ruggersphere. These days with podcasts and videos and such to work on, once a week is plenty.
FORMAT TWEAKS
…there is collective support from coaches and clubs to commence their campaigns before the packed November Test window.
Since this current format was introduced I have always been torn on my opinion, certainly not with what seems to be the majority. The elements that appear to annoy most people never really bothered me, like “How can you win just one game and still make the knockouts?” (you might make the knockouts but you’ll be away to a team that probably won all their matches) and “bring back the pools of four” (had plenty of flaws of its own like dead rubbers in January). Still, I wouldn’t be delighted with the current status quo, like “how the hell can a team finishing 3rd from bottom of the Premiership earn a shot at being champions?” so it’s not like I’d be a staunch defender.
This article seems to suggest that for the most part the current four pools of six with four matches each seems to be set in stone until 2030. That only annoys me because it means four more seasons of format nay-saying online if I’m honest. But as you can see by the quote, there is talk of perhaps playing matches at different times of the year, with one, possibly even two matches in October, plus a gap between the Round of 16 and the Quarterfinal.
I kind of like those ideas, in fact I’d suggest putting the Round of 16 BEFORE the Six Nations; imagine if that Champions Cup bracket was taking place this coming weekend? Anyway – we’ll see what they end up doing. I’m sure the collective ruggersphere will be delighted with the decision regardless…
OH BTW…here’s one other thing I definitely would change, this popped into my inbox Wednesday morning…
I don’t care what marketing jargon you might throw at me to explain why they have done this, I can’t see the logic in announcing nominees for POTY when the Y is only 3 weeks old. Makes about as much sense as a certain someone expecting to get a peace prize.
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As promised last week, the Christmas decorations are now up in the Pagano household, and I have even resorted to AI to festivize the logo for the time of year that’s in it.
Speaking of AI, I’m afraid I have to hang my head in shame when it comes to our latest preview show on YouTube. When I talk of producing content I often joke about having a “Harpin’ Legal Department” or “Harpin’ Graphic Department” assuming most people know my tongue is firmly in my cheek as I type. The reality is that apart from my excellent group of contributors who join me on pods and take part in our WhatsApp group, the different hats are generally worn by my good salf.
Which means I have come to resort to AI more and more for research to save time, and sadly the same ways AI photos often come out with 6 or 7 fingers on each hand, the data I ask for can be wildly inaccurate.
The Preview show follows a specific template each week, and one mini segment involves looking at the other matches in the round of the weekend for the tournament Leinster or Ireland are playing in that weekend. When it’s Champions Cup time, I do try to include all the Irish provinces which means I have to also keep tabs on the Challenge Cup.
So when setting up the graphic for the video, rather than go to the official Challenge Cup site like I should have done, I relied on AI to provide me with the list of games and for some reason I was told Ulster were playing against the Dragons while Connacht were playing the Cheetahs.
Both were totally wrong, their opponents were in fact Cardiff and Black Lion respectively, and it’s way too late to fix it. I only noticed there was egg on my fac when I was researching for my weekly Dublin FM slot and it dawned on me that Connacht couldn’t possibly be playing away from home two weeks in a row.
I like to think that our Harpin’ group of contributors is a good mix for the podcast.
For the past couple of years I have had two guests per “wrap pod” but this year I trimmed it down to one not only to allow the guest a higher percentage of the time to harp, but also to allow myself to join the conversation more.
We now have a panel of 9 to choose from, with Keego exclusively doing the preview shows (although Mark Jackson’s Premiership insights have seen him step in both last week and this) and the others taking part in a voluntary rotation of sorts.
And by a “mix” I mean a combination of those who currently coach rugby and thus can offer more tactical knowledge, and out and out fans who have followed Leinster & Ireland for years and love to share their thoughts.
On Sunday I was joined by one of the coaches mentioned above, Tom Coleman who looks after the Balbriggan Women’s team and has also helped out with Leinster. In our wrap of the Harlequins match he offered a great analysis of the style of attack the province is trying to bring this season under Tyler Bleyendaal.
Having studied opinions on Leinster Rugby for almost two decades I notice some interesting patterns. There is a realm with a narrative that tends to be negative no matter how well the team is doing, and when we do VERY well, they would go silent altogether, only to re-emerge again the next time the form takes a dip.
Last season was a classic example. Leinster won virtually every match apart from their South African trip before getting ambushed by the Northampton Saints, and when that happened all the “Cullen out” brigade came spilling out of the woodwork, before seeming to retreat “Homer into the bushes” style when the team recovered to win the URC title.
It seems that may not be just a Leinster thing. Munster got off to a flying start this season culminating in an ambush of their own on us at Croker. 5 wins out of 5 suggested Clayton McMillan’s arrival was paying dividends from the off, and when they scored 3 first half tries against the also-100% Stormers at Thomond Park, it really looked as though they’d be unblemished going into Europe.
But since that second half kicked off, things haven’t gone quite so well, and all it has taken is that 40 minutes plus a humbling against their old boss Johann van Graan in Bath to bring about an article like this one.
Don’t get me wrong – I have nothing against criticism of the province. Only this weekend I defended the commenters on our Facebook page who were mostly going negative about the display against Leinster after I got a comment which led to this exchange…
Things took a bit of a dark turn from there – I have redacted his name for this page but if you want to see the full exchange it’s here.
Anyway, my point is that while I wouldn’t go as far as to censor any opinions I considered overly negative, a bit like that commenter I wouldn’t fully understand it. And in the case of this article about Munster’s defeat in Bath, for the most part I can appreciate where the author is coming from, until the very end where it seems like he almost forgets to blame the whole thing on the “IRFU blazers” and their supposed pro-Leinster bias.
It was great to have Cian “RugbyKino” O’Muilleoir back on the wrap pod this weekend, he had been off working on his own podcast “Mudder Rucker” along with Ailbhe O’Nolan focusing on the recent World Cup. Unfortunately it had to be this crazy contest that he came back for, but he still managed to find some positivity in the pandemonium although as you’ll see later down the column, one of his analogies did not go down too well with fans of a certain literary work/motion picture series. ICYMI click here to check out the pod.
POTTS OF CASH
“I’m beginning to see some real green shoots of increasing revenues emerging from the Nations Championship.”
Every year the IRFU releases its financial report and according to Chief Executive Keith Potts, things look in decent shape. Deficits aren’t always a bad thing so it would seem he is justified in describing the union’s situation as “robust”. He also seems to be pointing to the new Nations Championship as a possible avenue for more revenue, I suppose we’ll have to wait and see what kind of broadcast deals come with it. To be honest I was kind of surprised there wasn’t one in place when they announced the format, especially given it is a competition that has been mooted for many years now.
From a fan’s point of view, here’s hoping the “robustness” together with the prospect of further growth from external sources means the ticket prices can at very least be held at current levels for a while going forward? We’ll see.
Hi there, welcome to Broken Play, aka my Saturday morning Substack scribbling, and since you’re here, if you haven’t already, please hit the subscribe button if you don’t mind.
Many thanks once more to Hugo Gordon for recording his part in our Preview Show looking ahead to the big match with South Africa, unfortunately our schedules didn’t allow us to record at the same time but we still managed to cover the match pretty well I thought, click here to judge for yourself.
It has been a cold week round these parts, hasn’t been that long since I could easily go outside in a t-shirt yet now we’re digging out the scarves and gloves. It’s the kind of weather that makes even a seasoned rugby fan like myself even just a tiny bit happy not to be heading to the Aviva later on, although I suppose if a free ticket were to fall in my lap by this evening I might change my tune. That’s not a hint to anyone reading this by the way. No, no, I REALLY mean it, it’s not.
So last Sunday due to a late (and totally understandable) withdrawal of my wrap pod guest at the 11th hour I was forced to do it “solo” and I actually surprised myself how relatively unafraid I was to do it. That may sound odd because if I have a podcast, surely I have no trouble talking into a microphone, one would say.
That’s true to an extent, but for the most part I’m very OCD about how I produce content, especially the spoken variety. Some people are much better suited to freewheeling when it coms to talking but I need to be prepared and generally I put the time in producing scripts beforehand, at least for the filler parts like intros, outros and links between segments.
I normally let my guest select the themes from the match in question so what I do is let them harp on them for about 5 minutes or so then we have some back and forth, but I also have what I call my “must mention list” which is a set of points I want to make sure get brought up and although the guest hits most of them anyway, I can offer the rest. So when called upon to do the solo I ended up just going through the list point by point and hey presto I had myself a show.
Anyway my point here is that probably the biggest reason for my improved confidence in these situations is my weekly gig on DublinSouthFM with David Nolan. For full disclosure I had received offers for gigs like these a few times over the years and turned them down, telling people I was too busy and such when the real reason a was a big fat chicken! I guess the thought of not having control over the narrative of an interview spooked me and I preferred to stay in my comfort zone of setting the talking points myself.
But by the time David approached my for this DSFM spot I was well aware that I was long overdue facing this particular fear, so I took it on and now I really enjoy doing it. I mean it’s hardly This Week In Politics…the subject matter is something I know about anyway and more often than not we chat within an hour of finishing my recording for the preview show so it’s not like the subject isn’t fresh in my mind.
We welcome guest posts here at Harpin’ Manor, if you would like to get involved in the conversation forward your articles to paganoblog@gmail.com
For the past decade, Leo Cullen has been the steady hand guiding Leinster Rugby through an era of domestic dominance. Since taking the reins in 2015, Cullen has delivered five United Rugby Championship titles and a Champions Cup triumph in 2018. Yet, despite their glittering squad and attacking flair, Leinster have fallen short on Europe’s biggest stage in recent years—losing four consecutive Champions Cup finals and suffering a semi-final defeat to Northampton in 2025.
Often spoken about as a future Ireland Team Manager, Cullen’s stock has fallen in recent years. The aforementioned European defeats, in particular, have been very damaging. Costly refusals by his teams to “take the three points on offer”, whether by penalty or drop goal, stands in stark contrast to the mindset of the top clubs and international sides – the reigning world champions, South Africa, being a prime example of how to consistently win finals by keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
In comparison to Soccer, Rugby union’s revenue is far smaller and only concentrated in a few regions. Rugby Union relies heavily on Marquee Events, such as the Rugby World Cup, every four years, and British & Irish Lions tours. These events effectively subsidise the rest of the game. Outside these peaks, most unions and clubs operate at a loss. In 2023/24, the top 10 unions posted a combined loss of almost €130 million, and Premiership/Top 14 clubs lost over €90 million. Figures are harder to come by / assess for the Irish provinces, but the IRFU share was recorded as €18.4 million, which led to the discontinuation of the Men’s Sevens programme, earlier this year.
The precarious financial position of Rugby Union finances is a problem for Cullen in that he is perceived, by many, to have underachieved with the resources at his disposal. This makes landing another head coach role in the professional game that bit more challenging for him. Clubs and unions want to extract every last ounce from their teams and not be too calm and/or comfortable with defeats.
Leo Cullen is locked in until 2027, so there’s no immediate vacancy. Yet with the RDS Arena redevelopment set to be unveiled ahead of the 2026 Dublin Horse Show, could Leinster Rugby view a change at the helm as part of their new era? Or, indeed, could Cullen himself decide to move on to new pastures?
With speculation mounting, here are some possible names in the frame to take over:
Jacques Nienaber – The Defensive Mastermind
Currently serving as Leinster’s senior coach, Nienaber arrived fresh from guiding South Africa to back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles. His defensive systems have already tightened Leinster’s game, and his contract runs until 2026. If Cullen moves on, Nienaber is the most logical successor—continuity, pedigree, and proven success at the highest level. Springboks will rarely let their teams turn down three points on offer.
Stuart Lancaster – The Architect of Leinster’s Modern Game
Lancaster’s fingerprints are all over Leinster’s attacking identity. During his tenure (2016–2023), he transformed the province into a powerhouse of skill and structure. After a stint at Racing 92, Lancaster returned to Ireland as Connacht head coach. His familiarity with Leinster’s culture and player development makes him a compelling candidate—if timing aligns.
Michael Cheika – The Maverick Option
Always be wary about the return of a head coach – Warren Gatland and Wales comes to mind! Cheika is a name that sparks debate. The Australian coached Leinster to their first Heineken Cup title in 2009 and has since led national teams and World Cup campaigns. His fiery personality and bold approach could inject fresh energy, but would Leinster gamble on a coach known for volatility?
Internal Promotions – McBryde or Bleyendaal
Robin McBryde (forwards coach) and Tyler Bleyendaal (attack coach) have both signed extensions through 2027. Highly respected within the Leinster setup, they offer continuity if the province opts for evolution rather than revolution. However, neither has head coach experience at this level, which poses a risk. Given the scrum’s standout performance against Munster in an otherwise disappointing defeat, McBryde would likely be the preferred internal candidate over Bleyendaal should Leinster choose to promote from within
External Big Names
Leinster’s job is one of the most coveted in world rugby. Expect speculation around:
Joe Schmidt It is hard to keep up with Schmidt. Since stepping down as Ireland head coach in 2019, he has been the Director of Rugby and High Performance at World Rugby, joined the Blues (Super Rugby) as an assistant coach and became a selector and attack coach for the All Blacks, helping them reach the 2023 Rugby World Cup final (lost narrowly to South Africa). He was then appointed Wallabies head coach in January 2024 on a two-year deal, replacing Eddie Jones, tasked with rebuilding Australia ahead of the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour and preparing for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. He has always stated that he wishes to prioritise family commitments but he does still own a house in Dublin! Again, as with Cheiks, always be wary about the return of a head coach.
Ronan O’Gara Despite being a fully paid up member of Ireland’s “Sparta”, ROG has family ties to Blackrock (The Dublin one!). Very familiar with Leinster, both as a player and a manager, the mere thought of him taking the job would be too much for many of our southern brethren. Archie Macpherson’s description of the legendary Celtic FC manager, Jock Stein, was that he was “A Protestant chieftain of a Catholic clan”. Sport has seen stranger twists. His arrival would have many players on edge long before the first team meeting.
Andy Farrell Although his current contract with the IRFU runs until the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, Andy Farrell and Leinster could be a perfect match for each other. He has often highlighted his Irish roots and the sense of community he and his family have found since moving to Dublin. Whilst the life of a rugby coach is often nomadic, Farrell may be reluctant to move again – at least for a while. And who knows, Owen, who will be thirty six in 2027, might decide to join his father as a coach at Leinster? That would be box office!
Eddie Jones The “Davy Fitz” of rugby coaches would certainly get a response! Not going to happen, though. Would be box office times ten!
Rising stars from Super Rugby or the Top 14 Leinster, as a general rule, have tended to recruit well when looking for head coaches. However, it is unlikely that they will look past established candidates this time around.
The Big Question
Leinster’s next head coach must do more than maintain domestic dominance—they need to conquer Europe. Style of play, cultural fit, and timing will all shape the decision. For now, Leo Cullen remains in charge, but the succession debate is only just beginning…
I’m Andy Corbett and I live in Leopardstown, Dublin. I am a huge sports fan but GAA, Rugby (Both Codes) and Football are my favourites. Enjoy a bit of writing here and there but have been advised to stick to my day job.
This article? Let’s just say it’s the lovechild of some wild spitballing with a few mysterious insiders who prefer to remain in the witness protection program…
The above article has been published without editorial modification, and the opinions expressed are solely those of the signed author. Harpin On Rugby is committed to providing a platform for rugby fans to share their views through comments, videos, and articles, provided they meet our moderation standards.
Here at Harpin’ Manor we have made a commitment to cover the Leinster & Ireland senior men;s team rugby by featuring their matches on a weekly basis by way of two pods per contest, one for a preview, and one for a wrap. We do this regardless of the importance of the fixture. So whether it’s a marquee matchup, against Munster at Croker or the All Blacks in Chicago, or an outing that will be virtually forgotten once the full time whistle blows, like against Zebre or Japan (all due respect etc), we’ll be there harpin’ on ‘em.
It’s our way of keeping tabs on the overall rugby scene – we have things like this column to cover the wider world and BlueSky & Facebook to pass comment on things that happen during the week in real time, but it’s the pods that do most of our lifting, and as ever I’m grateful to the team of contributors for joining me for the chats each time. On this occasion it was Conor Cronin sharing his views on the win over Japan, and for this one we reverted to the “Harpin old school” format of covering each half separately and I reckon it worked pretty well. Click here to check it out if you missed it.
GOODMAN YOURSELF
By Goodman and the players’ own admission, Ireland’s backline detail has not been where it needs to be.
Ireland backs coach Andrew Goodman out to get the better of mentor Joe Schmidt
Johnny Watterson – Irish Times
I find it fascinating that Andy Farrell has taken so much stick in articles and social media comments over the past couple of weeks…I mean sure, the buck does stop with him but if his track record at the Irish helm doesn’t earn him any mitigation, surely the fact that he was away from the role for the bulk of 2025, not to mention so was a large contingent of players as well.
So with the Irish attack failing to fire on all cylinders, plus all the lineout woes, you’d think we might be transferring some more focus on the unit coaches, not necessarily to blame in such away that they should be fired necessarily, more to at least acknowledge their responsibility.
Paul O’Connell currently has the lineout in his bailiwick and no doubt will have a plan to sort out the very obvious yips, and when it comes to the attack, there’s Andrew Goodman. I have to say we were never exactly dazzled by his time at Leinster, a province that certainly earned the moniker with “-tainment” tacked on to the name for a reason.
And this makes me wonder, not for the first time, if high ranking positions in the Irish set-up are “promised” more than they are earned. I know this makes me sound like a classic tinfoil hat blogger but I’m just putting this out there – when you’re combing the southern hemisphere for what you consider to be the best coaching talent, is it enough to offer a position within a province, even Leinster, or does it help to have some extra leverage in your back pocket like a promise of a guaranteed promotion after a certain amount of time?
But like I say, that’s just a crackpot theory from the outside…at least in this article Goodman acknowledges there have been issues much like the lineouts (although the two are clearly related given how pretty much all of Ireland’s tries over he last two weekend’s have come following the setpiece working) so we can look forward to seeing how they have been worked on in training.
HARPIN' ON RUGBY 