460 : Bulls v Leinster wrap



🏉  Heads not dropping

🏉  Attack is back

🏉  Handing them points

🏉  Tommy’s on fire

🏉  Half full or empty?


CONOR CRONIN


FULL TIME TAKES

Kevin Kelehan

Better performance, should have got 2 bonus points out of it but was a game they had chances to win. After last weeks ill discipline this was a much better performance

Christy O’Connor

Cross field kicks killed us and there were a number of other times they could’ve exposed us, but luckily we escaped. Saying all that, very unlucky not to have come away with 2 points

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URC WRAP


NEXT HARPIN’

TUESDAY

BONUS CHAT : “LEINSTER’S WORKONS”

WEDNESDAY

80+ COLUMN 

441 : Leinster v Glasgow wrap

7 June 2025; Dan Sheehan of Leinster celebrates after scoring his side’s first try during the United Rugby Championship semi-final match between Leinster and Glasgow Warriors at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile


🏉  Dan & Tommy

🏉  Improved players

🏉  Setback recovery

🏉  Defence on point

🏉  Below par champs


CONOR CRONIN

HUGO GORDON


FULL TIME TAKES

Kevin Kelehan

The stadium was buzzing right from the first hit off kick off, the team seemed to feed off it, 32 points clear on 65 minutes having refused to let a decent enough Glasgow side play. Tom Clarkson and Tommy O’Brien were both superb today, Tom winning scrum penalties now and Tommy is so unpredictable. The confidence is back at exactly the perfect time to get it back.

Christy O’Connor

Definitely a much better performance than the last few weeks, I was expecting a tight game. Glasgow were never in it, we let them off easy a few times but we were never losing that game. Just hope we show the same attitude next week

Jackie McEachern

It seemed that Leinster showed great attitude from the start and several players really stepped up. I’m worried about all the missed kicks from Prendergast. But for now excited for the final next week!

Gavin Hegarty

Like do we have that little confidence in our attack that our first instinct is to kick, every time? Frustrating rugby and helping the opposition.

Clarkson had the game of his life and dominated their loose head.

Scot penny take a bow, he was everywhere.

A good win but we fell asleep in the last twenty and gave them tries.

If we stayed tuned in it would have been 50+.

Considering the injury list jvdf, Doris, furlong, henshaw, ringrose, Keenan) we did well.

Clarkson, Osbourne and the optometrist (tob) will Excell on the summer tour

Cuan Mulligan

Much better performance, however Sam is a weakness.. the flare and magic he showed late last year is no where to be found and he is weak in defence, Bulls will run down him all day next Saturday. Far more cohesive as a team, should make for a great game.

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NEXT HARPIN’

TUESDAY

BONUS CHAT : “SAM’S KICKING & BULLS REVIEW”

WEDNESDAY

80+ COLUMN 


435 : Leinster v Zebre wrap

10 May 2025; Ryan Baird of Leinster celebrates after scoring his side’s third try during the United Rugby Championship match between Leinster and Zebre Parma at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile


🏉 12 different tries
🏉 Tyler’s attack
🏉 Sam’s starts
🏉 That JB narrative
🏉 Improved forwards



FULL TIME TAKES

Kevin Kelehan
Normal service is restored after last weeks slip

David Ryle
Better structure this week.

William Andrew
Flat track bullies. If they didn’t set up a drop goal, they have learnt nothing.


URC WRAP


NEXT HARPIN’

TUESDAY

BONUS CHAT : “THE LIONS SQUAD”

WEDNESDAY

80+ COLUMN 

THURSDAY

THROWBACK THURSDAY


431 : Scarlets v Leinster wrap

26 April 2025; Will Connors of Leinster is tackled by Taine Plumtree of Scarlets during the United Rugby Championship match between Scarlets and Leinster at Parc Y Scarlets in Swansea, Wales. Photo by Chris Fairweather/Sportsfile


🏉  Missed chances

🏉  Plumtree power

🏉  Defensive decline

🏉  Leadership lacking

🏉  No consolation


CONOR CRONIN


FULL TIME TAKES

Jackie McEachern

Really poor from almost every perspective but hopefully just a bump in the road. I know we were missing many of the first team but there were still far too many errors and poor decisions.

Christy O’Connor

Scarlets line speed was brilliant, put us under lots of pressure and caused us to make so many mistakes, granted some were unforced. Better team won

Ollie Sinnott

Ross Byrne, Frawley, the Osbornes, Tector, Baird, O Brien and Mccarthy are a couple of steps down in quality from the first 23. Only player to improve their reputation this evening was Jack Boyle and Soroka.

Bert McLoughlin

People whinging about team selection pisses me off! Apart from what’s coming next week, the team out on the field today were good enough to win the game. BUT they made way too many errors and didn’t deserve to win the game.

Congratulations to Scarlets, they played really well and deserved to win that game

Greg Kelly

Scarlets came out needing the 5 points. They were hungry and quite simply Leinster we not. Fair play to the Scarlets, they were well worth the win and showed great composure given that Leinster have a habit of clawing back games. It looked like Leinster had both eyes on Northampton and a lot of the players knew that their knockout involvement going forward was over.


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NEXT HARPIN’

WEDNESDAY

80+ COLUMN INCLUDING FRONT 5 VIDEO

THURSDAY

THROWBACK THURSDAY


423 : Sharks v Leinster wrap

29 March 2025; Max Deegan of Leinster makes a break during the United Rugby Championship match between Hollywoodbets Sharks and Leinster at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban, South Africa. Photo by Shaun Roy/Sportsfile


🏉  Low expectations

🏉  Toothless Sharks

🏉  Bridge pass

🏉  The Max Deegan All-Stars

🏉  Holding on


CONOR CRONIN

DAVID CORDIAL


FULL TIME TAKES

Bert McLoughlin

Not really a great game for a neutral but I’m not neutral, great win. Max was superb

Kevin Kelehan

Noon last week hoped for 2 points out of both games, last week ahead for 83 minutes and just caught in the end by a super dogged Bulls side and this week won a proper dogfight. The scores weren’t spectacular, but players like Deegan, Soroka and Penny never stopped working, the depth that Leinster have is embarrassing. To take 5 points from a trip they have struggled on in recent seasons is really encouraging

Cormac Mannion

Fantastic win. Frawley still doesn’t seem to have recovered his mojo after last autumn, albeit he was great for Penny’s try

Bernie Cunningham

Grt win, boys left it all on the pitch, delighted for the younger lads and to bring home 4pts from SA brill.👏👏

Eamon Saunders

Great performance from such a inexperienced bunch at this level given the opposition 💪👏👏


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NEXT HARPIN’

TUESDAY

BONUS CHAT : “LEINSTER’S CHAMPIONS CUP 23”

WEDNESDAY

80+ COLUMN INCLUDING FRONT 5 VIDEO

THURSDAY

THROWBACK THURSDAY


415 : Leinster v Cardiff wrap

1 March 2025; Charlie Tector of Leinster on his way to scoring his side’s fifth try during the United Rugby Championship match between Leinster and Cardiff Rugby at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

CORRECTION – On the pod I say Leinster’s lead in the URC is 12 points, I’m more than happy to update that it is actually 13! Apologies for the error.

🏉  Tactical changes

🏉  Clinical Cardiff 

🏉  Yellow turning point

🏉  Charlie Tekkers

🏉  Tommy The Trysaver



FULL TIME TAKES

Michael Branagan

Ultimately a great result. Bit sticky for a while there. Excellent 2nd half and score just before halftime critical. Scrum excellent. Cardiff a dynamic team not the taken lightly.

Kevin Kelehan

That Tommy O’Brien hit just before he was subbed was worth 7 points having saved a certain try with an easy run up to the posts, Cardiff were decent out wide and made a match of it. Great to see younger players like Jack Boyle and Charlie Tector growing into battle hardened options for tougher contests.

Martin Lynch

Was at the match. Sloppy 1st Half . Lots of possession poor execution. 2nd half was totally different. Sharper Faster Better . Well Done and lots of Debutants.

👍🏉💙

Chris McDonnell

Some really good stuff. Excellent to see so many of the young players do so well.


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NEXT HARPIN’

TUESDAY

BONUS CHAT – “Harpin On…the Leinster Fan Experience” on YouTube

WEDNESDAY

80+ COLUMN INCLUDING FRONT 5 VIDEO

408 : Scotland v Ireland wrap



🏉 Super Sam
🏉 DVDM good & bad
🏉 HIAs
🏉 Mini comeback
🏉 Quaich retained



FULL TIME TAKES

Sarah Lennon

Decent performance but we need to get out of the habit of coughing up late scores, this could come down to points difference

Colin McConaghie

Thought JGP was outstanding again and Hugo looks back to his best. Worried about our centres who aren’t hitting the heights.

Not sure about persisting with POM with other longer term options available. Conan stepped it up when he came on.

Cormac Mannion

No head-slapping, whooping and screaming in the opposition’s faces from the Scotland players today. Good enough for them.

Overall, a solid performance. We were very sloppy at times though, particularly from 35mins to 50mins and then the last Scotland score.but we were well on top for most of it. Lineout wasn’t great but we tried a few new things and hopefully Furlong and McCarthy will be back for Wales.

David Ryle

I feel Sam has shut his detractors up but they won’t.

Kevin Kelehan

Scotland played very well for phases but the loss of Russell and Graham means we never saw the full test that was expected. Ireland were really professional in using their power and patience to get their scores. Conan is definitely back to his absolute best as Prendergast raises the bar at 10 higher game after game.

Jackie McEachern

Really happy overall with the performance and bonus point win. I thought Prendergast, Beirne, JGP and Keenan were all excellent. Always things to work on but two 5 point wins from the first two 6N matches is excellent.


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MEN’S 6N WRAP


NEXT HARPIN’

TUESDAY

BONUS CLIP ON YOUTUBE CHANNEL

WEDNESDAY

80+ COLUMN INCLUDING FRONT 5 VIDEO

THURSDAY

OSPREYS V LEINSTER PREVIEW SHOW

398 : Munster v Leinster wrap

27 December 2024; Luke McGrath of Leinster scores his side’s first try during the United Rugby Championship match between Munster and Leinster at Thomond Park in Limerick. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

NOTE : this week we posted the ‘Final Thoughts’ portion separately on our YouTube channel

🏉  Vanishing pillar

🏉  Set piece revival

🏉  Steady Sam

🏉  Ahern SUAF

🏉  Through the Ringer



FULL TIME TAKES

Chris McDonnell

I am not a McGrath fan but he was good tonight. Credit where its due. Munster’s refusal to take points when they are on offer is just daft against a defence as good as Leinster’s. Lineout was better and the scrum was good mostly.

Gavin Hegarty

Let’s not get carried away here, that was a terrible Munster team. They need to rebuild from the ground up.

Adrian Hickey

Being cautious with Super Sam is key. No Jordie or RG was a killer blow to a real soft Munster outfit imo. No real reason to egg them on

Jackie McEachern

Happy to see the lineout functioning better. Thought VdF was excellent again. Really happy to get the BP win. Still lots to work on but lots of positives too.

Kevin Kelehan

11 points clear of the pack, selecting a stronger squad to tour South Africa in March is vital, now the meat of the season kicks off, La Rochelle away, Bath home and the Six Nations title defence


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394 : Leinster v Clérmont wrap

14 December 2024; Andrew Porter of Leinster is tackled by Pierre Fouyssac of ASM Clermont Auvergne during the Champions Cup Pool 2 match between Leinster and ASM Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile


🏉 Lineout shambles

🏉 Wraparound Sam

🏉 Tries left behind

🏉 Misty second half

🏉 Peak Porter


CONOR CRONIN

DAVID CORDIAL


FULL TIME TAKES

Cormac Mannion

I can’t actually remember a worse Leinster lineout performance in over 20 years. Some of the handling was also atrocious.

Again, similar to some of Ireland’s performances recently, our players seem to constantly get isolated at the breakdown.

We also appeared to unnecessarily overcomplicate a lot of our handling and passing when being a bit more direct would have been the wiser choice.

Some worrying flaws from Ireland that have seeped into Leinster’s performances.

Kevin Kelehan

Line out is dysfunctional, I know Dan Sheehan is out but without him it has been a disaster, making sure he is fully fit has to be the number 1 objective for Leinster, the throwing today was so bad you’d nearly have JVdF throwing in and Kelliher/McCarthy in for scrummaging and loose play. Fix that problem and there are so many positives from today. The signings of Barrett, Snyman and Slimani are all hits, Sam Prenddergast was outstanding, his tactical kicking, distance to touch off penalties and passing were all really great. Henshaw and Ringrose both superb and Jimmy O’Brien looking close to his best again. A point dropped today but equally 4 points won against a slumbering European giant that was awake today.

Paul Lacey

Will we ever find another Andrew porter. He has to be burnt out .clarkson is playing brilliant rugby. Jvd & Morris need a break..

David Ryle

Scrappy game but a win is a win.

Colette Caddle

An amazing game, two excellent sides but Leinster line outs need a lot of work.


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CHAMPIONS CUP WRAP

377 : Connacht v Leinster wrap

19 October 2024; Max Deegan of Leinster scores his side’s fourth try, despite the tackle of Connacht’s Shayne Bolton, during the United Rugby Championship match between Connacht and Leinster at Dexcom Stadium in Galway. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

🏉 Galway gusts

🏉 Fast start. Again.

🏉 Frawley

🏉 LaRGer than life

🏉 Defence. Again.


CONOR CRONIN

CIAN O’MUILLEOIR


FULL TIME TAKES

Jackie McEachern

Happy enough with the Leinster performance. I was nervous when Frawley went off so early but thought Ross did a good job, especially in the conditions. Hope Frawley’s injury isn’t too bad.

Gavin Hegarty

Not much more else you can ask for. Top points from each outing. Yes we kinda let them back in it but we were never not dominant.

Clarkson for me had been coming into his own this season, he’ll be capped soon enough.

So utterly unlucky for frawley, this was his chance for the autumn series.

Craig Grehan

I think the match although winning shows some poorer choices of play by jpg at times.

Shows frawley is like the munster era snyman …and snyman is becoming a fan favourite.

Connacht as always put up a good fight and on another day would get more bang for their buck.

Cormac Mannion

I think we were switched on for a lot longer than last week. Hopefully Frawley’s injury isn’t too bad. Rotten luck for him


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