🏉 A sort of homecoming
🏉 Earning their stripes
🏉 Great expectations
🏉 The other provinces
🏉 Greater rivalries
Our guests :
Category: RugbyKino
531 : Leinster v Stormers wrap
🏉 Rolls Royce 9
🏉 Physicality
🏉 Imperfect Stormers
🏉 Stats stats stats
🏉 And now the Bulls
THIS WEEK’S GUEST
FULL-TIME THOUGHTS
Liz Power
Scoreline flattered us. Stormers were full of brute force but the lack of discipline did for them
Christy O’Connor
Started off bright, but as the game went on we were struggling. Wasted a number of decent chances when in their 22.
The stormers also wasted a number of chances to punish us. I don’t think the bulls will waste as many chances
Joe Shep
Tbh, a lot of “Muscle Memory” rugby from the likes of JGP (well deserved POTM) but Stormers had our card well marked with strong elements of UBB….. We were lucky they let themselves down with indiscipline and they lacked the game changing flair of Sascha F-M…..A final beckons but more required
Overall we’ve got the individuals but we are NOT a cohesive unit…… I genuinely don’t understand why AF can get the best as a cohesive team having players for only a few weeks yet Leinster don’t 🤔🤷
Kevin Kelehan
Delighted with the game, knew Stormers would be formidable but their hits were massive, they made us work for every yard.
That they won their first card period 3-0 showed how streetwise they are, wasted 3 minutes on one passage of legitimate scrum resets.
The bench was the catalyst, even before the loss of 2 players you could feel the momentum shifting our way. Whilst Conan s brute force and Ringers deftness were probably the main catalysts, you have to mention Usanov, Gus and Mangan all of whom really made an impact against world class opponents.
Finally Sam being a speed bump for massive Stormers loose head in his first tackle situation of today is displaying the fight we need from him to be our 10
Chris McDonnell
A semi final win is a win. Can’t play rugby without a 10 and simply Leo first 2 choices are not good enough.
Jo Kerr
Would have been interesting if the Stormers had Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Cobus Reinach
Tricia Cormac Timothy
Need a decent 10
Odran John OBrien
Sorry to say it’s time for Cullen and Nienaber to go bring in Scott Robertson and Owen Farrell at Five Eighth
Niall O’Higgins
Win is a win but i feel stormers coaching was better – they knew what to do, excellent ruck speed , made leinster appear chaotic by comparison – game plan seems limited compared to skill set of players and wasteful. Scrum is dire. It beggers belief that these players are lions yet are asked to be donkeys – one up runs without support, kick chase – all low percentage plays
Eamon Saunders
Trying to beat the South Africans by playing their game not working but another final to try win
Caroline Wynne
👌💪🤘
Dave Murray
Another final and possibly another URC (which isn’t to be sniffed at) but our tactics and style is not great at all, in my opinion anyway. Nienaber opened the door on an early exit and that is fine by me.
Ruairi Niall Eiméid
Not vintage by Leinster, very stuttering and bland attack but ground out another win to get to the URC Final. Feel a little Déjà vu playing Bulls again in Croker but on Friday Night Lights
Click here for real-time thoughts from
the Harpin WhatsApp group during the match
URC WRAP
NEXT BATCH OF HARPIN’
TUESDAY
80+ COLUMN (Substack)
509 : Glasgow v Leinster wrap
🏉 Gone in 11 minutes
🏉 Struggling attack
🏉 Confusing calls
🏉 Defensive concerns
🏉 They were Warriors
THIS WEEK’S GUEST
FULL TIME TAKES
Cormac Mannion
I know people will say we were missing a load of internationals but so were Glasgow! Also, that squad of players last night had been training together for the last few weeks. You wouldn’t have thought it. Some of the handling skills were downright shocking. Zero intention shown in tackling at times. No real defensive alignment, no defensive patterns.
The attack ran out of ideas every time it went past 3-4 phases. Shovel it sideways and eventually basketball pass out to a forward loitering on the wing.
Sam didn’t have a great game but he didn’t have much to work with. Slow ruck ball and McGrath was very slow distributing to him with a number of hospital passes. He really was having to force the game at times and needlessly kicked the ball away because he ran out of options
We look badly coached and the shape of the team reminds me of the latter stages of Gary Ella’s and MOC’s tenures … the awful defence under Ella and the dire attack under MOC.
Our only hope is the returning internationals retain the “muscle memory” from Farrell for the rest of the season
David Lawlor
Discipline was a killer but falling off tackles like that is what you expect to see from the half time minis. Pack Reiko off now and use Henshaw, Ringrose and Osborne in midfield for the rest of the season. Snyman should only be used off the bench as an impact sub. Major questions to be asked over Sam’s ability to control big games.
Gordon Addie
Glasgow are regularly in the top spots in the URC every season, so should never be taken for granted that Leinster go and win away to Warriors, theyve lost plenty in Glasgow over the years. The surprise was how emphatic the victory was given Glasgow were arguably missing about 12-13 starters and had a 2nd string pack out, while Leinster fielded a team with several Lions, a Springbok and an All Black. The sides will look very different next time they meet likely in a knock out game but Glasgow will fancy they can upset them again.
Liam Brosnan
Leinster were a great team, now they are a good team. Other teams have improved, it’s cyclical. They are not contenders for champions cup but they are the best irish side
Kevin Kelehan
Glasgow are a different side to last season, much stronger, we’ll be back in Scotland for the semi in the Champions Cup assuming both sides don’t slip up. Discipline cost Leinster this match, not good enough, on 13 men conceding 26 points and chasing the game after that. Leo needs to field a near full strength side next week as the lack of match continuity was glaringly obvious in this defeat. Some of the more excitable fans showing their true colours after this game, you don’t turn on specific players and or the coach when you lose away to the top team in the league.
Greg Kelly
We used to win these games at a canter. You have to wonder what has changed? Ioane can head home now as he is not the calibre of marquee player required. Snyman has been poor the last few games and it seems teams are now wise to his offload game. Sam’s confidence has been shredded by the 6 nations and we looked soft upfront tonight. We need to be competitive in these international windows otherwise it’s uphill in the playoffs
Craig Grehan
Are we all neglecting the fact we’d a team of irish internationals not playing ?
Let’s not forget.
Why are we not playing Osborne? Ringrose? Gibson Park? Captain Doris? Van Der Flier? McCarthy? Ryan? Furlong? Sheehan?
Dont gimme the “International rest” crap.
We’d Conan and Kelleher there.
Big games need big calls.
We’re a team of softies at times
Richard Collumb
Coaching ticket not up to it. Prendergast needs a break & discipline needs improving
Chris McDonnell
The step up in attack when frawley came on was massive. To think he was driven out of the club is baffling. I’d say Lancaster can’t believe his luck.
The coaching ticket needs to go. The 3 stooges are dragging us from bad to worse. Cullen claims to love the club, if he really did he’d admit he’s out of his depth and walk away.
Christy O’Connor
I’ve said it a million times now, we have gone backwards under Nienabar and Bleyendaal. Ulster players deserve their spots in the Irish team, they are playing much better rugby, they’re playing how we used to play before we lost Lancaster.
Absolute shite rugby style. Clueless in attack. More fun watching paint dry
Louis Hoffman
Cullen and Nienaber must go.
Dreadful
But to see that kn*bjockey Zebo delighted that a Scottish team beat an Irish one. What a jerk
Odran John OBrien
Time for the coaching team to change
CLICK HERE FOR THE REAL-TIME REACTIONS FROM
THE HARPIN WHATSAPP GROUP THROUGHOUT THE MATCH
Get in the conversation yourself by leaving
your own thoughts each week after the full time whistle
in Leinster & Ireland matches on our Facebook page
URC WRAP
NEXT HARPIN’
TUESDAY
BONUS CHAT : “WOMEN’S 6N PREVIEW”
WEDNESDAY
80+ COLUMN
452 : Second Lions test wrap
🏉 A Half of Four Eighths?
🏉 Val & Skel
🏉 Better bench
🏉 Dramatic conclusion
🏉 What next for Aus?
443 : Leinster are URC Champions wrap
🏉 Kicking on
🏉 Pack Mentality
🏉 Defensive stands
🏉 Below par Bulls
🏉 Playing the conditions
THIS WEEK’S GUESTS
FULL TIME TAKES
Kevin Kelehan
Great atmosphere in Croker from about 30 mins before kick off, hat tip to the support in the Hill they were so vocal. The defensive set for 5 minutes before half time was what won the game, Bulls threw everything they had at Leinster, recycling clinically but there was no way through. Was delighted to see Ross Byrne get point 32 at Croker as his last act, was even happier to see Sam Prendergast hit a lot of people today, he has redeemed himself.
Jackie McEachern
Brilliant team performance! So happy for everybody at Leinster rugby. I hope they all thoroughly enjoy celebrating this and that it can be the foundation that next season is built upon.
William Andrew
Elon Musk, Nelson Mandela, Charlize Theron, Rassie Eramus, Trevor Noah your boys took some beating 💓 in Dublin today. 😀😃🙂🙃😊😇😀
Superb . Controlled aggression. Total focus at all times. I enjoyed the wins at the scrum as much the tries. The real slim shadys stood up today
Kevin OCeallaigh
That was a brilliantly coached performance, especially on defence. Thrilled for Sam. Thought he was really good today and probably one place kick away from POTM. He’s probably had a tough week. Also a great sign-off for Jordie, and the cheers from the crowd shows just how much he is respected by the fans. Loved the celebration from Ross when he showed that kick
Cuan Mulligan
Ryan Baird.. more of that please. Was good to see Sam P try some flare, looked like his mojo was back.. kicking off the tee is still a growth area for the summer…looked like he wanted contact more, although fell off tackles but not for lack of want. What they have tapped into.. they need to stay tapped into.
Daniel James
Thank god!! I could leave it at that but it was a brilliant performance where they went at the bulls like they did in the champions cup up to the semi final. Hopefully this lays a foundation to get over the line in next years knockout competitions. Also past time to win the URC now we need push all the way next year!
Get in the conversation yourself by leaving
your own thoughts each week after the full time whistle
in Leinster & Ireland matches on our Facebook page
URC WRAP
NEXT HARPIN’
TUESDAY
BONUS CHAT : “SAM’S ROLE” & “THE IMPORTS”
WEDNESDAY
80+ COLUMN
437 : Leinster v Glasgow wrap
🏉 Stats v Vibes
🏉 Tremendous Tommy
🏉 Flat Track Bullies
🏉 The Ben Whitehouse Experience
🏉 In Our Defence
THIS WEEK’S GUESTS
FULL TIME TAKES
Gavin Hegarty
I’m not going to comment on whitehouse.
We have real talent in Leinster but for some reason this talent is not firing. On paper we were 40+ better than this team yet we couldn’t string any phases together.
Why do we want to defend? We just keep on aimlessly kicking the ball away. Madness.
Tommy O’Brien is class and has to be capped in Georgia/Portugal.
On a positive note on spiral from Sam has to be the best kick I’ve ever seen! Simple exquisite
Chris McDonnell
No real spark but effort was very good. Gunne passed well but didn’t really offer any threat, Sam is not controlling the game, loads of really good stuff but not really getting a grip. Boyle is a good one. What’s going on with furlong? Why is he on the bench if he’s not getting much needed game time.
Christy O’Connor
This proves that Frawley should’ve been given more time at ten.
Andrew Bailey
It’s a sad situation when you know once referee is announced that he will be awful. Whitehouse did not disappoint. Aside from that we have a problem at 10
Get in the conversation yourself by leaving
your own thoughts each week after the full time whistle
in Leinster & Ireland matches on our Facebook page
URC WRAP
NEXT HARPIN’
TUESDAY
BONUS CHAT : “THE URC QUARTERFINALS”
WEDNESDAY
80+ COLUMN
417 : Ireland v France wrap
🏉 70% possession
🏉 Ruckgate
🏉 Peter O’Matador
🏉 Billy Barry
🏉 2 little 2 late
THIS WEEK’S GUESTS
FULL TIME TAKES
Warren Doyle
Game lost in first 20 minutes. We didn’t achieve the points to counter the French flair. What came after was very predictable.
Gavin Macarthur
France came to play rugby and they are a fantastic team. The Irish squad can learn a lot from this kind of defeat – at least the openings for the younger players are starting to appear. It is never good to see ‘supporters’ leaving the stadium early – poor form.
Cuan Mulligan
France deserved the win. However…. Odd decision about POM been taken out, French player then runs through that hole. Ref shouting at France to use the ball 3 or 4 times, well over 5 seconds and nothing. Conor Murray upright and we drive him over the line, utterly confusing strategy, should have got him to ground and gone again. Be interesting to get the stats of how many no tries Ireland have by been held up…
Ger Ecki
Another crunch match lost and lost comprehensively…..Another poor performance when challenged. Slams lost 2 years running by losing one crucial match. Got away with it last year by being over feted for winning the Championship…..not so lucky this time. Losing Lowe at the beginning meant we lost our only reliable backline try scorer but they lost DuPont so all bets were off. Ireland collapsed and didn’t fire a shot. Those last 2 trys were gifted by an exhausted French who knew they had the job done….
James Griffin
Outmuscled all day long. We didn’t have the power to break their defence or stop their offence.
Get in the conversation yourself by leaving
your own thoughts each week after the full time whistle
in Leinster & Ireland matches on our Facebook page
SIX NATIONS WRAP
NEXT HARPIN’
TUESDAY
BONUS CHAT : “TEST TICKET PRICING”
WEDNESDAY
80+ COLUMN INCLUDING FRONT 5 VIDEO
406 : Ireland v England wrap
🏉 Early worries
🏉 23 lineouts
🏉 That JGP step
🏉 Weary defenders
🏉 Bench impress
THIS WEEK’S GUESTS
FULL TIME TAKES
Kevin Kelehan
Bench was the difference, Conan was clinical, Dan was Dan as only Dan can be Dan, Tom Clarkson stood up to Ellis Genge who is technically intimidating and Jack Crowley kept it simple and flowing. England were value for their lead on 10 mins but their persistent cynical fouling caught up with them. Ireland got out with 5 points, England very lucky to get 1
Hubert Gallagher
Really really good second half except for allowing the last 2 tries. Huge impact from bench. Conan made an immediate impact. Crowley was excellent as well. And Sheehan….was he ever away?
James Lowe has a knack of making something out of nothing so often. Recognise JGPs performance but Lowe must have been very close to MOTM!!
Discipline excellent and mental toughness to the fore.
Onwards to Scotland – they’ll fancy turning us over and it’s never a gimme in Murrayfield. We need to be even tougher there. Will be a very different game – they’re unlike to kick as much ball away and will challenge our defence our wide.
Jackie McEachern
Lineout and discipline much improved from Autumn Internationals. England getting the LBP is disappointing but getting 5 points from an England match is always a great feeling.
Gavin Macarthur
This kind of championship game should be a platform for developing new players, instead of allowing some of the older players to continue their international careers as ‘game-closers’. There are a few players in that category and they need to be cut loose. Anyone who is over the age of 35 is not really going to figure in the next world cup, so why continue to play them?
That said, it was a good test match, giving the squad an opportunity to put their systems and leadership under pressure.
David Ryle
Turning point was their winger not allowing the ball go dead resulting in an Ireland 5m scrum at 44 mins.
Dave Murray
Great second half (except letting England back in for the bonus point) and Dan Sheehan what an impact again along with Lowe back from their injuries.
Get in the conversation yourself by leaving
your own thoughts each week after the full time whistle
in Leinster & Ireland matches on our Facebook page
MEN’S SIX NATIONS WRAP
NEXT HARPIN’
TUESDAY
BONUS CLIP ON YOUTUBE CHANNEL : “JACK OR SAM (OR TRUST?)”
WEDNESDAY
80+ COLUMN INCLUDING FRONT 5 VIDEO
400 : La Rochelle v Leinster wrap
🏉 80-minute D
🏉 The Porter Protocol
🏉 Jamie spin, Joe score
🏉 Missed kicks
🏉 Frantic finish
THIS WEEK’S GUESTS
FULL TIME TAKES
John Hyland
Botia was a nuisance when he came on. Leinster were very physical and really ripped into them in the first half but lost a bit of intensity after the substitutions. Both sides need to improve their place kicking.
Gavin Hegarty
Ok let’s not call a spade a shovel here. We won but it was far from satisfactory. So many schoolboy errors that a better side would have hugely punished us on. Our lineout is an utter sham, I don’t get how a pro team can have one so bad. I think some of the subs, like Byrne and McGrath, happened to early, prendergast was doing very well.
On a side note that TMO should be fired for raising the Doris tackle with the ref and for wasting everyone’s time reviewing it. I think he was aiming for the world’s first back to head penalty.
Jackie McEachern
Happy for the win away. Amazing defence and still lots to work on in attack. We can’t miss kicks like the one Byrne missed in games at this level. The kick Barrett missed was much more difficult and maybe we should have gone to the corner then?
For me MOTM was between JVDF and Doris.
Greg Kelly
We turned the tables on them. We had them running into brick walls and numerous times their sustained phase attack was driven 20-30m backwards. They did that to us in our 1st few encounters.
Ross Byrnes missed kick again I think will be another paving stone on his road out of the club. In a game like that you can’t miss those kicks
Kevin Kelehan
O’Gara had La Rochelle pumped, the crowd was extremely partisan. Leinster made mistakes but had the winning mentality, did not make it easy for themselves but did the hard work without the ball.
John Jones
Amazing defensive performance and we looked in control for the middle part of the game. Thought we really lost our shape once all the subs were on though and there were far too many players out of position- need a more balanced bench selection I think. Also, Ross is a great servant but Frawley has to be the back up 10 in these games i think. I just don’t trust Byrne in clutch games and that penalty miss was pretty unforgivable I think. Also wasn’t it very similar to the penalty that Frawley came off the bench and nailed in the same fixture last year?
Get in the conversation yourself by leaving
your own thoughts each week after the full time whistle
in Leinster & Ireland matches on our Facebook page
CHAMPIONS CUP WRAP
386 : Ireland v Fiji wrap
Ireland’s Sam Prendergast takes a kick Mandatory Credit
©INPHO/Ben Brady
🏉 Sam, Gus & Izzy
🏉 Attacking flow
🏉 Discipline
🏉 Awkward positions
🏉 Pecking orders
THIS WEEK’S GUESTS
FULL TIME TAKES
Hubert Gallagher
Sam P’s ability to pick out a late pass and put a player into a gap was otherworldly! Set up a number of clean breaks. Loved the fact he made a number of errors but the head didn’t do down and he just played on as if it didn’t matter. Great temperament.
Gus was also brilliant- another couple of games and he’ll be pushing Kelleher and of course Sheehan when he’s back! What a debut.
Lots of really good performances from more established players Henshaw, Aki, JVDF, Doris and loved Casey’s performances – much better then I’ve seen him play before.
Lastly a word for Frawley – he took some punishment and kept going and did very well!
Opposition was quite poor however and we need to keep that in mind.
Jackie McEachern
Bearing in mind that Fiji were poor, I think we can still take away positives. Great first time starts from Sam and Gus. And many of the veterns put in strong performances – Aki, Henshaw, Doris, VdF. I was also really impressed with Casey.
I think Crowley should definitely start next week and the #10 jersey is his. But I’m excited for what Sam will also bring as he matures and his skills grow.
Bert McLoughlin
Fijian discipline shocking. Gus McCarthy had a great debut 3 assists and a try👏. Sam had a mixed bag with the yellow and a few mistakes after he can back on, but his passing gains space for players around him and is definitely a playmaker 10.
Chris McDonnell
Casey played his best game, sam recovered from some silly mistakes and played well especially after frawley came on and took loads of the pressure off playing as a second play maker. Said before the game the balance on the bench with so many 12’s and no back 3 players was always going to go badly.
Eamon Saunders
A win is a win some great individual performances but for me Robbie Henshaw was back to his best but again great performances all over the pitch
Get in the conversation yourself by leaving
your own thoughts each week after the full time whistle
in Leinster & Ireland matches on our Facebook page
AUTUMN NATIONS SERIES WRAP
WEEK 3
FRANCE 37-23 ARGENTINA
IRELAND 52-17 FIJI
WALES 12-45 SOUTH AFRICA
ITALY 11-29 NEW ZEALAND
SCOTLAND 27-13 AUSTRALIA
ENGLAND 59-14 JAPAN
WEEK 4
SAT NOV 30
IRELAND V AUSTRALIA
