Australia – HARPIN' ON RUGBY

472 : IRELAND V AUSTRALIA wrap

2025 Quilter Nations Series, Aviva Stadium, Dublin 15/11/2025Ireland vs AustraliaIrelands Mack Hansen scores his sides third try of the match despite Australias James O’ConnorMandatory Credit ©INPHO/Gary Carr

🏉 Full-Mack at 15

🏉 Options galore

🏉 Baird The Poacher

🏉 Smart decisions

🏉 Think inside the Boks

THIS WEEK’S GUEST

No guest this week, flying solo

FULL TIME TAKES

Kevin Kelehan

Questioned in recent weeks, accused of being a team in serious decline, players being told in the media they were past their sell by date, line out coach and best lock in Irish history told he was shyte at his job. Then we get the best Irish performance since RWC 2023 and one as unpredicted as smashing France in Marseilles in 2024. Australia absolutely failed to deal with the weather conditions and coughed up a lot of easy possession in the red zone but this was the Irish team giving Andy Farrell and Paul O’Connell a performance they’ve been owed for a while. Despite the absence of lions Joe McCarthy, Van Der Flier, Ringrose and Keenan the team was rejigged into a cohesive unit and its clear there is more depth in the squad than has been thought for a couple of years, players like Henshaw and Hansen look reinvented whilst McCloskey looks to be the most unlucky player in recent history in only getting short stints. Hopefully the team can match this performance again next week and hopefully the BOK evolution hasn’t moved on too much since last summer’s drawn series.

Adrian Hickey

Australia still in shock after the Lynagh/Ioane show last week I reckon. When our very sick, reintroduced fb Mack can help himself to a hattrick out of position says quite a bit. Ronan not cutting the mustard the last bit. Gus on bench at hooker next week to back up Dano or he has to do 80. Kudos to Sambo for the drop btw

Bert McLoughlin

A lot more cohesive this week and apart from poor discipline in the 1st half we should have kept their score lower

Kettlebell Padawen

Sam’s best game in green. Australia were shocking

David Ryle

Sam should have shut his detractors up but no they’re still nit picking his performance.

‪Rob Gardner‬ (via BlueSky)

JPG could give anywhere between 1-15 a good go.

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NOVEMBER SERIES WRAP

ITALY 14-32 SOUTH AFRICA

PORTUGAL 58-12 HONG KONG

ENGLAND V NEW ZEALAND

GEORGIA 38-17 CANADA

ROMANIA 18-26 USA

WALES 24-23 JAPAN

IRELAND 46-19 AUSTRALIA

FRANCE 34-21 FIJI

SCOTLAND 24-33 ARGENTINA

NEXT HARPIN’

TUESDAY

GUEST POST : “Who could replace Leo?” (blog)

WEDNESDAY

80+ COLUMN (Substack)

471 : Ireland v Australia preview

ALSO AVAILABLE AS A PODCAST

Our guest : NEIL “KEEGO” KEEGAN

www.keegolaughs.com

Apologies Up Front on Apple Podcasts

IRELAND : 15. Mack Hansen 14. Tommy O’Brien 13. Robbie Henshaw 12. Stuart McCloskey 11. James Lowe 10. Sam Prendergast 9. Jamison Gibson-Park

1. Paddy McCarthy 2. Dan Sheehan 3. Tadhg Furlong 4. James Ryan 5. Tadhg Beirne 6. Ryan Baird 7. Caelan Doris (c) 8. Jack Conan

16. Rónan Kelleher 17. Andrew Porter 18. Thomas Clarkson 19. Nick Timoney 20. Cian Prendergast 21. Craig Casey 22. Jack Crowley 23. Bundee Aki

AUSTRALIA : 15. Max Jorgensen 14. Filipo Daugunu 13. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii 12. Len Ikitau 11. Harry Potter 10. James O’Connor 9. Jake Gordon

1. Angus Bell 2. Matt Faessler 3. Allan Alaalatoa 4. Jeremy Williams 5. Tom Hooper 6. Rob Valetini 7. Fraser McReight 8. Harry Wilson (c)

16. Billy Pollard 17. Tom Robertson 18. Zane Nonggorr 19. Nick Frost 20. Carlo Tizzano 21. Ryan Lonergan 22. Tane Edmed

Quilter Nations Series – Round 3

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Aviva Stadium, Dublin

KO 8:10pm

Live on : RTÉ2, TNT Sports 1

Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng)

AR1: Pierre Brousset (Fra)

AR2: Adam Leal (Eng)

TMO: Ian Tempest (Eng)

FPRO: Dan Jones (Eng)

454 : Third Lions test & series wrap

Our guest : MARK JACKSON

I’d like to thank Mark and of course all the Harpin contributors over the course of the season as we wind down Season 6 of our humble pod.

We’re looking at one more recording next weekend looking ahead to the Women’s World Cup and otherwise our only content between now and our Season 7 premiere will be our weekly 80+ column which will continue posting on Wednesday.

453 : 3rd Lions test preview

Our guest : MARK JACKSON

LIONS : 15 Hugo Keenan 14 Tommy Freeman 13 Huw Jones 12 Bundee Aki 11 Blair Kinghorn 10 Finn Russell 9 Jamison Gibson-Park

1 Andrew Porter 2 Dan Sheehan 3 Tadhg Furlong 4 Maro Itoje 5 James Ryan 6 Tadhg Beirne 7 Tom Curry 8 Jack Conan

16 Rónan Kelleher 17 Ellis Genge 18 Will Stuart 19 Ollie Chessum 20 Jac Morgan 21 Ben Earl 22 Alex Mitchell 23 Owen Farrell

WALLABIES : 15 Tom Wright 14 Max Jorgensen 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii 12 Len Ikitau 11 Dylan Pietsch 10 Tom Lynagh 9 Nic White

1 James Slipper 2 David Porecki 3 Taniela Tupou 4 Nick Frost 5 Will Skelton 6 Tom Hooper 7 Fraser McReight 8 Harry Wilson (capt).

16 Billy Pollard 17 Angus Bell 18 Zane Nonggorr 19 Jeremy Williams 20 Langi Gleeson 21 Tate McDermott 22 Ben Donaldson 23 Andrew Kellaway

Qatar Airways Lions Men’s Test Series – 3rd test

Saturday, August 2, 2025

Accor Stadium, Sydney

KO 11am Irish time

Live on : Sky Sports

Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)

AR1 : Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)

AR2 : Andrea Piardi (Ita)

TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)

FPRO: Richard Kelly (NZ)

452 : Second Lions test wrap

🏉 A Half of Four Eighths?

🏉 Val & Skel

🏉 Better bench

🏉 Dramatic conclusion

🏉 What next for Aus?

Our guests…

CIAN O’MUILLEOIR

DAVID CORDIAL

451 : Second Lions test preview

Our guest : MARK JACKSON

LIONS : 15. Hugo Keenan 14. Tommy Freeman 13. Huw Jones 12. Bundee Aki 11. James Lowe 10. Finn Russell 9. Jamison Gibson-Park

1. Andrew Porter 2. Dan Sheehan 3. Tadhg Furlong 4. Maro Itoje (c) 5. Ollie Chessum 6. Tadhg Beirne 7. Tom Curry 8. Jack Conan

16. Ronan Kelleher 17. Ellis Genge 18. Will Stuart 19. James Ryan 20. Jac Morgan 21. Alex Mitchell 22. Owen Farrell 23. Blair Kinghorn

WALLABIES : 15 Tom Wright; 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Harry Potter; 10 Tom Lynagh, 9Jake Gordon

1 James Slipper, 2 David Porecki, 3 Allan Alaalatoa; 4 Nick Frost, 5 Will Skelton; 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson.

16 Billy Pollard, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Tom Robertson, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Langi Gleeson, 21 Carlo Tizzano, 22 Tate McDermott, 23 Ben Donaldson.

Qatar Airways Lions Men’s Test Series – 2nd test

Saturday, July 26, 2025

KO 11am Irish time Melbourne Cricket Ground

Live on : Sky Sports

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)

AR1: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)

AR2: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)

TMO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)

FPRO: Marius Jonker (SA)

390 : Ireland v Australia wrap

IRFU 150 Test Match, Aviva Stadium, Dublin 30/11/2024 Ireland vs Australia Ireland’s Cian Healy Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

🏉 Just not clicking

🏉 Schmidt tactics

🏉 Ten point swing

🏉 Back to adversity

🏉 Saved by the bench

THIS WEEK’S GUESTS

RICHARD MIFSUD

CIARÁN DUFFY

Post to Post Sport blog

FULL TIME TAKES

Cormac Mannion

I’m not too worried about the attack just yet. It took Catt a bit of time to sort that out when he took up the role so let’s hope Goodman makes improvements by the 6N.

However, our lineout is appalling and this is nothing new. Serious questions to be asked of O’Connell and what he’s doing there.

Big step up for Prendergast today and he’ll learn from it. Suddenly we now have options at 10 post Johnny. Crowley was really up for it when he came on too.

Another issue though seems to be the back row. We seem to get isolated an awful lot at the breakdown and giving away a lot of turnovers. Ruck clearance has definitely gone downhill this year.

Ronan McManus

I’m not sure that Prendergast’s more languid passing style helped us against the Aussie rush defence. They were in among us by the time the ball came into the centre.

Some real flashes of quality from him though.

Sort.out.the.lineout.

Kevin Kelehan

Bench was the difference between the sides, Dan Sheehan will be back once fit and Gus McCarthy should be on the bench, you need to win your own line outs, something that only happened once McCarthy came on. Jack Crowley also showed so much more accuracy and energy in his time, Prendergast just not up to the pace aged 21. Craig Casey also full of energy when introduced. Josh VDF also superb and was Doris as was Big Joe and Porter.

Sean MacDonnchadha

Can’t sweep this under the rug and say a win is a win and move on. That lazy mentality has only ever gotten us to the same QF exit in world cups. Lineout and attack are serious issues and can no longer be ignored – changes needed.

Jackie McEachern

Lineout needs to be sorted. Bench made a big impact (esp Crowley, Casey and McCarthy). Glad we got the win but that could easily have gone the other way.

Get in the conversation yourself by leaving

your own thoughts each week after the full time whistle

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388 : Ireland v Australia preview

ALSO AVAILABLE AS A PODCAST

Our guest : NEIL “KEEGO” KEEGAN

www.keegolaughs.com

Apologies Up Front on Apple Podcasts

IRELAND : 15. Hugo Keenan 14. Mack Hansen 13. Robbie Henshaw 12. Bundee Aki 11. James Lowe 10. Sam Prendergast 9. Jamison Gibson-Park

1. Andrew Porter 2. Rónan Kelleher 3. Finlay Bealham 4. Joe McCarthy 5. James Ryan 6. Tadhg Beirne 7. Josh van der Flier 8. Caelan Doris (c)

16. Gus McCarthy 17. Cian Healy 18. Tom O’Toole 19. Iain Henderson 20. Peter O’Mahony 21. Craig Casey 22. Jack Crowley 23. Garry Ringrose

Wallabies : 15. Tom Wright 14. Andrew Kellaway 13. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii 12. Len Ikitau 11. Max Jorgensen 10. Noah Lolesio 9. Jake Gordon

1. James Slipper 2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa 3. Taniela Tupou 4. Nick Frost 5. Jeremy Williams 6. Rob Valetini 7. Fraser McReight 8. Harry Wilson (c)

16. Billy Pollard 17. Angus Bell 18. Allan Alaalatoa 19. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto 20. Langi Gleeson 21. Tate McDermott 22. Tane Edmed 23. Harry Potter

Autumn Nations Series 2024 Week 4

Saturday, November 30, 2024

KO 3:10pm Aviva Stadium

Live on: Virgin Media 1, TNT Sports 1

Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)

AR1: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)

AR2: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)

TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)

FPRO: Ian Tempest (RFU)

259 : Ireland U20s v Australia, Sexton debate & other offseason stuff

2023 World Rugby Under 20 Championships, Paarl Gymnasium, South Africa 29/6/2023 Australia vs Ireland James Nicholson of Ireland scores a try Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Darren Stewart

🏉 Champions Cup draw

🏉 Vakh Abdeladze to Brive

🏉 New Leinster kit supplier

🏉 Sexton debate

🏉 Irish Men’s 7s

🏉 Irish U20s v Australia (this portion also available on YouTube)

Our guest : TOM COLEMAN

@harpinonrugby
Catch the full pod on Spotify & most major platforms #rugby #WorldRugbyU20s
♬ original sound – Harpinonrugby.com – Harpinonrugby.com

190 : Ireland v Australia wrap

2022 Bank of Ireland Nations Series, Aviva Stadium, Dublin 19/11/2022 Ireland vs Australia Ireland’s Jack Crowley tackles Rob Valetini of Australia Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

THIS WEEK’S GUESTS

IAN FRIZZELL

STEPHEN MURPHY

FULL TIME TAKES

FACEBOOK

Conor Cronin

Great atmosphere, great to be there!

The game however wasn’t all it could’ve been. Game management was lacking, kicks for touch not getting any distance. Defence was good on the first half, that’s a real positive. No one really making yards or running decent lines from my pov. Is it that we were missing Johnny? Or were the rest of the team not ready to step up in his absence?

MASTODON

RichardMifsud One for the purists in the Aviva tonight Happy with the W but the performance was way down on previous ones. D was good but our attacking shape wasn’t great and too many inaccuracies didn’t allow us to create pressure .Good learning for the young lads Ross B with a serious pair to kick that one over. Crowley had a good outing. Big Joe Mc with some minutes under his belt. Respect to the Wallabies 🙌🏻 #IREvAUS

The2ndrow Well that match happened

OZ will be kicking themselves they didn’t win that

They had chances but we were able to hold them out

We lacked accuracy which led to a lack of discipline & we invited OZ onto us

The How to beat Ireland blueprint is there just make a mess of the breakdown

No clean ball have JGP and moreso Crowley a tough time. That said Crowley did well enough & thats perfectly fine in a first cap like that

Doris at times looked like he was literally dragging Ireland to that win

David Cahill Well I’m off to buy some lotto tickets coz the luck is with us right now

Kevin “The Spiddal Kid” It’s games like that which help to build the mental resistance you need in a tight game when you’re tired and need to go to the well one more time to get the result.

For the less experienced players who got game time today that will do them well to be able to draw upon that experience in future.