457 : Stormers v Leinster preview




LEINSTER : 15. Jimmy O’Brien 14. Tommy O’Brien 13. Robbie Henshaw 12. Ciarán Frawley 11. Jordan Larmour 10. Sam Prendergast 9. Luke McGrath (c)

1. Jack Boyle 2. Gus McCarthy 3. Rabah Slimani 4. Diarmuid Mangan 5. Brian Deeny 6. Ryan Baird 7. Scott Penny 8. James Culhane

16. John McKee 17. Paddy McCarthy 18. Andrew Sparrow 19. Max Deegan 20. Will Connors 21. Fintan Gunne 22. Harry Byrne 23. Hugh Cooney


STORMERS :  15 Wandisile Simelane 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel (c), 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jurie Matthee, 9 Stefan Ungerer

1 Vernon Matongo 2 André-Hugo Venter 3 Neethling Fouché 4 Adré Smith 5 JD Schickerling 6 Paul de Villiers 7 Ben-Jason Dixon 8 Evan Roos 

16 JJ Kotze, 17 Olly Reid, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Ruan Ackermann, 21 Marcel Theunissen, 22 Dewaldt Duvenage, 23 Clinton Swart


BKT United Rugby Championship 25/26 Rd 1

Friday, September 26, 2025

DHL Stadium, Cape Town

KO 6pm Irish time  

Live on : TG4, Premier Sports 1, URC.tv


Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)

AR 1: Sean Muller (SARU)

AR 2:  Stephan Geldenhuys (SARU)

TMO: Adam Jones (WRU)

443 : Leinster are URC Champions wrap

BKT United Rugby Championship Grand Final, Croke Park, Dublin 14/6/2025 Leinster vs Vodacom Bulls Leinster players celebrate with the trophy Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady


🏉  Kicking on

🏉  Pack Mentality

🏉  Defensive stands

🏉  Below par Bulls

🏉  Playing the conditions


TOM COLEMAN

CIAN O’MUILLEOIR


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!

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URC WRAP


NEXT HARPIN’

TUESDAY

BONUS CHAT : “SAM’S ROLE” & “THE IMPORTS”

WEDNESDAY

80+ COLUMN 


442 : URC Grand Final preview


LEINSTER : 15. Jimmy O’Brien 14. Tommy O’Brien 13. Garry Ringrose 12. Jordie Barrett 11. James Lowe 10. Sam Prendergast 9. Jamison Gibson-Park Luke McGrath

1. Andrew Porter 2. Dan Sheehan 3. Thomas Clarkson 4. Joe McCarthy 5. James Ryan 6. Ryan Baird 7. Josh van der Flier 8. Jack Conan (c)

16. Rónan Kelleher 17. Jack Boyle 18. Rabah Slimani 19. RG Snyman 20. Max Deegan 21. Luke McGrath Fintan Gunne 22. Ross Byrne 23. Jamie Osborne


BULLS : 15 Willie le Roux 14 Canon Moodie 13 David Kriel 12 Harold Vorster 11 Sebastian de Klerk 10 Johan Goosen 9 Embrose Papier

1 Jan-hendrik Wessels 2 Johan Grobbelaar 3 Wilco Louw 4 Cobus Wiese 5 JF van Heerden 6 Marco van Staden 7 Ruan Nortje (c) 8 Marcell Coetzee

16 Akker van der Merwe 17 Alulutho Tshakweni 18 Mornay Smith 19 Jannes Kirsten 20 Nizaam Carr 21 Zak Burger 22 Keagan Johannes 23 Devon Williams


BKT United Rugby Championship 24/25 Grand Final

Saturday, June 14, 2025

KO 2:45pm  Aviva Stadium

Live on : TG4, Premier Sports 1 & URC.tv 


Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)

AR 1: Mike Adamson (SRU)

AR 2: Sam Grove-White (SRU)

TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)



UPDATE : We have received further press conference videos…

[they might have taken a moment to re-think the above thumbnail image…]

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 


440 : Leinster v Glasgow preview

also available as a podcast



LEINSTER : 15. Jimmy O’Brien 14. Tommy O’Brien 13. Jamie Osborne 12. Jordie Barrett 11. James Lowe 10. Sam Prendergast 9. Jamison Gibson-Park

1. Andrew Porter 2. Dan Sheehan 3. Thomas Clarkson 4. Joe McCarthy 5. James Ryan 6. Ryan Baird 7. Scott Penny 8. Jack Conan (c)

16. Rónan Kelleher 17. Jack Boyle 18. Rabah Slimani 19. RG Snyman 20. Max Deegan 21. Luke McGrath 22. Ross Byrne 23. Ciarán Frawley


GLASGOW : 15 Josh McKay 14 Kyle Steyn (c) 13 Sione Tuipulotu 12 Tom Jordan 11 Kyle Rowe 10 Adam Hastings 9 George Horne

1 Jamie Bhatti 2 Gregor Hiddleston 3 Fin Richardson 4 Alex Samuel 5 Scott Cummings 6 Euan Ferrie 7 Rory Darge 8 Henco Venter

16 Johnny Matthews 17 Rory Sutherland 18 Sam Talakai 19 Max Williamson 20 Jack Mann 21 Macenzzie Duncan 22 Stafford McDowall 23 Jamie Dobie


BKT United Rugby Championship 24/25 Semifinal

Saturday, June 7, 2025

KO 2:45pm  Aviva Stadium

Live on : RTÉ2, Premier Sports 1 & URC.tv 


Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)

AR 1: Craig Evans (WRU)

AR 2: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)

TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

439 : Leinster v Scarlets wrap

31 May 2025; Hugo Keenan of Leinster scores his side’s fourth try, despte the tackle to Scarlets players Johnny Williams and Blair Murray, during the United Rugby Championship quarter-final match between Leinster and Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile


🏉 Kicking, the habit
🏉 Forcing it
🏉 Sam P at 10
🏉 Keen on Keenan
🏉 Still harpin’ on Leo


TOM COLEMAN

RICHARD MIFSUD


FULL TIME TAKES

Andrew Byrne

What’s the opposite of “peaking at the right time”? We look a shadow of the team we were a few months ago.

Cuan Mulligan

Something wrong in the camp, I think one has to start looking at the coaching. Sam P was better in the second half, but god awful in the first. He played like Ross Byrne, taking the ball standing still, and shovelling shite out the back. Makes me think its not the players, how can two very different 10s play almost identically.. how they are being coached.. he is a player full of flare. it looks like its been knocked out of him. Glasgow will feel very confident in coming and winning…

Gavin Hegarty

What the hell has happened to us? Against Quinns and Glasgow we were world class. Simply unplayable. Now it seems we can’t put anything together and look like a scratch side who just met in the changing room.

I really hate to say it but based on recent performances I have no confidence of any silverware this season.

Kevin Kelehan

The arrogance of fans expecting Leinster to skittle every side who comes to Dublin, at times there were unforced handling errors but credit Scarlets for turning up and forcing a good number of errors. After La Rochelle and Glasgow this is the third time this season a first choice Leinster have dogged out wins from games they could equally have lost. Onwards next week with Glasgow looking for third time lucky, vital that we don’t let them build the vibe that Leinster aren’t scrappers.

Lorraine Preston O’Connor

Are the players afraid to get injured before the Lions tour? There’s definitely something amiss!!!!

Hubert Gallagher

We looked disjointed and lacking in confidence. Trying to force things when we didn’t need to – giving away unnecessary turnovers instead of keeping the ball. At least we learnt to kick a few of our penalties. We try to entertain and play an expansive game without winning the right to expand. We need to do the simple things accurately, scrum, lineout, quick recycle and control the ball. Defensively something is very off – we’re leaking tries, often through individual mistakes – 2 people went onto one player leaving a gap and leading to a score.

You don’t become a bad team overnight but psychology especially big game psychology! Glasgow will be bursting to put one over on us – so we need to really cut the errors and work to control the game and field position.

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NEXT HARPIN’

WEDNESDAY

80+ COLUMN INCL BONUS CHAT “THE LEINSTER CAPTAINCY”


438 : Leinster v Scarlets preview


LEINSTER : 15. Hugo Keenan 14. Jimmy O’Brien 13. Jamie Osborne 12. Jordie Barrett 11. James Lowe 10. Sam Prendergast 9. Jamison Gibson-Park

1. Andrew Porter 2. Rónan Kelleher 3. Thomas Clarkson 4. Joe McCarthy 5. James Ryan 6. Ryan Baird 7. Josh van der Flier 8. Jack Conan (c)

16. Dan Sheehan 17. Jack Boyle 18. Rabah Slimani 19. RG Snyman 20. Max Deegan 21. Scott Penny 22. Luke McGrath 23. Ciarán Frawley

SQUAD UPDATE SINCE RECORDING

“Ringrose managing a calf, Tommy O’Brien foot injury. Both very short-term knocks”


SCARLETS : 15 Blair Murray; 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Ellis Mee; 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Archie Hughes

1 Alec Hepburn, 2 Ryan Elias, 3 Henry Thomas, 4 Alex Craig, 5 Sam Lousi, 6 Vaea Fifita, 7 Josh Macleod (c), 8 Taine Plumtree.

16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Kemsley Mathias, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Dan Davis, 20 Jarrod Taylor, 21 Efan Jones, 22 Ioan Lloyd, 23 Macs Page.


BKT United Rugby Championship 24/25 Rd 18

Saturday, May 17, 2025

KO 7:35pm  Aviva Stadium

Live on : RTÉ2, Premier Sports 1, BBC1 Wales, URC.tv 


Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)

AR 1: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)

AR 2: Federico Vedovelli (FIR)

TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)

437 : Leinster v Glasgow wrap

Jimmy O’Brien  // www.inpho.ie


🏉  Stats v Vibes

🏉  Tremendous Tommy

🏉  Flat Track Bullies

🏉  The Ben Whitehouse Experience

🏉  In Our Defence



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

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NEXT HARPIN’

TUESDAY

BONUS CHAT : “THE URC QUARTERFINALS”

WEDNESDAY

80+ COLUMN 


436 : Leinster v Glasgow preview

ALSO AVAILABLE AS A PODCAST

LEINSTER : 15. Hugo Keenan 14. Tommy O’Brien 13. Robbie Henshaw 12. Jordie Barrett 11. Jimmy O’Brien 10. Sam Prendergast 9. Fintan Gunne

1. Andrew Porter 2. Dan Sheehan 3. Thomas Clarkson 4. RG Snyman 5. James Ryan 6. Ryan Baird 7. Scott Penny 8. Jack Conan (c)

16. Rónan Kelleher 17. Jack Boyle 18. Tadhg Furlong 19. Diarmuid Mangan 20. Max Deegan 21. Luke McGrath 22. Ciarán Frawley 23. Jamie Osborne


GLASGOW : 15 Kyle Rowe 14 Sebastian Cancelliere 13 Huw Jones 12 Sione Tuipulotu 11 Kyle Steyn (C) 10 Adam Hastings 9 Ben Afshar

1 Jamie Bhatti 2 Seb Stephen 3 Fin Richardson 4 Jare Oguntibeju 5 Alex Samuel 6 Macenzzie Duncan 7 Rory Darge 8 Euan Ferrie

16 Gregor Hiddleston 17 Nathan McBeth 18 Murphy Walker 19 JP du Preez 20 Scott Cummings 21 Stafford McDowall 22 George Horne 23 Tom Jordan


BKT United Rugby Championship 24/25 Rd 18

Saturday, May 17, 2025

KO 7:35pm  Aviva Stadium

Live on : RTÉ2, Premier Sports 2, URC.tv 


Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

AR 1: Keane Davison (IRFU)

AR 2: Stuart Gaffikin (IRFU)

TMO: Keith David (WRU)