URC – Page 5 – HARPIN' ON RUGBY

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

THIS WEEK’S GUESTS

TOM COLEMAN

CONOR CRONIN

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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URC WRAP

NEXT HARPIN’

TUESDAY

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

WEDNESDAY

80+ COLUMN INCLUDING FRONT 5 VIDEO

409 : Ospreys v Leinster preview

Our guest : NEIL “KEEGO” KEEGAN

www.keegolaughs.com

Apologies Up Front on Apple Podcasts

LEINSTER : 15. Jamie Osborne 14. Tommy O’Brien 13. Hugh Cooney 12. Charlie Tector 11. Jimmy O’Brien 10. Ciarán Frawley 9. Luke McGrath

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

16. John McKee 17. Paddy McCarthy 18. Rory McGuire 19. RG Snyman 20. Alex Soroka 21. Fintan Gunne 22. Ross Byrne 23. Andrew Osborne

OSPREYS : 15. Jack Walsh 14. Daniel Kasende 13. Evardi Boshoff 12. Keiran Williams 11. Keelan Giles 10. Owen Williams 9. Reuben Morgan-Williams

1. Garyn Phillips 2. Sam Parry 3. Tom Botha 4. James Ratti 5. James Fender 6. Harri Deaves 7. Justin Tipuric (c) 8. Morgan Morris

16. Ethan Lewis 17. Cam Jones 18. Ben Warren 19. Will Spencer 20. Morgan Morse 21. Kieran Hardy 22.Tom Florence 23. Iestyn Hopkins

BKT United Rugby Championship Round 11

Friday February 14, 2025

KO 7:35pm Swansea.com stadium

Live on : TG4, BBC2 Wales, Premier Sports 1, URC.tv

Referee: Filipo Russo (FIR)

AR 1: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

AR 2: Adam Jones (WRU)

TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

403 : Leinster v Stormers preview

ALSO AVAILABLE AS A PODCAST

Our guest : NEIL “KEEGO” KEEGAN

www.keegolaughs.com

Apologies Up Front on Apple Podcasts

LEINSTER : 15. Henry McErlean 14. Andrew Osborne 13. Liam Turner 12. Jordie Barrett 11. James Lowe 10. Ross Byrne 9. Luke McGrath

1. Jack Boyle 2. Dan Sheehan (c) 3. Rabah Slimani 4. RG Snyman 5. Brian Deeny 6. Alex Soroka 7. Scott Penny 8. Max Deegan

16. John McKee 17. Paddy McCarthy 18. Rory McGuire 19. Diarmuid Mangan 20. James Culhane 21. Will Connors 22. Cormac Foley 23. Charlie Tector

STORMERS : 15 Warrick Gelant 14 Ben Loader 13 Ruhan Nel 12 Jonathan Roche 11 Leolin Zas 10 Manie Libbok 9 Paul de Wet

1 Ali Vermaak 2 Joseph Dweba 3 Neethling Fouché 4 JD Schickerling 5 Ruben van Heerden 6 Deon Fourie (c) 7 Ben-Jason Dixon 8 Evan Roos

16 André-Hugo Venter 17 Brok Harris 18 Frans Malherbe 19 Salmaan Moerat 20 Marcel Theunissen 21 Paul de Villiers 22 Herschel Jantjies 23 Wandisile Simelane

BKT United Rugby Championship 24/25 Rd 10

Saturday January 25, 2025

KO 5pm Aviva Stadium

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

Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)

AR 1: Chris Busby (IRFU)

AR 2: Jonathan Erskine (IRFU)

TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

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

THIS WEEK’S GUESTS

CONOR CRONIN

CIARÁN DUFFY

Post To Post Sport – blog

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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397 : Munster v Leinster preview

ALSO AVAILABLE AS PODCAST

Our guest : CIARÁN DUFFY

POST TO POST SPORT

LEINSTER : 15. Jamie Osborne 14. Tommy O’Brien 13. Garry Ringrose 12. Robbie Henshaw 11. Jimmy O’Brien 10. Sam Prendergast 9. Luke McGrath

1. Jack Boyle 2. Rónan Kelleher 3. Rabah Slimani 4. Joe McCarthy 5. James Ryan 6. Ryan Baird 7. Josh van der Flier 8. Caelan Doris (c)

16. Lee Barron 17. Andrew Porter 18. Cian Healy 19. Brian Deeny 20. Scott Penny 21. Fintan Gunne 22. Ross Byrne 23. Jordan Larmour

MUNSTER : 15 Mike Haley; 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Tom Farrell, 12 Rory Scannell, 11 Shane Daly; 10 Billy Burns, 9 Ethan Coughlan

1 Dian Bleuler, 2 Niall Scannell, 3 Oli Jager; 4 Fineen Wycherley, 5 Tadhg Beirne (C); 6 Tom Ahern, 7 Alex Kendellen, 8Gavin Coombes.

16 Diarmuid Barron, 17 Kieran Ryan, 18 John Ryan, 19 Brian Gleeson, 20 John Hodnett, 21 Paddy Patterson, 22 Tony Butler, 23 Ben O’Connor.

United Rugby Championship 24/25 Rd 9

Friday, December 27, 2024

KO 7:35pm Thomond Park

Live on: TG4, Premier Sports 2, URC.tv

Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU)

AR 1: Keane Davison (IRFU)

AR 2: Chris Lough (IRFU)

TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)

396 : Leinster v Connacht wrap

21 December 2024; RG Snyman of Leinster makes a break past Josh Murphy of Connacht during the United Rugby Championship match between Leinster and Connacht at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

🏉 Makeshift?

🏉 Ref communication

🏉 Well taken tries

🏉 Holding on

🏉 Mackgate

THIS WEEK’S GUESTS

TOM COLEMAN

HUGO GORDON

FULL TIME TAKES

Lorcán Murphy

Changes and early injuries proved very disruptive. Came out the right side of a dogfight two weeks running. Better than cakewalks and nothing to show at the end of the season

Eamon Saunders

Not a great game but as I always say a win is a win. Great to see 2 Wexford men on the field Charlie Tector and Brian Deeny

Andrew Bailey

On paper a very strong Connacht team nullified. Just find a Lineout and we could be comfortable

David Ryle

Some dodgy decisions on both sides.

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URC WRAP

***no 80+ column this week so we’ll include the latest comp updates here***

Irish Shield

Celtic Challenge

All Ireland Leagues

WOMEN’S AIL

MEN’S AIL

SVNS

NEXT ROUND : PERTH JAN 24-26, 202

Premiership

🔝🐱🐴

ProD2

Japan League One

Harpin Prediction League

THIS SEASON THE HPL IS ADDING A NEW KNOCKOUT COMPETITION

CALLED “THE HARPIN MUG”

(BECAUSE THE PRIZE IS AN ACTUAL MUG SO WE COULDN’T CALL IT A ‘CUP’)

THE SEEDINGS ARE DETERMINED BY THE STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 6

AND YOU CAN SEE THE FULL BRACKET BELOW

395 : Leinster v Connacht preview

ALSO AVAILABLE AS A PODCAST

Our guest : NEIL “KEEGO” KEEGAN

www.keegolaughs.com

Apologies Up Front on Apple Podcasts

LEINSTER : 15. Jimmy O’Brien 14. Aitzol Arenzana-King 13. Charlie Tector 12. Jordie Barrett 11. Andrew Osborne 10. Ross Byrne 9. Luke McGrath

1. Jack Boyle 2. Gus McCarthy 3. Rabah Slimani 4. Diarmuid Mangan 5. RG Snyman 6. Alex Soroka 7. Scott Penny 8. Jack Conan (c)

16. Lee Barron 17. Michael Milne 18. Cian Healy 19. Brian Deeny 20. Ryan Baird 21. Jamison Gibson-Park 22. Harry Byrne 23. Max Deegan

CONNACHT : 15. Piers O’Conor 14. Mack Hansen 13. Cathal Forde 12. Bundee Aki 11. Shane Jennings 10. Josh Ioane 9. Ben Murphy
1. Denis Buckley 2. Dave Heffernan 3. Finlay Bealham 4. Josh Murphy 5. Darragh Murray 6. Cian Prendergast (C) 7. Shamus Hurley-Langton 8. Paul Boyle

16. Dylan Tierney-Martin 17. Jordan Duggan 18. Jack Aungier 19. Oisín Dowling 20. Sean Jansen 21. Caolin Blade 22. Santiago Cordero 23. Conor Oliver

United Rugby Championship 24/25 Rd 8

Saturday, December 21, 2024

KO 5:30pm Aviva Stadium

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

Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU)

AR 1: Peter Martin (IRFU)

AR 2: Stuart Gaffikin (IRFU)

TMO: Mark Patton (IRFU)

389 : Ulster v Leinster wrap

29 November 2024; Jordan Larmour of Leinster scores his side’s second try during the United Rugby Championship match between Ulster and Leinster at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

🏉 Scrum’s the word

🏉 HIAs & injuries

🏉 Tactical changes

🏉 Jimmy & Jordan

🏉 Unexpected bonus

THIS WEEK’S GUESTS

TOM COLEMAN

DAVID CORDIAL

FULL TIME TAKES

Jackie McEachern

After last year, I’m so happy to get 5 points in Belfast. But it’s frustrating that Byrne’s conversion misses wind up meaning Ulster get the LBP. JOB was great.

Gordy Graham (Ulster fan)

Amazing that Ulster got anything from that game considering the state of our scrum. Both sides had an error strewn first half, both a bit better the second but Leinster, as they often are, were clinical enough to get the win.

Sean MacDonnchadha

Slimani brought in for nights like these. A rock of solidity with the first line front rowers away. Built our win around scrum power 💪🏼 Also great to see Larmour perform so well. A leaders performance by Jack with a great steal at the end to seal the win.

Kevin Kelehan

5 points for Leinster, decent progress report for Ulster who could have been a lot further in front at half time if they converted better

Colin Mcconaghie (Ulster fan)

Hate to criticise officials but that was so poor. Reffed both teams differently

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URC WRAP

@harpinonrugby
The first of our two wrap pods from the weekend is now up on Apple, Spotify, etc #rugbytiktok #urc #irishrugby #leinsterrugby
♬ original sound – Harpinonrugby.com – Harpinonrugby.com

387 : Ulster v Leinster preview

ALSO AVAILABLE AS A PODCAST

Our guest : MARK JACKSON

LEINSTER : 15. Jimmy O’Brien 14. Jordan Larmour 13. Liam Turner 12. Charlie Tector 11. Andrew Osborne 10. Ross Byrne 9. Luke McGrath

1. Jack Boyle 2. John McKee 3. Rabah Slimani 4. Diarmuid Mangan 5. Brian Deeny 6. Max Deegan 7. Will Connors 8. Jack Conan (c)

16. Lee Barron 17. Michael Milne 18. Rory McGuire 19. RG Snyman 20. James Culhane 21. Fintan Gunne 22. Harry Byrne 23. Scott Penny

Ulster : 15 Stewart Moore, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Ben Carson, 12 Jude Postlethwaite, 11 Michael Lowry, 10 Aidan Morgan, 9 Nathan Doak

1 Eric O’Sullivan, 2 James McCormick, 3 Scott Wilson, 4 Alan O’Connor (C), 5 Kieran Treadwell, 6 James McNabney, 7 Nick Timoney, 8 David McCann;

16 Tom Stewart, 17 Andrew Warwick, 18 Corrie Barrett, 19 Harry Sheridan, 20 Marcus Rea, 21 John Cooney, 22 James Humphreys, 23 Ben Moxham

United Rugby Championship 24/25 Round 7

Friday, November 29, 2024

KO 7:35pm Kingspan Stadium

Live on: BBC 2 NI, RTÉ Player, Premier Sports 1 & URC.tv

Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)

AR 1: Andrew Cole (IRFU)

AR 2: Andrew Fogarty (IRFU)

TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)

379 : Leinster v Lions wrap

26 October 2024; Josh van der Flier of Leinster is tackled by Edwill van der Merwe and Erich Cronje of Emirates Lions during the United Rugby Championship match between Leinster and Emirates Lions at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

🏉 9/10 combinations

🏉 Proud Lions

🏉 Forcing knockons

🏉 Caelan & Josh

🏉 Late gloss

THIS WEEK’S GUESTS

TOM COLEMAN

RICHARD MIFSUD

FULL TIME TAKES

Cormac Mannion

Sad to see McGrath’s decline. He seemed quite hesitant last night and the time when the ball popped out of the ruck and went between his legs was a prime try scoring opportunity.

Our scrum is now a serious area for concern. “If in doubt, ping Porter”

Jackie McEachern

Tough match although I think we likely would have scored more/gone a bit easier if JGP had been playing. I thought Sam did well and Doris and JVF were excellent! Glad to see Robbie back.

Jamie Bermingham

A tough game and exactly what we needed, the young lads impressed and Doris was an absolute wrecking ball. Lions definitely came for a battle and the scoreboard does not reflect how well they played

Chris McDonnell

Jvdf is just a magnificent 7. I can’t understand why mcgrath was kept and 3 better 9s are playing for other clubs

Tom Clarke

Breakdown needs some attention. Robbie looked sharp and Cooney looks a good prospect. Dorris is a top top player, but we know that!!

Alan Jacob

#1Vs #2 ….. good outing for the boys…. Dori’s ridiculous as always!! Prendergast had a solid game especially considering Lions had the ruck under serious pressure…. Needed a proper pressure game & an 80 min performance which were both delivered in spades.

Kevin Kelehan

Way too much aimless kicking in the first half which gave the Lions great opportunities to run at a Leinster in the 13-14 channel, once that was tightened up Leinster improved. Crowd got going at times but needed to give better support

https://twitter.com/KarlBrophy/status/1850236067011801358

https://twitter.com/gortoshay1/status/1850235867522085150

https://twitter.com/CaptSpringbok/status/1850235765508190377

https://twitter.com/HarpinOnRugby/status/1850235380941095191

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