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WRAP OF A WRAP

Since we switched to a pod-based format here at Harpin Manor at the start of the 22/23 season, I make it that we have done 44 “match wrap pods” covering competitive matches for both Leinster and Ireland.  

Of those, just FOUR have involved matches in which Leinster or Ireland finished on the losing side, and our wrap recorded on Sunday evening was the first involving the test side.  So it probably goes without saying that even when you factor in the whole “QF hoodoo” nonsense, it had to be easily the most difficult podcast to produce, especially since the scheduled recording time was less than 24 hours after the final whistle.

But full credit to both Mark Jackson and Conor Cronin for being ready, willing and able to take part in a full show regardless, and offering their usual excellent and honest perspectives in the process.  Credit also to Cian “RugbyKino” O’Muilleoir for offering yet another set of comments before kickoff, at halftime, and, obviously the most difficult, right after the fulltime whistle blew.

Let’s face it – very few Irish fans want to be reminded of Saturday night so the result was always going to affect our listening figures.  But I still hope I don’t need to explain just how important it was for us to record the pod anyway.  I haven’t been Harpin’ on Rugby since 2008 just because I want to celebrate victories for my teams.  I’ve been doing it because I love supporting my teams.  And to not do a show would have been in really poor taste IMO, plus there wasn’t even a tiny bit of hesitation from Mark, Conor and Cian to play their parts either.

So if you do ever get around to wanting to listen, here’s a link to Spotify and we’re also on most major platforms.

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HARPIN ON…IRISH FULL TIME TAKES

One job I did spare the lads when we recorded the wrap pod was that of our weekly “bonus clip”, where we normally have an extra chat on a wider topic for sharing exclusively on YouTube.  

Instead I chose to try and capture some of the fan reaction, with videos done by myself, Kino & Keego within an hour of the final whistle, plus we’ve displayed comments posted on our regular post-match post on our Facebook page.  There’s also a clip from the actual wrap pod where Mark & Conor offer their final thoughts.

Again, I knew we wouldn’t get many viewers/listeners but I still feel it’s just as important to share our thoughts win or lose.

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THANK YOU JOHNNY

Like many others I stressed that it was important for Irish fans to be mindful going online after a crushing defeat like that one, and while I did stay away for a while, when you run an online entity that focuses on fan opinion, you do have to take a peek at social media reactions eventually no matter how unpleasant.

And to be fair, when it comes to the predictable banter/slagging/taunting from fans of other nations, I totally get it.  Much of it was OTT but pretty much all of it was pretty boring and for me anyway, part and parcel of sport and certainly not worth getting triggered over.

What did get me however was the contributions from  some (a minority yes but still a significant one) Irish accounts (have trouble calling them fans) which seemed to fall into certain categories…

1. not really fans of the sport, might watch 2 or 3 matches a year yet “always knew we’d lose”
2. fans of the sport, know a good bit about the Laws etc, yet decided to use that knowledge by spending the last year or so doing loads of different tweets explaining why the team would “fail” so they could pick the one that looks the most accurate now and show how they “told us so”
3. the saddest lot for me – those who only seem to watch so they can see players from their province take part and complain about the ones who don’t, and when test the team loses they imply that it would have been different with those same missing players involved.

And what makes all that most difficult to take is that, and I’ve said this many many times over the past while but I don’t mind repeating again, Andy Farrell & co literally could not have done any more in the build up to the quarterfinal – Triple Crown, series win in NZ, long winning streak, world number 1, and, oh yeah – Grand Slam.  

So maybe, just maybe, there’s a case to be made that rather than Ireland playing as underdogs against the All Blacks as we have done in World Cups past, what we had instead this time was two absolutely top notch teams going at it, and if they played each other ten times over ten weeks you could be pretty certain it would be something like 5 wins each, only on this night it was New Zealand who deserved to progress.

But another thing I have said often here is that it’s clear that different fans follow sport for different reasons.  So I guess all I can do is hope that the begrudgers are happy in themselves having the kind of mindset that produces the comments I keep seeing.  Luckily I have this column where I can vent rather than tumbling down a rabbit hole on social media.

Anyway…it goes without saying that a lot of the abuse was directed at Johnny Sexton (mostly that Crowley should have come on in the closing stages and we did suggest on the pod that it was an option though to say this is why we lost is just nuts) so I decided to do a quick tribute video which you see below.

Finally as I type I see Keith Earls has formally announced his retirement and of course we also appreciate his contributions to rugby over his career and indeed we have said so many times on the pod.

@harpinonrugby

Absolutely nothing, and we mean NOTHING can take away from what has been a heroic career. #ThankYouJohnny #irishtiktok #irelandtiktok

♬ Juliana Hyper Techno Rave Mystical – Beat Charger

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W.XV UPDATE

Safe to say the Irish women had a better weekend of it, with their absolute thrashing of Kazakhstan in their opening match in the third tier of the inaugural WXV tournament.  

However much the result might look more like a strong opening spell of batting in the Cricket World Cup, the margin is not insignificant because it does appear that there is promotion from this level into next season’s WXV2 and with the format meaning we only have three matches to top a six-team pool where we don’t face all the other teams, the off the charts points difference will come in very handy indeed.

Best of luck to the girls in their second match against Colombia on Saturday, here’s to more of the same, you’ll be able to see it at 2pm Irish time via this link (after free registration).

Meanwhile the top tier doesn’t get underway until the second weekend and as you can see there are some interesting matchups, although the pick of the whole tournament surely has to be the repeat of the WRWC final in the final round when the Red Roses look for revenge against the Black Ferns.

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PREMIERSHIP UPDATE

For well over a decade pretty much the entire northern hemisphere has remarked on how Leinster go without our “elite” players at the start of the season and let me tell you, if we had ever shipped 65 points in our season opener whatever our lineup, it would be headline news.

So I don’t see why reigning Premiership champs Saracens should get any mitigation when they get tonked by Exeter in Round 1.  

As for Leinster’s Champions Cup opposition, they had mixed fortunes as Sale overcame Northampton at home while Leicester fell short at Bristol, and the two of them actually play each other at Welford Road in Round 2.

One interesting team selection was that of Finn Russell on the Bath bench and it seems he played a part in their win over Newcastle at the Rec, which would make you wonder if he’ll start next weekend against Saracens, might be worth a watch if so.

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AIL UPDATE 

There remains three unbeaten teams in the Women’s AIL but something will have to give at Annacotty next weekend as UL Bohs host champions Blackrock in what won’t be a million miles away from a rerun of the recent Intepro final.

Also I hope it’s a mistake on the fixture list that both Old Belvedere and Suttonians are expected to play two league matches each in five days?  Not an ideal turnaround at the best of times but when you only have eight matches altogether in a tournament it doesn’t really seem fair to me.

Over in the men’s Div1A, champions Terenure fell to Clontarf in the repeat of last season’s final so Tarf join Shannon and Lansdowne as the only 100% sides so far. City of Armagh seem to have done well to get so close in their first ever home match in the top flight while UCD took the honours in the first Colours Match.

Nure will look to return to winning ways in Round 3 as they host Cork Con while there’s to be another North/South Dublin derby at Castle Ave as this time UCD are the visitors.

#SupportYourLocalClub

WOMEN’S AIL

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MEN’S AIL

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HARPIN PREDICTION LEAGUE RETURNS

The return of the URC also means the return of the HPL…for those new to this column, this will be the third season a group of Harpin contributors predict the full URC season on Superbru and while it’s only bragging rights available for finishing first (as you see below I enjoy those rights after last season!!!) there is a booby prize for finishing last and Keego had the “honours” last time around…

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NEXT BATCH OF HARPIN’

Obviously it would have been ideal to have the dilemma of having to cover both Leinster and Ireland next weekend, but at least the URC kickoff is there to keep us busy and we will of course be giving Sunday’s opener in Scotstoun the full Harpin treatment with a lot more besides throughout the week so keep in touch on all the usual social media channels,

And as ever, be sure to enjoy your rugby wherever you are.  JLP

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