Tag: Rugby Union

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WRAP OF A WRAP

This week’s wrap wasn’t quite the struggle from the previous one, yet it still wasn’t pretty and Jay and David battled through it bravely as ever.  Our run of two successive M6N titles since we switched to a pod-based format couldn’t last forever, right?

ICYMI click here to check it out on Spotify or you’ll also find us on Apple and most major platforms.

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FRONT FIVE

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MUDDER RUCKERS

In this segment I mention Ailbhe & Kino’s upcoming W6N pod “MudderRuckers – The Irish Wonen’s Rugby Podcast”

here’s their promo, please check it out and be sure to subscribe

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ROCK SOLID D

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LET ME BE BRIVE

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JUST THE TICKET

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CURIOUS GEORGIA

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HARPIN ON…IRELAND’S DEPTH CHART

Here’s the lead-in question : 

“Well we’ve reached the end of another Six Nations campaign, one that started brightly enough for Ireland with a Triple Crown but ended with much disappointment in the final two weeks.  But all we can do now is look forward and with the retirement of three legends in Messrs O’Mahony, Murray and Healy this is a good opportunity to look across the 15 positions to see what kind of options Ireland have with a summer tour plus some big tests against the southern hemisphere nations to come later in the year.  We’re going to start with David who is going to focus on the backs for us!”

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LEINSTER SQUAD UPDATE

Couldn’t see an official injury report, nor even a list of what players travelled.  Trying to cobble together info from various sources around the ruggersphere and from what I can gather it does seem Leinster’s 3 NIQs made the journey, and there’s even talk of some involved with 6N squad joining in time for our 2nd match in Durban.  Suggests we’re really going for some points down there.  I have chosen a 23 based on a 6/2 bench, and we’re calling the “The Max Deegan All-Stars” in the Harpin’ WhatsApp group.

caveat : I have no “ITK” a la Thornley

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TROLL PATROL

Now it’s time for Troll Patrol where we ‘detain’ a social media commentator and charge them with gaslightery and general online mayhem.  

Clearly not content with another quality Harpin wrap pod appearance, Jay Long had to also steal the show for our latest Troll Patrol with a turducken of shithousery.  ‘Scotland are shit’ burn wrapped in an ‘Ireland are one-dimensional’ burn inside a ‘Sexton is coaching and I don’t like it’ burn.  

Absolute class.  Nothing beats a troll quite like a superb counter-troll.

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Women’s Six Nations

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U20 Six Nations

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All Ireland Leagues

WOMEN’S AIL

MEN’S AIL 1A

MEN’S AIL 1B

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LEINSTER SCHOOLS SENIOR CUP

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SVNS

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Premiership

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🔝🐱🐴

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ProD2

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Super Rugby Pacific

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RWC2027 QUALIFIERS

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Japan League One

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Major League Rugby 

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Harpin Prediction League

This is the 4th season of our Superbru prediction league among Harpin’ pod contributors.  

Kristian is the reigning champion, but the real competition is in avoiding finishing last, which means you must wear The Jersey of Shame.  I had to wear it the first year, while Keego has had the honour the past two seasons.

As you can see our resident stats expert Rugby Kino is leading the way with room to spare but down at the foot of the table, the race to avoid the JoS is hotting up with Keego winning Round 12 and making the two above him anxiously look over their shoulders.

We’ve also added a Cup (or Mug) competition to make things interesting.  Still one quarterfinal to play, the Westmeath/Meath derby between Mark and Tom this weekend.

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NEXT BATCH OF HARPIN’

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WRAP OF A WRAP

Hello and welcome to our latest 80+ column where I generally harp on things outside our normal remit, namely the latest match involving the Leinster/Ireland men’s team.

Had two contributors lined up for this week’s pod, unfortunately both had to pull out. The cheek of them having “real life” get in the way! Seriously though, this meant I had to look for replacements and on short notice I was lucky to get at least one, very grateful to Ciarán Duffy of Post to Post Sport for stepping in to the breach. 

But this meant that if I was to keep to the wrap pod format I had to describe the timeline of the second half myself and I never realised that I had never actually done this before for the pod.  I see now it’s quite the challenge and it only made me appreciate what the team of contributors do week to week. I also enjoyed it though, didn’t hurt that I had the better of the two halves for Ireland! 

ICYMI click here to check it out on Spotify or you’ll also find us on Apple and most major platforms.

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FRONT FIVE

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PRENDERGAST STATE OF MIND

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SEEING RED

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THE GOOD BISCUITS

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A BATTLE OF WILLIS

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TOULON IN THE TOOTH?

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HARPIN ON…WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS PREVIEW

For our bonus chat this week I went beyond the wrap pod panel and recorded a chat with Ailbhe who runs the excellent Bluesky account @IrishWomens and is soon starting her own podcast in time for the Women’s Six Nations so this was an opportunity to preview that, look at the Irish Women’s season overall and also of course to plug the new pod. Please do check it out. 

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LEINSTER SQUAD UPDATE

Updates are tricky to work out at this time of year because while the province will focus on the players not involved in the Ireland squad and with the A international in Bristol on Sunday we have to factor that in as well as those players who came off the bench in Cardiff. 

There is one further factor to consider…the need for as much continuity as possible since this is the group of players that will likely travel to South Africa fer two critical matches right after the Six Nations. And it just so happens this year we come across the top two RSA sides form wise, the Bulls and the Sharks, both of whom have enjoyed a run of games together since January with full squads and no test rugby getting in the way. 

With that in mind for my predicted 23 I have gone with as much of the group that went to the Ospreys as I can, assuming Ciarán Frawley must miss out which could lead to a debut for Caspar Gabriel, we’ll see. 

HARPIN’ POSSIBLE MATCHDAY 23 V CARDIFF

caveat : I have no “ITK” a la Thornley

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TROLL PATROL

Now it’s time for Troll Patrol where we ‘detain’ a social media commentator and charge them with gaslightery and general online mayhem.  

It’s not often you see test players from the same nation take an online pop at each other, yet while you may think I’d lean towards the Leinster player in this exchange, I actually believe Luke deserved everything he got from Choo Choo Stu here. 

Maybe I don’t listen to him that often but from what I have heard it seems his long term punditry plans would be to become “the next George Hook” and if so I’d strongly advise he gives that a serious rethink. 

Anyway Stu gets the award this week, but in this case it’s for what I call “the good kind” of trolling. 

Hat tip to Rugby Kino for spotting this. 

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Women’s Six Nations

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Irish Shield

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U20 Six Nations

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Celtic Challenge

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All Ireland Leagues

WOMEN’S AIL

MEN’S AIL 1A

MEN’S AIL 1B

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LEINSTER SCHOOLS SENIOR CUP

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SVNS

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Super Rugby Pacific

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Premiership

🔝🐱🐴

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ProD2

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RWC2027 QUALIFIERS

The RWC2027 tournament has expanded to 24 nations so with four extra spots up for grabs it makes for a fascinating qualifying process.

Rather than post the latest results and fixtures here however, I’d like to defer to the excellent work of frequent Harpin’ contributor Ciarán Duffy who has been keeping close tabs on the qualifying process over at his own site Post to Post Sport.

Follow this link to see how the Road to Australia is progressing..

Japan League One

Major League Rugby 

Harpin Prediction League

This is the 4th season of our Superbru prediction league among Harpin’ pod contributors.  

Kristian is the reigning champion, but the real competition is in avoiding finishing last, which means you must wear The Jersey of Shame.  I had to wear it the first year, while Keego has had the honour the past two seasons.  As you can see our resident stats expert Rugby Kino is leading the way but we’re only passing the halfway stage, and we’ve also added a Cup (or Mug) competition to make things interesting.  Myself and Conor have already reached the semifinals, this weekend sees a Clash Of Titans between last year’s league champion Kristian and current runaway leader Kino.

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NEXT BATCH OF HARPIN’

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