The Second Captains Podcast

This week on our World Service highlights show; Ken exalts the value of watching football in double speed, Branno reviews Eric Cantona's live musicianship and Eoin bravely asks the big question - can Rory McIlroy win the Masters this weekend? To join up go to  secondcaptains.com/join  – it’s a fiver a month plus VAT, with no contracts, no minimum stay and no sneaky fees. Hosted on Acast....

Man United v Liverpool used to be a byword for stultifying boredom and dreariness. Not any more. We discuss another Liverpool fumble-job at Old Trafford, the cult of Darwin and the maniacally optimistic analysis of Erik ten Hag.  Simon Hughes and John Brewin join us to talk about the game at Anfield. Did Liverpool get what they deserved? Is Ruben Amorim likely to succeed Klopp in the summer....

As Manie Libbok placed the ball on the tee for the kick that would have knocked La Rochelle out of Europe, you just knew the Rugby Gods (and Libbok's 66% kicking stats) had other plans. And so it's come to pass that ROG and Will Skelton will march on Dublin once more, and Leinster will have to try and pass their greatest mental and physical challenge, once more. We chat to Shane Horgan and Ruaidhr...

Welcome to our world service best of show which this week features an on form Pep, Duff and the regime, Rassie's rabble rousing and Leinster's battle at ten and drive for five. Monday’s shows are free to all. To listen to our programming throughout the rest of the week,  join the Second Captains World Service . There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podc...

A great weekend of football at Tallaght Stadium, at Anfield, at St James' Park, at Stamford Bridge, at Croke Park - joy, fun, excitement everywhere except at the Etihad Stadium where Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta's two sets of brightly coloured robots offered a terrifying portent of the future. Jonathan Wilson and Jon Mackenzie join us to talk about what it all means. Was this game bad? If so, wh...

It seemed like everyone was piping up to have a go at the Irish football team after not even registering a goal during the drab March international break.. including the Swiss media, as we were alerted by a World Service member based there. US Murph chatted to us about the latest sporting superstar in the US, Iowa State basketballer Caitlin Clark who has recently broken the all-time NCAA scoring r...

Clare and Kilkenny are in the National Hurling League final, and Jamie Wall is back on the pod for the first time as the reigning 2024 Fitzgibbon Cup winning coach to talk us through their semi-final wins this weekend. Limerick were abysmal, according to their own manager John Kiely, and they’ve also been wrestling with the Kyle Hayes court case.  We discuss what likely impact the case will h...

It's been a week to remember on the World Service, for none more so than our own proud Galweigen and 'Top Red' Ciaran Murphy. We were delighted to chat with hurling legend Joe Canning on the latest edition of our 'I'll Tell You Who Wrote It Second Captains Book Club. Joe spoke to us about John Feinstein's A Good Walk Spoiled, his own impressive golfing CV and how now living in Limerick brings him...

Ireland have won back-to-back Six Nations and have been a very consistent team over a long period of time now. We put their achievements into context while also examining their form, which has tapered off since the Italy game. We chat to Chris Jones of the BBC, former 6N winner Andrew Trimble, and Tom English of BBC Scotland about Ireland's second-half power show against Scotland, if their attack...

The secret to any truly great sporting rivalry is some genuine animosity between the two parties, and when it comes to Ireland and the Scottish rugby team - these two straight up don't like each other. Even if one of them keeps beating the other time & time again. Elsewhere, the Champions League knockouts have finally caught fire. We chatted to Rory Smith of The New York Times and Nick Ames of...

The Irish team didn't perform and the Irish media got this one badly badly wrong, except for a humble GAA man from Galway. We chat to Rob Kearney, Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley about England's powered-up attack, Ireland's end game, O'Mahony's yellow, the lineout issues, the 6-2 split and what a 6N Championship would mean, and what a loss to Scotland might mean! We also discuss our various scapeg...

Liverpool and Manchester City played another great game at Anfield and the big winners were Arsenal. The league leaders earned another important win against Brentford on Saturday evening. We discuss the edge of ruthlessness Mikel Arteta's players are showing as they chase a first title in 20 years. Dion Fanning and Gavin Cooney join us to talk over the Liverpool-City game and other Premier League...

It's the year 2024 and ex Scottish Rugby International's are backing humble England over arrogant Ireland. Is this the future we wanted? Well, it's the one we have and this weekend could see Ireland push even closer to a back-to-back Grand Slam with victory in Twickenham. But first, Eoin is here to warn you with tales from the past. Yesterday Miguel Delaney and Jonathan Wilson put their thinking c...

The FAI formally unveiled new interim manager John O'Shea at a press conference at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon - Ken reports from the scene... ...and if you want to listen to that straightaway scroll to the end. First we talk through some of the action from a weekend that saw Nottingham Forest's refereeing lobbyist Mark Clattenburg swing into action. Mark Critchley and John Brewin join us to...

Ireland are once again raging hot favourites to win a 6N game, which may sit ok with us when it's Italy or this 2024 Wales team, but this time it's England, in Twickenham! We're not in Kansas anymore. We talk to Gerry Thornley about the dynamics at play including a warning from 6N history, Hugo Keenan's knee injury, Steve Borthwick's reputation, and Ryan Baird's red-hot form. Plus there's Sam Warb...

Ken was at Wembley to see Caoimhin Kelleher help Liverpool to what Jurgen Klopp described as his sweetest-ever trophy. We talk through the action of the day, why young players seem to play better for Liverpool than they do for Chelsea, and why Chelsea don’t give their supporters anything to get behind. Rich Jolly and Jacob Steinberg join us to talk over the Carabao Cup final - and also Fulham’s la...

"Too much winning", we cry, as Ireland march relentlessly towards another grand slam.  The expectations are now so high that a flurry of penalties in the second half and some aimless attacks in the first half against a young Wales side have us demanding improvements, and fast. We chat to Chris Jones of the BBC and former Ireland winger Shane Horgan about Bundee's power, Ireland's bench streng...

Did you hear the one about the CEO who jokingly asked for cash in lieu of holidays, had the nuance of the gag missed by the Finance Director and was accidentally paid more than the allowable salary agreed under the state bailout, leading to the President of the association openly doubting confidence him in from of a government committee? It may sound insane.. but this is the FAI we're talking abou...

Jamie Wall’s Fitzgibbon Cup pedigree is pretty special. He was a selector for Mary I’s first win in the competition in 2016, was in charge in 2017, and in another David vs Goliath triumph won their third national title on Saturday, against 3-in-a-row chasing University of Limerick. He joins us on today’s show along with his selector Podge Collins, the former Clare All-Ireland winner and All-star (...

Irish football fans don't ask for much these days, but when it comes to finding a new national team manager they still want a little mystery in their lives. So over the weekend when Chris Coleman shot to the top of the contenders list the general response appeared to be, through a chink too wide comes in no wonder. We chat to Dion Fanning and Gavin Cooney in studio about Coleman's credentials, the...

Declan Rice: to be fair, quite useful. A pity most West Ham fans didn't wait around long enough to see his goal. In the wake of a record-equalling home defeat for West Ham, we wonder what David Moyes has to do to get a little credit around here? Manchester United remain undefeated in 2024. They might not yet be the most spectacular of the teams chasing the Champions League...

Ireland have won 10 Six Nations games in a row now, and continue to do it in style with another 6 tries against Italy, and their first 6N/5N clean sheet since 1987. We chat to Gerry Thornley of The Irish Times and Tom English of BBC Scotland about Jack Crowley's passing game, Henshaw's case for holding onto the 13 jersey, who would replace Hugo Keenan if he's badly injured, why England are going t...

Welcome to our regular best of show which this week features Arsenal's lightly celebrated win over Liverpool, a mild mutiny at Chelsea and AFCON fun with Oluwashina. We also have Vegas Murph, Ireland's Grand Slam plan, lotsa (GAA) league analysis and pedants on pedants. To listen to our programming throughout the week,  join the Second Captains World Service . There’s no contracts, no hidden...

It's not supposed to be this easy! Ireland's previous biggest win away to France was by 7 points, way back in 1948. In the wake of a record win in Marseille, we let a mix of emotions - joy, awe, confusion, expectation - wash over us.  We chat to Shane Horgan about the unbridled optimism of our running game, our rejuvenated lineout, Jack Crowley's mental resets, Beirne's brains, a defanged Sha...

The FAI's search for a new manager is not going well. Pot stirrer Eoin McDevitt is still doing his bit though; he chatted to Neil Lennon on Premier Sports over the weekend, and today on Second Captains it's Gus Poyet, who is very keen on the job. Man United just about got past "County Newport" but the big story is nightclub enthusiast Marcus Rashford. Ken reviews the reviews of the clubs of Belfas...