The Second Captains Podcast

Jose Mourinho once said, with a nod to Hegel: the truth is in the whole. We try to apply that spirit to today’s Salute The Champions podcast. We also talk about the international incident that has been sparked by the racist abuse and controversial sending off of Vinicius Jr at Valencia last night. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leinster once again had a lead against La Rochelle, once again went behind late on, once again were handed a yellow card lifeline, and once again lost a heartbreaking epic Champions Cup final. We herald a truly great coach and leader in O'Gara, pick through the wreckage for Leinster and look at the possible impact on Ireland at the Rugby World Cup. Shane Horgan and Ruaidhri O'Connor join us to dis...

This week on the Second Captains World Service we spoke about movies about crisps, the rigs on refs, cold killers Man City (with Rory Smith and Jonathan Wilson); we also previewed Leinster V La Rochelle with a worried Shane Horgan and chatted penos and the group stages of the football championship with Paul Flynn and Michael Murphy.  Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting...

Ronnie O'Sullivan was in studio with us to talk about his new book "Unbreakable". We discuss his career, his childhood, his father, his complicated relationship with success and the decision that almost derailed his career. Here is a taster.= Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at  secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

Munster have finally beaten Leinster, in an epic, in the Aviva, at a stage in knock-out competition where they’ve fallen short time and time again. No wonder Jack Crowley channeled his inner Ronan O’Gara as he wheeled away in celebration after his winning drop goal. Friend of the show, former Munster centre and Live 95 commentator Barry Murphy, joins us today to talk about what a lift this gives h...

I know it's over, still I cling, I don't know where else I can go... actually, many of the Arsenal fans at the Emirates had already left the ground by the 90-minute mark and never got to see Roberto de Zerbi's triumphant knee slide to celebrate Brighton's third, salt-rubbing goal. We discuss the pretty-much-end of the title race and Arsenal's prospects for next season, with mentions for Matt Damon...

Ulster were firm favourites to beat Connacht at home in the URC QF's but Andy Friend's side out-thought and out-fought their opponents in what feels like a significant result for both sides. Why do Ulster continue to struggle in knockout games and why does the province provide so few players to the Irish set up? Gerry Thornley joins in studio to look at what Connacht have done on and off the...

Eddie Howe was left choking on thick creamy spoonfuls of his own medicine as Arsenal gamesmanshipped their way to glory at St James' Park. Might a change in approach benefit the angry Mags? We discuss Martin Ødegaard's team-of-the-season credentials, David de Gea's nightmare at West Ham - and whether the unexpected disorder of the last few minutes against Leeds is a distant rumble of thunder in Ma...

This week on the Second Captains World Service we spoke about the departure of Souness, Steph's shithousing, Big Sam's return, Klopp's manners, Keys and Gray on Messi, Dublin bias, Frank LLLLLampard and lots more. Join us for ad-free, contract-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Limerick were beaten by Clare this weekend....but the game wasn't on terrestrial TV? Murph defends GAA Go, and wonders if this might be the year when a very good Munster county gets knocked out of the championship. Waterford are gone, but could the All Ireland champs also be in trouble?   Leinster once again outplayed and outsmarted Toulouse in the European Cup, and once again face La Ro...

Seeing her brother Nhat walk out for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics as Ireland’s number 1 badminton player inspired Thammy Nguyễn to revive her own olympic weightlifting dream, which she’d left on the back burner to run her business and start a family. Now, after winning bronze at the European Championships, Thammy has taken a giant leap forward in her hopes to join her brother in Pari...

We start today's show with a life-changing email for Murph who realises he's been getting it all wrong, all along. The All-Ireland senior football championship went all-out this weekend with ten games in four provinces - Paul Flynn and Michael Murphy talk us through the highlights including Damien Comer’s tour de force, Donegal’s limp exit, the shambles in Meath, and Armagh rediscovering their moj...

With Arsenal chasing the title on Friday and FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday and Sunday, this weekend was never going to be about Spurs. And yet here we are. We look back at a very special performance by both sides at St James Park. We also talk about whether de Zerbi is standing on the shoulders of giants (or Graham Potter) at Brighton and why proper football people don't use Google. Hosted on Aca...

Ken has been beating the Trent Alexander-Arnold to central midfield drum for quite some time, to a mixed response from listeners and pundits alike. However, with Liverpool struggling for form Jurgen Klopp saw fit to test this theory against Leeds United, leading to a good display from Trent. Our man saw fit to bask in the glow of vindication. Plus there’s Mal and Jamie Wall on whether Limerick pus...

Monaghan weren't many people's idea of a likely winner in their Ulster championship quarter-final against Tyrone in Omagh yesterday, but in a manner befitting the best, most ignorant traditions of their proud county, they did the business, winning a thriller 2-17 to 1-18.  One of the people who did believe they could do it though was Colin Walshe, former All-star and Monaghan team c...

Unai Emery could have been a local hero in a city somewhat further to the north, but the Fate that watches over Eddie Howe decreed otherwise. Now the Aston Villa Express is functioning perfectly - except for the brakes - while poor Dan Burn discovers that the revolution devours its children. We discuss Arsenal's latest collapse, Man City's menacing new vibe and some of the initial remark...

Call it ‘cosmic consciousness’ or ‘capturing the zeitgeist', but it just so happened to have been a very American week on the World Service. We hear Ken’s scorching takes on The Masters and rev up the campaign to get him over in Augusta as soon as possible. We also take a look at the green shoots for the Ireland Women’s team, even after a couple of losses against the US in our World Cup warm-up se...

A great match at Anfield ended in a Pyrrhic non-victory for both sides, and a return, oh yes, of the eternal Trent Alexander-Arnold discourse. Maybe we will never agree on what the solution is for Trent - move to midfield? several years national service? - but we can agree that with Man City now on a run of eight wins in a row, while Guardiola gives a masterclass in how to stop a top team going st...

Frank Lampard returning to Stamford Bridge as interim manager is a twist nobody saw coming, in a season that’s already been packed with surprises. While we wait with giddy anticipation for Franks's presser, we have a chance to look back over the week that was on the Second Captains World Service.  Unlikely podcasting partners Joe Brolly & Dion Fanning stopped by the studio to chat about t...

The moon boot, the limp, the grimace of pain - Katie McCabe looked badly injured against Bayern in the Champions League on Wednesday night, but played 80 minutes and scored a beauty against Man City this weekend. We were all fooled, except for one Second Captains presenter. Ulster didn't do much wrong in the rain against Leinster and still couldn't get within two scores. We chat to Lions, Ireland...

There are seasons when nothing happens and there are weekends when seasons happen... the weekend just gone left us with a lot to get stuck into on today's pod. Graham Potter's nightmare is over, Brendan Rodgers too has skiied off leaving Leicester to fight their way out of the relegation zone without him, and an angry Manchester United fan has been in touch demanding the smooth head of Erik t...

On Saturday evening Sligo play Wicklow in the Div 4 league final, and it will be an emotional occasion for all involved as it falls on the one-year anniversary of the death of Red Óg Murphy, a hugely talented Sligo and DCU footballer. Last year, aged 21 and just a few days before he was due to collect an award for being named in the Sigerson Cup Team of the Year, Red Óg died by suicide. Today...

Ken went on the attack in the wake of Ireland’s gallant scoreboard-defeat / moral-victory against France on Monday night. Yes, the image of Jason Molumby prowling around the Aviva launching into tackles and revving up the crowd was great to see, but the overriding emotion following the game was one of frustration. How can we keep doing this to ourselves? Will this anger spur us on to greener...

Stephen Cluxton's desire to lead a quiet life is constantly being undermined by his habit of dropping major bombshells in the most dramatic fashion possible.  His return to the Dublin senior football squad over-shadowed much if not all of the football played yesterday - but salt a de earth true Dub Eoin McDevitt isn't sure it's the right idea.  On the field, Oisin McConville guided Wickl...

Ireland have Evan Ferguson, Bossman Steo, a fan base that loves their team again and Ken argues that France's 4-0 win over the Netherlands is, surprisingly, yet another reason for us to be hopeful! But as the World Cup finalists comes to town we have oh so many fears too - welcome to our Ireland V France preview show!   Is Kenny a slave to the system to the detriment of the team's chance...