The Second Captains Podcast

Leinster are European champions for a fourth time after their gruelling 15-12 victory over Racing 92 in Bilbao on Saturday, bringing them level with Toulouse as the most-decorated team in northern hemisphere club rugby. Shane Horgan, Matt Williams and Gerry Thornley are all on hand to discuss how Leinster have managed to turn it around just 2 years after losing 5 from 6 in their pool and Johnny Se...

Barcelona threw away the chance to complete an unbeaten season in La Liga by resting Lionel Messi to ensure his availability for a moneymaking midweek friendly in South Africa. Meanwhile, Manchester City reached the 100-point mark in the Premier League. Is it too early to say The Game's Gone? Also under discussion are Mauricio Pochettino's "shtones" challenge to Daniel Levy, and the fact that Mike...

To listen to Ken solve the world's problems, our compelling and uncomfortable interview with Eamon Magee, our Champions Cup preview and the start of our GAA coverage, become a World Service member now at secondcaptains.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steven Gerrard has agreed to become the new manager of Rangers. Ken, who earlier today was exposed by his own sloppy journalism to the unforgiving nature of the Glasgow football rivalry, expresses his sympathies. Arsene Wenger left the Emirates for the last time as manager towing a six-litre keg of wine gifted to him by an appreciative press corps; meanwhile Chelsea are mounting a late charge for...

In football nothing lasts forever, neither grudges, nor coaching mind-melds. Over the weekend Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho posed for a friendly picture on the sideline at Old Trafford, while Zeljko Buvac, Jurgen Klopp's "Brain", surprisingly left his role at Anfield - at least for now - on the eve of the Champions League semi-final second-leg. Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri is also...

A tiny taste of what you missed out on from this week's Second Captains World Service. Join us and support independent, member-led broadcasting for just five euro a month at secondcaptains.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ulster Rugby couldn't get the bonus point win against Munster that would have given them a sniff at a Pro14 playoff place, and now face a battle to even qualify for next year's Champions Cup. Shane Horgan give us his view on a turbulent, depressing season for them, the arrival of their new head coach Dan McFarland, and John Muldoon's emotional send-off at the Sportsground on Saturday. Katie Taylor...

In football nothing lasts forever, neither grudges, nor coaching mind-melds. Over the weekend Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho posed for a friendly picture on the sideline at Old Trafford, while Zeljko Buvac, Jurgen Klopp's "Brain", surprisingly left his role at Anfield - at least for now - on the eve of the Champions League semi-final second-leg. Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri is also...

Leinster marched imperiously through to a first European Rugby Cup final since 2012 on Saturday, but Munster failed to complete the Irish double after a massively disappointing semi-final defeat to Racing 92 in Bordeaux yesterday - European Cup winners Shane Horgan and Barry Murphy assess the weekend's action. Are Munster just not good enough, or was Sunday a case of some really poor individual pe...

It was a good weekend for Mo Salah, Ander Herrera, Olivier Giroud and Napoli, and a bad one for Shane Long, Declan Rice, Harry Kane and Mauricio Pochettino. We discuss the weekend of glowing tributes to Arsene Wenger, and what they have tended to leave out. What kind of manager should Arsenal go for after Arsene? John Brewin joins us to discuss Wenger's remarks after yesterday's match expressing d...

To hear the full show, become a member of the Second Captains World Service today at secondcaptains.com and support independent, commercial-free, member-led broadcasting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester City have won the league and sponsors Etisalat have saluted the achievement with one of the great football videos. We comb through the many "How City Did It" stories in today's papers and talk to Howard Hockin of the 93:20 podcast. When Pep asks his players a question, is he always expecting an answer? And if setting a points record would not necessarily be enough to establish City as t...

It was Eoin McDevitt's birthday last week, and since he's not on Facebook, we all obviously neglected to get him anything. So it is no coincidence that today, our entire pod is dedicated to the life and work of the Eighth Wonder of the World, and li'l Eoin's favourite wrestler. "Andre The Giant" is the subject and the title of a brilliant new HBO documentary, and we speak to the show's producer Ma...

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Patrick Reed won his first major title last night at the US Masters, seeing off a seriously off-colour Rory McIlroy, and rather more serious challenges from his American compatriots Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth. But why does everyone dislike him so much? Golf writer Lawrence Donegan joins us to explain the complicated backstory, from allegations of cheating during college, to arrests, arrogance...

As one bald fraud to another, Eoin McDevitt has pity for Pep's pain. Saturday was a good day for the Hairy Man, who heaped indignity upon the Smooth Man. Is there still hope of redemption for City after their nightmare week? As for the matchwinner Paul Pogba, where has this player been until now? And can we expect to see more of him in the future? We analyse the game with Jonathan Wilson: why have...

So it's never happened before, but after this weekend a first Munster-Leinster European Rugby Cup final is looking perhaps more likely than at any previous stage in this competition's history. Matt Williams and Gerry Thornley talk us through Leinster and Munster's thrilling wins over Saracens and Toulon, who between them had shared the last 5 titles. From Andrew Conway's miracle run, to Dan Leavy'...

**NOTE: Our members have requested that this podcast be made free-to-air and we're happy to do so. This was initially a World Service members-only show broadcasted first on 29th of March 2018. The podcast was re-published for all today, the 30th of March. For independent, member-led journalism like this in the future, please join the Second Captains World Service. Enjoy the show and thanks to all...

Mayo needed a win or a draw against Donegal in Ballybofey yesterday, and by hook or by crook, a draw is what they got. We talk to Footballer Of The Year Andy Moran about Kevin McLoughlin's wonder point to save their bacon, why their league form has been so patchy, and what we can do to get cynicism in the final moments of a game out of the sport for good. We also speak to Michael Duignan and Malac...

An international football weekend with almost no international football on the actual weekend means that today we are forced to discuss whether rugby really is the heartbeat of the race, as some rugby pundits compulsively insist after every big rugby victory. If the oval ball game has displaced all other sports in the affections of the people, why do Irish viewers prefer Mrs. Brown's Boys? After w...

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For just the third time in our history, Ireland are 6 Nations Grand Slam champions. And this one was in a style that brooked no argument - from the moment Le Drop found it's way over the crossbar in Paris Ireland were the best team in the championship, accomplished front-runners, comfortable wearers of the favourites' tag and worthy champions. Sean Cronin gave us that image of a bruised and beaten...

Many managers have spoken about the risks of criticising players in public. The players know when they've messed it up, they say. No need to labour the point, they say. Keep the criticism behind closed doors, they say. As his treatment of Luke Shaw demonstrates, Jose Mourinho takes a different view. But why? Is there a higher purpose to this, beyond making it clear that certain squad members will...

Now that's a week on the Second Captains World Service. Join us at secondcaptains.com/join. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's our fifth birthday, and it's celebrations all-round as we begin a massive week for the Irish rugby rugby team this Monday afternoon. Ireland are 4 wins from 4 games, scoring 17 tries in the process, and are now just a win in Twickenham away from a third Grand Slam in our history - so why are there still a few lingering questions surrounding our style? We talk to Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornle...