The Second Captains Podcast

Two clean sweeps in a row for the Irish provinces in the Heineken Cup - can we take all the credit or have the English clubs sub-consciously filed out of this year’s competition already… Shane Horgan, Trevor Hogan and an England Grand Slam winner tell us what we can expect this weekend. Thermo-nuclear war appears to be the only thing that will stop an NFL match – as a couple of snow-addled games o...

The festive season is a time for giving… and most of the time, the giving usually includes some pretty lacklustre sports books. So we have taken it upon ourselves to draw up a list of the very best books of this year, and of all time, to guide you through the season. We have enlisted some high quality help – Keith Duggan (author of the Lifelong Season and House of Pain) and Donald McRae, two time...

We ask Shane Horgan and Liam Toland should a proposed extension to Rob Penney's contract be judged on the two Perpignan games. Meanwhile Matt Connor faces his biggest challenge to date away to Northampton, and we debate what changes he has made since the Schmidt era. An entire sport turning a blind eye to cheating is something we’ve sadly grown used to over the last decade or so, but has the multi...

Photographer Billy Stickland is responsible for capturing many of the greatest moments in Irish sport, and he joins us in studio to discuss his career, the story behind the shots and how he gets so many men to take their shirts off. Last weekend Carlow hurling manager John Meyler watched his son David score for Hull, rejoiced in Mount Leinster Rangers' hurling success, and celebrated his wedding a...

Sochi is the one place in Russia where it doesn't snow, so Vladimir Putin thought it would be perfect for the Winter Games. Andrew Roth of the New York Times joins us from Moscow to talk about what will be the most expensive Olympics in history. Friend of the show and Ireland's greatest ever goalkeeper Shane Curran joins us in studio to discuss the Connacht club final, injury, Rene Higuita, and pl...

Its a special heartbreak edition of Second Captains this week, as we wade through our nations' tears in search of the most painful moments in history. Gordon Darcy still hasn't recovered from Sunday's game but believes the team can play at that level every week, and believes if New Zealand can be consistently brilliant, then so can Ireland. Eddie O'Sullivan feels its the best performance in our hi...

New Zealand and Ireland have a long and storied rivalry… a rivalry that unfortunately consists of us losing, and most of the time, losing by quite a bit. Denis Hickie and Neil Francis chart the near misses, the humiliations, and the reasons why black is the colour we just can’t seem to handle. Len Bias was the rival Michael Jordan never had – drafted by the Boston Celtics just two years after Jord...

The learning curve doesn’t get any less steep for Joe Schmidt – after being humbled by Australia, we have the world champions New Zealand coming up this weekend. Shane Horgan, Jerry Flannery and Emmett Byrne tell us where Ireland can make the most improvements, quickest, between last Saturday and this Sunday. We have the latest from Poznan with Ken Early, and we also look at the life and times of...

The Ireland team has been named for this Saturday’s test against Australia – and Joe Schmidt has rolled the dice again. Eddie O’Sullivan and Shane Horgan give us their thoughts, and talk to us about the World Cup game between the sides in 2003 that Ireland so very nearly won. Candlestick Park in San Francisco has held more top-class sport than any other stadium in America, and US Murph has been go...

Eoin and Ken and Ciaran wonder why images of Roy Keane standing in a field with his hands behind his back are exciting enough to be broadcast live on Sky Sports. And we've got the news from Martin O'Neill's first press conference (in ordinary time) as Ireland manager. We'll also hear from Stephen Ward after his first MONKEANO-operated training session. Sid Lowe joins us from Madrid to talk about L...

Joe Schmidt has come into the Ireland job with an unimpeachable club coaching record – but does that insulate him from criticism, or make him more vulnerable than ever? Matt Williams, Trevor Hogan and the Irish Times’ Gerry Thornley talk about what would be a successful November series for Ireland’s new man as the test with Australia approaches. Tommy Walsh was a Gaelic football ‘outlier’ in 2009...

In his first press conference as Ireland manager Martin O'Neill outlined his thought process in taking the job, what role Keane will have, what he thinks of Keane's temperament, and why volatility isn't always a bad thing. Ken and Eoin discuss whether the pair can bring some panache to Ireland's play, if the fans can be convinced to return, and if Delaney would ever let Keane get the main job. Hos...

With the Joe Schmidt era starting on Saturday, we talk to Shane Horgan and Trevor Hogan about his team selection, how the players are adapting to the new methods, the sense of expectation among fans, and what changes we can expect to see on the pitch in the next few weeks. US Murph gives us some detail on a very strange tale of workplace harassment in the locker-room of the Miami Dolphins, which m...

John Delaney today brought us confirmation that there will be a confirmation, heralding the dawn of the O'Neill Keane era. Eoin asks Emmet Malone if he foresees trouble, and we talk to former Ipswich player under Keane, Shane Supple, about Roy's management style. Eddie O'Sullivan has met and discussed tactics with Roy Keane, and believes the Cork man's straight talking will be a key ingredient for...

Eoin and Ken are joined in studio by Seán Óg Ó'hAilpín, who opens up on his brilliant career in hurling, his recovery from the trauma of a serious car accident, and his lifelong struggle to come up to the standards demanded by his highly competitive father. Brian Murphy was watching as the Boston Red Sox won a World Series in front of their own fans at Fenway Park. And Simon Usborne joins us to ta...

In his first year as a senior international Jason Quigley has won the National Champs, the European Champs and became the first Irish man to win a world silver medal - we talk to him about why he's still not satisfied. Sean O'Brien, Jamie Heaslip, Conor Murray and Donnacha Ryan have all recently been linked with moves abroad. Shane Horgan and Trevor Hogan explain how the IRFU need to act quickly a...

With Joe Ward and Jason Quigley fighting for World Championship glory this weekend we speak to Billy Walsh about how he manages to coach and motivate such a diverse range of characters. US Murph will let us know how 2 late goals for the US men's soccer team might be enough to wipe away 250 years of hatred across the Rio Grande, and we speak to one of the greatest Aussie Rules footballers of all ti...

Four wins from four in the Heineken Cup for the Irish provinces last weekend, and Ulster might just be the form team in Europe at the moment. Shane Horgan and Eddie O'Sullivan on what Ulster learnt from last year, Munster and Leinster flaws, and who is best placed to take over from O'Driscoll at the end of the season. The subject of concussions in rugby has been getting plenty of coverage recently...

Eoin and Ken talk Alex Ferguson's book, which includes even less than might be expected about Rock of Gibraltar....except all the times Roy Keane irritatingly brought it up. Dion Fanning was at today's book launch in London and talks to us about the Fergie-Keane feud. Graham Hunter joins us to discuss how David Moyes might be feeling about the looming presence of his predecessor. And Philippe Aucl...

Rob Penney and Conor O’Shea savaged their teams last weekend – can coaches motivate players by criticising them in public? Shane Horgan had experience of this in his playing days and joins us to discuss the rights and wrongs. We also speak to Leinster’s Sean Cronin, who was the player of the weekend in the first round of the Heineken Cup, with the numbers to prove it. And we speak to US Murph abou...

After last weekend's surrender to Edinburgh, we ask Trevor Hogan and Gerry Thornley if complacency is an acceptable excuse for Munster. We also look at Sean O'Brien's evolving game, and how the provinces are shaping up for next weekend. Australia's International Rules side will be represented by an indigenous selection, one of the few exciting elements to this series. We chart the history of the A...

A doctor in Glasgow's Southern General Hospital believes that he has found the first case of early onset dementia caused by head injuries while playing rugby - in the week that Peter O'Mahony was taken off the pitch by Munster's medical staff, Grenoble coach Bernard Jackman and Jonny Watterson of The Irish Times talk us through why rugby has to do more to protect its players. Jason Ryan loved the...

In the build-up to this season's Heineken Cup Munster have answered a few questions, while Leinster struggle with injuries and new fitting in the new faces. Shane Horgan and Trevor Hogan look at what shape the Irish teams are in ahead of the opening weekend. Roddy Collins is back in the Airtricity Premier Division with Athlone Town, and has 40 years of friendship with Ireland interim manager Noel...

The rugby season has been dominated by endless statements from administrators and club owners, but on Saturday in Thomond the fun starts. We talk to former Ireland head coach Eddie O'Sullivan and former Leinster, Munster and Ireland player Trevor Hogan about how the stars will perform with these issues hovering in the background. American sports franchises struggle to maintain consistency over a l...

The nation was blown away by Clare's confidence and skill on saturday, but they have designs on building an empire. We ask Nicky English, Malachy Clerkin and Christy O'Connor whether a county without a history of success can go on to dominate. Johnny Sexton has been one of the most influential and interesting men in Irish rugby for the last five years, and we talk to him about Paris, O'Gara, princ...