Second Captains @ The Irish Times

Munster once again prove they're the best clutch team in Europe, while Leinster continue to struggle against more powerful opponents. We ask Bernard Jackman and Gerry Thornley if Munster have the squad depth to go all the way, if Ulster have been mortally wounded and whether Leinster need to re appraise their strategy.The Eisenhower tree is gone from Augusta, but all the other traditions remain, for better or worse. We ask Brian Murphy to wrestle with his capitalist side, and explain what its like to see a once in a generation genius do his stuff six feet away from you.All this plus Leinster's side entrance to the colosseum, joyless celebrations, Honky Tonk Ken, The Armstrong Lie, Coleman's volleys and David Feherty's joke kryptonite. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eoin and Ken discuss further developments in Mourinho's management-by-sarcasm, and why Bayern Munich were like a thumbless man trying to solve a Rubik's cube.Simon Kuper describes the reaction in Paris to the home team's glorious win over Chelsea.And Raphael Honigstein on the Bavarian disappointment with Manchester United's handball-style defensive tactics. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The deal which will see Sky broadcast 14 GAA championship games exclusively live this season has prompted a huge reaction - and the less people know about it, the more outraged they appear to be. We pick through the more reasonable arguments with Karol Mannion and Anthony Moyles. With a big Heineken Cup weekend coming up, we speak to bona fide Munster legend David Wallace on Rob Penney's recent comments on Northern Hemisphere refereeing, and their major show-down with Toulouse. Joe Duffy, the grassroots, socialism, Toulon egalite, and bullish rugby predictions all in the mix too. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There was an interesting build up to Leinster Munster, but did Rob Penney's statements affect his own team more than the opposition? Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan look at the performances and how the game will impact on both teams' preparations for the Heineken Cup.Tiger Woods' body is letting him down once again - we ask Brian Murphy if his swing coach Sean Foley is to blame, and will Tiger ever win another major.All this plus Lawro's Harry Hill shirt, the eternal duality of Maverick and Ice Man, Ronaldinho and Kevin McManamon and why rugby is like a tense PE class. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eoin McDevitt has a dilemma – his beloved boys in blue are playing on Saturday evening, against their premier rivals. That’s right, Leinster… and Dublin. Should he travel to the Aviva, or Croke Park? Karol Mannion and Oisin McConville are on hand to try and convince him of the merits of the burgeoning Dublin Mayo rivalry. Steve James is one of the truly great sports movie directors. Hoop Dreams is a classic of the genre, and his new film “Head Games – the global concussion crisis” is a compelling look at how head trauma is a creeping disaster waiting to happen, and not just in the NFL. Some timely good news for An Garda Siochana, Mayo fans engraving crude messages on legal tender, and the Suarez variable also feature. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On the face of it Leinster V Munster doesn't have a lot riding on it but its a sellout, its a top of the table clash and there a few Munster players stewing over missing out on a 6N winners medal. We ask Alan Quinlan and Gerry Thornley about Rob Penney's statements, and if there is any takent gap between the two.The final weekend of the hurling league was made all the more dramatic by Niall McMorrow, who didn't know what score his Dublin side needed against Tipp in order to avoid a relegation playoff. We welcome Malachy Clerkin to studio to discuss the form guide ahead of the Championship.All this plus Pellegrini and ROG, Ronaldo's moan, McDevitt's Joe Namath prediction and why Munster V Leinster deserves the hype. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ireland are the Six Nations champions, and although it was tight, the statistics released in the last few days brook no argument - we were first in scrum, lineout, ruck, and tackle success. But are we becoming slaves to stats? And is this good or bad news for the modern-day sportsperson? And a cursory glance at this year's Allianz Football League tables reveals that Ulster football could be back on a charge - we talk to the top scorer in the history of the Ulster championship Oisin McConville about what could be a vintage summer of northern football. All that plus the rise of the machines, new Irish Times columnist Shane Lowry, Murph's ol' fella, and why club gaelic footballers hate each other. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Its a special St Patrick's day episode of Second Captains, as we celebrate all thats good about being Irish, including sporting prowess, luck and the smell of fried concession stand burger meat at 9am.We talk to Denis Hickie and Eddie O'Sullivan about the difference between luck and being lucky, coming close and winning and if this is just the end of the beginning for the Joe Schmidt era.Brian O'Driscoll's retirement was like a fairytale, but we talk to US Murph about 40 year old NBA star Steve Nash, who is getting it terribly wrong as he reaches the end of the road.Proud ulstermen, a Ken apology and sporting mercenaries also feature. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eoin is very anxious to tell people that Ireland are going to win handsomely in France this weekend… but he’s having trouble finding anyone with an alternative view to try and convince. All this confidence is good, right? Former Ireland players Reggie Corrigan and Victor Costello are in studio to tell us if we’ve anything to worry about. And in a week where ‘sure things’ are always at a premium, we talk about the greatest racehorse of them all, Arkle, who won his first Gold Cup 50 years ago this week. Cockerels are dinosaurs, Ken’s love affair with Sprinter Sacre, and people going to jail for tax evasion – no, really, ACTUAL jail – all on the menu as well. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eoin McDevitt has had a few sleepless nights since O'Driscoll Day, and the only cure is a Six Nations Championship. He talks to Gerry Thornley and Matt Williams about the emotional recovery, creative development under Schmidt, and why France's performances up to now can be ignored.Keith Duggan met and interviewed one of the most interesting men in football, Kerry manager Eamon Fitzmaurice. We talk to Keith about the man, the county and the generation gap thats developed in the game. Using medics as human shields, Paris pain, Donegal 2011, and groovy rugby also feature. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Joe Schmidt has only made one change to his starting XV. We ask Shane Horgan and Bernard Jackman about conservatism, Sexton's form, and what is an acceptable result for Ireland.Managers not having any say over what players their club signs is a growing issue in English football. We talk to Brian Murphy about what has long been an accepted practice in American sport.Office politics, cheap pants, Leinster bias and boastful predictions also feature. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s a points party and everyone’s invited in the National Football League so far this year, with scoring totals up and open football the order of the day. Is this all the black card’s doing? We ask Anthony Moyles for the defender’s take. Rory McIlroy is back competing for tournaments, but the manner of his meltdown at the Honda Classic last night raises questions about his winning temperament. And Andy Lee has called out Matthew Macklin for a fight all of Ireland would love to see – we speak to Lee about whether we can expect them to get it on. Ken also has some thoughts on his driving test, and the partitioning of Dublin GAA in the interests of fairness to their country cousins, which he’d like to share. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The NFL Combine is a little like the old TV show ‘Superstars’, where young college American football players perform a series of rigorous calisthenics for the benefit of professional teams seeking to draft them – US Murph tells us about one of the dafter parts of American sporting life. Formula One is an almost exclusively male environment, and author and former ITV pitlane reporter Beverly Turner says the possible introduction of one female driver for next year isn’t going to change a whole lot. Plus we hear about the French in rugby free-fall, from Grenoble coach and former Irish international Bernard Jackman. A good week for punditry, Roy Keane vs Mrs Carrick, why Hitler gave bunkers a bad name and Raymond Domenech all in the mix too. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ireland are still alive, and we’re still fightin’ for this title, as Kevin Keegan would say. We accentuate the positives from our heart-breaking 3 point loss to England with Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley. Malachy Clerkin was at the Sochi Winter Olympics, and his walk to the Irish Times this morning was the coldest he’s been since he left Dublin. We ask him if it should ever have been given to Sochi, and if any of the sport took his mind off the hilariously temperate climate. We ask the broader question of who can actually afford to host these global sporting events any more, do we need to stop using Jonny Sexton’s Paris adventure as an excuse, analyse Ireland’s Euro 2016 group, and the silencing of Peter O’Mahony. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eoin, Ken and Murph discuss sycophantic rugby players, the misery of being a sub in bad weather, the death of the granny rule and yokelish Irish fans.We ask Bernard Jackman and Trevor Hogan if England's plan for a long march to Twickenham could backfire, and ask them exactly what Joe Schmidt is scheming up for what the Irish coach describes as his greatest challenge yet.We also have Martin O'Neill's underwhelming squad announcement, tension between Murph and Pierse Brosnan, the Hick from French lick, and the importance of walking slowly. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The world of hurling celebrated Kilkenny’s demise last summer as the end of an era – so why are they favourites for this year’s All-Ireland title? Their 1 point defeat to Clare in the opening round of the league gave us some indication of where they are for 2014. England tight-head prop Dan Cole has been ruled out through injury – former England out-half Paul Grayson surveys the damage that could cause. And Shane Horgan tells us about the newly humble English rugby player. All this plus a possible new tactical role for Mike Ross, Irish Dallaglio, Neil Francis, Sexton book, and Murph’s history as a specialist in failure. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ireland are the reigning Women's Six Nations Grand Slam champions, and they realise the time is now if they want to grow the popularity of their sport. Their most capped player, Lynne Cantwell talks to us about success on and off the field of play. US Murph on the first gay player to declare himself for the NFL draft, and Malachy Clerkin is in Sochi, for the warmest Winter Olympics in history. Ken asks if it's ever a good idea to beat up your dad (it's not), grits, Arsenal fans and packing out Donnybrook. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On Second Captains this week – Gerry Thornley, Malcolm O’Kelly and Liam Toland on Ireland’s 26-3 win over Wales and managing expectations before Twickenham in 2 weeks time. Colin Jackson held a world record for 13 years but never won Olympic gold – he tells us about the pressure of delivering at an Olympics, winter or summer. And we have the solid work of Peter O’Mahony’s PR entourage, the second-row’s understanding of beauty on a rugby field, and Rene Meulensteen’s towering intellect. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Welsh players have been told by Gatland this week to strut around Europe like the champions they are. We ask Welsh legend Jonathan Davies if this suits the Welsh psyche, and we talk to former Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan about the D'arcy O'Driscoll axis, and the departure of Rob Penney.The Irish Times' Malachy Clerkin is in Sochi for the Winter Olympics so we talk to our journalistic comrade about the long list of political and social issues associated with Putin's Games.We also have US Murph on American sports stars choosing success over wealth, George Plimpton, stray dogs, an Austrian-Mexican prince, whiney journalists and airplane toilets. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After assessing whether we're tougher than Paul O'Connell we launch straight into Six Nations chat with Shane Horgan and Denis Hickie, asking them if the Scottish game was any sort of a barometer for the Wales game.Paul Galvin has retired from inter-county football, and with him goes another link to the great Kerry team of the last decade. Darragh O Se tells us about his former team-mate, and passenger on countless trips to training. And we closely evaluate the singing talents of Peter O’Mahony, the Denver Broncos Superbowl disintegration, sleep deprivation and why it suits the Welsh to be cocky. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.