The Second Captains Podcast

Ireland eventually got the win over Japan on Saturday but all the same doubts remain about a team that has had very few good performances since the summer of 2024.Andy Farrell was honest with the media afterwards, stating “we need to get over ourselves and get on with the big boy stuff". We chat to Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley about Farrell's frankness, why previously skilful players are making so many handling errors, how the lineout could be so clunky two weeks in a row, and if the team has any hope against a marauding South African team in two weeks time.We also chat to Craig Ray about an era defining win for Rassie's side in Paris, if the Boks have any weaknesses anymore and Australia's topsy turvy season.Plus there's body language bluster, questioning Paul O'Connell and the day Irish rugby created a monster. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a surprise to wake up on Saturday morning and find that US Senator Lindsey Graham had been putting the boot into the FAI. https://x.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1986961533193032133?s=20Graham was referring to the resolution that was due to be voted on at Saturday's FAI EGM, asking the FAI to forward a motion to the UEFA Executive Committee requesting the suspension of Israel's FA from UEFA competitions. Graham's words did not deter the General Assembly from passing the resolution by a margin of 74 votes to 7. We talk through the origins and implications of the vote. Gavin Cooney and John Brewin join us to talk about the weekend's football. Are Manchester City back on the march? Did Liverpool's squad-building forget the all-important dimension of scale? Was Arsenal's wobble against Sunderland a preview of forthcoming attractions?And what now for on-screen-presence's Stephen Bradley, after he led Shamrock Rovers to their first Double since 1987?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a heck of a spread put out for our world service members this week with Infantino announcing the creation of a new FIFA peace prize and appearing on stage at the same event as Donald Trump in Miami last night, Champions League action featuring Yamal and Dan Burn, Liverpool outplaying Madrid, Trent getting booed, the DJ Carey sentencing, Ireland V NZ fallout, Ireland thumping Panama in the u-17 FIFA World Cup, and Erling Haaland's offside masterclass.Next week we will preview Ireland V Portugal in the WC qualifiers, Ireland V Joe Schmidt's Australia in the November internationals and keep an eye on the under 17's team progress.There’ll be some "touching" tomorrow, Branno and Sneyd on Heimir and the LOI season is out today and we will as ever stay on top of all the big stories.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 podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For an hour on Saturday Ireland looked comfortable, if not quite in control, against NZ, and then came a sliding doors moment as Jamie Osborne dropped a pass from Crowley, and within four plays the All Blacks were ahead and, as it turned out, home and hosed. Ireland have now lost to NZ three times in a row, and since the 2023 RWC have had very few good performances. We talk to Shane Horgan about the dramatic drop in standards for the final 20 mins and if this is proof of a slow decline in this team.We also discuss the faulty lineout, defensive errors, a lack of Irish line breaks, options for the Japan game and the PA/big screen/TMO clown show at Soldier Field.Plus there's breaking news on DJ Carey, Xhosa comms and selling the game to America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Players despise fans, we know that, but should they nevertheless feel compelled to salute them at the end of every game or can we all do without this level of insincerity? Bohemians sealed fourth place in the League of Ireland and will qualify for Europe if Shamrock Rovers complete the double next weekend, but this did not improve the mood of manager Alan Reynolds, who this weekend dubbed Bohs fans "ridiculous". Branno, it turns out, likes having the whip cracked in his face.Jack Pitt-Brooke and Dion Fanning join us to talk about the weekend's football. Why are many Tottenham fans apparently unimpressed with Thomas Frank's rapid transformation of them from the laughing stock of the league to a reasonably respectable outfit? And who is currently the best midfielder in the PL, Declan Rice or Moises Caicedo? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week winter announced its arrival with rain that was general all over Ireland, nonetheless we've been having a fun week here at Second Captains Towers and now we want to share some of that with you. Before Ireland take on New Zealand in Chicago we hear from Conor Murray who was a guest of ours at the Gaiety a few weeks back. Can Ireland repeat the victory of Conor and the other men of '16. Staying in those most United of States we spoke to Defector staff writer Patrick Redford about the sweeping changes to the American sporting landscape since the legalisation of gambling and a Bond-esque caper allegedly involving the Mafia, x-ray poker tables, invisible ink, rigged shuffling machines and a handful of known NBA figures. And finally our resident Bohs fan aimlessly walks the streets of Drumcondra in search of an answer to Shamrock Rovers dominance of the League of Ireland - encountering ghosts along the way. 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 podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Keith Andrews the new Mikel Arteta? Hard to say for sure, as it suddenly seems as though everybody wants to be the new version of the Arsenal coach, whose bulletproof juggernaut continues to bulldoze all comers. But it was another good weekend for Andrews, whose team personify the spirit of 2025. We also talk about the wildly different interpretation of the sport demonstrated by Real Madrid and Barcelona in Sunday’s Clasico, compared to the weekend’s Premier League games.Neil Atkinson and Gavin Cooney join us to talk about the weekend’s football. Have Arsenal broken the back of this thing already? What has Gavin learned from interviewing the Irishman working at the heart of one of the world’s leading laboratories of set piece ball? And can either of them identify the reasons for Liverpool FC’s ever-worsening crisis?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Orla Comerford has just come off a sensational year, one which started in Paris in September 2024 when she took a Paralympic bronze medal in the 100m and finished 3 weeks ago with double World Championship golds in the 100 and 200m. She joined us in studio this week to chat through the madness of the last 13 months.It’s almost World Series time, and reigning champions the LA Dodgers got there courtesy of the single greatest display in the history of American sports. For once, the hype is justified. We discussed the Ohtani miracle with US Murph. We also chatted to Andy Lee and Joseph Parker at our live show. Parker is a World heavyweight champion but his career was drifting until he hooked up with Andy in the last few years and he’s back in the ring this Saturday night in London.Plus there's former Derry u-20 footballer Jude McAtamney getting selected for, and then ruthlessly let go, by the NY Giants, the Guardian’s Jonathan Liew told us why he thinks a ban on Maccabi Tel-Aviv is not a ban on Jewish football fans.Next week Ken is back, there's Ire V NZ in Chicago and build up to Ireland's historic Under-17 World Cup appearance.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 podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Munster had 35% possession, 31% territory, had to make 270 tackles to Leinster's 117, had the inferior scrum, went down to an early try, and we're playing against a team full of Lions and Ireland internationals.... and won it easing up, with a 4-try bonus point.We chat to Shane Horgan and Barry Murphy about Munster's brilliant all-round display, bigger/faster/stronger/smarter Jack Crowley, turning defence into attack, Clayton McMillan's impact, Tom Farrell's emergence as an Ireland contender, Sam Prendergast's dip in form, and where this leaves Andy Farrell with NZ now on the horizon.Plus there's padel talk, Chicago 2016 and when a coach is the right fit for a team. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken is on holiday!! Come back, please keep reading, there is a but coming.. Ken is on holiday BUT given the enormity of the football weekend we have all just lived through he is taking a break from his mini-retirement to dial in from the beautiful citadel of Milan(o) and bring you today's football pod.Enthused by the fresh alpine air of which he now breathes, Ken asks questions such as; Is Arteta a footballing prophet? What podcaster most resembles Mohamed Salah and what to do with those low-blocks and long balls. And we discuss what the appearance of Klopp on the Liverpool horizon may signal.We are also joined by Rory Smith of The Observer and The Athletic's Mark Critchley who take us through Manchester United's first back to back wins in the Premier League since their final two games of the 2023/24 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What an Incredible week we’ve had in Second Captains, and thanks again to our guests and those who came to the Gaiety both nights. Eamon Dunphy got the biggest Second Captains standing ovation of all time, and we have a taster for you on today's best of show. We also had Martin O'Neill at the Gaiety and he was keen to debate the merits of data and XG with Ken. And Ken chatted to Simon Kuper about his new book “World Cup Fever - A Footballing Journey in Nine Tournaments”.Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. Monday’s shows and the best of 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 podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s live show day in the Second Captains offices, but we still found time to send our best and brightest (and oldest), Simon Hick off to talk to Andy Farrell, on the release of his autobiography “The Only Way I Know” this week.Simon chats to Andy about what shaped Farrell as a person and a coach, how he has dealt with coaching with and against his son Owen, and how Ireland are shaping up ahead of the November internationals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland have fallen to their second defeat of the 2026 World Cup Qualifying campaign and now sit bottom of Group F on one point. Ken dials in from Lisbon as we talk through a night in which we came so close to a positive result.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finn Azaz was asked about Heimir’s comment last week that the Irish players underestimated the challenge of Armenia. “I think it goes further than that. “In terms of the build up, the wins against Bulgaria, the improved performances and results leading up to that game. . . maybe there was a lack of understanding of the challenge that we were coming up against away to Armenia, in terms of the occasion, in terms of the environment and in terms of them as players.” We put those quotes to Ken this morning, after he touched down in Lisbon for Saturday night’s World Cup qualifier. We spoke to Jack Pitt Brooke about Thomas Tuchel not including Jude Bellingham in the England squad and Ken discussed Steven Gerrard's comments about England's golden generation of "egotistical losers". Our new phone-in show KenCall was launched to great acclaim on the World Service recently and next week we’re bringing KenCall live to the Gaiety theatre stage. If you’re gonna be there, all the better, if not, you can still send in your voice notes to be put to Ken on the night to edtior@secondcapfains.com - Subject KenCall. We still have tickets remaining for Monday night by the way at secondcaptains.comBen Healy was one of the stories of the sporting summer, when he not only won a stage of the Tour de France but went on to wear the yellow jersey for two days, and if that wasn’t enough, just ten days ago he capped it all off by winning bronze at the World Championships. We caught up with Ben for his first in-depth interview in the Irish media about what has been the year of his dreams.If you want to hear more of this kind of stuff sign up to the World Service! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I made a mistake that was not in keeping with my character and the standards I set myself. I am now taking steps to address the matter.” With Jim Gavin pulling out of the race to be the President, we ask GAA man Ciaran Murphy what his community makes of it all.Leinster have conceded 74 points in two games, losing both, while Munster have won two from two, albeit against weaker opposition. Sam Prendergast missed a penalty, a drop goal and threw an intercept pass in the closing stages of Leinster's loss to the Bulls, while Jack Crowley steered Munster home against Cardiff with a drop goal landing MOTM display. Munster play Leinster in Croke Park in 2 weeks time; let the outhalf wars begin.We chat to Gerry Thornley and our man in South Africa, Craig Ray, about the race for 10, Nienaber's new contract, South Africa's scarily successful evolution as a rugby team and we reflect on the sad news that Lewis Moody, 2003 World Cup winner with England, today announced that he has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.And we bring you the breaking news that we’re bringing KenCall live to our Gaiety shows next Monday and Wednesday* (Wednesday is sold out*). If you’ve heard anything on the podcast that’s been grinding your gears, or maybe you just want some life coaching from Ken, email your voice note to editor@secondcaptains.com - subject line KenCall. Keep them under 30 seconds please. For tickets go to secondcaptains.com/live  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brentford’s Sepp van den Berg showed one way not to defend against Erling Haaland this weekend: start the game by pushing him around in a mildly irritating manner. Don’t make him angry, you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.Chelsea picked apart Liverpool by exploiting their known weaknesses, as detailed by Marc Cucurella after the match. When does a crisis evolve from frothing internet madness to actual crisis? And what is the biggest challenge facing Arne Slot over the next few weeks?Nick Miller joins us to talk about Ange Postecoglou’s start to life at Nottingham Forest. Postecoglou says that as a child he used to pick fights with people he knew would beat him up. Has he taken the Forest job on the same principle? How are the Forest crowd’s feelings towards beloved former manager Nuno affecting the reception of Ange? And are people still confident the good ship Marinakis is steering the right course? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The weekend's sport draws to a close, Monday arrives and you get a double shot of Second Captains. The world feels brighter, airier, you walk with an extra bounce in your step. Then comes Tuesday and there's a sudden void in your life. How can you make it six whole days without another dispatch of independent, member-led broadcasting? Well, we've got a solution for you, dear Monday listener. Listen to this week's SC taster menu, realise there's a light at the end of the tunnel, and sign up for the World Service for just €5 a month + VAT at secondcaptains.com/join. The gang's all here! This week there's the Arsenal x the RAF collab you never quite saw coming, Ken on why Team USA's Ryder Cup fans just can't get a chant together, Paul Flynn on what the GAA can learn from the NFL, and the recent apparent evolution of Premier League football into set piece rollerball.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a wild Ryder Cup weekend at Bethpage Black, for good and for bad. Despite heckling from American fans that managed all at once to be annoying, unoriginal and verging on the obscene, Europe wiped the floor with the US over the first two days of the tournament. And then came Sunday... Malachy Clerkin of the Irish Times is in studio and Joe Callaghan joins us from New York to chat about Shane Lowry's huge performance despite the abuse he and Rory McIlroy faced, when the welcome change in atmosphere at a Ryder Cup spills over into something ugly, and poor old Keegan Bradley's captaincy from hell. Plus there's a slice of Ian Wright and SC after dark.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An explosive reaction to Liverpool's first defeat of the season maybe suggests discontent with performances was simmering through the recent series of late wins. Have we seen enough to state boldly that a certain Liverpool-player-of-the-decade and a certain almost-record-signing might not both fit into an effective Premier League team? Maybe not yet - but let's do it anyway. Meanwhile Arsenal demonstrated the virtues of combining power and balance in their comeback win at Newcastle, while Chelsea's board expressed their possibly-unrequited confidence in Enzo Maresca.David Sneyd spent his Friday hanging out with Keith Andrews and Brentford's director of football Phil Giles. The next day Brentford thrashed Manchester United 3-1. We hear from David about Andrews approach to the job, and why a club regarded as one of the best-run in the Premier League believed he was the right man to take them forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate O'Connor's heptathlon silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo was one of the truly great Irish sporting achievements. To post 5 personal bests in her 7 events, some of them with a knee injury, speaks to a truly elite mental toughness.Derval O'Rourke watched it all, was left by turns speechless and emotional over the course of Saturday morning, and joins us today to talk about the importance of solid structures around Kate, the new stratosphere she has been launched into, as well as Cian McPhilips' tantalising run for fourth in the 800m final.We join Joe Callaghan, who made the border crossing from Canada to get to Bethpage Black, a blue collar course in New York, for a Ryder Cup that will have lots of bite and spite, on and off the course.And there's lovely sports Dads, the spirit of Seve, and we imagine what VR headsets abusing polite European sportspeople might be like.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.