The Second Captains Podcast

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 long period of time, but in the last decade the New England Patriots have managed it better than any other side. Brian Murphy explains why.We also have Oisin McConville on marking the legendary Tomas O'Se, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, panenka V roulada, and Brian O'Driscoll's game face. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, principles and the role Brian O'Driscoll has played in his career.There's also hurling exhortations, mature Clare youths, anger as a gift and rugby friendships. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clare hurlers said they enjoyed the drawn final, while the Cork team have spent the last three weeks repeatedly being told they're an inferior side. Author, journalist and former Clare player Christy O'Connor and Tipp legend Nicky English join us to discuss what has been a strange build-up for the two sides involved.Irish amateur boxing is springing a few leaks at the moment with John Joe Nevin on the verge of turning pro, Olympic bronze medallist Michael Conlan threatening to turn pro and Katie Taylor disillusioned with her career since the London Games. We talk to Kenneth Egan about what is a difficult time for the sport ahead of next month's World Championships.We also have Ciaran 'lights out' Murphy, why its bad to be the underdog in a replay, enjoyable failure and Katie's Irish pub experience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we walk through the post All-Ireland wasteland to see if there are any Mayo bodies alive under the rubble. Oisin McConville and Anthony Moyles wonder if Dublin winning is good for football, and we ask Mike Finnerty of the Mayo News if this is the defeat that will finally break the county's will. Brian Murphy looks at the issue of preferential treatment for star players, and why the NFL continues to produce so many athletes who struggle with life, and the law, off the field of play.We also have Aidan O'Shea's favourite poem, filthy stadiums, youth V's experience and why Mayo can't become 'just another county'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A year after Jim McGuinness seemed to have changed the way football would be played forever, Dublin have this summer successfully pursued a very different tactic. Oisin McConville and Karol Mannion look at the philosophy of the quiet man of this championship, Jim Gavin.The future of the Heineken Cup has long been in jeopardy, but flip flopping this week by the world governing body, the IRB, calls into question just who controls the world game. Former Leinster captain and Irish Times writer Liam Toland and Chris Hewitt of the London Independent look at the bigger picture for the sport.We also have the latest on the Donegal situation, David Cameron's ancestral fear of jocks, Dubs fan WB Yeats and McDevitt's dreams. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mayo and Dublin thought their way out of trouble in their semi finals, but will James Horan and Jim Gavin make any changes to gameplan based on those scares. Mike Finnerty of the Mayo News and Malachy Clerkin of The Irish Times have met the managers and the players this week and give us the inside scoop.Two time winner of the William Hill sports book of the year Duncan Hamilton attempts to explain how football was the cause of George Best's problems in his latest book Immortal, which was written with the help of Best's family.We also have triathlete Aileen Reid on her world class performances this season, Mayo News' 64 page All-Ireland supplement, dealing with fame in the 60's, and schoolboy tactics in top class sport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trap is gone and Martin O'Neill is hot favourite to be his successor, but Ken and Eoin wonder would an older Roy Keane, in small (international window) doses, be the perfect man to lead the country once again.We talk about the demise of the NFL enforcer, the softening of America, and why European crowd noise is better than American crowd noise, with Brian Murphy.All this plus why success could change Mayo people, the catholic curse, why money is not the main issue in international management, an RTE TV PBESO, and how lighthouses were the cause of the downfall of the west of Ireland. Follow the show on twitter @secondcaptains, on Facebook.com/secondcaptains and send your emails to secondcaptains@irishtimes.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Ireland Sweden game brought us all to our knees, but Sunday's final was the ultimate energiser. Dublin hurler Peter Kelly and author, journalist and Clare man Christy O'Connor try to put some sense on a frenetic game of hurling, and wonder what changes the managers will make ahead of the replay. It's a fresh start for Irish rugby this season with Joe Schmidt now in charge of the national side, and two new provincial coaches in place. We ask Eddie O'Sullivan and Trevor Hogan if this is Irish rugby's big chance to think big. All this plus tepid Murph, why Davy fitz needs Robbie Keane, wrestlemania, and Trap's dignified nonsense.Follow us on twitter @secondcaptains, on facebook.com/secondcaptains and email the show second captains@irishtimes.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cork may be one of Hurling's 'Big 3' but when it comes to winning Munster and All-Ireland titles at underage recently, it's Clare that have all the pedigree. We talk to a man who has won it as a player and coach, Nicky English, along with six time winner Derek Lyng, and author, journalist and former Clare goalkeeper Christy O'Connor.Kieran McGeeney has been voted out of the Kildare job, to the disenchantment of his players - we ask his former selector Niall Carew if McGeeney needed to play the political game in order to achieve his aims with the county. The NFL season starts tonight - we ask US Murph if the concussion story has been tidily squared away or will fans now look at the sport, and the collisions, in a new light. All this plus kung-fu Zlatan, Murph's All-Ireland final livestock update, the rhythm of an international football week, and Ken reveals the truth behind Flipper's evil smile.Download it here, follow the lads on twitter @SecondCaptains and on facebook.com/secondcaptains. Email the show at secondcaptains@irishtimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you’ve got a killer right hook, and no chin, you don’t really have much of an option but to come out swinging – so was that why we were treated to a game for the ages on Sunday in Croke Park? Anthony Moyles and Oisin McConville sift through the gold and look ahead to Mayo-Dublin and another potential classic in the final. Ireland’s top two cyclists have had contrasting experiences in the Vuelta Espana – Nicolas Roche won a stage, had the leader’s jersey and lies in third, whereas Daniel Martin suffered a race-ending crash in controversial circumstances. We talk to both of them.All this plus Leinster’s new coach Matt O’Connor on the challenges of taking over from Joe Schmidt, a gigantic Australian PBESO, deadline day horse-play and the fastest All Ireland pairing of all time.Download it here, follow the lads on twitter @SecondCaptains and on facebook.com/secondcaptains. Email the show at secondcaptains@irishtimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.