Second Captains

The All-Ireland club final between Watty Graham's Glen and Kilmacud Crokes was one of the most controversial sporting events of 2023... and 7 days into 2024, they got a chance to go at it again. This time around, in yesterday's semi-final in Newry, the action on the field was completed to everyone's satisfaction... even if it was enshrouded in fog. 

Oisin McConville saw as much of it as the rest of us, and we talk to him about Glen's resilience, Jim McGuinness' return to GAA management... and why he could be about to lose his Wicklow goalkeeper to the NFL. 

We also discuss Eoin's newly bald jawline, Fog On The Tyne, and who might overcome their hangover to win the Dioralyte O'Byrne Cup. 

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Every year it becomes more culturally embarrassing for us to talk about the third round of the FA Cup, and yet... here we go again. 

This time - the Sunderland-Newcastle damp squib, the latest gut-punch for Arsenal, and plaintive cries from the Saudi coast suggesting one more possible reason for Liverpool's successful transformation.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy New Year from all of us at Second Captains! To celebrate we've decided to dip into the vault and dig out our favourite interview of 2023, an all-timer with Ronnie O'Sullivan live in our Dublin studio.

Ronnie O’Sullivan joins us to talk about anxiety, his childhood, his relationship with his father before and after his father went to jail, his relationship with Snooker and why he looks to Messi, Jordan and Tiger for lessons on how to get better.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Munster appeared to be in a winning position away to Exeter, before some bad kicks, bad bounces, poor refereeing decisions and an intercept turned 5 game points into 1, putting a big hole in their European campaign in the process. On the back of the draw with Bayonne and the news that RG Snyman will likely be moving to Leinster next year, it's been a rough week for the URC champs.

We chat to Ruaidhri O'Connor and Shane Horgan about Munster's slick attack and weak basics, the rights and wrongs of RG"s move, Leinster's good cap bad cop routine, Ulster's tap dance and Connacht's miserable defence.

Plus there's Figo's flip, club hurling's screen battle and the best talker in Irish sport.

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With the action at Anfield making for slim pickings, we turn to the spreadsheets in search of fresh narrative. The results MIGHT surprise you...

There's also Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Martinez, Peter Walton's idea of acceptable dissent, Phil Foden's latest betrayal of Pep Guardiola and a clash of fire and ice in prospect on the shores of the Red Sea.

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Liam Brady brought the house down at our end-of-year live show last week, arriving with anecdotes full of insight, levity and physical comedy that were warmly received by the Liberty Hall crowd and our World Service members alike.

Elsewhere, Ken has been marvelling at Manchester United's ill-fated Champions League campaign which has served us up a six-part series of appointment-television, dramatic perfection fit for an Emmy Award.

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Leinster went to war in La Rochelle, and at the fourth time of asking against ROG's team, got the win they craved. It won't make up for the last three seasons in Europe, but it was a deeply satisfying win.

We chat to Shane Horgan and Murray Kinsella of The42 about Frawley's monster kick to seal it, the levels of animosity between these two teams, and Leinster's toughness, tackle technique and lineout masterclass.

There's also Munster's weak set piece, Connacht taking a hammering at home and Ulster's roll of the managerial dice.

And Ken gives us his take on Wiffen's short-course world record.

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