Four tries, two comebacks, a last second kick to win it against their fiercest rivals and elation in the stands - and yet Leinster were cut open and exposed for most of this thrilling game against La Rochelle. 

Shane and Gerry weigh up the positives and negatives, we ask how on earth did Leinster win it and is a clutch kick and a late La Rochelle collapse papering over the many defensive cracks? 

Munster were leading after 72 mins in fortress Felix Mayol but lost it late on thanks to a very harsh penalty call. We look at that end game, their discipline errors, their much improved attack and if they have any hope of a home last 16 tie.

The All-Ireland junior and intermediate club finals were on this weekend - the sight of Second Captains super-friend Jamie Wall and his brother Philip embracing on the sidelines in Croke Park after Kilbrittain's win on Saturday evening left an indelible image.

And An Gaeltacht knocked out a few floor filler tunes in victory yesterday.

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FA Cup third round weekend brings the usual desperate scrabbling around for stuff to talk about. Can we really call Macclesfield-Palace the greatest upset of all time when the holders picked a B team? Are Chelsea fans singing against Keir Starmer because of something to do with Roman Abramovich, or do they just hate him anyway? And is the era of kissing Fergie's ring drawing to a close at Old Trafford?

Oluwashina Okeleji joins us from Morocco to talk about AFCON ahead of a semi-final line-up featuring four of the leading African football powers. How have Nigeria managed to get it together after failing to qualify for the World Cup? Did the Algerians really insult the memory of Patrice Lumumba? And is Salah finally going to get the better of Mane in international competition?

We also hear from a Dutch listener who has taken issue with Ken's seeming vendetta against his home country. 

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The reigning champions V the champions-in-waiting... Slot's defence of the PL title, and maybe his job, could end tonight and we will, of course, dedicate tomorrow’s World Service pod to this clash.

Plus there's Keith's feats with Brentford, Kelleher's form in goal, the managerial situation at Man Utd, Arsenal-cup-drinking Thomas Frank, the NFL playoffs with US Murph, and the European Champions Cup with Shane Horgan and Andrew Trimble,

An Ghaeltacht are through to the All-Ireland intermediate football final in Croke Park this Sunday after an incredible win in extra-time in their semi-final last Saturday. Dara Ó Cinnéide is a selector on the team, is one of their greatest ever players, and is a broadcaster with Raídio Na Gaeltachta and TG4, and he tells us about what lies behind An Ghaeltacht’s club motto of “Sprid. Croí. Caid. Teanga.”… and why he’s celebrating Dingle’s march to the All-Ireland senior club final too.

Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. 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.

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At 18 years of age two time world darts champ Luke Littler has no more worlds to conquer, so now gets his kicks from turning heel. Eoin goes through his wrestling archives while Ken frets about the future of the sport.

Leinster won three from three in the Christmas interpros but Ulster are the story this week after a stylish 28-3 win over Munster at a packed out Ravenhill, a result which sent them third in the URC table and got their captain Iain Henderson talking up the good vibes in camp. Andrew Trimble joins us to discuss the Ward brothers, Werner Kok, Richie Murphy's coaching, and why so many Irish rugby players and coaches are complaining about the kick escort law allegedly ruining the game.

Plus there's Frawley's move to Connacht, Leo V Zebo and how to react to a wasp.

Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. 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.

Goodbye Ruben. We are sorry to see you go. You were good to us. We wish you well.

We discuss why so many fanbases currently seem to hate their manager/coach - with happy exceptions like Arsenal, and Brentford, whose four goals against Everton amounted to a symphony of the head coach's craft. 

Mark Critchley and Lars Sivertsen join us to talk about how United reached this point, why they decided to sack him now just as things were arguably getting better, the increasing difficulty of being a head coach when so many people still think of you as a manager, and whether Darren Fletcher has got what it takes to do an Ole. 

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Charlie O’Leary, a former Republic Of Ireland kit-man under big Jack and all round Irish football legend, was our Second Captains Hero of 2025; he was even in the Gaiety to take a victory lap in front of 1300 people in October. 

But before then, Ken, Eoin and Branno were in his house on Dublin’s northside to talk to him about his incredible 101 years (and counting), a life nearly as old as the state itself. It was one of the most uplifting chats we’ve ever had, back in Feb of this year, and we release it for everyone today.

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An annual Second Captains tradition continues today under new branding (RIP Scrooge Cast), as Jonathan Wilson joins Ken to discuss the post-Christmas football. 

Also touched on today: energy flows, Wilson's inability to take a day off work, the possible impact of AI on the game, Protestantism, whether 'reading' might in fact have been the problem all along, and whether Aston Villa, now led by someone Ken only recently realised is one of the best-looking men in the world, are going to go all the way.

Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. 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.

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Inside us all are two wolves. Unfortunately for Wolves the football team (despite Matt Doherty's reverse Churchill) it's the wolf that is currently the worst at football in all of Europe. Meanwhile, the Romulus and Remus of Serie A get their teeth into Evan.

To talk about Ruben's back four, Villa's rise, Rogers V Bellingham and happy Pep we chat to Mark Critchley.

Ken also breaks-down the cash grab in Miami as the guy from YouTube gets chinned.

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It was “Super-Friends Of The Show” week this week, between Killian Sundermann coming in for the Second Captains FAT quiz of the year, a chat with US Murph, our first ever festive edition of KENCALL and Oluwashina Okeleji on Salah's AFCON 2025 and Nigeria's legal route to the 2026 FIFA World Cup .

We’ve had an amazing year on the podcast this year, so we’d love to have you aboard. You can also gift a subscription to the Second Captains on our patreon page,

We’ll be back on Monday with a live football show.

Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. 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 and Leinster both won their Champions Cup games over the weekend, both came through sticky situations against English opposition, but overall satisfaction levels are low.

We chat to Shane Horgan and Andrew Trimble about Clayton McMillan's realistic outlook on the Munster project, Leinster's pre-Chistmas form, and they react to former Leinster and Ireland out half Ross Byrne's suggestion that, given the volume of box kicks and spiral bombs being launched these days, coaches should start picking second rows on the wings.

Charlie Smyth, formerly a Gaelic footballer from Co Down, nailed a 47-yard field goal for the New Orleans Saints to beat the Carolina Panthers this weekend. Plus there's frontier football gibberish, dead-ball Beggan, the Dublin based media and the huge medal haul for Irish athletics in 2025.

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