On the latest episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to discuss all the latest rugby news.

The lads kick things off by reflecting on Leinster's win over Munster and discuss whether the southern province have closed the gap on their biggest rival.

Talk then turns to the Six Nations, as the lads look at Andy Farrell's selection decisions at scrum-half and out-half.

The Six Nations bubble, Ulster's signing of Leone Nakarawa and Paul O'Connell's Ireland role are all up for discussion too.

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On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Leinster and Ireland flanker Will Connors to discuss his eventful few months in blue and green.Connors enjoyed a brilliant spell after rugby returned last year, making his European debut against Saracens before getting his first international cap against Italy.

Connors talks about his experience going up against Billy Vunipola in that Saracens game, and how if he had the chance again he wouldn't have focused so much on the big number eight.The Kildare man then discusses his spell in the Ireland Sevens set-up and his impressive Ireland U-20 team back in 2016, which included James Ryan, Jacob Stockdale and Andrew Porter.

Connors also explains why he enjoys beetroot juice before games and the origins of his nickname, 'porridge'!Luke and Will also look ahead to Munster vs Leinster this weekend, and talk about the players who will be looking to impress Andy Farrell.

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On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Ruaidhri O'Connor to go over all the latest rugby news and look ahead to Andy Farrell's Six Nations squad announcement.

The lads kick things off by going over the state of affairs in the Champions Cup, PRO14 and Six Nations after a week that saw postponements and rescheduling.

The discussion then moves on to the news that the CVC deal to buy a portion of the Six Nations is close to being announced. Would the Six Nations moving behind a paywall be catastrophic for participation and interest?

The lads then assess a number of players in terms of where they stand in the Ireland pecking order, with Tadhg Beirne, Rhys Ruddock, Dave Kearney, Jack Carty and Stuart McCloskey all up for discussion.

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On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to discuss all the latest rugby news as we start a new year.The lads start off by discussing the situation surrounding the Lions tour, and whether it will go ahead in South Africa, in Ireland and the UK or be postponed to 2022.

The discussion then moves on to the provincial derbies taking place this weekend, as Leinster host Ulster on Friday night before Munster visit Connacht on Saturday.After Connacht produced a big shock win over Leinster last weekend, the lads discuss Jack Carty's Ireland prospects and whether Andy Friend's side will be able to back it up when they face Munster.

On the Ulster front, Springbok back row Marcell Coetzee is set to leave the province in the summer. The lads discuss who could replace him, with Will suggesting one of Leinster duo Max Deegan or Jack Conan.

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On the last Left Wing of 2020, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Ruaidhri O'Connor to reflect on all the Champions cup action.
The lads start with the news of the South African teams joining the PRO14 to play in the Rainbow Cup at the end of the current season. While Luke and Ruaidhri think it is exciting from a rugby perspective, they are waiting to see how the Covid situation is in terms of whether the new tournament will be a success.
The lads then break down Munster's sensational comeback in Clermont, as Johann van Graan's side came from 28-9 down to win. Could this be a springboard to finally ending Munster's trophy drought?
The first thing to do will be to end their losing run against Leinster, and with Leo Cullen's men visiting Thomond Park this Saturday, they will have an early chance to do so. Munster have lost eight of the last nine matches against their biggest rivals so they will be keen to change that statistic, but Luke doesn't think the game will make or break Munster's season.
Tom Wood's tackle on Josh van der Flier, Ulster's latest loss and how Irish rugby managed its return during a pandemic are all up for discussion too.

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On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Brendan Fanning of the Sunday Independent to discuss the opening weekend of the Champions Cup and Ireland's World Cup pool draw.Although the tournament in France is just under three years away, the lads kick things off by discussing Ireland's difficult draw, and how the arrival of the South African teams in an expanded PRO16 could be crucial for Irish rugby.The lads then move on to the European action, starting with how the young players fared after being given a show of faith from the provincial coaches.Leinster and Munster opened their campaigns with wins while Connacht and Ulster came up just short, and there are a few cracking games up for decision this coming weekend.Pat Lam's return to Galway with Bristol and Ben Healy's possible move to Glasgow are discussed too.

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On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Ruaidhri O'Connor to discuss all the week's news.

The lads kick things off by discussing the legal proceedings taken by a number of former players against World Rugby over what they allege as a failure to protect them from concussion.

The lads discuss the harrowing tales told by former professional players and what steps the sport needs to take to become safer.

Luke gives his personal insight, having played for ten years, and says that it is a very difficult topic to tackle given the dangerous nature of the game.

The lads also look ahead to the Champions Cup this weekend - and start off by looking at what is a complicated format for the 2020/21 season!

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On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Cian Tracey to discuss Ireland's recent struggles.

After a poor performance against Georgia off the back of yet another loss to England, Andy Farrell's first year as Ireland head coach looks set to be a disappointing one with just one game to go.
The lads delve into the various problems - a muddled attack, a leaky defence and a malfunctioning set-piece to name three.

They also discuss Andy Farrell's head-coaching credentials and whether he has the right skill-set given most of his career was spent in rugby league background.

IRFU Performance Director David Nucifora also spoke to the media this week and Cian breaks down his press conference performance as they discuss whether he has done a good job since coming on board in 2014.

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On this week's episode of the Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by London Irish flanker Sean O'Brien to recap Ireland's loss to England and to discuss his eventful career.

It was another tough day for Ireland against England and the lads discuss whether Andy Farrell's men are any closer to beating their biggest rivals after suffering their fourth straight defeat.

Sean O'Brien reckons that Ireland's sloppy work at the breakdown is the main cause of the team's downfall, while Luke is concerned that the same plan is being used against Eddie Jones' side that has failed before.
Ross Byrne's display, Chris Ashton's comments on James Lowe and England's suffocating defence are all up for discussion too.

The lads also discuss Sean O'Brien's memorable career to date, including how he almost retired due to injury as well as his goal to become a coach when he finishes his playing career.

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On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Ruaidhri O'Connor to look ahead to Ireland's clash with England at Twickenham.
It is a big opportunity for Ross Byrne as he comes into the team at out-half in the absence of Johnny Sexton, while James Ryan takes on the captaincy. The lads discuss what Byrne needs to do to make his mark and the extra challenge being the captain will pose for Ryan ahead of his battle with Maro Itoje.
Ireland's team to face England contains five players who qualified via the residency rule, and the lads discuss whether the law - which has been changed to five years - has been good for international rugby.
Dan Leavy's injury comeback has been going very well in recent weeks - how close is he to an international comeback?
Ruaidhri O'Connor also discusses the situation of Philly Caldwell, who is recovering from a serious injury suffered in a tag rugby game. To donate to Philly's cause, click this link: https://fta4philly.com/.

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