The Molecast

Belatedly we discuss Ireland's performance against Wales, and how a good old fashioned show of aggression dismissed some of our lingering 2019 anxieties. We also take a fairly freewheeling look at the rest of the Rugby World Cup which bloody well starts this week!

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We discuss somewhat surprising Irish Rugby World Cup selection made by Joe Schmidt for Japan 2019. (We should note that the top 10 games discussed were top 10 under Schmidt, not ever.)

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No Spala for your guts! The Battle of Bayonne! Ireland's legacy in preparing for World Cups is akin to their legacy in actual World Cups: full of wince-inducing moments of crisis and lots of existential soul-searching. As such we discuss at length where we are after a disastrous drubbing in Twickenham. We also have a brief chat about England and the All Black's but even when we are talking about them, aren't we really just talking about Ireland?

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We go long on Leinster's imperious semi-final victory against Munster, doling out praise where it's due, and then focus on a disappointing end to Ulster's otherwise excellent season. They're on the up, but Munster look to have stood still. There's also lots of anecdotes about large rugbymen.

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Leinster hit the wall against a mighty Saracens team in Newcastle and lose their first Euro final. Did it all hinge on the big moments like Luke McGrath's wayward box kick and Liam William's ravenous hit-and-steal? In Munster there's more drama as their coaching ticket is again in search of stability after Felix Jones and Gerry Flannery turn down contracts. How do both teams prepare ahead of this weekend's huge league semi-final?

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[Re-uploaded with proper audio] After semi-final weekend, we give the boys in blue the credit deserve for a consummate performance at the Aviva and ask whether Munster are improving — but not quickly enough — or if their 7th semi-final loss is a reality check for them.

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Following a thought-provoking article by Gerry Thornley on the plight of the club game we look at the state of it after an exciting denouement to the regular season of the AIL. We also look at squad size, depth, matching players and game time, and look ahead to two tasty semi-final encounters.

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Three out of the four Heineken Cup quarter finals provided exceptional excitement with two bonafide classics taking place in Paris and Dublin. We pick over the bones of them, and ask how Leinster's depth is getting tested, how the rugby gods will punish Tadhg Beirne, how Ulster, Edinburgh and Racing will feel after their respective defeats.YNWA Dan Leavy!

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It's a post-mortem for a Six Nations that leaves everyone but Wales disappointed. Take the dog for an extra long walk because there's loads to get off our collective chests. More analytical that a Buenos Aires dinner party, we try to get inside the heads of everyone from Gatty to Joe to Genge and attempt to decipher how focus, fitness and form come together in the magic stew of victory. Congrats to Wales and hurrah for the U20s Grand Slam heroes!

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We rank Ireland both out of 1 to 10 and with the binary unsatisfactory/satisfactory distinction as we pick apart an impressive victory against France and ask if Cardiff represents a "free hit"? Have we really learned that much about ourselves other than we *still* suck at being favourites?

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