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The Leinster Listen

The Leinster Listen

by Mick Linnane

Sports News Rugby

Season 2

#71: Leinster Club Interview — BGF Ravens RFC

Episode 71, and we're back with another Leinster Club Interview on The Leinster Listen — this time with BGF Ravens RFC and Director of Rugby Paul Ng. Ballymun, Glasnevin and Finglas Ravens: a one adult men's team club founded in 1958 as Unidare RFC from the Unidare Works factory in Finglas, reborn as BGF Ravens in 2014, and playing out of Mount Temple in Glasnevin. Here is what we cover in this episode: 🏉 **Who they are**; Paul Ng, Director of Rugby, and a club founded in 1958 from the Unidare Works factory league 💚 **What makes them different**; a one adult men's team serving Ballymun, Glasnevin and Finglas — from Business Houses roots to a community club identity 👩‍🦰 **Women's rugby**; why the Ravens stayed a single men's team and how that shapes the club on and off the pitch 📜 **Club history**; Blackrock College pitches, Jamestown Road in Finglas, Suttonians and Malahide in the 1990s, DCU, and the 2014 rebrand 🤝 **Community and Leinster Rugby**; North Dublin roots, the Mount Temple partnership, and a season played entirely away while the pitch was refurbished 🎯 **Challenges and ambition**; keeping a one-team club competitive in Leinster Metro League, player retention, and where Paul wants the Ravens in five years ⭐ **Legends and grounds**; the players people still talk about, and life at Mount Temple 📍 **How to join**; training nights, grounds in Glasnevin, and how to get in touch via the BGF Ravens Teamo site

#67: Leinster vs Munster (H) - Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship Preview

Episode 67, and we're heading down the N7 for the opening round of the 2026 Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship. Leinster travel to Virgin Media Park to take on defending champions Munster, a repeat of last year's final, but a very different competition this time with all the Ireland internationals back and WXV selection on the line. Sarah Delaney leads a much-changed Blues side under new head coach Sana Govender, looking to banish the memory of that 50-15 hammering in Dublin. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 🏉 Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship Round 1 predictions; My calls for Munster vs Leinster in Cork and Ulster vs Connacht in Belfast. 🏟️ Details of our game; Kick-off, weather, where to watch on Spórt TG4, and Siobhán Daly in the middle with John Purcell and John Moynihan on the sidelines. 📋 Team lineups; Full confirmed XVs for both provinces — Delaney's captaincy bow, six Leinster debutants, Munster's Lane and Moore debuts, and the Corrigan vs Elmes Kinlan wing battle. 🎯 Score and POTM Prediction; Form, the internationals-back factor, last year's double defeat, my scoreline call, and who I've gone for as player of the match. 🇮🇪 Discussion Point; Can the internationals flip the script after last year's 50-15? — digging into what changed between 2025 and 2026, Govender's first game in charge, and whether Munster's home fortress still holds. My new website is now live and you can find it at theleinsterlisten.com

Season 1

#73: Leinster vs Ulster (H) - Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship Review

Episode 73, and Leinster delivered the statement Belfast demanded. After the Munster mauling in Cork and the six-try response against Connacht at Energia Park, Govender's side needed a bonus-point win at Affidea Stadium to reach the Dexcom Stadium decider — and they produced eleven tries in a 75-5 rout. Robyn O'Connor scored five, Katie Whelan bagged a hat-trick, and Ruth Campbell took official player-of-the-match honours. Munster meanwhile stayed unbeaten with a 47-12 win over Connacht in Galway, setting up a fourth Leinster-Munster final in four years. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 🏉 Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship match results; Ulster 5-75 Leinster in Belfast and Connacht 12-47 Munster in Galway — plus the final table and Finals Day fixtures. 🎯 Prediction post-mortem; My Episode 72 call of Leinster 34-14 and Alma Atagamen for POTM vs the actual 75-5 scoreline and Ruth Campbell's official award. 📋 Match analysis; Eleven Leinster tries, Ulster's lineout woes, O'Connor and Whelan's eight-try Wexford partnership, and King's sin-bin that Ulster could not punish. 📊 Championship positioning; Munster unbeaten on 15 points, Leinster through to the final on 10, and Connacht vs Ulster in the third-place play-off. 📅 Next game; Leinster face Munster in the Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship final at Dexcom Stadium, Galway on Saturday 29 August.

#72: Leinster vs Ulster (H) - Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship Preview

Episode 72, and it's winner-takes-all in Belfast. After the Munster mauling in Cork and the six-try response against Connacht at Energia Park, Leinster travel north for the final round of the Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship — beat Ulster at Affidea Stadium and the Blues are in the Dexcom Stadium decider against Munster a week later. Murray Houston's side are fighting for pride and a third-place play-off after a 62-0 Cork hiding, but this is a semi-final in all but name. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 🏉 Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship Round 3 predictions; My calls for Ulster vs Leinster in Belfast and Connacht vs Munster in Galway — plus where the table stands after Round 2. 🏟️ Details of our game; Kick-off, Belfast weather, Spórt TG4 coverage, and John Purcell in the middle with Morgan McCartney and Glenda Mellon on the sidelines. 📋 Team lineups; Full confirmed XVs — Govender makes eight changes with O'Sullivan Sexton and Whelan at half-back, Boles captains Ulster with Daley injured and McKinley making her senior debut. 🎯 Score and POTM Prediction; Form, the semi-final stakes, recent Leinster-Ulster history, my scoreline call, and who I've gone for as player of the match. 🇮🇪 Discussion Point; What needs to change if we meet Munster in the final? — lessons from the 39-19 Round 1 loss in Cork, Buttimer's maul masterclass, why the internationals-back gamble failed, and whether Connacht answered enough of the right questions.

#70: Leinster (H) vs Connacht - Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship Review

Episode 70, and Leinster needed a response at Energia Park. After the Munster mauling in Cork, Govender's side faced a semi-final in all but name against Connacht, win or the Galway final was gone. Six tries, debut scores from Stacey Flood and Niamh Murphy, and Erin King leading from the front delivered a 36-21 bonus-point win that keeps the Blues alive. Munster meanwhile booked their final spot with a 62-0 hammering of Ulster, and the U18 Schools opened their title defence with a 33-12 win in Cork. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 🏉 Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship match results; Munster 62-0 Ulster in Cork and Leinster 36-21 Connacht at Energia Park, plus the Round 2 table and what it means for Belfast. 🎯 Prediction post-mortem; My must-win Leinster 31-26 call vs the actual 36-21, and why Erin King was the right player to build around. 📋 Match analysis; Nine tries, Reilly's double for Connacht, and how Leinster found their finish when it mattered at 24-21. 📊 Championship positioning; Munster through to the final, Leinster second on five points, and a winner-takes-all trip to Belfast next Saturday. 🏫 U18 Schools; Leinster's 33-12 bonus-point title-defence win over Munster at Virgin Media Park — Victor Chauvire's length-of-the-field try the pick of five touchdowns. 📅 Next game; Leinster travel to Affidea Stadium to face Ulster on Saturday 22 August, the winner reaches the final at Dexcom Stadium.

#69: Interview — Avril Kinsella; Sports Videographer @therugbygirlire

Episode 69, and we're going behind the camera on The Leinster Listen — an interview with Avril Kinsella (@therugbygirlire), a sports videographer who covers rugby for the Leinster and Irish rugby. Here is what we cover in this episode: 🎬 Getting into the game; how Avril found videography and why sport became her focus 🏉 First rugby gig; the shoot that started it all and what she remembers from it 📍 Pitch-side life; positioning for the shot without getting flattened ✍️ Shaping the story; clear briefs from teams and coaches versus finding the angle yourself 📱 Fans and video; how content has changed engagement with club and provincial rugby 📈 Where demand is growing; highlight reels, player profiles, full match coverage 🎤 Through the camera lens; favourite interviewee, dream guest, and the project she's proudest of 🔗 Follow her work; where to find Avril Kinsella online Find Avril Kinsella on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok @therugbygirlire

#68: Leinster vs Munster (H) - Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship Review

Episode 68, and we're picking through the wreckage of another Munster mauling in Cork. Leinster travelled to Virgin Media Park with the internationals back, Sana Govender in the dugout for his first competitive game, and my bold Episode 67 call of a narrow Blues win — Munster had other ideas. Beth Buttimer scored four tries, the champions ran in seven overall, and Leinster's 39-19 defeat leaves them bottom of the table after Round 1 with Connacht up next at Energia Park. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 🏉 Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship match results; Munster 39-19 Leinster in Cork and Connacht 15-10 Ulster in Belfast — plus the Round 1 table and what it means for the run-in to Galway. 📊 Overall opinion and analysis; Where Leinster fell short on the maul, the set piece, and the scoreboard — plus a full run-through of tries, cards, and the official player of the match. 🎯 Prediction post-mortem; My Leinster 27-24 call from Episode 67 vs the actual 39-19 — and why Dannah O'Brien was not the star of the show. 📅 Next game; Leinster host Connacht at Energia Park on Saturday 15 August — Craig Hansberry's westerners arrive off a McGann and Deely-inspired win in Belfast. 🌍 Discussion Point; The wild and wacky rugby news from this week — Ma'a Nonu at 44 on the Sharks bench to face the All Blacks, the Amatosero red card farce in Osaka, Mo'unga's bizarre NZ eligibility row, Hansen vs World Rugby's ref meetings, and the Stormers' 20-year-old fly-half.

#66: Leinster Club Interview — Emerald Warriors RFC

Episode 66, and we're trying something new on The Leinster Listen — a Leinster Club Interview with Emerald Warriors RFC. Ireland's leading LGBT+ inclusive rugby club, founded in Dublin in 2003, with men's+ sides in the Leinster Metro League, the Azure women's+ team in Leinster Women's Division 4, and a trophy cabinet that includes the 2025 Union Cup in Oslo. Here is what we cover in this episode: 🏉 Who they are; name, role, and the club's founding in August 2003 💚 What makes them different; Ireland's first primarily LGBTQ+ rugby club, open to all, and a fixture on the international IGR circuit 👩‍🦰 Women's rugby; the Azure women's+ team, Leinster league rugby, and the Emily Valentine Vase at Union Cup 2025 📜 Club history; Bingham Cup 2008 in Dublin, Union Cup 2019, and two decades of firsts 🤝 Community and Leinster Rugby; Pride, BelongTo, Bank of Ireland sponsorship, and life beyond the pitch 🎯 Challenges and ambition; volunteers, player retention, and where the Warriors want to be in five years ⭐ Legends and grounds; the players and volunteers people still talk about, and life at The High School and Belvedere 📍 How to join; training nights, grounds in Rathgar and Dublin 3, and how to get in touch via ewrfc.ie

#65: Ireland vs New Zealand - Nations Championship Round 3 Review

Episode 65, and Ireland's Nations Championship summer ends with a thud at Eden Park — Andy Farrell's full-strength side were hammered 40-21 by Dave Rennie's All Blacks in Auckland. Six New Zealand tries, a 28-7 half-time deficit, and a McCloskey pass that gifted Will Jordan his 51st Test try. Damian McKenzie was official Man of the Match, Sam Prendergast kept Ireland honest with three conversions and the assist for Hugo Keenan's try, but 17 turnovers and 40 missed tackles told the story of a night the fortress stood firm. Round 3 delivered elsewhere too — France topped the Northern Hemisphere table with a 42-15 win over Japan in Tokyo, England survived seven yellow cards to beat Argentina 31-24 in Santiago del Estero, Scotland came from 10 down to beat Fiji 33-17 at Murrayfield, South Africa nilled Wales 43-0 in Durban, and Joe Schmidt signed off with a 57-10 Wallabies rout of Italy in Perth. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 🌍 Nations Championship Round 3 results; All six fixtures from Saturday — our game at Eden Park, Japan vs France in Tokyo, Australia vs Italy in Perth, Fiji vs Scotland at Murrayfield, South Africa vs Wales in Durban, and Argentina vs England in Santiago del Estero — plus the wildest game of the weekend in Argentina. 🔥 Overall opinion of the game; Why this was a sobering reality check — six All Blacks tries, 17 Irish turnovers, the 53-Test Eden Park streak extended, and Farrell insisting the gap is narrower than the scoreline suggests. 📋 Analysis of the game events; Tuipulotu and Savea in the first half, Conan's brief lifeline, McCloskey's gift to Jordan, Aumua's maul try, McCarthy and Keenan after the break, McKenzie's score, and Lienert-Brown's late finish. 🗺️ Nations Championship positioning after this weekend; Final summer standings — France top the north on 12 points, Ireland finish on 10, South Africa and New Zealand both on 15 in the south, and both hemispheres deadlocked again on 48 competition points apiece. 🎙️ Discussion Point; Nations Championship Southern Series Team of the Tournament — Ruck's post-Round 3 XV, Jack Conan as Ireland's sole pick, Ito and Gibson-Park as my snubs, and debutante shout between Grandidier Nkanang and Jansen.

#63: Ireland vs Japan - Nations Championship Round 2 Review

Episode 63, and Ireland stay perfect in the Nations Championship — Andy Farrell's much-changed side made it two bonus-point wins from two with a 36-20 victory over Eddie Jones's Japan in Newcastle. Debutant Sean Jansen was player of the match with a try on his first cap, Robbie Henshaw crossed on his return, and Tom Stewart's late score sealed the bonus point on a day the set piece creaked but the squad depth delivered. Round 2 elsewhere brought Will Jordan's record-breaking hat-trick as New Zealand hammered Italy 47-17, France's Aaron Grandidier Nkanang scored twice on debut in a 42-26 comeback win over Australia, England ended their losing run with an 11-try 73-8 rout of Fiji, South Africa held off Scotland 42-28 at Loftus, and Argentina beat Wales 35-21 in San Juan. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 🌍 Nations Championship Round 2 results; All six fixtures from Saturday — NZ 47-17 Italy, France 42-26 Australia, our game in Newcastle, England 73-8 Fiji, South Africa 42-28 Scotland, and Argentina 35-21 Wales — plus a fun fact: both hemispheres dead level on 33 competition points and perfectly balanced on aggregate points difference (+22 north, -22 south) after two rounds. 📢 Important Podcast Updates; Dynamic Ads are gone from the podcast for good — they will never be re-added. 🔥 Overall opinion of the game; Why Farrell called it relief more than pleasure — Japan competitive for 60 minutes, the lineout a worry, but maximum points and four debutants celebrated. 📋 Analysis of the game events; Taira Main's early try, Timoney and O'Toole responding, Henshaw before the break, Jansen's debut score, Era keeping Japan in it, Byrne's penalty, and Stewart's last-minute bonus point. 🗺️ Nations Championship positioning after this weekend; Ireland on 10 points from two games — top of the Northern Hemisphere group — with Eden Park against the All Blacks next Saturday. 🎙️ Discussion Point; Standout debutantes from the Nations Championship so far — Sean Jansen, Ryunosuke Ito, Aaron Grandidier Nkanang, Noah Caluori, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, and the All Blacks rookies who've broken through in July.

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