RTÉ Rugby Podcast

Neil Treacy is joined in studio by Bernard Jackman and Brett Igoe as we look ahead to Ireland's Guinness Six Nations meeting with Wales at Aviva Stadium on Friday.
Brett has been digging through some of his favourite stats and facts through the opening three rounds of the championship, and we discuss how these paint the picture of the tournament so far.
We look at France's ability to score from both setpieces and broken play, and we also take a deep dive into Ireland's lineout, both in terms of how they are winning the ball and what they are doing with that possession.
Bernard discusses the main area of improvement Ireland need to focus on after their opening three games, while we also discuss Andy Farrell's future at Ireland, with reports linking him with Saracens after the World Cup in 2027.
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Neil Treacy is joined by Bernard Jackman and Gareth Steenson to reflect on Ireland's historic victory over England in London.
The doom and gloom dissipated over 80 minutes at Twickenham as the visitors beat their hosts by a record margin.
The victory gets the campaign back on track and sets the team up for a crack at the Triple Crown over the next two games.
Can this be a turning point ahead of a World Cup year in 2027?
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Hugh Cahill is joined by Bernard Jackman and Jonny Holland to preview Ireland's crucial Six Nations clash with England.
With the England team already named, Andy Farrell and his coaching staff can start planning for Twickenham, with Jonny saying it is crucial Ireland take England out of their comfort zone.
Henry Pollock's inclusion for England could spell bad news for Ireland, but a fascinating back row battle awaits.
An improved scrum performance is critical, especially as Steve Borthwick preaches the brilliant basics of the England approach.
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Hugh Cahill and Bernard Jackman dive deeper into the state of Irish rugby as the senior men's team face into a critical Six Nations clash with a resurgent Italy on Saturday.
Bernard has had a lot of correspondence in recent days from people who are very engaged and concerned about the future of Irish rugby (2:00), even if there is a feeling of disconnect among others. He cites the small crowd at the Ireland XV game in Limerick on Friday night.
Hugh asks Bernard for his take on the theory that Jacques Nienaber is to blame for Ireland's poor form... Spoiler alert, he isn't buying it (10:00).
Ireland are the only team in the world chasing a high phase count, believes Bernard, when the game now requires a different, less draining approach.
Has closing the foreign project player pathway impacted Ireland negatively (18:00)? The IRFU can't be surprised given the rule change so the onus is on the provinces to identify the talent.
Looking ahead to Italy, Bernard believes Andy Farrell will drop some frontliners this weekend (21:00), whatever the risks involved against an Azzurri unit who have their tails up.
Bryn Ward being promoted from the XV bench to the senior 23 at the Aviva would be a remarkable rise, with Bernard also making a case for Edwin Edogbo.
The loss of leadership from retirements of Cian Healy, Conor Murray and Peter O'Mahony is being felt but Bernard says that shortfall has to come from the new generation of players, rather than coach Johnny Sexton (25:00). But are the new generation cut from the same cloth?
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As Andy Farrell names his XV to play France Hugh Cahill is joined in studio by Bernard Jackman, with Neil Treacy dialling in from Paris.
The lads react to the Ireland head coach's personnel choices, as Cian Prendergast and Jacob Stockdale are rewarded for their recent form with starting positions for Thursday's Six Nations opener against France.
The younger Prendergast brother, Sam, gets the nod at out-half. It's no real surprise, even if his defence remains a talking point - particularly given France's lightning quick back three.
With the team and matchday squad now named, focus must turn to Ireland's discipline and how they can remain on the right side of the officials in the Stade de France.
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