The Left Wing: Ireland’s bench, England in disarray and a poor Six Nations

Ireland’s Twickenham showdown against England is up for discussion on the latest episode of The Left Wing podcast.

Jonathan Bradley joins Luke Fitzgerald and Will Slattery to break down the big talking points as Andy Farrell’s side continue their march towards another Grand Slam.

England’s stuttering attack, Ireland’s bench selection and Jack Crowley’s performance to date are all on the agenda as well as plenty more.

Listen & follow on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

After the second break week of the tournament Ireland return to action this weekend as they take on England at Twickenham with the Grand Slam still very much a live Prospect we’ll be looking ahead to that game and discussing plenty more on the latest episode of the leftwing podcast will

Slattery here with you to be joined in studio on Luke VST and on the line by Jonathan Bradley and Jonathan Bradley’s dogs I believe are there with us Jonathan how are you I’m good yeah the dogs are good too hope they keep that way now for the rest of the show um

Ireland England uh this weekend Jonathan as I said it’s been a funny tournament obviously France was first up that was the kind of the big game of the tournament we got over that and then we had Italy a break week Wales a break week and now England so it’s kind of

Been a bit of a l cu the two games at home like Ireland were pretty much unback favorites for both and while they are still huge favorites this weekend England there’s a necessary bit of Jeopardy I think being injected back into the tournament but to start off and

We can get a gauge of how the two teams are stucking up against each other do you think any England player would star for Ireland um I’m almost lose to answer this question because back in 2019 I was ghost riding the column of a of a former Ireland International and we

Settled on the theme for England week that no England player would get in the uh would get in the irand team and then obviously Aviva Stadium Over the Top Line at Dem man to lagi and everything on ravels and that Ireland team never ever recovers so uh it’s just giv me

Horrible flashbacks 19 even think about that but I think looking at it on the whole I think you could maybe make the case for Marcus Smith he might not even be in the England team this week but I think if you were to make the case for

One player it would probably be Marcus Smith over kley now obviously kley has the familiarity in the aish system now even though he’s just uh coming in to replace se but I think if you were to pull rugby fans across the world I think most of them would take uh would still

Take Marcus Smith Carly yeah probably if he was fit I suppose given that he he up in the air this weekend I don’t know whether he’d get or not you know to be fair Maro great player like you know I know Joe McCarthy’s playing well but you

Probably take oo over Joe McCarthy to be fair Ben is playing good Ruby probably one of the few bright Sparks Josh fer maybe not at his best but on the whole I think people would that would be a bit of a tossup too but the point I’m trying

To illustrate I suppose is that Arland growing into this game and a very strong position not that many England players who would put their hands up for any combined 15 yeah I’m not going to be so direct as you and to the uh English players into Irish players but what I

Will what I will say and you heard me kind of say this before well I was I just can’t remember an England team where and I do think this is definitely true I don’t think one of them will get in in the Six Nations team of the

Competition and that is like that’s a fairly damning assessment of any English team I can’t think of any English team in a very long period of time where you’d say no well not one of these guys were getting the best out of the the you know the the six teams in the

Competition not getting that 15 so um yeah look they’re at a low web at the moment uh still be dangerous I’d imagine at home I think they’ll be Keen to spoil the party I think there’s definitely a number of ways which we get into further on into the show that they can disrupt

Ireland and make things uncomfortable and at the end of the day it’s still they could win the physical battle I don’t see it happening but they could do that and if you win the physical battle um inevitably rugby matches are tight like they can be T you know what I mean

It’s it’s very difficult to win like by a comfortable margin if you’re not winning the the game physically and they’ve got the players to be physical with arand at home H you’d imagine that they’ be up for the game and they’re hurting as well after you know rough

Enough start to the competition now they’ve had a few I think on paper probably hasn’t been as bad but um I don’t know I I think they’ll be really they should be disappointed with how they’ve played they’re England like they’re one of the biggest teams in the world they got the

Most players one of the mo well one of the countries with the most players playing the game um and they’ve got vast resources even though the game is obviously struggling a little bit financially there so if everything’s kind of working in your favor if you’re an English player or at least it should

Be and at the moment they’re just in a in a bad place I think and you hear some kind of murmur coming out of the squad about a little bit of discontent about you know how much time they’re spending on attack versus defense these kind of things not now like he’s in because

Obviously the big thing going into this tournament where England coming out of the noises was they wanted to play a more expansive style or add to to their attack because obviously the World Cup the recipe was kind of a more kick focused game plan from your perspective obviously being in your National setups

And training in in attacking environment like that is that alarming to you hearing that that like a key back only got one touch of a ball in a training session or or something like that like or is that kind of being downhe of proportion a bit it’s difficult to say

Like like I do think it’s easier to organize your defense quickly obviously that would have been a priority because there’s that’s kind of a reasonably big change I think Felix Jones coming in or it sounds like it’s a big change even ler would say the same thing but

Obviously they get to work week in or sorry day in day out with Nar whereas you got a really short window as an international coach to make an impression and to get the guys to believe and and buy in um so it seems like that was the priority which does

Make sense but at the same time you can’t you can’t forgo uh your attacking game completely like you have to at some point go okay if we get the ball like what are our strengths what are we going to try and do all the time what do we

Think we’re like what are we going to try and impose on teams okay and then like Allied to that where are their weaknesses like you’d expect to be practicing the things you’re really good at and also that other thing that other string to your bow which will change

Every week those few things you say Well they’re not good at this you know Ireland might have say for example last week or a couple of weeks ago Wales would have been maybe targeting froy at fullback that didn’t really transpire but you know you that that’s that’s an

Example of something that you know week to week would change um it sounds like they haven’t put that much time into it at all from you know some of the some of the I don’t know they’re leaks I don’t know if they’re leaks it sounds like

There might be leaks coming out of the camp um or definitely rumors coming out of the camp that they haven’t put much time into that so um I don’t think that’s sensible um and I’d be I’d kind of be surprised actually would would you be surprised well it it wouldn’t

Surprise me in terms of what I’ve seen in this six especially against Scotland like I thought Jonathan I’ll bring you in like never has kind of a a report coming out of a camp Allied so much to what I’ve seen so far in this tournament in terms of the England attack it

Doesn’t look like they’ve been practicing at much and like the fact that some ke back got one touch and he’s been playing a prominent role like they looked so Rusty in their skills against Scotland in particular like there was that one that you when V mura took it

From 50 m it was just like a catch pass situation like very sloppily knocked on a poor pass from forward to farbank poor knock on I miver runs it in like you know what’s your reading it like it makes perfect sense to me kind of having heard that quote having watched them for

A couple of weeks yeah it was just the sense that you got watching Once it became like a nine-point game so once it became a two-score game there was still enough time left but you thought that the game was over and I think that sort of spoke volumes about what they’re

Offering in attack but to Luke’s point I think that the presence of leaks almost says more than the what the leaks themselves are saying if that makes sense so like bwi’s only in his second Six Nations whenever Andy farell was at the midpoint of his second Six

Nations um by and large the public still thought Ireland were a mess that they were going nowhere that faroh wasn’t the man for the job but if you remember like Johnny Saxton came out and said look with all you respect it doesn’t matter if you can see it we can see it it’s

Going to come and even when he said people were mostly sort of thinking yeah okay you’re the captain you’re putting a bit of positive PR spin on it but he’s been proven right by history and the fact that Ireland even though they were sort of struggling to bet in what they

Were trying to do in games could see the development of their own game plan and could see the progress that they were making even if the rest of us couldn’t now looking back on it feels really really important so the fact that there are England players leaking these things out of camp

At this stage of the tenure it implies a level of dissatisfaction and a level of a lack of certainty about their faith in the game plan and their faith in the work that they’re doing and I think that probably says an awful lot about where the England Camp is at the

Minute as much as the complaints about not working on the attack and like you say well it looks like they’re not working on the attack I can sort of see why they would be spending more time on defense it’s new defense coach the where International Rugby is at

It’ll almost feels like defense is foundational and everything else is going to be layered on top of that layered is the word that we keep hearing in relation to England you know uh but they got to get the defense right first and it’s difficult when you’re bringing

In people from 10 different clubs and trying to get them all in the same page in a very short uh short space of time short training WIS I know people say oh they’ve got x amount of time together but it’s the it’s the pitch sessions it’s how many pitch sessions they

Actually have to bet all these things in um but I would just worry about everybody’s uh belief that the you know everybody pulling in the same direction and the uh belief that they have in what they’re doing if we’re seeing these leaks this early in aoa’s tenure yeah Jonathan the point you make

About I thought it’s the midpoint of Andy f 10 second six na is interesting because I did compare it because I as you say it was that England game at the end of the 2021 Six Nations when Ireland kind of kicked into gear that was the

14th game of his fun enough that was like all Li with Jack neers 14 weeks to get the defense right it’s going to be C bwi’s 20th game in charge this weekend and there’s been no progress now the World Cup did kind of fall slap bang in

The middle which isn’t a time for trying you know kind of maybe trying something new like ultimately that style got them to win in a kick of a World Cup final so I I maybe take a little bit of mitigation for that but ultimately it’s

Been quite a long period of time if they lose this weekend and lose their last game away to France which is a possibility that’s a really slow start and he might not get that much more time no I don’t think so um I think particularly like it’s funny isn’t it

Like I think uh the World Cup is probably like South Africa would have been exhausted after the French outing and then the weather would have been a bit a bit of a lever as well so I feel like um everything you say is right about the World Cup in that you know

They were effective when it when it when it mattered but they were they were pretty turgid all the way through that competition as well and um you know they were kind of worrying L about where the team is going where the kind of future Talent is you know where the where’s the

Excitement goinging with this team and you do need to have a little bit of excitement you need to be able to break teams down at different different points in even if you’re going to be fairly pragmatic about set piece and defense and kicking all those kind of things

Which is sensible and no one can really argue with that being pretty effective as a game plan you saw what sou Africa you know that that’s pretty much their Foundation I think um but they have that last element that I’m talking about they have that bit of excitement that bit of

X Factor that they can break open a game when they need to um and you know you do need to have a little bit of that and England teams the really good England teams had that and I just don’t see it I’m not seeing it at the moment I’m not

Seeing you know probably a flash of it against Scotland with that setpiece move but I just think that was fander MOA just you know just all over the place um defensively to be honest with you you’re loving saying that well he’s just all over the play like in first but like

That was look setpiece Troy is still a setpiece Troy in International Rugby no matter how bad the defense is so that was probably the one flash but other than that I kind of just haven’t seen enough from them really I don’t think uh to say well there’s been a little bit of

Progress cuz I think we were all expecting that they’d come in Six Nations and you know some of the English teams have done okay in Europe as well um you know you know it’s been some kind of Sparks there that we haven’t seen over the last couple years so I was kind

Of thinking well well this might be a positive tournament we might see a little bit more from them um I thought the defense would probably be a little bit better a little bit more quickly but it’s obviously difficult to bed that down you hear Nar saying the same thing

In lster and they’ve had some issues as well here and there um so um yeah I think he could be under pressure I to to answer your your question about the last two games I think if they lose this one at home um and that’s a big ask like AR

Are a really really good team like Ireland are are an excellent team um and they’re a better team than England and they should win this one so I feel bad from him because like I can’t see him winning the last one over in France I just don’t see I really don’t

See if unless France’s discipline kind of remains this you know as bad as it has been they won’t win over in France they’ve they have a better chance of winning against what I think is a better Irish team at home than they do away in France so uh he could be under pressure

And I think um they’ probably give him maybe November at least but I don’t know I just love to see a little bit more growth will that’s what if I was an English fan I’d be i’ be two games in New Zealand in the summer as well which

Will be difficult and then I I could see them getting maybe the the rest of the year that’s what I mean I think they get November summer even like if if they go to New Zealand and get smoked twice that’s right that can happen to anyone

Yeah but it’s a New Zealand team and like a lot of the guys have gone to Japan even that beat Ireland like so I’m not sure if they’ll be available just like like the core of that team Sevilla moonga Sam Kane you know all these guys

Have kind of gone to Japan Bry retalic so you could be playing a potentially New Zealand team in flux so look that’s a long way off but this weekend part of the problem as well is maybe just the selection you know because the last time

I was on prior to Wales we spoke about how Warren Gatland had really mitigated against expectation by going with all these young players if you look at this England team like this England team is a very very very experienced team so if you’re not getting results with a team

That isn’t for the future then I think that all plays into it as well and I think he’s really got caught between two stools almost because he hasn’t refreshed the team it’s a very very stable Group by and large of core players that we’ve seen for a long time

Obviously some have moved on um whether it be to France or you know Orin F stepping way but he’s not picking a team for the future and he’s not getting results today so that’s a very difficult position to be in yeah and he especially kind of talking about Scotland’s

Cohesion after the last defeat and people as you P it out people are saying well your team is extremely experienced a lot of veterans there maybe all the combinations haven’t played together as many times as Scotland but it’s not as if there’s no experience like a lot of

Those guys are in their 30s and have a lot of international Ruby under their belt so that excuse kind of people thought I think thought was a little watery to say the least let’s just move on to Ireland then obviously three from three everyone’s talking up this weekend

Any areas you’re looking at potentially as pitfalls or are you as confident as I am going into Saturday um I don’t think I’m as confident as you I think I’d be a little bit concerned about the scrum although there was some positive stuff against Wales there but I just don’t I

Think this will be a different challenge this week and kind of you know probably some more grizzled um experienced guys probably in that front row for for England I think which could cause problems for them um so that’ll be an area and I think England will Target

That they enjoy that I think um the line out as well would be it was just a I actually thought it was really good I thought Wales competed very well as well just a combination of probably like they were they some of the asks for the hooker throws were like to be pinpoint

At the back but they still missed them you know and kind of allowed Wales to kind of survive in that game maybe longer than they should have so there two areas like if I was England I was saying okay well we’re going to Target that scrum we know that refs have a view

On this that there’s there’s an issue there so that’s an area where I think they’ll definitely Target and I’d say they’ll try and Target the lineup again even though Ireland have been really good in the first two games they did struggle against Wales here and there in

The game um and if you can’t win those things cleanly throughout the game it just it pressure will build on you you know and uh I think um that’s easy they’re easy areas into the game for me uh you know get penalties from La of territory all those kind of things feed

From from set piece General pressure um and I think if they eventually get this defense right that they’ve been talking about pting in I think um you know Ireland will continue to play saw that against Wales too um you know they will overplay play at times as well uh now

Generally they’re fit they’re really really fit and they’ve got great skills and over the course of 80 minutes because they continue to play they will generally break it down but that’s more difficult away from home um teams can last a little bit longer the crowd is up

You know if they if the game is tight twick will be engaged um and and teams can put in teams can do amazing things in International Rugby at home defensively they can hang on a little bit long I think some of those Wales ones with Gatland that’s as much to do

With the Welsh crowd and being at home as it is to do with the coaching staff that was just a gat and Shan ewards thing that remember those games that Ireland had like you know went like 250 tackle whatever it is yeah you could do that at home you know when people are

Riding you off not one player will get in the AR team this kind of stuff no I’m not having to go with you because I actually agree in principle with it uh but it’s um there’s lots of ways I think they could win this game and of course

They’ve got a kick effectively like that’s really really important um you know I do think if Ireland if Keenan is back um I thought folley was excellent by the way against Wales but if Keenan is back um I just feel like it’s another route that’s kind of nearly closed down

To England because I think they’ll have to kick really well against Ireland as well so um it’s not looking good for them at the moment but I can still see those three areas four areas um where if you’re good in any game you’ve got a chance in terms of the team selection

Jonathan like L touch on it there like Hugo Keane I think has been past fit to play at this juncture they said everyone trained fully today so if we’re operating on the fact that he’s likely to be fit he probably comes back in at 15 what way do you think the bench will

Go slash what way you think they should go 62 again with folley on the bench or 53 with ringrose and maybe Ryan bear getting squeezed out what are your thoughts yeah I would go 62 with Fry on the bench I’ve seen some people sort of talk about 62 like it’s not connected to

Hugo Keenan and I think that probably misses the point because you’re e you either have Hugo Keenan and therefore you need to have froley on the bench like you’re not going 62 with ring r on the bench to me that just like that’s an non-runner I think so you need to have

Fry and a scrum half on the bench so I think if you’re looking at it from the impact that the bench made against Wales which I think you could probably argue is one of the biggest across the board bench impacts that Ireland have had you know it was

Probably for me the story of that game was how the bench did whenever they come on what was a sticky point for Ireland in a game that none of us really expected to be that’s sticky so I don’t think I would be leaving Ryan be out

Which is basically what it comes down to here you know I want Ryan bar in my 23 especially for this game I think and just you know what Luke said there about the importance of uh the importance of Hugo Keenan as well you know so Hugo if

Hugo Keenan starts at 15 for me you go 6’2 and it’s F in a scrum half as your backs and it’s a center missing out and a very good Center obviously what is what do you think yeah no I agree I think um that 62 is become kind of

Common place now what felt like a big risk probably doesn’t isn’t as big a risk if you’ve got froley there and you know interestingly enough I’d probably have to go Murray on the bench if that’s the case even though you know I think probably looks like he probably would go

Casey wouldn’t isn’t he tricky tricky tricky to say the moment Mur is muray is he still number two yeah um not as like for like as Gibson Park who’s very very important to this Irish team now but Murray if you’re really stuck it’s big enough to play you know somewhere out in

The in in the backs further out he’s just a good athlete he’s a big man he could deal with the physicality so um those would be my two I think on the bench provider Keenan’s back and we expect him to be back um big question is where do you break up that Center

Partnership but I just don’t think you can I really don’t think you can I think they’ve been is that even a conversation surely that’s not well I just think because ring Rose is a pure 13 and he’s one of my favorite players ring Rose to

Be honest with you I find it hard not to love the two of them I I have to say would be have been really guys I have just loved watching um have been Hena and and ring and obviously Aki is playing out of his skin um so he’s going

Nowhere um that 12 bir is is definitely his to lose I think at this point um which is saying something because we competing with Robbie Henshaw and Stu McClosky who are both outstanding operators but um I don’t think I would break up that those two in the middle

Even though ring Rose is the more natural 13 than hen he definitely is that so that’s why in my mind that’s definitely a conversation but given how they’ve played it’ be unbelievably harsh and I just don’t know what it says to Robbie Hench oh I think it’s sorry it a

Bad message it says to him that you’re a 12 but like and was a 13 no yeah I I take that to a degree but I think Jonathan wouldn’t send a great message if Robbie Henshaw a lion after playing three great games or sorry did he yeah he started against lville three great

Games and ring Rose just come straight back in obviously an unbelievable player as Luke said no doubting that he’s also a huge kind of I suppose Star as well which sometimes carries weight as well but like I just don’t think it would be a good message I don’t think that will

Happen I think Robbie Henshaw has been playing so well that I think it renders the conversation ring Rose does give it the added bit of flexibility which is nice also if you’re going with the 62 just he has he you could play him at wider you probably could play H show but

Ring Rose is an easier shift sorry to qu across if if if you’re about to ask Jonathan but that also did factor into kind of how I was thinking about it as well is that he gives you the he’s probably a little bit more adaptable than than Henshaw just a thought on on

Um on that Jon I don’t know if you have any yeah I mean I suppose we don’t know like you know I’ve probably watched every game this Jer mosi’s ever played I never would have had him pegged as a Winger until he popped up there against

Wheels he pretty good yeah and he did a good job so you wouldn’t know maybe you know maybe they have given somebody else a run on the wing and training and I think almost the surprise is the wrong word but the fact that Henshaw being so good is a

Story in this Six Nations is a testament to high important Gary ringr has been for Ireland but we are talking about somebody who in Henshaw who is just such a high quality operator like it’s it’s a testament to aran’s depth in that position that Henshaw had almost become

The Forgotten man of that Trio before uh um before ring Rose’s injury and it wasn’t even seen that it was really a debate anymore but I agree with he 100% I would just I would feel very uncomfortable about the message that it would send if somebody came in and played three games

Of the caliber that Robbie heno has played throughout this championship and then finds himself out of the team now obviously we don’t get to see what’s going on in training but like you know if ringrose came back into training today and took a full part today then

You know how much would you have to do in training like training the house down is one thing but how much would you have to do for Robbie Hena to turn around and say yeah that’s Justified I probably can’t say that I should be starting this

Week I I just and I don’t think far will do it either um that’s the other thing I think far’s you know we always talk about far’s soft skills and I think he’s probably so attuned to that kind of thing that um I just can’t see it it

Also will he could the one thing you could say though is like if if you were like I’m not jeez I’m not calling for a drop PL shot I’m just if I’m playing de devil’s advocate here like I think you could look back and say well look the

Last 50 games like you probably played 45 for Ireland at 12 and he’s played 50 at you know that kind of way so like there’s there’s there’s a couple of ways of looking at that now I know recent history last three games he’s been playing brilliantly and we have to he’s

Going to be guided by that but I can see a conversation where he would say look I’m unbelievably sorry about this but this is why I’m doing this I want to use the 62 on the bench and I feel like we need to do it away from home I don’t I

Don’t think he will do that but there’s I could see I could there’s not there’s not 100 like if I’m thinking about the 100 scenarios it’s not 100 out of 100 that he’s picking Hena um if he goes with the 6’2 on the bench that’s that’s

All kind of I’m saying is that maybe he might think to bring him in you know I wonder would that feel more important if Hena and Aki wasn’t such an established partnership 1213 going all the way back to Conor like if it was think they were less familiar playing together you know

I think say if it was someone with the same caliber of performance but without that shared history and chemistry I think it would be a lot easier to break them up as well I think that’s fair point yeah sorry the chemistry been brilliant like and it gives you something

Like if you have Keenan and you have froley at 15 you have low there like it wouldn’t even be as sry even if you had so calan as is actually playing brilliant rugby I’m really loving him I think he’s really taken International rby but if you had M Hansen here I

Wouldn’t even I wouldn’t even think about it I wouldn’t even be because i’ be saying well I don’t really mind having the physicality there because Gary doesn’t really have to pass that much either because Keenan can pass low can pass Hansen can pass so it doesn’t really matter you have those second

Third Distributors all like the pitch is open for Ireland because they have all these guys in the back where you can do that lost a little bit now cuz Nash is just more a pure Winger really and not much of a playmaker he’s had some good touches but generally speaking he’s not

A link man H but Keenan is a link man folley is a link man um and it takes pressure of that so you can be really really physical is what I’m saying in 12 and 13 doesn’t really matter that you have a pure 13 from an attacking

Perspective now I like to have ring R probably has a bit more pace and that than than heno but the physicality is not a problem for me and away from home I can see the value in that too so yeah it’s just it’s an interesting conversation I just thought like because

Ring row it’s more to do with the caliber of ring rows as well that I’m kind of saying well probably should have a discussion about that I’m sure they are thinking about it it’s not as if I mentioned that he is a big kind of star

Player it’s it like we have seen in the past plenty of kind of star players being picked when they weren’t playing well that’s not the case with Gary ringos by any means he’s playing great Ruby he just happened to an all time injury just before the tournament so if

He did get back in it wouldn’t be some sort of travesty you know all Central contracts all it’s a pure preference it’s like a preference on the day it’s I I agree don’t think he will do with it I will be interested to see like forecasting for the following week and

Obviously it would be maybe dependent on the result as well what way he goes like Scotland wouldn’t have the physicality of an English pack maybe he goes back to 53 for that reason or do you want to double down on your own physicality definitely double down against Scotland

I thinking at home like if we need if we’re nervous about going for another grand slam you know let’s just stick it up the jumper with these boys like you know bring off these six guys off the bench like I think that’s now going to be arland’s well that’s status quo I

Don’t think RI Gary Ros plays in the Six Nations I think unfortunately for him he got an injury at a bad time and it might just pass him by because like we haven’t even touched the fact of how Rusty he might be he hasn’t played since mid

January it’s almost you know we’re going into the middle of March it’s two months now for a great player like himself maybe it’s not a huge issue but when everyone else has been playing a lot of rugby you know maybe definitely would factor in too like I think it’s not that

Long it’s probably not long enough that you’d say like if it was three months You’ go okay well no he needs a game first but if it’s six weeks you’re going to say and Gary doesn’t Gary’s a rasher like he doesn’t care he doesn’t not pick

A fatum you what I mean so he’s he’s a guy who who’ll keep his Fitness well I actually saw him in the weekend and he’s looking don’t rashers have a lot of fat on them it’s just a you know what I mean he’s th H like he’s in great shape like

He’s a great looking athlete I always think uh when when you look at Gary so I’d imagine it’s not going to be an issue for him he’s not going to be like like me like I could put on the weight as as you can see here but like you know

Like anaki is kind of a bigger guy could put you Gary isn’t of that kind of really I think whereas you know he could probably come back in pretty much straight away R both of them seemed to just pick up injuries like whereas Bund Yaki has been so durable for since he’s

Made his debut he’s barely missed the game so more suspensions he’s been racking up he’s a few for con yeah for always seems to get back for the Irish games yeah not not sorry I don’t mean about it but we’ve been we’ we’ve been lucky with him for for for Ireland you

Know that he so he’s been an absolute main State hasn’t he yeah yeah Jonathan anything else intriguing you about the team selection it kind of picks itself really doesn’t it that’s kind of where where we’re at with this team at the ball other than other than maybe the

Bench split and and the ring row isue yeah I think just thinking about the I suppose the contrast in the team selections for me has been uh has been really interesting because everything that Luke mentioned you know do England go after Ireland at the scrum do England

Go after Ireland at the line out do England go after Ireland at the breakdown and the fact of the matter is that to do each of those three things they almost need to do they almost need to pick three different packs like you know they’ve got a scrummaging pack and

They’ve got a line out pack and they’ve got a breakdown pack and I was almost just thinking about that that uh again we’re vearing very close to Hubers here but was only just thinking about that that made me sort of think about how fortunate Ireland are to have such a

Rounded pack because you know you’re talking about how how it picks itself and it picks itself because virtually everybody in there can do everything that they need to be everything that they need to do there’s not a scenario where you’re sort of robbing Peter to pay Paul there and I think that’s really

Where the superiority of Ireland up front for me becomes very very apparent yeah especially with the weapons they have on the bench like it’s so funny that like we’re talking with 62 the whole time and it’s like the identity of the players like there’s no clamor for

Like starting James Ryan or Conan or be everyone seems to have fallen into they’re there are kind of the bomb squad whatever you want to call it like it seems to be a very established unit at the moment anyway like that obviously can change pretty quickly I’m not I’m

Not as convinced about the Ryan thing it’s the only one I’m not as convinced about every other him ahead of who McCarthy like I don’t know can’t get rid of T Bri I don’t know yeah I don’t think I don’t I don’t think I refus to conduct

I don’t think I don’t think sorry I’m not saying that I I I just I love Ryan yeah I you know my feelings I just think you know my feelings right right yeah B my feelings I just think he’s unbelievable I think he’s I think he for whatever reason something has

Happened where he’s not as valued as he should be um yeah I I don’t get it I I probably put it this way he’s not quite as Dynamic starting second round put um depends what you’re talking about well B tackling tackling no rooking no he’s better he’s he’s better Rooker than the

Two boys I think uh maybe carrying but not yeah maybe carry I think definitely not as but the other stuff I don’t know and he’s a bigger guy than than burn I think he’s probably better than burn in the line out maybe not defensively but definitely an attack um yeah I don’t

Know so put it this way right I’d have Ryan in first and I’d be picking between the other two yeah okay I wouldn’t be dropping I’m not saying A Drop burn it’s how do you say like we’re really nitpicking here like they’re but the Jonathan’s point is that

Well sorry I think the what I get from Jonathan’s point is that how lucky are we to have like we’ve got like our starting pack and our six subs and even like we’ve we’ve deeper than that like Henderson’s not even going to make the team on the

Weekend you know what I mean like we’ve got an unbelievable group like two packs of like really top quality International Players I think um and yeah absolutely blessed but if you’re asking me I’d have Ryan in first and I’d be picking the other picking between the other two boys

Well because Jonathan if if I was actually looking at which style kind of Suits a bench impact most James Ryan would probably be the guy I would say is probably best suited to maybe starting and then you have like burn and his capacity for big moments you know

Turnovers or like random kick through or or tries as we’ve seen recently or you know McCarthy’s dynamism like McCarthy’s Ascent was so quick I know he came off the bench in the World Cup quarterfinal I actually don’t really to be honest remember him doing any he was decent he

Had a few do you know what he had he he had those kind of small moments where you’re like a yard here a yard there when AR was struggling kind of he we’re seen him him open up a little bit more now be a bit more expressive but he’s

Also playing against lesser opposition let’s be honest with that you know think about who are in the face so far accomplishing bar France had 14 men but I don’t I don’t think he to say bar France like so you’re throwing out the game where he was man of the match

Against a top team I know it was 14 men but like the men who were trying to stop him he was like you know really powering through still a man down for a long time yeah that’s not get I had on that one no but like it it’s the toughest T his best

Performance against a good team and you’re like let’s just throw that one out and say they 14 men it’s a big thing for a long time yeah there is also a world where referee decisions go against them and they’ve lost all three games and are on course for The Wooden Spoon you know

Um I think to the point in in general like whenever whenever Luke was speaking about James Ry that’s exactly what I was sort of thinking will exactly what you said there that there is probably an argu argument to be made that James Ryan is more of an or not even the James Ryan

Is more of an archetypal starting luck but that the other two would be more archetypal bench impacts yeah yeah for me like I think burn is been so good it’s almost laughable how infrequently he wins player of the match for Ireland given how consistently

For I going to say he wins it every week for Monster doesn’t he he must have he must have no cabinets left from the house it’s always whenever somebody gets it for Ireland it’s always yes player of the match has been brilliant but what about Ty burn as well he’s just so

Consistently good for Ireland and I think um not that it’s taken for granted but I think for me the way that he’s been playing it’s really burn plus another one um I don’t know what you feel like well you know that that’s probably the uh Char position that arand

Are in that three people could sit and have a conversation and they could all think that one of the other three is the best lock you know but you could also like if sorry just if you did really want to fit them all in I would actually

Say it’s burned to six six yeah burn to six Mani like that’s be the way I would maybe drop a Peter Mani if we were doing that cuz Ty burn I just as he said I saw a a headline quote who was like once he puts on that blue scrum

Cab and it’s so true that that blue scrum C is so distinctive home he’s like baking and all this kind of stuff AB animal the he justes it’s a big moments he’s a moments player like isn’t he like but he’s you know what it’s more than a moments player because he actually does

Everything really well as well do you know you have those guys I would have had who would I class in that like unbelievable players but kind of moment player Rocky Elum was probably that Rocky you might see for 10 minutes tribute 10 minutes I just mean he also

Has these big T pole moment completely get the point I just want to make sure that that everyone was thinking as I think we all think I know what you mean like a guy who would be quiet for 10 minutes and then have an and then have

This like 80 meter burst like Rocky Elon would I had for lster and that was perfect because he had Shane Jennings and he had Jamie Hees up next to him who were kind of chugging along for kind of 80 minutes just playing brilliantly burn is one of those guys he’s just a freak

Like he he is so he is both he’s got the he’s gotten that turnover when you really need he how many times is he the guy that comes up with the ball just on your own line for Monster 2 um or a big break or something he’s just such a good

Athlete some great tackles as well uh like burn has got it all he’s got what a player he is and I really didn’t think that I’m so glad you said the six thing because I always felt like six would have been where he really would have flourished but actually he’s able to do

That grunt work in in the row uh be uh a guy who can come up with what don’t know 15 Rooks 15 tackles 15 carries he seems to be a guy that can do those things and still have the big turnover moments I wasn’t sure that that was even I don’t

Even think that many people are capable of doing what he’s able to do work rate wise he’s just an incredible athlete so we’re very very lucky to have him and I agree I’m so glad you mentioned it that I think six him to six is is the other

Option because I just don’t think like if you felt like you had to get Henderson in or you needed to get bar and you know that would be the other option I think for you um but Jesus you couldn’t drop Peter maty at the moment I think he’s playing brilliantly as well

So look we’ve got like the key thing for them now is that I I think this is the sticky fixture for them this is the one where they’ve got to to it’s got to all come together for them I think this weekend and I think they’ll be judged on

This weekend um so the pressure’s on um away from home can they deliver it when there’s going to be you know what is it probably 15 10 15,000 probably Irish tickets in in in tockenham um can they do it when there’s when there’s you know

Not a home out of the home Comforts um in a place that is tricky that is hurting as well English rug is hurting at the moment um not a place they’re used to being and um you’d expect a backlash but this is where the the the

The real players kind of stand up with my opinion yeah Jonathan we haven’t really touched on him that much but Jack Crowley like obviously the second big way test you know when the fixers came out we knew this was going to be a big one and I was always ready in treat to

See his growth from the French game to this game because the two home games are are vastly different in terms of who Ireland were playing and the dominance they were’re going to have and this is obviously the other way atmosphere as well are you kind of intrigued to see

How he goes like what are you expecting from him on Saturday yeah it’s a really good point actually because I hadn’t really thought about it too much whenever I was thinking about the game which I think speaks to how comfortable he’s looked because certainly I was of

The opinion that I thought coming into this tournament people were down playing how much Ireland were goingon to miss ston and I if you had have told me that three games into the tournament we would have been talking about seon as INF frequently as we have been I don’t know

If I would have believed you but obviously it is a big test because you know we’ve seen in the recent past we’ve seen test careers at 10 come a Cropper in twick him because of high badly they’ve gone you know so it’s a big big challenge but I think everything that

We’ve seen about cley’s temperament in the big games whether that be playing for Ireland or whether it be um leading moner into the usfc title last year I think he has shown that he certainly looks unphased by these big occasions and everyone that he’s kind of come to

He’s just take the box and moves on to the next one and I think um we obviously talked a lot through the Championship about the quality of opposition and I suppose Ireland superiority over the opposition but I think whenever we come to look back on it Jack Carley is going

To be a huge story here just uh High seamlessly it looks like he’s fitted into what we all predicted for a very long time is going to be one of the hardest jerseys in Irish Rugby to ever fill because we’re talking about one of Irish Rugby’s greatest ever players yeah

The funny thing about Crowley and his career today is like a lot of his big moments have actually been away fixers like the kind of the road r to the URC you know Glasgow Ava Stadium against laner which wasn’t a way fixture and then obviously in South Africa in

Marsill on Friday night like so he his his away credentials are very very strong and like we we’ve I wouldn’t say nitpicking like we’ve obviously been assessing him and kind of really kind of in the granular detail of his performances but if you just kind of

Take a step above as Jonathan said like I think he’s on a really impressive six St he’s started in really well a couple of mistakes in the opening night a couple of Mis kicks against Italy but like are people are being are conversation I had are really kind of

Being I feel like hypercritical of him in terms of some certain things he’s doing when I think he’s managed things really well I actually think it’s become a bit of a lanster monster kind of fan debate whereas in reality I don’t think that there’s any debate of his performan

At all I think he’s been really really good oh yeah he’s been excellent yeah I mean look I think we all expect him to have a few of those moments I made the point before the tournament started that the the key thing for for for him is

Kind of recognizing how good the guys around him are like he’s got a few people playing around him that are would make it into World 15s I think and that’s and that’s and that’s not been overhyping ourselves that’s been realistic and looking at it with a cold

Hard kind of eye I mean um so recognizing that and just realizing that he just had to kind of step in there now he still has his moments he’s a young guy as you say few errors but um overall I’ve been unbelievably impressed with him um nothing to do with we’re all in

The green jersey now it’s nothing to do with with with blue and red um you know we have to assess him as we see him and he he’s playing a great team so he would it would show up if he was playing badly because the team are putting him in good

Positions and I think it’s become a cycle now he’s putting he’s grown into it he realizes now where his role lies and that he’ll have he’ll his moments will come to him this team is going to put him in good positions so he you make that like the team is running seamlessly

With him there it’s not as if any out half could have been plugged in and Ireland would have won three from three and been as impressive as I think that’s what you’re saying that he’s actually performed in that in a role I think I’m saying that he’s been good and I think

What trying to say is that I think he’s been good um without being great but what I always said before the tournament is that if he once he recognized that he didn’t need to be great it didn’t need to be about him he’s got brilliant players around him you know luckily for

Him he’s had like Gibson park has been so so effective for this Irish team like he’s the heartbeat of everything that’s kind of positive about it that pace that Tempo takes a lot of pressure um and decision- making responsibilities often but he’s got that pack they make like

They put people they put themselves into holes they don’t need to you just like need to be putting a bit of deception around them if you think about how the running line the running lines think of the ball handling skills of those guys it takes massive pressure off of 10 so I

Think what I’ve been most impressed with at that he looks like a mature enough guy at his age and confident enough guy that he hasn’t need to make it all about himself he’s had a few of those moments where a young guy has seen something that like a season International ago

There’s a hole that it’s not really a hole it’ll be gone you’re know looking away H so he’ll get that over time I’ve beened with how comfortable H he’s been in his own skin that he recognizes what he has to do and trusts his own game it

Doesn’t need to be trying to shoot the lights out every single play um he’s as the as the tournament has gone on he has picked and choosed you know chosen sorry his spots in the game to show that little bit of running flare to show the offloading flare to show the cross kicks

This kind of stuff so um he’s been what he needed to be and that’s been what’s most impress me cuz that’s bloody hard thing to do if you’re in one of those decision decision- making positions where you’re touching the ball a lot at International Rugby now I will say it’s

Important to note how good the orang team are but also how poor the other teams have been like they haven’t been great so we we I just don’t want to build him up too much and then have to take him there you know I don’t want to

Be doing that I want to say he’s been really good I’ve been very impressed it’s definitely his jersey to lose now but there’s a lot of other factors that go into this like just if if if Ross burn had come in we’ have won these

Games too uh I think a fry been there we still win all those games too I think yeah we just I wouldn’t put it all down to him is what I’m saying I think the team I you were kind of saying he’s a key part

Of it I don’t think he’s a key part of I think he’s a part of it but like it’s the idea you’d have said anyone could have come in and we would have won anyway no I’m not saying anyone no I’m not saying anyone I name two guys who

Are very good who are who are very experienced who are s come into that Irish team I think they win both of them all three of them the one Mar like 14 men in the pitch they probably he didn’t have his best G they probably would have

Yeah no look I I don’t disagree with that point I’m not having a go with him by the way I just I just want I’m being realistic about it like I’m watching the games as as everyone else is and I’m trying to be cold and calculated about

It and not get caught up in some kind of high Trend about him I can see all the great stuff about him too but like he doesn’t need to be that this Irish team is a brilliant team this is why we haven’t been talking about sex and it’s

Not because of how good Crowley is it’s because of how good the team is but the point is if he wasn’t playing well and the team was still winning it would have been a big talking point because it would have been like oh Johnny SE there

Is a big drop off the team are really going to carry and Jack cley but that has them in the case but like have they did they cut Wales open no they were decent did they they were okay against Italy they were good they nailed them it

Was more most of the big talkking points after that were well how good were was AR’s defense that they nailed him that was the big talkking point after Italy and France if you ask me had a yellow and had a red during that game like let’s just we need to be C like

This is the weekend this for me is the big test can he can he can he do it this weekend ol have said okay he’s arrived but all the other ones there just there’s enough in my mind to say let’s just let’s just cool the Jets just a

Little bit he’s been really good I’ve been really impressed with him um but there’s a tougher challenge to come here and and Scotland by the way are playing better Scotland would be a tough challenge at the end of the tournament I think AR beat them nearly every time at

Home but they’ll be a tough challenge they got the they’ll want to spoil the party and they’ve got some quality and they’ve got some confidence I don’t know where from but they’ve got it and um these two games will be tough for him and I think I I believe he’ll do really

Well but these are the tests for me the first one should have been but there was 14 men the pitch yeah no I don’t I don’t disagree with what you said there like I I didn’t mean to be like he was he’s like the man leading AR to a grand slam

I just I’m just been impressed with how he slotted in and and how the team has ran smoothly like there’s been very little drop off so that that was the point I was trying to make Jonathan you know it’s all as if the kind of the the

Finale has been written the script has been written and hand delivered that I have this Grand Slam wrapped up but like there’s two key games still to go it’s funny like you know you were talking earlier like you didn’t want to stray into hubris but like reading some of the

Commentary like Sam orbert for instance whenever he’s in the media he’s saying like he thinks this is the best iseland team ever to play in this or the best Six Nations team of all time he he’s saying like that how impressive they are that like no team can live with them

He’s saying Ireland could dominate for years and I’ve heard similar said too by you know other opponents from other countries so it’s not just like as if here in Ireland were getting carried away you can only go by what you’re watching and what you think might happen

At the weekend but ultimately I suppose there’s still a delivery that is needed on Saturday but it’s funny to see the kind of the other PS from other countries kind of saying these things it’s not just in Ireland where we’re getting kind of high on what this team

Are doing it really is translating everyone is now taking notice properly yeah and I think I suppose it’s it’s very hard to argue against warton’s point on that podcast in the sense that no team in the Six Nations has ever won this many games in a row no team in the

Six Nations has won back toback grand slams but I suppose where we’re sort of tempering things and look alluded to there is the fact that the other team the story of the Six Nations is more the fact that the other teams have been so bad like I don’t want to sign that I’m

Being very negative but like the surprise to me has been more how bad the other teams have been than how good Ireland have been or High um consistent Ireland have been despite the massive massive disappointment of a World Cup between these two six nations but maybe some people were predicting it

I don’t think I saw many people predicting like I don’t think anyone saw France being this bad and that’s had a really transformative effect on the whole Championship because we knew that Italy were under a new coach we knew they were building we saw how bad they

Were at the World Cup Wales obviously not as bad at the World Cup but in the same sort of boat Scotland are what Scotland have been for a number of years and England in the last couple of years have been a two- win team and at present

Are a two- win team and could finish a two- win team but to me it’s it’s not that Ireland have kicked on to another level from last year I don’t think I think it’s just that really the opposition have all regressed in the and in the case of France have regressed

Massively so yeah like it’s not as if there’s an asterisk because like you know you get the same trophy no matter if it’s the best six nations quality wise of all time or or the worst but as Jonathan said like the the step back that some of these teams are taking

Ireland are just kind of maintaining their level and they’re pulling clear of the rest of the field was by didn’t have H Porter of the teams have been yeah no they they have been you know and I think um doesn’t make this weekend any less of

A challenge but like I just think that Ireland looked like you know they’ve kind of maintained I think it’s probably fair to say um you know kind of some some some excellent form but I think as well Ireland have well while sexon has gone the Gibson Park point is is

Probably maybe I haven’t emphasized that enough because I just feel like that’s a massive massive part of why Ireland have been reasonably consistent despite sex and going I think he’s a massive part of it I just think the the he he’s a I think he’s a huge part

Of of this Irish team about and and the transform transformation they’ve made he’s just the pace that he plays as the decision making there’s a few rash ones here but it’s because everything’s going 100 m per hour all the time um and it really suits them they look like a

Really fit bunch and a really skillful Bunch he’s the perfect guy in there so I think he’s been a big part of what’s helped someone like Jack rley B in and look look like it’s been so seamless for the team generally think in the pre-match pre tournament think we did in

The end I said he’d be the biggest loss just cuz I feel like he makes Ireland tick I know we loads of good players if they lost would be but like I I agree with everything you’re saying I would have said SE would have shaded it but I

Think you’re right now on reflection it looks to me at this point that you’re right H that Gibson Park might have been might might be an even bigger loss but the the the point I was kind of trying to make in parallel with it was that um

France they’ve lost kind of two like those two guys I don’t think we can underestimate how big a loss that would be I think they look like quite a different outfit actually with Dupont um and with entak there um you know jber decent but he’s just not the same and he

Doesn’t have that stability of having you know the magic inside him of dupon you know what I mean so um that’s probably a big reason for the drop off in France look they’ve looked a little flat too but I think a lot of the belief like dupon seems like he just see he

Goes off and just plays sevens and he’s just freak at that even though it’s pretty much a different game you know um just magic magic rby player like he might be one thing I I I think we might be looking at the best ever there he

Might be the best rby player ever which I just love saying cuz he’s what he 59 or 5’10 like he’s what a player he’s got it all but that is a big thing about why France has dropped off and I would have said that France if they had full

Compliment or even just to Pont um they might have be they it would have been a good bit closer over in in Marse if he was playing I I I I don’t think that that’s that much of a stretch to say I think he transformed that team

Even if they’re still you know suffering a little bit from disappointment from the World Cup I just think he’d have lifted them he has those magic moments that that and and he he can do it behind he can do it the other way too he has defensive moments for you too like you

Saw other one against Ireland so I don’t think we can underestimate the loss that he’s had that he’s that he is to French rugby and I think if we were looking at that we probably don’t need to be as we wouldn’t be as downbeat about the other quality in the tournament because France

Still might be the best team in the tournament will is kind of what I’m getting at and then we’d have Scotland’s tricky at home you know playing decent rby could upset Ireland not beyond the Realms and England away and we’re kind of going oh this is actually all of a

Sudden you know this could look very different for Ireland too well the big difference in the last say three years of the tournament is just France being terrible like cuz every everyone every other team is basically playing similar to how they have over the last three tournaments except France they’ve taken

A massive step back Scotland are still competitive but can slip up England have been dire Italy are Italy Wales are in flux Ireland are playing really well France are the big kind of change in this tournament and it’s made Ireland being able to open up a decent Gap to

The extent that like Ireland can afford to lose one game and still win the six Nation it’s been a disappointment actually for the competition as a whole has it yeah it’s been disappoint like you’d love to have it a bit more neck and neck at the end like like just even

Quality wise like it’s just excitement wise the games themselves haven’t been great I don’t think no I think that’s completely Fair like and they’ve looked like attacking wise they look a little bit rless don’t they and he always gives them even if they’ve looked a little bit

Rless you get some magic moments with France still the outside backs I mean they’re still exciting to watch but you the little bit of DuPont magic that you get every game you’ll tune in for you know what I mean you’ll tune in for his three or four magic moments where he

Goes past two or three guys hands off a 20 Stoner and then throws a 30 meter pass do you know what I mean you tune in for them alone he brings excitement to the tournament he’s a massive loss I don’t think we can I don’t think we can

Overstate what a big loss he is to rugby Six Nations like he’s he’s a magic magic player such a disappointment that he’s gone off to to sevens where probably no one’s watching him you know but um it’s um yeah detor it’s it’s it’s sad we’re talking about that yeah I’m a little bit

Sad because I’d love it to be I think arand are playing really good and I’d just love to see a little bit tighter i’ love to see a little bit more pressure on them um I think they’ll have it this weekend will but I don’t think they’ll

Have it in the last weekend I think it’ll be a little bit uh that that’s my worry as is that I think they win this weekend and not that it’s a foregone conclusion cuz Scotland could turn them over they’ve got some good players but generally speak Ireland should win that

Game I’m more I’m I’m more comfortable with Scotland who are a better team than England I think by a little bit by a bit actually at this stage I’m more comfortable was playing them at home that I am against England away put that way yeah we might move on to the moment

Of the week now left wing moment of the week in association with Bank of Ireland I’ll get to Jonathan’s one in just a moment which Luke alluded to there some Dupont magic and the sevens my one was from Super Rugby over the weekend I was watch watching I think it was the Blues

Versus the Highlanders on Friday morning and it was actually just a moment that drove home to me a part of ha Ireland have been so good under Annie farl that we actually haven’t discussed a huge amount it was another high tackle debate they were having on the commentary oh

You know that’s never a red or this is terrible for the game barretts and it just no it was a different one I can’t remember who it was but it just brought me back to like their commentators are still having the same conversations High tackles that they’re saying oh the game

Has gone soft whereas in Ireland we’ve just kind of moved on with the way the game is now being played like think about how few times you see like a a tackle being reviewed in an Irish game from an Irish perspective I know Bon

Yaki got a red card I think in the win over England that I referred to earlier that started this great run in their any far they haven’t got a man sent off since I don’t think they’ve even had a tackle referred to for you know a sighting or or or that since Ireland

More so than any other teams their discipline around the tackle has been squeaky clean and just hammered home to me when I was listening to that conversation being like this conversation sounds like it’s from 10 years ago almost whereas if it was a commentary of Van irland game or a match

Lens or moner were involved in the commentators tented us now they’re gotten with the program as well it’s just like oh yeah okay he’s off move on with things whereas in New Zealand they’re still having the same old conversations like Sam K got sent off in

The World Cup final like you know it’s in cost him the game arguably so I just thought that was a moment that really hammered H to me that Ireland across the board of filters down the provinces you see them getting very few red cards as well I think compared to their other

Other you know rival teams in other countries think it was just an interesting thing Jonathan what was yours that’s actually a really good point I I hadn’t thought about it that way but just how jarring the Super Rugby Commentary feels and that’s a huge uh a

Huge part of it even the like discourse around the smart uh gum Shields that they were having like two weeks ago it was almost like technology was ruining the game for having the audacity to uh try and protect the players yeah um well looke said that nobody was watching I was

Actually well you’re watching because dup is playing not not for any other reason oh no 100% like I’m not the I’m not a big sevens guy at all but I was I suppose I have that Curiosity which is what they what they really wanted out of this move

And it was good obviously to Ireland’s detriment it was good to see uh him tear it up there in the semi-final Ireland actually had a really good uh tournament this Zack Wards scored a try later on and they just missed the conversion they would have sent that France game to

Extra time but France them winning for the first time in uh in 19 years with Dupont and then to see all the sort of Social Media stuff afterwards saw him at at Lakers game where he’d been presented with the DuPont Lakers jersey and stuff so I think uh it’s having the desired

Effect in terms of uh spreading the gospel I suppose yeah it would be interested to see how big the Sev is the Olympics by didn’t of him being involved and it being in Paris like that like as much as I disagreed with him going and playing and leaving France in the lurch

Like for him it’s a great opportunity as you said rubbing shoulders with Hollywood a listers at the Lakers game I didn’t see that yeah NE right but I did watch it like Jonathan he did score one like phenomenal try and you’re just like this he is just such a good athlete like

It is he’s he ridic all the skills he’s a tackler as well he’s tough as all but see him chasing the guy down as well like he’s just he’s so fit as well he’s fit he’s physically he’s got it all that’s I honestly I’m thinking he’s the best ever

I I never thought I’d say because I just thought no one would ever touch mall for me um but like he’s I think he might be better he he won’t have the World Cups to show for a he might I don’t think he will but he

Might look he might let’s not rule it out but I think um he’s M I just love watching him like he’s a free to watch isn’t he um my one so I love sorry glad you’re watching I feel like I keep having to go sevens I

Don’t want to be doing that cuz In fairness just want to say really admire the athletes and the quality no I admire the athletes now has been no I admire I admire the athletes I admire the athletes but I just 15 is still where it’s at it’s a 15th player that has

Everyone tuning in it’s not it’s not not the other way around um apology halfway I they were brilliant brilliant brilliant athletes but you know the point is still well made I think a few weeks ago um what I would say is there was another magic moment but from an

Unlikely Source over in carder from the weekend for the Rob Russell try to start of the game um Tom Clarkson uh with the block down and collect and I think he actually yeah the pace he burst past the fell too with with a handoff so away

Yeah look I have a saw swap for tight heads given there’s there’s one rear reared me at home but um that was magic to see and a lovely like a great finish by Russell he’s got some serious wheels on him in furnace um but the magic was

All Clarkson I thought so yeah great to see that that was my moment of the week yeah okay we’ll finish with predictions then Ireland England are twicken him I I do think Ireland are too good for this singland team I think it would have to be a very poor performance from Ireland

And I actually do think the recipe would be that South Africa semi-final if they were to get turned over it would need to be like torrentially reigning in England’s kicking game Freddy Stewart maybe putting a lot of pressure on Ireland but I do think of Keenan his fit

And plays he’s very good under a high ball I don’t see them being targeted in that way kav Nash is very assured under high ball too so I’m going for like kind of a 10-point Ireland win and you know matching on to to that game against Scotland what about you Luke

Uh I think it’ll be tighter I think maybe I think it’s sweaty I’m going to say Five Points Five Point Ireland win um England may be pressing at the end but Ireland hold them off because I just think they’ll i’ love I would love that

I think that I think it might be that I don’t think it’ll be one for the P sorry I think it’ll be one for the purist because I do think England will have to kick a lot against Ireland and put pressure on at set piece Etc so I’m

Going to say Five Points Ireland don’t open them up as easily as they as we all think they will uh I’m hoping and the other and they are a better team but I think Ireland should still win they have too much on the bench for them too the

Thing is Ireland going for a record 12th consecutive five six nations win in a row would be a new record and all their previous 11 victories have been by double digits so they’ve been laying waste to teams for what the better part of two years so if they can keep that

Streak up and finish it out with a grand slam like Sam wton in terms of the best team we’ve seen certainly maybe the most dominant in terms of the score lines and the scoreboard anyway in terms of double digit Victory side Jonathan before I I get your prediction fortunately for us

Anyway you’ll be leaving us at the end of the week go moving on the pastur new you’ve been a great guest over the last couple of years in particular I feel like since the World Cup we we’ve really hit a Groove as a as a threesome so

We’ll be we’ll be sad to see you go but uh and you’ve got oler at the I feel every every we every week I feel for you had some tough some like every time I was coming on it was coming on disaster you never got you

Never got one of the big weeks I don’t think I don’t think you ever got one of the big wins going well uh yeah but no I’ve really enjoyed it so thanks a lot for for having me on as will says when we were the the three

Pack at Beast during the World Cup especially like it was uh it was great to come on and chat the chat rugby with you just D mcf and departing is you couldn’t continue after that it was in solidarity he walked out he left while I work on my notice

Pair so you can imagine how c i was without expecting a nice easy four-week uh just quite quite you know everything quiet and then not happen so lovely yeah well we’ll get you out on this prediction then do you think Ireland will win this weekend yeah I’m I would

Say Ireland by in the region of 12 I just don’t think England score enough points against Ireland’s defense which is rapidly becoming possibly the most effective of any unit in uh in this championship and since you won’t be here with us next week give us your scholar

Prediction as well get two for one hold it against you while you’re not here rip the back off I’m enjoying being at that going to that game and not working but uh prediction um yeah I’ll go in the same in the same region I don’t think a very different

Game but I I think the margin of victory for Ireland will be about the same and sort of as Sam orb was alluding to we have this uh double digit ground slam then yeah well it set to be very intriguing and exciting game this weekend I’d like to thank Luke for

Joining me tonight and Jonathan for joining us tonight and over the last couple years I know everyone who’s listening has probably really enjoyed it as much as we have we’ll have plenty more podcasts later in the week reacting to the team news and after the game on

Saturday as well so in the meantime you can subscribe to us on Spotify Apple podcast or listen to independent. so until next time thanks so much for listening and goodbye