The Leinster Listen

Mick Linnane
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Rugby
  • Updated Weekly

A weekly dive into all things Leinster Rugby. There'll be previews, reviews, and the odd rant when required. Two episodes a week covering the boys in blue, with a sharp eye on the URC, Europe, and whatever the Irish setup is up to. It’s straight talking, a bit of a laugh, and absolutely no pretending we don’t care as much as we do. If you follow Leinster, if you love the game, or if you just enjoy someone else doing the overthinking for you, you’re in the right place. Find our socials with the username: @the_leinster_listen

  1. #58: Leinster (H) vs Vodacom Bulls - URC Grand Final Review

    2d ago

    #58: Leinster (H) vs Vodacom Bulls - URC Grand Final Review

    Episode 58, and Leinster are back-to-back BKT United Rugby Championship champions after a stunning 36-7 hammering of the Vodacom Bulls at Croke Park on Friday night. Déjà vu from last year's final — five tries, 22-0 at half-time, and Sam Prendergast running the show on the night we saved our best rugby for the biggest stage. James Lowe, Rieko Ioane, Luke McGrath, and Jerry Cahir bow out as winners. And then Monday brought the news: Leo Cullen will leave as head coach when his contract ends at the end of next season. One more year, one more shot at adding to the legacy. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 🏆 BKT United Rugby Championship match results; The Grand Final at Croke Park — Leinster 36-7 Vodacom Bulls, 39,184 in the ground, and a repeat of last year's decider. 🔥 Overall opinion of the game; Why this felt like the performance we'd been waiting for all season — Bulls indiscipline, Doris off early, Conan stepping up, and Prendergast at his absolute best. 📋 Analysis of the game events; Moodie and le Roux yellows, O'Brien's opening try, Ioane and Conan, Prendergast's snipe, Lowe's farewell yellow, Moodie's consolation, the disallowed Bulls tries, and Byrne sealing it. 🗺️ BKT United Rugby Championship positioning after this weekend; Back-to-back titles, a record 10th league crown, the Bulls' fourth final defeat in five years — and the domestic season is done. 🎙️ Discussion Point; Leo Cullen to leave Leinster at the end of 2026/27 — his accomplishments as a player (221 caps, three European Cups as captain, Ireland skipper) and as head coach (seven trophies in 11 years, 2018 Champions Cup, back-to-back URC titles, and the recruitment search already underway).

    26 min
  2. #57: Leinster (H) vs Vodacom Bulls - URC Grand Final Preview

    Jun 17

    #57: Leinster (H) vs Vodacom Bulls - URC Grand Final Preview

    Episode 57, and we're back at Croke Park for the BKT United Rugby Championship Grand Final, an exact repeat of last year's decider as Leinster defend their title against the Vodacom Bulls on Friday night. Leo Cullen has named a side with Tadhg Furlong returning, Caelan Doris passed fit, and James Lowe starting in his final game for the province, while Johan Ackermann's Bulls arrive at full strength off the back of that remarkable 22-21 semi-final comeback in Edinburgh. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 🏟️ Details of our game; Kick-off, weather, why Croke Park and a Friday night, where to watch, and Andrea Piardi in the middle for his fourth consecutive URC decider. 📋 Team lineups; Full run-through of both confirmed matchday 23s. Furlong and Lowe in for Leinster, eleven Springboks in the Bulls XV, Porter out, and the 5-3 vs 6-2 bench splits. 🎯 Score and MOTM Prediction; The bookies' 2/5 and -6 handicap, semi-final form from both sides, my scoreline call, and who I've gone for as man of the match. 🏉 Discussion Point; Club Rugby in mid June — why the season shouldn't run this late, Croke Park vs the Aviva, Metallica, ticket prices, empty seats, and whether anyone can afford to show up in Dublin.

    26 min
  3. #56: Year in Review - Rugby Special

    Jun 13

    #56: Year in Review - Rugby Special

    Episode 56 is a different kind of show — a year in review across Leinster, the URC, the Investec Champions Cup, Irish rugby, and the wider game. Three sections, headline-style — I'm talking through it naturally, not reading a script. 🏉 Leinster news — From the Cape Town shutout to Bordeaux heartbreak, the Lions demolition, the Stormers semi, Nienaber's press conference, and a big academy year. 👩‍🦰 Women's rugby — Celtic Challenge playoffs, Wolfhounds three-in-a-row, both Women's Six Nations campaigns, and Aoife Dalton's form. 🌍 Wildcard — Robertson sacked, shock Six Nations results, doping scandals, Moana Pasifika folding, and the Ospreys lie detector row.

    26 min
  4. #55: Leinster (H) vs DHL Stormers - URC Semi Final Review

    Jun 8

    #55: Leinster (H) vs DHL Stormers - URC Semi Final Review

    We did it! I'm back for Episode 55, and Leinster are through to the BKT United Rugby Championship Grand Final after a hard-fought 20-11 win over the DHL Stormers at the Aviva Stadium. It wasn't pretty at times — but when the stakes were highest, the boys in blue found a way. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 🏆 BKT United Rugby Championship match results; My run-through of both semi-finals this weekend — Glasgow Warriors vs the Bulls in Edinburgh, and our tense Dublin showdown with the Stormers. 🔥 Overall opinion of the game; Why this felt like the story of our season in microcosm — strong start, Stormers fightback, indiscipline deciding it, and Jamison Gibson-Park delivering when it mattered most. 📋 Analysis of the game events; Rieko Ioane's early try, Sam Prendergast's boot, Adré Smith's Stormers response, Ruan Ackermann's red card, Salmaan Moerat's yellow, and Gibson-Park's late seal-the-deal score. 🗺️ BKT United Rugby Championship positioning after this weekend; Leinster vs the Bulls at Croke Park on Friday 19 June — a repeat of last year's final and a shot at back-to-back titles on home soil.

    27 min
  5. #54: Leinster (H) vs DHL Stormers - URC Semi Final Preview

    Jun 4

    #54: Leinster (H) vs DHL Stormers - URC Semi Final Preview

    I'm back for Episode 54, and this week it's all systems go as we preview the massive BKT United Rugby Championship semi-final against the DHL Stormers at the Aviva Stadium. After that statement 59-10 quarter-final win over the Lions, Leo Cullen has named a seriously strong XV — but the Cape Town side arrive in Dublin with serious pedigree, a head-to-head edge in the competition, and a 35-0 memory we'd rather forget. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 🏆 BKT United Rugby Championship game predictions; My picks for both semi-finals this weekend — Glasgow Warriors vs the Bulls in Edinburgh, and our clash with the Stormers in Dublin. 🏟️ Details of our game; Kick-off, weather, where to watch, and why Hollie Davidson in the middle is a fascinating storyline given her perfect record with Leinster so far. 📋 Team lineups; A full run-through of Cullen's confirmed matchday 23 — Kelleher, van der Flier and Gibson-Park in, Sheehan out — plus why the Stormers sheet wasn't released and who to keep an eye on from their injury-hit squad. 🎯 Score and MOTM Prediction; The bookies' 1/10 and -14 handicap, our recent form, their missing stars, my scoreline call, and who I've gone for as man of the match. 🇮🇪 Discussion Point; URC Semi-Final: Can Leinster banish the Cape Town ghost? — digging into that opening-night shutout, the Aviva revenge, and the stakes of a winner-takes-all semi-final.

    14 min
  6. #53: Leinster (H) vs Fidelity SecureDrive Lions - URC Quarter Final Review

    Jun 1

    #53: Leinster (H) vs Fidelity SecureDrive Lions - URC Quarter Final Review

    What a response! I’m back behind the mic for Episode 53, and the healing process from Bilbao has officially begun. We absolute clicked at the Aviva Stadium, bouncing back in spectacular style to put a staggering 59 points past a dangerous Fidelity SecureDrive Lions side to march right into the final four. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 🏆 URC Quarter-Final Match Results; My run-through of a high-scoring knockout weekend across the league as the big hitters laid down their markers.🔥 Overall opinion of the game; Why this was the flawless, clinical tonic we desperately needed to shake off the European hangover and prove our domestic intent.📋 Analysis of the game events; I break down Sam Prendergast steering the ship, our relentless defensive line-speed, and how we clinically blew the floodgates wide open.🗺️ URC Semi-Final fixtures after this weekend; Mapping out the road to the trophy as we prepare to welcome our old rivals, the DHL Stormers, back to Dublin next Saturday.🇮🇪 Discussion Point; Lowe and Behold; Paying ultimate homage to James Lowe on his milestone 100th appearance as he bags a brilliant brace to officially become Leinster’s all-time top try-scorer.

    24 min
  7. #52: Leinster (H) vs Fidelity Securedrive Lions - URC Quarter Final Preview

    May 29

    #52: Leinster (H) vs Fidelity Securedrive Lions - URC Quarter Final Preview

    The United Rugby Championship playoffs are here! I’m back behind the mic for Episode 52, breaking down a crucial knockout clash at the Aviva Stadium as we look to dust ourselves off and launch a massive charge for domestic silverware against a dangerous Lions side. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 🏆 URC game predictions; My comprehensive forecasts and winner picks for all four high-stakes quarter-final clashes across the league.🏟️ Details of our game; I map out the kickoff times, the Dublin weather forecast, and referee notes for Saturday night's Aviva showdown.📋 Team lineups; I dissect the matchday 23s, including our key rotations and a massive 100th cap milestone for James Lowe.🎯 Score and MOTM Prediction; I put my neck on the line with my final scoreline verdict and name my standout player to watch on playoff night.

    21 min
  8. #51: Leinster vs Bordeaux - Investec Champions Cup Final Review

    May 25

    #51: Leinster vs Bordeaux - Investec Champions Cup Final Review

    Bordeaux blew Leinster away 41-19 in Bilbao and completed a French hat-trick of European titles. The fifth star stays out of reach for another year. A blistering first half in the Spanish sun proved too much for Leinster, with the heat and the intensity of the reigning champions combining to unravel them in the worst possible way. A brutal end to the season, but one that demands honest reflection on what comes next. 🏆 Investec Champions Cup Results; The final scoreline from Bilbao and what Bordeaux's second successive title means for the European landscape🗣️ Overall Opinion and Match Analysis; Where it went wrong, the Penaud and Bielle-Biarrey show that caused havoc, and whether this Leinster squad has another final run in them💬 Discussion Point: Cullen, Nienaber and Bleyendaal's Future; All three are contracted until the end of the 2026/27 season, but after five consecutive final defeats, what does next season look like and is there a path back to the top?

    30 min
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About

A weekly dive into all things Leinster Rugby. There'll be previews, reviews, and the odd rant when required. Two episodes a week covering the boys in blue, with a sharp eye on the URC, Europe, and whatever the Irish setup is up to. It’s straight talking, a bit of a laugh, and absolutely no pretending we don’t care as much as we do. If you follow Leinster, if you love the game, or if you just enjoy someone else doing the overthinking for you, you’re in the right place. Find our socials with the username: @the_leinster_listen

Information

  • Creator
    Mick Linnane
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Mick Linnane 2025
  • Show Website
    The Leinster Listen

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