The Leinster Listen

Mick Linnane
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  • Rugby
  • 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. 5d ago

    #88: Interview — TQL Rugby (Chris Collyer); Discussing Noel McNamara, IREvARG, and Leinster

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Episode 88, and The Leinster Listen flips the script, Chris Coyler from TQL Rugby joins me for a collab catch-up. We rewind my earlier stint on TQL, then dig into how Chris went from Six Nations fan to club rugby, the Rugby Paper, National League interviews, and building the TQL show, and why both of us try to keep the tone constructive, not toxic. Here is what we cover in this episode: 🔄 Collab setup; Mick and Chris on parallel podcast journeys, swapping the guest chair, and “good news” rugby coverage versus pile-on culture✍️ Chris’s path; from forums and reader letters to feature-writing work, chatting to National League players, Devin Toner on the CV, and short-form vs long-form storytelling🏉 Noel McNamara at Leinster; revisiting Mick’s earlier call on TQL, what McNamara brings from Bordeaux and the 20s, mood among supporters, and how a head coach who’s an attack specialist might build a staff (including talk of Nienaber and timing for announcements)🇮🇪 Ireland vs Argentina (Nations Series); why the selection looks like a “statement” pack, Porter–Sheehan–Furlong vs a beefy Pumas front row, surprise picks, Craig Casey starting with Jamison Gibson-Park on the bench, Sean Jansen at 8, Bundee Aki off the bench, plus Baloucoune–McCloskey and the bench forwards🔮 Scorelines; aligned predictions (including a shared 31–19 shout) and how the game might unfold at the Aviva🔵 Leinster’s season; URC form after the South Africa block, academy depth (and names like Casper Gabriel), Chris’s read on retaining the URC and chasing a fifth Champions Cup star, European pool chatter (Gloucester–Bordeaux, English clubs in Europe), and Leo Cullen’s last campaign

    #88: Interview — TQL Rugby (Chris Collyer); Discussing Noel McNamara, IREvARG, and Leinster

  2. Nov 5

    #87: Ireland (H) vs Argentina - Nations Championship Preview

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Episode 87, and with no Leinster game this week The Leinster Listen turns to Ireland — Andy Farrell's side open the Nations Championship Northern Hemisphere Series at the Aviva on Friday night against Argentina, kick-off 8:10pm. Eight Leinster players start: Porter, Sheehan (captain), Furlong, McCarthy, Baird, Prendergast, Henshaw and Keenan, with Craig Casey preferred at scrum-half over Jamison Gibson-Park on the bench. Sean Jansen gets his first Ireland start at number eight. Felipe Contepomi names a reshuffled Pumas side seeking a first away win in Dublin. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 📰 News Items from the Thursday roundup; McNamara confirmed as Leinster head coach from July 2027, Cian Healy back as elite player development officer, Genge on the hip-drop ban, Samoa governance, and Ulster's five men re-signed to 2030. 🏉 Nations Championship Round 4 game predictions; six Tests from Friday night in Dublin through Sunday at Twickenham, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, Wales, France and England calls. 📋 Details of our game; 8:10pm Friday at the Aviva, Luke Pearce with Davidson and Ferreira on the flags, Virgin Media One and RTÉ radio in Ireland, ITV in the UK. 👕 Team lineups; pitch-style sheets for both teams plus shareable team-sheet.png. 🎯 Score and MOTM prediction; Irish News outright odds

    #87: Ireland (H) vs Argentina - Nations Championship Preview

  3. Oct 26

    #86: Leinster (H) vs Munster - BKT United Rugby Championship Review

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Episode 86, and Leinster turn a wet Aviva interpro on its head from 13-0 down to a bonus-point 24-18 win over Munster in URC Round 4. Jamison Gibson-Park marks his return with three try assists and URC Player of the Match honours, Tommy O'Brien, Ryan Baird, Charlie Tector and Jamie Osborne cross for the hosts, and Monday brought a citing for Tadhg Furlong after Gavin Coombes' groin allegation and Munster's extra camera angle did what live TV could not. Sunday news leads with the Furlong citing, then Conan’s shoulder op, Prendergast and Ringrose doubts, Erin King’s Ireland Women captaincy in Cape Town, WRU losses, Stormers hooker chaos, and Henry Pollock’s Welford Road week, then we look ahead to Connacht on Friday. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 📰 News Items; Furlong cited under Law 9.27 after Coombes allegation and Munster footage, Conan surgery and Ireland doubts for Prendergast and Ringrose, Erin King captains in Cape Town, WRU £18.1m loss fallout, Stormers lose Kotze appeal and all three hookers, and Pollock’s Tatler-to-brawl week. 🏉 BKT United Rugby Championship Round 4 results; Full scoreboard from Cardiff through the Aviva derby to the Welsh clash, plus the full table after four rounds. 📊 Overall opinion and match events; Prediction check vs the Episode 85 preview (30-22), timeline from Munster’s 13-0 start to Ben O’Connor’s losing bonus point, and Gibson-Park’s Player of the Match night.

    #86: Leinster (H) vs Munster - BKT United Rugby Championship Review

  4. Oct 23

    #85: Leinster (H) vs Munster - BKT United Rugby Championship Preview

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Episode 85, and the interpro is back at the Aviva — Leinster host Munster on Saturday evening in a one-off BKT United Rugby Championship Round 4 return to Lansdowne Road, with Leo Cullen naming Dan Sheehan at number eight, Joey Carbery at out-half for his first Leinster start since 2018, and Jamison Gibson-Park back from groin trouble. Sam Prendergast is out injured; Munster bring seven changes from their Racing 92 Champions Cup win, with Sean O'Brien at 13 for his 50th cap. Leinster arrive off a 48-23 win in Clermont; Munster beat Racing 33-25. Last season's league meeting went Munster's way 31-14 at Croke Park. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 📰 News Items; Ireland's November squad with 17 Leinster players and Sheehan as captain, the Jonathan Roche link Dobson called preposterous, Saracens versus The Times, France picking ineligible Jeremy Ward, and Northampton's security scare. 🏉 BKT United Rugby Championship Round 4 predictions; Friday's Cardiff-Sharks, Connacht-Zebre and Edinburgh-Lions openers through Saturday's South African double-header, Treviso, the Aviva interpro, and Ospreys-Dragons. 📋 Details of our game; 6pm kick-off at the Aviva, wet and windy Dublin evening, Andrew Brace in the middle, Premier Sports 1 and RTÉ Radio 1 coverage, one-off home while the Laya Arena is the usual URC base, and form lines after Clermont and Thomond. 👕 Team lineups; Pitch-style sheets — Sheehan at 8, Carbery and Gibson-Park in the halves, Osborne at 13, and Munster's seven changes with Daly back and Gordon Wood on the bench. 🎯 Score and MOTM prediction; Interpro margins, Conan and Prendergast absent, and why I'm backing Gibson-Park to boss the derby

    #85: Leinster (H) vs Munster - BKT United Rugby Championship Preview

  5. Oct 14

    #84: Leinster Club Interview — Guinness RFC

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Episode 84, and we're back with another Leinster Club Interview on The Leinster Listen, this time with Guinness RFC and captain Carl Stafford, who also joined the committee this season. A Dublin 12 brewery factory club founded in 1943 at the Iveagh Grounds, still one of the few working-class teams in Leinster rugby, now fielding a combined senior side with Tallaght RFC, and the club where I first picked up a rugby ball. Here is what we cover in this episode: 🏉 **Who they are**; Carl Stafford on captaincy, the committee, and a club born in 1943 for Guinness workers at the Iveagh Grounds 💚 **What makes them different**; working-class roots, Crumlin on your doorstep, and open arms when bigger clubs shut the door 👩‍🦰 **Women's rugby**; no standalone Guinness women's team yet, links to Three Saints, and why the game still needs local platforms 📜 **Club history**; St James's Gate factory teams, Mary's sending Carl to Drimnagh, U19 league glory, and Leinster League battles 🤝 **Community and Leinster Rugby**; schools, development officers, pathways with Leinster, and what guidance beats a blank cheque 🎯 **Challenges and ambition**; no academy pipeline, GAA and soccer competition, the Tallaght amalgamation, and tag or touch for every age ⭐ **Legends and grounds**; Bomber keeping the lights on, volunteer awards, balls over the terrace walls, and what leinster player he wants at training 📍 **How to join**; Tuesday nights at the Iveagh Grounds, Thursday at Fairhouse, development players welcome, and reach out via club socials

    #84: Leinster Club Interview — Guinness RFC

  6. Oct 12

    #83: Leinster (H) vs Cardiff - BKT United Rugby Championship Review

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Episode 83, and Leinster finally bank a win at the redeveloped Laya Arena, a bonus-point 29-5 homecoming against Cardiff that ends the winless start after two tight defeats in South Africa. Sam Prendergast takes official man of the match on his first start of the season, Jimmy O'Brien scores twice in a first-half blitz, and the Blue & Blacks suffer their first URC loss of 2026/27. Off the pitch I have thoughts on the arena upgrade, scoreboard readability, screen angles, clock placement, and the price of a pint, plus the usual Sunday news round-up before we look ahead to Clermont. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 📰 News Items; Carbery's minor setback and Gibson-Park racing Clermont, Emmet Farrell on Prendergast and Gabriel, hip-drop law timing fallout, Prince Harry booed at Welford Road, and Munster's Avan Lee reaching out to O'Mahony. 🏉 BKT United Rugby Championship Round 3 results; Full scoreboard from Rodney Parade through the SA derbies to Dublin, plus the table after three rounds. 📊 Overall opinion and match events; Prediction check vs the Episode 82 preview call (38-17), five-try timeline, and where Leinster sit on 8 points. 💬 Discussion Point; My Laya Arena Upgrade Opinion, scoreboard, clocks, big-screen angles, €7.80 pints, €14 hot dogs, and the season-ticket pack contents. #Leinster #Rugby #RugbyUnion #URC https;//theleinsterlisten.com

    #83: Leinster (H) vs Cardiff - BKT United Rugby Championship Review

  7. Oct 9

    #82: Leinster (H) vs Cardiff - BKT United Rugby Championship Preview

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Episode 81, and Leinster finally come hom, the official Laya Arena URC homecoming against Cardiff on Saturday night, with Leo Cullen naming a completely changed starting XV after back-to-back South Africa defeats. Dan Sheehan captains a side packed with Ireland returnees; Sam Prendergast starts at 10 and Oliver Coffey gets his first senior start at scrum-half. Cardiff arrive 2-0 in the championship with Taulupe Faletau back at No 8 and Callum Sheedy pulling the strings — but the Blue & Blacks have never won at the RDS in the URC era, and Leinster need a statement before Clermont. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 📰 News Items; Gibson-Park back training, Joe McCarthy's player-coach role (and haircut), World Rugby's hip-drop and knee-drop fallout, and the Wallabies pay row 🏉 BKT United Rugby Championship Round 3 predictions; Full weekend scoreboard from Friday's Welsh and Scottish openers through Saturday's South African double-header and the Dublin nightcap. 📋 Details of our game; Kick-off at the Laya Arena, Sam Grove-White in the middle, TV on TG4 and Premier Sports, and the Clermont European opener lurking next week. 👕 Team lineups; Pitch-style sheets for both sides — headline callout on Cullen swapping all 15 starters after Durban, with Furlong, Ringrose, Keenan, and Prendergast back. 🎯 Score and MOTM prediction; Handicap lines, Cardiff's unbeaten start vs Leinster's bonus-point haul, and why I'm backing Prendergast to boss the homecoming. 💬 Discussion Point; Laya homecoming — reset or panic after South Africa? — wholesale team changes, filling the arena, and whether Cardiff can spoil the party.

    #82: Leinster (H) vs Cardiff - BKT United Rugby Championship Preview

  8. Oct 4

    #81: Leinster vs Sharks (H) - BKT United Rugby Championship Review

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Episode 81, and the South Africa block ends with another one-score loss, Leinster went down 26–20 to the Sharks at Kings Park, Thomas du Toit’s scrum dominance and Edwill van der Merwe’s late intercept denying the champions even as Andrew Osborne’s injury-time try banked a second losing bonus point. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode: 📰 News Items; Doris ruled out until the new year, Bleyendaal on a fresh Carbery and evolving Leinster attack, Paisami’s Bledisloe ban, Sheedy’s viral header before Cardiff, and Rennie’s scrum-law broadside. 🏉 BKT United Rugby Championship Round 2 results; Full scoreboard and where the Irish provinces sit after two rounds. 📋 Overall opinion; Set-piece pain, Prendergast’s brief lead, and why three log points still beats last year’s SA haul. 🔍 Match events; Timeline from Henshaw’s opener to van der Merwe’s intercept and Osborne’s late consolation. 📊 URC positioning; Sharks top the log, Leinster still winless with bonus points, Cardiff waiting at the Laya Arena.

    #81: Leinster vs Sharks (H) - BKT United Rugby Championship Review
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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
    87
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Mick Linnane 2025
  • Show Website
    The Leinster Listen

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