Episode 2237: All Fullbacks Great And Small, That’s Tentertaiment, Connacht’s Sweet 16, Beirnes Unit, Man City Blowback

Ulster have made it to the knockouts in style with a backline packed full of young, risk taking entertainers. We admire the bravery and brains of 5 ft 7 inch fullback Michael Lowry and look at the precedent set by other small but brilliant fullbacks.

©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Shane Horgan is joined by former European Cup winner Paul Grayson and Rugby World Magazine’s Alan Dymock to discuss Connacht’s chances of making it out of their group for the first time and if the IRFU should give them a few more props to allow them win games against power teams like Leicester.

©INPHO/Billy Stickland

We also look at the need for Ireland to pick Tadhg Beirne as first choice, the damage teams like Montpellier are doing to the comp and if coaches should now be leaning towards selecting running outhalves like Quins’ Marcus Smith.

Marcus Smith doing Marcus Smith things. pic.twitter.com/mx00jcuUjG

— The Loose Head (@TheLooseH) December 18, 2021

©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

The Permutations Man returns with some European Champions Cup scenarios, and Ken takes us deep into his mentions as the blowback to his Man City piece in yesterday’s Irish Times continues.

"The gap between football as understood and practised by top coaches like Guardiola, and football as understood and experienced by the fans, has never been wider."@kenearlys writes fluently and thinks cogently and will be in your eardrums later todayhttps://t.co/UmvaoNQ6Xz

— Second Captains (@SecondCaptains) January 17, 2022

Click the image at the top of the page to play the show. Monday’s shows are free to all and to listen to our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Richie Sadlier’s Player’s Chair, The Politics Podcast and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, like our recent international series  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’.

Today the tripod officially (we think) becomes a centipod

It's (possibly) your 100th episode of Isolating with @phlaimeaux and it's (definitely) FREE ??https://t.co/xqZsFQXYvx pic.twitter.com/OgmEXi8ivf

— Second Captains (@SecondCaptains) January 17, 2022

Me, @dionfanning and @kenearlys discussed some of the themes in Ken's universally well-received piece on City today, postponements and Everton on @SecondCaptains todayhttps://t.co/esqOQylCyQ

— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) January 17, 2022