The Left Wing: Ireland’s triumph, Italy’s resurgence and the big Springbok challenge to come

The Left Wing: Ireland’s triumph, Italy’s resurgence and the big Springbok challenge to come

[Applause] Ireland are the six nations champions for a second consecutive year after seeding the title on Saturday with a win over Scotland on tonight’s episode of the leftwing podcast we will be assessing the tournament as a whole and looking back of course on that Victory on Saturday welcome to the left wing

Podcast will SL here with you delighted to be joined by Luke F and Keen Tracy and just before we kick off to be in with a chance to win a 500 euro one for all voucher head to www.my podcast feedback.com pop in the code wing and fill out the short survey

The survey closes soon so don’t miss out if you want to win that voucher but Keen I’ll go to you first um back-to-back Six Nations Champions everyone would have taken that before the tournament I suppose in terms of Saturday people were maybe expecting a bit more of a bounceback performance- wise after the

Defeat to England end of the Grand Slam hopes for this season ultimately how do you reflect on what you saw on Saturday evening winning the title and the performance kind of all kind of mix into one I thought it was a bit flat um if I’m being honest I think you can almost

Separate the achievement from the occasion if that makes sense and I’ll explain what I mean like like you touched on there Will um if you had said at the start of the Six Nations postor cup post Johnny seon uh that Ireland would win the Six Nations uh particularly going away France and

England Andy far and I think every Irish reporter would have snapped your arm off for that so um Tak nothing away from that but um the performance I thought they looked a bit lethargic um they were inaccurate despite dominating territory and possession and I suppose that fed

Into the crowd who just didn’t really get into the game until after halftime when Aran did actually give them something to shout about but it was a strange occasion I thought I mean you touching it there will like Ireland winning a Six Nations Title should never

Be sniffed at or taken for granted and um it just didn’t feel like that big of um an occasion which was um a little bit disappointing I think even when the irland players were going around doing their lap of honor at the end loads of people had left and went home and look

Maybe people had trains and stuff to get other parts of the country I’m not sure but um if you compare it to this time last year when Ireland won the Grand Slam that felt much better so look I don’t know if we’re just getting drunk

On success or or what it is but it just didn’t feel as big of an occas as it in my mind it certainly was because like I said you just can’t take um winning Six Nations titles for granted particularly when you look at how I suppose France and England have

Both finished their tournaments they’re going to be coming back really strong next year so the success in Irish Rugby isn’t always going to be like this and I just hope people aren’t taking it for granted yeah I suppose last week we discussed about would it be a little

Anticlimactic and I said it’ll probably be both at the same time a success and a bit of an anticlimax and I agree with you I think that’s what it kind felt a little like uh when it got to the end because the way things played out Ireland had basically guaranteed a title

Win almost unless there was a freak results and Ireland got hammered and England which to be fair they almost did win with a bonus point so that maybe would have played out a little differently but what’s your perspective like why do you think IR were not as

Good as we had all expected obviously after losing to England we actually even teed up with the team selection would he go with the same team again so they could kind of right the wrongs of that performance and he did pick the same team until obviously Hugo Keenan had to

Pull out with an injury but they didn’t seem to react the way we’ all expected they might yeah look as is always the case with these things it’s probably not just a case of one thing kind of impacting it um I think they did look a little flat a

Little tired maybe um and didn’t seem to get any kind of momentum going in the first half they really struggled I think um line it was a little patchy again I think um that always that seems to be a key component like it is a key component

Of the modern game but for Ireland teams particularly whenever we play well that seems to be a real key part of it um scrum wasn’t really an issue so that was good to see um I think Keenan is a big big loss to this team I think they’re

Really we’re kind of finding that out um and I think maybe ring Rose maybe is another factor maybe it would have been a good time to bring him back into the center perhaps although would have been very very harsh on the two guys there just even to freshen it up you know just

Just to give someone may maybe Henshaw comes off the bench or Aki gets a bit of a break like he has been trooping along um like in very very physical physically demanding position there um so I thought maybe that was they were just a couple

Of factors on the day um I thought the way they played as well um they were an awful lot better in the second half but I think they were a good bit more direct will I think they’re probably underestimating how physically imposing they can be um when they’re on it you

Know particularly at Rook time but also in the car they have lovely deception um and nice ability to kind of move the ball around while still being pretty direct and I feel like they looked like they were going early a little bit too much H for my liking now it was

Difficult because Scotland did defend well in the tight exchanges but I think they were all kind of factors in there I thought in the second half they were you know way more direct I thought they used their bench a little bit better but still could have brought those guys on

Earlier in my opinion um but they did have a bit of an impact um and the kind of glaring issue that I think um you know that the team has struggled with is possibly finishing some opportunities when they’re close to the line I wonder are they going for it just a little bit

Too soon the amount of held up tries I think um and opportunities missed where they’re kind of over the line with this team um that’s maybe something that I think the coaches might have a look at now some of it’s just bad look but although other times you’re kind of

Saying I wonder could they have gone another phase or they could have gone another two or three phases this team has the ability to you know rarely they make they made a lot more mistakes I thought in the latter end of the the competition than they normally do H but

Generally speaking they can hold on to the ball for long periods will so I think that’s something that they should look at too along with the line out and possibly they’re used to the bench so there’s lots of good learnings for it and to to round off the point and this

Is really important Keen has 100% right about winning the competition and making sure we have some context around that um because that is no mean feat to to go and uh win a tournament particularly when they had France away and England away obviously they love lost the

England match but it was still the last kick of the game over in Twickenham so some context is pretty important I think we’re in rudal uh probably a few you know few areas where maybe the the coaching staff could look at and say well could we be better there because

They’re going to need to be over in South Africa there is just no doubt about it they really will struggle if they kind of perform the way they did uh towards the latter part of the competition actually probably across the competition bar the first game really um

But it was again hard to gauge because France were down a man for so long so um it’s an interesting place to be I think it’s a good place it’s nice to not have that um we’re not riding some kind of wave over to to South Africa there’s

Loads of areas where they can look at and say we can be better and I think they’ve got the Personnel to be better both on the coaching staff and on the pitch whe that’s the key thing with this thing that that that keeps me positive about this because it certainly was a

Kind of flat enough finish from what we expect from the team in terms of the the the performance on the pitch yeah ke is funny where we’re at like cuz I I agree with both of you said and even the tone of our conversation is very much kind of

Looking at areas where the team could improve or or what things didn’t go right and I think it’s only natural like anyone who watched the game on Saturday I I don’t think you could really come away from it thinking anything else but at the same time it is funny you know

You touch on it there like back toback extion I think the third time in Ireland’s history they’ve done it but just the way the tournament played out ultimately Ireland probably played their best game week one and probably performance level actually probably lessened each week as it went on so that

Probably let leaves us feeling in a funny position where obviously everyone is Delight that the Irish team won the Six Nations but at the same time you’re not you’re not like jumping for joy or saying what a phenomenal campaign it was it’s I don’t know what I think Jacky is is the

Obvious one luuk has just touched on it there um if you had said to you know Irish fans any F that Ireland would win their first tournament post Johnny SE and no matter how they got the job done that would have to be viewed as a huge positive and I think the biggest

Compliment you can probably give Jack Crowley is that apart from the end game twick him where Ireland obviously mismanaged it not a lot of people have been talking about Johnny seon and how much Ireland have been missing him which is remarkable really when you think about the the influence that he had had

On this team on and off the pitch and much like Ireland in general I think there’s loads of areas in Jack Crow’s game that he’ll find scope for improvement I was having a look at the stats for that P that piece I was doing um on Monday look the obvious one is his

Kicking percentage it was down at 74% which you know for a top class International out half that’s got to be better and he’ll know that I think he’ll look back at I know it was a tough touchline conversion that he had in tck him for James Lowe’s try but if he had

Got that that would have pushed Ireland into a four-point lead I think it was so it meant that obviously England wouldn’t have needed a penalty or drop goal they would have had to go for the Troy um I think his T his tackle percentage is about 81% that’s maybe something he can

Work on even though I think he’s been he’s been a really good Defender so um I think it’s massively encouraging um I think a couple of his decision making look probably not the right time and he had a couple of them at the weekend as well but the fact that he has

The confidence to try it and also that he has the the freedom to try it within this Irish SE this Irish system as like pretty much a rookie 10 I think is hugely encouraging and I think it bodess well for the future and that’s not to

Say that like Ross burn you know is going to put a bit of pressure on him when he comes back fit for lenser for the tail end of the season but I think going forward Jack Crowley has airm grip of that Ireland number 10 Jersey yeah I think the point you make

About you know he he he SED in so seamlessly that like the loss of Johnny seon wasn’t really commented upon as a good one because every team pretty much came in with varying degrees of upheaval or flux like obviously Anon Dupont missing for for France you know Wales

Having a massive rebuild and stuff like that but Ireland started the tournament so well that it would basically put to bed after round three just with the way the fixers played the Ireland were 15 out of 15 and even that me meant they could lose to England and not even

Really play that well against Scotland and and the tournament was still at no stage really in danger because they they hit the ground running so well and no other team really did it to to any impressive degree like Scotland obviously lost in round two that really dented their chances so Ireland had one

Hand on the trophy from very early on I think it’s a testament to obviously the cohesion of the team but I would underestimate what you guys have said like bringing in three guys in three key positions and three young players and they all played really really well

Across the tournament so that was an important part of irand success I thought as well Luke anyway else that you thought played well I thought Jameson Gibson Park had a really really important tournament for AR like he scored the first try of the tournament

He got man of the match in the last game I thought and obviously we touched on last week him having to move out of the number nine position was maybe a key part of that England game when the game went went away from them I I thought he

Really is has kind of cemented himself as one of the world’s best nines if not the best on form at the moment uh well not the best with dupond but maybe he’s not included in the in the in the sample um but he’s certainly a very very effective and a key

Component with this Irish team um I think I do wonder about when the game slows down is he has effective will that’s that’s that is one thing I wonder is he kind of a little one pace is the wrong way it’s s it’s the right way of

Saying it but it’s the feels wrong to say it the pace is just I always think it’s just really really high now that really suits can suit arand against lots of teams who can’t live with them and can’t live with their bench you know but and and the kind of Fitness levels and

The ball in play time that they can you know they can do that and they can do it for long periods very very accurately so Gibson Park is a key key part of that I wonder say against like South Africa when you’re going backwards or saying the England match when you’re going

Backwards um you know you kind of Wonder then would you love to have just a splash of Murray thrown in there where you’ve got that kind of tactical Noe and the ability to kind of be very very effective and calm and and slow the game

Down H you wonder has he got a bit of that to go in his game uh because everything for this other team for long periods until they’ve come to kind of big matches has kind of flowed pretty well for them and teams haven’t been able to kind of contain them uh but in

The big matches that is something that I’m kind of watching I watch it for ler too just that that pace not being able to kind of reset and slow it down and go just bring a team through a few crappy phases um I wonder about that but yeah

No he’s brilliant I think Shen’s probably the best player in the team but sorry Sheen and Keenan are probably the two best players for me I I just think they are magic the pair of them I I Keenan is a huge huge loss to this team I I think people are underestimating

That his ability to ball play I think when he’s playing at his best as well that pace that top end Pace that he has in the fitness levels um and he’s also you know I think his tackling has really improved in the last couple of years um

And he’s so solid under the high ball with a good kicking game I think Keenan is one of the most complete players in the game and he is a huge huge loss to this team so um yes agree on the Gibson Park point he might be the most

Important given the tempo but I feel like there might be some issues the other two for me I think they they might get in a world 15 ahead of them uh like ahead of Gibson park I think Gibson Park is sadly subbing to DuPont when he comes back um

But other than that um yeah like it’s a it’s a brilliant like you could make a good case for dorus as well I thought he was outstanding too throughout the competition so um it’s one of the most talented Irish teams I’ve ever seen certainly is Will darus got out to be

Fair daryus got played I would say by Ben Earl and he was off color in twickingham which was pretty costly for Ireland because you just can’t afford to have a player like that and it was similar enough to the World Cup quarterfinal when Ry Sera got the better

Of him so you’d like to see a bit more I think from D those games and someone else I think yeah you know and he’s he’s actually discussed this himself been very honest in terms of big games you know needing to get more out of himself we should mention bodaki as well he’s

Been nominated for the Six Nations player of the year um he’s been obviously exceptional for Ireland just carried on his World Cup form and look I was probably not surprised when I saw the nominations because props just don’t seem to get any love when it comes to

These Awards but I thought Andrew Porter was just like I think people take it for granted that he plays 70 plus minutes um most games test level as a prop um we touched it earlier Ireland scrum was excellent um by and large in the Six Nations they absolutely destroyed

Scotland and a couple of them at the weekend and I thought Porter maybe silenced a few of his critics postor World Cup as well and look we know how good he is in the loose in terms of his carrying really nice finish for that setpiece try that they scored at the

Weekend and we’ve see how much of a jackal threat he is as well so um I was really encouraged to see that Ireland went to a five meter Tap Play because I think when you’re looking forward I think the the timing of Andrew Goodman coming in to replace my cat as backs

Coach is very timely I think no harm to have a bit of fresh eyes and things and you look at lster set plays have been pretty good particularly in that Champions Cup Final last year which obviously stemmed from Goodman’s area of expertise so I think that’s coming out a

Good time P obviously L potentially his last iring game and still he hasn’t made it his decision nice to see him lift the trophy obviously nice moment with himself and to Furlong you know if it is Peter Man’s last Ireland game obviously you would have played with him you know

In your career as well he’s been a a warrior for this team for a long time believing with five six nations medals I think which is extremely impressive I think he started 22 to 25 matches across those um those five tournament so he’s been a main stay for some of the great

Days of the team like how would you sum up his contribution over what is it 10 12 years oh he’s been an incredible servant hasn’t he and what a talent too I think that probably goes um because it’s probably in in an area of the game where

Maybe it doesn’t come into as F into Focus as much but that defensive line out ability has been something has been a real Cornerstone for monster and for Ireland for you know since he’s had the Jersey um you know hard as now you know brilliant on the deck um probably less

Explosive in the attacking part of the pitch towards the kind of maybe the second half of his career but still very very effective and was brilliant for Monster actually in that part of the game towards the end of last season but um brilliant player uh really good guy

Nice to have around the setup uh you know suffer doesn’t suffer fools always a great interview I think we’ll miss him in that in that sense or you guys certainly will miss him I’m sure um but yeah I think it’s a nice way if if it is

The time that he he decides to to call it a day um and to move on he can be very very happy and fulfilled with with what was a brilliant career and I think the monster thing is probably good time as well having won last season um I

Think that just that might even have had more of an impact that was a real something that I think had been a bit of a bug bear for the likes of himself and Murray I know was involved in in 09 I think I don’t know what Pete was but um

You know he just hadn’t woron anything with them in in quite a long time so I think that kind of ticked that box for him and might have played some kind of part in him saying well maybe this might be the time to go so yeah look we wait

And see on the decision still looks in pretty good shape to me uh but I suppose if you’re thinking about it uh you’d always be thinking well you know if you’re thinking it’s time to retire it might might well be time to go and and

That seemed like a nice way to round off a brilliant career H going out on top at Six Nations as Captain so uh we wait and see wish him all the best with the decision of course yeah I think himself and a few Irish players got their fifth

Medal at the weekend I try to think off the top of my head there can’t be many other guys with five six nations medals I’d have to dig into the the stats for that but it’s a phenomenal achievement Keen you know you were writing about Peter rmani I know after the match and

And potentially his last game like he was very emotional like it’s funny the rumors were obviously people were talking about before the game once you saw him in the anthem I think people were like okay he’s definitely retiring because he just looked even more kind of emotional than usual his eyes were close

He took like a a few extra seconds before the game kicked off to kind of soak it all in you do you think it is last Ireland game my gut would say yeah certainly last week um I had heard murmurings um that it was going to be and look it’s

One of those stories where you’re always very reluctant to go near someone you know retiring someone without allowing them to do it on their own terms but I think as the week went on The Whispers started growing louder and louder then we arrived at the eviva stadium on

Saturday and he was on the front cover of the match program again you can read too much into these kind of things but you see the an and I actually interviewed him H just before this Scotland game last year I sat down with him one one and it was a great chat just

About what it meant him to play for Ireland and I asked him about the emotion that he like generally shows uh during the anthems and he just made the point that he finds it very hard to look up and the stand because he always knows where his family are sitting and it hits

Him really hard so look he’s emotional at the best of times during the anthems but you could see him like he belted out hour on the but when arland’s call came on he just kept his head down could barely look up to burn I think was squeezing him a little bit harder who

Was standing next to him and yeah look he he let it all out I think even when arand or when the game was kicking off he was still wiping tears from his eyes so um I’m not sure whether he said anything in the buildup to the players

But I think if you’re reading between the lines um it certainly looks to be the case now what you would say is he was obviously asked about it several times afterwards people will have seen it by now and he did leave the the door open but like as luk has touched on way

It would be to to go out if it is his final game and I I still think he has something to offer I have to say I think defy and moner he has something to offer that’s been evident this season when he hasn’t been playing they’ve really lacked um his leadership the the

Understanding is he has been offered uh a fresh deal at moner there’s been no word yet whether he has signed that or not he’s going to come off an i few Central deals so um obviously like look he said he was going to talk to his family this week and then make his

Decision as it should be like I said I think these guys get they should get to go out on their own terms but that’s the thing not everyone gets the sort of fairy tale sendoff and by captaining your country to a Six Nations Title and like the country six Six Nations Title

And Peter ratan’s fifth is an amazing achievement and I thought it was brilliant as well that it was his best game of the championship um I think he’d be the first to admit that it probably wasn’t a vintage perform like performances from himself on a personal

Level but I thought he was excellent I thought he was actually one of Ireland’s best players for the time he was on the pitch so maybe that would add to the sense that what a time it would be to go out he’s been a brilliant

Servant yeah I think I agree with you I think it I think it makes sense for him to continue a monster as well if his body is still able and it looks like it is because I think especially you know when the Internationals are away to have Peter rmani there still you know

Contributing sticking the ship at Club level I think would be massively beneficial um you know looking ahead to South Africa I know we touched on it Luke a bit like Andrew Goodman coming in that’s kind of one of the I know he won’t be coming in until afterwards

Officially but that’ll be one of the things that’ll change in the near future CU South Africa will have have to listen to you know all the talk over the six nations of how good Arland are Sam orbert saying we’re the best team in the world and obviously the lost to England

Kind of deflated a lot of that talk but it still teed up to be like a real Clash of the Titans South Africa haven’t beaten Ireland under Ry Rasmus two defeats out of two and I know they won the World Cup but that that that little statistic will be annoying them and

First test and LOF his ver f as well like it it’s teed up to be a brilliant summer yeah can’t wait for to to to see those matches um yeah kind of excited already for them um I think uh it’ll certainly be one that they’ll want to

Tick off the the list because um you know it left a little bit of I thought they got a huge amount of Praise at the World Cup and rightfully so they won the competition but they they lost they still won a World Cup losing a game so I don’t know um it just

Shows you how tight the competition is between the top four if you ask me so I I think knowing a little bit about Razzi I would say and just those South African guys in that team they’ll want to write that wrong and make sure they kind of put an exclamation mark behind them

Being the number one team in the world and to my mind losing to Ireland um that was a big match um you know they probably were saved a little bit that they’ beaten Scotland you know that took a little bit of pressure off so maybe the need wasn’t as great as maybe

Ireland’s need but that was certainly not part of the plan losing that game it put them into playing France or sorry it meant they were probably playing France in the quarterfinal which was really not ideal and they scraped through that one as well so um yeah I I don’t know I I

Think that’ll be brilliant I think there’ll be fireworks on that one I think South Africa really really want that one even if they haven’t publicly admitted it yet that will have hurt at the World Cup they have kind of publicly admitted it Razzy razus was doing a

Press conference last week when he was unveiling Jerry flry his new defense coach and Tony Brown and I think he said that what was the word he wanted to rectify the record against Ireland because he’s obviously never he’s never beaten Ireland so um look it’s going to

Be a fascinating um cont contest isn’t it it’s it’s almost a Pity that there isn’t a third test added on to the end of it because you could definitely see it being one test each but um if AR didn’t go down there and win a test I think it would be another unbelievable

Feather in the cap for this team it’s going to be interesting to see how far goes about it I don’t necessarily think there’s going to be sweeping changes to the team if it is on if that was on mat’s last game then sure you’d have someone like Ryan B coming in and you

Know he would match up really well with that uh spring box pack you’d imagine so um the summer is going to be unbelievable the November schedule like with the All Blacks coming to town with Joe Schmidt Australia Fiji um and who’s the other team remind me uh Argentina I

Mean that is an unbelievably tough November schedule as well particularly with how well Fiji played at the World Cup so even though there might a bit of a lull for the next kind of couple of weeks anyway at least before the Champions Cup sort of kicks back up

There is so much top class uh rugby to look forward to in terms of an Irish context for the rest of the year even though the Six Nations is just over I know it’s unbelievable like the All Blacks Friday night light I think as well it’s quarter past eight on Friday

Night to kick things off in November that’s going to be epic and then you have I know we’re looking real far ahead in a year’s time like Ireland going for the first ever three in a row six nations you know I think no one’s ever won three outright titles in a row cuz

They used to not the teams level on points back in the day it was like a shared title so a bit of History potentially there so for the next 12 months even you’re looking ahead and Irish rby there there so much on the agenda you know look it’s interesting

Because like you know going through those windows like if if there’s not much room for experimentation like you have two games against South Africa like people want to win those with you you’ll have to almost Go full team and then November obviously you have a little bit of scope with Fiji and potentially

Argentina but then you have New Zealand Australia as well it be intered to see how Andy FR manages this period like what kind of squads he picks cuz traditionally he’s like to have gone pretty close to full strength in those windows so if people are looking for

Tweaks or or new faces to come in now we saw in the Six Nations that they were able to bed some guys in while still winning the tournament but it’ll probably have to be that approach going forward because there those fixture Windows like there’s a lot of big games

There that he’ll want to win yeah but I think they’re probably better because it probably forces you not to make wholesale changes well and I always think that’s a way fairer way of introducing someone to to International Rugby versus you know the amount of good careers or potential careers that have

Been absolutely mutilated by coming into uh you know a you know a whole sale changes like 10 changes for a match week to week in the middle of November for you know fixture against a tier 2 Nation so that has never sat unbelievably well

With me I always felt like it was one of Joe Schmidt’s greatest achievements at lenser was the amount of talent that he brought through um and I thought he was always great at introducing them and giving them proper chances against big teams but also not having come in there

Might be two or three changes for week week to week um and I think farell has a bit of that about him as well he looks like a guy who doesn’t pick you know he picks the best team available to him but if he has to has to make a change or he

Feels it’s important to make a change he’ll do it and he’ll do it fearlessly and he seems to be able to instill a confidence in all the players and I also think you know there’s a there’s a like Goodman is obviously the the wrinkle in

This but uh I don’t I still don’t think just from looking at lenser that there’ be massive changes from what he doing to what you know from from what K has been doing so I think it’s an easy system to fit into I think a lot of the provinces

Are trying to play the same way um and I think that always helps so yeah I I think they might introduce one or two or they might be forced to introduce one or two will over the period against Great teams and that’s always where you want

To see that that I don’t want to see someone trouncing you know kind of a tier two Nation um that doesn’t really tell me anything about whether that person is able to play International Rugby and I think the coaches will feel that way too so uh I think it’s a

Brilliant period for them I think because there’s lots of big games there’ll likely be some injuries um and I think they’ll be forcing to see in some of this this kind of young blood that’s coming through the Irish system and and that’s a good thing for me yeah

Keen just to forecast a little bit of South African as you mentioned Champions Cup campaign still to come there so much will we be play but like is there anyone off the top of your head that didn’t feature hugely in the Six Nations that you could see kind of elbowing their way

Into a prominent role come the summer against South Africa M Hansen I think is the is the obvious one um and will reiterate I thought Calvin Ash was excellent um and I think he has probably proved some people wrong as well particularly Johan van Gran who just

Didn’t seem to rate him at all during his time in charge so he’s benefited hugely from Mike P Mike pgas coming in and being Luke just touching it there about how the provinces are far more aligned in terms of their playing style and Calvin Nash has benefited from that

Because monster have trusted him over the last couple of seasons and he’s delivered and Mak since making the step up he’s been brilliant too but I just think M Hansen gives you something a little bit different obviously he’s still out with that shoulder injury that

He had um in early January I think he’s going to be back next month so for the end of kuk season and in time for the South Africa toour I think he’d had um something different in terms of other positions I don’t see um a huge amount

Of change will to be honest because obviously you’re going to see you know Jack crowy continuing as 10 it’ll be another massive test for him there are probably a couple of positions that I would be concerned about if we’re being honest um I think loose head prop I’ve

Already touched on the fact that Andrew Porter plays 70 plus minutes most games which is unbelievable but how sustainable is that and is it going to end up costing Andrew Porter a couple years at the back end of his career um because he’s just so unbelievably durable powerful outstanding player Keen

Hey did okay um when he was called upon um Jeremy lochman got a bit of game time as well but I think there’s there’s a bit of I would say concern there in terms of the depth chart I think scrum half as well uh to be honest um

Obviously had a tough enough time when he came on H at twickingham I was surprised I have to say that Craig casy didn’t get a little bit more game time considering he has overtaken Conor Murray um at monster as Monster’s first choice scum half alongside Jack Crowley

Now obviously we’re not privy to how training is going so I don’t know maybe Murray was training the house down but that’s an interesting one that Murray is ahead in Andy far’s eyes but maybe not um in Graham rri’s eyes so um I don’t think do you think Casey has Casey made

The step up for you though Ken this like I I feel like he he is he seems to be number one at monster that’s fairly obvious but I don’t think he’s really kicked on to really solidify that Gap is that is he got a little bit of criticism

In the Italy game that he played because he made like no not too the similar to Jack Crowley in a couple of games he made a couple of poor decisions that if he had back again I’m sure would have been different but I remember at the time watching that game back and I

Actually didn’t think maybe he was as poor as some people were making out but what I will say is it wasn’t the kind of performance that you would have went okay yeah he he he kind of deserves to be ahead in other games but um I think he’ll be really disappointed with his

Lack of game time um considering how well he’s been doing at monster so there two positions I think that would be a slight bit concerning when we’re looking at um such a busy schedule for the rest of the year just to move on to some of the other story lines before we finish

Up lad like Luke Italy obviously to win two games and draw one going into the tournament especially after their World Cup campaign I don’t think many people would forecast that and even the way they beat Wales I know Wales scored two tries at the end to kind of make it look

Closer in the scoreboard but Italy were dominant for the majority of that game scored some great tries scrambled well in the fence to whole at Wales a couple of times but it’s great for the tournament especially with their under 20 seemingly you know making strides as

Well like there’s a little bit of hope that you know that that you don’t just be ticking Italy off on the fix list every year um how impressed were you with how they went ac across they were outstanding weren’t they it was it was great to watch and they really blew that

French game that was a huge opportunity for them there so things could have looked even better for them um if they’d got the job done there so yeah look you’d hope this is kind of a bit of a springboard for them you know it looked like you know cassada seems to have had

A bit of an impact there nice to have a 10 at the helm as well looks like there’s a bit more attacking fluency there certainly some more um Endeavor there to try and play and you know hang on to the ball for longer periods and kind of um

You know I think take some chances which it Italian teams when they’re trying to win haven’t always done that well you know like to see them go in at I think it was 11 nil halftime but then to kick on and get to the 18 nil I was kind of

Saying wow like I really expected a big you know um Welsh you know uh kind of flood of pressure uh after the halftime period and it didn’t really materialize I thought they were brilliant and they also I mean look they made a huge amount of tackles didn’t they but H just gave

In at the at the very very end so yeah look I think that’s that’s very promising I think it’s really good for the competition uh good for Italy too I think they needed a lift that World Cup was a bit worrying to me I was kind of

Thinking wow like are they in freeall here uh but they seem to have arrested the the the the decline and um making positive stries so really pleased for that I mean on the on the flip side I mean Wales I mean I really don’t know what like that is very worrying like

Wales have been were for a long time of superpower um you know and I have In fairness through the through the ughs and you know the last 10 years probably have been um pretty inconsistent with some brilliant years thrown in there uh put some pretty

Awful ones in there as well will um so you you’d hope that this is just like an awful period for them and that they can kind of turn things around pretty quickly um The only positive I can see from then is that they’re coming from a pretty low base so anything will look

Like an improvement next year but that’s not saying much um you know Gatland had kind of kind of made it all about himself at the end of the game offering the resignation this kind stuff but it wasn’t really time for like that wasn’t a time to be talking about stuff like

That you know that was uh you know you leave that for for for the kind of postmortem after the tournament for for talk of resignations and offer this kind of stuff I just thought that was a real ego driven kind of comment and not helpful at all um I think what people

Are looking for over in Wales is you know well just give us an honest assessment of where you think the team is at and why and where is there a plan to to move things forward um because as far as I can see looks like in the background they’re going to be reducing

Uh you know the Caps uh on on the regional squads so that’s going to put more pressure there can they hang on to the local talent um and the regions are just that is worrying too Cardiff have looked okay at points this season but everyone else you’re kind of saying O

Like where do they go from here where is the talent coming from where where are they getting the new players and I think the 20s haven’t looked that strong either so uh it’s pretty Doom and Gloom around Wales at the moment um and hard to see where where the the obvious

Turnaround is it looks like the neglect in the in the local game um is kind of coming back to Roose now and um it’s it’s very worrying I mean Wales is always one of the great fixtures in the competition and um yeah it’s it’s it doesn’t look like it will be next season

It looks like they’re going to be under pressure again to be honest yeah I think they’ve only won you know two six nations games in the last three campaigns ke or or something like that because they lost to Italy obviously under way Pak and then he ended up leaving after after that

Campaign it’s and you look at their team sheets I think yeah I said this last week when you look at their two team sheets going into the game I just thought ital had a better team out there like the Warren gatam bought some time I suppose by with the narrative that it

Was a young team and and a new era but then they come away with not from five and to be 18 n down at home to Italy just like I’m not surprised that the thought of resigning did enter his head but I agree with Luke was this kind of a

Bizarre thing to come out with after the game as well like what did you make of that and just just how it unfolded on Saturday I think it was a bit of a PR stunt really from Gatland um I’m sure he went in there pre-planned that he was

Going to bring this up because by wiping the Slate so clean I think he kind of went well you know obviously he didn’t say this and I’m totally paraphrasing but like what you expect me to do like these guys have little to know um International experience and obviously

It backfired and I agree with what Luke said like Welsh rugby is in the doldrums like this is this looks like rock bottom but it could actually get worse I know they finished bottom of the Six Nations winless but like luk touched on you look

At the lack of quality you’d have to say coming through the 20s over the last few years and the most worrying thing is apart from the the regions which are just in dire strait is that they’ve already lost I would say a generation of talent after the aloin Jones goldener of

Lee halfen Le and William daniger all those guys but if Welsh rugby continues on this trend then there I think they’re in danger of losing a second generation because if you’re a young boy or girl in Wales and you play rugby you like rugby and you’re tuning in to watch the Six

Nations on a Saturday afternoon and seeing Wales lose every single one of their games you might be tempted to just go off and play football I believe football is the numbers are really rising in Wales at the moment now not that the Welsh national team the soccer

Team or any great shakes either but it just can’t be good for inspiring the Next Generation when you’re seeing your team lose so um this could be about to get worse before it gets better I think for Wales um and just a touch on Italy I mean they were apart from Ireland taking

Off our Green Tinted glasses like they were the story of the Six Nations Championship were they weren’t they I mean think that they could have and should have had three wins but for that missed garbes kick in France and the most frustrating thing is that they actually still finish second bottom I

Just when I saw the table at the end I was like how that was just cruel that was just so cruel like it so wrong so wrong that they still finish second one because they were they were better like they if you were ranking or rating Team

Six Nation and how happy they would be like Italy you know that’s as good as they could have really hoped for and it was the quality of trys and the quality of their attack um against Wales was just Sensational this was something that we touched on on the Pod last week Lads

That the quality of their backs um are just brilliant and if they can add a couple of the the under 20s that are coming through into the pack um like I thought Laro had a great Six Nations you look at brex and men and cello they were both outstanding um I thought they’d

Miss katsu at the weekend but the fullback who came in did really well and scored a crack and Troy so things are looking up for Italy and it seems like they’ve finally arrived after a few fall stes and like you touched on there Will I mean if you get to a stage where

You’re not just you know assuming that you know if Ireland are going to get five points every time they play Italy then that is unbelievable for the competition and unbelievable I think for World rugby it’s it’s just brilliant to see well I touched on the fixtures being announced for year like Ireland’s last

Game is in Rome as well so you know Ireland could be needing that win to win a grand slammer to win a six nation and it’ll be interesting like that champ decider will will it be between Italy and Ireland potentially who knows if they can keep this trajectory up H but it’s a

Finish shot on luk with Luke on England and France obviously that game was was very entertaining I know you said you didn’t think England had any chance ultimately they didn’t win so technically you were on the right side of the prediction however it was obviously a brilliant game England you

Know I was tou on last week is if they performed well again it would they would maybe leave the championship with a good deal of credit and I think they can be pretty positive considering in defeat against France I think they’re a lot better off than they were say when they

Lost to Scotland or two or three weeks earlier when people were questioning whether borwick had a future now there looks like a defined way they can go forward they have two games against the All Blacks on summer which will be tricky but they can go into that feeling

A lot better about where they’re at and they could you know a very short time ago yeah I mean they I supposed they just ran out of time didn’t they um the the poor English Souls um but yeah and they got pretty unlucky I think Marcus

Smith doesn’t do great for that um that kind of weird try um from that line out the overthrow and the kick through like that was a really odd one and fairness to him but he still probably should have done a little bit better um so yeah I

Mean they’re they’re very close to uh to to pulling off a pretty famous Victory from a you know as you were saying a team that was you know getting getting it in the neck for quite a good portion of this competition that would have been a serious turnaround to have beaten

Ireland and France at the end of the tournament and they very you know very very nearly did so um yeah it was a um it was a a decent finish to the competition for them I feel like it’ll be the usual thing with them I think they’ll think they’re a bit further

Ahead than they actually are um you know I think France are at a pretty low E at the moment I think Ireland didn’t play play poorly over in Twickenham as well and they kind of only just scrape by um scrape by then only just you know they

They lost but it was you know I think they should have done a little bit better against FR like France are not playing well at the moment so uh I think maybe it’s a case of not being as good as you think you are I think there’s

Still a bit of a journey for them to go on I thought the the the a lot of the talk was about the attack and I thought that was pretty miserable for lots of the competition and certainly did improve in the last two games think Marcus Smith looked like he made a big

Impact there um so there’s some thinking to be done on that um but I actually thought it was Felix Jones impact at defense I thought they really defended well against Ireland they were an awful lot better against France for long periods as well well so that was

Actually that looks like it’s coming to fruition interesting to see if they can build on this now going forward I would suggest they’re still they’re not as good as they think they are um and I think they there’s an awful lot more work still to do with

England I feel like though with the coaching staff they have just knowing some of the personalities Felix obviously but borwick knowing him from a distance a little bit I think that it won’t be for a lack of work and humbleness uh from from an English the English coaching staff that’ll stop this

Team moving forward I I think they’ve got the they looked like they’ve made the right appointments um you know to the management team and I expect them to get better I just don’t know by how much I still feel like they’re a couple of players short of being better than

Ireland and beating Ireland away from home and I I still feel like a full when when France have a full deck to pick from I still think they’re a little short of them as well will so that’s probably my feelings on England uh I thought it was a really good turnaround

At the end but still a bit to go on the Journey For Me Yeah well at least to be fair for a game that are nothing at stake after Ireland beating Scotland I think it at least delivered a good bit of entertainment on Saturday night to to to

Round out the tournament just before we finish up guys we might do the left wing moment of the week in association with Bank of Ireland I I might go first we touched on Italy’s beating Wales just to have them having such a good tournament after coming in as I said after that

World Cup where they were absolutely hosed by about New Zealand and by France I just thought it was great for the tournament not great for w supporters obviously having to watch that on Saturday but for most neutrals like I was watching the game before I went into

The Eva stadium and everyone I was with was you know really happy to see ity go so well and to score some great tries while doing it so that was my moment of the week Keen what was yours um I went for Peter om mahany and Tig Furlong

Lifting the Six Nations trophy together um I thought it spoke volumes for Peter omy in terms of his leadership that if it was his last game he didn’t want the weak to be about him he didn’t even want the lifting of the trophy to be about him he did something similar in South

Africa when he shared it with Keith ears who was obviously going to retire as well and I just thought it was a lovely touch I asked him about that moment afterwards and he said he felt it was appropriate look obviously Tod Furlong has gone through a tough time away from

The rugby pitch with his dad James sadly passing away in December so I thought it was a Classy Touch I have to say from a really classy guy yeah know it was a nice way to round out the campaign and Luke I’ll give you the last word wasn’t it uh quada at work

It looks like a beautiful beautiful set play um you know opened up the Welsh boys and a serious finish I wasn’t sure I thought he might have passed it but H backed himself and burned all the way through so that was a brilliant bit of bit a brilliant finish and I thought

Really encompassed all of the the good things that we’ve seen from Italy in the competition so far and all the improvements that they’ve made it was that that little bit of endeavor and the little bit of creativity that’s probably been lacking and gave them the real

Belief I thought to go on and kick on and win the game so um that was my moment of the uh of the of the of round five to thank Luke and Keane for joining me on this week’s of the leftwing podcast and for joining me throughout

The Six Nations we will be back next week with another podcast as we turn our thoughts back to the club game in the meantime you can subscribe to us on Spotify Apple podcast or listen on independent.ie so until next time thanks for listening and goodbye

Ireland are Six Nations champions once again as Luke Fitzgerald, Cian Tracey and Will Slattery look back on another memorable campaign.

The final victory over Scotland failed to hit the heights as Luke and Cian pick out areas where Ireland will look to improve ahead of two tests against South Africa this summer.

However, there were also plenty of positives as Andy Farrell’s men secured back-to-back titles.

Peter O’Mahony’s swansong, Italy’s impressive showing and an awful few weeks for Wales are all on the agenda too.

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