80+ column : January 14
Our weekly newsletter looking at the wider rugby world
ON THIS WEEK’S COLUMN…
WRAP OF A WRAP
RETURN OF THE KING
‘DAM LUCK
MUNSTER DE-KLEYNED*
TOOTHLESS SHARKS
CLICKBAIT OF THE WEEK
FINAL ROUND PERMUTATIONS
NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP “EXPLAINED”
LEINSTER SQUAD UPDATE
TROLL PATROL
COMPETITION UPDATES (incl Celtic Challenge)
NEXT HARPIN’
WRAP OF A WRAP
We’ve recently added a new feature that’s proving relatively popular. As I watch the latest Leinster/Ireland match live, I take meticulous notes on the action in my own shorthand - I had been deleting them each week but this season I started sharing them on Substack for shits and giggles, and a few weeks ago I added the real-time comments of the various Harpin commentators as they reacted to key moments of the match in our WhatsApp group. I thought it best to redact their names, but for this week I got the idea to colour code the redactions so you could at least see patterns in what they are saying.
Below is a sample of how the group reacted to the double blow of Tommy O’Brien getting a yellow card and Ciarán Frawley going off injured…
It’s a lot of extra work but it’s also a fun new addition to my rewatch on Sunday mornings and with the positive response I have gotten I’ll keep it going for the foreseeable.
Thankfully the wrap pod itself was also fun to produce given the result! Hugo as ever did a top notch job going back over the key points, in fact for this match we had to go longer than usual as there was so much to take in.
ICYMI you’ll find the pod here.
RETURN OF THE KING
They will begin their 2026 Six Nations campaign with a clash against England at Allianz Stadium in London.
Bemand names 10 uncapped players in first Ireland squad of 2026
Joe Harvey - RugbyPass.com
It’s 2026 and for the Irish women’s senior rugby team, the time to reflect on the amazing gains made in the last World Cup cycle is gone. Now it is time to begin the next one and build on that amazing performance against the French in Bristol.
And naturally it is imperative that we begin that cycle with a convincing victory and I very much back the girls to get the job done.
What’s that? Our Six Nations opener is against World Champions England in London? OK, maybe not “imperative” then, but you get the idea…
Probably the name that jumps out of Bemand’s squad the most is that of Erin King who was of course a very conspicuous absentee from RWC2025 and is already helping the Wolfhounds tear up trees in the Celtic Challenge. And as we watch the Irish sides dominate that competition yet again, it’s clear that once the impressive list of Premiership players are folded in (Aoife Wafer, Brittany Hogan, Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, El Perry, Niamh O’Dowd, Grace Moore, Neve Jones, Sam Monaghan and Nancy McGillivray) we’ll have quite the squad.
Even though we have both England and France away this season, I am still very much looking forward to this campaign.
.DAM LUCK
“…it is the hosting club’s responsibility to ensure the match can go ahead…”
Ulster awarded bonus-point win following cancellation of Challenge Cup game against Cheetahs
Irish Times
Just last Saturday on my Broken Play article I harped on how unlucky Ulster Rugby have been over the years, usually as events conspired against them just as they seemed to be headed for success. As I posted that, it was known that their round 3 Challenge Cup match against the Cheetahs was to be played behind closed doors in Amsterdam, which I took to be another sign of bad luck, especially for their travelling supporters.
In the end the match wasn’t played at all, and according to competition rules, it is the home side who must bear responsibility, which in this case makes the Cheetahs the unlucky ones since it’s not even their home! With two defeats already in the books for them however, I’m not sure they’re that pushed. And as I also pointed out in that Saturday article, the Challenge Cup isn’t exactly a cherished prize for them anyway.
The same certainly cannot be said for Ulster because if they continue the form we have seen from them this season this is definitely a title they can compete for.
I’ve just doomed them to more bad luck haven’t I? If so, I hope they believe I’m genuine when I say that is definitely not intentional.
As you can see, while we waited for the ruling on the match result, we had a bit of BlueSky fun…
MUNSTER DE-KLEYNED*
To date, he has made 160 appearances for the province, scoring 15 tries.
Huge blow for Munster as veteran star signs deal with Premiership side
RugbyLad
* pun hat-tip to Rugby Kino
He’s had an incredible time at Munster, including of course a starting role in their first piece of silverware in years, so they will definitely be sad to see him go. I’m sure the fact that he represented two different test nations while at Thomond Park will appear in pub quizzes for years to come, and I’m also sure the fans will wish him nothing but the best as he teams up with Ross Byrne and Rob Russell at the rebuilding Gloucester.
(speaking of moves, just as I’m about to publish I’m hearing that Will Connors is heading to Connacht, I wish him all the best if so and will harp more on future posts…)
TOOTHLESS SHARKS
“We were used to playing one competition before [Super Rugby], and now these competitions require bigger squads and more rotation than we were used to.”
Ox: Sharks treating Clermont clash like a playoff
SARugbyMag.co.za
Ox laying out the task ahead for the Sharks, but for me this article speaks to a wider issue. WTF is wrong with that club? On paper they should be winning everything. They never really clicked in the URC, and when they won the Challenge Cup at THFC Stadium it looked like they may have finally worked out how to handle the NH calendar but as the man says in the quote above, even after four full seasons they’re still getting used to it.
Were I a Sharks fan, given they have so many players I would have seen win a World Cup or two, I might be asking why they don’t treat every match like a playoff.
Ulster have signed Zimbabwean lock Eli Snyman from Italian side Benetton.
Ulster sign powerful second row Snyman from URC rivals
Colman Stanley - SportsJoe.ie
My clickbait of the week “award” is usually meant to be a negative, but not always. This particular one is extremely clever. See what the sub-editor is doing there? If that’s all you see, especially if you’re a Leinster fan (though I’m sure the ABL community would be interested too) you would probably click thinking RG was headed north. Bravo.
FINAL ROUND PERMUTATIONS
“Last week we looked at Leinster’s pool 3 and how it was set up going into the final two matches. Now with one round left to go it’s time to look across the four pools and see how next weekend could shape the round of 16. Let’s start with Leinster’s pool Hugo, we thought it might fall to ourselves and the Stormers to see who tops the pool and we’re both playing at the same time, but Quins threw a spanner in the works…”
NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP “EXPLAINED”
I was pretty confident I understood how this competition worked, until the bit at the very end of this video about points for hemispheres??? I know there will be those who will turn their noses up at this whole concept, and while I for one am at least prepared to give it a chance, my first thought on that addition is that it is totally unnecessary, but I suppose we’ll find out as the year progresses.
LEINSTER SQUAD UPDATE
Ideally when you return from injury you’d want to be on the bench for the first game back, but Leinster have a lot of positions where needs very much must and I would definitely throw Jimmy, Garry and Tadhg in given they’re available, possibly RG too to give one from “Mac & Cheese” a rest.
Hopefully the presence of Porter & Paddy Mc in the “further assessment required” column means they are not being risked, but whatever about the expected Bayonne indifference I still feel we must go full bore against them and leave any other Six Nations cotton wool to the two upcoming rounds of URC fixtures.
HARPIN’ POSSIBLE MATCHDAY 23 V BAYONNE
J O’Brien, T O’Brien, G Ringrose, R Henshaw, J Kenny, S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park
J Cahir, D Sheehan, T Furlong, J McCarthy, J Ryan, J Conan, J van der Flier, C Doris (c)
R Kelleher, A Usanov, T Clarkson, RG Snyman, M Deegan, L McGrath, H Byrne, R Ioane
caveat : I have no “ITK” a la Thornley
OFFICIAL INJURY REPORT
AVAILABLE FOR SELECTION:
Garry Ringrose: returned to training last week and is available for selection.
RG Snyman: returned to training last week and is available for selection.
Tadhg Furlong: will return to full training this week and is due to be available for selection.
Jimmy O’Brien: will return to full training this week and is due to be available for selection.
FURTHER ASSESSMENT REQUIRED:
Ciarán Frawley: is due to be further assessed on a foot injury and a final decision will be made later in the week.
Jack Boyle: is due to be further assessed on a shoulder injury and a final decision will be made later in the week.
Paddy McCarthy: is due to be further assessed on a significant foot injury.
Andrew Porter: is due to be further assessed on a calf injury.
NOT AVAILABLE FOR SELECTION:
Hugo Keenan: is increasing his on-field training exposure.
NO FURTHER UPDATES ON:
Jamie Osborne, Ryan Baird, Jordan Larmour and Rabah Slimani.
TROLL PATROL
Now it’s time for Troll Patrol where we ‘detain’ a social media commentator and charge them with gaslightery and general online mayhem.
Recently we have been focusing on the more light hearted, almost good natured trolling but this week we’ve gone back to the good old fashioned, mean spirited version.
This is just a hot take but I reckon Mick had a “Nelson Muntz ha ha” type post all typed up and ready to send to the Harpin’ Facebook page before Harry Byrne slotted that winning penalty, and if I’m right, then the boomeranged schadenfreude would be as sweet as sweet can be.
Results in the Women’s AIL continue to follow the predictable pattern, with Galwegians in particular proving the gulf between the “big four” and the rest.
The Connacht club were at the top of the league after 5 rounds with 5 wins, definitely an impressive achievement but the fact that they were yet to face UL Bohs, Rock, Belvo & Railway U did take the shine off. And since then, they lost their next 5, all against those four, yet they STILL sit just behind them on the log. I really don’t know what can be done to improve this league but I’m not sure the almost guaranteed 50+ margins are helping, especially when you consider that those top clubs are still dominated despite losing players to the Celtic Challenge. And you could also argue that the Wolfhounds and Clovers may find themselves in a similar situation in that tournament if their biggest challenge continues to be when they play each other. That said, the Welsh side Thunder did hold the Clovers close in the last round.
In the Challenge Cup on the men’s side, I have already harped on Ulster but Connacht really do seem to have been their own worst enemy, letting an away lead slip not once but twice making extra home matches in their new stadium unlikely. A big win over Montauban this weekend plus a bit of help from Black Lion might move them up the seedings. I just want to see both Irish provinces have a real go in the knockouts, hopefully they don’t end up facing each other in the Round of 16!!!
CELTIC CHALLENGE
ROUND THREE
GLASGOW WARRIORS 19-31 GWALIA LIGHTNING
EDINBURGH 12-50 WOLFHOUNDS
BRYTHON THUNDER 12-15 CLOVERS
ROUND FOUR
SAT JAN 17
GWALIA LIGHTNING V EDINBURGH
WOLFHOUNDS V BRYTHON THUNDER
SUN JAN 18
CLOVERS V GLASGOW WARRIORS
URC IRISH SHIELD
Leinster 14-31 Munster
Munster 17-15 Connacht
Leinster 24-20 Ulster
Munster 8-13 Leinster
Connacht 24-29 Ulster
Ulster 28-3 Munster
Leinster 52-17 Connacht
Jan 24 Connacht v Leinster
Mar 20 Ulster v Connacht
Apr 17 Ulster v Leinster
Apr 25 Munster v Ulster
May 9 Connacht v Munster
ALL IRELAND LEAGUES
WOMEN’S
MEN’S 1A
LEINSTER SCHOOLS SENIOR CUP
VINNIE MURRAY CUP
QUARTERFINALS
(4 semifinalists advance to Senior Cup)
Tue Jan 13
St Vincent’s 26-24 CUS
Wed Jan 14
St Finatn’s v St Patricks Navan
King’s Hospital v Pres Bray
Tue Jan 20
Temple Carrig v St Andrews
FIRST ROUND
Mon Jan 19
Terenure College v Kilkenny College
Wed Jan 21
Clongowes Wood College v St Mary’s College
Fri Jan 23
Newbridge College v Wesley College
Mon Jan 26
Belvedere College v Cistercian College Roscrea
Tue Jan 27
Gonzaga College v Vinnie Murray Cup Q2
Wed Jan 28
St Gerard’s School v Vinnie Murray Cup Q4
Thu Jan 29
Vinnie Murray Cup Q3 v St Michael’s College
Fri Jan 30
Blackrock College v Vinnie Murray Cup Q1
EPCR CHALLENGE CUP
Round 3
Stade Français 27–25 Exeter Chiefs
Montauban 28–31 Black Lion
Newcastle Red Bulls 26–19 Perpignan
Lions 42–33 Lyon
Cardiff Rugby 32–13 Racing 92
Benetton 74–21 Dragons
Cheetahs 0-28 Ulster (cancelled walkover awarded)
Montpellier 33–31 Connacht
Zebre 23–19 Ospreys
Round 4
Friday 16 January 2026
Dragons RFC v Newcastle Red Bulls
Saturday 17 January 2026
Ulster v Stade Français
Black Lion v Zebre Parma
Perpignan v Lions
Connacht v US Montauban
Ospreys v Montpellier
Sunday 18 January 2026
Exeter Chiefs v Cardiff Rugby
Lyon v Benetton
Racing 92 v Cheetahs
RUGBY EUROPE SUPER CUP
SEMIFINALS
SAT JAN 17
IBERIANS V DELTA
LUSITANOS V BRUSSELS DEVILS
SVNS
PREMIERSHIP
ROUND 10
SAT JAN 24
HARLEQUINS V LEICESTER TIGERS
GLOUCESTER V BATH
EXETER CHIEFS V BRISTOL
SARACENS V NEWCASTLE RB
SALE SHARKS V NORTHAMPTON
🔝🐱🐴
PROD2
JAPAN LEAGUE ONE
Round 4
Urayasu D-Rocks 28–22 Yokohama Canon Eagles
Brave Lupus Tokyo 47–22 Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars
Saitama Wild Knights 37–22 Shizuoka BlueRevs
Tokyo Sungoliath 20–22 Kobelco Kobe Steelers
Toyota Verblitz 29–37 Black Rams Tokyo
Mie Honda Heat 21–45 Kubota Spears Tokyo Bay
Round 5
Sat Jan 17
Yokohama Canon Eagles v Saitama Wild Knights
Kobelco Kobe Steelers v Black Rams Tokyo
Shizuoka BlueRevs v Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars
Sun Jan 18
Urayasu D-Rocks v Brave Lupus Tokyo
Tokyo Sungoliath v Mie Honda Heat
Toyota Verblitz v Kubota Spears Tokyo Bay
Next match : HUGO v JAY (URC Round 10)
The Harpin Mug is a knockout comp using each player’s score in a given Superbru round.
NEXT BATCH OF HARPIN’
Thursday
Throwback Thursday (Substack)
Friday
Bayonne v Leinster preview (YouTube)
Saturday
Leave your thoughts after full time whistle on our Facebook page
Sunday
Bayonne v Leinster - the Harpin’ timeline (Substack)
Wrap pod recording
In the meantime be sure to enjoy your rugby wherever you are. JLP