Leinster's season of grind continues against Stormers — Glasgow salt their own wounds — James Lowe's Contracts and Departure — Molebag Listener's Questions shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Leinster coaches, skin thickness, "the Media" — All Time Lowe — Munster JETS — Glasgow good all over shows.acast.com/the-molecast... You can make a donation to support the Molecast at ko-fi.com/dementedmole

Really good discussion here of what went wrong in Bilbao and this season (players not fitting systems, a lack of progress in how we're playing, big names going missing on big days), but also of the need for perspective - we're still a good team and still in with a chance of silverware.

There was a good discussion of this on the @dementedmole.bsky.social podcast last week. Nienaber is obviously a good, innovative coach - you don't win two World Cups otherwise. But when you hire him, you're also hiring his system - and it's not clear Leinster have the players to fit that system.

Weighing the manner of the defeat vs the fifthness of it — A day in Bilbao — Being Tight vs Being Loose — Inhabiting the role vs Learning the part — What changes now, what changes when — Future of Champions Cup shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

The Ulster Tripod — Silver linings in abundance — Connacht consistency — Wafer power — Munster get the job done — Gleeson green shoots — Leinster go all Lancaster Leinster — Underdogs, Performance, Place Kicking — Finals Fever 🤢 R.I.P. Scott Hastings shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Connacht and Munster moving in opposite directions — Lancaster raising the floor — Munster still haven't hit bottom — Ravenhill classic — Doak's night of highs and lows — Leinster's competition for finals places — Last round predictions shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

The one where Leinster get back to the final — Many strengths and some frailties — A lucky general — Getting the best players on the pitch — Bath red zone regrets — Footage missing — Broken play Bordeaux — Ulster's big moment shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Leinster's NCO's fail to get the job over the line — Scrum-half frustrations — Strength of schedule — Munster flankers go try mad against callow Ulster — The Lions are coming — Toulon and our taut, shredded nerves shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Statement season — "Band of Bros." — Ulster's demolition derby and the run in from hell — Connacht storm DHL — Who is calling the shots at Munster — URC's appointment viewing — AIL thrives Donate to the Molecast at ko-fi.com/dementedmole shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

The penitent team kneels before God — In Latin, Jehovah starts with a I — You must believe, boy — Toulon as revenge mission — Glasgow stutter in spotlight — The "Real" Final — Bordeaux Era? — Toulouse our discipline was very disappointing — Dragons roar shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Munster against the wind — Bad ball to bad carriers — Brothers in intercepts — Risking it all for a shot at the big time — Rieko chat — Sasha AWOL — The "real" final — Connacht are changed, changed utterly — It was forward — We <3 Dragons

Munster's grim financial situation — A multitude of issues tied together — Irish rugby precarity — Will "just doing enough" be enough for Leinster — Ulster and Connacht have the winning habit shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Post 6N healthcheck: Leinster's season starts now — Glasgow loom — What's wrong with Munster? — Does it need to get worse before it gets better, or is it just getting worse? — Connacht not doing Connacht things — Who is getting the most out of their coaching time? — Congrats to St Mary's College

The Six Nations 2026 in review — Selection vindication — Farrell's values — Ireland's winners — How do France compare? — And how about the sport itself? shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Ireland tournament selections — The game done changed, got more fierce — Wales resolve — Set piece triumph, set piece failure — Crowley drifting — Scottish threat — Italian consistency — AOB *Apologies for the audio quality on one mic at start - clears up at 16mins* shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Stand up for the Ulstermen — Getting selected is less than half the battle — Friday Night Lights — Prendergast Grumblers — Lack of direction from 9 and the 10 Complex — Just following orders — Aerial competition and 2nd order consequences — Hemispheric misalignment

"The narrative has changed", but what has actually changed? — Get Confident, Stupid! — Xs and Os — English helping hand — The Platonic Baloucoune — U20s Prelude — Welsh resurgence — Captain Dupont shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Strength of schedule — Italian improvement — What went well — ... and what didn't — Half-back struggles — Wit & invention — How do you beat this France ("What Would Rassie Do?") — Can Wales find something to believe in — This is my house, you're listening to my music shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

"It's the players!" — "It's the coaching!" — "It's the performance!" — "Ireland haven't done much wrong..." — Where next — Team for Italy — Gregor Townsend could not get out of the way — England into hubris mode already — "A" game debacle — Bigger boys came shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Ireland's selection: what is a surprise and what is the logic— France's selection: Dupont + 14 or Irish kryptonite — Ireland's prospects and the notion of a predictable championship — Will Glasgow fuel Scotland? — Can anyone stop the English? — U20s hopes shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Leinster *find a way* in front of the new Clan Stand — Loosehead crisis — Bohan’s opportunity — Ulster don't find a way — Devine heads north — Munster against the wind — TYP international edition — Farrell's decisions — The forgotten round of URC shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Part 1: The tale of Leinster's two narrow wins — The Bayonne experience — Finding a way around a "low block" — Nearly moments — Surviving La Rochelle — La Rochelle not surviving — What are Leinster good at? — The Platonic Leinster shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

No Molecast this week due to travel/schedule conflicts. Back next week. Good thing it’s been quiet…

Breakdown shitfights and an interpro no-show — Ulstermen standing up — Mens' Sevens programme legacy — The outhalf rivalry we were promised — What to do with Tom Aherne — Leo stops filibustering shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Munster confusion makes for a Christmas Turkey — Jeepers, pressure — Road wins — Glasgow statement — Ulster's vibe deserts them shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Ireland's Top Province: the one at the top of the country — The Way of Richie — Cohesion paying off — Leinster's Disparate Aims — One-man rucks and going open off 10 — Hard Times in Bath Town — AOB: Connacht, Ross Byrne, Goals from the Mark shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

"World Cup wins are all alike; every World Cup exit is unhappy in its own way" — The Euro-African Seeding Jamboree begins — Ulster's time to shine — Leinster Offside Meltdown — Why keep the ball? — Big whinge shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

There’ll be no World Cup then, I’ll tell the children — In Search of a Scrum Philosophy — The Bajada — Props and Game-Time — Backs Rugby vs Forwards Rugby — Boks Tactical Discipline — Emotional Ireland — Bundee's Rugby Mortgage — Lessons from Dev — Going forward shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Apologies for the poor sound quality on one of the microphones! — Ireland romp against Oz — Paddy Mac arrives fully formed — Sam's highs and lows — Baird's hard yards — Aussie woe — Northampton influence — Delectable Pumas — SA conspiracy shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Skills and confidence ebbing — Lineouts, Attack, Defence, Kicking — Charismatic Strongmen all the way down — Possibles flow while Probables stutter — MacKenzie's Murrayfield Moments — Rassie and Siya's Mentality Monsters strike AGAIN shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Roigard on Graham in the corner worthy of our profile pic. DMac with the head taped and the bloodied jersey with two reputation making moments from the 50/22 and the finish on the left wing. Shades of Ireland’s defeat in 2013. Cracking rugby match. The best of the game.

Ireland's new normal: good moments, largely stodgy, dodgy set piece — Counterpoint: actually quite good, all things considered? — Ringrose, lineouts, execution errors — Hyper-Rationalisation —Middle-Aged Man yells at cloud — “Friendlies” — Japan Selection shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

No Molecast this week - back after the NZ game in Chicago!

We've got our Jack back — McMillan's Munster — "It's a challenging start"... and we failed it — TYFPFFS — Think of the dramatic potential — Silver Linings Teamsheet — Ulster are back — Shohei Otani wears Tadhg Beirne pyjamas 🤪🤨🤠 shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

What about my guy: an Irish squad selection story— Staleness on the horizon? — Leinster win again — Munster's calm waters — Ulster's beef — Slow burn season — Doak axe — Counterfeiting a code shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Resource Management and Opportunity Knocking in SA — What makes a good season? — The World Cup Cycle begins now shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Welcome to Q4 — Women's World Cup Regrets — Stellar Boks pushing the game forwards — Leinster almost achieve perfect set of 1/10 ratings in DHL — Jersey chat — Waiting around for the season to start shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Support the Molecast at ko-fi.com/dementedmole — Molecast Summer Symposium — The Lions Phenomenon — Rugby and Media Landscape — Ireland on Tour — U20s Catastrophe — Espoirs in NZ shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Bulls neutered — Leinster Forwards just kept rollin’ — “This Means More”? — Paean to Jordie — Sam puts his head where it hurts — U20s slide — The flying Bayonnais shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Leinster fight — Playing off 9 v playing off 10 — Line-kicking — Take Your Points (Reprise) — Bulls on parade — Finals rugby shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Ireland squad surprises & disappointments — Weaknesses at 1 and 9 — Leinster in familiar territory — Munster return to role of heroic losers — Molebag: Irish Lions' origins — Carlos Spencer — The club professionals shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Leinster need to get their head out their collective ass and stop thinking about Northampton and Lions. Will be another semi-final defeat if they play like that next week.

Pt. 1: A first half of principles, a second half of realpolitik — Saints' selection gambit — UBB's kick game— Nika rides the bucking bronco shows.acast.com/the-molecast...

Incredible defiance from Saints to be in with a shout in the last ten. Pollock’s little jersey tug recalled Dan Leavy’s stray hold against Toulon in 2015. UBB deserved winners. Wild wild game. Fair play to the ref.

Fin Smith DG winner coming.

This game is so crazily fast it’s pretty much all being reffed via replay.

Feels like there could be 70 points in this game!

Terrible kit match up here.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, no Molecast this week. We will be back next week with reflections on the ICC Final and a bursting Molebag full of listener questions. 🏉 🎙️ 📱