This week on The Ireland Rugby Social, former Ireland international Mike McCarthy gives his take on a nail-biting 20-13 win over Italy in Dublin. We also catch up with Cormac Izuchukwu, who reflects on his Six Nations debut, and Stuart McCloskey following a standout performance. To wrap up, Conor Murray joins us to look at England's shock defeat to Scotland and discuss what it means for selection next week — who should be in, and who should be out?

Former Ireland, Leinster and Lions back row Seán O’Brien joins The Ireland Rugby Social to share his thoughts on Ireland’s selection ahead of the Six Nations clash with Italy. Seán weighs in on back-row balance, what coaches really look for at Test level, and why some players thrive in games while others struggle to translate training form. Drawing on his experience as both an elite international and a coach, he discusses mindset, physicality, and the psychology behind selection calls. Seán also talks about stepping into coaching, the key differences between the current Irish team and past squads, and what young players must work on to make it to international level.

What went wrong for Ireland in Paris? Conor and Gavin are joined by Rob Kearney to review Ireland’s bruising 36-14 defeat to France. The panel look at where the game was won and lost, try and explain why Ireland have fallen off, and suggest what needs to happen ahead of Italy next week.