Connacht Form, I Predict

ki

My Prediction for this year is
Year Played Win Draw Loss PF PA Diff BP Points
2009/10 18 3 0 15 200 500 - 300 4 16

Challenge Cup, Pos 2 in group

My reasons

History
Connacht were made a development squad in the first year that the H-Cup place were based on league position 04/05.
Since the funding halved the returns have halved, and the gap between connacht and the rest has grown.

How is this proper development of the game?


Challenge Cup
In 03/04 connacht finished one place behind Lenister and a further one behind Munster, also they made the Semi final of the Challenge Cup , losing to eventual winners 'Quins.

04/05 Semi Final again losing to yet again eventual winners Sale.

Done nothing worth a crap in the Challenge Cup since. Whats going to change this year?

League
Celtic League resultsYearPlayedWinDrawLossPFPADiffBPPointsPlace2008/09184014224460- 23642010th2007/08185112214396- 18222410th2006/07204214326474- 14862610th2005/06226014325466- 14153710th2004/05207112317407- 9073710th2003/04228212479550-718449th

Steady progress, targeting games but all in all it is going backwards.

Year Played Win Draw Loss PF PA Diff BP Points
2008/09 18 4 0 14 224 460 - 236 4 20
2007/08 18 5 1 12 214 396 - 182 2 24
2006/07 20 4 2 14 326 474 - 148 6 26
2005/06 22 6 0 14 325 466 - 141 5 37
2004/05 20 7 1 12 317 407 - 90 7 37
2003/04 22 8 2 12 479 550 -71 8 44


How bad is so bad the IRFU can justify shutting it down calling it a disgrace?

How long before we get a winless season?

:mad::(:eek

pappyodaniel

My Prediction for this year is
Year Played Win Draw Loss PF PA Diff BP Points
2009/10 18 3 0 15 200 500 - 300 4 16

Connacht aren't gonna score 500 pts and only concede 300 pts whilst only winning 3 games and losing 15. I'd say you meant it to be the other way around.

It can't be easy being a Connacht fan I'd say, but with the embarrassment of riches at Munster and Leinster I think the IRFU should be doing much more to assist the game in the West. A couple of promising Irish players from each province would be a welcome boost to the province. Flannery and Jackman proves that Connacht can play a pivotal role in the development of young players in dire need of competitive game-time. Cronin and Keatley are the current crop doing the business and are on the up. Young guys like Hurley, Toner and D.Ryan would be invaluable to the Connacht cause.

Crash

He has it right - PF - 200, PA - 500 - PDiff 300

il gatto

I used to be proud of the fight Connacht put up regularly. Now it's a very rare performance and the odd (shock) win. It's gone from having some pride wearing a Connacht shirt/hoodie, to feeling like I've adopted some craptacular Italian Serie B team for a laugh. Teams hate going to the Sportsground for a match. They used to fear it.
Every time I meet a Welshman or a Scot, they rib me about it and all I can do is laugh with them as we truly are a joke at this stage. And there's no sign of anything to be hopeful about either.:(

ki

il gatto wrote: »

I used to be proud of the fight Connacht put up regularly. Now it's a very rare performance and the odd (shock) win. It's gone from having some pride wearing a Connacht shirt/hoodie...

I feel the same way

Real FM

And do you know what the annoying thing is...the IRFU are going to do absolutely nothing about it. Yes we probably don't have a big enough player pool to have 4 really strong teams but I 100% agree that there should be more movement between Leinster/Munster reserves to Connacht.

Like in football could they not have some sort of buy back clause where if a player impresses after 2/3 years at Connacht then Leinster/Munster can bring them back for a pre-arranged fee.

The likes of Trevor Hogan - what use is it him being at Leinster? He'd make a big difference and provide some solid leadership at Connacht.

Obviously a lot of it has to come down to the players wishes as well.

profitius

I think 3 wins from in the ML this season is about accurate.

Long term it might be better for Connacht to have a very bad season. At least then something will have to be done and it'll put pressure on the IRFU. The son in law will be under pressure then to resign. So for me they'll have to go backwards before they go forward.

il gatto

profitius wrote: »

I think 3 wins from in the ML this season is about accurate.

Long term it might be better for Connacht to have a very bad season. At least then something will have to be done and it'll put pressure on the IRFU. The son in law will be under pressure then to resign. So for me they'll have to go backwards before they go forward.

Um. How doyou define a very bad season? Last season we had a win rate of a little over 20%. This year most are predicting under 17%. That's alraedy pretty bad in fairness. The son in law seems to be immune from pressure frim fans and subject to no pressure from either Connacht branch or the suits in Lansdowne.

siltirocker

il gatto wrote: »

Um. How doyou define a very bad season? Last season we had a win rate of a little over 20%. This year most are predicting under 17%. That's alraedy pretty bad in fairness. The son in law seems to be immune from pressure frim fans and subject to no pressure from either Connacht branch or the suits in Lansdowne.

According to today's press he is NOT "targeting" the game against the Dragons, where Connacht actually have a chance of some points!
****in' Hell, what's that about.

bigeasyeah

siltirocker wrote: »

According to today's press he is NOT "targeting" the game against the Dragons, where Connacht actually have a chance of some points!
****in' Hell, what's that about.

That got me a bit annoyed over my breakfast roll this morning.

il gatto

siltirocker wrote: »

According to today's press he is NOT "targeting" the game against the Dragons, where Connacht actually have a chance of some points!
****in' Hell, what's that about.

Dragons have been decent so far this season, but if Bradley honestly thinks his team have no chance and therefore the match doesn't deserve a full intensity gameplan, squad and mental attitude, why bother? Dragons are the worst of the Welsh provinces are usually kept off the bottom by Connacht these days. Surely Draons home and away should be "targeted" as at least a potential 5 points. That sort of attitude should've seen him sacked some time ago.
I honestly think there's potential in the Connacht squad and there's loads of potential to build something big in Connacht, but the longer this stuff is persisted with, the closer Connacht are to the likes of Reds, Reivers and Celtic Warriors. Connacht's professional setup is on life support at this stage.

musky

sack bradley, he was a muck player and is a muck coach.

Give Elwood and McFarland the job.

il gatto

He was an o.k. player, if a bit one dimensional most of the time. Still, sack him:).

By the way, Dragons vs. Connacht is on S4C at 4.30 today (Sat 3rd). Don't get on T.V. much so if you want to see shambolic defending, a team fall apart in the second half and manage to lose a cripple fight by a cricket score, tune in.
Apart from that, C'mon Connacht:cool:

musky

i dont remember us being much of a force with him in the team (mind u i was really young)

i think a draw with wales was considered a good seasons work in those days.

pappyodaniel

Crash wrote: »

He has it right - PF - 200, PA - 500 - PDiff 300

Quite right. My humblest apologies to 'Ki'

Now accept Keith Earls as a gift for my wrongdoing

not bakunin

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/1003/1224255782479.html

Bit of a damning indictment there...

Zzippy

not bakunin wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/1003/1224255782479.html

Bit of a damning indictment there...

The only thing that article is damning of is the IRFU's attitude and indifference to Connacht. And lol at a serious journalist quoting Neil Francis.

not bakunin

Zzippy wrote: »

The only thing that article is damning of is the IRFU's attitude and indifference to Connacht.

yes....what the hell did you think I meant?

Zzippy

not bakunin wrote: »

yes....what the hell did you think I meant?

When I read your post I was hoping it was a damning indictment of Bradley's management, and how he is seemingly untouchable, but no, even the press are still fawning over him.