Montpellier -v- Connacht

Robbo

Connacht Team: Gavin Duffy, Troy Nathan, Niva Ta’auso, Keith Matthews, , Fionn Carr, Miah Nikora, Frank Murphy

Brett Wilkinson, Sean Cronin, Jamie Hagan, Michael Swift, Bernie Upton, Michael McCarthy, Johnny O’Connor, John Muldoon (captain)

Replacements: Adrian Flavin, Ronan Loughney, Conor Higgins, Andrew Browne, Mike McComish, Conor O’Loughlin, Ian Keatley, Tiernan O’Halloran

A typically Bradley selection, unfathomable.

Kicked off at 7. No livescores at the moment, Rob Murphy will be doing updates on Galway Bay FM and the last 15 minutes live. We should have updates on Twitter

Robbo

13-3 to Montpellier. Nikora still can't hit a cow's arse with a banjo;

Robbo

16-10 Half Time.

siltirocker

16-10 Montpellier half-time.

siltirocker

, , , Galway Bay yea? , , , ,;)

Robbo

siltirocker wrote: »

, , , Galway Bay yea? , , , ,;)

All the way. And now the death notices for Galway City and County....

Robbo

Sponsored by Bras.ie!

Keatley's on and Fionn got 2 tries.

19-17.

Robbo

10 to go. Try for Niva, Keatley playing a blinder. 19-22. Happy days.

Robbo

19-22 Full Time.

Chuffed to bits.

Podge_irl

That's fantastic stuff. Well done to Connacht.

Any particular reason Keatley didn't start? Just Bradley being Bradley?

Robbo

Podge_irl wrote: »

That's fantastic stuff. Well done to Connacht.

Any particular reason Keatley didn't start? Just Bradley being Bradley?

The magic of Bradley. It's looking like Nikora's going to be a let down. That's twice he's had to be subbed off early doors and his kicking at goal is shocking.

A result against Worcester and we're in complete control of the group. No way will Montpellier bother their arses with sending over a decent team for the return fixture.

Great result despite Bradley's selection which cost us in the first half.From the reports it appears Keatley came out with a view to giving Bradley the two fingers in the second half.2 tries from Fionn again.He's a try scoring machine.Great to see Ta'auso back and scoring a try.

As usual the question will be can we push on for the next 2 weeks or will it be more of the same.

The Challenge Cup is in our own hands now and we need to go to Worcester with a view to winning before returning the following week to play them at the Sportsground.5 points the minimum targer for those games but 8 is what we should aim for.

Diabhal Beag

That's a great result Keatley should have started. Was he carrying an injury?

[Jackass]

wow well done connacht, great result!

PhatPiggins

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Great result despite Bradley's selection which cost us in the first half.From the reports it appears Keatley came out with a view to giving Bradley the two fingers in the second half.2 tries from Fionn again.He's a try scoring machine.Great to see Ta'auso back and scoring a try.

As usual the question will be can we push on for the next 2 weeks or will it be more of the same.

The Challenge Cup is in our own hands now and we need to go to Worcester with a view to winning before returning the following week to play them at the Sportsground.5 points the minimum targer for those games but 8 is what we should aim for.

I know Keatley is Connachts favourite adopted son but the competition from Nikora will do him good. He has the talent but looked decidedly not interested in a lot of games last season, lighting a fire under him will do him the power of good.

Great win btw, am I correct in saying that only the group winnere go through this year?

Hennybug

Fantastic result - didn't think they'd pull off a win

I'm all for competition and its exactly what Connacht need but from what I've seen of Nikora he's not going to provide the competition necessary.We above anyone can't afford to let points slip away.

Keatley imo was overplayed last year and probably slipped into a bit of a rut in the 2nd half of the season due to playing 80 every week.I'd love if we could get someone to give him genuine competition but my faith in Nikora is running out from what I've seen and heard.

Its only the group winners going through this year but it has the benefit of a possible home q/f against one of the 3rd,4th and 5th ranked of the heineken cup 2nd placed sides in the groups.

Robbo

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Great win btw, am I correct in saying that only the group winnere go through this year?

Just the group winners and they're dumped in with teams slumming it from the Heineken cup. The change this year reeks of the way that European club football has just become a cash machine for the bigger teams and they have to have their "guaranteed" fixtures.

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Great result despite Bradley's selection which cost us in the first half.From the reports it appears Keatley came out with a view to giving Bradley the two fingers in the second half.2 tries from Fionn again.He's a try scoring machine.Great to see Ta'auso back and scoring a try.

Fionn this season has scored 7 in 6 games. Despite a bit of weakness in defence, he's a legend of the highest order. It'll be interesting to see what Timani is capable of when he gets a look in.

PhatPiggins

Borders no.2 wrote: »

I'm all for competition and its exactly what Connacht need but from what I've seen of Nikora he's not going to provide the competition necessary.We above anyone can't afford to let points slip away.

Keatley imo was overplayed last year and probably slipped into a bit of a rut in the 2nd half of the season due to playing 80 every week.I'd love if we could get someone to give him genuine competition but my faith in Nikora is running out from what I've seen and heard.

Its only the group winners going through this year but it has the benefit of a possible home q/f against one of the 3rd,4th and 5th ranked of the heineken cup 2nd placed sides in the groups.

Did you see Nikora against the Dragons a few weeks ago? Thought he was MOTM for Connacht.

Podge_irl

Robbo wrote: »

Just the group winners and they're dumped in with teams slumming it from the Heineken cup. The change this year reeks of the way that European club football has just become a cash machine for the bigger teams and they have to have their "guaranteed" fixtures.

I dunno, I think its an effort to make the ECC more meaningful and is kind of needed. Hopefully having a couple high profile teams in the latter rounds of the ECC will give it more coverage. There is a decent chance Leinster will be in it now for example!

Boots09

Well done Connacht great result, hopefully more to come!!

il gatto

Good stuff. Montpellier are just one spot behind Toulon in the T14 at the mo. Worcester are very poor and if Bradley "targets" every match in the group, Connacht could/should win it. Pity we might see some monster teams parachuted in from the HEC this year. 1/4s might be the end of the road after that. Who knows though. What worries me is that a good run in the CC will secure Bradley's job for another season:( (as if it was ever at risk:pac:).

Robbo

il gatto wrote: »

Good stuff. Montpellier are just one spot behind Toulon in the T14 at the mo. Worcester are very poor and if Bradley "targets" every match in the group, Connacht could/should win it. Pity we might see some monster teams parachuted in from the HEC this year. 1/4s might be the end of the road after that. Who knows though. What worries me is that a good run in the CC will secure Bradley's job for another season:( (as if it was ever at risk:pac:).

He's the most consistent coach at a European level and must be a serious contender for the Leinster Job....

Like I said earlier, a job can be done on Worcester home and away now if the wheels can be kept on during December.

gavkm27

Robbo wrote: »

He's the most consistent coach at a European level and must be a serious contender for the Leinster Job....

They can have him!

Hennybug

Quote "must be a serious contender for the Leinster Job...."


Fingers crossed

f1dan

Robbo wrote: »

He's the most consistent coach at a European level

Consistently bad?

il gatto

Robbo wrote: »

He's the most consistent coach at a European level and must be a serious contender for the Leinster Job....

Like I said earlier, a job can be done on Worcester home and away now if the wheels can be kept on during December.

If he'd brought even a modicum of that consistancy to the Magners League in the last 7 years, Connacht would've got into the HEC at least once. And if Leinster will take him (and they won't) they can have him.

PhatPiggins

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Did you see Nikora against the Dragons a few weeks ago? Thought he was MOTM for Connacht.

I only saw highlights of the Dragons game.He took his try well but from the reports I heard he had a bit of a mixed bag.He was dire against Madrid and the 25 minutes against Cardiff were a disaster(possibly an early knock affected him but I don't buy that)

In big games like last Friday you start with your best team and don't start with clearly out of form players at key positions like out half.

Maybe he'll prove me wrong yet and his pedigree looks good on paper.He's moveda to the other side of the world and may need time to bed in but Bradley isn't doing him any favours putting him out as a lamb to the slaughter.

Bradley should be arranging the odd A game for us as well.Ok we don't have the squad to take part in the British and Irish Cup but we have enough players sitting on the bench and enough hungry young players in need of a bit of gametime outside AIL.