Connacht Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

shawpower

Holy Crap!! Just read the prices for the Connacht season tickets listed in that Irish Indo link:

Ground tickets, costing €225, cover 11 Magners League games at the Sportsground and the three pool games in the Amlin Challenge Cup. A season ticket for the enclosed stand will cost €275, family tickets €375, concessions €150 and juniors €60.

I'm paying €239 for a Terrace ticket at the RDS. Are Connacht's equivalent prices really only €14 cheaper? I'm feeling a bit stoked with my payment now.

LFC5Times

Said in the Irish Times today that Blackrocks Shane Monahan & Kylte Tonetti have signed for Connacht.

seanin4711

LFC5Times wrote: »

Said in the Irish Times today that Blackrocks Shane Monahan & Kylte Tonetti have signed for Connacht.

looking for it myself
cannot find
slan

seanin4711

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2010/0517/1224270547913.html
under title "melrose move"

durkadurka

Ths snippet about SIR Clive Woodward just above it is very entertaining:

Blunt Leonard no fan of Woodward
FORMER HARLEQUINS team-mates Jason Leonard and Keith Wood combined for an entertaining QA session at the IRUPA awards dinner in the Burlington Hotel last Wednesday night.
Leonard didn’t hold back.
Clive Woodward?
“Twat. He didn’t coach. He didn’t manage.
“I always looked forward to his team talks to see what he would say.”
Before an All Blacks encounter Woodward produced a flip chart with the opposing starting XVs stating he would not want any New Zealander in his England team.
Leonard turned to Lawrence Dallaglio: “Jesus, Lol, I’d have that 6ft5in, 19 and half stone left winger in our team.”

Funkstard

durkadurka wrote: »

Ths snippet about SIR Clive Woodward just above it is very entertaining:

Blunt Leonard no fan of Woodward
FORMER HARLEQUINS team-mates Jason Leonard and Keith Wood combined for an entertaining QA session at the IRUPA awards dinner in the Burlington Hotel last Wednesday night.
Leonard didn’t hold back.
Clive Woodward?
“Twat. He didn’t coach. He didn’t manage.
“I always looked forward to his team talks to see what he would say.”
Before an All Blacks encounter Woodward produced a flip chart with the opposing starting XVs stating he would not want any New Zealander in his England team.
Leonard turned to Lawrence Dallaglio: “Jesus, Lol, I’d have that 6ft5in, 19 and half stone left winger in our team.”

I somehow doubt Dallaglio uses LOL in conversation!

JustinDee

Funkstard wrote: »

I somehow doubt Dallaglio uses LOL in conversation!

You mean, Leonard

Funkstard

Oh, yeh, same thing.

Amazotheamazing

Funkstard wrote: »

Oh, yeh, same thing.

Reread the quote, Dallaglio is called Lol, short for his first name.

demolitionman

heard that leinster are sniffing around sean cronin.

Borders no.2

Tonetti and Monahan should be very good signing for us and will give us some good options in the backline.

In relation to Sean Cronin he's contracted to Connacht until the end of next season so Leinster will have to start sniffing elsewhere for another year at least. I'm sure with Jackman retiring and Van Der Linde leaving there may be a big money front row transfer for Leinster next season.

Zzippy

demolitionman wrote: »

heard that leinster are sniffing around sean cronin.

Cronin is Munster bred, I think the natural assumption is he will be heading back there after next season. Fla will be getting on a bit then and Cronin is the logical successor. John Fogarty was named the IRUPA Unsung Hero at their awards last week, he's had a good season, so I doubt Leinster will try to snag Cronin this year.

[Jackass]

Pretty sure Connacht will be getting Willis, Monaghan & Tonnetti, with Paul O'Donoghue likely to go to Ulster with Boss coming to Leinster. A bit of a swop around.

I would be very surprised if Cronin left Connacht, I get the feeling that Connacht are getting a pretty decent squad together now and are being allowed to hold on to their better players, which is good. Potentially a very impressive backline next season.

I always think the Connacht squad is pretty decent though, but, at least under Bradley, they always underperformed.

If Cronin was to leave, I'd be pretty sure he'd go to Leinster with Jackman retiring, Strauss being a stand in option, he'd be first choice at Leinster, and Munsters Varley has made a great impact and they already have Flannery and Fogarty too.

thomond2006

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=65059676&postcount=91

Cillian Willis broke his leg in March.

irishbucsfan

[Jackass] wrote: »

If Cronin was to leave, I'd be pretty sure he'd go to Leinster with Jackman retiring, Strauss being a stand in option, he'd be first choice at Leinster, and Munsters Varley has made a great impact and they already have Flannery and Fogarty too.

Not what I've heard at all. I heard (from guys who play in the south) the only reason he's not in Munster now is because himself and Flannery never got on particularly well, and he's waiting for him to wrap things up before he moves back to Munster. That is hearsay though.

I'd say the chances of him going to Leinster are around the same as Fionn Carr going to Munster (i.e. very slim)

chupacabra

If O'Donohoe goes to Connacht then they will have a lot of the lads from the U20 grand slam of 2007 with Keatley, Monahan, Hagan, Wynne, Browne and Tonetti all featuring during that campaign. Delighted to see such a big return from that year.

Amazotheamazing

Cronin has repeatedly said he wants to play for Munster, mind you, so did Reddan (even when was at Wasps), so players minds can be changed. I hope he comes back, and hopefully bring Keatley with him.

bamboozle

chupacabra wrote: »

If O'Donohoe goes to Connacht then they will have a lot of the lads from the U20 grand slam of 2007 with Keatley, Monahan, Hagan, Wynne, Browne and Tonetti all featuring during that campaign. Delighted to see such a big return from that year.

Tonetti and Monaghan will be good squad additions to the Connacht team, more importantly they're 2 players who are used to winning games. Monaghan is a bit injury prone, big lad for a winger. Has Darragh Fanning also signed?

The Rooster

Munster fans seem pretty certain that Cronin will join Munster next summer. He will only join if Flannery leaves. Otherwise he'll join Leinster. Its 50/50.

mareegoo

The Rooster wrote: »

Munster fans seem pretty certain that Cronin will join Munster next summer. He will only join if Flannery leaves. Otherwise he'll join Leinster. Its 50/50.

yes inside info has led me beleive the contract is waiting for him whenever he wants.

I would be loathe to see him go (hopefully chuck feeney will buy connacht in the meantime!!) but if he does i would hope both or one of varley / d. fogarty comes west

thomond2006

mareegoo wrote: »

I would be loathe to see him go (hopefully chuck feeney will buy connacht in the meantime!!) but if he does i would hope both or one of varley / d. fogarty comes west

You'd want Fogarty?

Take him, take him now!!

profitius

mareegoo wrote: »

yes inside info has led me beleive the contract is waiting for him whenever he wants.

I would be loathe to see him go (hopefully chuck feeney will buy connacht in the meantime!!) but if he does i would hope both or one of varley / d. fogarty comes west

Munster academy hooker Mike Sherry would be one to watch out for too. Connacht would do much better signing him than Fogarty. Fogarty unfortunatly cannot throw a ball straight.

profitius

chupacabra wrote: »

If O'Donohoe goes to Connacht then they will have a lot of the lads from the U20 grand slam of 2007 with Keatley, Monahan, Hagan, Wynne, Browne and Tonetti all featuring during that campaign. Delighted to see such a big return from that year.

If the quality of the U20's stays high than Connacht can benefit because theres only so many positions to fill in Munster and Leinster squads.

Is another Leinster scrum half gone to Harlequins?

ki

profitius wrote: »

If the quality of the U20's stays high than Connacht can benefit because theres only so many positions to fill in Munster and Leinster squads.

Is another Leinster scrum half gone to Harlequins?

No, there is a big if regarding paul o donoghue going to Connacht. He has a choice to make, the Connacht fans want him(we don't know about management), Harlequins have made him an offer, and I sure Leinister would like to keep a hold of him too.

guapos

I think its Dave Moore the scrum half from Blackrock who has gone to Harelquins

ki

guapos wrote: »

I think its Dave Moore the scrum half from Blackrock who has gone to Harelquins

I stand corrected. Thanks guapos!

That improves POD chance of a year long contract in Connacht.

mareegoo

thomond2006 wrote: »

You'd want Fogarty?

Take him, take him now!!

you you have it spot on throwing is a disaster but there is so much a coach could work on with him in terms of lineout calls and timing and throwing...hes still relatively young for a hooker

i see similarities like cronin around the park , good ball carrying ability- dynamic and athletic he played very well in the magners at the start

but have to say cronin is in a league of his own...miles better than fla i.m.o.....so good to have them options for the national team...


also would take o donoghue flying as welll.. renewal of partnership with keats,...

shawpower

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Not what I've heard at all. I heard (from guys who play in the south) the only reason he's not in Munster now is because himself and Flannery never got on particularly well, and he's waiting for him to wrap things up before he moves back to Munster. That is hearsay though.

I'd say the chances of him going to Leinster are around the same as Fionn Carr going to Munster (i.e. very slim)

People on here are passionate fans of their province. Lots of the players are also fans, but they are also professional athletes. I would say that there is no way that Cronin would refuse to sign for Leinster, in the same way that there is no way Carr would refuse to sign for Munster.

It's not like a ManU/Liverpool thing where players never go between the two clubs. There are many many examples of players playing for both and it'll continue to happen. Just because there is rivalry between the fans, doesn't mean a player is going to spite his career just because it's a team in blue/red offering him a contract.

Yes, Cronin might have a preference to go back to Munster, but it might be that Leinster are the only team to offer him a move as Munster already have Fla/Fogs/Varley there. Leinster only have Fogs/Strauss as front line, so if Croinin isn't an option, they might have to bring in another foreigner which isn't ideal...

Borders no.2

Connacht Rugby is pleased to announce the signing of two promising Irish backs for next season.
Shane Monahan of Blackrock College and Darragh Fanning of St Mary’s College will link up with their new colleagues when pre-season training commences at the Sportsground in a few weeks.
The two players, both aged 23, have impressed at a variety of levels over the past few years.
Shane Monahan, a winger/centre, was on the Ireland U-20 side which captured a Six Nations grand slam in 2007. The side was coached by new Connacht coach Eric Elwood and his assistant Dan McFarland.
Darragh Fanning, a winger or full-back, has impressed for Leinster Schools and the Irish Colleges side.

seanin4711

keep em coming!!!
cant wait for pre season!
slan
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