connacht v edinburgh friday 1st April 19.45 sportsground tg4

seanin4711

Gunners have named their squad looks like a full compliment minus the rwc select few.
EDINBURGH TEAM TO PLAY CONNACHT IN THE MAGNERS LEAGUE AT THE SPORTSGROUND, GALWAY ON FRIDAY 1 APRIL (KICK-OFF 7.45PM, LIVE ON BBC ALBA)
15 Jim Thompson
14 Simon Webster
13 Ben Cairns
12 James King
11 Tim Visser
10 Greig Laidlaw
9 Mike Blair
1 Kyle Traynor
2 Andrew Kelly (CAPTAIN)
3 Geoff Cross
4 Scott MacLeod
5 Esteban Lozada
6 Fraser McKenzie
8 David Denton
7 Scott Newlands
SUBSTITUTES
16 Alun Walker
17 Lewis Niven
18 Robin Hislop
19 Steven Turnbull
20 Roddy Grant
21 David Blair
22 Nick De Luca
23 Lee Jones
Not available due to injury: Alex Blair (back), Chris Bloomfield (ACL), Fraser Brown (neck, in post-surgery rehabilitation), Grant Gilchrist (ankle), Phil Godman (knee), John Houston (knee), Gregor Hunter (groin), Alan MacDonald (shoulder), Stuart McInally (hand), Ross Rennie (toe), Mark Robertson (groin), Netani Talei (wrist), David Young (back).
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Come on connacht let's leave your fans on a high with best ever finish!!!

Zzippy

http://www.connachtrugby.ie/2011033182456/matthews-to-earn-his-100th-cap

Keith Matthews will celebrate his 100th cap when he lines out for Connacht this Friday against Edingburgh (The Sportsground – ko 19.45 01/04/11)

The 28 year old centre joined Connacht from Munster in 2005 and has been a regular feature in the Connacht squad.

“I was on a development contract down in Munster when Brads (Michael Bradley) phoned me and offered me a spot, I jumped at the chance to play regular Magners League and haven’t looked back since.”
“It’s taken a while to get to this milestone; I’ve had a few injuries along the way. Amongst other injuries I damaged my crutiate ligament against Munster in ‘07 and was out for 9 months so that didn’t help but I’m delighted to reach 100 caps for Connacht, it’s a huge personal achievement.”

Keith made his debut in Connacht’s 13 – 9 victory over the Cardiff Blues in September ‘05 alongside John Muldoon, Current Assistant Coach Dan McFarland and Video Analyst Conor McPhillips. He has scored 14 tries for the Province and set up dozens more with his hard running and ferocious tackling.

“I’ve been involved in some great games over the years, beating Munster here at The Sportsground 2 years ago, beating Bourgoin in the quarter final of the Amlin Challenge Cup here last season and captaining the side against Munster on St Stephens Day this year. Hopefully there’ll be many more to come, I’m enjoying my rugby more than ever and playing some of the best rugby of my career so I’ve no intention of giving up just yet!”

Matthews was part of Michael Bradleys 2009 Ireland ‘A’ side which won the Churchill Cup, beating England Saxons in the final. That team also included Connacht's John Muldoon and Sean Cronin.

Hooker Adrian Flavin could also earn his 100th cap this weekend. The 5’11, 102kg number 2 from Harrow in London joined Connacht in 2006 and has99 caps to his name. He will feature from the bench for the match this weekend

Connacht face Edinburgh this Friday in round 19 of the Magners League. Kick- off is at 7.45 in The Sportsground and the match is being shown live on TG4.
Connacht XV to face Edinburgh:

1 Ronan Loughney
2 Sean Cronin
3 Jamie Hagan
4 Mike McCarthy
5 Bernie Upton
6 Andrew Browne
7 Johnny O’Connor
8 Ray Ofisa

9 Frank Murphy
10 Ian Keatley
11 Fionn Carr
12 Keith Matthews
13 Troy Nathan
14 Brian Tuohy
15 Gavin Dufffy

16 Adrian Flavin
17 Brett Wilkinson
18 Rodney Ah You
19 Mike McComish
20 John Muldoon
21 Mark Dolan
22 Eoin Griffin
23 Shane Monahan

thomond2006

Great to see Griffin back involved.

PhatPiggins

Thats a weak Edinburgh team even by their own low standards. Good chance for Connacht to get back to winning ways.

Robbo

Is Willis injured or is Mark Dolan being given a chance to see if he's worth a contract since next year since it's possible that Conor O'Loughlin's being forced to retire through injury?

seanin4711

Robbo wrote: »

Is Willis injured or is Mark Dolan being given a chance to see if he's worth a contract since next year since it's possible that Conor O'Loughlin's being forced to retire through injury?

Both O'loughlin and willis are real live wires around the scrum!

evil_seed

Really looking forward to this evening. I hope a good crowd shows up tonight.

Tim_Murphy

evil_seed wrote: »

Really looking forward to this evening. I hope a good crowd shows up tonight.

+1
The rest of their games are tough ones so they could do with a good result tonight.

Zzippy

evil_seed wrote: »

Really looking forward to this evening. I hope a good crowd shows up tonight.

+2. I'll be there anyway, have to miss the Cardiff game due to a wedding so its my last home game of the season. Plan to get to the Munster away game too, but tonight is our best chance of a win from the last few games.

G'wan Connacht!

CIARAN_BOYLE

Carr try but no conversion 5-0

thomond2006

5-3

Shelflife

Ref god love him hasnt a scooby doo about the rules !!

seanin4711

Hope the don't cost us.
Easiest try let in ever terrible defense.

seanin4711

Cmon Sean judge the wind and go short

thomond2006

5-10

freyners

8-10
too many penos lads

seanin4711

We are looking very scrappy now,gunners bonus point win.
Defense me ass.
Seems a lot if players have their eyes elsewhere.
Except for ray 'you legend' ofisa.

freyners

8-17

terrible try to let in

freyners

penalty try after fionn carr gets tackled before he recieved the ball 2 ms from the line...de luca sin binned

keatley converts

C'mon now lads...another score before the break and another try while hes gone and turn the screw

seanin4711

Lovely move from the training ground worked a treat sexy rugby well done lads more of the same!!!!

seanin4711

Another well worked try,Fionn carr finding his feet again .
I take it all back.

freyners

fionn carr scores second (some might say should be a hat-trick) before break after a great bit of pressure by the forwards

again duffy the provider...having a stormer

tough conversion for keatley which he nails

half time connacht 22 edinburgh 17

connacht looking the more dangerous..two soft tries and mistakes keepin edinburgh in the game


bp win anyone?

durkadurka

Quite enjoyable game so far

Shelflife

So far so good, ref very frustrating and not very good, conn being caught soft for the tries.

duffy and ofisa playing very well, keatley good in patches, cant for the life of me understand why duffy didnt start in the 6 nations, hes the form full back all season imo.

thomond2006

3 tries, looking good!

seanin4711

Shelflife wrote: »

So far so good, ref very frustrating and not very good, conn being caught soft for the tries.

duffy and ofisa playing very well, keatley good in patches, cant for the life of me understand why duffy didnt start in the 6 nations, hes the form full back all season imo.

Penalties hurting us.
Duffy in form this and last season and got in the extended make up the numbers squad but declan playing irfu politics.

durkadurka

I could see conn getting a try bo here but not necessarily win the game

seanin4711

We are getting half changes and silly mistakes killing momentum.

seanin4711

It's windy you know

freyners

two great breaks by connacht in the last 5 minutes...looking dangerous on the counter..carr and duffy looking extremely dangerous..keatley is seeming to be gettin more into the game...current score 22-20

seanin4711

It's windy you know

freyners

boards is acting really slow tonight :mad:

anyways

try by duffy


lovely chip behind catches the edinburgh defence cold...duffy dives on it to claim the points his performance deserves thus far..connacht looking the better team so far this half...

keatley misses another tough conversion..wind is making any shot difficult

edinburgh respond 5 minutes later with a penalty after connacht judged to be diving over a ball they looked to have turned over


11 minutes left

thomond2006

27-23

ambid

What the hell was Keatley doing with that wee chip in his own half

Weird.

ambid

Woohoo! Great job Connacht!

thomond2006

Great job!

seanin4711

Looked like we let.gunners back in very easy but closed it out just about.
Onwards and upwards,

sickpuppy

O Connor looking like an extra from a war film fair play Oifisa had a huge game too
very exciting game considering teh conditions

freyners

Connacht 27 Edinburgh 23 full time

Great performace by the men in green, showed the progress they have made this year under elwood to come back from a disappointing loss to aironi to put edinburgh to sword.

After a brilliant first minute with the fionn carr try, i thought connacht looked in trouble when edinburgh flew into a 8-17 lead after some terrible defence coughed up 2 very soft tries

However they got their heads together and got right back into the game, with 2 tries in the last five minutes of the first half really showing class

edinburgh penalty soon after the restart had my heart in mouth but connacht really remained composed and got the bonus point, which really is a bonus in such poor weather, a typical wet night at the sportground:D

great piece of defence in the end when edinburgh went searching for a try that would have nicked undeserved win imo

Huge performances by duffy carr and the pack as a whole but the motm went to concrete....

duffy performace makes a mockery of his non-inclusion for any of the match day 22s in the six nations

Fannings blog should be interestin now

durkadurka

Wel done conn, target the Cardiff game to try to cement 7th place. Then two very tough games . Munster may need a result the last game.

PhatPiggins

Possibly the most baffling refereeing display I've ever witnessed.

It was like watching the love child of James Jones and Malcom Changalang chase the players around the pitch with a tin whistle.

porterbelly

There's only one Johnny O'Connor...

Super game again and a deserved man of the match, what a bloody legend.

Ofisa was excellent as well, shouldn't have taken him off. Loughney, Duffy and Carr had good games as well.

Weak in the centre, Matthews took awful punishment, and Troy was poor defensively. I'd get Niva in at 12 next week if fit and Griffin at 13.

5 points in the bag, it wasn't vintage but at this stage of the season it doesn't matter. CMON CONNACHT

Zzippy

Back in from the game, a great win considering letting the 2 soft tries in the first half, Edinburgh were on a roll then. Duffy was outstanding, Connacht fans have been more than a little bemused to watch Luke Fitz faffing around Europe at fullback when Duffy was available, selection was really a joke in that regard.
Concrete was everywhere, his tackle count was huge, same for Ray and Mike Mac, and Hagan was immense in the scrum, he destroyed their loosehead a few times. Honourable mentions to Loughney and Browne too, and Carr is back to his best. No sign of him being signed by anyone yet but after that performance I'd say a few clubs will be in for him.

Oh and Seanin - read back over your posts - they're hilarious! Completely capture the flow of the game...

porterbelly

Good crowd in the Sportsground tonight I thought, even with the Galway Utd match on as they had 1800 in Terryland. I'd say we had that odd in the Sportsground and a great atmosphere as well

eyeball kid

Good win for Connacht, especially coming from behind. Happy with that!

brianthebard

Zzippy wrote: »

Back in from the game, a great win considering letting the 2 soft tries in the first half, Edinburgh were on a roll then. Duffy was outstanding, Connacht fans have been more than a little bemused to watch Luke Fitz faffing around Europe at fullback when Duffy was available, selection was really a joke in that regard.

I said to the munster fan I brought with me at one point that duffy should have played during the 6N to which I got a bemused exhalation, which pretty much encapsulates how the other provinces still see connacht. Nonetheless, a brilliant game of rugby, exciting stuff, several players had magnificent games and although there are still several rough edges connacht seem like a team on the ascendant. Great game of rugby. Do tg4 have a replay option, me and the lads must have been on about 5 times at least judging by the cameraman's work.

siltirocker

Great attacking performance.

Edinburgh couldn't let Connacht quick ruck 'cause of Keatley and thus went to get him with shooter offensive defenders which he made a mockery out with the 4th try. And then they couldn't flake it out to the backs 'cause Duffy's direct running with both wingers instantly flanker him either side for offloads was unreal.
Matthews and Nathan were very iffy in the centre back defensively. Yea, Matthews is just back and getting his feet but Nathan had no excuse and was shaky.

Podge_irl

Connacht are now well placed to make a run for 7th, best of the rest. Dragons are the only ones who can reasonably overtake them. That's a fantastic achievement. They were damn close in several other games too. Elwood is doing good things with them. Shame they're losing Keatley and Carr though

get the **** in

Zzippy

brianthebard wrote: »

I said to the munster fan I brought with me at one point that duffy should have played during the 6N to which I got a bemused exhalation, which pretty much encapsulates how the other provinces still see connacht.

He's obviously forgotten just how bad our fullback play was during the 6N... Duffy >> Fitz at fullback

CatFromHue

brianthebard wrote: »

I said to the munster fan I brought with me at one point that duffy should have played during the 6N to which I got a bemused exhalation, which pretty much encapsulates how the other provinces still see connacht

Do tg4 have a replay option, me and the lads must have been on about 5 times at least judging by the cameraman's work.

i think alot of people were unhappy with the way luke fitz was playing at 15 for ireland and were looking for duffy to get a game.

from the bits i saw last night it looked like dufy was strongly involved in a few try's for connacht.

tg4 have a thing on their website like the rte player where you can view programmes. the game is up on it already

http://live.tg4.ie/main.aspx?level=sport&content=551167649793

good win for connacht. they have 3 hard games left against cardiff, ulster and munster and with the dragons having played 2 fewer games the fight for 7th is pretty interesting1