Connacht vs Harlequins HEC Friday 20th @ 20.00 Sky Sports

Digifriendly

Connacht's final game in this season's competition and I certainly think they have not disgraced themselves. Far from it they have been competitive in every game with only the home game against Toulouse showing any gulf between them and their opponents. Their backs to the wall performance in France last weekend (which I have to admit I did not predict) bodes well for their future in this competition in years to come. They have been unlucky in at least 2 of their previous pool matches not to end up on the winning side.
Harlequins for their part have lost a bit of their early season aura and don't look quite as invincible as pre Christmas. So with the crowd behind them and all the pressure on their opponents I think Connacht are capable of an upset here. Such a result would greatly help Ulster's progress in the competition. So here's hoping for the men in green to get their first win in HC and put the Premiership leaders out of Europe. What do others think?

Zzippy

The home game against Toulouse they seemed overawed by the occasion and didn't play well, but in saying that Toulouse didn't get a bonus point and we scored a penalty try in the second half too. Quite a lot of teams would show a gulf in class playing Toulouse so I'd be quite proud of how they have competed in the competition this year.

Lack of experience (and brutal refereeing in one game) cost us wins against Gloucester home and away, those games were there for the taking.

Quins want a bonus point win from this game, and Conor O'Shea will have them well motivated for it. Connacht have a lot of injuries in key positions, hopefully Loughney will be back at TH. I think a losing BP would be a good result.

evil_seed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ryWbLIbW6k

cgpg5

Hopefully Connacht can conclude their maiden Heineken Cup campaign with a win however I can't see it, I think the main question is whether Quins can get the winning bonus point.

Regardless of what happens, Connacht certainly haven't disgraced themselves- its just a shame they didn't get the luck against Gloucester in either game.

fatguy2k1

Kids tickets for the Connacaht v harlequins match have SOLD OUT.

Clan Terrace - SOLD OUT
Main Stand Terrace - SOLD OUT
Enclosed Area - SOLD OUT
West Stand - SOLD OUT

There are only adult tickets for Bohermore Terrace and College Road Terrace.

shuffol

Interesting how Connacht got into the HEC with the help of another province and now another province needs Connacht to do them a favour to stay in the competition. Never know, a win over Harlequins might prompt some improved sentiment from the IRFU.

vinny chase

Team named, just the one change, Dylan Rogers down to the bench to accommodate the return of Ronan Loughney.

Connacht XV to face Harlequins (The Sportsground, Friday 20/01/2012 kickoff 20.00 live Sky Sports 1)

15 Gavin Duffy (C)
14 Fetu'u Vainikolo
13 Kyle Tonetti
12 Dave McSharry
11 Tiernan O'Halloran
10 Niall O'Connor
09 Paul O'Donohoe
01 Brett Wilkinson
02 Adrian Flavin
03 Ronan Loughney
04 Michael Swift
05 Mike McCarthy
06 John Muldoon
07 Ray Ofisa
08 George Naoupu

16 Ethienne Reynecke
17 Denis Buckley
18 Dylan Rogers
19 Mick Kearney
20 Eoin McKeon
21 Dave Moore
22 Miah Nikora
23 Henry Fa'afili

totallegend

Harlequins team to face Connacht:
15. Mike Brown
14.Ugo Monye
13. Matt Hopper
12. Jordan Turner-Hall
11. Sam Smith
10. Nick Evans
9 Danny Care
1 Joe Marler
2 Chris Brooker
3 James Johnston
4 Tomas Vallejos
5 George Robson
6 Maurie Fa'asavalu
7 Chris Robshaw
8 Nick Easter

Replacements
16 Joe Gray
17 Mark Lambert
18 Tim Fairbrother
19 Olly Kohn
20 Luke Wallace
21. Richard Bolt
22. Rory Clegg
23. Tom Casson

phog

I hope Connacht pull off a win here, if they had a bit more luck in the reverse fixture they'd have got an away win.

G'wan Connacht

wp_rathead

question: I am in the Main Stand for the Harlequins game as im going to the match with 3 friends- so gave my season ticket to neighbour to go. Am I able head around to get my free pint before the match starts or will the Clubhouse side be segregated off?

Zzippy

wprathead wrote: »

question: I am in the Main Stand for the Harlequins game as im going to the match with 3 friends- so gave my season ticket to neighbour to go. Am I able head around to get my free pint before the match starts or will the Clubhouse side be segregated off?

You have to go in the entrance for the main stand but you can walk around to the Clan Bar then and get your pint and bring it back over. Bit of a pain, but you still get your beer!

wp_rathead

cheers zzippy- the free beer can't go to waste (neighbour is driving so wouldn't use it)
just wasn't sure if I would be allowed walk around
can't remember last time I was on side of Main Stand always be on the Clubhouse side

really looking forward to this match now- hopefully we do Ulster massive favour and win- 3 Irish teams in final 8 much improve our chances of being in the comp next year

irishbucsfan

The fans will be vital tomoorow night.

It's interesting that its Quins, because that team conjures memories for me of the North stand of the Stoop in April 2009. We shouted and screamed and sang all we could and I couldnt speak for a week after. When the final whistle went and a semi against Munster was our prize, I remember genuinely feeling like it was our support that was the 1 point difference between the teams. I felt to have been involved on a level I've never experienced at a rugby match before that. The players agreed obviously and the province named us fans as the teams player of the month for April. I will always remember that game for the positivity of the leinster support rather than the negativity of the Quins cheating and the fallout that came after.

I hope connacht fans give it their all tomorrow night. A win would be incredible for them and Irish rugby. It could well inspire them on to great things in the same way it did Leinster. The fans certainly deserve it.

CMON CONNACHT

porterbelly

You can be sure the support will give it's all, its been terrific all season and in the past. We were always downed for having poor crowds but the passion in the terraces was always very evident.

The Clan Terrace has clapped and cheered the Connacht team off the park after every game this season, win lose or draw. You can see what it means to the players, even in defeat, we support them, we understand they are giving it everything and we are always fully behind them, through thick and thin.

Even in Toulouse and in the Stoop, the support was nothing short of fantastic and this was noted by players, management and even the opposing teams and supporters.

seanin4711

please Jesus let NOC put new batteries into his kicking radar!

GWAN CONNACHT

i thought evans was injured WTF?????

porterbelly

seanin4711 wrote: »

please Jesus let NOC put new batteries into his kicking radar!

GWAN CONNACHT

i thought evans was injured WTF?????

Evans was playing last week. Radar wasn't at it's best so hopefully the same tonight.

cityman 18

What's the weather like in Galway? pretty windy here in Dublin at the moment. If Evans has an off day with the boot Connacht could be in business tonight. Gutted I'm missing this one.

Zzippy

cityman 18 wrote: »

What's the weather like in Galway? pretty windy here in Dublin at the moment. If Evans has an off day with the boot Connacht could be in business tonight. Gutted I'm missing this one.

Windy here too, drizzly rain aswell, greasy pitch and ball tonight.

its_phil

cityman 18 wrote: »

What's the weather like in Galway? pretty windy here in Dublin at the moment. If Evans has an off day with the boot Connacht could be in business tonight. Gutted I'm missing this one.

Windy and wet right now

Robbo

Wouldn't be a matchday without the weather getting progressively worse as kickoff approaches.

Beershed for 7:30 at the latest.

bamboozle

Best of luck Connacht, put manners on them!

molloyjh

irishbucsfan wrote: »

The fans will be vital tomoorow night.

It's interesting that its Quins, because that team conjures memories for me of the North stand of the Stoop in April 2009. We shouted and screamed and sang all we could and I couldnt speak for a week after. When the final whistle went and a semi against Munster was our prize, I remember genuinely feeling like it was our support that was the 1 point difference between the teams. I felt to have been involved on a level I've never experienced at a rugby match before that. The players agreed obviously and the province named us fans as the teams player of the month for April. I will always remember that game for the positivity of the leinster support rather than the negativity of the Quins cheating and the fallout that came after.

I hope connacht fans give it their all tomorrow night. A win would be incredible for them and Irish rugby. It could well inspire them on to great things in the same way it did Leinster. The fans certainly deserve it.

CMON CONNACHT

Tbf it didn't help that they lumped all of us together that day. But yeah the support was immense.

This should be an interesting game. Quinns are starting to look a bit tired at this stage of the season. I reckon Connacht could do it, but then I've said that a few times this season so I feel a bit wary saying it now. Still though, fingers crossed.

GWAN CONNACHT!

Robbo

Looking at the betting, if anyone's looking for value, Duffy for first tryscorer at 25/1 is tidy or 7/1 to score any time.

porterbelly

Robbo wrote: »

Looking at the betting, if anyone's looking for value, Duffy for first tryscorer at 25/1 is tidy or 7/1 to score any time.

A Swifty special at 50/1!

God knows if he scored the place would go wild

Robbo

porterbelly wrote: »

A Swifty special at 50/1!

God knows if he scored the place would go wild

If he could reproduce The Greatest Try Ever Scored In The Sportsground by burning Monye...

freyners

anyone know a bar round the city centre in dublin where this will be on, got burned last week so dont want it to happen twice:mad:

Hagz

Love Alan Quinlan on Sky Sports. He's made for it.

durkadurka

It'll be funny to have the whole of ulster roaring for you

d-gal

The wind is howling and its starting to rain...welcome to Connacht Quins!!!

CIARAN_BOYLE

McSharry out with a shoulder injury Fa'fili in

freyners

**** mcsharry out with a shoulder problem, henry in

freyners

nikora jarvis both on bench :eek:

fullstop

Bad time to stick a camera in the dressing room there with the colourful language!

ongarite

Looks at that wind and rain.
Unreal!!

GerM

*puts Connacht jersey on over Gloucester jersey*

Lets go lads, show what you're made of and take no sh*t. This Quins side aren't that great. Hit them hard and early. Evans has been very sloppy since the game in Toulouse. Time for NOC to show him who the real master is.

I may be going too far...

thomond2006

freyners wrote: »

**** mcsharry out with a shoulder problem, henry in

Hopefully he'll take this opportunity, he's been crap anytime I've seen him.

d-gal

fullstop wrote: »

Bad time to stick a camera in the dressing room there with the colourful language!

**** u and **** u too, ****ers!

freyners

thomond2006 wrote: »

Hopefully he'll take this opportunity, he's been crap anytime I've seen him.

i missed early seaosn but apparently he was showing somehting then, but he has been kack

if we win though, and he scores the winner, ill bow down to him every time i see him

bleg

Some weather! Gwan Connacht!

freyners

3-0 NOC


well done lads.keep it up

CIARAN_BOYLE

Connacht 3 Quins 0

thomond2006

Good man NOC. 3-0

Big Nelly

Looks like a hurricane down there!!!!

bleg

Gloucester 7-0 up.

ray jay

Savage tackle, pity the ball was touched down.

thomond2006

That's a try IMO.

freyners

fcuk

bleg

7-7 in Gloucester.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Quins try damn it

Big Nelly

Try, very poor from Connacht, always looked like they would let a try in!!

ongarite

Nice Sexton loop pass in that try.