MATCH THREAD:Connacht v Exeter, Sun 18th Jan 2015 15:15, The Sportsground, Sky Sports

connachta

Connacht Rugby
15. Mils Muliaina; 14. Danie Poolman, 13. Robbie Henshaw, 12. Dave McSharry, 11. Matt Healy; 10. Craig Ronaldson, 9. Kieran Marmion; 1. Denis Buckley, 2. Tom McCartney, 3. Rodney Ah You, 4. Quinn Roux, 5. Ally Muldowney, 6. John Muldoon (c), 7. Willie Faloon, 8. George Naoupu
16. David Heffernan, 17. JP Cooney, 18. Finlay Bealham, 19. Andrew Browne, 20. Eoin McKeon, 21. Caolin Blade, 22. Jack Carty, 23. Darragh Leader




Exeter Chiefs
15. Phil Dollman; 14. Ian Whitten, 13. Jack Nowell, 12. Sam Hill, 11. Matt Jess; 10. Henry Slade, 9. Dave Lewis; 1. Ben Moon, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Alex Brown, 4. Dean Mumm (c), 5. Damian Welch, 6. Dave Ewers, 7. Don Armand, 8. Tom Waldrom
16. Greg Bateman, 17. Brett Sturgess, 18. Carl Rimmer, 19. Kai Horstmann, 20. James Scaysbrook, 21. Haydn Thomas, 22. Gareth Steenson, 23. Byron McGuigan


Preview:

Basically, the winner should progress to the play-off. If Connacht wins today we'll have, with a 99% probability, a quarter final as follows

1) Gloucester Connacht, if we're unable to get any bonus point in the last two won games
2) Connacht-Edinburgh (or Bordeaux) if we get one

S12b

Can someone explain the permutations here.....if we win the next two games without try bonus points, we have an away quarter??? Winning with a bonus point in one of the two games gets us a home quarter??? But provided we win both games, we go through???

connachta

S12b wrote: »

Can someone explain the permutations here.....if we win the next two games without try bonus points, we have an away quarter??? Winning with a bonus point in one of the two games gets us a home quarter??? But provided we win both games, we go through???

Yes and yes in all likelihood. 9 points would put us above Edinburgh for the "total points" in the end. We'll be the 4th winner of a pool, then home against the weakest pool winner (Edinburgh, Bordeaux, or possibly Lyon).

8 points is very dangerous, if Exeter gets LBP this afternoon. With this scenario, Exeter and Connacht will end with the same amount of points (22), and the English will be top of the pool with a better aggregate diff on the head-to-head games. But 22 points will still be enough to go through as 2nd runner-up (but, then, away quarter-f against the best team until now, Gloucester)

So, to sum up, the aim is 9 points, or 8 denying any BP to Exeter today

wp_rathead

Exeter fans are ridiculously good craic

Can't stop humming their chant

irishbucsfan

wprathead wrote: »

Exeter fans are ridiculously good craic

Can't stop humming their chant

Ah they're good lads. Hopefully they'll get a chance to show how good they can be in defeat in a few hours

westgolf

Is it on TG4 or is it sky only.?

Westy

b.gud

westgolf wrote: »

Is it on TG4 or is it sky only.?

Westy

Sky sports 2. Tg4 should have extended highlights tonight

its_phil

Ronaldson out with quad, Carty in.

Hagz

Do my eyes deceive me? Is it a clear sunny day in the Sportsground? Connacht to get a BP!

Diabhal Beag

Mark Robson really hammers in the annoyance of having to work during Connacht games.

Glass Prison 1214

Henshaw is looking good so far.

its_phil

That offload...

Greyian

Beautiful

its_phil

That offload again...

Diabhal Beag

Some lovely steps from Carty. Bread and butter for Healy.

Pudsy33

Super pass from Faloon

Flipper22

What a pass from Willie Faloon!

Diabhal Beag

Mils is super nervy out there

irishbucsfan

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Mils is super nervy out there

Poor lad has probably never been under pressure like this before.

Tox56

Carty really does not inspire any confidence at all

its_phil

How Mul didn't get a yellow there for breaking off scrum is criminal.

The Pheasant2

Connacht scrum under pressure here

MayoForSam

Connacht scrum not good. Chiefs lineout not working either. Their fans in great voice, they sound like something out of a John Ford western.

Utopia Parkway

Connacht scrum really struggling today. Unusual as it's been so good this season.

Diabhal Beag

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Poor lad has probably never been under pressure like this before.

Lack of intermediate hurling in New Zealand will do that all right.

Utopia Parkway

Tox56 wrote: »

Carty really does not inspire any confidence at all

His decision making is very suspect at times.

vienne86

Sublime pass from Henshaw.

Flipper22

How good is Henshaw looking!

LuckyGent88

Great team effort there.

vienne86

Very well worked try Connacht....excellent. Faloon again.

Taco Corp

Immediate reply from Connacht. Nearly everyone involved in that!

The Pheasant2

Jack Carty's kicking from the tee could cost them

its_phil

The Pheasant2 wrote: »

Jack Carty's kicking from the tee could cost them

Come on they were tough kicks.

vienne86

Buckley the 9K Cal man......bloody Sky commentary.

irishbucsfan

vienne86 wrote: »

Buckley the 9K Cal man......bloody Sky commentary.

Robson special there.

its_phil

vienne86 wrote: »

Buckley the 9K Cal man......bloody Sky commentary.

Hate Robson. Same tone for every try scored

CIARAN_BOYLE

Score?

irishbucsfan

"wraps his arm around him and off they go like a couple of young lovers"

Sometimes I wonder if Robson's continued employment is some sort of Sky inside joke.

irishbucsfan

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Score?

10-7 to Connacht

its_phil

How the hell was Waldrom not done for off the feet or in from the side there?!

thomond2006

irishbucsfan wrote: »

"wraps his arm around him and off they go like a couple of young lovers"

Sometimes I wonder if Robson's continued employment is some sort of Sky inside joke.

irishbucsfan

irishbucsfan wrote: »

10-7 to Connacht

10-10 now.

vienne86

Ah magic try Connacht!

Taco Corp

Great score of what was a retreating scrum

Kanrith

Very nice try there. Healy really doing well today.

irishbucsfan

Connacht try! Poolman in the corner.

Sanderson is relishing seeing his old rivals go down...

The Pheasant2

Good kick

thomond2006

Cracking try from Connacht!

Iompair

Needed that conversion. Great try.

vienne86

And Carty slots the most difficult conversion!

its_phil

3 cracking tries. Healy is really on form, was so unlucky that Lam picked for conditions the previous weeks