Connacht Rugby Thread - Part IV - Just Another Manic Bundee

connachta

More than 10 000 posts, time for a brand-new thread !!
 
To complete the title :
 
Only 13 months to fill the Part III, specific mention and bravo for Absoluvely who previewed this Part III in November 2015 with «If Connacht have another good season I'd say we could see Part IV by the end of 2016! »
https://www.boards.ie/b/thread/2057525553?
 
A 2016 year in the book of legends, victorious against the 3 Irish provinces, the 3 Welsh, Glasgow twice, Toulouse, Wasps…
 
A growing fan-base and reputation, helped by gents behaviour, from leaving coach Lam to the last staff member or underage player.
 
An Academy which BTW produced amazingly numerous talents
 
A good bunch of International players (Dillane, Bealham, Marmion, TOH, Niyi, Roux, Healy) and others yet to come maybe sooner rather than later (McCartney, Aki, Buckley, Heenan, Kelleher). Many re-signed, including today !
 
A total-rugby style, destructive mauls and scrums, open-play from our 22, touchline conversions, props who pass the ball like centres, centres who ruck like props.
 
A province who came from threats of disband to strict equality with the others (or close to…))
 
A team which has FRONTED UP, RISEN UP !!!
 
Let the discussion begin :p

Cosmo Kramer

Great news about Buckley, Roux and Carty to add to McCartney yesterday. Buckley, in particular, must have had some interest from overseas so it's great to see him sign on for another two years. It's really positive to see almost all the key first team players signed on as early as this. I'd expect all of the others, apart from probably John Cooney, to follow suit before too long.

The most important thing now, obviously, is getting the right head coach in place who will continue the momentum generated in the last few years.

irishbucsfan

Connachta is the Anakin Skywalker of Connacht rugby

awec

case885 wrote: »

Well if his reasoning is because he has to move country up to Belfast then there has to be serious questions asked of him which I'm sure will be nuciforas job. It's not just for the benefit of Ulster, Ireland need more quality at scrumhalf and Cooney starting regularly for Ulster will help that.
I really don't see the negatives of joining Ulster that your saying all these players see.

I personally do not see the negatives either, but then again I am from there. All I am saying is a move to Belfast doesn't seem as desirable to southern players as moves to Limerick, Galway or Dublin. It hasn't been in the past and I doubt anything has changed.

At the end of the day the only thing Ulster can offer him that Connacht can't is a promise of game time, so really you're entirely at the mercy of the player's own ambition and how that weighs up within their personal life. Nucifora appears to be powerless here, according to this forum anyway.

But really, if anyone thinks Ulster haven't spoken to Cooney they are living in a fantasy dreamworld. I don't know if the move or happen or not, mutterings on UAFC are not that positive but they have been wrong in the past, but Ulster are in a very desperate situation at 9 next year and there is no way they haven't spoken to him.

b.gud

From the other thread

awec wrote: »

Well it's pretty different in fairness, politics aside you are moving to a different country. People keep thinking that Ulster just have to come calling and these guys will jump at the chance, but that does not tally with reality. Ulster have been turned down before by players, players who are not regulars at other provinces and would be at Ulster.

The only moves to NI that have happened in recent times have been players who couldn't get deals elsewhere. Ross, Shanahan, Lloyd, O'Connor, all guys rejected by their own province or picked up from club rugby. Ah You moved, but he is not Irish and has already moved to the other side of the world anyway.

This is a huge part of how Connacht have stocked their academy and senior team and look at what we've achieved

connachta

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Connachta is the Anakin Skywalker of Connacht rugby

You should note I'm back on the Light side of the force with such a positive preview

connachta

Cosmo Kramer wrote: »

Great news about Buckley, Roux and Carty to add to McCartney yesterday. Buckley, in particular, must have had some interest from overseas so it's great to see him sign on for another two years. It's really positive to see almost all the key first team players signed on as early as this. I'd expect all of the others, apart from probably John Cooney, to follow suit before too long.

The most important thing now, obviously, is getting the right head coach in place who will continue the momentum generated in the last few years.

Can't believe it for Buckley. Great news. I can reasonably imagine a whole international front-5 this autumn (with McCartney, Bealham, Roux and Dillane)

Buer

awec wrote: »

I personally do not see the negatives either, but then again I am from there. All I am saying is a move to Belfast doesn't seem as desirable to southern players as moves to Limerick, Galway or Dublin. It hasn't been in the past and I doubt anything has changed.

I think this is pretty much the truth. There's simply too much anecdotal evidence for it not to be very likely and it goes both ways. There aren't many Ulster players that move south of the border either.

At the end of the day, it's a different country politically, culturally and economically. We're different shades of grey but they're different regardless and that impacts on people's perception of moving between the areas.

In rugby terms we're all one but unfortunately, the rugby teams need to operate within the geography they're subject to.

Zzippy

awec wrote: »

I personally do not see the negatives either, but then again I am from there. All I am saying is a move to Belfast doesn't seem as desirable to southern players as moves to Limerick, Galway or Dublin. It hasn't been in the past and I doubt anything has changed.

At the end of the day the only thing Ulster can offer him that Connacht can't is a promise of game time, so really you're entirely at the mercy of the player's own ambition and how that weighs up within their personal life. Nucifora appears to be powerless here, according to this forum anyway.

But really, if anyone thinks Ulster haven't spoken to Cooney they are living in a fantasy dreamworld. I don't know if the move or happen or not, mutterings on UAFC are not that positive but they have been wrong in the past, but Ulster are in a very desperate situation at 9 next year and there is no way they haven't spoken to him.

I would be amazed if Ulster haven't approached Cooney, and much as I'd be loathe to lose him, he would be a great signing for them. It would surely go a long way to redeeming Nucifora in Ulster eyes too...

Delighted with the contract signings. Keep them coming

Diabhal Beag

Really happy we have Buckley tied down. Really hope he gets his shot with the international side, been so unlucky in the past.

connachta

Oh Come On, what happened to the title  "Reigning Champions, Joint-top in Europe". It was so clear and impressive

MarinersBlues

connachta wrote: »

Oh Come On, what happened to the title  "Reigning Champions, Joint-top in Europe". It was so clear and impressive

We need to find a version of the Champions Cup group table that has us on top and fire that into the opening post.

former total

connachta wrote: »

Oh Come On, what happened to the title  "Reigning Champions, Joint-top in Europe". It was so clear and impressive

Clear, impressive, factually incorrect.

The mods here are sticklers for precision and accuracy.

connachta

MarinersBlues wrote: »

connachta wrote: »

Oh Come On, what happened to the title  "Reigning Champions, Joint-top in Europe". It was so clear and impressive

We need to find a version of the Champions Cup group table that has us on top and fire that into the opening post.

No, because we look to be 3rd (by " direct goalavarage-difference")

connachta

former total wrote: »

connachta wrote: »

Oh Come On, what happened to the title  "Reigning Champions, Joint-top in Europe". It was so clear and impressive

Clear, impressive, factually incorrect.

The mods here are sticklers for precision and accuracy.

Come on, WE ARE JOINT-TOP. Same number of points

connachta

It's a huge relief to have Roux and Buckley enlisted.
A lot of players still there with contract expiring this summer. But none of them was so important.
IMO the next priorities are Parata, Cooney and  Carey

freyners

I for one look forward to another thread of wall to wall connachta posts

irishbucsfan

connachta wrote: »

Come on, WE ARE JOINT-TOP. Same number of points

Of your group

evil_seed

monsieur ruane, with these ferrero renewals you are really spoiling us

connachta

irishbucsfan wrote: »

connachta wrote: »

Come on, WE ARE JOINT-TOP. Same number of points

Of your group

Oh ok, didn't see that interpretation coming. All-right, twisted minds

connachta

freyners wrote: »

I for one look forward to another thread of wall to wall connachta posts

At least, I hope you liked my opening preview here

MetzgerMeister

Conor Carey is my first cousin. After his foot injury against Wasps he's going to be out for 10 weeks!! He has done very well for himself since he started but it's hard to have this injury all of a sudden

b.gud

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Conor Carey is my first cousin. After his foot injury against Wasps he's going to be out for 10 weeks!! He has done very well for himself since he started but it's hard to have this injury all of a sudden

Crap, that's really disappointing he's been great for us since he arrived. Give him our best wishes

connachta

Eoghan Masterson should be top of the re-sign list too
But I took into account that:
-Dawain SOB and McKeon can play 8, he's not in a crititical position as Roux, Carey, Buckley, Carty and Parata are, in the Connacht-squad perspective
- We can't be sure he'll come back stronger than ever after an 8-month injury. SOB/Heenan had slow (re)starts but managed to do it. Hope the same for Eoghan really, but I'm waiting the next few weeks to see how he goes before prioritizing him.

connachta

b.gud wrote: »

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Conor Carey is my first cousin. After his foot injury against Wasps he's going to be out for 10 weeks!! He has done very well for himself since he started but it's hard to have this injury all of a sudden

Crap, that's really disappointing he's been great for us since he arrived. Give him our best wishes

Disaster for Toulouse Away.

MetzgerMeister

connachta wrote: »

Disaster for Toulouse Away.

No one can play brilliantly all of the time :pac:

connachta

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

connachta wrote: »

Disaster for Toulouse Away.

No one can play brilliantly all of the time :pac:

But we have no more cover for Bealham.
Say to your cousin he'd very welcomed back before 6-nations start at least

MetzgerMeister

I'll tell him at the weekend

connachta

To finish 2016/maybe start 2017 with TH cover, as both Carey/McCoy are out,  we can

1) Try Saba Meunargia
2) Move Loughney/Cooney back to n°18, with McCartney/Soroka soon providing cover for LH side
3) Have news about Conan O'Donnell, is he close to be back?

typhoony

it seems it's ingrained in us Connacht supporters that we accept that players will be taken from us, ok I know cooney came from leinster originally but at the other provinces there have been positions where they have strength in depth, now and over the last 10 years. can't see why we can't keep cooney and just accept that we have that strength in depth at scrum-half. if he wants to stay he will surely get plenty of gametime with Marmion away on int duty and Blade is not guaranteed to be fit\uninjured and also why not keep him for backup kicking duties when we have injuries at out-half