Worcester v Connacht match thread

connachta

Rotation indicator
in the main 15,
6 Worcester players started less than half of their Premiership games, 5 for Connacht in Pro14

I'd hope experimental positional changes (winger as FB, FB as centre...) will disorganse their back-line though

Big names out :
both TH (Schonert/Bealham), both flyhalfs (Lance-and their 2nd choice/Carty)
Connacht suffers from Buckley/McKeon injuries, but on the other side, Te'o and Spencer (center and lock), will be badly missing

Odds :
Connacht 1 to 3 points favorite. I'd agree it's a tight one

Weaknesses and strengths
Despite not being 1st choice at 1st sight, I'd hope Connacht front-row to hold. Worries about Heff throws without Cannon in the lineout, and McCoy 1st game for long
Worcester back-row is their main one, should get the upper hand. Butler has to play as good as last week, and Masterson as good as he did vs Brive (was everywhere)
Connacht 9 to 13 are beyond reach IMO. If they have proper balls from rucks.

Head-to-head
Irish 3rd choice FB/wing (TOH) vs new Welsh 3rd choice wing/FB (Adams) is going to be interesting

FACECUTTR

I think we should win. Connacht have progressed so much from that first game against Worcester in the SG.
Thought KK would have went full strength but if he trusts the guys then so do I.
Win by 6-8 points.

Wegians89

Bit surprised at Heff back in, he was fairly out in the cold there for a while after he Harv a promising start to the season. Hope he goes well

connachta

Edinburgh was 1 min for being beaten at home, but anyway, with Gloucester and Newcastle Falcons I highly doubt 25 would have been enough to be top 2 overall.

Now it's cristal clear : it's a win or nothing for a home SemiFinal

connachta

Fact : Ryan Mills, who should take the kicking duties back tomorrow has the 15th success rate out of 17 kickers who made more than 10 attempts last season (72,5%)

connachta

7 min to K.O
Most important game until CC Final!

Bridge93

Most important game until CC quarter final. And then the semi final. If you lose them you’re out. If you lose this you’re not out

Think Connacht by 6/7 for me

ionapaul

Is the game on TV anywhere?

fatgav

Not on tv. Galway Bay FM carrying it live. Early Worcester try though

Diabhal Beag

We are ****ing awful in England. 12-0 down with a conversion to come.

fatgav

Second try. 12-0 now.

Diabhal Beag

TRY MULL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Manofthewest

Try for Connacht after a yellow card to Worcester.

Converted by Ronaldson. 12-7 now

connachta

Connacht right in the game 12-7
YC Worcester

Diabhal Beag

17-7 ffs

Manofthewest

Connacht caught out there and a third try for Worcester.

Something not going right for the Connacht defence

freyners

Niyi gets our second

Manofthewest

Second try for Connacht by Niyi and converted.

17-14

connachta

Niyi and Ronaldson!
3 points margin only

Diabhal Beag

Seems like the defending is non-existent here. 17-14 to Worcester after a Niyi try and a Ronaldson conversion

ClanofLams

Down to 13 men, roux and butler yellow carded. Worcester pen in conn 22

Manofthewest

Two yellow cards for Connacht..... QR and JB.

Diabhal Beag

We're down to 13 men. Roux and Butler gone.

Bridge93

Given the start and way Connacht are playing from what snippets I'm getting, 17-14 is not the worst return

seanin4711

discipline looks shocking!
quinn roux being consistent as ever

Diabhal Beag

4th try for Worcester. Let's never have confidence ever again.

freyners

If quinn could sort his discipline he would be challenging ultan and James Ryan for Ireland consistenty. What he brings in the scrum and loose is fantastic but he's penalty and card count can be very bad

Only Worcesters kicking keeping us in it.

To have conceded 4 tries in one half to a half baked lineup of a team 2nd bottom in the Premiership really is awful. Need to get back to full complement with no further damage and we might have a chance.

Regardless of whether or not we turn it around the mentality of this Connacht side on the road has to be questioned. Just going on memory we let the game completely run away from us against Dragons in the first half, Cardiff was similar to this game we worked our way into it multiplt times then self-destructed, Brive 2nd string we handed a 18 point advantage before we began to play and thats before we mention Zebre as well as points carelessly chucked away against Ulster and Scarlets.

connachta

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Only Worcesters kicking keeping us in it.

here

connachta wrote: »

Fact : Ryan Mills, who should take the kicking duties back tomorrow has the 15th success rate out of 17 kickers who made more than 10 attempts last season (72,5%)

connachta

connachta wrote: »

here

He isn't their kicker today though.:D

24-17 Blade on for Marmion.

freyners

TOH gets our third. Conversion to make it level

ClanofLams

24 all, TOH try.

Diabhal Beag

TOH with our 3rd try! We badly need to keep it tight defensively. Seems like we're doing all the attacking in the 2nd half.

Level. 24-24. Our 3rd try. Tiernan with the try.

Diabhal Beag

Not a slight on the fine work done by the Craggy Island commentary but it's absolute torture only having audio of this, especially considering how open it is. Gutted I couldn't trek over.

seanin4711

2nd chance

its_phil

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Not a slight on the fine work done by the Craggy Island commentary but it's absolute torture only having audio of this, especially considering how open it is. Gutted I couldn't trek over.

Check out the Connacht Clan facebook at the moment, less torture

ionapaul

Draw - sounded like a mad ol' game in the end!!!!

nordydan

24-24 draw FT

Not good enough unfortunately. Probably messed up our chances of a home semi.

KBurke85

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Not good enough unfortunately. Probably messed up our chances of a home semi.

That doesn’t really matter if we don’t win in the quarters anyway. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves

Diabhal Beag

Ya we can't be thinking about a semi final after that first half. Gonna get a very tough team at home in the quarters. No guarantees we'll win that.

nordydan

Are Cardiff your most likely QF opponents at this stage??

connachta

nordydan wrote: »

Are Cardiff your most likely QF opponents at this stage??

I'd dream to punish them

Though, I want Gloucester, Cardiff and Edimburgh to go the furthest without meeting us now, for strategic reasons

KBurke85

KBurke85 wrote: »

That doesn’t really matter if we don’t win in the quarters anyway. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves

I'm not getting ahead of myself at all. I never take any opponent for granted especially when if results fall a certain way it could be a heavy hitter coming to the Sportsground but realistically our only hope of reaching the final is with a home quarter final and if we win that a home semi-final. I can't see the 2017/18 Connacht team winning a big knockout game away from home.

connachta

Borders no.2 wrote: »

KBurke85 wrote: »

That doesn’t really matter if we don’t win in the quarters anyway. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves

I'm not getting ahead of myself at all. I never take any opponent for granted especially when if results fall a certain way it could be a heavy hitter coming to the Sportsground but realistically our only hope of reaching the final is with a home quarter final and if we win that a home semi-final. I can't see the 2017/18 Connacht team winning a big knockout game away from home.

connachta wrote: »

nordydan wrote: »

Are Cardiff your most likely QF opponents at this stage??

I'd dream to punish them

Though, I want Gloucester, Cardiff and Edimburgh to go the furthest without meeting us now, for strategic reasons

That's why we have to hope from this above

Former Coach

Anybody know if there's match footage available anywhere??

connachta

Connacht clan made one

Former Coach

connachta wrote: »

Connacht clan made one

There's a couple of minutes on TG4 player at the end of their Champions Cup coverage tonight.

its_phil

Lovely step and acceleration from TOH for his try