Match Thread; Cheetahs versus Connacht

Losty Dublin

Live on Sky Sports Action 5:35PM. Cheap viewing for non Sky Sports subscribers for the game is available https://www.nowtv.com/ie/watch-sky-sports-online

CHEETAHS: C Blommetjies; C Barry, F Venter (capt), N Lee, L Obi; N Marais, Z Mkhabela; O Nche, T van Jaarsveld, J Coetzee; J Basson, R Hugo; P Schoeman, H Venter, U Cassiem. Replacements: J du Toit, C Marais, T Botha, R Bernardo, O Mohoje, T Meyer, F Zeilinga, S Maxano.

CONNACHT: T O’Halloran; C Kelleher, E Griffin, P Ahki, M Healy; J Carty, C Blade; D Buckley, T McCartney, F Bealham; U Dillane, J Cannon; S O’Brien, J Butler, J Muldoon. Replacements: S Delahunt, D Coulson, D Roberston McCoy, G Thornbury, E Masterson, J Mitchell, C Ronaldson, N Adeolokun.

Referee: S Berry (South Africa)

Preview. With most of the weekend Pro 14 matches cancelled, all eyes are on Toyota Stadium this evening for those of us who need a fix of domestic football. Keane's men may well be up against it in the hard first of their two African games, a tour that isn't helped with enforced absences of Aki and Marmion. That said, Dillane is included in the starting 15 while the recall of Pita into the centre along with a strong full back line will offer support for a strong counter attack in what should be an open game.

For the hosts, a poor tour to Scotland and Wales has left them floundering in what was considered to be the softer of the two P14 pools. That aside, strong home results have seen to it that they are still placed third in the table. A win here is crucial should they have any hope of overtaking Munster in second place in the pool, and it is a result that the bookies are going with as well. I'm inclined to agree with them, but my bread filled gut says that it will be closed than 1/4 odds would suggest. I say 38-29 to the home team.

irishbucsfan

Good ol' Connaught

connemara man

Sorry that would have annoyed the hell out of me Connacht are the rugby team Connaught are the province

Zzippy

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Good ol' Connaught

Diabhal Beag

Expecting a record high attendance in the Free State Stadium today with as many as 60 Connacht fans braving mother nature boosting it to a bumper capacity 200 punter crowd.

wp_rathead

Looking forward to this match still getting only 2 minutes of a mention on the Irish rugby podcasts :pac:

Should be good game, would have liked Niyi to start over Kelleher and no Tom Farrell is a shame

macslash

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Live on Sky Sports Action 5:35PM. Cheap viewing for non Sky Sports subscribers for the game is available https://www.nowtv.com/ie/watch-sky-sports-online

CHEETAHS: C Blommetjies; C Barry, F Venter (capt), N Lee, L Obi; N Marais, Z Mkhabela; O Nche, T van Jaarsveld, J Coetzee; J Basson, R Hugo; P Schoeman, H Venter, U Cassiem. Replacements: J du Toit, C Marais, T Botha, R Bernardo, O Mohoje, T Meyer, F Zeilinga, S Maxano.

CONNACHT: T O’Halloran; C Kelleher, E Griffin, P Ahki, M Healy; J Carty, C Blade; D Buckley, T McCartney, F Bealham; U Dillane, J Cannon; S O’Brien, J Butler, J Muldoon. Replacements: S Delahunt, D Coulson, D Roberston McCoy, G Thornbury, E Masterson, J Mitchell, C Ronaldson, N Adeolokun.

Referee: S Berry (South Africa)

Preview. With most of the weekend Pro 14 matches cancelled, all eyes are on Toyota Stadium this evening for those of us who need a fix of domestic football. Keane's men may well be up against it in the hard first of their two African games, a tour that isn't helped with enforced absences of Aki and Marmion. That said, Dillane is included in the starting 15 while the recall of Pita into the centre along with a strong full back line will offer support for a strong counter attack in what should be an open game.

For the hosts, a poor tour to Scotland and Wales has left them floundering in what was considered to be the softer of the two P14 pools. That aside, strong home results have seen to it that they are still placed third in the table. A win here is crucial should they have any hope of overtaking Munster in second place in the pool, and it is a result that the bookies are going with as well. I'm inclined to agree with them, but my bread filled gut says that it will be closed than 1/4 odds would suggest. I say 38-29 to the home team.

Sorry, this is the only game Connacht are playing on African soil this season. We played the Kings in Galway, and seeing as they are in the other conference, we won't be playing them again. Thanks for the write up though. Connacht abú.

The Rape of Lucretia

connemara man wrote: »

Sorry that would have annoyed the hell out of me Connacht are the rugby team Connaught are the province

Sorry, that would have annoyed the hell out of me. Connacht are is the rugby team, and the province. Connaught are is the province.

errlloyd

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Expecting a record high attendance in the Free State Stadium today with as many as 60 Connacht fans braving mother nature boosting it to a bumper capacity 200 punter crowd.

Cheetahs have a higher average attendance than Connacht this season.

roundymac

It's being shown live on Sky Sports @ 5.30.

Diabhal Beag

errlloyd wrote: »

Cheetahs have a higher average attendance than Connacht this season.

Must be padding the numbers because you could easily fit everybody there in the College Road end.

vienne86

Oh christ - not a good start.

KBurke85

Poor start from blade bad knock on and asleep there for the try

vienne86

Connacht are getting minced here.

thomond2006

10-0 after 10 minutes. Cheetahs are playing some nice stuff.

Redo91

Great to see the line out functioning well again...

Zzippy

Cheetahs playing high tempo offloading game, with the altitude we'll struggle to live with it for 60, never mind 80

Diabhal Beag

We've been giving our chasers no hope at restarts all season. Cheetahs easily get it straight to that Venter lad and he sucks in defenders so handy.

Diabhal Beag

Blade and Ahki did brilliantly there

vienne86

Ah that was well worked - good try for Healy. That's more like it.

Redo91

Didn't realise at first viewing but Blade was very poor that try.

Great move to get us back in it. 23rd try from Matt in Super Rugby apparently! :P

KBurke85

vienne86 wrote: »

Ah that was well worked - good try for Healy. That's more like it.

Lovely move well worked try

Zzippy

Nicely worked try!

irishbucsfan

Lovely try there, more nice play from TOH. Blade is very good in space today, holds the defense really nicely.

its_phil

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

We've been giving our chasers no hope at restarts all season. Cheetahs easily get it straight to that Venter lad and he sucks in defenders so handy.

I’d say a lot of it is getting used to the ball flying further with the altitude

That was absolutely horrible. Knee bent completely backwards.

thomond2006

Very nasty injury on the replay.

The Lost Sheep

Healy in again.

vienne86

Oh yes! Another lovely try for Healy.

Diabhal Beag

That left wing is doing great stuff. This is the best Ahki has been so far in attack.

Doing far better than I thought they would so far.

irishbucsfan

Another lovely try for my favourite team! that are playing this weekend

bloodless_coup

Connacht were 14/1 after they went 10 down, thought it was a bit harsh

its_phil

Think the Cheetahs defence coach didn’t watch any other team against us. Drift we’ll cut you apart, blitz we’re in trouble.

wp_rathead

Was gonna moan that it should have been a penalty not a Scrum, as cheetah player played ball in offside position- but our set moves off the scrums seem to be going well

irishbucsfan

Absolutely butchered by the Cheetahs

wp_rathead

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Another lovely try for my favourite team! that are playing this weekend

Always had you down as a Southern King's fan IBF

vienne86

Ball goes miles when kicked!

irishbucsfan

Concussion test for Ian Griffin

its_phil

Ah here tackler didn’t release when the jackal came in

its_phil

Really enjoying these commentators

Diabhal Beag

That Venter is class. Our lineouts are most certainly not.

its_phil

Tom has the yips right now. Some of his throwing is really erratic, not even close to being accurate

Diabhal Beag

Good man Jack!

its_phil

Beauty from Jack

bloodless_coup

Nice pot shot

vienne86

Entertaining game.

thomond2006

That's a good half-time score for Connacht. At the very least they should get the TBP.

Tigerandahalf

Great game. One of the best of the season so far. Dry ground and dry ball.

TOH is a great player. Just a shame he hasn't been given a fair run at 15 for Ire. He brings the whole backline to life, great hands for the tries and always getting over the gainline with his stepping. Ire's loss I think.

wp_rathead

Lineouts our achilles heel here, could be our undoing
It's easy to blame McCartney as its often not just the hooker, but I'd get Delahunt on the pitch anyway

Neil3030

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Great game. One of the best of the season so far. Dry ground and dry ball.

TOH is a great player. Just a shame he hasn't been given a fair run at 15 for Ire. He brings the whole backline to life, great hands for the tries and always getting over the gainline with his stepping. Ire's loss I think.

Indeed. Cheetahs have shown both in the Pro14 and previously in Super Rugby, that they are the closest thing to an international test side in club rugby, and an excellent yardstick for how opposition players will perform at the highest stage.

irishbucsfan

Lets go!