Connacht vs Leinster, Sat 28th April, 3:05pm; TG4

FACECUTTR

After a very poor season we finish on a high for the big man.
First time to win all interprovincial home games in a season ?
#thanksmul

Bazzo

FACECUTTR wrote: »

After a very poor season we finish on a high for the big man.
First time to win all interprovincial home games in a season ?
#thanksmul

First time we've beaten all 3 provinces in a season any sort of way I think (even though at home would obviously be the easiest way to do it)

MarinersBlues

durkadurka wrote: »

Heading over for this. Last time I was at the sports ground we had our butts handed to us and all our players got injured and it lead to us not getting out of our group in the Heineken cup.

Autumn 2012 I think

So hopefully things go a bit better this time.

There was a bonus however in that I drunkenly met Gerry Thornley in a pub and said a load of aul shyte to him.

Edit: I think it might have been Dan Parks first game.

I'll pay for your train, hotel, and match ticket next year.

pickarooney

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Been a few I can't recall
Namibia did it v Argentina last rwc. A prop missed a kick

Nathan Sharpe for Aus v Wales

Some Samoan playing for Toulouse did it too.

Chris Masoe against Clermont in the Top 14 semi last year.

Wegians89

If It was any other game Muldoons kick would have been disrespectful. But for the day it was and for the man he is, it was a perfect way to sign off

MarinersBlues

Wegians89 wrote: »

If It was any other game Muldoons kick would have been disrespectful. But for the day it was and for the man he is, it was a perfect way to sign off

The fact he apologised for it shows how much he deserved it

Larbre34

I don't know why he apologised. He wouldnt have done it if the score was at 12-13, and the fact it wasnt was as much down to Leinster being crap as Connacht playing very well. None of Leinster's business who takes what duty for Connacht.

Larbre34

Larbre34 wrote: »

I don't know why he apologised. He wouldnt have done it if the score was at 12-13, and the fact it wasnt was as much down to Leinster being crap as Connacht playing very well. None of Leinster's business who takes what duty for Connacht.

I think he was more making the point - we'd never normally do this but.......

It wasn't so much an apology as an explanation which is fair, 99 times out of 100 it would be bad form. This is the one type of time it's fine.

scott1974

Wegians89 wrote: »

That’s was simply delightful. It had a feeling like the day of the pro12 final in 2016 where before kick off you just knew Connacht would win. Leinster could have put out their best team and Connacht would have won( not by that score line obviously). A real pitty that the Connacht players and staff can’t seem to put in these preformances consistently

Montpellier, Glasgow, Scarlets, Exeter, Saracens might disagree.

Wegians89

scott1974 wrote: »

Montpellier, Glasgow, Scarlets, Exeter, Saracens might disagree.

Don’t get me wrong if it was last week or a month ago or any other time other then John muldoons last game ever for Connacht, Leinster would have won easily

prawnsambo

Wegians89 wrote: »

Don’t get me wrong if it was last week or a month ago or any other time other then John muldoons last game ever for Connacht, Leinster would have won easily

You'd have to question why it takes something like that though. Should be the standard if the capability is there.

Wegians89

prawnsambo wrote: »

You'd have to question why it takes something like that though. Should be the standard if the capability is there.

As a Connacht fan it’s infuriating to see

durkadurka

durkadurka wrote: »

Heading over for this. Last time I was at the sports ground we had our butts handed to us and all our players got injured and it lead to us not getting out of our group in the Heineken cup.

Autumn 2012 I think

So hopefully things go a bit better this time.

There was a bonus however in that I drunkenly met Gerry Thornley in a pub and said a load of aul shyte to him.

Edit: I think it might have been Dan Parks first game.

Jesus Christ it was worse. Never going back!

scott1974

Wegians89 wrote: »

Don’t get me wrong if it was last week or a month ago or any other time other then John muldoons last game ever for Connacht, Leinster would have won easily

I see your logic but not sure I agree 100%.
But a good send off for Muldoon.
Well done Connacht.

wp_rathead

durkadurka wrote: »

Jesus Christ it was worse. Never going back!

I will pay for your Season ticket and see if it works with every team :pac:

irishfan9

Wegians89 wrote: »

That’s was simply delightful. It had a feeling like the day of the pro12 final in 2016 where before kick off you just knew Connacht would win. Leinster could have put out their best team and Connacht would have won( not by that score line obviously). A real pitty that the Connacht players and staff can’t seem to put in these preformances consistently

hahaha if the leinster team from last weekend showed up there would only be one winner

Tigerandahalf

Probably the first dry game at the Sportsground this season and Connacht throw the ball around for fun. Great to watch when it sticks.

LowOdour

Very good atmosphere at the ground today, performance was excellent... though TOH and Marmion played really well.

Interesting thing about Muldoon...there was a moment in the 2nd half where he brilliantly broke through 3 tacklers. It's the picture i expected to see in the papers tomorrow....that is of course until his conversion!

Looking to next season, who is best placed to take over captaincy? I think Aki is the front runner, but any other suggestions?

Wegians89

LowOdour wrote: »

Very good atmosphere at the ground today, performance was excellent... though TOH and Marmion played really well.

Interesting thing about Muldoon...there was a moment in the 2nd half where he brilliantly broke through 3 tacklers. It's the picture i expected to see in the papers tomorrow....that is of course until his conversion!

Looking to next season, who is best placed to take over captaincy? I think Aki is the front runner, but any other suggestions?

Aki won’t be, he’ll be away with Ireland a lot and he has a reputation of getting on refs bad side. He’s a brilliant person to have working with a captain tho.

Masterson was being tipped as a future captain but I’m not sure if he’s going to be a dead very to start every week.

McCartney is another one who’s previously captained, similarly to masterson though I could see delahunt starting ahead of him.

Odds on butler or toh being captain next season. I’d rather it not be a full back as he’s too far form the game to influence. I’d like Buckley as an option too he plays a lot for a front row

Buer

awec wrote: »

Do you realise how incredibly patronising you can be?

Give it a break.

It was a bit condescending in fairness.

That's when someone talks down to you.

O'Halloran's intercept was absolute quality, just watching it back now - like a chess grandmaster he had that read 5 moves early.

Bazzo

[Deleted User] wrote: »

O'Halloran's intercept was absolute quality, just watching it back now - like a chess grandmaster he had that read 5 moves early.

Made quite a few last man tackles too

Redo91

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

What misrible bast*rd tried to charge down Muldoons conversion? :pac:

Was it Healy? He went be Mul began the run-up so it would have been retaken had it been charged down!

Wegians89

Redo91 wrote: »

Was it Healy? He went be Mul began the run-up so it would have been retaken had it been charged down!

Healy went before and then larmour shot out as mul was kicking

connachta

irishfan9 wrote: »

Wegians89 wrote: »

That’s was simply delightful. It had a feeling like the day of the pro12 final in 2016 where before kick off you just knew Connacht would win. Leinster could have put out their best team and Connacht would have won( not by that score line obviously). A real pitty that the Connacht players and staff can’t seem to put in these preformances consistently

hahaha if the leinster team from last weekend showed up there would only be one winner

doubt about it. Connacht was great and home. Would have been a tight one

Ardillaun

My first trip to the Sportsground. Great to see a fellow Portumna man sent off in such style.

Burkie1203

connachta wrote: »

doubt about it. Connacht was great and home. Would have been a tight one

A team who have hammered the reigning European champions and pro12 champions to reach the European final? They would have won if they showed up in the same form as those last 2 Euro games.

Leinster played exactly how Connacht need a team to be against them. There was lots of turnovers, poor linespeed, soak tackles which gave Connacht great go forward ball. Absolutely would not have happened if the XV from last week took the field in the same mood.

connachta

Burkie1203 wrote: »

connachta wrote: »

doubt about it. Connacht was great and home. Would have been a tight one

A team who have hammered the reigning European champions and pro12 champions to reach the European final?  They would have won if they showed up in the same form as those last 2 Euro games.

Leinster played exactly how Connacht need a team to be against them. There was lots of turnovers, poor linespeed, soak tackles which gave Connacht great go forward ball. Absolutely would not have happened if the XV from last week took the field in the same mood.

Leinster outscored by 37, and Connacht were dominant even with Leinster strong bench.
I'm not saying at all Connacht is better than Leinster overall I'm not crazy. I'm saying this Connacht team is able to beat anyone home on a bright day like this one. Including Leinster-70 % Ireland team.

mangobob

connachta wrote: »

doubt about it. Connacht was great and home. Would have been a tight one

Connacht played great and I am delighted for them and especially for Muldoon. They are always my second team.

But I think you are underestimating A) just how poor this Leinster second string played (yet again) and just how good our first choice squad are. As another poster said, they have run through the top team in the pro12, the top team in the french league, the premiership champions, the reigning back-to-back European champions before smashing the pro12 champions, all in successive games. If last weeks Leinster turned up here no one would live them. Having said that, even then I think it would have taken a first class Leinster performance to have stopped Connacht today. They played like men possessed and did themselves proud. As awful as Leinster were, Connacht were equally brilliant.

For all those complaining about why this is not the standard, its because its simply unrealistic for them to replicate this kind of performance week in and week out. It was a special result that was due to a rare confluence of circumstances, which is not going to be repeated any time soon.

wp_rathead

Wegians89 wrote: »

Aki won’t be, he’ll be away with Ireland a lot and he has a reputation of getting on refs bad side. He’s a brilliant person to have working with a captain tho.

Masterson was being tipped as a future captain but I’m not sure if he’s going to be a dead very to start every week.

McCartney is another one who’s previously captained, similarly to masterson though I could see delahunt starting ahead of him.

Odds on butler or toh being captain next season. I’d rather it not be a full back as he’s too far form the game to influence. I’d like Buckley as an option too he plays a lot for a front row

I'd like Buckley or Finlay myself