Connacht Team Talk Thread V - The Friend Zone

Former Coach

Mul, it's over

https://twitter.com/connachtrugby/status/1337365899272138756?s=19

arsebiscuits1

You've got a Friend in me

One positive covid case and 3 close contacts in the squad who aren't available for selection. Still a very strong 23 to put out.

One or 2 I can think of who I assume would be included but wont speculate!

RonnieL

Yes, not exactly the second row any of us would have expected. Unfortunate. I wonder was the decision to bench Bundee related? I suspect they're having to manage his minutes, so maybe better to save some time in this very difficult away fixture so he can start a more winnable game later.

bayern

CONNACHT EAGLES SQUAD V LEINSTER A
Saturday 12th December, Energia Park, Kick-Off 2.00pm

15. Oran McNulty
14. Diarmuid Kilgallen
13. Shane Jennings(u20)
12. Sean O’Brien
11. Colm de Buitlear
10. Cathal Forde(u20)
9. Stephen Kerins
1. Paddy McAllister
2. Dylan Tierney-Martin
3. Dominic Robertson-McCoy
4. Cormac Daly
5. Darragh Murray(u20)
6. Joshua Dunne
7. Oisin McCormack(u20)
8. Donnacha Byrne(u20)

Replacements from: Declan Adamson, Matthew Burke, Conor Kenny, Hubert Costello(u20), Hubert Gilvarry(u20), Peter Sullivan, Rory McCleane(u20), Eoin de Buitlear(u20), Ciaran Booth.

connachta

We're heading for a beating wihout Roux, Thornbury, and Aki
Shame, good Eagles 15 though
Roll on Bristol

arsebiscuits1

You've got a Friend in me

Surprised to see Robertson McCoy and McAllister with the Eagles. Would have thought them ahead of Duggan and Aungier.

Good for the younger props though. Great to see them getting European exposure already.

arsebiscuits1

You've got a Friend in me

RonnieL wrote: »

Yes, not exactly the second row any of us would have expected. Unfortunate. I wonder was the decision to bench Bundee related? I suspect they're having to manage his minutes, so maybe better to save some time in this very difficult away fixture so he can start a more winnable game later.

I could be totally wrong on this as for the life of me I can't remember where I heard it but the managed minutes of top players does not include European fixtures

connachta

They should have covid, no other explainations

realhorrorshow

Whatever way you cut it that’s a weak 23 for a European game. Could be a very tough day of Racing show up. Great opportunity for the likes of Masterson Jnr, Duggan, Aungier, and Prendergast.

realhorrorshow

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

Surprised to see Robertson McCoy and McAllister with the Eagles. Would have thought them ahead of Duggan and Aungier.

Good for the younger props though. Great to see them getting European exposure already.

Aungier is already close to if not better than DRM, and has a much higher ceiling. I did think we might go with Dom for this game though as he is a stronger scrummager at this stage. We have seen less of Duggan but I’m happy for him to get the backing ahead of a solid but unremarkable older player.

It’s a great endorsement for joining Connacht. Arnold, Wootton, Aungier, Prendergast, and Oliver only joined over the summer and within a matter of months are playing in one of the most iconic venues in Europe against last seasons finalists. Opportunities like this are very hard to come by at the other provinces for a lot of players.

connachta

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Aungier is already close to if not better than DRM, and has a much higher ceiling. I did think we might go with Dom for this game though as he is a stronger scrummager at this stage. We have seen less of Duggan but I’m happy for him to get the backing ahead of a solid but unremarkable older player.

It’s a great endorsement for joining Connacht. Arnold, Wootton, Aungier, Prendergast, and Oliver only joined over the summer and within a matter of months are playing in one of the most iconic venues in Europe against last seasons finalists. Opportunities like this are very hard to come by at the other provinces for a lot of players.

You mean it's good for long term to suffer a 60-point defeat, because you know, young players are exposed...
Trust your team you'll say, but I'm bitterly disappointed. ****ing covid

ElisaAtWar

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Whatever way you cut it that’s a weak 23 for a European game. Could be a very tough day of Racing show up. Great opportunity for the likes of Masterson Jnr, Duggan, Aungier, and Prendergast.

Didn't the42 say we had all these players back. And then you look at the team sheet. It's the weakest Connacht team I have seen put out in some time. Where we might have been in the frame originally this looks like a right beating

The Lost Sheep

Eagles lost 44-14

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

Jarrad Butler aside, 1-10 are Connacht Academy graduates.

Bazzo

Mul, it's over

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Eagles lost 44-14

Bit surprised by that scoreline with the experience of the side put out in comparison to Leinster, but then again the Eagles never seem to perform

Don't think I've seen it mentioned here other than in passing by connachta but heard on the radio that there was a positive covid case in the senior squad and an addition 3 players who are close contacts.

b.gud

Is the game at 3:15 Irish or French time?

The Lost Sheep

b.gud wrote: »

Is the game at 3:15 Irish or French time?

3.15 irish time.

realhorrorshow

Bazzo wrote: »

Bit surprised by that scoreline with the experience of the side put out in comparison to Leinster, but then again the Eagles never seem to perform

Don't think I've seen it mentioned here other than in passing by connachta but heard on the radio that there was a positive covid case in the senior squad and an addition 3 players who are close contacts.

Im not hugely surprised because we had 5 u20s starting whereas Leinster just had Alex Soroka. Also Leinster A hammer pretty much everybody.

realhorrorshow

Could be a long day. Racing able to go straight through us and there’s also space out wide when they fancy it.

Burkie1203

Mul, it's over

Connacht could ship 50 here

realhorrorshow

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Connacht could ship 50 here

It’ll just depend on whether Racing keep their foot in the pedal after they secure the BP.

SqueakyKneecap

These lineouts are absolute scutter

Dog Botherer

You've got a Friend in me

best case scenario Racing get bored and Connacht run in a few tries to sneak a LBP.

UAEguy2020

How is a professional team so abysmal at lineouts?

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

UAEguy2020 wrote: »

How is a professional team so abysmal at lineouts?

Missing two main second rows, have a back row in there too. Missing Sean o brien who’d be pom like in his work at line out time

SqueakyKneecap

Unreal softness in attack. We're gonna do well to score 6 with all the poor mistakes.

realhorrorshow

SqueakyKneecap wrote: »

Unreal softness in attack. We're gonna do well to score 6 with all the poor mistakes.

We haven’t played great but we’ve been far from soft.

SqueakyKneecap

Unreal try. Mon ta **** lads.

UAEguy2020

Try for Connacht on halftime!

They havent been at their best but definetly deserve a try.

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

With a functioning line out and maul (roux and thornbury massive), Connacht would be well in this game.