Connacht Team Talk Thread V - The Friend Zone

Buer

What a score. That's an incredible run. I'd say he's ready to keel over after it.

Connacht have been so loose and sloppy in opposition territory. Multiple opportunities lost by their own doing.

Chex LeMeneux

Surely playing the ball off his feet prior to that turnover

Buer

Marmion needs to get himself battle hardened. He nearly jumped out of the way of the winger!

Cheetahs looking much more likely to score at the moment.

thomond2006

Some Like It TOH

That was horrendous from Cheetahs. The most obvious of penalties.

Buer

Carty has to be finding touch. That's the second kick from his own posts where he has missed touch in the last 10 minutes. Buckley got him out of jail on the first one with a superb turnover though.

baas baa

Buer wrote: »

Marmion needs to get himself battle hardened. He nearly jumped out of the way of the winger!

Cheetahs looking much more likely to score at the moment.

It was a poor attempt but it was a big number 8 with a full head of steam.

baas baa

Owens finally punishes the Cheetahs, they were pushing their luck at every breakdown.

Buer

Carty has turned it on very well in the last 5 minutes. Two or three big moments after some wobbles.

Melodeon

Anyone know why there are people turning their backs to the pitch?

Utopia Parkway

Melodeon wrote: »

Anyone know why there are people turning their backs to the pitch?

Might be watching replays on the big screen.

Melodeon

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Might be watching replays on the big screen.

Hadn't thought of that!
I was wondering if there was some sort of protest or something.

OldRio

Well that was highly entertaining. Exciting and absorbing.
Cracking Game of Rugby.

The Lost Sheep

Melodeon wrote: »

Hadn't thought of that!
I was wondering if there was some sort of protest or something.

You'll actually see it happen at every game in Sground. It can be awkward to see far end of pitch and when screen is decent then far easier to watch the screen.

Redo91

You've got a Friend in me

Not pretty but important win all the same!

Good and all as Ultan was it’s an absolute joke he got MOTM over Carty who was unbelievable! We were joking in the Clan asking who would win it as it was so obvious Carty was the best player on the pitch. No idea how anyone could think otherwise!

connachta

Ulster and Connacht put me in joy. I was expecting 4th place european play-off. Home possibly.

Now for the 1st time in my opinion, we could target 3rd place Pro14 play-off!!!

Need 15 more points under my calculcation.
3 home win. 3 BPs somewhere (TBP or LBP)
Doable!!! Front up! Rise up!!

KBurke85

The Friend Zone

Redo91 wrote: »

Not pretty but important win all the same!

Good and all as Ultan was it’s an absolute joke he got MOTM over Carty who was unbelievable! We were joking in the Clan asking who would win it as it was so obvious Carty was the best player on the pitch. No idea how anyone could think otherwise!

Funny myself and mates on the far side were full sure Dillane would get it. Some great carries great in the lineout. Really looks back to his best. Seems to have gotten a big confidence boost getting back in the Irish squad.

Overall not the best performance but a win against a conference rival and denied them a bonus. You have to be happy with that.

connachta

MOTM was Ross Byrne

Buer

Ah, I thought Dillane was excellent. Really deserved MOTM and the pack won that game for Connacht.

Carty really delivered when it counted but he had some pretty sloppy moments. You can't be missing touch twice from under your own posts. I thought his execution/decision making wasn't great in the opposition 22 either. The chip kick that was half blocked and the grubber that the Cheetahs made a mess of were poor uses of great position. But he delivered hugely in that 5 minute spell with a cracking touchfinder to change the momentum of the game entirely.

Dillane was very good though. Excellent around the field and the set piece. He had more tackles and more carries than any Connacht player. Great to see him getting back to the player he was 2-3 years ago.

Diabhal Beag

Carty was excellent but tbh he's nearly always that good now whereasDillane was involved in nearly everything tonight. Constantly made himself available for passes and made some huge tackles.

connachta

Thank you, thank you so much Glasgow!

Evil_g

Mul, it's over

2-5 is a pretty crap result no?

Buer

Evil_g wrote: »

2-5 is a pretty crap result no?

It was very close to being 5-2 the other way which would have been far worse but definitely not an ideal result.

Connacht are in a very strong position still though. You'd have to make them favourites for 3rd right now.

connachta

Evil_g wrote: »

2-5 is a pretty crap result no?

No. Cardiff lost 2 or 3 points. That will count a lot in the end

Redo91

You've got a Friend in me

KBurke85 wrote: »

Redo91 wrote: »

Not pretty but important win all the same!

Good and all as Ultan was it’s an absolute joke he got MOTM over Carty who was unbelievable! We were joking in the Clan asking who would win it as it was so obvious Carty was the best player on the pitch. No idea how anyone could think otherwise!

Funny myself and mates on the far side were full sure Dillane would get it. Some great carries great in the lineout. Really looks back to his best. Seems to have gotten a big confidence boost getting back in the Irish squad.

Overall not the best performance but a win against a conference rival and denied them a bonus. You have to be happy with that.

Funny how we can all view games differently! There was 6/7 of us in the Clan and we were all stunned when it was announced that Ultan got MOTM. I know players often look sheepish when it’s announced and the camera cuts to them but I thought he looked particularly embarrassed.

Just thought Carty was phenomenal. He missed touch with one penalty but he nailed 3 or 4 others right into the corner. Only other error I can think of was a knock on in contact. His passing was brilliant and he had one great break and off-load. His kicking in difficult conditions was excellent. There was even one brilliant clear out at a ruck!

Don’t get me wrong I thought Ultan was brilliant too. He was very good in the line out and had some great carries. In saying that he had one or two knock-ons and was driven back on several occasions when he was too high going into contact. Again think he played really well though. Just thought Jack was better IMO. It’s a good discussion to be having rather than struggling to pick someone out that played well.

Also fair play to Jack for this form. I would have been one of his biggest critics before and every summer called for us to sign a marquee OH. So glad to be tucking into humble pie this season!

As an aside does anyone else think the Cheethas’ blindside flanker was very lucky to get away with his attempted decapitation of David Heffernan? He came flying in at an angle and just about missed. There was plenty of gasps when it happened. Heff could have had a serious injury if he connected. Nigel Owens had a word at the next lineout but thought it warranted more. Just because he missed doesn’t mean it wasn’t reckless.

fatgav

I know we are all happy tonight but I just took a look ahead to Friday night.

Looks like Leinster and Munster are on two channels each (one eir sport each, tg4 and Freesports) and Connacht aren’t televised live at all

Would be very happy for someone to prove me wrong on this.

Redo91

You've got a Friend in me

fatgav wrote: »

I know we are all happy tonight but I just took a look ahead to Friday night.

Looks like Leinster and Munster are on two channels each (one eir sport each, tg4 and Freesports) and Connacht aren’t televised live at all

Would be very happy for someone to prove me wrong on this.

I thought every Pro 14 game is televised?

fatgav

Redo91 wrote: »

I thought every Pro 14 game is televised?

There are highlights of Connacht on tg4 (35 minute slot) and it looks like the game will be repeated in full on both eir channels after the other irish teams’ matches but it won’t be on live from what I can make out.

fatgav

The Pro14 website says Connacht are on Freesports but the sky epg lists Leinster v Kings

Bazzo

Mul, it's over

fatgav wrote: »

The Pro14 website says Connacht are on Freesports but the sky epg lists Leinster v Kings

Premier sports 2 according to their own website:

https://www.premiersports.com/tv-schedule.html

They did say every game would be televised at the start of the season.

fatgav

Bazzo wrote: »

Premier sports 2 according to their own website:

https://www.premiersports.com/tv-schedule.html

They did say every game would be televised at the start of the season.

But we can’t get that in Ireland, right?