Connacht Team Talk Thread V - The Friend Zone

ClanofLams · 14-09-2018 10:46pm

Mul, it's over

Zzippy wrote: »

Pretty sure that was Whitehouse, no?

No, Davies.

Zzippy · 14-09-2018 10:49pm

ClanofLams wrote: »

No, Davies.

Oops. Well in fairness I was at the game and very few there noticed it

connachta · 14-09-2018 10:51pm

Butler + Thornbury + Godwin 30 tackles no missed.
Boyle 14 made two missed
All those are 25 or less. The future is bright

connachta · 14-09-2018 10:52pm

27 or less * sorry I can't edit

irishgrover · 14-09-2018 10:53pm

Zzippy wrote:

Oops. Well in fairness I was at the game and very few there noticed it

I did find that amazing. The fact that in hindsight it was so obvious and the fact that no commentators, officials, players or fans at the game seemed to notice

ClanofLams · 14-09-2018 10:54pm

Mul, it's over

Zzippy wrote: »

Oops. Well in fairness I was at the game and very few there noticed it

Same and nor did I. But between three officials and tmo, someone should have picked it up. Although not sure TMO can intervene for that.

Zzippy · 14-09-2018 11:09pm

connachta wrote: »

LBP is a massive acheivement vs a straight opponent for home european play-off nex spring!

They're in the other conference...?

Neil3030 · 14-09-2018 11:21pm

Still early doors for Friend, but I'd be worry about what I saw tonight. No penetration, and lots of predictable lateral moves, side to side. We've seen this trialed before with Penney at Munster, and MOC at Leinster, and it never really made much hay.

Wegians89 · 14-09-2018 11:28pm

The Friend Zone

Neil3030 wrote: »

Still early doors for Friend, but I'd be worry about what I saw tonight. No penetration, and lots of predictable lateral moves, side to side. We've seen this trialed before with Penney at Munster, and MOC at Leinster, and it never really made much hay.

Defence certainly looks better then previous seasons. Far too early to start negativity. You still have to add Buckley, roux, Copeland, match fit bundee, Farrell and kelleher to that 23. And that’s not including the unknown quantities of Reece and Horwitz.

connemara man · 14-09-2018 11:32pm

The Friend Zone

Godwin and Griffin bin the centre are such a poor pairing there is zero creativity. The two of the kept running into heavy traffic and not really doing much with ball in hand. Farrell and Bundee is still our main partnership and Farrell needs to play when fit Even without Bundee

Zzippy · 14-09-2018 11:42pm

connemara man wrote: »

Godwin and Griffin bin the centre are such a poor pairing there is zero creativity. The two of the kept running into heavy traffic and not really doing much with ball in hand. Farrell and Bundee is still our main partnership and Farrell needs to play when fit Even without Bundee

I've been really disappointed with Griffin since he came back. Looks totally pedestrian and bereft of creativity. Hard to believe he can make the starting XV...

Wegians89 · 14-09-2018 11:44pm

The Friend Zone

Zzippy wrote: »

I've been really disappointed with Griffin since he came back. Looks totally pedestrian and bereft of creativity. Hard to believe he can make the starting XV...

He’s a solid squad option, not a starter. Doesn’t start when Farrell or bundee are match fit.

irishgrover · 14-09-2018 11:45pm

I thought it was positive enough. Attack was very lacking but I thought our defence was reasonably good and composed. This was a game where I think last season we would have leaked a couple more tries and would not have been in a position to get a LBP

connemara man · 14-09-2018 11:47pm

The Friend Zone

Zzippy wrote: »

I've been really disappointed with Griffin since he came back. Looks totally pedestrian and bereft of creativity. Hard to believe he can make the starting XV...

I'd play an academy player at least you'd hope they'd have more pace

ClanofLams · 14-09-2018 11:50pm

Mul, it's over

connemara man wrote: »

Godwin and Griffin bin the centre are such a poor pairing there is zero creativity. The two of the kept running into heavy traffic and not really doing much with ball in hand. Farrell and Bundee is still our main partnership and Farrell needs to play when fit Even without Bundee

Might be a little harsh on Godwin there, thought he linked up pretty well with Farrell versus Glasgow and had some really good footwork and nice offloads. Partnership didn't seem to work tonight alright.

Utopia Parkway · 14-09-2018 11:58pm

LBP in Edinburgh is not too bad all told. Especially the way the game went. The killer was not beating Glasgow in the first game when we really should have. Away wins are getting harder to come by so you have to be winning your home ones.

Defence was actually very good. Last year we would have shipped a few tries with the amount of possession and territory Edinburgh had.

connachta · 15-09-2018 12:08am

Zzippy wrote: »

connachta wrote: »

LBP is a massive acheivement vs a straight opponent for home european play-off nex spring!

They're in the other conference...?

Yes. That's my point. Play-off. Probably vs them. Would prefer having it home

KBurke85 · 15-09-2018 7:51am

The Friend Zone

connachta wrote: »

Yes. That's my point. Play-off. Probably vs them. Would prefer having it home

No play off this year. Top 7 teams points wise qualify

connachta · 15-09-2018 10:56am

KBurke85 wrote: »

connachta wrote: »

Yes. That's my point. Play-off. Probably vs them. Would prefer having it home

No play off this year. Top 7 teams points wise qualify

Really??

connachta · 15-09-2018 11:25am

Yeah i've missed that.
And how it works for the 20th spot if both Challenge Cup finalists are already qualified?
Play-off between the semi-finalists?

The Lost Sheep · 15-09-2018 11:30am

connachta wrote: »

Yeah i've missed that.
And how it works for the 20th spot if both Challenge Cup finalists are already qualified?
Play-off between the semi-finalists?

from wiki....
the play-off will be scrapped in favour of awarding the berth using the following criteria:
Champions Cup winner, if not already qualified.
European Rugby Challenge Cup winner, if not already qualified.
Challenge Cup losing finalist, if not already qualified.
Challenge Cup semi-finalist, if one has not already qualified (or the winner of a play-off between the semi-finalists, if both have not already qualified).
Highest ranked non-qualified club by virtue of league position from the same league as the Champions Cup winner.

connachta · 15-09-2018 12:32pm

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

connachta wrote: »

Yeah i've missed that.
And how it works for the 20th spot if both Challenge Cup finalists are already qualified?
Play-off between the semi-finalists?

from wiki....
the play-off will be scrapped in favour of awarding the berth using the following criteria:
Champions Cup winner, if not already qualified.
European Rugby Challenge Cup winner, if not already qualified.
Challenge Cup losing finalist, if not already qualified.
Challenge Cup semi-finalist, if one has not already qualified (or the winner of a play-off between the semi-finalists, if both have not already qualified).
Highest ranked non-qualified club by virtue of league position from the same league as the Champions Cup winner.

So that's it. We could have to pray like Gloucester/Pau did last season.

Buer · 15-09-2018 1:00pm

Neil3030 wrote: »

Still early doors for Friend, but I'd be worry about what I saw tonight. No penetration, and lots of predictable lateral moves, side to side. We've seen this trialed before with Penney at Munster, and MOC at Leinster, and it never really made much hay.

I'd think the opposite. Get the defence right. Get the error count down. Attacking patterns and innovative moves come later.

I would take a lot of quiet confidence from the opening matches.

Zzippy · 15-09-2018 1:02pm

KBurke85 wrote: »

No play off this year. Top 7 teams points wise qualify

That's ridiculous when one team could have an easier conference. For instance, last year Cheetahs were far more competitive than Kings, so the average points in Conference B were higher, with Dragons also gifting most teams points too.

MarinersBlues · 15-09-2018 1:05pm

Mul, it's over

Zzippy wrote: »

That's ridiculous when one team could have an easier conference. For instance, last year Cheetahs were far more competitive than Kings, so the average points in Conference B were higher, with Dragons also gifting most teams points too.

Before you even consider our extra derbies as opposed to everyone elses extra fixtures.

I thought the old play-off between the leagues was biased, this one is completely ridiculous.

Zzippy · 15-09-2018 2:04pm

MarinersBlues wrote: »

Before you even consider our extra derbies as opposed to everyone elses extra fixtures.

I thought the old play-off between the leagues was biased, this one is completely ridiculous.

And not to mention if we both finished 4th in our conferences, Edinburgh had us at home and we don't have a return fixture to take points off them. Wouldn't have mattered so much last year with a playoff available.

ClanofLams · 15-09-2018 10:02pm

Mul, it's over

Good results today with Cheetahs losing and Cardiff throwing away a 17 point lead to against Zebre. Cheetahs look a long long way off last season, can't see them threatening play off spots.

connachta · 15-09-2018 10:15pm

ClanofLams wrote: »

Good results today with Cheetahs losing and Cardiff throwing away a 17 point lead to against Zebre.

A 21-pont-lead

Wegians89 · 15-09-2018 10:38pm

The Friend Zone

Anyone know much about the eagles match? Other then they lost

connachta · 15-09-2018 10:59pm

SOB 3.0 scored a double
other Connacht tries De Buitlear, C.McKeon and Fitzgerald (who seems to have been 100% with the conversions).
We were leading after an hour, just like vs Munste,r so the A team, before U20 guys come in from the beench, looks all-right

Connacht Team Talk Thread V - The Friend Zone

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