Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

testtech05

Poor McNulty has had another tough day at the office. These 2 games were a good chance for him to stake a claim for the 15 jersey but it hasn't worked out unfortunately.

Utopia Parkway

A bit of respectability on the scoreboard anyway but the Bulls only had 14 for 30 minutes due to 3 sin binnings as well. They were just going through the motions the last 20 minutes there.

Hard to see where any kind of win is coming from. Defence is still awful as predicted but Connacht look very disjointed in attack as well.

Zeugnis

By my count we failed to retain five of our own line outs, scrum was better. Handling and link play was dire, not a scooby what to do in midfield, that bit was actually embarrassing. Mcnulty won't be the only uncomfortable one during the review.

These were always going to be hard matches to squeeze points out of, but the manner of our defeats has been depressing. More to come, presumably, against Leinster. Munster at the Sportsground will be an opportunity.

ps Hate playing against Coetzee, that hard nut has been tormenting us for years!

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119686465#Comment_119686465

He wasn't the only player that had the opportunity to stake claim. But all that aside that was a sobering affair. There are players that have not reached the heights we might have wished but as a team that performance rates. Just shocking. In all my years and having watched many losing sequences this is up there. Just clueless.

ElisaAtWar

And Bulls were no great shakes which makes it really worrying

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119686426#Comment_119686426

Wish the SA fans were this gracious when they lose!

AccidentallyOnside

Yesterday was, and the last few weeks have been, pretty bad but need to keep in mind we've played 3 of the top 4 teams away so getting points was always a hope rather than an expectation. That said the performances have been the biggest worry, we won't beat many teams playing like that.

Munster at the weekend is huge now, we need to pick up some points, preferably a win. Most of all we need a performance.

Itxa

I can see Connacht taking Munster. There was a lot of dropped balls yesterday but that was because Connacht were throwing it around and trying things. I can forgive mistakes once they don’t become terminal. Some of the passes yesterday were due to a lack of concentration and that is not forgiveable.

ElisaAtWar

I think Wilie Ruane has to step in here. Most Connacht fans would have agreed that the first 5 games were always going to be a tough ask but the real problem is the nature of the defeats. As fans we are not asking for the impossible but at a minimum we ask that the team performs to the best of their ability. And this team is simply not functioning at all. And that's not a player issue, it's a coaching issue

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119689663#Comment_119689663

Maybe the team is at it's best. But, the reality is the squad is not deep. The coaches ate poor. Friend should have been shown the door and sent away.

The defense is killing Connacht. Too many holes in midfield. Teams getting through pretty easily. This block was going to be tough and points hard to come by, the inability to keep the line and spacing is poor. Tom Daly has been poor defensively and he's not alone.

There have been good spells of good play and some players are going well. Missing Blade and Prendergast is tough. Generally, Connacht are not being coached very well, imo.

ElisaAtWar

On a positive note the URC is competitive these days so there is no given winner. And where once you had the typical bottom of the league teams it is gradually changing. So that is a good thing

FACECUTTR

I think you are wrong in the squad depth comment. This is the best I think we have ever had. Apart from 3 and 8 every other position has 2 quality players at least. Its a poorly coached team. Defence has been an issue for years.

connachta

Yeah the team we have is able to win ChallengeCup

Needs to click, improve support in ruck, reduce gaps in midfield, erase handling errors, and put more energy in contact

we've done this pretty well for parts of the 3 games (25 first in Belfast, 15 min before Bundee red, 10 between 65 and 75 on friday)

And it wasn't individual success, but team effort, we are capable

Have to reproduce these periods 4 times more each game

Wegians89

Personally feel there has been a significant drop off since Nigel left, defence was always poor but now Connacht look idealess in attack for the most part.

You see videos of well drilled tap and goes 5meters put all over Twitter now a days, with a smaller pack surely Connachts forward couch should be stepping up here too.

Former Coach

Despite a significant deficit in weight, our scrum was relatively solid against the Bulls on Friday. Our lineout has been picked off a number of times over the course of the 3 games so far and our maul defence has generally been poor. Our attack, despite a number of line breaks has been quite lateral most of the time so we’re relatively easy to defend against. Add in the fact that some of our passing has been very poor and it makes for difficult viewing!

Munster are no world-beaters so I think we can really kick off our season with a win on Friday. Believe 💪

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688217#Comment_119688217

I wonder if Connacht won this game would it honestly be a good thing in the long run. I do believe the coaching staff are losing the confidence of the team. And I believe the fans are also. And you can knock fans for what they don't know, but fans have an important say. While players come and go the fans stay.

I think Andy Friend has been blessed to have been given the time he's been given. He's gregarious and the press seem to like him, but you cannot make an argument that the team have progressed under him. They have produced some good performances, but have also shipped some really poor heavy defeats in games where they should be better. There's talent in the squad but they need to clean out the coaching staff en masse.

dockysher

I usually go to few connacht games every season but I moved down home to mayo recently from Galway and I am just wondering is there any kind of special bus that goes and down for the home games from anywhere in Mayo?

Thanks for help

gallyind

Hello, I have a clan ticket for munster, I'm looking for a clan ticket for Leinster, Swap,

Wegians89

Wonder will the internationals be available for the two interpros?

realhorrorshow

Picking up right where we left off last season, most penalties conceded in the league so far.

ClanofLams

Cian Prendergast captains Emerging Ireland tomorrow, Cathal Forde starts at 12. Tierney Martin on the bench, presumably he might start the last game, which likely rules him out of contention against Leinster next week, at least for starting.

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119699606#Comment_119699606

Chay Mullins starting 15 and Illo on the bench too

Wegians89

Think we’ll see a bit of change this week. Likes of Carty, Adam byrne, toh, wootton And duggan could all come in. You’d imagine boyle, SHL, Thornbury, dooley and aungier could all get starts too

KBurke85

Duggan coming back from injury and not available till next week same with Kilgallen

b.gud

Does anyone else find it a bit weird that there 3 Connacht players starting, including Predergasts as captain, and 2 on the bench for the Ireland A team and the branch twitter acvount hasn't mentioned it at all.

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119702451#Comment_119702451

I did yeah, Connacht had never officially announced Mullins in the academy so could be to do with that?

KBurke85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703521#Comment_119703521

A simple way of showing frustration with the tour perhaps?

serfboard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703923#Comment_119703923

Yep, that'd be my reading of it too. After all, Connacht tweeted about Robbie Henshaw getting picked for the Lions, and he wasn't a current Connacht player at the time. C'mon Connacht Rugby, however ye may feel towards the IRFU concerning the tour, Cian Prendergast being made captain is a fantastic achievement for him and a recognition for Connacht Rugby's development of him and 'tis only pure aul begrudgery not to mention it - after all ye have time to congratulate a former player for rowing across the Atlantic, but no similar congratulations for Prendergast?

connachta

I know we shouldn't enjoy "jackals" about horrible Worcester liquidation, but Oli Morris is free to sign from now on, is IQ, and Bundee and Bolton are out for a while..

I wonder if TH Joe Morris is family, so IQ too.. (only play U20 for England)