Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

ElisaAtWar

Much like Ultan. Once your gone your gone.

Redo91

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120104189#Comment_120104189

Would have thought he will make the squad and also will hang around for the RWC. Not sure what makes you think he is very unlikely to make the squad. Strange post

Wegians89

With all due respect and the obvious reliance on sexton, but sexton hasn’t played for Leinster regularly for years now.

I’d be very surprised if Bundee doesn’t get the same treatment. He has been vital to Irish squads since his first cap, even if he isn’t undisputed first choice.

Last week he was down as injured / sick, so that could explain his absence. He was always only going to play one of the two challenge cup matches and they experience will probably be needed more away to Newcastle.

Fully expect him to be in the Irish squad and say we will see very little of him for Connacht this season

realhorrorshow

I wonder if Shayne Bolton will stay beyond the summer, can't imagine away days in Enniscorthy were what he had in mind when he signed.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120106676#Comment_120106676

Was just very interested in the wording some weeks ago. The expression used was 'down-time' rather than usual expressions like player welfare. And when Bundee was replaced early in the second half he had hardly touched the ball and just seemed like he was having a focus issue. So I wonder if down-time is referring to the fact that he just needs to regroup and get his head in the right place.

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120105655#Comment_120105655

There's rumours that Aki is off at the end of the season and that he will make himself available to his new club for preseason instead of the RWC. I believe his contract expires in June.

If there is truth to that he would imo be dropped for the six nations.

Its probably negotiating bluster if its anything. I can't see him ruling himself out of a rwc.

Zeugnis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120107958#Comment_120107958

I find it difficult to believe that the IRFU would conclude a central contract that expires three months before the world cup. But maybe I'm just naive!

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120108282#Comment_120108282

I have to say I hope you are right.

End of 22/23

https://www.irishrugby.ie/2019/11/29/ireland-and-connacht-star-bundee-aki-extends-irfu-contract-to-2023/

https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2019/1129/1095978-connacht-star-aki-agrees-to-new-central-contract/

Summer 2023

https://www.the42.ie/irfu-bundee-aki-connacht-contract-4911640-Nov2019/

It might be just poor wording the announcement but thats what starts rumours going sometimes.

testtech05

Is the game being shown anywhere?

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120108612#Comment_120108612

https://epcrugby.tv/

AccidentallyOnside

3rd game in a row we've stolen the oppositions first line out.

Pretty sure it's been a Murray each time too.

FACECUTTR

I thought Hansen was superb today. He is really at his best as second playmaker. Heffernan had a good game too. How many lineouts has Niall Murray stolen this season. He's an absolute nuisance.

connachta

Forde has the basis to become a really good player, very fast

Next season, and in the flash of 3 months, I feel safe at 12 when Bundee's leaving, with him and Hawkshaw

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120109107#Comment_120109107

Yeah he was great, although he wouldn't get that much space in any other game. I'd like to see him at 15 against a decent team, but the early signs are good. He looked like an AIL player dropping down to J1 today.

Niall Murray is one of the best defensive lineout jumpers in the URC imo. It'll be interesting to see if he continues to bulk up, don't want him losing his spring or his pace.

BrokenMan

Ralston put in some serious big hits and cover tackles. Missed a few as well but seemed like a man with something to prove.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120109107#Comment_120109107

The two Murray's are a pain, all in a good way for Connacht.

OldRio

This is rather special

https://twitter.com/connachtrugby/status/1614319782135750660?s=20&t=E5SvpP6eZJ-AKg7zxQ7C1g

Former Coach

Good win for Connacht with some nice scores but Brive were so poor!

ElisaAtWar

Why do I think that a hat trick from Wooten was his final hurrah at Connacht. I just have this feeling:-(

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120109352#Comment_120109352

He's a very good defender, quite a bit off matching Tom Farrell's contributions in attack thus far though.

Lucas44

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120106676#Comment_120106676

He was in bath visiting Quinn last week, definitely not sick.

Strand1970

Watched 7 min youtube highlights, I didn't see to many tackles from brive. Well at a min it gives our players confidence and another game.

AccidentallyOnside

Brive were mediocre in parts and awful in others, their scrum was decent and that was about it.

Back play by connacht was very nice though 👌

Jack had an excellent game with ball in hand and kicked 8/9 with some really nasty ones in there too, should be a good boost to his confidence.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120110597#Comment_120110597

Agreed. Thought Colm Reilly also deserves a mention. His distribution was lightning quick. And Mack was not shabby at fullback either. Looked really inventive throughout

Teams like Brive had out last night really make a mockery of the competition. They are right to pick that team in their current position but some of the tries were embarrassingly easy.

I don't know what the long term solution is. The french teams in particular have always regarded the group stage games especially away from home as an inconvenience to their domestic league and for some that's even in the champions Cup never mind the challenge cup but you can't expect people to turn up and watch these ridiculous mismatches.

The group Connacht are in even 19 points mightnt be enough for a home last 16 game whereas teams who might have only one bonus point from 4 games could qualify also and possibly 2 teams with 0 wins from 4 could drop down from the Champions Cup.

I don't know what the long term solution is but at a minimum for me you should have to get at least a couple of wins to progress in any competition. When there's little or no jeopardy in group stage games it's hard to have much interest until the knock out stages and even at that I can imagine some teams will view qualifying as bad news.

I strongly believe that a number of teams in the Challenge Cup would be better served in a Shield competition with Georgian Spanish Portugese Romanian Russian sides etc.

This would give them a chance to get meaningful games for their back up players while giving clubs in developing nations a chance at a scalp.

For example Enisei took a few scalps when they played in Europe and Bucharest were capable of an upset. These teams should get a chance to develop and take a scalp of a bigger name team.

Strand1970

It's shocking that a team could qualify to last 16 with only a single losing bonus point. More than likely they will just send a weak team in the last 16 game and lose heavy.

AccidentallyOnside

Think we have to got full noise next week, we have the hardest last match. Can't see any of the others not getting the full 5 points, unless brive decide they need to restore some momentum and play a strong team. Even then you'd still expect Cardiff to get the 4 points they'd need with their strong points difference.

Two home games would be a big boost for us so you hope the players would be fully motivated.

Zeugnis

Newcastle were very physical last time, I'd expoect a bruising encounter, which is not ideal as our injury list grows. But yesterday was good for morale, things went right for Jack and the back line was effective. They should travel to Newcastle confident of a win.

BrokenMan

The format of the pool stages is a joke and needs to be changed back next year. Being in a pool with team you aren't playing against makes absolutely no sense. Go back to pools of 4 and get rid of the round of 16 entirely.

Former Former Former

https://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/connacht-rugby/another-headache-for-andy-farrell-as-bundee-aki-left-out-in-the-cold-by-connacht-42288588.html

Wtf