Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

ShineyShiney

Duggan DTM, Bealham

N Murray Joyce

Prendergast SHL sob

Devine Forde

Aki Farrell

Porch, Bolton/Royston/ smith in that order

Jennings

ShineyShiney

If Structured defence= good & Unstructured defence = shite please express in a formula why Connacht are playing such crap rugby.

Please show your workings on the sheet provided.

(Worth 14 points )

serfboard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122024758#Comment_122024758

Need to and should be getting 10 points from the next two games.

Can't see us winning any of the last three unless as you say it's Leinster after a Champions Cup victory and they're resting players. Could then possibly see the two Prendergasts playing against each other (for part of the game anyway).

Like to be proven wrong, but I can't see us scoring four tries against Munster or Stormers, or coming within seven of them.

Whatever happens, I hope there is no "not playing players who are leaving" policy this year - we can't afford it. We have to go full bore since as Wilkins says missing out on the Challenge Cup "means we can probably be a little more selective around the week-to-week use of players, we're not trying to balance across as many games and we get a clear idea of what we need to do."

testtech05

He really does talk some waffle in some of those interviews.....

I suppose we will have 6/7 changes again this week now :)

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122026297#Comment_122026297

He is mainly an outside center which was displaced by Marchant (last season) and Virimi VAKATAWA (this season).

Up until that he was there 1st choice 13 for a four of years since moving there from Wasps…

Yep, looks like a good signing.

https://all.rugby/player/piers-o-conor

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122026160#Comment_122026160

So if we were shopping

Alex Sorka could be a decent buy out of Leinster… Only 23 and he kept Pendergast down to 22 minutes at U20 Ireland. He could really flourish if given game time. Primely a 6 but can play Second Row.

Josh Murphy, is meant to be coming back?

Outhalf is very tricky recruiting with Ulster pretty desperate for one too… Might have to see if Forde can play there. Every outhalf who has played for the U20s is in Professional Rugby (Sam Prendergast '23, Charlie Tector '22, Jack Crowley '21 & '20, Harry Byrne '18 & '19). Johnny McPhilps '17 is D2 France. Jack Murphy 2024 (probably going to Ulster)…

The only one possibly available on that list is Charlie Tector.e

Jennings I think will make a good full back and we Coredo for another yar.

testtech05

D Murray has been cited for his tackle on Saturday. Thought at the time a yellow was probably just about fair enough but it's hard to know with these things...

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/connacht-rugby/connacht-counting-the-cost-of-benetton-defeat-as-second-row-darragh-murray-cited-for-alleged-illegal-tackle/a1030545930.html

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122028696#Comment_122028696

Soroka is an interesting one. Terrible injury record and he has been long passed out by Prendergast but he's a big character, very emotive and outwardly passionate, something it has been noted on here that we are lacking. He has been linked heavily with Munster already.

Murphy is coming back.

We need an outhalf who can come in and improve the team immediately. We already have two young 10s in West and Naughton, I don't think Tector is experienced enough to fill that gap. Wouldn't say no all the same. The only IQ outhalves who fit the bill are Frawley, H Byrne, and Carbery imo. Can't imagine any of them being interested. An NIQ would be nice.

RonnieL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122029129#Comment_122029129

Agree completely about our out half need - a Dan Parks type signing you might say - someone experienced who would hit the ground running, instill a bit of confidence in the team, and help bring through those younger 10's. Can't say I can think of someone who'd fit the bill, and want to come here, but hopefully Ruane and Co. can pull something out of the bag.

testtech05

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122029318#Comment_122029318

Is JJ contracted for next season aswell as Jack? If he is then I'd suspect we have zero chance of signing another experienced outhalf

Mr Tickle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122029318#Comment_122029318

AJ?

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122028212#Comment_122028212

Yes, we have to win them and have at least 9 points… I think 48pts would be the magic number. 9 would leave us needing 5 points from the last 3 games… You are right 4 would be better, a lot better..

Stormers have a pretty shocking away record…

Stormers might be as good as home and hosed for a top 8 spot by then… They have Ospreys at home and Dragons away and are sitting on 39 points. It depends how it looks like but they might be qualified and getting a home advantage… There are permutations there..

It might be the one to target…

This should have been a slam dunk at this stage of the season… We lost three games in the last play costing us 8 points alone… If were 8 points higher we would be aiming for a home advantage postion (and most likely getting it). Frustrating when we know the players are good enough.

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122028791#Comment_122028791

EPRC and he is not from an English Club… Could get the Death Penalty….

Paul Smeenus

Do you guys know if Michael McDonald (scrumhalf) is actually coming back North at the end of the season?

Hopefully he doesn't come back up to find out we've sold his PS5 and gas barbecue…

FACECUTTR

There is a rumour of Murphy coming from Leinster so that would mean he probably is on the way back up if true.

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122029472#Comment_122029472

Contract length wasn't announced when he signed but I think he's probably on a 2 year deal.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122029544#Comment_122029544

It probably depends what sort of contract he signed last year after his initial 1 year deal expired, but it doesn't seem like it was ever reported. Not sure what happened with Moore but he left Ireland last October-ish.

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122029129#Comment_122029129

I have always touted Soroka. Injury record is bad but if he got a run with game time he could be a very serious contender… If I was Sorka I wouldn't go near Munster, they have a glut of back rows especially around 6… Connacht have only really Cian and he can goto 8 if needed…

BTW Cian has played every minute of URC rugby this year bar one game… https://all.rugby/player/cian-prendergast

He is probably going for most minutes of an Irish player in a season… Billy Burns played 1760min in 21/22, Cian is sitting on 1555min this season so far with at least 5 games to go…

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122029129#Comment_122029129

"Irish qualified out halves playing in New Zealand" is not yielding much on Google….

Fergus Burke would have been beyond our dreams and he isn't Irish qualified… Even with that name (going to Saracens BTW)

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122030361#Comment_122030361

Carty, JJ, Hawkshead

Why would connacht be looking at a 10?

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122029318#Comment_122029318

Very Tough..

AJ MACGINTY out of Bristol (34 but fits the bill)

Rodrigo FERNÁNDEZ (Chile International)

Noah LOLESIO (Brumbees out of Contract 2024)

FACECUTTR

Carty and Hanrahan are not good enough and Hawkshaw is not seen as a 10 and is being pushed into 13 for some unknown reason.

ClanofLams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122030388#Comment_122030388

JJ is incredibly limited, good goalkicker but weak in every other area. Whilst Carty at his best was a very good ten he has been a long way off that for a considerable period unfortunately. Hawkshaw isn’t a ten. He can do a job there but you don’t want to be putting him there every week.

Connacht have to be looking for a ten if they have any ambition of being competitive next season.

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122030550#Comment_122030550

But none of the 3 who are there will be away with Ireland so is it a smart way of spending ?

Zeugnis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122030686#Comment_122030686

It's a necessary expense. The feeling is that JJ can kick points but not create, and Carty can create but not kick (and is prone to confidence issues). For reasons unknown, the coaching group haven't tried an alternative kicker (Forde, Daly) while keeping Jack as playmaker.

So there is a feeling among fans that we need to recruit or possibly try someone else there. Forde played at 10 at age grade. I actually think we could try Mack there, although that would probably not be a popular move with Farrell.

Borders no.2

Hanrahan is always a strange one. His goal kicking in a few games has been crucial but overall he stymies us too much. When he signed I visualised him being the player who might get a crucial kick to win us the game off the bench or to keep the scoreboard moving on a winter evening both of which he has done on occasion but his limitations are painfully obvious and have been long before he signed.

I never thought he'd be regarded as our main option at 10. Even at dragons he was firmly number 2 after an initial bounce.

It seemed opportunist (due to the welsh financial situation) rather than part of a strategy to bring him in so if he's on more than a one year deal it's another worrying sign of the decision making of management.

Wilkins is here long enough to know that Carty is on a downward trajectory for a couple of years and that it's been a problem position that we need to fill.

Cordero might prove to be a brilliant signing and Wilkins has been unlucky in that regard but either way it seems an expensive luxury when there's no medium/long term strategy at 10.

ElisaAtWar

'as Wilkins says missing out on the Challenge Cup "means we can probably be a little more selective around the week-to-week use of players, we're not trying to balance across as many games and we get a clear idea of what we need to do."'

 So reading a bit into that comment well it makes no sense whatsoever. Wilkins is completely full of shite. He is a total idiot and a rubbish coach.

So nice to have all our opinions on a starting 15, but if those starting 15s came to fruition they would completely undermine Wilkins and HIS team.

So I totally understand where Wilkins stands. I may not agree with his viewpoint but remember he is trying to save his ass and still has the possibility of doing so if Connacht can find the results in the last games of the year.

So I don't see him varying much from here to season end. He has lived with his rather confusing team selection ideas, he is unlikely to change.

Now folks know I am a big TOH fan. His defense and positioning is immense (not always but usually), and the concept of putting Jennings to start in there when even Hansen has failed to handle the position is a big ask. But I want Jennings to be the backup and brought on for that. And he gets to learn his trade.

And finally, AJ McGinty, please please please

cson

I'm inclined to agree with you for once.

Wilkins going on about extra games is utter b0ll0x - we'd have had what, likely 1 more game, max 2? Wouldn't have mattered a jot to the players & nor should it.

Number 137

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122029691#Comment_122029691

I think Moore ended up moving to a team in the MLR.

CuriousCucumber

Just on the number 10 recruitment issue.

Look at who we've had as our main 10s over the last 12 or 13 seasons

Keatley/Nikora/Nathan

Niall O'Connor

Parks

Carty - not recruited

McGinty

Shane O'Leary

Boschoff

JJ

Am I forgetting anyone?

None of these, when they came to Connacht were of any interest to any other teams.

McGinty showed promise, but it was a very small sample size really. Even then, his kicking distance range was very low.

Parks was towards the end of his career, and helped in his professionalism, but was never a long term solution

I'm love us to give someone like Forde a full season. Be told, "You're our number 10. It's your team."

Let him get comfortable in the spot, and build confidence.

That, or bring in a known commodity. Unfortunately, that's near on impossible

FACECUTTR

Miah Nikora was there with Keatley.