Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

kabakuyu

Will they stop flicking the lights,it's annoying.

Ah,they can keep flicking,we right back in this.

ElisaAtWar

why blade. for fluck sake

cson

This is a very ballsy comeback.

Should be a yellow for white for all the spoiling at the line too.

ElisaAtWar

'spend half the day at it' Blade

FtD v2

Cathal Forde has been absolutely outstanding in this second half.

kabakuyu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122664118#Comment_122664118

hes kicking everything away,could be troublesome.

AccidentallyOnside

Props to Boyle for that turnover but Hawkshaw put in a massive hit on a sharks forward to make it possible.

ElisaAtWar

why was Murphy replaced. all other replacements were obvious. good win but I hate stupid decisions

PCeeeee

Woohoo. That was a comeback

cson

Great win

AccidentallyOnside

Whew! Massive to make that comeback.

Trying to think if I've ever seen a bigger comeback from Connacht.

Hawkshaw and Forde were awesome second half, O'Connor did some great work too as did Jennings.

In the pack shl was soo good again, and Murray making a **** of their lineout took that platform away from them.

Buzzing with that!!

StevenToast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122663997#Comment_122663997

I called it at half time...

That 1st half was unacceptable...

Rugbyf565

massive pity about Sam Illo’s injury at the end, he put in an incredibly physical performance

Rugbyf565

Pete came off very well in the post match interview. Seems to be a building real character with the squad.

We got a response in the 2nd half but that 20 or so minutes before half time was alarming.

Heartening comeback but I don't feel any more confident in where we are going tbh.

Also it's a small thing but needlessly letting Sharks leave with a point is annoying when the table can be so congested in the middle grouping of teams.

Rafabio DaSilva

we absolutely dominated the first 20 odd minutes of the game and rolled over for the next 20 where we coughed up 27!!

Always felt that we could come back if we got the first score after half time and Jennings intercept was massive.

Have to say you got to be happy with 7 points from the first two games and 10 trys scored. It goes with our pre season performances and scores so the attacking foundation is there.

Defence is a worry still but that should be an easier fix

ShineyShiney

Enjoyed that, lots to fix not least the selection, but great to get the win. Pity to let them get the BP but I'd have taken it before hand.

I thought Forde and Jennings were very good and Boyle, SHL, Illo and Dowling all added significantly when they came on.

I keep feeling we are a big second row short of being a good squad.

ElisaAtWar

We are a front row selection short of a good squad

BrokenMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122664373#Comment_122664373

Good to see you've decided who to constantly blame this year. Nice change of pace from last year 🤣

BrokenMan

That was 60 minutes of good rugby and 20 of WTF. Not sure if it was a tactical change or injury at half time but hoping it was tactical as it would so some comprehension from the coaches. Ioane looks great going forward but needs more defensively. Hope he can work on it.

Next week I'd hope he sticks with Forde at 10 and Bundee comes in at 12. That'll give a solid 9,10,12,13 axis.

Josh Murphy showing the annoying dog type player we've missed last year.

dockysher

Brillant comeback, didn't see that coming. Ioane going off had big part in turn around, hacksaw was v good wen came on.

Very exciting comeback and great game

eagle eye

My only thought walking away from the game. Why don't we just put Forde at 10 and start Henshaw at centre?

Forde looks better than anybody else at out-half and Henshaw has done well in the first two games. I realise he's an outstanding centre but 10 is more important.

Forde can work on improving his kicking if they move him there, he's great at the position because his tacking is top notch and he can break the line. That kick over the top was awesome, a joy to behold.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122664791#Comment_122664791

I don't want Henshaw back. He made his choice 😁 Seriously though its an interesting conundrum. Ioane might suit certain games but it doesn't look like we are any closer to a solution at 10. If he's to remain at 10 we need to protect him better from a defensive perspective at a minimum. Its a bit worrying that this wasn't identified from day 1. He should never be roadkill off pretty standard first phase ball like he was for the first try.

Hawkshaw reads the game so well I confident with him at 10 or 12 but obviously you need someone with a bigger kicking game on there.

Forde offers so much at 12 id be reluctant to move him to 10 but I'd keep him in the kicking role. With the progress he's making he'll be knocking on the door for ireland soon and having as many strings to his bow as possible makes him a good option as 22 to start with.

ShineyShiney

I had the same thoughts, he's a quality 12 on his way to being an international imo but has a great skill set for a 10, maybe without the high end kicking game.

Ioane looks ok, I am surprised that he's our first choice based on his size. I thought he'd be backing up Carty. Carty can tackle, pass and run. Maybe let Forde kick and Carty back in for 10

AccidentallyOnside

Ioanes defence was flagged coming in so not a great surprise, but that said; there isn't a 10 in world rugby stopping esterheizen (that spelling isn't even close!) if he's got a run up. The guy is a freak. We stopped him in the second half by our forwards getting on top and not giving them go forward ball to run off.

ShineyShiney

Question?

We have a few players who get a few minutes from time to time and nearly always look good but can't seem to get a start. Why do people think this is?

Dowling always performs in his cameos, yesterday he was good in the lineout, brought lots of physicality and scored a good try. He's done that since he's been here.

Hawkshaw is another, always looks good off the bench particularly at 12.

Jennings always adds something.

Paul Boyle, he was our main man for a while but has never looked like getting a start since injury. Are Sean o Brien and Jansen better than him?

testtech05

I saw on SHL Instagram story he seems to have his arm in a sling after last night's game. Hopefully it is nothing serious

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122665131#Comment_122665131

Dowling is a good player but he lacks a bit of weight for second row, especially compared to Darragh Murray and Joe Joyce who have pretty prototypical dimensions for loosehead and tighthead lock respectively. He possibly would have a slightly higher ceiling at 6, but we've been well covered there with Prendergast, Murphy, and Hurley-Langton.

Hawkshaw has been very unlucky, he got a run in the team when Bundee seemingly had some sort of falling out with the coaching staff, then got injured in a very strong performance against Leinster in January 2023. Cathal Forde then took his opportunity and the Bundee situation was smoothed over, which has meant Hawkshaw has struggled for minutes in his best position. Despite Aki potentially aging out, that situation is unlikely to improve for Hawkshaw with Hugh Gavin likely coming into contention very soon. The coaches clearly like him and want to get him involved, but I'm not sure the attempts to convert him to 13 have paid off. Like Dowling, I think he lacks the size required to play that position at the very highest level.

I was really frustrated that it took so long to give Jennings a shot, he has been a very obvious prospect since he was in school. He has looked good but now is in a position where he's competing with lots of quality players for game time. Andrew Smith is another quality prospect and has started the season playing AIL, Chay Mullins hasn't even made his debut yet.

Boyle I think just got unlucky with badly timed injuries and has never looked as dynamic as he did between 2019 and 2021, when he got capped. Still a solid hand nonetheless. Not sure about Jansen or O'Brien just yet, Jansen drifts in and out of games and doesn't seem to have 80 minutes in him. O'Brien has the most potential IMO but has had a lot of injurues to date and hasn't really gotten a run of games together.

Ultimately I think luck and injuries are a major factor. Cian Prendergast was only a couple of months in the academy when an injury crisis and an early injury to Sean Masterson resulted in him getting 45 minutes away to Racing, from which he never looked back. Cathal Forde was third in the depth chart but Aki and Hawkshaw's absence in early 2023 gave him his break.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122668757#Comment_122668757

The main point to take from what you say there is that people have to be given a start to see how they go.

When you play the weaker teams in the URC or challenge cup you have the opportunity to start one or two players to see how they look. It's not like it's the end of the world if it doesn't happen for them, you just bring in the replacement. And you also know if it's a case that they are not up to it or need further development.

serfboard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122668972#Comment_122668972

Not sure if it's clear yet who the weaker teams are in the URC this season. So far, Zebre got a losing BP away to Cardiff and beat Munster at home, Dragons beat the Ospreys at home and put it up to Leinster away in Dublin. The Sharks were only weaker last year (and this) because they didn't/don't have their internationals. Previously, The Lions were the weakest of the SA teams, but gave us a fair hammering last year despite having a player sent off. So which matches to test players in is a tricky prospect this year.