Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

ShineyShiney

I wonder what the issues are with john porch. Is he just not this managements type or is he injured?

Hope Cordero has a good game on the wing.

Utopia Parkway

Looking like a long night already. Leinster going for the kill early.

Utopia Parkway

Ioane is allergic to finding touch.

ClanofLams

Forde needs to be on for start of second half and on kicking duties obviously (Ioane was left on them last week when Forde came on for some unknown reason).

Maybe leave Ioane on as he is obviously big threat ball in hand but either way Forde has to be on, uphill battle to get anything from this game, cannot afford any more missed touches.

ClanofLams

Restarts being a disaster? Strange, I really thought that problem would not continue for the sixth year running,

briandebum

Hopefully they can get a new coaching ticket new year, just not at the races

Tommybojangles

Checking out earlier than ever this year. Nearly had to turn it off when they kept showing Wilkins slap the window

Utopia Parkway

Disappointing performance really. Never really fired a shot. Didn’t give up at least but just conceding too many tries. Didn’t even do much with a gale behind them. Couldn’t handle Snyman at all. He was throwing the ball around like it was an egg.

Dragons at home next week now before a month break from the URC. Need to win with a bonus and they’ll be 3 wins from 6 at least.

ShineyShiney

I can see plenty of good stuff in attack from ioane but man is he a brutal kicker from hand or what? Unfortunately for Cordero it's not working and I'll fight with anyone who thinks we wouldn't be better off with Jennings or porch there instead.

Thought Jansen was really good when he came on, DTM also and Forde just makes things happen.

Boyle played well for most of the game but the held up over the line and the run down the wing without stepping inside was a bit of poor judgement.

digger958

Disappointed. Nothing more to be said

StevenToast

Pete Wilkins banging the window multiple times was embarrassing....

He will wince if he sees that back...

Not a good look for a head coach of a professional team…

Connacht should be out with the begging bowl trying to get Nigel Carolan back.

testtech05

Couldnt argue that Leinster were good value for their win and just so clinical when they have the ball they don't panic go through their plays and keep the pressure on. Kind of the opposite to us at times last night we made a lot of breaks but almost every one was followed by mistake or poor execution.

Felt like any time it seemed we built a bit of pressure we let them off easily with a soft penalty or poor mistake. We had more than enough chances to come away with at least one bonus point I felt.

Also the try we conceeded from the restart (not for the first times) was brutal

realhorrorshow

How did Hugh Gavin get on at the weekend? Did he play on the wing? Don't think I have the heart to watch it back.

AccidentallyOnside

Very sobering game, shows the gulf in class.

With that said we made it too easy for them. The most disappointing thing for me was how much better they played the conditions than us. They had us pinned in our own half for almost the entire first 40, and even when we had purple patches in the second half we never squeezed them a pressured them through field position.

5 points versus Dragon and let's see a bit more of the squad in Europe. Would like to see a fair bit of Devine, Jennings, Mullins and Gavin as those guys look like the guts of our future backline.

Not a lot of good there at the weekend but think O'Connor looked classy in everything he did.

FACECUTTR

I thought Bolton was phenomenal going forward. How many tackles did he bounce out of ! Jansen looked excellent too. Hawkshaw got caught flat footed twice in the first half and was burned on the outside. I'd prefer if they stopped that experiment. Forde, Gavin, Bundee and Ralston should be considered first. I know Leinster are one of the best teams in the world but we should have done better. The Dragons seem to be a little better this season so I'm actually a bit concerned about this fixture.

arsebiscuits1

Ben Murphys relatively quiet showing at the weekend could be chalked up to having absolutely no help around him.

Leinster pinned Connacht back into coffin corner in the first half and afforded them no front foot ball for an exit.

Murphy had no choice but to shank a few box kicks as best he could in really tough conditions.

He was killed by the fact that none of the starting backline are overly adept and kicking from hand.

In that vein, Josh Ioane is a J1 standard kicker by the looks of it.

RonnieL

I thought Bolton and O'Conor were our two clear standouts the last night - Bolton's carrying is his X Factor, but I thought he put in a lot of hard work generally, and made some great tackles when we were in trouble. O'Conor was popping up everywhere, and did all the full-back stuff well. I've been very disappointed by Santi so far this season, but thought he played a bit better on the wing the last night compared to his starts from full back. Paul Boyle was very good again, and Jansen was excellent off the bench, as was Forde. I felt bad for Ben Murphy because he was struggling badly against the wind, but I'm sure he learned a lot from that. Blade when he came on had a bit of a mixed bag - his constant pleading for penalties does grate with me, but he was good apart from that. It'll be very interesting to see who our top two 9's end up being by the end of the season.

I heard a snippet of Leo Cullen's interview after the match and he made the point that he felt their tries before half time, and immediately after we scored in the second were crucial, and it's hard to argue with that (although you got the sense Leinster were comfortable throughout).

Hopefully we take the positives from the season so far, and put in a good performance against the dragons to go into the break feeling good.

digger958

Dragons are no gimme this year. We have to try Forde at 10. Couple of things from the Leinster game. Connacht did fight so it wasn't all negatives. Think Denis is becoming a bit of a liability. Couldn't believe how poorly protected Murphy was in the rucks. He kept calling in players to protect his exit but nobody arrived. So you can blame him for rubbish kicks or you can blame the defense.

The Leinster score from the restart after the Forde try was an absolute killer.

FACECUTTR

Bolton makes the training panel. Bundee, Finlay, Heff, Prendergast and Hansen in the squad. Surprised Forde hasn't got in.

digger958

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122753661#Comment_122753661

Does this mean these players will be unavailable for the Dragons game?

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122758940#Comment_122758940

I’d assume they’re free to play, were pictured training anyways.

I’d like to see something like:

Buckley Heff Aungier Joyce D Murray Prendergast SOB Jansen

Devine Ioane Bolton Bundee Forde Hansen P O’Conor

DTM Dooley Bealham Dowling Boyle B Murphy Gavin Oliver

FACECUTTR

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/ireland-centre-bundee-aki-approached-by-toulon-report/

FACECUTTR

I was thinking they should all be available but with the injuries a thooker I'd day Heff could be rested.

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122761411#Comment_122761411

If he were to come off his central contract, you could make a strong case that his on-pitch contributions for Connacht don't justify spending the amount necessary to compete with the likes of Toulon. Obviously he is a legend and hugely important to the province culturally, but in terms of on field production Cathal Forde has probably contributed more for us over the past couple of seasons.

CMcsporty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122761483#Comment_122761483

I think he'll go and probably should go. Will go down as one of greatest Connacht players.

Hugh Gavin & Forde. For 12. Next season and this season.

testtech05

Pretty strong looking team on paper with only a couple of changes from last week.

15. Piers O’Conor (5)
14. Shayne Bolton (17)
13. Cathal Forde (36)
12. Bundee Aki (141)
11. Santiago Cordero (7)
10. Jack Carty (213)
9. Caolin Blade (197)
1. Peter Dooley (42) 
2. Dylan Tierney-Martin (41) 
3. Finlay Bealham (208)
4. Joe Joyce (31)
5. Niall Murray (78) 
6. Cian Prendergast (73) (C)
7. Sean O’Brien (11)
8. Paul Boyle (97) 

16. Eoin de Buitléar (7)
17. Denis Buckley (253)
18. Jack Aungier (69)
19. Darragh Murray (27)
20. Sean Jansen (10)
21. Matthew Devine (5)
22. Josh Ioane (4)
23. Hugh Gavin (1)

Blade and Carty(who I thought played well vs Scarletts) should be coming in with points to prove hopefully and will be good to see Devine and Gavin get some more gametime.

realhorrorshow

Good team. Not a huge fan of Forde at 13 but at least we get our two best centres on the pitch. Need to see something from Cordero soon IMO or I'd rather we get Jennings or Smith in the side. Happy to see some homegrown youngsters getting a chance from the bench.

Hoping to see a reaction here.

typhoony

Are hurley-langton and andrew smith both out injured, arguably our 2 best players last year

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122762021#Comment_122762021

I believe Hurley-Langton is injured but Smith has been playing AIL.

FACECUTTR

I completely agree. If he got a year on his central contract it would be great and he probably would retire after. I also think Forde should be starting at 12 and Bundee at 13 going forward.