Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122940754#Comment_122940754

He was on the bench last season behind Jack Murphy pretty much every game.

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122940754#Comment_122940754

He was u20 last season but didn't get much game time as Jack Murphy was first choice. Connacht signed him to the academy straight out of Kilkenny College. Haven't seen the weekend's game yet but he looks a very tidy player at AIL level, and showed some positive flashes in the few minutes he did get for the 20s. Seems to be a good solid player with strong fundamentals and no glaring weakness to his game.

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122940801#Comment_122940801

One of the most encouraging things for me is that himself and Devine have been playing pretty regularly together at Corinthians, who look like they’ve got a pretty exciting attack. Would love to see them both start next weekend.

kita99

I think that Connacht should not put (spare) main players like Prendergast, Bealam, Hansen out next away match. It's must-win game.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122941476#Comment_122941476

Well I wouldn't change that team.

realhorrorshow

After the weekend, all senior players have featured this season with the exception of Adam McBurney, Colm Reilly, JJ Hanrahan, Andrew Smith, and John Porch. Smith the most surprising of those to me as he played nearly 900 minutes last season. I do like him but you can only develop so many players in the same position at the same time, and I don't have an issue with us prioritising Bolton, Jennings, and Mullins.

Ralston going from playing literally every single minute last season up to his ban for that clearout against Munster, to 43 minutes across the first 8 rounds this season, is pretty mad.

lavrenti

Us trying to get our money's worth out of Cordero before his contract expires at the end of the season is contributing to the lack of minutes for Smith, Porch, Ralston, and Mullins (so far). Hawkshaw keeps improving and makes it difficult for Wilkins to keep him out of the 23, which I think is great. I'd like to see Naughton get time again in Perpignan next weekend, particularly with Ioane and JJ out injured. Upfront Boyle is having a great season and a back row with him, SHL, and Prendergast is tasty. I feel we have to play Josh Murphy in the second row with Joyce for that bit of oomph.

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122944160#Comment_122944160

Yeah, it's frustrating as it's pure sunk cost fallacy. Him doing his ACL immediately after arriving is unfortunate and doesn't retroactively make the signing a bad one. However, the net result is a steppy winger who is no longer a threat with ball in hand and isn't particularly good at anything else either. He's not even a steady hand as one would expect of a player of his experience, he makes as many errors as a young player.

No ill will towards him, he seems like a great guy who has bought into the province. Nevertheless, I'd rather he moved down the depth chart from here on out.

RonnieL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122944256#Comment_122944256

You've hit the nail on the head there

AccidentallyOnside

Im a bit conflicted on the challenge cup; I think we need all home draws in order to get to the final, to get top 2 seed I think we need 4 wins (maybe 17 points will do. I'm not sure we can do that even with our best squad out. So what do we play for? Home quarter we can do with three wins, which I think we can do. Or maybe just use it to blood young players?

Not even sure resting players for the inter pros is the way to go as beating leinster is a big big ask.

So I'm not sure if we should stick or twist. Maybe go full hog at the challenge cup and get some exposure for getting into a semi final?

randomname2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122950062#Comment_122950062

Go as far as possible in every competition. Prize money and sponsorship are the key, and a 1/4 final and maybe a 1/2 final would be good for both

ShineyShiney

Priority has to be top 8 in the league. Anything that jeopardizes that is foolish imo.

We were lucky to have some big players for us available last week. Josh, Shl, Heffernan all needed a run.

Id give a similar side another run, perhaps a few bench changes. Then see where we are for the next block and decide

Wegians89

I think I’d go pretty similar to last week. Potentially bringing Buckley and Joyce onto the bench to get a bit of game time before Leinster. I’d also consider swapping Forde and Hawkshaw, not a fan of Forde at 13 but think he’ll be pushed out there with Bundee at 12 for games Bundees available. I’d also be keen on Devine starting and Murphy to the bench.

eagle eye

I definitely wouldn't change anything for m last week. All those lads played great and it's unfair to drop anyone when that happens.

Bring the internationals onto the bench, the extra rest will do them no harm.

realhorrorshow

I think we'll look to add a bit of bulk to the tight 5 for an away day in France.

Zeugnis

Posolo Tuilagi has been injured the last couple of months and won't return to next year. I was caught between looking forward to seeing him play against us and fearing what he would do to us.

Conor15th

Team announced….

FtD v2

Andrew Smith is out of exile!

Nice side IMO. Good blend of youth and experience.

Zeugnis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122952444#Comment_122952444

Happy to see Sam Illo get a start at TH, not 100% on our hooker selection though, I would have one of those two paired with DTM/Heff.

Devine & Murphy at scrum half should give us a lot of entertainment.

Good to see Andrew Smith back. I will take quite a bit of convincing that we shouldn't just stick with Jennings at 15 and use Cordero only as a replacement, perhaps he'll win us over yet. Would have liked to see Naughton again.

Let's hope they get the win.

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122952464#Comment_122952464

I wonder if he took some heat for going to the Olympics, he was ever present for the first few months of 2024. The less conspiratorial view is that the time away opened the door for the likes of Jennings and Mullins, which combined with Cordero and Bolton's availability to squeeze his minutes.

typhoony

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122952576#Comment_122952576

Possibly, there was no obvious reason for him being banished to the AIL. Was progressing nicely last year with a decent amount of gametime, in fact after Hurley-Langton I thought he was one of our better players last season.

eagle eye

So Boyle and Hawkshaw both dropped to the bench after great performances last weekend. I don't understand that.

RonnieL

Hawkshaw covering a load of positions with the 6-2 split. Boyle has come off the bench really well, so maybe they're just sticking with that approach.

Tommybojangles

Good lord that's a weak team. Throwing the away european games? I know it's an argument had here every year but I really think the challenge cup is more winnable than the league and would love to see us go all out. The excitement a home semi in Galway for example would bring would be unreal.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122953859#Comment_122953859

Boyle and Hawkshaw both started and played great last Sunday.

And I normally say good but I'm saying great for those two.

eagle eye

......

kita99

The weak-points of Connacht seems at ②, ⑩, ⑮. Is Heffernan or DTM are injury? About Carty, his deffence is verry well lately, his problem is kicking, so Connacht should depend Forde on all kicking games and. Cordero who has been known well his weakness of tackling and catching in Top 14, so other players must cover him. If Connacht could them whole things, They may win. They need some special performance by Devine who can kick from both foot, read the game very well and good back-up deffender. Good luck.

p.s Iexpect to see scrum by Illo.

ElisaAtWar

Some prison sentence for Coulson. That said the accusations were horrific. It's a shocking thing to rape someone but what he did was sadistic. Can't believe he went on to play for Connacht in the knowledge of what he had done

Zeugnis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122954649#Comment_122954649

Agree, Connacht need to have their collar felt about this. Grenoble didn't play him after it happened - who was his contact?

crinkley

Jesus Christ I just read some of the French reporting on the case. Absolutely shocking what happened to that young woman.

Serious questions need to be asked of what Connacht knew