Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

kabakuyu

GGreat appointment for Connacht.I might even get a season ticket again.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123510662#Comment_123510662

no, Dans going to Glasgow.

Connacht have Ioane and Carty as full time senior 10s next season, Gilbert is an option at 10, plus Noughton in the academy with H West being a possible option there as well.

phog

That's brilliant news for Connacht, great shot in the arm for the province as they're about to open a new stadium.

ClanofLams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123510706#Comment_123510706

Yeah I was thinking that Carolan wouldn’t comment at all unless he was pretty sure that he was joining Glasgow but thought there might be a possibility the deal wasn’t finalised.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123510723#Comment_123510723

a few days ago rugbypass were reporting the deal was done. thats why i was going by.

ShineyShiney

Ok I'm ready for the season to start now! A Director of Performance, a kicking 15, a new attack coach and an experienced head coach, we have the resources in place to make 8th next season if the injury gods shine on us.

b.gud

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123510750#Comment_123510750

A few days ago they said Payne was going to be the new Connacht coach 😁

RonnieL

I've convinced myself that Stuart taking on the defense coach role as well as head coach is a good thing - I've heard many times over the years that Lancaster is at his best when he's on the training ground, with hands on involvement in coaching - leading the defense will mean he is doing that here. Whether the head coach stuff on top is too much remains to be seen, but surely Millard will take some of the burden there?

Larbre34

Well done lads, he had a brilliant ethos, if he's given the freedom to bring it, then there will be good days ahead.

AccidentallyOnside

As Ronnie said you'll probably see Millard take on a few of the responsibilities that Wilkins had to free up Lancaster to do more hands on coaching.

Think this is an incredible appointment, must have filled him full of porter and put the contract in front of him lol!

As someone said he's had a chequered history as a head coach so making sure he stays on the training paddock is important. Renowned as someone who sets standards for players and staff a like so a really, really excellent appointment!

Finally excited about next season now!

lavrenti

I've been critical of Willie Ruane here in recent weeks, but fair play to them this is a wonderful appointment. Appointing Lancaster is a serious statement of intent. Well done all.

briandebum

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123510706#Comment_123510706

I mean Gilbert and West are full backs, and I would argue that Ioane might also be a better off as a full back. If you wanna play Ioane at 10 you need a kicker elsewhere, which Gilbert can do but it limits the team selection somewhat.

Carty played about 8 games last year and unfortunately has looked a bit terrible for the last few seasons. (Maybe the new coaching ticket could bring a revival!)

Noughton is 21 and has 21 minutes of senior gametime.

If we're serious about doing anything this year I would definitely be trying to get another body in there that plays 10 as their primary position.

HanShotFirst

Getting Lancaster is the greatest coup in Connacht history.

IRFU deservedly got allot of stick for not supporting them enough.

Amazing appointment

ionadnapóca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123478212#Comment_123478212

Tempted to get a season ticket myself now!

From a very envious Leinster season ticket holder.

To rephrase DO'C analogy after Scarlets. Leinster - 'Like having Ferraris and using them to spread slurry'.

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123510750#Comment_123510750

https://all.rugby/transfers/glasgow

Dan is gone to Glasgow..

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123510906#Comment_123510906

Well that could be the way but it puts a lot of work on Lancaster being hands on coach, manager of the other coaches, shoulder to cry on, Media guy and every other role as well…

This what sunk Pete more than anything… Now he didn't see that it is hard to be captain from the engine room…

Millard doesn't pick the team so while he can be a great help mediation between coaches… As soon as you make the Head Coach (Manager) there is an imbalance with the other cioaching areas (e.g. if you get defence right you are on the team and other coaches have less of a say)…

CatFromHue

Another benefit of getting Lancaster is that he should be there for the preseason, he's literally ready to go straight away.

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123511032#Comment_123511032

In fairness to Carty, he likes to play on the edge and to do that you have to know where players are… Good luck with that in the last 2 years… Throwing a no look pass to empty space looks awful on TV… Throwing a simple pass to which is read easily is looks a lot better but yoou won't score tries..

ionadnapóca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123511259#Comment_123511259

Anyone know the exact breakdown of roles for all coaches?

Lancaster - Head Coach & Defence coach.

Rod Seib - Attack coach.

Cullie Tucker - Scrum & Contact coach.

John Muldoon - Lineout & Maul coach.

? - Skills

? - Kicking

? - S&C

? - Psychologist

? - "Senior Coach"!!!

https://www.the42.ie/stuart-lancaster-leinster-8-6036025-Apr2023/

“I don’t get wrapped up in the demographics of Ireland,” said Lancaster. “The thing that concerns me the most is making sure we’ve got an unbelievable development system, an unbelievable connection between the development programme and the academy and the senior team and making sure the senior team is coached as well as they can be coached.

“When push comes to shove, I still think quality coaching trumps everything and I think we’re very lucky here in that we’ve got a great group of coaches who are all diverse, have all come from different countries, have all brought our own piece, and Leo [Cullen] marshals the whole thing unbelievably well in terms of rotating the team, giving lads opportunities. So it’s not to do, for me, with demographics. It’s to do with coaching and we’ve worked hard to develop the players, the players have improved, anyone really."

budhabob

I think this is a phenomenonal appointment for Connacht. I think he is a really detail and culture orientated coach.....who even made England a humble and likeable team (albeit temporary).

Really excited for ye now.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123510871#Comment_123510871

Funny thing is I would have preferred Payne by a country mile. Lancaster is a proven disaster but for some reason folks are happy with this. I suppose it will end Ruanes tenure which is a positive. But amazingly most posters are happy with this shite. Fluck sake. I am gobsmacked

StevenToast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123511710#Comment_123511710

A negative spin on things from you?

What.a.shock!

This is a very positive appointment.....

Utopia Parkway

Very hard to knock this appointment but Lancaster has a serious job on his hands in…

A. Fixing the Connacht defence and making it at least competent and not a total disaster.

B. Dealing with the fact that the Connacht pack will be struggling for parity in a lot of games. A problem he didn't have at Leinster.

KaneToad

As a Leinster fan I've nothing but jealousy for you Connacht folk!

Lancaster will bring your decent squad to the next level through coaching, recruitment & ethos. He's a class act.

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123511639#Comment_123511639

Lancaster - Head Coach

Lancaster - Defence Coach

Rod Seib - Attack Coack

Tucker -Scrum & Contact

Muldoon - Lineout and Maul

TBD - Kicking (Usually taken from one existing coaches)

Gavin Duffy - Skills

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123511710#Comment_123511710

Honestly Elisa, I wanted both of them…

I think you need separate head and defence coaches… Easier to have one forwards coach than have a Head & Defence coach…

Lancaster has plenty of success and does thrive in the right environment… Connacht I think & hope is right…

2025Connacht

From Lancaster's perspective I'm sure he will have reviewed a lot of Connacht footage from last season and for a coach with his experience it should be easy enough to identify quick wins in different areas with the coaching team.

We have obvious weaknesses playing certain teams but we need to focus first off on things we can control.

1. Defence. Of the tries we conceded last season a large number were a cue for Benny Hill music. Start with cutting out most of those and we have something to work with.

2. Kicking. Our kicking stats in general play and off the tee last year were a joke. We need to have some kind of a kicking game to make us less predictable and keep teams guessing and as a straightforward exit strategy when needed. The template to beat Connacht has been pretty straightforward in recent times whereby teams simply get territory and let us dig our own grave. That has to stop.

Kicks to touch from penalties can't be missed with the frequency they were last year. Hopefully Gilbert will be able to keep the scoreboard moving or if not we need to settle on a kicker who can, be that our number 10 or someone else. We can't leave easy points out there.

3. Restarts. Since the beginning of time Connacht and restarts are a match made in hell. It doesn't need to be rocket science but we need to be more efficient in this area. For a time we simplified this right down to the basics a few seasons back and it might be what's needed again to allow us to get a basis to work off.

4. Mentality. This is the most crucial one. Our mentality under both Andy Friend and Wilkins was highly questionable on occasion. The number of meltdowns we had during games last season alone was staggering. When we concede 7 that becomes 27 in no time at all on too frequent a basis.

Our opening fixtures are favourable so hopefully there's enough work done in pre season to allow us get a basis to build off for the 2nd half of the season.

eagle eye

I'm over the moon. The future suddenly looks very bright.

I believe we have the talent to be a seriously competitive side and we have the coach now.

Strand1970

Maybe Payne was approached and decided Galway wasn't for him. Delighted we have Lancaster. Fair to say the most experienced coach at a high level we have ever attracted

Strand1970

Really, really surprised to hear any connacht fan giving out about Lancaster appointment. The last 2 years have been a **** show. At last I am feeling good and hopeful about connacht again