Match Thread; Cheetahs versus Connacht

Losty Dublin · 03-03-2018 1:50pm #1

Live on Sky Sports Action 5:35PM. Cheap viewing for non Sky Sports subscribers for the game is available https://www.nowtv.com/ie/watch-sky-sports-online

CHEETAHS: C Blommetjies; C Barry, F Venter (capt), N Lee, L Obi; N Marais, Z Mkhabela; O Nche, T van Jaarsveld, J Coetzee; J Basson, R Hugo; P Schoeman, H Venter, U Cassiem. Replacements: J du Toit, C Marais, T Botha, R Bernardo, O Mohoje, T Meyer, F Zeilinga, S Maxano.

CONNACHT: T O’Halloran; C Kelleher, E Griffin, P Ahki, M Healy; J Carty, C Blade; D Buckley, T McCartney, F Bealham; U Dillane, J Cannon; S O’Brien, J Butler, J Muldoon. Replacements: S Delahunt, D Coulson, D Roberston McCoy, G Thornbury, E Masterson, J Mitchell, C Ronaldson, N Adeolokun.

Referee: S Berry (South Africa)

Preview. With most of the weekend Pro 14 matches cancelled, all eyes are on Toyota Stadium this evening for those of us who need a fix of domestic football. Keane's men may well be up against it in the hard first of their two African games, a tour that isn't helped with enforced absences of Aki and Marmion. That said, Dillane is included in the starting 15 while the recall of Pita into the centre along with a strong full back line will offer support for a strong counter attack in what should be an open game.

For the hosts, a poor tour to Scotland and Wales has left them floundering in what was considered to be the softer of the two P14 pools. That aside, strong home results have seen to it that they are still placed third in the table. A win here is crucial should they have any hope of overtaking Munster in second place in the pool, and it is a result that the bookies are going with as well. I'm inclined to agree with them, but my bread filled gut says that it will be closed than 1/4 odds would suggest. I say 38-29 to the home team.

irishbucsfan · 03-03-2018 2:01pm

Good ol' Connaught

connemara man · 03-03-2018 2:11pm

Sorry that would have annoyed the hell out of me Connacht are the rugby team Connaught are the province

Zzippy · 03-03-2018 2:39pm

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Good ol' Connaught

Diabhal Beag · 03-03-2018 2:58pm

Expecting a record high attendance in the Free State Stadium today with as many as 60 Connacht fans braving mother nature boosting it to a bumper capacity 200 punter crowd.

wp_rathead · 03-03-2018 3:46pm

Looking forward to this match still getting only 2 minutes of a mention on the Irish rugby podcasts :pac:

Should be good game, would have liked Niyi to start over Kelleher and no Tom Farrell is a shame

macslash · 03-03-2018 3:56pm

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Live on Sky Sports Action 5:35PM. Cheap viewing for non Sky Sports subscribers for the game is available https://www.nowtv.com/ie/watch-sky-sports-online

CHEETAHS: C Blommetjies; C Barry, F Venter (capt), N Lee, L Obi; N Marais, Z Mkhabela; O Nche, T van Jaarsveld, J Coetzee; J Basson, R Hugo; P Schoeman, H Venter, U Cassiem. Replacements: J du Toit, C Marais, T Botha, R Bernardo, O Mohoje, T Meyer, F Zeilinga, S Maxano.

CONNACHT: T O’Halloran; C Kelleher, E Griffin, P Ahki, M Healy; J Carty, C Blade; D Buckley, T McCartney, F Bealham; U Dillane, J Cannon; S O’Brien, J Butler, J Muldoon. Replacements: S Delahunt, D Coulson, D Roberston McCoy, G Thornbury, E Masterson, J Mitchell, C Ronaldson, N Adeolokun.

Referee: S Berry (South Africa)

Preview. With most of the weekend Pro 14 matches cancelled, all eyes are on Toyota Stadium this evening for those of us who need a fix of domestic football. Keane's men may well be up against it in the hard first of their two African games, a tour that isn't helped with enforced absences of Aki and Marmion. That said, Dillane is included in the starting 15 while the recall of Pita into the centre along with a strong full back line will offer support for a strong counter attack in what should be an open game.

For the hosts, a poor tour to Scotland and Wales has left them floundering in what was considered to be the softer of the two P14 pools. That aside, strong home results have seen to it that they are still placed third in the table. A win here is crucial should they have any hope of overtaking Munster in second place in the pool, and it is a result that the bookies are going with as well. I'm inclined to agree with them, but my bread filled gut says that it will be closed than 1/4 odds would suggest. I say 38-29 to the home team.

Sorry, this is the only game Connacht are playing on African soil this season. We played the Kings in Galway, and seeing as they are in the other conference, we won't be playing them again. Thanks for the write up though. Connacht abú.

The Rape of Lucretia · 03-03-2018 5:32pm

connemara man wrote: »

Sorry that would have annoyed the hell out of me Connacht are the rugby team Connaught are the province

Sorry, that would have annoyed the hell out of me. Connacht are is the rugby team, and the province. Connaught are is the province.

errlloyd · 03-03-2018 5:49pm

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Expecting a record high attendance in the Free State Stadium today with as many as 60 Connacht fans braving mother nature boosting it to a bumper capacity 200 punter crowd.

Cheetahs have a higher average attendance than Connacht this season.

roundymac · 03-03-2018 6:17pm

It's being shown live on Sky Sports @ 5.30.

Diabhal Beag · 03-03-2018 6:34pm

errlloyd wrote: »

Cheetahs have a higher average attendance than Connacht this season.

Must be padding the numbers because you could easily fit everybody there in the College Road end.

vienne86 · 03-03-2018 6:39pm

Oh christ - not a good start.

KBurke85 · 03-03-2018 6:39pm

Poor start from blade bad knock on and asleep there for the try

vienne86 · 03-03-2018 6:46pm

Connacht are getting minced here.

thomond2006 · 03-03-2018 6:46pm

10-0 after 10 minutes. Cheetahs are playing some nice stuff.

Redo91 · 03-03-2018 6:47pm

Great to see the line out functioning well again...

Zzippy · 03-03-2018 6:48pm

Cheetahs playing high tempo offloading game, with the altitude we'll struggle to live with it for 60, never mind 80

Diabhal Beag · 03-03-2018 6:49pm

We've been giving our chasers no hope at restarts all season. Cheetahs easily get it straight to that Venter lad and he sucks in defenders so handy.

Diabhal Beag · 03-03-2018 6:50pm

Blade and Ahki did brilliantly there

vienne86 · 03-03-2018 6:50pm

Ah that was well worked - good try for Healy. That's more like it.

Redo91 · 03-03-2018 6:50pm

Didn't realise at first viewing but Blade was very poor that try.

Great move to get us back in it. 23rd try from Matt in Super Rugby apparently! :P

KBurke85 · 03-03-2018 6:51pm

vienne86 wrote: »

Ah that was well worked - good try for Healy. That's more like it.

Lovely move well worked try

Zzippy · 03-03-2018 6:51pm

Nicely worked try!

irishbucsfan · 03-03-2018 6:51pm

Lovely try there, more nice play from TOH. Blade is very good in space today, holds the defense really nicely.

its_phil · 03-03-2018 6:51pm

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

We've been giving our chasers no hope at restarts all season. Cheetahs easily get it straight to that Venter lad and he sucks in defenders so handy.

I’d say a lot of it is getting used to the ball flying further with the altitude

03-03-2018 6:55pm

That was absolutely horrible. Knee bent completely backwards.

thomond2006 · 03-03-2018 6:56pm

Very nasty injury on the replay.

The Lost Sheep · 03-03-2018 6:59pm

Healy in again.

vienne86 · 03-03-2018 6:59pm

Oh yes! Another lovely try for Healy.

Diabhal Beag · 03-03-2018 6:59pm

That left wing is doing great stuff. This is the best Ahki has been so far in attack.

Doing far better than I thought they would so far.

irishbucsfan · 03-03-2018 6:59pm

Another lovely try for my favourite team! that are playing this weekend

Match Thread; Cheetahs versus Connacht

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