Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

ClanofLams · 22-02-2021 03:20PM

Papalii off the bench for the season makes a lot of sense. Minimises the risk of a third red and a very lengthy ban & he will cause carnage against tiring defences.

Hopefully next season his technique will have improved and he can start games.

Tommybojangles · 22-02-2021 03:44PM

I'd agree I don't want Papa anywhere near the starting team for the time being. Last week was encouraging though &#55358;&#56606;&#55358;&#56606;&#55358;&#56606;&#55358;&#56606;

You have to factor in there is a chance of a red card or sin bin and if that happens then suddenly It becomes a tricky assignment

realhorrorshow · 22-02-2021 03:53PM

ClanofLams wrote: »

Papalii off the bench for the season makes a lot of sense. Minimises the risk of a third red and a very lengthy ban & he will cause carnage against tiring defences.

Hopefully next season his technique will have improved and he can start games.

I guess at some point we need to find out if he has a good 50-60 minutes in him and no better time than against the worst team in the league.

Bazzo · 22-02-2021 03:55PM

realhorrorshow wrote: »

I guess at some point we need to find out if he has a good 50-60 minutes in him and no better time than against the worst team in the league.

I think we found out a couple of weeks ago when he started against Dragons (who are not far off the worst team in the league). He was completely gassed by 50' despite getting an extended half time break to allow a prop to come on during the yellow.

realhorrorshow · 22-02-2021 04:24PM

Bazzo wrote: »

I think we found out a couple of weeks ago when he started against Dragons (who are not far off the worst team in the league). He was completely gassed by 50' despite getting an extended half time break to allow a prop to come on during the yellow.

I'm hoping that was partly due to a lack of match fitness after his suspension, hopefully he can build up to at the very least getting though 50 good minutes.

ClanofLams · 22-02-2021 04:35PM

Would guess he wasn’t costing massive money to say the least so if he’s not looking for a big upgrade contract wise, which seems unlikely, would be happy to keep him for next season without him resolving stamina questions.

Worst case scenario stamina doesn’t improve and he’s still a very useful bench option, albeit admittedly unless you go with 6-2 split there will at some stage be an early back row injury which causes him to come on after fifteen.

Presumably Connacht have a fair idea if his conditioning is improving in any case.

connachta · 22-02-2021 06:54PM

ClanofLams wrote: »

Would guess he wasn’t costing massive money to say the least so if he’s not looking for a big upgrade contract wise, which seems unlikely, would be happy to keep him for next season without him resolving stamina questions.

Worst case scenario stamina doesn’t improve and he’s still a very useful bench option, albeit admittedly unless you go with 6-2 split there will at some stage be an early back row injury which causes him to come on after fifteen.

Presumably Connacht have a fair idea if his conditioning is improving in any case.

+ many players have overall 800 min of rugby per season sarting 10-12 games

Big papa can very well play the same as a specialised impact player, playing 25 min overall off the bench (+1 or 2 early injury replacement), 18-20 games a season...

thomond2006 · 22-02-2021 07:09PM

ClanofLams wrote: »

Would guess he wasn’t costing massive money to say the least so if he’s not looking for a big upgrade contract wise, which seems unlikely, would be happy to keep him for next season without him resolving stamina questions.

Worst case scenario stamina doesn’t improve and he’s still a very useful bench option, albeit admittedly unless you go with 6-2 split there will at some stage be an early back row injury which causes him to come on after fifteen.

Presumably Connacht have a fair idea if his conditioning is improving in any case.

I don't see how you can retain him unless he sorts out his conditioning and more importantly his tackling technique. There's also the fact that he's a NIE player.

Bazzo · 22-02-2021 08:05PM

thomond2006 wrote: »

I don't see how you can retain him unless he sorts out his conditioning and more importantly his tackling technique. There's also the fact that he's a NIE player.

The fact is that Connacht won't be able to buy in a complete player that brings what be brings. Especially not now. They have to bring in a flawed player, work to improve him, and hope that it works and loyalty lets you hold on to them for a while.

The upside of Papali'i is big enough that I think he's worth the gamble. His tackling technique has already markedly improved.

serfboard · 22-02-2021 08:24PM

ShineyShiney wrote: »

Great to see Papali score, been a tough year on him.

Was it just my imagination, or did his fellow players look especially happy that he scored? I mean, I know it gave us the bonus point and they were probably happy about that, but they seemed to me to want to really re-affirm it.

22-02-2021 08:38PM

serfboard wrote: »

Was it just my imagination, or did his fellow players look especially happy that he scored? I mean, I know it gave us the bonus point and they were probably happy about that, but they seemed to me to want to really re-affirm it.

I was thinking the same myself when watching the highlights this morning.

connachta · 22-02-2021 08:52PM

https://twitter.com/the2ndRow/status/1363541789613907968

Duggan on one side, Aungier on the other, Murray/Prendergast behind, Boyle,... Can't see Connacht disbanded with such a pack for the next 10 years...

Utopia Parkway · 22-02-2021 08:58PM

serfboard wrote: »

Was it just my imagination, or did his fellow players look especially happy that he scored? I mean, I know it gave us the bonus point and they were probably happy about that, but they seemed to me to want to really re-affirm it.

Probably been a tough enough transition for him to be fair. Sent off a couple of times. On the other side of the word from home. In the middle of a pandemic where you can't really do much or go anywhere. Weather has been terrible to top it all off. For a player just arrived from the southern hemisphere I imagine it must fairly grim at times. Hopefully things improve a lot as the months go by this year.

Tommybojangles · 22-02-2021 08:58PM

serfboard wrote: »

Was it just my imagination, or did his fellow players look especially happy that he scored? I mean, I know it gave us the bonus point and they were probably happy about that, but they seemed to me to want to really re-affirm it.

I definitely thought so. I've seen us score plenty of bonus points tries but there was something a bit different about Jack's leap especially. Great to see that kind of team spirit

realhorrorshow · 22-02-2021 09:04PM

connachta wrote: »

https://twitter.com/the2ndRow/status/1363541789613907968

Duggan on one side, Aungier on the other, Murray/Prendergast behind, Boyle,... Can't see Connacht disbanded with such a pack for the next 10 years...

Duggan's scrummaging really impressed me, Dimitri Arhip is no mug but he handled him extremely comfortably.

RonnieL · 22-02-2021 09:32PM

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Probably been a tough enough transition for him to be fair. Sent off a couple of times. On the other side of the word from home. In the middle of a pandemic where you can't really do much or go anywhere. Weather has been terrible to top it all off. For a player just arrived from the southern hemisphere I imagine it must fairly grim at times. Hopefully things improve a lot as the months go by this year.

Was about to make the same point earlier. Everything you said, plus the unfortunate timing (for him) of the clamp down on the type of tackles he's presumably been doing his entire rugby playing life. PLUS having to isolate that time because of the covid case in the back row. When you sum it all up, you can understand exactly why the rest of the squad were so happy to see him get some redemption.

At this point, I'd be happy for him to continue his bench role for the moment, while he keeps working on his tackling and conditioning. As Nigel spoke about recently, with our budget we've got to take the odd punt on a rough diamond.

connachta · 23-02-2021 01:16PM

Changes to expect but not that many according to P.W

I'd go with
(assumin none of aki dillane and heffernan are released)

buck
delahunt
bealham
dowling
thornbury
boyle
butler
big papa
marms
carty
daly
sob 2.0
healy
wootton
porch

duggan
murphy
aungier
n.murray
sob 1.0
blade
c.fitz
sullivan rather than toh, to cover centre

realhorrorshow · 23-02-2021 01:23PM

Is GSOB fit? Would be harsh on Oliver to miss out two weeks in a row, he's been one of our best players this year.

connachta · 23-02-2021 01:26PM

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Is GSOB fit? Would be harsh on Oliver to miss out two weeks in a row, he's been one of our best players this year.

He did not look really injured after Munster A

He adds more beef vs Italians IMO.

I'd have faster 7 like oliver vs Scarlets for example

connachta · 24-02-2021 08:46PM

So avoid Bath and round of 16 is very doable should we be home (at least home-ref)

its_phil · 24-02-2021 11:35PM

connachta wrote: »

So avoid Bath and round of 16 is very doable should we be home (at least home-ref)

How did you read that list and decide Bath were the hardest? They are the best possible draw of English teams left.

connachta · 25-02-2021 09:22AM

its_phil wrote: »

How did you read that list and decide Bath were the hardest? They are the best possible draw of English teams left.

that's clearly nonsense.
Not only based on the last 10 years but also on final phases this autumn, Bath is the only team above Connacht on that list, with Montpellier struggling.

We should go to win that!

KBurke85 · 25-02-2021 10:32AM

I was on the Pro 14 website and noticed they have a very good stats section.

Amazed by just how bad some of our defensive stats are.

Top of the league in missed tackled

11th in tackle success and turnovers won

https://www.pro14.rugby/clubs/connacht/stats

25-02-2021 10:59AM

As our long awaited win in the RDS arrived as soon as fans were unable to attend. I would not be surprised if we were to lift the Challenge Cup this season, even a final it would be very bitter-sweet missing out on the day out.

Bazzo · 25-02-2021 02:00PM

Team named:

https://twitter.com/connachtrugby/status/1364907421685186565?s=19

1. McAllister
2. Delahunt
3. Bealham
4. Dowling
5. Thornbury
6. E Masterson
7. Butler
8. Boyle

9. Marmion
10. Fitzgerald
11. Wootton
12. Aki(!)
13. Daly
14. Sullivan
15. O'Halloran

16. Murphy
17. Buckley
18. Robertson-McCoy
19. Murray
20. S Masterson
21. Blade
22. Carty
23. Porch

Suppose the match being in Italy might be what gives Aki the opportunity to line out? It'll be good for him to get more minutes anyway and strengthens us a lot for another must win game.

its_phil · 25-02-2021 02:10PM

connachta wrote: »

that's clearly nonsense.
Not only based on the last 10 years but also on final phases this autumn, Bath is the only team above Connacht on that list, with Montpellier struggling.

We should go to win that!

What? They’re the worst ranked English team and the rumours are that Hooper is losing the dressing room.

Go back and watch the Bristol game from a few weeks ago.

Form of 10 years ago? No idea what relevance that has

Zzippy · 25-02-2021 02:27PM

Decent team, strong bench, especially the backs. Great to have Bundee for it. He was a bit rusty last week but grew into the game, so you can see why Irish selectors want him to get more minutes for Connacht.

Shelflife · 25-02-2021 02:32PM

Zzippy wrote: »

Decent team, strong bench, especially the backs. Great to have Bundee for it. He was a bit rusty last week but grew into the game, so you can see why Irish selectors want him to get more minutes for Connacht.

Not having a go at you Zippy, but theres an irony in you saying that the Irish mgmt want Bundee to get game time because he was rusty when they are very happy to throw Furlong, Lowes and the rest straight in.

Zzippy · 25-02-2021 02:37PM

Shelflife wrote: »

Not having a go at you Zippy, but theres an irony in you saying that the Irish mgmt want Bundee to get game time because he was rusty when they are very happy to throw Furlong, Lowes and the rest straight in.

Possible that the other options in those positions aren't regarded as highly, but Henshaw is playing very well at the moment and was keeping Bundee out of the squad anyway. If Bundee had played really well last week they might have been happy to keep him in camp this weekend.

b.gud · 25-02-2021 02:39PM

Shelflife wrote: »

Not having a go at you Zippy, but theres an irony in you saying that the Irish mgmt want Bundee to get game time because he was rusty when they are very happy to throw Furlong, Lowes and the rest straight in.

The big difference is the options available instead of Bundee vs those available as an alternative tto Lowe/Furlong. It's hard to argue against the form of RIngrose and, in particular Henshaw. I'd say if one of them wasn't fit then Bundee would have been in the team

Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

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