Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

freyners wrote: »

We still have an outside shot of qualifying for the final so I would start Daly and Porch, there's been enough of a break in these games I wouldn't be overly worried about minutes unless they are carrying knocks.

Also call me mad but I would start Fitz over Carty, hes well on form (although the gap between the two when both are in form is still pretty wide on my viewing) and also he seems to play better in games he starts rather than as a sub.

Agree with all of this. The fact we won glossed over a pretty poor showing from Jack when he came on for Conor against Munster, who, while far from flawless, had a good game.

Congrats to Denis on the 200th cap - some man.

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Connacht players involved in the wider Ireland u20 squad for this weekend's game against Leinster A:

Eoin de Buitléar - hooker
Donnacha Byrne - back row
Diarmuid McCormack - back row
Oisin McCormack - back row
Cathal Forde - out half/centre
Shane Jenning - centre
Hubert Gilvarry - wing

All bar D McCormack and Gilvarry are already in the academy. Notable absentees are Darragh Murray and Hubert Costello.

Is Murray injured? He came off very early in a game for the Eagles not that long ago.

wtf, there are TWO young men in Connacht called 'Hubert'?

Breaking News :
Fifita to sign in 2nd Row from Grenoble!

Senekal-effect, probably!

Tongian international, 32 next season, 120 kg,
He's the expected profile like-for-like with Roux

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpUEi9sdmpY

Papali'i 2.0 if you want images

Doesn’t seem to be the same calibre as Roux but I guess that was always going to be difficult/impossible to get.

I think they are selling their ground and moving out west of the city

This would also suit gmit perfect. Currently they have no space to expand. They will be part of a new university in 2022. Sligo and Letterkenny are expanding all the time so gmit don't want to be left behind

Zeugnis wrote: »

It says he's leaving Grenoble a year before the end of his contract. I wonder does that mean that they are picking up part of his wages? Jackman explained on the 42 podcast a few weeks ago that this sometimes happens when things aren't working out for either side.

Doubt it, he was a key player starting 15 games, it's more a thing of a guy celling higher.
He was targetted in England last year, can't leave, and this season he had a clause to go to a top-team.
It's how it is described on Grenoble forum

Wegians89 wrote: »

Something like this for the weekend?

Buckley Heff Bealham
Thornbury Murray
Prendergast papalii Butler
Blade Carty
Bundee Arnold
Wootton mcnulty Sullivan

DTM McAllister McCoy Dillane Boyle Reilly Fitz Bod

If Boyle isn’t fit go with one of the mastersons on the bench. Daly’s be porch could do with a week off.

The last meeting in Treviso was very high tempo. Three of the four tries happened five minutes either side of halftime while Delahunt was on a yellow. Both teams were good defensively, I remember being surprised by how cohesive Treviso were.

I'd start Delahunt and Boyle. Bring Papall'il on at fifty minutes. Downling was good last time and I'm a bit disappointed we haven't seen more of him. I'm a huge fan of Jack's but he needs to win the jersey back, Conor F. put in a good performance against Munster and should keep his place.

McNulty needs more game time, not sure if now is the moment. It depends on the attitude towards the tournament. Unimportant as it is, we know Connacht really need to string together a series of wins and exit the insane inconsistency of recent months. So I don't think it's warranted to simply treat this as a development opportunity.

Mata played for Sligo for a few years. I remember Mata playing for Sligo then within 1-2 weeks he was called into the connacht team due to injuries and played against harlequins in a European game, it was surreal.

ClanofLams wrote: »

He’s a cousin of Mata fifita who spent a few seasons here, came as a centre but Lam converted him into back row after his arrival. Didn’t make many appearances as far as I recall.

We signed him from Sligo on a 1 yr contract. He got sent off in his 1st appearance IIRC