That was awful. Really, really poor. Looking at a hammering in Cardiff first up if they’re not massively improved.
Hopefully that’s the last time he is in the sportsground. If the league is going to be taking seriously, can’t have an ex player reffing club he lined out for.
Ah okay. Hopefully just a stinger as he didn't seem to be carrying it awfully bad walking off.
Bolton went well enough. Hansen was on ballboy duty on the sidelines.
All has been written
Awful collectively
2 lineouts won, about 8 lost.
Scrum overall on the back-foot.
Slow support
Handling and passing errors (no friendly excuse, L.I played its 1st friendly and did not make many)
Dominated in most contacts
So poor defence both in organisation and commitment overall (desperate episodic scrumble or kamikaze rush don't count for much)
All that vs bottom of table club (tough they were ok, they weren't Leinster)
21 y.o Prendergast and Bolton are forward and back of the match, really gems yeah.
I didn't get to tune in but in the area of Roscommon that he's from it's pronounced "Mur-ray" (so maybe that's what was said) but elsewhere it's pronounced more like "Mur-ree"
Great to see rugby back.
Thought there were some good individual performances, marmian, prendergast, Oliver and Masterson showed well, scrum held up well when Duggan and aungier were on.
Protecting our ball in contact and lineout were pretty poor. Lineout looked like it lacked any subtlety at all. Poor Ultan had a game to forget but in fairness he usually needs a few games under his belt before he hits form.
I hope we can avoid Frank Murphy for most of the season because I just can't see the game the way he does most of the time and win lose or draw it spoils my enjoyment of the game.
Bolton, though not the fastest, has serious steps and physicality too.
It's more of a collective problem
The pronunciation of Murray was interesting. I was at a loss on that one. It was all fine and good LI playing the ball like a hot potato but on a most basic level the lineout was shocking. Everything else was chaotic but you need to get the basics right. You could argue that Connacht were done out of a couple of tries but really was irrelevant
From the 42, Blade has leg injury, will miss Cardiff trip, should be back for second round. Butler and Boyle had food poisoning which caused late withdrawals from London Irish game. Aki back training this week, won’t be available until round three or four.
Boyle Butler Masterson Prendergast Oliver
pick 3 (4 with bench)
Prendergast 6, Butler 7, Boyle 8, Masterson bench!
Tbh Oliver has consistently outperformed Butler since his arrival. I do think Jarrad deserves a chance to play himself into form however.
Oliver is in form and gets turnovers.
But he's too small and light ... I'd still go with Butler, very consistant if not shinny, and bring more fuel, support around the ball carrier
Are those 2 games the only pre season games for Connacht?
Could do with 1 this weekend too by the looks of things.
Shane Jennings included in sevens squad for World Series in Vancouver this weekend. Only three guys left from Olympics squad they are trying some new people/testing depth.
Not sure what to think about it, I thought he might get some game time on the wing (as centre is stacked) this season but it has helped the development of some such as Hugo Keenan.
Anyway best of luck to him.
Since Fainga left Jarrad has looked very ordinary
Eagles playing Leinster A tomorrow, the Eagles will line out as follows:
15. Oran McNulty
14. Josh O’Connor
13. Peter Sullivan
12. Cathal Forde
11. Mack Hansen
10. Conor Fitzgerald (C)
9. Will Reilly
1. Charlie Ward
2. Dylan Tierney-Martin
3. Greg McGrath
4. Eoin Ryan
5. Fiachna Barrett
6. Jonny Murphy
7. Oisin McCormack
8. Ciaran Booth
Reserves
16. Kolo Kiripati
17. Bart Vermeulen
18. Kacper Palamarczuk
19. Gareth Kilkelly
20. Matthew O’Hara
21. Matthew Devine
22. Darragh Kennedy
23. Declan O’Loughlin
That's hardly the hooker Murphy at 6 is it??
Came to ask the same question. Don't recall there being any other Jonny Murphys?
Rewatched the first half of the London Irish match there after being up at the match last week.
wasnt half as bad as I expected. Line out is still shocking and kills any forward momentum.
with a tmo and a decent ref could have been a different game.
From what I saw Connacht were well and truly hammered never mind the TMO and poor refereeing.
Callow team. A hooker at 6, two u19s in the row, and no sub tighthead. If McGrath is to be 3rd choice loosehead it would have been nice to get him some minutes there during pre season.
u20: Kolo Kiripati, Kacper Palamarczuk, Matthew O'Hara, Matthew Devine, Darragh Kennedy, Declan O'Loughlin
u19: Eoin Ryan, Fiachna Barrett, Gareth Kilkelly
Senior players yet to feature this season:
Denis Buckley
Finlay Bealham
Sam Illo
Leva Fifita
Gavin Thornbury
Sean Masterson
Abraham Papali'i
Caolin Blade
Bundee Aki
Peter Robb
Alex Wootton
Seems that Illo, Fifita, Thornbury, Masterson, Robb, and Wootton may be injured.
That's proving, again, McGrath is NOT moved to LH and Bealham will
that's my guess
Niyi starting for Bristol tonight against Saracens, with Jake Heenan on the bench.
Well except 4-5-6 and bench, that's a team made of (potential) senior players
Hansen, McNulty, Fitzgerald, Tierney, McGrath, even Sullivan and Murphy out of positions will benefit from gametime and be readier if needed, which is the aim of Eagles.
FT | Connacht Eagles 67-7 Leinster Development XV
Dont think too many expected that result!
Leinster had a very young and inexperienced team we had a much stronger team named in fairness. Great result all the same
It's finally game week !!!! We get a team update today don't we ?
Murray Kinsella
@Murray_Kinsella
#Connacht boss Andy Friend says they are close to finalising a deal for a new loosehead prop.
Denis Buckley will sidelined with his knee injury through until the end of the year.
Looking at some of he training photos it looks like Wootton is out anyway
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