Injury info here. Thornbury out long term with a shoulder injury
Great great news about LH prop!
Not good for Thornbury but Dowling looks fit.
I'd have no SH on the bench in the situation, and put Healy in n°21 for 2 games before Caolin is back
Marmion can play 80 and Matt will provide cover only if needed
Seems like a big list already. Good opportunity for Murray and Dowling and the Academy sh,s.
Training must be hot and heavy.
So something like:
Hooker could go either way, Delahunt had serious wobbles at the lineout against Irish but was great all last season. Not a great balance in the second row but we don't have much in the line of tighthead locks available. It's likely that one or both of Masterson and Butler will start for leadership, but I went with the form players in the backrow. The coaches will obviously have a good read on whether Farrell is ready to start but I've conservatively opted to ease him in from the bench. Hard to call the back 3, think it's Porch + Wootton + another but with Wootton injured it's wide open.
Loosehead
Denis Buckley (31) - Signed contract in 2021
Matthew Burke (24) - Signed contract in 2021
Jordan Duggan (23) - Signed contract in 2021
Charlie Ward (21) - Academy year 2
Tighthead
Jack Aungier (22) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Finlay Bealham (30) - Signed contract in 2021
Sam Illo (20) - Signed 2 year contract in 2021
Greg McGrath (24) - Signed contract in 2021
Dominic Robertson-McCoy (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Hooker
Shane Delahunt (27) - Signed contract in 2021
Dave Heffernan (30) - Signed contract in 2021
Jonny Murphy (29) - Signed contract in 2021
Dylan Tierney-Martin (22) - Signed contract in 2021
Declan Adamson (22) - Academy year 3
Eoin De Buitléar (19) - Academy year 2
Lock
Ultan Dillane (27) - Signed contract in 2021
Oisin Dowling (24) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Leva Fifita (32) - Signed contract in 2021
Niall Murray (21) - Signed contract in 2021
Gavin Thornbury (27) - Signed contract in 2021
Darragh Murray (20) - Academy year 2
Back row
Paul Boyle (24) - Signed contract in 2021
Jarrad Butler (30) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Eoghan Masterson (28) - Signed contract in 2021
Sean Masterson (23) - Signed contract in 2021
Conor Oliver (25) - Signed contract in 2021
Abraham Papali’i (28) - Signed contract in 2021
Cian Prendergast (21) - Signed contract in 2021
Ciaran Booth (21) - Academy year 2
Donnacha Byrne (20) - Academy year 2
Oisin McCormack (20) - Academy year 3
Scrumhalf
Caolin Blade (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Kieran Marmion (29) - Signed 3 year contract in 2020
Colm Reilly (22) - Signed contract in 2021
Will Reilly (u21) - Academy year 1
Outhalf
Jack Carty (29) - Signed contract in 2021
Conor Fitzgerald (23) - Signed contract in 2021
Cathal Forde (19) - Academy year 2
Centre
Bundee Aki (31) - Signed 3 year central contract in 2020
Sammy Arnold (25) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Shayne Bolton (21) - Signed contract in 2021
Tom Daly (28) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Tom Farrell (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Peter Robb (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Shane Jennings (20) - Academy year 3
Back 3
Mack Hansen (23) - Signed 2 year contract in 2021
Matt Healy (32) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Oran McNulty (21) - Signed contract in 2021
Ben O'Donnell (26) - Signed contract in 2020
Tiernan O'Halloran (30) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
John Porch (27) - Signed contract in 2021
Peter Sullivan (23) - Signed contract in 2021
Alex Wootton (27) - Signed contract in 2021
Diarmuid Kilgallen (21) - Academy year 2
Josh O'Connor (20) - Academy year 1
Bolton may be the surprise call for 23 at least
Seems a powerful runner but I thought he was caught out quite badly in defence a couple of times vs Irish.
May need time to overcome a really good pairing like Farrell/Daly, but Sam Arnold is, yes for now maybe more cohesive, but not more talented IMO
I don't really understand why loosehead signing took so long, but hopefully it's a very experienced player. I see media reporting that Butler will be "club" captain but may not always captain the team when playing as they want to develop younger leaders, seems unusual.
Squad looks shallow enough already even with loosehead incoming, will likely need academy players to step up very often this season.
Seems it was difficult because they were only offering a one year deal. Not sure why, even with Buckley back we could still use another quality option beyond this season.
Kind of excited for this season, think it’ll go better than most expect. Oisin McCormack could be one to surprise a few this year
Things are certainly looking brighter with the news that a loosehead is incoming. I too am excited about McCormack especially becasue that seven jersey is up for grabs. Hoping that Cathal Forde get a good crack at the first team as well.
looks like Forde is being lined up as a 12, he’d have a much easier path at 10
Looking forward to the season, but my levels of expectation are very low. Losing Quinn was a big blow, but to start the season with those injuries, especially to Thornbury is a huge concern. I can see us getting bullied quite badly unfortunately, but obviously hope I'm wrong.
https://www.connachtrugby.ie/aviva-stadium-to-host-urc-interpro-between-connacht-and-ulster/
Sure you were never a fan of Quins. You used call him a penalty machine from the Clan Terrace
Very undecided on this.
Would be a great day out, but unfortunately, it won't suit a huge amount of fans.
I imagine there's a push from the IRFU to do it. Will increase the profits, definitely.
I'm not impressed at all. Extra cost and time of getting to the Aviva and losing a home game.
I think I agree with you to be honest, it wont suit me to travel to it due to family commitments and I am not sure would I have made it had the game been left in Galway but there was a better chance.
Obviously its great for any fans outside the province but essentially losing a home game in what looks like being a tough season is a big risk.
Hopefully we get a win and make loads of money :)
Not a fan of that. Have family around that weekend and we were all planning on heading to the game at the sportsground. Not going to bother heading up to Dublin for a “home” game.
Also it is first home inter-pro with fans in god knows how long and will be the first with full capacity since February 2020 and they go moving it out of the SG?!
Seem to be aiming for 20/30k at game so seems like a numbers game. Wonder are are expecting a fair few neutrals in that figure. Talk of a change in kick off time but seems to be the same as far as I can see?
Sucks to lose a home game but I imagine this is a revenue generating decision from the IRFU on the back of lost profits from the last 18 months. Will be interesting to see if it's a one off or will all the other provinces lose a home game at some point during the season.
provinces have the option to use lansdowne if they wish, connacht have taken up the offer, as have leinster.
Think it's also timing of restrictions and game. If easing of restrictions are delayed (which is unlikely) could be 50% capacity so difference between 4k in Sportsground and 25k in Lansdowne Road.
Leinster host their home games in Dublin, they moving their game/s to the Avivia has no little or no impact for fans. Any other Irish province moving there will have an impact on fans travelling from their home province, obviously, this game will suit fans based in Dublin.
Who said differently? Connacht have decided to take the potential big payday in dublin overplaying in galway.
Connacht fans have proven more than capable of making any neutral ground their own in the past. Also let's not forget the result the last time the two met in the aviva...
Have to laugh at everyone dying to see Connacht play again, but not if they have to travel a wee bit up the road to do it. Put your big boy pants on, hop in the car/bus/train and go turn the Aviva green...
If it helps the province shore up the coffers after a long period of severely reduced income, all the better.
Only about 45mins additional travel time for fans from Sligo. Not too bad
Also let’s not forget that the last time we played them in the Aviva there were no fans so that result is irrelevant. Ulster fans will significantly outnumber Connacht fans. This has more than halved their journey for the match when most Connacht are having to travel 2 and a half hours.
Plus it’s not as simple as just telling people to head up to Dublin and get over it. I have family visiting from abroad that weekend and we all planned to go to the game. We won’t be now as going to it would take up so much of their time when they are back. They are expecting people from Connacht to travel to Dublin in the middle of a bank holiday weekend for what was supposed to be a home game.
I think this decision actually shows a serious lack of ambition too. We are giving up home advantage and therefore reducing our chances of reaching the play-offs. Why would you do that if you have aspirations to get there?
Finally, I think the financial benefit of this is being over estimated. I don’t think there will be more than 20k at this. Possibly closer to 15k. They could have sold out the SG at 8k. Is the difference really worth it?
The reaction to this has been more negative than positive so I know I am not the only one that feels this way.
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