He is never playing for the kiwis, if he thinks he has a chance they are blowing smoke up his ass to keep him around. NZ dollar is weak so his contract over there wouldn't be anything close to what he could get in Europe.
He looks like a poor mans Rory Scannell id say its will end up like cian kellier playing for Ealing. Connacht should stick with Forde at 10 and hope to get Sam Prendergast in the Academy
Hard to see McCoy leaving ? This season is the only one he didnt play much, which im guessing is injury? and not because he is not getting a contract. He is Irish, 28, 20stone, low money contract.
tietie tuimauga would get a top14 contract or even end up with Moana Pasifika. He has been a great signing
I see Finn Wright was playing with Galwegians, is he on trial ? or has he been signed by Connacht ?
I'm not sure about this signing either, I like Hawkshaw. He looks a fairly decent player and a good running 10/12 but does he have a European level ceiling? I'm not sure, I hope he does but not sure where he fits in the larger picture. Hope he's brilliant and I'm totally wrong.
He is talented! But, we're would he be positioned? He'd be 3rd choice oh. Definitely 3rd choice 12. But, he could make inroads.
NZ dollar is pretty strong at the moment. 1.6 or 1.7 to the euro. Couple of years ago it was 2 or more. But you are right, he could earn a lot more in Europe. Especially France or the UK where the fact he wouldn't be missing for internationals is a plus. From what I hear, he loves the lifestyle in NZ and is pretty settled there. I think it would take big money to get him to move back to Ireland and I don't think Connacht has that. As for playing for NZ, the front row is one area that the ABs aren't settled. I could see him getting a couple of caps but it would probably take a few injuries. After all thats how big Karl got in.
Give him minutes on the field... So many players come to Connacht with a lot of early career promise but get very little minutes at senior level
Hawshaw has only once over 45 min in a URC game and only twice over 26 min... Let's see what he has got...
Some thoughts from the Aussies
https://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/community/threads/aussie-player-exodus.13998/page-242
Connacht now down to 10th in URC as S. African sides flex their muscles at home and climb the table.
I was just wonder if Connacht have a strong presence in North Connacht? First they lost Doris to Leinster and now former Leitrim Minor footballer and hurler Shane Mallon to Leinster. Its rare you see Connacht lose players to Munster or Ulster its mainly Leinster taking their players.
https://www.leitrimobserver.ie/news/rugby/735705/longford-celebrate-ireland-u20-call-up-for-bornacoola-s-shane-mallon.html
Doris went to Blackrock and Mallon went to Roscrea, don't think this has anything to do with poaching from North Connacht clubs, these players would be playing mainly schools rugby and not club while teenagers and that's just the main pathway of players right now being schools onto academies.
Doris's family are from Dublin, and his father went to Blackrock and played rugby there, as he was to do later himself. They moved to Mayo because his father was artist in residence with Mayo county council. Caelan started playing with Ballina but went to Blackrock as a boarder at 12/13. Given this background, and the asymmetry in provincial resources, it should be no surprise that he became part of the Leinster set up, don't think it says anything about the Connacht clubs.
I would be disappointed if they let Tuimauga go, think he's earned himself at least another season. Was his contact duration stated at the time when his signing was announced?
It wasn't officially announced but Friend spoke beforehand about their difficulty finding a loosehead to cover for Buckley's injury, citing the fact that they were only offering a 1 year contract as a factor. So I would imagine he's almost certainly out of contract this summer.
Fair enough, but Tuimauga was only announced in October and arrived in December. If he got a year, it may not be up this summer (unless the contract was for the season rather than the year). Anyway, if Finlay doesn't return next week, maybe we'll see him again at TH against Leinster.
Looks like Ralston is a winger not a 13
I'm rather happy with Farrell and Jennings at 13,
Daly/Forde 12
with Bundee/Bolton covering both
Realistically Bundee won’t be available for large chunks of the year. Farrell has a terrible injury record. Jennings, Forde and bolton Are all 21 and very Unproven at any significant level. Putting a fair bit of pressure on these lads, could produce diamonds though
Mallon played for Longford RFC as a child before boarding in Roscrea, he had the option to play for Connacht underage and opted to play for Leinster.
Presume Bundee, Mack and Bealham won’t be available this weekend. Surely Carty will? would also be great to get Thornbury back
Bealham surely will be available? He only played about 15 minutes at the weekend.
He was involved in the five matches over the last 7 weeks. I’d assume he’d get a week off regardless of minutes clocked up
Team news here
DTM’s chance to push on from the promise he showed at u20 level for the rest of the season
Tuimauga out this week, Delahunt done for the season, and Bealham gets a break. Not looking forward to the scrum on Saturday. The only positive is Thornbury's return.
On a positive note, you might get to see your new loosehead destroy a scrum.
unfortunately leo will probably start ed byrne
Delahunt is the one out not Heffernan
Indeed, brain was melted, will edit.
I wonder could a loan deal for Kevin O'Byrne at Munster wor until the end of the season. He seems to be out of favour and looks like he will be out of contract at the end of the season too.
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