Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

To Carty and Daly's, you can add Heff's crooked thow to concede the scrum which would result in Leinster's first try. At that point we're just a maul and a scrum penalty away from a full house of classic Connacht errors.

So yes, senior players, not all Friend's fault by any means. In addition to not believing that the IRFU will break his contract, I also think he should be given next season - he's got a front row seat to the problems, give him an opportunity to fix them.

As regards Europe: we should have won three out of four of our Champions Cup games but... Instead we're in this nightmare with Leinster. A couple of seasons ago we were winning tight games, that's rare of late.

I think the point the poster was making stands. Friend doesn’t get much credit for Connacht first time reaching the knockout stages when that involved one win out of four. We have had better campaigns previously but 16 out of 24 teams weren’t reaching the knock out stages then.

Most Connacht posters here are supporters who are at every game I would guess and largely realistic about what any coach could do. What’s well below standard is getting hammered by the Dragons at home, conceding 50 points to Edinburgh seconds (given ten internationals away and few injuries) on two occasions, conceding 50 to Leicester 2nds/3rds etc. Nobody expects to win the league.

I don't think the squad is weak or that players have checked out. Their is a lack of depth in areas that need addressing. Th obviously and oh. Carty is a good player but he's too inconsistent and seems to lose focus. I can't see him getting chances with the national team.

The good news is there's a glut of new talent. The incoming players from Leinster will be a plus. Loose head should be fairly good. Tight head is weak. Aungier has not really kicked on. It's not like he hasn't had chances. I still think he could be a good player.

The problems have moved around, and many have been solved. Our lacl of squad depth produced a huge problem at second row a couple of years ago, Murray and Dowling have developed. This season the big concern was at LH, Burke has done well and the feared collapse there didn't materialise. Our maul was leaking tries at a disturbing rate, that has mostly been fixed. Now there are new problems, foremost at TH. Existing defensive weakness in the back three has gotten worse, and in the last couple of games the midfield defence by our centres has been very poor. The latter is a somehwat new issue, as Daly had been doing a good job on that front.

Of course, I feel the frustration and a certain despondency. But I'm dubious about quick fixes based on totemic changes in the coaching team. To return to the issue of leadership, we do need an inspirational figure in the front eight. I don't know that will be delivered by the recruitment at TH. Maybe it can come from within, but Connacht need to keep watching the Edinburgh game until they come up with an answer. There needs to be somebody there who ensures that when **** hits the fan, you don't drop the head and take a backward step.

No argument with that. The decision lists the games for which he will be unavailable, and includes this:

"Connacht v Leinster (April 15 – This may be replaced by World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme)"

https://www.unitedrugby.com/latest/news/disciplinary-decision-tom-daly

What does that mean?

This 'intervention programme' thing is such a load of bollocks.

Practically speaking, assuming Aki is back, it makes no odds to Daly cos he won't be playing against Leinster anyway, but it's still a messed up message.

Going to give a serious answer to the troll post above. Carty has been making those silly mistakes for years. Which is probably why he's never been in contention for a regular spot in Ireland's squad.

The Ian Keatley gambit.

Always been a favourite of mine.

Kieran Keane pissed off far more than players during his short tenure. For whatever reason, maybe it was moving to the other side of the world with no experience of it previously, the person who interviewed and the person who arrived were like two different people by all accounts.

His removal had very little to do with player power, albeit players, along with everyone else involved with Connacht at a day to day level were glad to see him depart.

Some of these excuses for friend are getting very thin….

People need to think before throwing daft stuff out. The notion that the IRFU sanctioned Connacht getting rid of a coach after one season (maybe the only time it’s been done by a province in pro era, one of the few at least) because TOH or anyone else threatened to leave is bizarre.

Anyone know do the Comer brothers have any interest in rugby ;)

https://www.the42.ie/galway-united-comer-brothers-takeover-5726139-Mar2022/

The last couple of games haven't helped alright, a win is badly needed but wont be easy. It will be interesting to see what squad is named for tomorrow.