Think it’s fair to say it would be disappointing not to pick up three wins in the next 4 games also. Three wins would give 56%
Looking at the tables for the URC, Pro 14, Pro 12 and Celtic League going back to 2010, this is how Connacht have fared:
Apart from the 16-17 season, there was no great past that supporters can look to - and for this season we are currently bang on our average for the past two years, with our long-term average at 44% and our average since 15-16 of 48%.
Between playing population, supporting population and consequent effects on budgets, I'm not sure where people think we should be, or where these amazing unemployed coaches are.
The possibility for connacht will get above 7th place is narrow way,but it's not no way,so They must fight remaining match desperately. Now it is limited time and ability,so they must do the scrum -work in as possible as long hours every day. It looks that the defence at unstructural situations is poor hand (or inept) for them, and it cannot be improved in the short time.They can only get rid off I it. I think strong -scrum Connacht may win to even Glasgow at away from the home. Scrum,Scrum,Scrum.Maybe after that super hard work,Sam IIlo etc will become very strong player. In his era of Japanese coach,Eddy Jones implements 9 opponents scrum training for small size Japan FW.Such an idea is necessary for Conncht.
And on review of the Zebre game, when Marmion came on things finally became a bit normal
Confirmed. Wilkins head coach. Just lovely.
I'm not at all excited by the appointment but he has the job now. Priority should shift to getting three good coaches in to replace Friend, Lawlor, and Senekal. Andy Friend should spend his remaining time as DoR helping Wilkins get the appointments he wants and the squad members he needs. I'm fine with it being a three year deal. Now that the choice has been made we need to try to build some stability of coaching and game plan. We've been chopping and changing for years now.
The reason I'm not excited about Wilkins getting the appointment is that we have very little indication that he's the coach who's going to bring the improvements that will give us a consistent game plan that will help us push on. He's been senior coach, then defacto head coach in a setup that's hasn't produced results. We rebuilt our attack and defense multiple times in two seasons while he had a large share of the responsibility. Wilkins does deserve some credit for our improved defense this season and based on Friend's comments our improved attack part way through the season. We've failed to establish any consistency, have rotated the squad in a way that didn't build combinations, we regularly start games poorly, and we are vulnerable to mid/late game collapses. I also think we've failed to turn up in key games multiple times.
I don't expect us to be top of the league, but I do think we should be higher up the league directly in the hunt for a Champions Cup qualification, and nailed on for a home path in the Challenge Cup, Hopefully I'll be proven totally wrong. Maybe Wilkins will have learned what's needed through the difficult times and build a coherent consistent game plan that gets us there. Friend's era developed us a pretty decent squad but I don't think it did enough with it.
Seems like a nice man but to me this is a terrible decision.
I think this squad has potential with a couple of additions but I don't see it being realised under this coach. Senekal leaving is a big loss too.
With a new coach you have to give them time but he's been around a long time and had a trial run this season and to me this season has been average at best despite the squad improving.
I don't think we've had any game this year that you could be happy with the control we had and no big results really.
Munster were in bad shape when we beat them. The other victories would be expected and there were lots of wins against 2nd string sides.
Our attack has been laboured and its only improvements in the forwards that have helped us get some ball to work off. The tendency to collapse in games and not show up when needed is still there and shows up with alarming regularity.
The two defining games of our season were Newcastle away and Ulster at home and both were horrible performances.
Everything about the Newcastle game was unforgivable and still angers me. We effectively blew our chances for the season through poor squad selection and this was compounded by a completely brainless opening 20 minutes where we gifted Newcastle the game through a series of idiotic penalties.
You'd have to wonder where this leaves Bundee too.
I don't think this appointment will have people flooding in to renew their season tickets.
A three year contract annoys me too the more I think about it. Let's be real here, it's not like Wilkins was getting head coaching offers from any comparable team. Connacht were in the driving lane as regards negotiations obviously. He is already in a senior position, two years would have been plenty. If there's marked improvement next year could have been extended. If they end up having to pay the six month redundancy after two seasons, will be more money pissed up against the wall.
You consider the calibre of our the three previous head coaches
Pat Lam was a heineken cup winning captain as a player, assistant coach experience at international level, head coach of Auckland and the Blues in Super Rugby.
Despite how it went, Kieran Keane had a lifetime of experience, was highly regarded to the extent that Warren Gatland offered him attacks coach on the 2017 lions tour.
Andy Friend head coach of Harlequins in the premiership, head coach of Brumbies in Super rugby, Australia 7s coach.
After appointments with that level of quality and experience, now it is Pete Wilkins who Edinburgh opted to remove as defence coach in 2017 and has since been part of a set up at Connacht that has made par at best.
Looks like they had already decided on Wilkins from a long way out. I'd say it was only a pretence that they were casting their head coaching net far and wide. Look, I hope he does very well. I think a lot will depend on how the other coaching positions are filled around him. Doesn't look like there is going to be a director of rugby over him so he's going to have a lot of power. I can understand the misgivings though. It looks like the cheap and easy option from Connacht. Have to give him a chance though.
I certainly wasn't impressed by our defence under Wilkins at the time, but it got a lot worse when he handed it over to Colm Tucker. Points conceded per regular season league game:
20/21: 23.14
21/22: 27.89
22/23: 23.71
Obviously it's a simplistic metric but I think it's a useful one when it shows such a clear pattern. We conceded over 20% more points when Tucker took over, before Wilkins re-took responsibility this season and almost entirely arrested that trend. I'm not saying he's the right choice, I don't know if he is or not, I just think a huge portion of the fanbase is bizarrely unwilling to give him any credit whatsoever.
Thank you
Champain
Main issue for me is it will make me suffer to support Cardiff in Challenge Cup, but it's for the cause, then
Same if Scarlets win Challenge Cup EVEN if Scarlets finish ahaed of them in the league?
No.
Sorry I'll read it in detail when less tired but let's make it simple with Connacht (long-time) ennemy : Cardiff
We finish 8th. Cardiff finish 9th. Cardiff wins Challenge Cup
Do Scarlets/Ospreys (10th/11th) steal us the qualifying spot by Shield or not?
We'll never know but i'd wager a fair amount of cash it was two interviews done over zoom to check the box.
Such a poor appointment but i suppose it was on the cards when he travelled to New Zealand last year. I suspect there was a push from the IRFU. I really hope there are other decent coaches coming in.
Bernard Jackman and Murray Kinsella specifically commented on how unusual it was that virtually no names had leaked to the press etc during this Connacht process on the 42's member's podcast. Jackman speculated that based on that fact alone he reckoned it would be Wilkins.
FFS so much agree with Newcastle stupid selection
Historically there has been plenty of speculation around the Connacht head coaching position, the media had the full six name shortlist before Lam was appointed, as I recall at least one of the others turned the position down thankfully. Likewise before Keane and Friend appointments, there was speculation. The absolute radio silence on it this time and the frequent hints/suggestions that it was a done deal on podcasts, off the ball etc by journos suggest the "thorough" recruitment process was minimal at best.
He's been an integral part of the coaching structure that has done nothing to address repeated errors - restarts, allowing huge leads to slip, getting hammerings away to second string sides (not this season but to be fair I don't think Connacht have played a second string side away yet, bar perhaps Zebre whose first team hadn't won in twelve games or whatever is and Connacht came pretty close to ending that run against Zebre seconds).
That's without mentioning the absolute ridiculous decision making process that led to Connacht not going full strength v Newcastle. A game that should have secured a home European knockout minimum, had the potential to secure an all home pathway to a European final, the biggest game of the season and Connacht don't go all guns blazing, don't even secure a losing bonus point to get home last 16. That game alone should have been more than enough to herald the end of this coaching ticket.
Is it normal for the rejected candidates to be public knowledge? I think Friend mentioned two others.
We are renovating our stadium, and bringing through a potential golden generation of homegrown talent, supplanted with players from other provinces far above the level we used to bring in. What more do you want? What do you expect from a head coach that you think Wilkins cannot deliver?
I guess it doesn't make much difference assuming the six month clause is still in IRFU contracts but on what basis is he is being given a three year contract exactly...surely two would be plenty for first time head coach.
Thought the main issues facing Connacht were in the coaching box but as time goes on, hard not to consider Executives there a problem too. Appear content to drift along, lacking any desire to really improve, don't rock the boat as long as the wages are being lodged.
Lack of transparency around the interview process suggests there wasn't too many interviews done, media would surely have named candidates had there been.
Very bad day for Connacht.
Since taking over as head coach, we have a winning record despite completely restructuring the coaching ticket extremely close to the start of the season. All while blooding the young players who will hopefully be the backbone of the province for years to come, and improving our defence hugely from the mess of 21/22. Imo we are winning the games we should win, and suffering from having probably the toughest fixture list in the URC. We are about where we should be considering our playing pool, budget, etc. As the likes of the Murrays, Cathal Forde, etc. enter their mid to late twenties I hope we can become a top 4/6 team again, but we are not there yet.
We do definitely need to get the rest of our coaching appointments right, especially Senekaal's replacement. Overall I'm cautiously optimistic.
Weakest appointment Connacht have made in decades. Terrible sign for the province..
Screw it. I was unhappy when Andy Farrell got the Irish job, and he has proven me wrong. Going to give Wilkins the benefit of doubt. He's signed for 3 years. Might as well get behind him
It's probably the least exciting announcement that could have happened today (especially with rumours of potentially Carolan returning or someone like that), but simultaneously seemed the likeliest for the past few weeks.
Will be interesting to see who they put around him.
https://www.connachtrugby.ie/news/pete-wilkins-named-connacht-rugby-head-coach/bp2450/
I’d have thought similarly but dowling seems to have been lining out at 6 when ever he has played (not too often)
Right now I'm wondering who "they" are going to be? 😆 It's looking like we'll be retaining a maximum of two of our five coaches.
I see Dowling as a second row.
I think Josh Murphy will remain a utility lock / blindside next season unless reduced squad size and injuries leave us short in either position. I feel like we haven't gotten the best out of him this season and maybe a settled position might help.
Wonder where they see dowling and josh murphys futures
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