Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

KBurke85 · 24-02-2023 11:00AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120281894#Comment_120281894

Caolin Blade sit down relax for the weekend Elisa has Jack in their sights now

24-02-2023 11:25AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120282190#Comment_120282190

I think it's more a case of injury woes than late blooming. From day one at Connacht his set piece was excellent and he was stepping up demanding the ball in difficult situations. Whenever we keep him fit for four or five games he starts looking like he deserves an international call up.

Based on the media reports La Rochelle signed Donncha Ryan on a three year contract so he's not available until next Summer. ROG will likely be able to offer a good deal to retain then.

I wouldn't want Felix Jones in our coaching team. All of his coaching experience has been in teams with a South African game plan. We don't have the squad to play a highly prescriptive power oriented game.

StevenToast · 24-02-2023 02:08PM

Very sad news about Tom Tierney.

RIP.

ElisaAtWar · 24-02-2023 06:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120283461#Comment_120283461

Way too young. RIP

ElisaAtWar · 24-02-2023 06:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120282606#Comment_120282606

Tend to rotate between them KBurke,😂

awec · 25-02-2023 02:02PM

Mod Note: There is an update to the forum charter. Please read it here:

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120286849/#Comment_120286849

ElisaAtWar · 25-02-2023 05:24PM

Delighted for Mack Hansen getting MOTM. That said Keenan is such a class full back and James Lowe was everywhere. Was concerned about 9 , 10, 12 and 13. Thought Ross Byrne stood up really well but I always wondered about how well the rest would do and to be honest I didn't think they did that great. While Finlay was great, Tom O'Toole is not shabby. So a lot learnt

AccidentallyOnside · 25-02-2023 06:28PM

Big result for ulster today, that could drag sharks back into thr fight with us.

They finish the season at home to munster so if we're still in the fight then we've got a chance.

ElisaAtWar · 25-02-2023 08:02PM

After watching Ireland vs Italy, then you watch Wales vs England. And it's legacy rugby. That is what we all watched happily for years. How things have changed. That Welsh English game was rubbish in comparison today. Would like to see the same coaching integrated into our provinces (other than Leinster who already play delightful rugby)

connachta · 25-02-2023 08:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120287939#Comment_120287939

Thank you Ulster

We need IMO 16 to 17 points now.

Win next 3 (Dragons away Embra/Cardiff home) with TBP or we don't deserve Champions Cup anyway

Then 1 or 2 points in Glasgow, not the easiest but more likely than a win that would have been needed without this Sharks defeat.

OR Munster wins on last day in Durban, then this point would not be necessary!

realhorrorshow · 26-02-2023 06:49PM

Loosehead

Denis Buckley (33) - Signed 2 + 1 year contract in 2023

Matthew Burke (26) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Peter Dooley (29) - Signed contract in 2022

Jordan Duggan (25) - Signed 1 year contract in 2023

Oisin Michel (21) - Academy year 1

Charlie Ward (23) - Academy year 3

Tighthead

Jack Aungier (24) - Signed contract in 2022

Finlay Bealham (31) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Sam Illo (22) - Signed 2 year contract in 2023

Dominic Robertson-McCoy (29) - Signed 1 year contract in 2022

Hooker

Eoin De Buitléar (21) - Signed 2 year contract in 2023

Shane Delahunt (29) - Signed contract in 2021

Dave Heffernan (32) - Signed 2 year contract in 2023

Dylan Tierney-Martin (24) - Signed 3 year contract in 2023

Lock

Oisin Dowling (26) - Signed contract in 2022

Leva Fifita (34) - Signed contract in 2021

Joe Joyce (29) - Signed contract in 2023

Darragh Murray (22) - Signed contract in 2022

Niall Murray (23) - Signed 2 year contract in 2023

Gavin Thornbury (29) - Signed 1 year contract in 2023

Back row

Ciaran Booth (23) - Signed contract in 2022

Paul Boyle (26) - Signed contract in 2021

Jarrad Butler (32) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Shamus Hurley-Langton (23) - Signed contract in 2022

Sean Masterson (25) - Signed contract in 2021

Oisin McCormack (22) - Signed contract in 2022

Josh Murphy (28) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Conor Oliver (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Cian Prendergast (23) - Signed 3 year contract in 2022

Donnacha Byrne (22) - Academy year 3

John Forde (20) - Academy year 1

Scrumhalf

Caolin Blade (29) - Signed 3 year contract in 2023

Kieran Marmion (31) - Signed 3 year contract in 2020

Colm Reilly (24) - Signed contract in 2021

Matthew Devine (21) - Academy year 1

Will Reilly (u23) - Academy year 2

Outhalf

Jack Carty (31) - Signed 3 year contract in 2022

Conor Fitzgerald (25) - Signed contract in 2021

Harry West (20) - Academy year 1

Centre

Bundee Aki (33) - Signed 3 year central contract in 2020

Shayne Bolton (23) - Signed contract in 2021

Tom Daly (30) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Tom Farrell (29) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Cathal Forde (21) - Signed contract in 2022

David Hawkshaw (24) - Signed 2 year contract in 2023

Byron Ralston (23) - Signed contract in 2022

John Devine (u21) - Academy year 1

Hugh Gavin (u20) - Academy year 1

Daniel Hawkshaw (21) - Academy year 1

Back 3

Adam Byrne (28) - Signed contract in 2022

Mack Hansen (25) - Signed 3 year contract in 2022

Shane Jennings (22) - Signed contract in 2022

Diarmuid Kilgallen (23) - Signed contract in 2022

Oran McNulty (23) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Tiernan O'Halloran (32) - Signed 1 year contract in 2022

John Porch (29) - Signed 2 year contract in 2023

Alex Wootton (29) - Signed contract in 2021

Shane Mallon (21) - Academy year 1

Chay Mullins (21) - Academy year 1

Josh O'Connor (22) - Academy year 2

*ages as at 01/09/2023

IN: Joe Joyce (Lock, Bristol Bears)

OUT: Grant Stewart (Hooker, TBC)

26-02-2023 06:56PM

https://twitter.com/joenaconnacht/status/1629885371109580801?s=46&t=Zgq0pnJB0CmJtevPCmZC2g

Seems like an odd move but must have to cut wage bill.

realhorrorshow · 26-02-2023 07:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120291311#Comment_120291311

Oh dear. Matthew Devine will only be 23 in two years, horrible decision if true imo.

"Preference is completely going with home grown players" - no way this can be true, would be utterly deluded to expect more than 15-20 Connacht born players in the squad at any time. Picking up the likes of Marmion, Bealham, Boyle, Prendergast etc. at 19-20 has been incredibly fruitful for us I have no idea why we would turn our back on that now. Kieran has over 200 caps and been with us for 11 years, he's as Connacht as it gets.

26-02-2023 07:11PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120291354#Comment_120291354

Yea, that reason makes no sense. There since 19 is homegrown imo.

I think that’s a sloppy reason to justify a decision that is based on reducing wages.

connachta · 26-02-2023 07:34PM

Reilly + Devine are enough behind very good Blade.

We have to (finally) put money on a n°8, 10, hooker (for Delahunt) and back-3 (for Wootton and TOH)

Cosmo Kramer · 26-02-2023 07:40PM

Would Marmion be eligible for Wales next year under that mad new three year rule thing that makes Cooney eligible for Scotland now? Looking at the state of them and Tomos Williams' performance yesterday it's maybe not beyond possibility that he could end up picking up a few Wales caps before his career ends.

26-02-2023 07:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120291468#Comment_120291468

I saw somewhere that delahunt might be gone too.

macslash · 26-02-2023 08:47PM

Would be very hopeful that that is not true. Madness if so.

If Delahunt goes it wouldn't be the end of the world in my opinion. Have good options there with DTM and Heff, and De Buitlear looked good last week. I'd be devastated if Marmion goes though, especially with that reasoning.

testtech05 · 26-02-2023 09:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120291776#Comment_120291776

100% agree with all of this.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 26-02-2023 09:27PM

If Marmion leaves Connacht I hope its for a payday elsewhere. I feel like his profile has fallen over the last 3 years so I doubt that Connacht would be offering a big pay rise.

To a certain extent I feel like Marmion was hoping for a return to international rugby last time he renewed his contract.

If you think that you can make it into the Ireland squad you may feel like their pay is 150K more than their contract. 150K is about right for appearance money and win bonuses for an Irish international in an average year where we aren't particularly good.

Now I feel that he doesn't have a real chance of return to the Ireland squad so he has to be accepting his Connacht contract as total renumeration.

realhorrorshow · 26-02-2023 09:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120291494#Comment_120291494

As far as I can tell, he would be eligible under World Rugby regulations but Wales wouldn't pick him due to their self imposed 25 cap rule.

Edit: although I think there's an exemption to that rule if the player has not been offered a WRU contract.

kita99 · 26-02-2023 10:24PM

Marmion is even now very impressive SH in Ireland. If there is some problem, it's that he looks don't like a box kick. Maybe it's by his belief. On the other hand,I wander that Connacht wouldn't use M.Devine.I think he will become Irish Dupont (too much praising?) in near future. His pass, kick and run all superb. Is it some problem with him?

Cosmo Kramer · 26-02-2023 10:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120291991#Comment_120291991

The 25 cap thing wouldn't actually be an issue for the length of his first contract outside Wales after being called up. The same way Rees-Zammit has been playing away for them for a few years.

Anyway it probably won't happen, I just find it interesting that he's probably eligible despite all his Ireland caps.

26-02-2023 11:03PM

If Marmion is confirmed on a longer and better contract elsewhere then I wish him all the best. He's been a brilliant servant for the club and probably has two decent contracts left in him if he stays fit. Ideally we'd have kept him another season to shepherd through Reilly and hopefully then Devine, but he's too good a player to just retain with a simple one year extension.

The rumour mill seemed to be Declan Moore in from Ulster with Delahunt unfortunately leaving. Nothing stronger than rumour, but the emergence of Tom Stewart has left him a distant fourth choice with almost no minutes before Ulster even look in their academy for next year. The IRFU may want another chance for their project. I'd have preferred to keep Delahunt if that's the case.

Wegians89 · 27-02-2023 08:22AM

Marmion would also be able to play for England I believe?

Wegians89 · 27-02-2023 08:25AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120292306#Comment_120292306

Moore would make sense, Heff is down the pecking order internationally again with Stewart coming through and DTM would be a clear second choice

serfboard · 27-02-2023 05:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120279637#Comment_120279637

"I'm sure there are" is fact-free statement based off no information other than your own wishes.

You're right in that there are opportunities in Connacht as both Warren Gatland and Pat Lam discovered. However, any prospective coaches would need to pass the four tests of a having good track record, as well as being interested, available and affordable. I don't know how many of these people are out there, and I doubt you do either. And maybe after you apply those filters you end up with ... Pete Wilkins.

Now, you could be right, and it may have been or laziness, or a "go with the one you know" attitude that got Pete Wilkins the job, but you can't know that for certain.

ClanofLams · 27-02-2023 06:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120294751#Comment_120294751

Pete Wilkins has the weakest cv of any coach appointed in decades. I noted the calibre of previous head coaches who had head coaching super rugby experience/premiership/international 7s, etc

The Connacht job is now significantly more attractive that it was when those were appointed, there has been improvements in facilities and planned in stadium, budget is bigger leading to more competitive squads and relatively recent success (obviously unlikely to be repeated but shows potential at challenge cup level/make the league playoffs), there is stability in Irish rugby unlike every other country bar France where the are significant financial concerns for most teams.

The idea that Pete Wilkins was the best candidate in this light defies all known logic.

ElisaAtWar · 27-02-2023 08:54PM

I know I get repetitive but the loss of Marmion is simply bad news and yet not unexpected. If you take the recent Zebre game you begin to understand that neither Blade or Carty can manage a game. It was only when Marmion came on that some sanity returned to the game.

But he has been second choice to a player he should be first choice to for far too long. So I wish him well and have no doubts he will be treated better elsewhere

ElisaAtWar · 27-02-2023 09:06PM

And on other matters Jack has been a 7 year experiment that has failed. How much longer must we continue this. At some point do you call a spade a spade or believe it's not a spade

Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Comments