Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Agreed ref was v poor. But really can't blame ref when your up by 3 points and win a scrum penalty with 1 min left and still lose

I think if you pull an opposition player by the scrum cap in a melee you run the risk of being penalised. The fact that Connacht were due to have possession makes it all the worse. Big turning point in the game.

Still don't know how Connacht lost that, the lineout crumbled in the 2nd half (did they throw to Prendergast much? He's normally reliable on 2 ball I'd have thought) and they still had chances at the end to close it out, pity

there were many good things (indeed and bad things). I think that Connacht were heavier than Leinster (maybe about 20kg) at the pack-weight. So, They have been winning at scrum times and break downs (Connacht BDwas quit stronger than the opponent). It wasproven that the stabilized scrumage creates the stabilized defence.The HC must think the pack size at first. The persistence to the mobilization and quickness is wrong in current rugby game.

the last throwing by DTM didn't seem crooked in my TV screen. But I wonder that who was the caller. It seemed another easy way to slow to nearer catcher. Muldoon must teach the Line Out skill. In Connacht, it seems no SH coach watching Reilley( v Edinborugh) and Blade last night. Both SHs seemed the slow judjement player.

That loss still really hurts!

One thing that I've noticed that's a real shortcoming for JJ (who I think has been largely excellent for us) is his touch finders from open play and penalties; he just doesn't get enough distance. When we were in attacking positions we always seemed to be 10-15m out rather than 5 and when defending he barely seemed to clear the 22.

On another note- muldoon said last week that he had totally overhauled the line-out as he want other things from it so hopefully thst gets back to the strength it was last year quickly.

The reversed penalty on 35 minutes against SHL was a joke. So it's ok for players to front up, push each other around with arms raised into each other's faces but it is unacceptable that one player touch another players cap. What law of rugby says this? This is all typical rugby argy bargy. Clearly if one player hits another player, this is unacceptable. But who decided that grabbing another's players cap in such a melee is considered a culpable infringement. And this was the basis for the Charlie Ngatai try for Leinster.

So that was my analysis of the first half. But there were worrying signs. The scrum and lineout for Connacht were dominant and yet Leinster had the vast majority of the possession and the territory in the first half. Some of that was based on really poor kicking by JJ for touch but also based on being pushed back on most every move

Poor game management in the final few minutes. They didn't have to win a Scrum penalty just get it out. Then the lineout was thrown to the middle or rear when a simple throw to the front, secure it from the ruck and put it out of play. Leadership in these situations seems to be lacking still. How many times in the past few seasons have we beaten ourselves in the final 15 ?

I must mention Jansens impact at 8. He looks really excellent and adds what we are missing at 8. Hansen it just top drawer and gives so much in attack. Dooley looked really good too apart from the yellow.

so I think this is the Connacht primary issue. I don't think JJ is good enough. Yes he can kick penalties. I think Caolin is the biggest whinger at the scrum and the breakdown. Solve these issues and we have a really good team

Think Joyce is nailed on as captain for next season. He looks a proper leader. Himself and Jansen look to be exactly what was needed to be brought in up front.

Would like to see DTM and McElroy as the first and second choice hookers moving forward. There is the making of a strong pack there.

Too many silly mistakes and moments of madness from individuals. Not too sure how this is fixed.

Totally agree about the distances we get from kicks out of hand - it's a problem off restarts too. Opposition teams regularly clear their lines to almost half way off our restarts, but we never seem to make it beyond about half way between the 22 and 10 meter lines of theirs. Forde seems to be tasked with taking a lot of the kicks off restarts, and it seems to me he COULD get more distance, but often gets the angle wrong and puts it into row Z of the stand. I'm sure it's something they are aware of, and working on.

The bullet to the head was a couple of things. The clearing kicks to touch by JJ were beyond awful. It's called a clearing kick because it relieves pressure. Instead all his kicks put more pressure on Connacht.

While I was critical about a couple of decisions by Busby, I would have to say that Connacht in general did well from his calls.

So then how did we lose this game. And while some might say our lineout was rubbish. Well that's not fair. Our lineout in the first half was 100%. And then in the second half it collapsed.

But in first half and second half there was just one consistent problem. Leinster had all the possession, had all the go forward. So without a doubt they deserved to win the game. The question has to be asked as to why Connacht did not have the same.

What is wrong? But we were fairly beaten by a moderate team