Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Absolutely not. Scarlets is less than poor. Wouldn't even figure in the AIL

Jaysus the ref has just robbed the Scarlets of a try there.

Lucky enough call there I think but we won't complain

Fairly ok performance. Really should have been out of sight by half time. Our attack could benefit from a bit more fixing of guys shoulders, comparing it to the Irish attack (which is a different level but my point of reference) we seem to throw the next pass a fraction too early at times.

Jack aungier has really come on. Great to see

Only player to impress me was Ralston

two horrible performances on the trot.

If Cathal Forde was half the player he was and played for Leinster, there would be no end to the media hype

even our victories involve eating fingernails and calls to cardiology units. Not a good performance, but we endure. Reality is that we will need to find another gear to get the points required for qualification against Treviso, Stormers, and Munster - we're fighting them for our place. Lions will be a challenge as well. Fortunately we'll have Bundee and Mack back for some of those fixtures. Bundee owes us a couple of barnstormers - we see him to do it with great consistency for Ireland of late. Himself and Mack have the magic to get us over the line.

As for today, we made hard work of it. Liked Forde and especially Hawkshaw, Ralston as well. Still not convinced that JJ is maximising the back line.

No one said about Connacht's atacking maul. Have they been taking to train for it?

Would be an awful shame to see Boyle go. And Butler. And Farrell. And Daly. But then again what reason have they got to stay. This Connacht team is a stagnant mess with scrum halves and out halves that would struggle at AIL level. Why would you want to stick with a team that is clearly going nowhere, under a management team that is totally clueless, and selection processes that are a mystery to all.

I have watched Connacht go thru many a losing streak but these wins fill me with total dread on what is to come

+ with Jansen, Gavin, SOB X.0, Devine, we need to give these guys gametime, for the best

What a bizarre take.

I don't see how you can call this Connacht team a stagnant mess if you've been following the team long enough to remember regularly finishing bottom of the Celtic League and almost defacto last regularly in the Pro 12 only finishing ahead of the Italian teams.

• Last 3 seasons: 20/21 = 3rd overall, 21/22 = 11th overall, 22/23 = 7th overall, won QF. We're likely going to qualify for the playoffs again & I wouldn't be surprised if we made a semi in the Challenge Cup given its Lions/Bennetton if we nick it against Pau.
• New stadium on the way while at the same time getting great crowds - there were over 6k at the game this weekend, I'd say Elwood would have fallen off his chair if you'd told him we'd be getting crowds like that back in 08/09.
• We have 2 of the first names on the Irish team sheet in Bundee Aki & Mack Hansen with Prendergast not going to be too far behind them if I was a betting man. A far cry from when we were lucky to have Gavin Duffy in the extended squad.
• The brand of rugby we play is night & day from the earlier years and is great to watch as a fan. You can see the foundations that Pat Lam laid a decade ago in the EDB try from the week, fantastic offloading rugby.

Now that's not to say there's been missteps, off the top of my head the main ones would be:

• We got the post Pat Lam appointment wrong, Kieran Keane set us back a few years, we probably stuck with Friendy a year too long but he was a great coach for youth development, look at how many came through in his time as well as the masterstroke of bringing Mack over. Jury is still on on Wilkins, but you can't judge him on 1 year.
• Jack's contract was a mistake, we knew what we had with him at that point & you just can't have the kicking percentages he has at this level of the game regardless of what he does in open play. OH has been a problem position for us and that's not going to change until Jack's contract runs out. JJ has been decent and a good option to have.
• I can see the rationale behind moving on from Marmion, Bladey was on the bubble of the Irish squad and playing the best rugby of his career. He's hasn't hit those heights & his decision making just hasn't matured to the level of an elite player.

Overall I don't know how you couldn't think that were going in an overwhelmingly positive direction, and important to point out that its on a fraction of the budget that the other 3 have.