Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

How is it that Leinster and Munster have their internationals back but Connacht didn't? Surely that's not a coaching decision.

Story of supporting Connacht for as long as I can remember. so flaky and bow under pressure at the death more than not. Big performance here and there, but this is a stable.

Why don't they have Carty play 10 with someone like Forde or Hawkshaw with all kicking duties. Carty can't kick from hand or at goal and it costs us badly. Also Hawkshaw is not a 13 and that needs to stop. Wilkins is a charlatan and has been out of his depth for some time now. The constant rotation I feel stops the partnerships developing. If it was my choice I'd cut Wilkins and get Carolan back with the existing backroom team. Hes on his 3rd year with Glasgow now. We have a great squad bar the 2 10s and should be offering far more than what currently is being shown.

Always felt the pivotal moment for Connacht rugby happened so many years ago. The signing of Boshoff meaning AJ had to leave as you can't have two NIQs in the same position. And for Boshoff to suddenly feel homesick and leaving. And then spending years on years trying to fit Jack into a position he simply didn't have the overall game for.

Credit to Andy Friend for bringing in so many quality players during his tenure while at the same time this team was harbouring a disfunctional out half and more recently a scrum half would have you pull your hair out with his slow play. An elephant in the room for some time now.

At the same time there are kudos to be provided. Wilkins and Ruane have managed to retain the core of our quality players which is an achievement considering our issues.

Moving forward we will likely see Tiernan pack it in. I see no point in him staying any further. He has seen all the highs and lows so while he is playing great rugby I'm sure he can see there is no point in continuing at Connacht

Likewise there are players like Tom Farrell and Tom Daly at centre who know they need to leave. And I suspect we will see Denis retire also.

Moving forward it would be best to see Forde at 10, Jennings at 15, maybe McDonald at 9. But most of all it would be nice to see some quality coaching.

We are just in a limbo situation at the moment.

Yeah Jack was at his best and his worst. And his worst costs the game

My point is his kicking may have cost the game, so let someone else kick, but also looks at the good aspects jack brings in other areas where he is streets ahead of JJ.

I'd have Forde kick for the rest of the season.

Do you imagine the half empty Dexcom stadium after a few years, then no both Hansen and Predergast would leave Connacht?

Signing as a loosehead I’d assume?

Seriously don't know…

Think he a a great bench player in that he covers so much but at Outside Center when you have Tom Farrell, Ralston, or Tom Daly at 1st and Cathal Forde at 2nd (might be his place in future with Bundee/Gavin inside)

Carty is far better than JJ… Carty at least runs the lines…

Should Hawshaw or Forde be kicking? Maybe but that doesn't make them out halves..

We at least tried to show invention last week but they have gone back a long way since December in attack…

We need a proper passing out half or we better get used to that Lions game… At the momnet we have only one that I can see… Hawshaw is a better passer than JJ IMHO… Forde could be anything but you would have to invest time with him in that position…

We don't have the luxury of picking a Ross Byrne type player at out half a dn getting our pack to pummel them into submission and byt the time our 10 gets it the other team is on the back foot.

We have to be more inventive, we don't even have the pack of the other provinces when at full strength. Just look at the other packs and how many have been called in for International consideration.

So our plan should be a versatile pack that can do the basics and get around the field with a backline with inventiveness and high ball skills, that would be our aim… We ain't South Africa..

The crisis is in signing player who is 32 this summer when you have one that is 32 this summer… JJ was meant to be cover, he had 800 min with Dragons before joining.. What really should have happened is that a young possible future international should have been put in with Jack and they run the team together much like Jack carty devloped under Dan Parks.

Now it looks like we are getting no one… Tector might become available but Ulster will surely be sniffing.. I say row our own canoe… Let's look at Forde at 10… To do that we need cover in centre… So Hugh Gavin would hopefully graduate quickly and hang on to Tom Farrell, he has easyly been our best outside center for a long time and is only 30…

Sorry but Hawshaw struggles to get the line moving at 10 when compared to Jack , he started there 6 times last year… Was still better than JJ..

I feel Wilkins has us sliding this year.. Poor attacking play and team seem apprehensive on the ball..

Carty and JJ are URC level. That's as good as they'll get.

I really like the way he constantly gets involved on both sides of the ball. That being said, his skills are not up to international level just yet and he makes some poor decisions. At the weekend, he identified that there was no scrumhalf in our own 22 so stepped in, passed to a forward, cleared out the tackler himself, and got into the guard position over the ruck. Really diligent and effective play, going beyond what's typically expected of a winger. Then a minute later he dropped a very catchable pass, and those couple of minutes really summed up where he's at currently imo.

Agreed, every game so many mistakes. Yes he has some good moments but his mistakes has lost us so many games. Suggestions he should play and have no kicking duties are crazy.