We must ensure Tom Farrell stays.
Starts the next few matches and stays !!
I think we'll nick it against Benetton/Italy, they're not that good even with the internationals back.
Away win in France, not to be sneezed at😄 Well done. Onwards and upwards now from here.
Masterchefs to run catering and bars in new stadium when its completed
https://www.connachtrugby.ie/news/connacht-rugby-agree-stadium-catering-contract-with-master-chefs/bp2966/
MIke Adamson announced as ref for next weekend
There will be no fear going to Benetton and hopefully the team is out for revenge after the last game.
Not sure where this is going to bring us but let's see. I agree with Zeugnis when he says that negativity does not breed positivity.
I enjoyed the game, enjoyed the Bolton Jennings axis with TOH in control.
Still I'm reluctant to say how this will end.
Coaching has been shocking and I'm reluctant to say they can get a freebee on the basis of this performance
If the personnel from the Pau game is all available for Treviso, we should beat them. It was only a basic defensive lapse that cost us the last game against them.
Good luck with that, he's a very poor ref.
Agreed but hopefully equally poor for both sides I suppose is all we can hope for.....
Where has the tom Farrell leaving rumours come from? Been out of the loop on that one?
I do find it mystifying that Mike Adamson is still making the grade. Him being involved automatically makes this a poorer game. He's one referee who is guaranteed to frustrate both sides. As long as Frank Murphy isn't the ref I don't get too bothered about it either way though.
Personally I haven't seen any rumours from decent sources but was more thinking it may be on the cards due to the way he hasnt been selected much this season bar an odd game here and there usually followed by a long gap until we see him (granted it could be injury related when we dont get many updates now about those) while we have been trying to shoehorn others (mainly Hawkshaw recently) into the 13 jersey. Hopefully regardless of his contract status after last weekend he is fit to start this weekend as our attack functions so much better when he is at 13.
Agreed - it's cup rugby, pick your strongest team. If the coaches are convinced Hawkshaw can be a starter at 13 in the future I understand the need to get him gametime there, but that can be done the following two weeks against Zebre and Dragons. I would go for something like the below for Benetton, making some guesses around injuries:
15-9, 1-8: O'Halloran, Jennings, Farrell, Aki, Smith, Hanrahan, Blade; Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham, N Murray, Joyce, Prendergast, Hurley-Langton, Boyle
16-23: McElroy, Dooley, Aungier, D Murray, Oliver, Jansen, Reilly, Forde
I actually prefer Carty to Hanrahan in general but the thought the latter had one of his better games for us at the weekend and goalkicking could be crucial in what's likely to be a tight game. McElroy and Dooley have disappeared the past few weeks but I'm not aware of either being injured.
Is Bolton unlikely to be available? I know he went off injured. Missed what happened. If he were fit I think himself and Jennings deserve to be retained
looks like he injured his hamstring
Bolton, sadly seems to be the new Robb
Squad update:
Butler is undergoing RTP and won't be available
Bolton and Aungier are unavailable this week
McDonald and Killgallen both had surgery last week, McDonald should be available late May, Killgallen won't be available again this season
Jansen and Dowling should be available next week for Zebre
Hansen and Ralson should be back for Dragons game at the end of April
Cordero still on track to be available at the end of May
does this update suggest Boyle and SOB avairable this week-end? If that is the case very good. And I hope to see Devine (who was not used at Pau match) this week-end.
Neither SOB or Boyle were mentioned so I assume they are available but it hasn't been confirmed
with Bolton unavailable wouldn't mind seeing Jennings and Porch on the wings. Porch must be bursting for an opportunity at the moment
Divine signs his first pro contract,no specified length
Benetton hooker Nicotera has received a 3 week ban and will miss this week's game
Great news on Devine, fully expect him to be the long term first choice 9. Hopefully he sees plenty of game time for the rest on this season. Would look to start him against zebre.
Good news. Academy players are in a bit of a tough spot, if they're not getting senior minutes and there's no A games, how are they going to earn pro contracts? It's worked out for Devine, he's clearly a top tier prospect and homegrown too. The likes of O'Connor, Ward, Hawkshaw, Mallon etc. are really up against it though imo.
Pro Deal for Gavin too. Interesting piece at the end about integration of the academy players. Perform well in training and that will help earn your pro deal.
https://www.connachtrugby.ie/news/hugh-gavin-to-join-pro-ranks-next-season/bp2973/
Good spin on "we're now integrating our academy players in training in the same way Leinster have for years, except ours don't get any first team minutes and play in much lower levels of the AIL".
They'll get games because we'll let the likes of Farrell and Daly go - and honestly that's how it should be. You have to give talents like Devine/Gavin a chance.
Well surely they should get the chance before we let, for example, Farrell go?
I don't know why we do this. When Sean O'Brien left for Exeter, after a string of good performances at outside centre, one of the explanations offered was 'by the time we'd seen what he could do, he'd already been released.' O'Brien didn't get his first senior cap until December of that season.
I'm enthusiastic about both Devine and Gavin, but the latter still hasn't been capped and Devine has had five minutes on the wing. Is it really impossible for our stronger selections against weaker teams to be leavened with an Academy player so that they can get the experience and we can get a look at them? It suggests a lack of confidence in them, to be honest.
Now that I've got that out of my system, congratulations to the two lads, I'm delighted they're on board.
I suppose that's a luxury of being a dominant side in the league. Leinster tend to have a bit of a points buffer so they can afford to give guys more exposure. Both within a given match and in terms of league league points. For Connacht points are a bit harder won so it's a more dangerous game. The risk of a guy not working out or having a nervy first game could make the difference between making the last 8 or not for Connacht.
Then of course it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy where not exposing guys means you lose some or are forced to use more of them during an injury crisis or something.
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://wa.vanillicon.com/v2/ad289898c0c6dda7e667bf900ae26d0c.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://wb.vanillicon.com/v2/bd40ed787997615a97439817a5018a3c.svg)
