Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

One year extension for Jennings

Im just replying to your comment like a normal human. The comment you replied to literally said I was a Munster fan…and yet you go on about the "ulster tinted glasses" guff.

They weren't unlucky, the decisions they didnt get such as the Cooney incident and the utter nonsense about the izuchukwu "kick" were not conclusive based on the evidence the official had so quite rightly waved play on.

Whatever you think Carre was unlucky or not the fact is he stuck his hand out knowing that the potential of a deliberate knock on was always a possibility and yet he still did it, he can have no complaints especially when he did knock it on.

You've been asked already to stop. Please either do so or take this to DM.

Maybe I'm not close enough to this, but why do Pete Wilkins' selections always look like he pulls the names out of a hat?

I think if you asked him what his best 23 is he would still have absolutely no idea.

It's a strong team and then you see a lad like Gavin Thornbury randomly back. It hinders the likes of the Murrays development.

You've also Dowling who just had a renewal announced but is benched when we've 2 backrowers on the bench already. So you can't say it's so he can cover Second Row and Back Row.

Loosehead

A clear pecking order and a logical distribution of minutes. Burke and Ward clearly not rated but in Wilkins' defence, he didn't contract them.

Tighthead

Again a clear pecking order, but the spread of minutes has been distorted by Bealham's Ireland commitments. McCoy started the season as 3rd choice but Illo has surpassed him and gets decent minutes when on the bench now, which is exactly the sort of squad progression you want to see - the solid journeyman being phased out by the talented youngster.

Hooker

Again a clear pecking order, although it's hard to discern whether Tierney-Martin or McElroy is second choice due to the former's neck injury.

Lock

After a period where Darragh completely usurped Niall, a clear depth chart has emerged with the latter back in situ.

Back row

Prendergast and Hurley-Langton clearly first choice with the lines blurred a little beneath them. I would expect to see minutes spread a bit more evenly than other positions due to the attritional nature of the back row. Extremely frustrating to see a talented home grown youngster on 0 minutes, but again Wilkins didn't sign him.

Scrum half

A clear first choice but unclear beyond that as Reilly and McDonald failed to make an impression due to injury and average performances. Seems that Devine may have bucked the trend by forcing the issue through his on-pitch production.

Outhalf

More rotation than I would like to see personally in such a crucial position.

Centre

Less clear than most positions. Bundee plays when available and Forde gets plenty of minutes deputising when he is not. 13 is less clear, seems like the coaches tried to kill two birds with one stone mid-season - the logjam at 12 and Farrell's potential departure. That seems to have been abandoned - Farrell is in and Hawkshaw is very much out.

Back 3

Hierarchy very unclear but in fairness that has a lot to do with the consistent unavailability of Hansen and Cordero. Raltson has played every single minute when available but would that be the case if either of the aforementioned had been available? Also, I will never miss an opportunity to say that we contracted far too many **** players across the outside backs - 16 senior and 8 academy. Madness.

Dowling just back from injury may be reason he starts from the bench.

Just to be clear in general I agree with you that all things equal, and assuming that we are going to lose Thornbury, I would prefer Niall or Dowling starting. I was just pointing out a reason as to why they may not be.

It literally took me maintaining a spreadsheet weekly to make sense of the selections so your average non-connacht fan looking at teamsheets as they come out doesn't have a hope!

Oisin McCormack signs a 1 year extension

Press release mentions he's been hampered by injuries but they are pleased with his training performance.

Hopefully he can get an injury free run

Connacht's academy construct is very unusual to me.

I know they're elevating guys like Devine and Gavin next season, but if you looked at their academy this year they currently have five guys (out of a total of 15) who are described as centres (Gavin, J Devine, Mallon, Daniel Hawkshaw and Treacy). I get that Mallon and Treacy can play on the wing too, but they also have 3 other back three players in the Academy (Nicholson, Mullins, O'Connor).

So more than 50% of the Academy is centres and back three players, when the Connacht senior squad this year had 14 players across those positions.

Connacht only have 5 locks on their squad, and have zero in the Academy (and zero back rowers too).

Just seems all a bit imbalanced, you'd think ideally you want to have a handful of guys across most position groups.

Both Murray's have had plenty of opportunities this year but you'd be hard pressed to honestly say there's been material progression by either of them deserving of being one of the first names on the teamsheet.

I'm sorry Robbo but I just can't help myself. Two comments. One Wilkins saying in the team press release that rotation was kept to a minimum while team leaders were introduced. That just smacked of every comment being made on boards.ie.

Two is that I said I was a big TOH fan. But he has to be retired and preferably this season. So why in God's name is he selected for the Dragons game. Connacht should be working on an exit strategy for him. He should not be involved this weekend. Would have loved to see Smith there. And if all went to crap TOH could have been put back in for the big games. But this umbilical cord has to be cut and the Dragons game was the opportunity.

So all in told more bullshit selections from our good friend Pete. And as for the loss of Tom Farrell well first of all he is a class player. How this was allowed to happen under the current managements watch is unforgivable.

And my memory of Tom Farrell will always be the day when we were outside the dressing rooms as the players passed by, and they all passed by except Tom. Tom stopped next to us and said 'thanks so much for coming' even though he hadn't a clue who we were. I was just totally blown away with such a genuine comment.

I'm not a Wilkins apologist by any means but trying out a player in a new position in a must win game is absurd. I agree that TOH, while a fantastic servant, is past his sell by date for us going forward - however you have to start that kind of experience all day everyday in must win games.

Those sort of crazy takes won't be missed if you do stop posting.

Langton is exactly what Connacht need. He’s a tough nut baller.

Fookin hell D’Arcy is horribly out of his depth.
eh, but eh, ultimately eh, fawntastic