Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Next week now season defining, bonus point win guarantees top seed and potentially home run all the way to the final.

Pete Wilkins now safe for another season or so.

aint that the truth

We'll likely be on the same points as Montpelier if we get four points. How is the seeding worked out if that happens?

Montpelier play Newcastle so it's highly likely they get five.

Montpelier are on 14 points, Connacht on 15. Bonus point win would have them out in front

We knew in advance for Newcastle too, maybe not home semi but we knew we needed a win for home quarters.

You gotta think both Montpellier and Edinburgh will both take 5 points, one bonus point might be enough but you'd imagine two would be the min. Better to just go out and win and remove all doubt. I'm guessing Bundee won't play next week, otherwise not idea why we kept him on for 80 even though he was playing well.

Thought that was Santi's best game for us too, covered the back field well, looked more dangerous with ball in hand, and loved the bit of agro in the end with their winger, not sure what it was about but great that he we still up for it.

I've always been a component of home comforts for a knockout game, but with the ways tickets have been going for the Munster game, if it was an option, you've gotta be looking at a GAA stadium for those knockout games. More access for fans from across the province, better chance to offer tickets at family friendly prices, bigger better atmosphere and more funds into the kitty. Plus it will make it more of an occasion which we really need at the moment; show the players there's more potential for this province than we're seeing at the moment.

Edit: checked the EPCR website and points difference is indeed the way clubs on the same number of match points:

"If two or more clubs are equal on match points, their ranking will be determined as follows:

(i) the best aggregate points difference from the pool stage; or

(ii) if equal, the number of tries scored in the pool stage; or

(iii) if equal, by drawing lots."

Tickets sold for munster game will be a big eye opener for Connacht. They will definently be analysing the potential profit for using gaa stadiums around the province. S

Why not? Selling 26,000 tickets is indicative of the demand out there if you take rugby on the road. There are four stadia of 19k capacity and upwards in the province so please explain why Connacht RFC won’t consider them.

I reckon maybe 1 game a season around the province. Ulster game would sell out in Sligo pretty quick. But it has to make financial sense.I agree if there was more than 1 game a season it would lost the novelty factor.

One out of 12/13 home games a season isn’t enough. It would be a failure to capitalise on an opportunity to garner much-needed funds. The sport is huge in Mayo and they should use McHale regularly. Pearse, Marciewicz and Hyde are other options for the future and not scheduling games there would display imaginative arrest.

Connacht aren't going to move anything after new stadium is built. Masterchefs won't have signed up to run match day and non match day hospitality for one of the biggest and busiest games of year every year to be played elsewhere.

Connacht being in the sportsgrounf is a no trainer. Corinthians and or wegians wouldn't be able to play out of sportsground. there simply isn't space for all they'd need.

It's disappointing that a stadium redevelopment is what finally got Ruane and Co. to think outside the box. There was plenty of momentum between 2015-2018 to really capitalise on the jump in season tickets and overall interest. We didn't even get something like a Barbarians friendly or a lower tier international side travelling over for a warm-up.

I'd have no issue with 2 or 3 games outside of Galway a year but so much money has been put into the redevelopment that I think we'd be doing well to have a couple of games a year outside of the Sportsground.

I never mentioned moving from the Sportsgrounds. Not part of this discussion which is about them regularly going on the road. No issue for Munster, nor Leinster when switching between the Aviva & RDS.

Masterchefs won’t be flexible enough to provide catering elsewhere then? Are you privy to their contract stipulations and the specific clauses?

Great for the future of rugby in the province to goon the road, exciting for fans, and extremely lucrative.

People are talking about needing bigger stadiums for big games. We need a bigger stadium for all games. I was castigated about a year ago for suggesting that they should look to build a new stadium on the outskirts of Galway.

You'd have bigger crowds and easier access for everybody travelling and those numbers would increase because you can get tickets and also because you don't have to drive into Galway city.