Very good win for you guys.Really enjoyable game.
Will probably be shot down, but Devine should be starting every game.
I don’t think there’s any obligation on the ref to do so.
Some do, but it’s up to the player to kick within 60secs.
Id agree with that, he made a very positive difference when he came on, took some really great options. JJ was good too. Ioane is an absolute baller, he's delightful with ball in hand and thought he fronted up really well in defence too. If he could find a kicking game we'd have found our starting 10. That said Albernotz was the best player on the pitch, did everything well but his kicking was different level, didn't put up on kick that was loose.
The league table is a joke at the moment and don't even know where to start with trying to predict it......but can't help but thinking than we don't make top 8, but should be exciting!
There were too many Ill-Disciprlns and handling errors. How long Buckley has played rugby? that's one of the most stupid penalties by him. On the other hand, I couldn't understand Prendergast' one in defending maul at the finishing stage. And there was uncredible mis-selection at LO no.5. Wilkins used D. O'Connor as the starter although there was J.Murphy . If Connacht lost this must-win match, how he explain about it. Anyway next two games will be must-win too. Connacht are not forgived any mis -selections.
Don't be coming at me with facts, stats and the truth. This is no place for that kind of thing.
Good win last night, I thought Treviso were pretty good but we found a way. Thought ioane and Bolton were very good and a good first start from Tracey.
If we beat, and pick up a bonus point, against Edinburgh and Cardiff we have a real chance of making the top 8. We'd need away wins against Ospreys and Zebre. There's nothing impossible about that.
The Cardiff game is a Challenge Cup tie.
I just remembered we played them twice close together. I was thinking we had to meet them again in the challenge cup and also in the URC.
We definitely did what we needed last night, but other teams did too. The Lions and Stormers have good run ins and we play them both away in SA. Other teams picked up points they'd be very happy with too.
thought Devine did well ,😂
Really enjoyed the game last night. Great atmosphere & great to meet up with some of the loyal Benneton supporters. Caolan went well, but Devine seems to direct his forwards better. Coming from behind to win is always sweeter. Loved big Sam's smile as the team applauded the support afterwards.
Some of those young lads would give you plenty of reason to be optimistic. Tracy and Devine look like they could start big games for the rest of the season. The Forde and Gavin partnership looked much better in their second game together too. Bolton will get capped in the summer.
Mack Hansen gets a 2yr central contract. Great for him and Connacht.
Darragh Murray called up to the Irish squad, a total of 10 Irish players have been called up to the squad during this 6 nations
Darragh Murray called up to the Irish squad. IIRC that makes ten of ours in Ireland camp at some point during the 6N.
Central contracts are a crazy reflection on Irish rugby at the moment. It's all players that went to school in Leinstet or players originally from NZ and Australia. No players who went to secondary school from the other 3 provinces.
That's now, it wasn't always that way and I doubt it will always as it is now
9 points between 4th and 15th in URC. Then 7 points from 4th to third 10 points to second from 4th and 23 points to first from 4th. Just saying outside the top 3 this is a competitive league and most games are impossible to forsee. And that is how sport should be
Henshaw has onw and for rugny purposes was in a connacht school but overall its a still not a good trend to have so few from across the country..
Apologies I forgot about Henshaw
So by the sounds of it for next season on the coaching front. Sexton has gone to Ulster. Fardy thought to be leaving as well. Muldoon is staying.
Rod Seib is joining in some capacity. Attack coach? Head coach? DOR?
Wilkins is staying in some capacity but rumoured to be coaching the defence in place of Fardy.
Seib confirmed as Senior Assistant Coach, with responsibility for team attack, no mention of how long the contract is
https://www.connachtrugby.ie/news/rod-seib-appointed-senior-assistant-coach/bp3317/
I was just thinking about the future and if you look at the underage Ireland teams we have plenty of players on them.
We have six with four regular starters on the under 18 team, Leinster have five starters, I think it's two from both Ulster and Munster and a couple from IQ rugby.
We have young players coming through all the time now and they need to be introduced to senior rugby once they hit 21. They don't need to get much time at that age but they do need some experience.
We are the second best academy in the country right now behind Leinster and with a lot less players to pick from.
If we integrate our young players into the senior squad the future is very bright I think.
All our local clubs are doing a stellar job.
Hugely positive player work across the province.
Sometimes people think of the academy as if it's been there forever, but it doesn't take a very long memory to remember when there was little or no formal player development structures in Connacht. The branch have done a brilliant job of building a strong academy from nothing starting with a tiny budget and some enthusiastic development officers who wanted to work in rugby.
The coaching team have also been able to start making some more agressive decisions about making space for them in the senior squad. They get quite a bit of negativity about about how they've treated some players around the end of their time here but they've done a reasonably decent job of clearing a path for young players who put their hand up.
It's rumoured Munster are signing a tighthead from Connacht too.
Lasisi hasn't had many opportunities so could be him. Would be disappointed if it was Illo and doubt its Aungier or Bealham.
Barrett or Illo.
Hopefully not Illo - he's been showing some serious promise, not least when he came on the last day
Bealham is out of contract in the Summer. It wouldn't surprise me if Munster were interested but I don't see why he'd leave.
Aungier signed a two year deal last year.
Illo signed a two year deal in January.
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