Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

realhorrorshow · 12-03-2025 01:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123257284#Comment_123257284

Ah ****. Yeah looks fine on laptop but I just checked on my phone and the table formatting is messed up.

FACECUTTR · 12-03-2025 02:10PM

Eoin De Buitlear 2 year contract now too.

12-03-2025 02:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123256567#Comment_123256567

I have concerns about every option linked to us but we seriously need another ten from somwhere:

Ioane scares defences but he's a liability in all forms of kicking. Out of contract too.
Carty only seems capable of limited minutes regardless of how well he plays. Out of contract too.
Forde hasn't been given a proper chance at out half and his long-term future is at 12.
Hawkshaw is a centre even if we've used him at out half occasionally.
Naughton should be developed properly not thrown in with almost zero experience.

Unless Forde wants to play at out half and the coaches back him there's no combination of the above list that gives me any confidence starting next season.

b.gud · 12-03-2025 05:37PM

Hawkshaw has also signed a contract

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123257417#Comment_123257417

I could be wrong but the wording on the Connacht website sounds to me like Hawkshaw and De Buitlear are both 1 year extensions

De Buitlear and Hawkshaw have both signed contracts for the 2025/26 season, and further contract announcements will follow in due course.

On Twitter they specifically mentioned it was a 2 year contract for Murphy but no such mention for Hawkshaw and De Buitlear

FACECUTTR · 12-03-2025 07:25PM

I mixed it up you are correct.

kita99 · 12-03-2025 10:36PM

very happy Josh Murphy's contract. Even from now,He may become 'Ireland' imo.

ShineyShiney · 13-03-2025 02:05PM

Smith, cordero, carty, ioane, Reilly, mcCormack sobrien, Oliver, o Connor, Joyce, lasisi all out of contract.

I think Joyce is the only one thats essential for us to resign. Obviously some of the others may be required to fill out the squad but ....

So what are we missing for next season?

Front row looks like it's as you were with maybe a step up for Barrett.

Lock id like to see a signing.

Back row, 7 needs someone if we don't resign Sob or Oliver.

9 as we were.

10 ohhhh my God do we need a 10, id like to see ioane kept.

Centre no change

Wing, we will probably stay as we were

Full back badly needed

FACECUTTR · 13-03-2025 04:10PM

Smith off to Munster on a short term loan deal.

testtech05 · 13-03-2025 06:33PM

Not sure how Smith fell so far down the pecking order this season played a lot last year. Letting himself and porch leave at this stage of the season hopefully won't come back to bite us.

He's probably destined to score against us in castlebar now assuming it isnt like soccer where you can't play against your owner club

realhorrorshow · 13-03-2025 07:31PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123261569#Comment_123261569

I think we'll be ok considering they've played 22 mins this season between them. I like Smith but all the players who've been picked ahead of him are good prospects, I've no issues with us prioritising Jennings/Bolton/Mullins/Treacy.

Quinn Roux played against Leinster while he was on loan with us but that's a long time ago now.

testtech05 · 13-03-2025 08:23PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123261710#Comment_123261710

Agreed we have a bit of cover in the back 3 but was more a comment on how Smith played a lot last season and showed a lot of promise I thought.

The move makes sense for him for sure with the injury problems Munster have at the moment in the back 3 he could easily play himself into a contract and best of luck to him except against us :)

13-03-2025 08:49PM

A little luck goes a long way. Smith and Mullins both got starts on the wing in early December. Smith went off after 20 minutes, needed surgery on his thumb, and missed two months of rugby. Mullins has gone on to get five more starts since and has played over 400 minutes of rugby. Both are behind a queue of talented outside backs so they needed to seize their chance.

Last season I thought Smith was an extremely promising player who looked like he'd mainly played sevens. He had lots of flashy breaks but his judgement and skills around finishing or recycling good ball afterwards were always questionable. If he's improved that area of that game he'll have a good future.

Best of luck to him with Munster.

realhorrorshow · 14-03-2025 10:50AM

The Connacht Eagles matchday squad has been named for tomorrow's IRFU 'A' Interprovincial Championship meeting with Ulster 'A' at Creggs RFC (k/o 3pm).

CONNACHT EAGLES VS ULSTER 'A'

15. Harry West
14. James Nicholson
13. Finn Treacy
12. John Devine
11. Shane Mallon
10. Sean Naughton
9. Colm Reilly (C)
1. Temi Lasisi
2. Adam McBurney
3. Fiachna Barrett
4. Joe Joyce
5. Charlie Coghlan (u20)
6. Niall Murray
7. Charlie Keane (u19)
8. Oisin McCormack

16. Matthew Victory
17. Jordan Duggan
18. Thomas Connolly
19. David O'Connor
20. Cian Brady (u20)
21. Chay Mullins
22. Shane Jennings

Wegians89 · 14-03-2025 12:13PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123263556#Comment_123263556

Apart from his kicking he 100% has earned his place, adds so much in attack.

testtech05 · 14-03-2025 12:35PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123263565#Comment_123263565

He looks excellent in attack but if there isnt scope to improve his kicking from both hand and the tee then I'm not sure you can afford to have him 1st choice 10 unless you make Forde the goalkicker fulltime and find another option who can kick to touch reliably.

People spent a lot of time complaining about Jacks goal kicking but Ioane is quite a bit worse. Hopefully they have a plan to work around his limitations if he is going to be 1st choice 10 next season.

realhorrorshow · 14-03-2025 12:43PM

The Instagram post reads like it's a 2 year contract. If we're signing another outhalf they'll have to be IQ so probably not many live options.

FACECUTTR · 14-03-2025 12:49PM

Ya It says 2026/2027 which I assume is a 2 year deal.

Podge_irl · 14-03-2025 12:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123263631#Comment_123263631

A good 10 in play with an alternate kicker is far, far better than a mediocre 10 who is a great kicker.

His kicking from play albeit, is something he needs to improve. But he's exciting and a lot of this is coachable.

14-03-2025 02:13PM

He's brilliant with the ball in hand but the coaching team better have a solid plan for kicking. We can offset it a bit with Forde at 12 but that plan goes out the window with Bundee playing some of our biggest games. It's not just penalties or line kicks either. Our exits have suffered badly from poor length at ten (not just Ioane) and opposing teams have been able to pressurise our scrum halves as a result. How many times in the last couple of seasons have we barely scrambled the ball off the pitch? He'll be setup to fail if we don't sort that problem.

ShineyShiney · 14-03-2025 03:03PM

Glad to see him resigned he's been good.

ShineyShiney · 14-03-2025 03:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123263308#Comment_123263308

Signs of things to come for next year? West at 15, Naughton at 10 and Tracey at 13.

2025Connacht · 14-03-2025 03:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123263701#Comment_123263701

In fairness he's 30 in the summer. If his kicking game isn't up to scratch at this stage of his career he's unlikely to improve hugely in that area and it's not like we have better coaches than what he would have been exposed to in New Zealand.

Not against keeping him on but this idea that his kicking game is going to improve is optimistic.

realhorrorshow · 14-03-2025 04:12PM

Finn Treacy looking sharp at 13, scores the first try of the game after 10. Naughton converts from 15m in on the right side for 7-0.

realhorrorshow · 14-03-2025 04:19PM

Try for Zac Ward from close range after we conceded multiple maul penalties. 7-5.

Podge_irl · 14-03-2025 04:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123264210#Comment_123264210

I didn't realise he was that old, assumed he was a youngster. All the same, he is a flawed player but he is very good at certain aspects and I think, no disrespect, that is the kind of player Connacht probably need to build around.

realhorrorshow · 14-03-2025 04:43PM

Close range Oisin McCormack try on the second phase from a tap penalty, converted by Naughton. 14-5 approaching half time.

realhorrorshow · 14-03-2025 04:45PM

Ulster try from Tom Brigg breaking off a maul, brilliantly converted by Morgan. 14-12 at HT.

realhorrorshow · 14-03-2025 05:06PM

Beautiful try, Fiachna Barrett runs a nice line 5m out and steamrolls Morgan for the score. All came from a line break from McCormack. 21-12 approaching 50 mins.

realhorrorshow · 14-03-2025 05:43PM

Ulster sneak it at the death, finishes 21-24. Lots of good individual performances but we didn't get much from the bench and Ulster finished strongly.

FACECUTTR · 14-03-2025 06:29PM

Thanks for the updates. Any stand out performances?

Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

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