I had really hoped we could get Baron from Leinster as I thought he looked a really good fit. Smythe looks decent too.
Mack is 100% correct on the lazy punditry, and the fact that dodgy narratives/takes get repeated ad nauseum.
Tom Farrell sticking the knife in as well in the Examiner.
"I enjoy it, yeah. When I was at Connacht, on the outside looking in at Munster, I was probably a bit envious of it, the big days. I've had some big days here already, like La Rochelle, Croke Park, the All Blacks, they were cool days that I look back on.
"I do enjoy it. That bit of pressure I think brings the best out of players and I'd like to think it brings the best out of us as a team."
I understand he enjoys the big days, no need to run down Connacht at the same time. Hopefully the new stand will drive a better atmosphere at any knockout matches or interpros.
If given choice, I would like Sorka and Spicer… Penny has more min than the two combined but I see potential with more min in both..
hummm I wonder who won "Biggest Gossiper" in the connacht rugby awards ball …….. 🤔🤣
There is no hiding that our coaching ticket was a mess this season and probably last season wasn't great either… Call a spade a spade…
Players were frustrated by selection and there seems there was a lack of communication. I think that is because our coach was stressed to eyballs and trying to do at least two jobs at once…
The players themselves seem to be a good group that do come together…
That my opinion, could be wrong.
I think you are right…
Loose head is a problem position in Ireland so you have to keep an eye on it…
There seems to be a lot of good hookers in Ireland at the moment, just look at Leinster… John McKee is probably very good and he is 4th choice..
Jack Carty already won it 😄
https://x.com/connachtrugby/status/1920046266647453909?t=aJz16KL7q-XK2LIUm4MyYg&s=19
That WAS my point……
Scott Fardy confirmed as leaving further update on next seasons coaching team to come in the "coming weeks"
https://x.com/connachtrugby/status/1922958077915001251?t=quPXO8sxuq7q1ZFPaSN8Qw&s=19
I think Tierney Martin might be too light at 101kg… Contemporaries are 108 - 110kg, (Dan Shanhan 110kg, Hefo 111kg)… Technically Dylan seems to have everything else, just might need to be bigger physically…
I could be very wrong here and hee might be pressing weight off the chart…
Puff piece really…
If we had any defence coaching the last day we could have beaten them pretty convincingly… That isn't that good of a team…
He is just talking up the move, I say h is moving because we had an upset camp… I say Hansen is justifiably upset when he feels the group he works with are slighted. Mac is loyal to the Connacht team and that is why he is loved so much…
Well we all know who that is…
I wouldn't think Tom would be disrespectful towards Connacht… He might have been treated badly at the end but I met him before leaving and genuinely loved Galway and team he played for…
He is right Munster are a bigger brand in rugby than Connacht and are at a level where you expect to get to Champions Cup Quarters every year…
I say he must be thinking that Chris Farrell got 11 international caps for Ireland and he has none. Yet Tom is a far better player than Chris and beat him every head to head… Chris played for Munster and he played for Connacht. (And I know tom got injured at the wrong times)
I really think Tom holds his years with Connacht with pride.
I agree. His carrying stats are significantly poorer than Heffernan's, and his tackle completion % is the lowest of all of our forwards. I think tackle completion stats need a healthy dose of context when looking at outside backs, but if as a forward you're missing 20% of tackles, you're probably just getting run through a lot.
His strength is at defensive breakdowns (second most turnovers after Paul Boyle) but I don't think that's enough to compensate for his lack of physicality unfortunately. Decent squad player though.
They have strength and conditioning coaches who can up the KGs properly. Look what the did with the Murray boys…
I'd prefer if the home grown players could beat these senior players out on merit rather than be promoted above their station just because they are local products. Ultimately it just weakens the squad even though we all like seeing home grown players break through. In Connacht's case it probably also helps that promoting home grown players is cheaper.
Agreed…
I was hoping that Sean or Cathal could move into Jack at out half… We know Jack loves Connacht and would like to leave them better than got it…
Hugh or Cathal eventually taking from Bundee
Tierney Martin from Hefo.
In fairness we have almost home grown set of backs coming through… Forwards are harder for us to develop schools but a lot of our forwards have been with us from just out of underage and are effectively one club players…
That is very healthy and Eric Elwood should be commended for his role in this…
I believe, Cian Prendergast was shocked the day Eric rang him as he had few min at U20 being blocked out bay Sorka at the time. That was a great decision that continually pays off…Well dome Eric, Tnaks Cian..
Maybe I'm in the minority here but fans are always going to speculate, discuss and guess about players. The only reason this is being discussed is because Mack brought it up in the media. I have seen very little brought up outside official channels that shouldn't be. I follow lots of twitter guys and there isn't any greater insight ahead of time about Connacht than any other province. I think some of these lads need to toughen up a biit.
BTW the twitter account we are telling us the Finlay Bealham is going on the Lions tour, Well Done…
Connacht now have more players than the whole of Wales…
Agreed.
CONNACHT RUGBY MATCHDAY SQUAD VS ZEBRE PARMA 17:00, Saturday 17th May 2025 @ Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
15. Santiago Cordero (21) 14. Shayne Bolton (25) 13. David Hawkshaw (43) 12. Bundee Aki (150) 11. Finn Treacy (7) 10. JJ Hanrahan (28) 9. Ben Murphy (15) 1. Denis Buckley (264) 2. Dave Heffernan (218) 3. Finlay Bealham (218) 4. Josh Murphy (38) 5. Joe Joyce (36) 6. Cian Prendergast (86) Captain7. Shamus Hurley-Langton (55) 8. Paul Boyle (115)
16. Eoin de Buitléar (13) 17. Jordan Duggan (61) 18. Jack Aungier (87) 19. Darragh Murray (38) 20. Sean Jansen (25) 21. Matthew Devine (18) 22. Cathal Forde (51) 23. Piers O’Conor (17)
why would you start a player at out half whos out the door after the game???
Sixteen minutes of first team rugby for Niall Murray in 2025. They just extended David O'Connor's contract, he's had four appearance since New Year. Is that sustainable for Murray? If i was him I'd be looking to be loaned out.
Same goes for a few players there, have they put Jack back in the freezer after SA? I know he was listed as injured last week maybe still the case.
Piers O'Connors statement obviously hasnt bothered anyone too much either when he is included.
Its hard to be optimistic of getting a result but fingers crossed even though in the overall scheme of the season it wont make much of a difference
That's a very strong side for a dead rubber. I suppose no one wants the smell of a loss to Zebre hanging around all summer.
why give a number players sometime… Why play Bundee & JJ? Niall Murray must thinking what he did wrong.
Cian P bumps 3 defenders on his way to the opening score ofvthe game
Very odd decision not to go to the tmo for that Zebre non try.
After such a stink season...Connacht will finish above Ulster!
Shows you how bad they are!
Conn win 22-12 and Hanrahan MOTM, imagine that.
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