Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

They did a crap job hiring Wilkins and if his inexperienced pal gets the job then it's a complete joke.

I would be happy to down swords based on your final paragraph. 🙂

For me I'm absolutely delighted Sexton is leaving I hated every aspect of his attack plan and how it removed our two most naturally attacking players in Carty and Farrell. I hated the constant rotation. I hate to see JJ selected, shovelling the ball along. Granted it can look slick enough when it clicks and the metrics look good but at the expense of absolutely any defence. Mossie meh, don't care. Senekal seems a loss alright.

I wasn't enamoured with the Wilkins appointment especially the 3 years however I also felt that Connacht knew him well, had promoted him to head coach with Friend above him for the first while and tbf it wasn't a disaster initially. It wasn't a massive success either. Then Friend left and he selected his own team of young coaches and it all fell apart.

I see a cautious and careful approach to bringing a new young coach through. Just because it didn't work doesn't mean that the care, professionalism and culture weren't correct.

Anyway, hope we get someone who can deliver a balance of attack and defence and 8th place for a few seasons in a row.

Talk that Payne is coming in too but not sure if that's true

There's no chance it's Gatland. He'll get an international job with big money from a nation looking to improve.

More likely it's a successful AIL or underage coach than that.

It better not be Payne.

I'm very happy with that appointment, welcome Stuart.

Votes are in..

Boom !! Great appointment I'm absolutely delighted.

That's a phenomenal appointment.

Just read he is taking the defence portfolio so no other coach arriving. That is disappointing.

Well done to Connacht and IRFU on a brilliant appointment. Can't think of anyone better to bring Connacht on the next part of their journey.

Payne is a an excellent technical coach…

IMHO, I think it better to separate the two roles distinctly.

Technical coaches develop an aspect of the game and are very hands on.. They interact with the player sand want to create better players and more cohesive unit.

Head coach (or Managers) doesn't taking training sessions (Andy Friend didn't take any) but manages the Technical Coaches and man manages the players (from escalation point of view). He picks the overall team and has that separation from the team to be more objective. This job is way more stressful.

Being a good Technical Coach doesn't mean you would be a good Manager.. and visa versa… Both involve a deep knowledge of rugby but skills needed are different. It is also coming more apparent that some good Technical Coaches aren't as inclined to become Managers as quick as before… While better paid, stress is way higher, you shelf life is reduced and your options especially regionally can be severely reduced… You can very quickly be in a one bedroom flat in Japan very quickly…

Look at Felix Jones, Nigel Carolan, Jarad Payne, Mike Prendergast… They have options, each of them they are considered top class operators who can add to almost any professional outfit in Europe…

One thing I like about Stuart's appointment, he has an ethos in rugby which Connacht respect and love… He believes in community..

Decent chance his son, Dan, joins too I guess?

He’s apparently leaving Racing, saw some article linking him with Glasgow recently and Nigel Carolan saying while he (Nigel) wasn’t involved with recruitment he would be a great acquisition.

He started against Connacht in Challenge Cup, Owen Farrell came on after 47 minutes. I don’t remember anything good/bad standing out about him.