Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

The Murrays are the kings of the lineout. The back row is there to hold the scrum and make the breaks

I think that was the dpressing bit…

In the 23 was our best 23 players… Yes we could have started Buckley, Belham, Ben Murphy, maybe Jansen and moved Cian over to 7 instead of Sean F….

But that is it…

Our Centers and back three were as good as we have considering the injuries…

Our main concern at the moment is that we have two Openside props injured… Duggan got badly beaten in the scrum on Saturday Night (he played very well against Munster and Sharks) and we are left with Buckley to hold the scrum…

Against Ospreys we got very unlucky and lost two Tightheads, this left Jordan to have to play Tighthead against a International Prop.

If you get annihilated in the scrum you are loosing the game, the question is by how much.. It is a very simple game, drop ball you ask for scrum and you get the ball off a line out 30-40m up the field…

Daragh is still young but already has the weight and height of James Ryan…

Truth is Joe Joyce at 119kg is our biggest lock… SA teams will have 3 players at around 125kg… We don't produce too many 120kg+ locks… Munster have two Klein(123kg) and EDOGBO(127 kg)… Leinster have one RG SNYMAN (126 kg). Ulster have one Harry SHERIDAN (121 kg)…

120kg+ Sharks have 3, Stormers have 4, Bulls have 3….

So Stormer have as many 120kg+ guys as the whole of Irish Rugby and 2 of them are South African…

Ulster has no Locks in its academy, Connacht has one (David WALSH), Munster have two but are 107kg and 110kg, Leinster have four with the lightest 114kg but two larger lads.

This is why we covet players like Alan Spicer(138kg & 6'10") & Conor O'TIGHEARNAIGH (who is 118kg but only 22)…

This is the facts fro a Tight Head Locks coming through in Ireland..

So looking abroad who are Irish Qualified you have Jack Dunne, Ultan Dillane, Quinn Roux,…

The lower lights type like https://all.rugby/player/john-madigan in Agen, Cormac Daly in Japan.. Madigan is 126kg (this makes him inch taller and a over a stone heavier than Joe Joyce… Can he play Rugby? Who knows)

https://all.rugby/player/ryan-mccauley says he is of Irish Descent..

https://all.rugby/player/ronan-loughnane

Non Irish qualified who might get cheap

https://all.rugby/player/myles-edwards

https://all.rugby/player/izack-rodda

There is a risky one but I like, he is English but only 24 (He is 138KG and 6'9"):

https://all.rugby/player/george-smith-16517

Connacht need a 10, but playing Frawley there would be a mistake. Never showed the ability or temperament to be a quality fly half at Leinster. His passing and kicking ability would make him a far better 12.

I know he's been picked at 15 this season but I still hope Sean Naughton gets a decent shot at playing 10 in the future. Hopefully the signing of Frawley doesn't stop this. Between Bundee,Forde, Frawley, Gavin & Walsh Connacht and a huge amount of quality players who's best position is at 12.

seen Siebs interview on Connacht YT channel before the game and alluded to the last time we came across and underperformed but mustn't have learned their lesson as the played twice as bad.

the coaching ticket are in situ over 6 months and we have zero consistency.

all welsh regions are fighting for their existence hence they have more to play for than we do.

all that being said, we never turned up and made dragons look like France!!

this is a low!

Frawley will be a huge improvement on the current 10's, especially kicking. Really happy if he does arrive and hope naughton gets time at 10.

He might be a better kicker, pbut he'll be playing behind a Connacht pack that's rarely on the front foot. And 10s rarely look good behind a beaten pack.

I admire him for backing himself, but unless Connacht get a competitive tight 5, I think it’s a really tough assignment.

Frawley: The question I ask about an arriving player is would they have been in our match day squads consistently over the last year? The answer is 100% he would. A major improvement in our available players.

Now up to Stu to figure out how to use our resources best. Likely a direct replacement for Carty.

totally agree. no matter what way you look at it as an external, as an internal he is a great signing for Connacht

All of this tragedy began from kicking (over touch in goa) by Ioane. A few years ago, I saw the same kicking by him (in Japan sports TV) at the Ireland vs Maori AB formal match which was held in NZ. Under the bad weather, his place kicking was very horrible. At that match , the opponent=Ireland kicker was Flawley who suceeded all goal kicking under such a strong wind and rain. So Ireland won. Wilkins saw this game as one of the assistant coach of Ireland. So he knew that how different within Ioane and Flawley. So I surprised Connacht hired him. I think maybe Wilkins told Ruane about the roughness and irresponsibility of Ioane. Now he cannot decent kicking but also tackling strongly. I think that O'Shaunessy will be better than Ioane.

Blade got injury at the Saturday's game, and Reilly has been injury since former game. Maybe Lancaster will use B.Murphy who made flashy knocking on and defending error (failed tackling against Dyer because of the lack of bravery or simply speed ) as the starter, and Farthing from the bench. I expect it for Farthing.

I am of the belief that Naughton will make the grade at 10 and Gilbert at 15. To have Frawley as a backup is not shabby.

The 9 position is a bit of a puzzle. Why are Murphy and Devine not preferred. That I can't understand.

As for front 8 now there is a conundrum. I have always been of the Murphy, Jansen, Boyle backed up by SHL. I like the two Murrays in the second row. But we are getting killed in the front row. And Finlay or Denis are not the answers

I think this post says a hell of a lot about you. Very very odd.