Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Very abrasive style, hope his body stands up because he is an absolute weapon the way hes playing at present.

8 is tough in Ireland because we have a lot of options. Look at how good a club player Coombes, Deegan and McCann are not to mention Culhane, Gleeson, Kendellan, Boyle, SHL, McNabney. Tough competition, on current form hes certainly in the conversation.

I tend to agree but its contingent on a healthy body and style of play is pretty attritional. I tend to go with the idea that the best ability is availability, hope thats ghe case for Jansen.

7 games to go and not one is impossible in my eye. And no matter what happens an incredible improvement from the Wilkins era.

More to the point it's an incredible achievement in such a short time by Lancaster

Gilbert out is a loss, but mitigated somewhat by the quality of Naughton's goalkicking.

Colm Reilly definitely looks to have had a bit of a career revival under Lancaster, or maybe they're just thinking it's not worth giving minutes to Matt Devine when he's bailed out at the end of the season. Reilly is the guy who'll be there so more value in giving the minutes to him.

Colm Reilly, who is 26, had barely featured for Connacht. He has 32 career games, 7 starts (including this weekend) for 874 mins. He had played exactly once this season (11 mins off the bench in December) before it was announced in Feb that Devine was leaving.

Now he's been in the last two match squads despite there being no mention of Devine being on the injury list.

It's possible they've just decided Reilly is the better player, but given how vocally frustrated they were with Devine opting to leave, it certainly looks like they've decided to back the guy who's staying instead (and I don't have a problem with that).

He had been going around with a brace on his knee for the last while so I suspect just not back fit enough to feature yet, same for the likes of SHL who is back training but not involved yet

There's a balance to be struck for sure - as you said, if there's a similar quality player who is staying, then pick them, but if the departing player is better and the game is important, that's a different matter. In the case of Devine, I get the sense there has been a falling out, but we'll probably never know the ins and outs.

Lancaster said himself this week Reilly was injured when he arrived, has had to wait for his chance but he felt he played very well last week. I'd say it's just a case of he played well and they're rewarding him for that.

I wonder that B.Murphy doesn't start as SH. Is he in the short time slump? Or peak out of his ability? I think it is the latter.

Apparently Ulster are 13 point favourites with the bookies - that surprised me, as I feel we have a decent shot at winning. Hopeful of at least a losing bonus. Bundee and Cathal haven't made a great pairing in the past, but I'd love to see the two of them running over/through their opposite numbers tonight.

hmm, bookies aren’t stupid, but I’m not sure they’ve realised the quantity of injuries/absentees Ulster have to their 1st XV.

There's no mystery, they've named their team. Jacob Stockdale is at 13.

Big selection for him, his only prior start there as a pro was against Zebre 9 years ago.

I think if we get parity up front, and Reilly and Carty perform at half back, we could sneak this. Ulster have dropped silly points in recent games in Wales and our form has been improving. The top 6 are probably out of sight, although Cardiff and Ulster themselves could still slide, and we need an absolute minimum of three wins and bonus points to sneak into the top 8. A minimum of 46pts, and likely 47/48 will be required to qualify. Our best chance of wins are Ospreys and Munster at home, and tonight. We could pick up a point or two in South Africa and whatever happens if we can go into the last game away in Embra with something to play for we'll have done well.