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Connacht Team Talk Thread V - The Friend Zone

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    #9902
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,038 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    The Friend Zone
    Completely forgot he'd signed for connacht!


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    #9903
    ElisaAtWar
    Registered Users Posts: 1,007 ✭✭✭ElisaAtWar


    Zzippy wrote: »
    He was sh1te. That's how. And feel free to use the match thread yourself but don't tell other posters what to do.

    Is that just Covid crabbyness. Most unusual for you Zzippy?


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    #9904
    jacothelad
    Registered Users Posts: 5,907 ✭✭✭jacothelad


    Bazzo wrote: »
    SOB II available, thank the divine infant Christ.
    sydthebeat wrote: »
    Completely forgot he'd signed for connacht!


    When did the saviour sign up? He should have played last week but I suppose as it was his birthday he was let off.


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    #9905
    Digifriendly
    Registered Users Posts: 4,016 ✭✭✭Digifriendly


    Glad those on this forum accept the deity of Christ in this secular age.


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    #9906
    serfboard
    Registered Users Posts: 4,676 ✭✭✭serfboard


    Digifriendly wrote: »
    Glad those on this forum accept the deity of Christ in this secular age.
    When you're a Connacht supporter, you spend a lot of time praying!


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    #9907
    Lucas44
    Registered Users Posts: 379 ✭✭Lucas44


    ionadnapokot wrote: »
    Any rumblings on Friend staying or going lads?

    Rumour is he’s gone. Expected to join as interim HC & attack coach for the crusaders with Robertson set to join the back room staff for the lions tour... Carolan expected to be promoted to HC with Noel McNamara coming in as attack coach from leinster. Done a great job with Irish 20s & leinster a’s... news comes from McNamara’s wife’s brother on stephens day


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    #9908
    Zzippy
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 14,166 Mod ✭✭✭✭Zzippy


    ElisaAtWar wrote: »
    Is that just Covid crabbyness. Most unusual for you Zzippy?

    Bah, humbug!


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    #9909
    lenny4545
    Registered Users Posts: 72 ✭✭lenny4545


    Lucas44 wrote: »
    Rumour is he’s gone. Expected to join as interim HC & attack coach for the crusaders with Robertson set to join the back room staff for the lions tour... Carolan expected to be promoted to HC with Noel McNamara coming in as attack coach from leinster. Done a great job with Irish 20s & leinster a’s... news comes from McNamara’s wife’s brother on stephens day

    That would be a disaster for Connacht if it turns out to be true!


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    #9910
    SqueakyKneecap
    Registered Users Posts: 1,150 ✭✭✭SqueakyKneecap


    Friendy is an absolute gent and I'll always respect him for the clean-up he did post-Keane. If we lose him I'll be sad but also think fresh eyes could be a huge bonus at the helm.


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    #9911
    Wegians89
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Wegians89


    The Friend Zone
    Love friend and he’d be a huge loss. Trying to look at it positively, both Carolan and McNamara have been very impressive with Irish u20 sides in recent years. Could be an exciting duo


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    #9912
    UAEguy2020
    Registered Users Posts: 2,098 ✭✭✭UAEguy2020


    If he’s only gone for a temporary job why do Connacht lose him for good?


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    #9913
    realhorrorshow
    Registered Users Posts: 1,882 ✭✭✭realhorrorshow


    UAEguy2020 wrote: »
    If he’s only gone for a temporary job why do Connacht lose him for good?

    Not to put words in his mouth but I believe Lucas44 is suggesting that Friend will be a short term head coach and then revert to attack coach when Robertson returns from the Lions.


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    #9914
    realhorrorshow
    Registered Users Posts: 1,882 ✭✭✭realhorrorshow


    CONNACHT MATCHDAY 23 VS LEINSTER RUGBY
    Saturday 2nd January, RDS Arena, k/o 7.35pm

    Name/Number/Caps (* denotes uncapped)
    15. John Porch (27)
    14. Peter Sullivan (5)
    13. Sammy Arnold (10)
    12. Tom Daly (34)
    11. Alex Wootton (9)
    10. Jack Carty (147)
    9. Caolin Blade (118)
    1. Denis Buckley (188)
    2. Shane Delahunt (86)
    3. Dominic Robertson-McCoy (58)
    4. Gavin Thornbury (46)
    5. Quinn Roux (104) (C)
    6. Eoghan Masterson (100)
    7. Conor Oliver (10)
    8. Sean Masterson (7)

    Replacements
    16. Jonny Murphy (10)
    17. Matthew Burke (16)
    18. Conor Kenny (8)
    19. Ultan Dillane (104)
    20. Cian Prendergast (4)
    21. Kieran Marmion (173)
    22. Diarmuid Kilgallen (1)
    23. Ben O’Donnell *


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    #9915
    realhorrorshow
    Registered Users Posts: 1,882 ✭✭✭realhorrorshow


    Unfortunately it appears that a number of COVID cases have influenced selection for this one. Looks like another hammering sadly.


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    #9916
    Bazzo
    Registered Users Posts: 7,047 ✭✭✭Bazzo


    Mul, it's over
    This could get ugly


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    #9917
    ClanofLams
    Registered Users Posts: 4,210 ✭✭✭ClanofLams


    Mul, it's over
    Will go against the grain and say think that team despite absences should be competitive with the Leinster team named which bar the back row looks average enough by their standards, unless the debutants are superstars. 9-10 combo obviously strong but Blade Carty have put on fair performances in the RDS before too.

    Benches are a different story but at least Dillane and Marmion capable of making big impact.


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    #9918
    Wegians89
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Wegians89


    The Friend Zone
    realhorrorshow wrote: »
    Unfortunately it appears that a number of COVID cases have influenced selection for this one. Looks like another hammering sadly.

    Don’t think it’s covid and more just going full straight next week against Munster?


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    #9919
    connachta
    Registered Users Posts: 7,964 ✭✭✭connachta


    Oliver so light compared to the other back-rows on both sides
    Otherwise it's Leinster A and we should hold the comparison for 9/10
    FFS we have to trust ourselves against that team...


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    #9920
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,038 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    The Friend Zone
    Connacht should be at least competitive in this game, though I do expect a leinster win.
    You've the more established back line and a very decent engine room up front.

    If Sexton goes down early, which is always a very real possibility.... Then we're extremely weakened with a novice to step in at 10

    I'm expecting something like 25 - 15 ish


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    #9921
    ClanofLams
    Registered Users Posts: 4,210 ✭✭✭ClanofLams


    Mul, it's over
    Wegians89 wrote: »
    Don’t think it’s covid and more just going full straight next week against Munster?

    It’s Covid, Connacht have confirmed number of positive tests this week. Will obviously impact Munster fixture too. Seemingly internationals can only play one inter pro so hopefully Aki is back for that.


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    #9922
    The Lost Sheep
    Registered Users Posts: 14,967 ✭✭✭✭The Lost Sheep


    connachta wrote: »
    Oliver so light compared to the other back-rows on both sides
    Otherwise it's Leinster A and we should hold the comparison for 9/10
    FFS we have to trust ourselves against that team...
    You keep focusing on weight. If it was as big an issue as you make it out to be he wouldnt have a contract.
    Leinster have 3 second rows starting and 3 backrows on the bench which says lot about strategy for the game.


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    #9923
    Wegians89
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Wegians89


    The Friend Zone
    ClanofLams wrote: »
    It’s Covid, Connacht have confirmed number of positive tests this week. Will obviously impact Munster fixture too. Seemingly internationals can only play one inter pro so hopefully Aki is back for that.

    Yeah just saw the post there, no great tbh


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    #9924
    connachta
    Registered Users Posts: 7,964 ✭✭✭connachta


    The Lost Sheep wrote: »
    You keep focusing on weight. If it was as big an issue as you make it out to be he wouldnt have a contract.
    Leinster have 3 second rows starting and 3 backrows on the bench which says lot about strategy for the game.


    he was released by Munster because of his weight.
    because he's a good player and not more, and that because he's under 100 k


    what is Leinster strategy?


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    #9925
    Wegians89
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Wegians89


    The Friend Zone
    connachta wrote: »
    he was released by Munster because of his weight.
    because he's a good player and not more, and that because he's under 100 k


    what is Leinster strategy?

    He was released from Munster because he was consistently injured and other players took their opportunities


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    #9926
    Wegians89
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Wegians89


    The Friend Zone
    If friend goes, I hope to god porch still stays


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    #9927
    connachta
    Registered Users Posts: 7,964 ✭✭✭connachta


    Wegians89 wrote: »
    He was released from Munster because he was consistently injured and other players took their opportunities


    I disagree.
    He's the kind of good but not international standard released by Munster (Wootton too). And weight is a part of it
    Connacht have made a decent signing, but against this Leinster back-row, he'll struggle.
    He has to put a "Racing-like" out of his skin performance


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    #9928
    connachta
    Registered Users Posts: 7,964 ✭✭✭connachta


    Wegians89 wrote: »
    If friend goes, I hope to god porch still stays


    Even with Friend I was worried.
    The man has more Aussie future than Godwin IMO, and the latter still went back..


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    #9929
    thomond2006
    Registered Users Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    Some Like It TOH
    Wegians89 wrote: »
    He was released from Munster because he was consistently injured and other players took their opportunities

    Correct. Oliver was snake bitten at Munster and needed to go elsewhere. He even missed months because he dropped a weight on his foot in a gym session. It just wasn't meant to be. He did show glimpses of talent when he managed to get a run of games.

    A metric like weight to my untrained eye would seem to be a thing that you try to balance out in your pack / starting XV. There's no use having a pack that is too heavy because the opposition will run them around the field.


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    #9930
    Former Coach
    Registered Users Posts: 449 ✭✭Former Coach


    Mul, it's over
    I think that we should be more than competitive at the RDS given teams selected.
    Connacht abú.


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    #9931
    realhorrorshow
    Registered Users Posts: 1,882 ✭✭✭realhorrorshow


    thomond2006 wrote: »
    Correct. Oliver was snake bitten at Munster and needed to go elsewhere. He even missed months because he dropped a weight on his foot in a gym session. It just wasn't meant to be. He did show glimpses of talent when he managed to get a run of games.

    A metric like weight to my untrained eye would seem to be a thing that you try to balance out in your pack / starting XV. There's no use having a pack that is too heavy because the opposition will run them around the field.

    Three Red Kings put up a brilliant article about back row balance a few years ago that unfortunately seems to have disappeared from the internet. For me, the problem isn't Conor Oliver's lack of size per se, but that the pack selected for tomorrow completely lacks ball carriers and having an undersized 7 doesn't help with that. I think O'Brien/Oliver/Boyle is a well balanced back row that offers a diverse skill set and plenty of physicality. Masterson/Oliver/Masterson, not so much.


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