Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

connachta · 09-10-2022 12:32pm

Flashes of good old Connacht (1st try for example) but still erratic and handling not what it used to be yeah.

Connacht have focused on defence (slightly improved), scrum (improved) and lineout (massively improved).

They forgot about rucks, Marmion/Reilly had to jump in it so often because there were not protected.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 09-10-2022 12:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119720811#Comment_119720811

Well he only has a 1 year deal in Bath.

He also has another year of eligibility for Irish tax relief on retirement for sports person so it probably makes financial sense for him to come back if there is an Irish offer that is competitive.

connachta · 09-10-2022 12:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119720811#Comment_119720811

Joyce for Fifita'a, we'd have to release Dowling which is harsh..

OR definitely assign Murphy as 6, release Booth and have room for Roux!

Very interesting but :

Booth and Dowling have 10 years in front of them, Roux has 1 last (33)

And Murphy would have less gametime stuck behind Prandergast. Though the latter is less and less available because of Ireland.

So I can see it happening.Whether Roux nowadays is still worthing it is another question...

Wegians89 · 09-10-2022 12:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119720830#Comment_119720830

Interesting on the tax relief, I know he had kept the house in Galway as he aimed to return here at some point.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 09-10-2022 2:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119720901#Comment_119720901

It's just something that stuck in my head when he left. He only did 9 years in Ireland.

Actually just checked he did 9 seasons but 10 years. That said I really doubt he paid much if any tax in the year from October 2012 to December 2012 to benefit from tax relief for that year.

macslash · 09-10-2022 4:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119718418#Comment_119718418

Interestingly he hit the same post he hit first 2/3 times before the match, from roughly the same position. I joked to the bro he'd hit it again (not actually thinking it) and he did! It was my fault lads

realhorrorshow · 09-10-2022 4:40pm

I had a notion that he was conscious he's on course to become Connacht's all-time leading points scorer and it got in his head a bit.

Mr Tickle · 10-10-2022 1:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119715028#Comment_119715028

I heard him promise he's going to keep hitting the post until people stop putting a "h" in his name. :L

Wegians89 · 10-10-2022 4:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119725837#Comment_119725837

Tbh it’s much more impressive hitting the posts, should be double points

realhorrorshow · 11-10-2022 10:30am

Spotted Shane Delahunt in the training photos. Big boost, thought he was out for a good while longer.

KBurke85 · 11-10-2022 11:24am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119729321#Comment_119729321

Ya think he's back in training but will be a while yet before he's match ready

Zeugnis · 12-10-2022 10:51am

Rejoice, Frank Murphy will be in charge on Friday...

KBurke85 · 12-10-2022 3:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119733664#Comment_119733664

If we could start getting non irish refs for Interpro games that would be great

Wegians89 · 12-10-2022 3:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119734940#Comment_119734940

Don’t get why there isn’t a rule on this already. Most professional sports have rules in place to get neutral refs involved. Screams to me of a money saving scheme, just so the league doesn’t have to pay for flights

CIARAN_BOYLE · 12-10-2022 4:06pm

Pretty sure that Murphy has his affiliation through the Munster branch which means that the league sees him as a neutral between Leinster and Connacht.

KBurke85 · 12-10-2022 4:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119735197#Comment_119735197

I meant more so non Irish refs reffing the interpros

testtech05 · 12-10-2022 5:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119735016#Comment_119735016

Yet we had Italian refs in SA, rightly so but seems to be a different case for the Interpros....

Does the same happen for derbies in other countries I wonder?

CIARAN_BOYLE · 12-10-2022 6:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119735443#Comment_119735443

In a game between an Irish province and an Italian team the ref will be from a neutral country.

In a game between two Irish provinces the ref will usually be from a neutral province.

Frank Murphy is I believe considered neutral because his refereeing registration is with the Munster branch.

The Italian Derby last year before Christmas had an Italian referee for what it's worth.

testtech05 · 12-10-2022 7:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119735760#Comment_119735760

Thanks for that interesting

BrokenMan · 12-10-2022 7:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119735760#Comment_119735760

He has refereed Munster Connacht games in the past and was one of the ARs last week. He's registered through Munster but played for both. It's a situation he should never be out in.

Zeugnis · 12-10-2022 9:59pm

Connacht should make an offer to John Ryan.

Wegians89 · 12-10-2022 11:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119736882#Comment_119736882

Could do a lot worse than bringing him in. Tom Willis and Oli Morris also Irish qualified

macslash · 13-10-2022 10:47am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119737154#Comment_119737154

Great shout. Especially on Willis. But both would add real dept.

realhorrorshow · 13-10-2022 11:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119737154#Comment_119737154

I can see the case for Ryan even though I doubt the budget is there for him. Signing a tenth senior back row or seventh senior centre would be crazy imo.

Conor15th · 13-10-2022 12:00pm

Team for tomorrow

KBurke85 · 13-10-2022 12:00pm

Team named 5 changes from last week 4 in the pack and a start for Reilly at scrumhalf

CONNACHT RUGBY MATCHDAY SQUAD VS LEINSTER RUGBY

Friday 14th October 2022, 19:35 @ The Sportsground

Number/Name/Caps

15. Conor Fitzgerald (56)

14. John Porch (63)

13. Byron Ralston (4)

12. David Hawkshaw (4)

11. Mack Hansen (17)

10. Jack Carty (181) (C)

9. Colm Reilly (11)

1. Peter Dooley (4)

2. Dave Heffernan (169)

3. Finlay Bealham (177)

4. Niall Murray (38)

5. Gavin Thornbury (66)

6. Josh Murphy (4)

7. Shamus Hurley-Langton (4)

8. Paul Boyle (76)

16. Grant Stewart (2)

17. Denis Buckley (212)

18. Jack Aungier (35)

19. Oisín Dowling (28)

20. Conor Oliver (44)

21. Caolin Blade (152)

22. Tom Daly (64)

23. Ciaran Booth (1)

eastcoastclan · 13-10-2022 12:02pm

Still no sign of Wooton or Byrne, wonder what's up there...

13-10-2022 12:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119738583#Comment_119738583

I don't know on Wootton, but heard Wilkins say during the week that Adam Byrne is still trying to shake off a foot injury from a few weeks ago, and isn't at full fitness yet.

stephen_n · 13-10-2022 12:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119738632#Comment_119738632

Byrne has spent most of his career a couple of weeks away from full fitness.

testtech05 · 13-10-2022 1:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119738632#Comment_119738632

Wooton and Fifita stayed out after the warm up the last night for some extra running, not sure if it was just a cool down etc or more fitness related

Wegians89 · 13-10-2022 1:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119738861#Comment_119738861

24th and 25th man usually do that if no injuries to the 23 picked. Would suggest that they are fit

Jump_In_Jack · 14-10-2022 9:10am

That 23 looks really good to me, Conor Fitzgerald at fullback could be a great move, strength in depth across all positions, impact off the bench, looking forward to a big game from Connacht! C'mon ye boys in green!

Lsdrugbyfan · 14-10-2022 10:05am

Adam Byrne on the bench for UCD this weekend.

Zeugnis · 14-10-2022 10:02pm

Weird game tonight. We have no idea what to do in attack and seem to have forgotten how to bring it out wide without having a tackler already on top of you. On the other hand, our scrum was good, and Thornbury, Murray and Dowling are going to trouble every line out in the URC this year. Fact!

Utopia Parkway · 14-10-2022 10:09pm

Can’t have major complaints over the performance. Players gave it everything. Just lacked accuracy inside the Leinster 22. Had more than enough chances to put some scores on the board. Think that’s the 2nd or 3rd time this season that we’ve let ourselves get shoved into touch from a 5 metre lineout. Just can’t do that.

macslash · 15-10-2022 12:18am

If I never see Frank at the Sportsground again it'll be too soon.

Can't fault the effort. Disappointing to lose even the losing bonus point however.

15-10-2022 1:04am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119746315#Comment_119746315

The scrum was not good? Don't conflate Frank Murphy refusing to give Leinster penalties or giving Connacht a few spurious ones with a good scrum. The only dominant scrums in tonight's game came from Leinster.

Strand1970 · 15-10-2022 8:41am

Looking at the fixtures and it's bleak, we must win our next 3 games against scarlets, ospreys, bennetton. its the 3 inter pros again after that. Munster should have their act together by then. The amount of whingeing last night in the clan stand was embarrassing. Murphy this, Murphy that. He is a chronic ref for both teams and didn't Marshall the offside for either team. Decent defence but clueless in attack. Ffs getting pushed into touch on the 5m line.

realhorrorshow · 15-10-2022 10:34am

Is it a coincidence that our attack, which has been decent to good for the entirety of Friend's reign thus far, has fallen to pieces in the season that he has seemingly stepped further away from coaching the team? Or is it more do with Lawler replacing Wilkins as attack coach? Wilkins cops a lot of flak on here but the attack was good for the one season it was his remit.

Early days yet but our attack is probably the worst in the league from what I've seen; shapeless, no deception, too deep, dreadful execution of skills, aimless running lines, players not knowing where to be, etc.

Former Coach · 15-10-2022 10:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119747216#Comment_119747216

Agreed on the embarrassing whingeing in the Clan Stand- must we jeer and boo every decision that goes against us? I really don’t think Frank should be officiating at any match involving Munster or Connacht! But our defeat last night wasn’t down to incorrect or biased refereeing decisions. And we really should have been putting pressure on Leinster in their 22 with that last play…..

Couldn’t fault the effort last night-we seem to be able to up our game for the big home inter-pro’s. If we can reproduce that effort for the next few weeks we’re good enough to pick up 8 points. I expect some changes, but not many- Blade or Marmion back in at 9. Porch to 15? We have good back-row options at the moment so some rotation there shouldn’t weaken us. Thought Thornbury and Murray did really well at lineout time and scrum held up well so wouldn’t envisage any change there. Both hookers did well despite a few wayward throws but our defence of the lineout maul is still a worrying issue.

Utopia Parkway · 15-10-2022 1:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119747216#Comment_119747216

I dread seeing Murphy reffing Connacht games as generally I don't think he does us any favours at all despite being a former player. Maybe subconsciously trying to appear unbiased. That said I thought he was fairly even handed with his bad decisions last night.

Shelflife · 15-10-2022 2:17pm

I was at the game last night, I have to say that its simply embarrassing the amount of shite that is thrown at the refs by the "supporters".

Constantly whinging and I mean constantly whinging all night about the offside line, shouting at the ARs to move further up or down depending on who's lineout it was, looking for non existent high tackles and then at the end even when they clearly showed on the big screen that Blade had lifted the ball and an onside Doris caught Blade by the arm causing him to drop the ball for JVdF to pick and go on his break, what did they do ? Roared abuse at Frank calling him a cheat and a prick.

We had plenty of possession and opportunity to win the game last night, we didn't simply because we didn't take our chances, we simply weren't at the races in attack and offered little.

But instead we attack the officials, call for non existent fouls and seriously show up their total ignorance of the basic laws of the game.

It was really poor last night, we had improved over the years but it seemed to be back again.

Yes I'm a ref , I'm not a big fan of Frank, but he was grand last night, the abuse he got from the clan stand simply wasn't acceptable.

ClanofLams · 15-10-2022 2:58pm

We could still be playing and I don’t think we would have scored.

Pack fronted up well, lineout was mainly good, defence good but no cohesion in attack at all.

Niall Murray is a serious player, he has the ability to win a lot of caps for Ireland if he can keep progressing.

Not convinced by the centre partnership at all. Having said that Carty didn’t play well which obviously impacts them, he’s had a fair while out, expect him to get better fairly sharpish now after two games but he needs to.

I suppose the optimistic outlook is that it’s a lot better than after three games when all aspects were a shambles. Looking forward to Tierney Martin & Prendergast coming back in.

The crowd was a bit disappointing, 6900 odd was announced I think. Tickets are too expensive for one off games, had a look earlier, for any game cheapest is €32 behind the goals where every chance you will get drenched, €20 for terrace in Thomond, €25 for stand in RDS. I can see very small attendances later on in the season. Even next week hard to see many non season ticket holders paying €32.

Dubinusa · 15-10-2022 3:36pm

I thought Connacht played fairly well. There is the bones of a good team there.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 15-10-2022 4:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119738404#Comment_119738404

John Ryan might be going cheap. If his salary isn't being paid and teams bound by salary caps don't have cap space for him.

If there is any budget room at all I think he should be offered a contract. The offer might be something he shouldn't accept but it might still sign him.

connachta · 15-10-2022 6:21pm

I'd be way more on signing Willis we (and Ireland) would make long-term use at n°8 than knackered Ryan

ElisaAtWar · 15-10-2022 10:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119747216#Comment_119747216

There is no 10 of any worth at Connacht. Fitz did fine at full back as he has done at 10. But he's just a bang average player. Hawkshaw is a very decent centre but a very ordinary 10. Tom Daly had the potential but his recent injury return has seen him providing little to offer in the centre never mind putting him at 10. And Jack, the long-standing experiment, has never really cut it. So it's kinda hard for a team to ever get results in such a situation. I feel really sorry for the rest of the team as they put their bodies on the line

16-10-2022 9:54am

I'm very disappointed with some of our crowd. The best part of 20 years as a season ticket holder and I hate being in the Clan on nights like this.

Frank Murphy is a mediocre ref who doesn't get the right type of control on games but he's not setting out to be biassed. He doesn't deserve an entire half of Connacht fans roaring "you blind c£&t", "you useless pr£&k", and various other abuse at him after every single decision regardless of whether it's correct or not. He does hear some of this and it won't help us with him or any other ref.

I wouldn't want abuse like that at a soccer match, I wouldn't want it at a GAA match, and I definitely don't want it at Connacht matches. If every game was like that I'd be retiring in my season ticket and watching on TV.

We lost that game because we were inept with the ball in hand, couldn't straighten our attacking line, and kept making errors in good positions. The stats will back that up.

ShineyShiney · 16-10-2022 11:12am

Disappointed to lose, even more disappointed to not get a losing bp in such a tight game.

We are improving, I'm happy with that. Next week is a big game in the context of the season, we will either be the whipping boys or we start getting a few points now.

connachta · 16-10-2022 11:21am

Davidson would start a new era coming next season

Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

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