Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Dragons were muck but 5 points on the road is a very good outcome. We’ve lost more than our share of those type of matches over the years.
Our maul defence is a serious issue and must be addressed urgently.

Maul will be fix it's so visible and not that uneasy (moving forces earlier when it changes direction etc). Training, months after months

I'm way more worried on the tackling and ruck issues on the long term. Again under the normal 90% tackling rate, again more than 5 pens for not realising. It's harder to fix, it's about team organisation, about support of each other in defence and attack. It's also a mental thing, this extra-second at the breakdown, this fully completed tackle not pushing the inside guy to rescue etc.

bayern wrote: »

Johnston heading to England.

If it doesn't happen with Bill could well happen with Johnny


Above all if Burns older brother comes for Leicester



https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/rugby-rumours-and-transfer-news-4922483


Very nice IQ option. McPhillips on the bench in an hour if you'd like to have a look

connachta wrote: »

Tied down (10)

Aki, Farrell, Robb, Marmion, Blade, TOH, O'Brien, McCoy, Butler, Healy

To renew absolutely (20)

Jack Carty, Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Shane Delahunt, Finlay Bealham, Quinn Roux, Ultan Dillane, Gavin Thornbury, Paul Boyle, Conor Oliver, Eoghan and Sean Masterson, Conor Fitzgerald, Colm Reilly, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, Peter Sullivan, Niall Murray, Sam Arnold, and John Porch


Toss-up (10)

Abraham Papali’i, Ben O'Donnell, Stephen Fitzgerald (where the hell is he?) or Alex Wootton, Connor Kenny, Oisin Dowling, Conor Dean, Stephen Kerrins, Paddy McAllister, Johny Murphy

Doubts (5)

Matthew Burke, Cillian Gallagher, Colm De Buitlear, O'Brien 2.0 (opportinuties to shine in the next weeks because of injuries)


8 among the 35 should be tied down already, as Friends said "only" 27 are out of contract
Hope some of them are in the "to renew" category

S Fitz is recovering from an ACL, wootton absolutely should be signed up.

Wootton scores tries and costs a lot too. He hasn't made a single good tackle I've seen.
I'm isolated but maintain he's a toss-up and has to improve in this area as Healy did.

ACL in February last year, it's very long for S.Fitz, it might cost his place if O'Donnell takes the nod before April...

Macalister is just back from injury!! First choice for lots of the season for me, not a lot between our 3 looseheads but isn't that what we want.

Under my numbers 2 or Abraham Papali’i, Ben O'Donnell, Stephen Fitzgerald, Alex Wootton, Connor Kenny, Oisin Dowling, Conor Dean, Stephen Kerrins, Paddy McAllister, Jonny Murphy
will be released

(I'd say Kerrins and a winger)

+
Matthew Burke, Cillian Gallagher, Colm De Buitlear, O'Brien 2.0


And the 2 signings will be a LH (age profile) and a lock (weight profile).


We'll have to rely on the Academy for centre (Jennings) and wing (Kilgallen) + 4th choice SH


Or maybe we'll trust on our the 3 academy hooker for Jonnny Murphy and keep one of SOB 2.0/S.Fitz/Kerrins

For me, If we're limited to 40-man senior squad, it's

Position |1st | 2nd |3rd |4th
LH Prop |Buckley |Duggan| McAllister| Ward
Hooker |Heffernan |Delahunt| Adamson | Tierney-Martin/E.deBuitlear
TH Prop |Bealham |Aungier |McCoy |Kenny
n°4 2nd Row |Dillane |Roux |New Signing |Dowling
n°5 2nd Row |Thornbury| Murray| Prendergast | Murray 2.0
Blindside Flanker |SOB |E.Masterson | D.Byrne
Openside Flanker |Butler |Oliver |S.Masterson | Dunne
n°8 | Boyle | Papali'i |Booth | McCormark
SH | Marmion | Blade |Reilly | Academy newcomer
OH |Carty |Fitzgerald |Dean |C.Forde
11| O'Donnell |Healy| Kilgallen
Inside Centre |Aki |Daly |Robb|
Outside Centre |Farrell |Arnold |SOB 2.0 |Jennings
14 |Sullivan|Wootton | S.Fitz
15 |Porsh |TOH|McNulty |


If not add a winger in it, probably

Buckley, Duggan, McAllister
Heff, Delahunt, Murphy/DTM
Bealham, Aungier, McCoy, Kenny

Thornbury, Dillane, Murray
Roux, Dowling, (D. Murray)

Sob, masterson, prendergast
Butler, Oliver, (McCormack/ Booth)
Boyle, papalii/new signing, s. Masterson

Marmion, Blade, Reilly, Kerins
Carty, new, Fitz dean/Forde

Bundee, Daly
Farrell, Arnold, Jennings

Wootton, Healy
Porch, Toh, mcnulty
Sullivan, s. Fitz, kilgallen

Think Healy and Robb could be under pressure. Even someone like Toh, of he got a decent offer from somewhere else

Bazzo wrote: »

I suppose you're right, but only in that McAllister is plenty young enough too. Prop is a position that can generally play on to mid 30s with no issue. It's not something we need to worry about until maybe the next contract cycle.

We could probably do a lot worse than luring Conan O'Donnell home.

I'd love Conan, but he's maybe more at ease in the mobile small LH stereotype in New-Zealand... Let's see, Oli Jager there too

connachta wrote: »

C.Fitz, even vs Ospreys, wasn't bad IMO...
Dean is the best we can have on this 3rd choice money, McPhillips maybe from Leicester...



And plenty in the Academy for back-row, no signings except if Masterson 1 or 2 joins Scotland

I think Fitz could be that third choice level. Agree on no back rows of papalii proves he’s good enough, but still have the jury out there.

either way I don’t see many signings happening at all

Wegians89 wrote: »

Buckley, Duggan, McAllister
Heff, Delahunt, Murphy/DTM
Bealham, Aungier, McCoy, Kenny

Thornbury, Dillane, Murray
Roux, Dowling, (D. Murray)

Sob, masterson, prendergast
Butler, Oliver, (McCormack/ Booth)
Boyle, papalii/new signing, s. Masterson

Marmion, Blade, Reilly, Kerins
Carty, new, Fitz dean/Forde

Bundee, Daly
Farrell, Arnold, Jennings

Wootton, Healy
Porch, Toh, mcnulty
Sullivan, s. Fitz, kilgallen

Think Healy and Robb could be under pressure. Even someone like Toh, of he got a decent offer from somewhere else

Healy, Robb, and O'Halloran all under contract til 2022.

connachta wrote: »

Yeah they are on my list Wegians missed Robb.

SOB has his opportunity now to start, no one else left outside Daly
Let's see what he does...

We have 5 centres, none of whom are out of contract this summer. Hard to see a spot for him.

Senior squad 21/22 (ages at 1/9/21)

Loosehead

Denis Buckley (31) - Signed 2 year contract in 2019
Matthew Burke (24) - Signed contract in 2019
Jordan Duggan (23) - Signed contract in 2020
Paddy McAllister (32) - Signed contract in 2019

Charlie Ward (21) - Academy year 1

Would be happy to see us retain all 4 but if the Pro14 season is shortened I wonder will teams try get away with 10 front rowers, split 3-3-4 respectively between loosehead, hooker, and tighthead. If finances are a concern, Burke may get the nod as presumably the cheaper option.

Tighthead

Jack Aungier (22) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Finlay Bealham (30) - Signed 2 year contract in 2019
Conor Kenny (25) - Signed 1 year contract in 2020
Dominic Robertson-McCoy (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020

See no reason to make any changes here, re-signing Bealham is a big priority.

Hooker

Shane Delahunt (27) - Signed 1 year contract in 2020
Dave Heffernan (30) - Signed contract in 2019
Jonny Murphy (29) - Signed contract in 2018

Declan Adamson (22) - Academy year 2
Eoin De Buitléar (u21) - Academy year 1
Dylan Tierney-Martin (22) - Academy year 3

Heffernan and Delahunt are a great pair of options and hopefully both will be retained. Most would have expected Tierney-Martin to have ousted Murphy by now, but he hasn't yet forced the issue. The lack of rugby over the last year won't have helped him. Adamson is in a tough spot, not an obvious prospect and has DTM slightly ahead of him and de Buitléar and Kolo Kiripati in his rear-view mirror.

Lock

Ultan Dillane (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2019
Oisin Dowling (24) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Cillian Gallagher (24) - Signed contract in 2018
Niall Murray (21) - Signed contract in 2020
Quinn Roux (30) - Signed 2 year contract in 2019
Gavin Thornbury (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2019

Darragh Murray (u21) - Academy year 1

Really can't afford to lose any of our three main players. Maybe Cillian Gallagher could do with a change of scenery, like Conor Oliver at Munster he is cursed with injuries and perhaps like Oliver things could improve for him elsewhere. No rush on Darragh Murray.


Back row

Paul Boyle (24) - Signed 2 year contract in 2019
Jarrad Butler (30) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Eoghan Masterson (28) - Signed 2 year contract in 2018
Sean Masterson (23) - Signed contract in 2020
Sean O'Brien (26) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Conor Oliver (25) - Signed 1 year contract in 2020
Abraham Papali’i (28) - Signed contract in 2020

Ciaran Booth (21) - Academy year 1
Donnacha Byrne (u21) - Academy year 1
Hubert Costello (u21) - Academy year 1
Joshua Dunne (21) - Academy year 3
Oisin McCormack (20) - Academy year 2
Cian Prendergast (21) - Academy year 1

Getting Paul Boyle tied down is a very important piece of business this year. Conor Oliver was the only signing last summer to be given a one-year deal, presumably due to his injury record. He has more than proven himself and is now a key part of the squad. Hopefully the Mastersons stick around. I'm torn on Papali'i to be honest. Hard to know where Josh Dunne stands. Hasn't really made a huge impression thus far but is still very young. Rough spot for all the young lads.

Scrumhalf

Caolin Blade (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Stephen Kerins (25) - Signed contract in 2019
Kieran Marmion (29) - Signed 3 year contract in 2020
Colm Reilly (22) - Signed contract in 2020

Less stress here with two great players locked down beyond the summer. Reilly look like one for the future. Kerins has never fulfilled his potential but might still be needed. Assume Matthew Devine will join the academy but he's too young to be de facto 4th choice.

Outhalf

Jack Carty (29) - Signed 2 year contract in 2019
Conor Dean (23) - Signed contract in 2020
Conor Fitzgerald (23) - Signed contract in 2019

Cathal Forde (20) - Academy year 1

Carty is another key renewal. I think we have a problem here in that we have our first choice and then two young prospects, ideally the breakdown would be 1st choice > trusted backup > young player with potential.

Centre

Bundee Aki (29) - Signed 3 year central contract in 2020
Sammy Arnold (25) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Tom Daly (28) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Tom Farrell (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Peter Robb (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020

Shane Jennings (20) - Academy year 2
Sean O'Brien (23) - Academy year 3

Nothing much going on here, with 5 players all contracted beyond the summer. Hard to see O'Brien getting a deal, with the budget cuts it would be hard to justify carrying 6 centres.

Back 3

Stephen Fitzgerald (25) - Signed contract in 2019
Matt Healy (32) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Ben O'Donnell (26) - Signed contract in 2020
Tiernan O'Halloran (30) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
John Porch (27) - Signed contract in 2019
Peter Sullivan (23) - Signed contract in 2020
Alex Wootton (27) - Signed 1 year loan contract in 2020

Colm de Buitléar (23) - Academy year 3
Diarmuid Kilgallen (21) - Academy year 1
Oran McNulty (21) - Academy year 3

John Porch is a must-sign, hopefully Wootton stays on too. Sullivan has shown enough to suggest he can be a factor moving forward. Fitxgerald Sr is a tough one, hopefully he gets a few games in before the end of the season to try earn a deal. I assume McNulty will be kept and de Buitléar won't.

So everyone here saw Wootton make tackles?

The same that point Lowe weakness?

connachta wrote: »

So everyone here saw Wootton make tackles?

The same that point Lowe weakness?

Yep I'm perfectly happy with his defensive contributions. Chases hard, covers the back field well, decent in the air and has made plenty of good reads on defence. Like a lot of wingers he will miss a couple of tackles every now and then but in a one v one I'd have him ahead of every other back 3 player we have except porch. It's not like TOH or Healy are great in this aspect!! While also giving us real attacking threat and finishing, something we have lacked over the years.

On our squad I'd think there's a decision to be made on papili, hooker and back 3.

I like what he offers in terms of gain line success but I'm concerned about what he doesn't offer, fitness, rugby knowledge, lineout, turn over and positional versatility. It will come down to 3 things imo Boyle resigning, Oliver resigning and alternative players available in the Irish system on similar €€€

Gallaghers injury record will leave him in danger and if he left we don't need to replace with a lock and on 3/4 choice hooker we have 2 year 3 guys who haven't played are they good enough to take Johnny Murphy's place who while not challenging heffernan and delahunt hasn't been bad at all. The back 3 slot up for grabs imo is Sfitzgeralds who has been solid if unspectacular prior to injury and the timing and severity of the injury might just go against him, I'd like to see loyalty where possible to players injured in the cause but coinciding with financial constraints might make a Dev offer for McNulty or another academy back leave us a few € for another position.

Wootton and porch would be the first two names of I was picking a starting back 3.

I think the issue is multifaceted. For a start Wootton is not a good tackler. A passable defender, but not a strong tackler at all. To compound this, our narrow defence consistently exposes our back 3. They make so many interceptions because they are routinely in situations where it is there only option due to huge overlaps. How often to you see Dave Kearney having to make last ditch decisions on the edge?

I don't think our guys are terrible defenders, nor are they great. But our defensive system definitely makes them look worse imo.

siltirocker wrote: »

The stat website posted by KBurke85 seems to support this pretty well actually.

Wooton hit 72% of his tackles in 2020, and 75% since the New Year. Not criminal, but not great. Porch hit 74% of his tackles in 2020 but has improved to a very impressive 89% in 2021. O'Sullivan has dropped from 75% to 47%.

While stats won't show everything they certainly don't support Connachta's assertion that he doesn't tackle. He's an excellent attacking winger and a good defender with room for improvement in his tackling according to the stats.

So basically he's a winger, if he was slower and a big tackler he'd be a centre.