Connacht Rugby Thread - Part III - The Violence of the Lams

connachta

Bazzo wrote: »

connachta wrote: »

Even if available, with no gametime for two months, I wouldn't have him ahead of Cian/Niyi/TOH. And as we're short for centres he shouldn't cover 23 ahead of Poolman/Parata who can play there.. Except if Kelleher moves there (13) when Matt comes in, but he never did this season... Risky

I think it's between Healy and Kelleher for a spot and talented as Kelleher is and good as he's been I wouldn't write Healy off at all. There's a reason be was joint top try scorer in the league last year.

Between injuries (hopefully)callups and competition it can only be a good thing to have a good range of options in the back 3 anyway.

Healy has deficiencies in defence ; So does Cian, but less...

golfer555

Reported in today's Rugby Paper

Pat Lam is set to be offered the Bristol head coach role by their billionaire owner Steve Lansdowne. Bristol are able to buy him out of his current contract with Connacht. Stuart Lancaster is also set to be part of the coaching team.

connachta

golfer555 wrote: »

Reported in today's Rugby Paper

Pat Lam is set to be offered the Bristol head coach role by their billionaire owner Steve Lansdowne. Bristol are able to buy him out of his current contract with Connacht. Stuart Lancaster is also set to be part of the coaching team.

Bristol lost again without BP yesterday. There's 90% chance they're relegated. If he want to coach 2nd tier rugby, he can accept.

Bazzo

Sounds like journos throwing names at a wall and hoping one sticks TBH. Heyneke Meyer was "a cert" to join last month. Lam also seems to be invariably linked with a couple different clubs every year because there's no way he could be happy coaching Connacht, right?!

ClanofLams

connachta wrote: »

Not straightforward AT ALL ;  But partly agree about Scarlets, they seem better than Glasgow/Scarlets of last season though

Right we'll let's assume connacht get 5 points v zebre and beat scarlets 4-1 at home, there would be a four point gap with eleven rounds left.

It's not unrealistic to overtake them at all.

connachta

www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/the-ma...connacht-433578.html

Really interesting, especially Carolan's Academy influence to save Connacht in 2008

connachta

Wasps showed what's to expect : nothing great, defence close to disrupt many times but never did ; tackles percentage is very high, turnover position very often. Connacht will suffer from that, Heenan/Nepia/and Buckley has to be 110%!

ClanofLams

So team for Wasps?

Buckley
McCartney
Bealham
Roux
Cannon
SOB
Heenan
Muldoon
Cooney
Carty
Kelleher
Ili
Aki
Adeolokun
O'Halloran

Cooney
Heffernan
Carey
Dillane
Fox Matamua
Marmion
O'Leary (hopefully back)
Parata

Operating under assumption that Boshoff, Ronaldson & Healy are unavailable. Harsh on Poolman but was never a big fan of him in the centre.

Cooney getting the nod to kick & Cannon to run the lineout. O'Brien adds a bit more heft to the backrow.

connachta

No Dillane. Let's stop wih lineout/Muldowney role, Ultan is international, he knows Connacht system way better than Cannon, he's one of our very few ball carriers (against a physical Wasps team who won yesterday against Worcester because the latter had no one to cross their defensive line). HE HAS TO START

MarinersBlues

That has to be pretty close to the starting team.
Any combination of the three second rows is plausible and acceptable.

I'd say Boschoff will be available but will bench - Carty for me would be more solid defensively and if anything slightly better in open play attack and Cooney can kick for goal.
I would reverse Matamua and SOB.  
If Ronaldson is back then we have a VERY formidable team and Ili on the bench.

RonnieL

Brace yourselves :-(

Redo91

RonnieL wrote: »

Brace yourselves :-(

I'm gutted!! Surprised too!

CIARAN_BOYLE

Redo91 wrote: »

I'm gutted!! Surprised too!

really that upset that Muldoon got engaged?

Evil_g

What is it lads?

RonnieL

Let's just say, we'll be hearing about how EOS only lives out the road again....

Evil_g

Pat to Bristol? Is this based on anything more than the reports in the media over the weekend?

Evil_g

RTE Rugby on Twitter:

Connacht have announced Pat Lam will be leaving at the end of the 2016/17 season.

Thanks for everything Pat.

evil_seed

fu ck sake!

Diabhal Beag

This is gutting news. What a contribution he's made to Connacht though. Hope he achieves everything he deserves. Class act.

ki

Evil_g wrote: »

Pat to Bristol? Is this based on anything more than the reports in the media over the weekend?

His name is mentioned in a big list of others. Bristol are looking for a mid-season appointment so they are not going to get any head coach from another club.

Stuart Lancaster seems a more likely appointment. - currently an assistant to in Lenister - and they are talking about a 3-5 year head coach ot just someone to get them out of there current pickle

testtech05

In case my Monday wasn't going bad enough already!!! Right home to bed it is to hope its all a dream

MarinersBlues

Seriously dissapointed.
He has been great for Connacht but he could have picked a better week to announce this.

b.gud

Full statement from Connacht

connachta

He'll gonna coach a 2nd tier team, in championship. His choice.

Cosmo Kramer

Bundee unhappy on twitter. Understandable - may feel he was signed up on a new contract under false pretences.

connachta

I guess his nephew Jack was part of his decision

vienne86

Nooooooo!

Really really feel for Connacht with this news......from a Leinster supporter.

connemara man

Gutted Pats going.

But we can only thank him for where he's brought us and wish him all the best going forward

errlloyd

Disaster for all of Irish Rugby

Robbo

FARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK.

Zzippy

Anyone coming to the pub? I feel it's the only appropriate course of action...

Bazzo

That's very disappointing. Best of luck to Pat all the same, he'll always be the coach that brought Connacht their first trophy.

So a lot of the coaching team has been gutted now, hopefully good decisions are made with the replacements. I wonder what role Nigel Carolan could play in the future? He's done an outstanding job with the academy and the Irish u20s but you'd have to think he won't be happy in that role forever.

BrokenMan

Damn it. That came out of no where.

ki

connemara man wrote: »

Gutted Pats going.

But we can only thank him for where he's brought us and wish him all the best going forward

Fully agreed, he has put Connacht on the map in terms of the IRFU - we are no longer the black sheep - giving them lots of money and nothing to show for it.

He has brought everything we could have hoped for - success -international standard players -exciting style

Thanks Pat - and all the best in the future!!

Former Coach

I don't think Bundee is the only one going to be pissed with Pat!

irishbucsfan

https://twitter.com/ConnachtCows/status/805722242718035968

errlloyd

I know it'll be fairly meaningless to many of ye, but when Cheika left Leinster shortly after delivering us a cup for the first time, I think there was a loss too. But obviously Schmidt ended up being better.

Sometimes the coach who rebuilds a team from nowhere can only take it so far. And another coach, who wouldn't have been able to get through those early years can capitalize on them better.

ki

Who are the possible replacements?

connachta

Jackman/Carolan pairing, why not

former total

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/pat-lam-to-join-bristol-rugby-as-head-coach-from-connacht-ahead-of-2017-18-season/story-29957909-detail/story.html

Yup, Bristol.

The Bristol Chairman wrote:

Pat has transformed a Connacht team into Pro12 champions and we believe he can build a squad, a culture and an environment that can be successful in the Aviva Premiership.

Mark Tainton and the existing coaching set-up will continue in their roles with the target of securing our Aviva Premiership survival.

They have done an excellent job so far in instilling some real fight and positivity into the players and we are confident that Mark has the ability to keep Bristol in the top-flight

connachta

errlloyd wrote: »

I know it'll be fairly meaningless to many of ye, but when Cheika left Leinster shortly after delivering us a cup for the first time, I think there was a loss too. But obviously Schmidt ended up being better.

Sometimes the coach who rebuilds a team from nowhere can only take it so far. And another coach, who wouldn't have been able to get through those early years can capitalize on them better.

Agree

b.gud

errlloyd wrote: »

I know it'll be fairly meaningless to many of ye, but when Cheika left Leinster shortly after delivering us a cup for the first time, I think there was a loss too. But obviously Schmidt ended up being better.

Sometimes the coach who rebuilds a team from nowhere can only take it so far. And another coach, who wouldn't have been able to get through those early years can capitalize on them better.

So what you're saying is that Joe is going to step down from the national team and take over in Connacht?

Well I feel a bit better now :pac:

CIARAN_BOYLE

When does Pat's contract end? and how much are you extorting out of Bristol for his signature?

Larbre34

Very unfortunate for ye lads. However, Connacht are now big time on the map, ye can afford to be very picky and keep building the machine. Onwards and upwards

its_phil

I'm very confident Nigel is finally going to get the nod.

Bazzo

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

When does Pat's contract end? and how much are you extorting out of Bristol for his signature?

2018 and hopefully somewhere in the region of a metric ****ton.

Buer

Very disappointing but he owes nobody anything. 4 years is about right in terms of coaching a province. Hopefully the replacement is au fait with the current approach and a level of continuity is maintained.

Evil_g

its_phil wrote: »

I'm very confident Nigel is finally going to get the nod.

I wouldn't object to that. I'd hope there'd be some money left over to add to the backroom staff too. Replace Dave Ellis and get a full time defence coach.

connemara man

I wouldn't be surprised to see Nigel Carolan step up into the role. He's done great work at academy level.

MarinersBlues

former total wrote: »

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/pat-lam-to-join-bristol-rugby-as-head-coach-from-connacht-ahead-of-2017-18-season/story-29957909-detail/story.html

Yup, Bristol.

The Bristol Chairman wrote:

Pat has transformed a Connacht team into Pro12 champions and we believe he can build a squad, a culture and an environment that can be successful in the Aviva Premiership.

Mark Tainton and the existing coaching set-up will continue in their roles with the target of securing our Aviva Premiership survival.

They have done an excellent job so far in instilling some real fight and positivity into the players and we are confident that Mark has the ability to keep Bristol in the top-flight

That is VERY disappointing. He would surely have been the lead contender for next Irish Boss.
How is he going to motivate players for the rest if the season when they can see he has left for money rather than all the values he has been getting them to buy into.