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

connemara man

speaking of the A team and well the academy in general the Clan filmed this with Nigel.

wp_rathead

Thought Qualter would be more suited to 6 than Romaine, he was very mobile at the 7s in Limerick
Looking forward to it though, great to see lads like McKeon, Leader and Carr back, aswell as get a better look at Api

S12b

Really doesn't say much for Qualter that he still can't force his way into a match day squad, even with only 2 fit locks in the entire squad. A no.8 picked to provide cover cover him.

Considering he has been a part of the senior squad for longer than the likes of Bealham, O'Donnell, Delahunt, Dillane, SOB, Connolly, Masterson, Blade, Robb, Parata his lack of progressing is disappointing, especially as he stood out quite a bit at underage level.

On an aside, if Dillane or Muldowney pick up a knock in the next few weeks, can we sign a "medical joker" or whatever they call them? We'd be down to 1 senior lock plus 2 of Qualter, Romaine, SOB or George to make up a match day 23....hardly inspiring.

connachta

S12b wrote: »

Really doesn't say much for Qualter that he still can't force his way into a match day squad, even with only 2 fit locks in the entire squad. A no.8 picked to provide cover cover him.

Considering he has been a part of the senior squad for longer than the likes of Bealham, O'Donnell, Delahunt, Dillane, SOB, Connolly, Masterson, Blade, Robb, Parata his lack of progressing is disappointing, especially as he stood out quite a bit at underage level.

On an aside, if Dillane or Muldowney pick up a knock in the next few weeks, can we sign a "medical joker" or whatever they call them? We'd be down to 1 senior lock plus 2 of Qualter, Romaine, SOB or George to make up a match day 23....hardly inspiring.

I hope Marshall and Roux are at least closer than expected to return, 12 weeks from early December, half to go in theory

irishbucsfan

If Connacht lose this, what does that mean for qualification?

Zzippy

irishbucsfan wrote: »

If Connacht lose this, what does that mean for qualification?

Forget about it!

connachta

Zzippy wrote: »

Forget about it!

As I said in December, I hope either a win (promised home QF) or a loss without any BP. Finishing one of the 3 best 2nd is the worst scenario IMO.

Ospreys are our main competitors in the league. They had a tremendous result for our interest tonight. They're now fully engaged next week and for an exhausting QF later. I can bet their effort will ease off in pro 12 because of this (and 6 nations period). That could be our chance.

Billysays no

irishbucsfan wrote: »

If Connacht lose this, what does that mean for qualification?

what a negative viewpoint. jesus
France 4 here

worldwideweb (ie www).freeintertv.com/view/id-3112/1-1-0-26

irishbucsfan

Zzippy wrote: »

Forget about it!

The Challenge Cup is more winnable now than it's ever been in the past, now that people don't drop down from the higher competition. This season there's a place in the Champions Cup on offer. Really thought that'd mean Connacht would be going all out to win this competition.

Not that it's the end of the world for Connacht to focus on the league, and it's great for lads like SOB2, just a little surprised.

Billysays no

i have browsed the boards connacht thread out of interest. IMO you had flouncer who was an utter waffler (so I paid no attention to him/her) but are you telling me we dont have a chance. What I say is that is probably the best team (well backline anyway) that we have fielded this year. Aki and Parata work a bomb together. They know have to break gain lines. Marmion has been an utter slowcoach (if i were mental he would drive me over the edge). So this selection is fantastic. Just felt I needed to register just to say that

irishbucsfan

Billysays no wrote: »

i have browsed the boards connacht thread out of interest. IMO you had flouncer who was an utter waffler (so I paid no attention to him/her) but are you telling me we dont have a chance. What I say is that is probably the best team (well backline anyway) that we have fielded this year. Aki and Parata work a bomb together. They know have to break gain lines. Marmion has been an utter slowcoach (if i were mental he would drive me over the edge). So this selection is fantastic. Just felt I needed to register just to say that

Welcome back flouncer!

Billysays no

i have browsed the boards connacht thread out of interest. IMO you had flouncer who was an utter waffler (so I paid no attention to him/her) but are you telling me we dont have a chance. What I say is that is probably the best team (well backline anyway) that we have fielded this year. Aki and Parata work a bomb together. The how to break gain lines. Marmion has been an utter slowcoach (if i were mental he would drive me over the edge). So this selection is fantastic. Just felt I needed to register just to say that

Billysays no

i have browsed the boards connacht thread out of interest. IMO you had flouncer who was an utter waffler (so I paid no attention to him/her) but are you telling me we dont have a chance. What I say is that is probably the best team (well backline anyway) that we have fielded this year. Aki and Parata work a bomb together. They know how to break gain lines. Marmion has been an utter slowcoach (if i were mental he would drive me over the edge). So this selection is fantastic. Just felt I needed to register just to say that

death1234567

freyners wrote: »

As mentioned by a few above, you obviously dont see rodney regularly, certainly over the last 2 seasons at least, if thats what you think

Incorrect. He's not fit enough for a professional rugby player, simple as that. If he actually got himself fit then he might be a really useful prop, until then he's just a squad player and I'd doubt Ulster see him as anything more than that. He gets a free pass from a lot of fans as he's a cult hero.

Billysays no

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Welcome back flouncer!

billysays no

Borders no.2

irishbucsfan wrote: »

If Connacht lose this, what does that mean for qualification?

I think we would still qualify as a best runner up with a 5 pointer next week. Looking at Pool 3 and 4, no-one in Pool 3 is likely to finish on more than 16 or 17. Pool 4 the 2nd place team will finish well off the pace (maybe 9 or 10 points).

Only thing that might stop that is Montpellier beating Harlequins at home which I doubt will happen.

Finishing as 8th seed, that would probably leave us with an away trip to Harlequins which would more than likely be the end our campaign.

A win tomorrow and we've effectively won the group. Ironically being lowest seed of the group winners in 5th seed may be better if we have ambitions of going to the final as if you won the away quarter final you'd have a home semi-final. Finishing 4th seed and winning the home quarter final is likely to earn you an away trip to the top seeded team, more than likely Harlequins again.

http://epcrugby.com/europeanrugbychallengecup/rules.php

I'm confident we have the right balance in the side to get back on track tomorrow. If we don't I'll be very worried heading towards Scarlets in 2 weeks time.

Billysays no

Why would you think we now have the right balance in the team this weekend. If you look at it you have Mull at 8 where he doesnt play. I do agree to an extent with you but I would like your vision of centre partnerships, back row solutions. I would have liked different in the backrow but you are satisfied?

Borders no.2

Billysays no wrote: »

Why would you think we now have the right balance in the team this weekend. If you look at it you have Mull at 8 where he doesnt play. I do agree to an extent with you but I would like your vision of centre partnerships, back row solutions. I would have liked different in the backrow but you are satisfied?

I think its the right balance for the game tomorrow.

Definitely Muldoon at 8 worries me and was the one glaring issue on the team sheet but its a short term tactic. McKeon is playing for the Eagles tomorrow and Masterson and George are on the bench. 10-15 the balance looks right to cause problems and score tries.

I'm looking forward to seeing how MacGinty works with that backline. The last few games we've been far too predictable in attack. Ronaldson and Bundee helps shore up the centre defensively but for all our possession and territory last Sunday we made little use of it in the 2nd half in particular and 8 points scored in total from the 3 previous games says it all.

Up front I'm happy enough. This is a much weakened Brive pack so we should be able to at least hold our own. They have something like 5 of the side starting who played their last Top 14 game with the full back moving to out half.

In addition, for the first time in a couple of months we have a quality bench to spring to hopefully get the job done.

Billysays no

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Welcome back flouncer!

im so feckin obvious :-). is it just my grumpy nature?

irishbucsfan

Billysays no wrote: »

im so feckin obvious :-). is it just my grumpy nature?

No, you're the only person who doesn't like flouncer!

Billysays no

irishbucsfan wrote: »

No, you're the only person who doesn't like flouncer!

i do have to deal with this internal/external battle. its not easy ;-)

Billysays no

billy says no, flouncer says yes. what a conundrum :-)

irishgrover

Billysays no wrote:

billy says no, flouncer says yes. what a conundrum :-)

Go back to ouncer for a deciding vote...

Zzippy

irishbucsfan wrote: »

The Challenge Cup is more winnable now than it's ever been in the past, now that people don't drop down from the higher competition. This season there's a place in the Champions Cup on offer. Really thought that'd mean Connacht would be going all out to win this competition.

Not that it's the end of the world for Connacht to focus on the league, and it's great for lads like SOB2, just a little surprised.

i meant forget about it if we don't win vs Brive, if we can't beat Brive we won't be winning the Challenge Cup. Still some quality teams there, including Quins, Gloucester, and Edinburgh look strong this year. Home semi-final is vital as we saw last year.

connachta

Zzippy wrote: »

i meant forget about it if we don't win vs Brive, if we can't beat Brive we won't be winning the Challenge Cup. Still some quality teams there, including Quins, Gloucester, and Edinburgh look strong this year. Home semi-final is vital as we saw last year.

I do think we're able to beat Embra or Gloucester, but not Quins
Which led my reflexion about European qualification (main point IMO), and I was wondering smth crucial before bed.

Quins are likely to be top 6 in England, so what if they win Challenge Cup too?
Do they offer the spot to the 7th of the Premiership OR to the Challenge Cup runner-up???

The last solution means we have a good chance if we're lucky to avoid Quins until the Final. Then we have to play ChallengeCup much more seriously than I expected us to play it...

wp_rathead

Einsei beating Newcastle 14-7

irishgrover

wp_rathead wrote: »

Einsei beating Newcastle 14-7

where/how are you following game? twitter?

wp_rathead

http://www.epcrugby.com/europeanrugbychallengecup/index.php
and Newcastle Falcons Twitter page
The live streams aren't working

connachta

streams are working now

And we're now 21-7 for the Russians! Impressive

connachta

Wow they are playing really really well. Glad McKeon and Leader are coming back to make rotation without losing in quality, we will need them fit.

b.gud

24 - 7 now, and Newcastle with a man in the bin

wp_rathead

Enisey are playing some nice rugby - the ice in Krasnoyarsk really didn't suit them

connachta

drop-goal still to work though

wp_rathead

so close to the TBP

connachta

Amazing.. USA (with AJ), Russia Canada and Japan are in huge progress...The pacific islands should be worried

wp_rathead

their Georgian centre is an animal

S12b

Billysays no wrote: »

i have browsed the boards connacht thread out of interest. IMO you had flouncer who was an utter waffler (so I paid no attention to him/her) but are you telling me we dont have a chance. What I say is that is probably the best team (well backline anyway) that we have fielded this year. Aki and Parata work a bomb together. They know have to break gain lines. Marmion has been an utter slowcoach (if i were mental he would drive me over the edge). So this selection is fantastic. Just felt I needed to register just to say that

Billysays no wrote: »

im so feckin obvious :-). is it just my grumpy nature?

Your third sentence gave you away straight away....you have a habit of starting sentences with phrases like that.....knew it was the bauld Ounce straight away!!

Zzippy

Jeez, maybe drawing the short straw for the Siberian game was a blessing in disguise. They've beaten Brive and Newcastle in Sochi... I did not expect that!

connachta

Zzippy wrote: »

Jeez, maybe drawing the short straw for the Siberian game was a blessing in disguise. They've beaten Brive and Newcastle in Sochi... I did not expect that!

Who on earth did?

But Siberia or not, that prooves our squad is talented

Bridge93

Any word from the Eagles game? Score and stand out performances?

wp_rathead

Bridge93 wrote: »

Any word from the Eagles game? Score and stand out performances?

we were awful, lost 40-0..

Cormac Brennan at 13 did well, he only positive tbh
Eoin McKeon looks like he has injured his ankle- Leader got cramp but otherwise seems ok
our kicking out of hand, scrum and lineout were shocking, lads fell off tackles - was very disappointing as seemed decent team on paper

connachta

wp_rathead wrote: »

we were awful, lost 40-0..

Cormac Brennan at 13 did well, he only positive tbh
Eoin McKeon looks like he has injured his ankle- Leader got cramp but otherwise seems ok
our kicking out of hand, scrum and lineout were shocking, lads fell off tackles - was very disappointing as seemed decent team on paper

What about Api?

wp_rathead

connachta wrote: »

What about Api?

didn't even notice he was playing tbh

connachta

wp_rathead wrote: »

didn't even notice he was playing tbh

Same for me when he played a friendly this summer. Weird

CatFromHue

Einsei beat Newcastle so win this evening and you're through.

Billysays no

as provided by dobby at connachtclan
ok folks. my previous post supplies a rubbish stream. so here is an excellent stream. download zenvpn to your pc (as is normal you need to give an email address and setup a password but it is free of charge). Then when you install (and it may request to disable your firewall but there is no need to do this). Then go to france4 website and it streams in high definition .

currently watching. works well

errlloyd

Are either of those channels fta and tunable, I thought they might be.

Redo91

What a start!!!

Zzippy

Lovely try Parata

connemara man

I have no access to the match or twitter so I'm relying on here for details!!!!