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

wp_rathead

Leinster on Saturday 26th at 5.15pm
Doesn't clash with closed pubs on the Good Friday thank feck

Ulster away on April 1st at 7.35
Munster home on April 16 7.15
Treviso Away on April 29 7.30
Glasgow home on May 7th 3.00

All on tv bar Glasgow (understandably which games broadcast hasn't been decided yet for final round)

b.gud

Zzippy wrote: »

I think tv coverage can affect attendances also, which may have influenced their decision.

Yeah I think that's the reasoning behind the whole no 3pm games televised in the EPL

The Lost Sheep

ClanofLams wrote: »

Reading Dragons forum there apparently they requested Thursday night fixture. Wasn't very clear for someone without local knowledge but I think Rodney Parade may have other uses at weekends which frequently causes pitch issues.

Dragons share Rodney Parade with Newport County FC who have a home game scheduled for Saturday. Don't know why Sunday cant be used though..

former total

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Dragons share Rodney Parade with Newport County FC who have a home game scheduled for Saturday. Don't know why Sunday cant be used though..

Maybe they don't want to go head to head with the Six Nations? Don't think there's any perfect solution really.

connemara man

connachta wrote: »

I can't see why Finlay wouldn't be realeased, now Ross and Healy are on their ways.

So main question IMO is

1) Ronaldson/Robb/Aki
2) Ronaldson/Aki/Parata
3) McGinty/Ronaldson/Aki

opinion?

Got to be option 2 Aki thrives in the tight spaces at 12

Bazzo

connachta wrote: »

I can't see why Finlay wouldn't be realeased, now Ross and Healy are on their ways.

So main question IMO is

1) Ronaldson/Robb/Aki
2) Ronaldson/Aki/Parata
3) McGinty/Ronaldson/Aki

opinion?

I have doubts about whether Healy will be playing on Thursday so I'd say Parata might be out on the wing. If that's the case I'd rather option 1 myself but I think it's more likely we'll see option 3 with Shane O'Leary? on the bench. If any of the above 3 is a viable option I'd probably think something like 1=2>3.

b.gud

Bazzo wrote: »

I have doubts about whether Healy will be playing on Thursday so I'd say Parata might be out on the wing. If that's the case I'd rather option 1 myself but I think it's more likely we'll see option 3 with Shane O'Leary? on the bench. If any of the above 3 is a viable option I'd probably think something like 1=2>3.

If you're a believer in bib theory then it looks like Healy should be playing

Bazzo

b.gud wrote: »

If you're a believer in bib theory then it looks like Healy should be playing

Of course I was forgetting that they were off at the weekend so he's had slightly longer to recover, but usually I thought it was fairly rare to see a return after a concussion of 2 weeks(I think that's somewhere around the minimum?)

b.gud

ClanofLams wrote: »

Dragons full back Meyer cited for incident in Ulster game, doesn't seem to have been date set so not sure how his availability this week will be affected?

He's been cleared to play

https://twitter.com/rugby_ie/status/697116735611105280

Billysays no

BrokenMan wrote: »

Option 2 for me but that assumes Healey is fit. If not I'd have Parata on the wing with Robb in the Center. I really want to see Ronaldson given a go at 10.

Would suspect based on pats history we are looking at aj at 10 with bundee and Craig at centre. Indeed Joe insists on Robbie and Payne at centre for Ireland when the punter would see merit in Payne at full back and McCloskey with Robbie in the centre.

So, while I may not go with theses choices these coaches are quality coaches for a reason. If that's how they see it then it must be how it should be.

connachta

Billysays no wrote: »

Would suspect based on pats history we are looking at aj at 10 with bundee and Craig at centre. Indeed Joe insists on Robbie and Payne at centre for Ireland when the punter would see merit in Payne at full back and McCloskey with Robbie in the centre.

So, while I may not go with theses choices these coaches are quality coaches for a reason. If that's how they see it then it must be how it should be.

Good strategic move, now you can say in the future either "best coach ever" or "wasn't my own choice" according to the result:p

Billysays no

connachta wrote: »

Good strategic move, now you can say in the future either "best coach ever" or "wasn't my own choice" according to the result:p

Nope, pat has happily proven me consistently wrong. No further objections to his selections. He knows better. I know little☺

connachta

Billysays no wrote: »

Nope, pat has happily proven me consistently wrong. No further objections to his selections. He knows better. I know little☺

No worry, it's winter, you should be a little sick. If it continues like that, I'll ask for a ban within 10 days. WE WANT OUR OUNCER BACK:D

Billysays no

connachta wrote: »

No worry, it's winter, you should be a little sick. If it continues like that, I'll ask for a ban within 10 days. WE WANT OUR OUNCER BACK:D

After McFadden being called up in front of gilroy I simply know nothing. I'm so baffled I could say i'm dumbfounded. If Healy replaces white then i'm going to the badminton section

Borders no.2

There are positives to the Thursday night game. We are first up, get our result and we can build the pressure on the others in a weekend where 6 of the teams battling with us for the Top 6 are playing each other. Also Dragons had the game last Friday so the quick turnaround doesn't help them. Although it still is a fairly standard 6 day turnaround they have had a good run of games in succession at this stage. Also it gives us 9 days before Zebre.

In the last round we just had to beat Scarlets at home and I think that while Thursday isn't as necessary a win it would put us in a fantastic position if we do win. If we win here I'd be very confident we'd get at a minimum Top 6. Lose and our room for error disappears and there is extra pressure heaped on the Ospreys game in particular which even minus their Welsh players is going to be very tough.

Given the conditions, this will be a game that involves a lot of playing for territory. It's likely to be tight. Listening to Rob Murphy on the radio when a Connacht game is tight doesn't do the heart any good.

Borders no.2

Duplicate Post - Please Remove

connachta

Oh PLEASE do it, Billysaysno, go to badminton forum! Stay here too, but that's just I'd looove to see how they react over there!

b.gud

15 Tiernan O’Halloran
14 Danie Poolman
13 Bundee Aki
12 Craig Ronaldson
11 Matt Healy
10 AJ MacGinty
9 Caolin Blade

1 Denis Buckley
2 Tom McCartney
3 Rodney Ah You
4 George Naoupu
5 Aly Muldowney
6 John Muldoon (captain)
7 Jake Heenan
8 Eoghan Masterson

Replacements:

16 Dave Heffernan
17 Ronan Loughney
18 Finlay Bealham
19 Ultan Dillane
20 Eoin McKeon
21 Kieran Marmion
22 Peter Robb
23 Rory Parata


Disappointed to see Keiran released from the Irish squad

wp_rathead

b.gud wrote: »

Disappointed to se Keiran released from the Irish squad

Shame to see Dillane and Marmion on bench alright - means they won't be involved in Paris (and Bealham but he was rarely likely to be involved anyway)

Lam really likes and trusts the Ronaldson and Aki centre partnership - just hope kickers bring their boots!

Robbo

wp_rathead wrote: »

Shame to see Dillane and Marmion on bench alright - means they won't be involved in Paris (and Bealham but he was rarely likely to be involved anyway)

Lam really likes and trusts the Ronaldson and Aki centre partnership - just hope kickers bring their boots!

State of their pitch recently, it's going to be an evening for playing for territory. Rodney may be the smarter choice as well if conditions underfoot are bad.

Bazzo

Marmion dropped from the Irish team after not getting off the bench last weekend is a noggin scratcher. Maybe Joe intends to rotate them back and forth so they can get some game time during the 6 nations and keep them sharp?

AJ at 10 and Ronaldson at 12 isn't shocking, Pat's fond of the Ronaldson Aki partnership and he always seems to back his chosen out halves.

Will this be on any radio stations?

wp_rathead

Robbo wrote: »

State of their pitch recently, it's going to be an evening for playing for territory. Rodney may be the smarter choice as well if conditions underfoot are bad.

Aye Rodney Parade looks like it recently held the Ploughing Championship

wp_rathead

Bazzo wrote: »

Marmion dropped from the Irish team after not getting off the bench last weekend is a noggin scratcher. Maybe Joe intends to rotate them back and forth so they can get some game time during the 6 nations and keep them sharp?

AJ at 10 and Ronaldson at 12 isn't shocking, Pat's fond of the Ronaldson Aki partnership and he always seems to back his chosen out halves.

Will this be on any radio stations?

Rob Murphy is gonna be commentating on Galway Bay Fm

b.gud

Dragons team

Carl Meyer, Ashton Hewitt, Adam Hughes, Adam Warren, Nick Scott, Jason Tovey, Sarel Pretorius; Phil Price, Elliot Dee, Brok Harris, Matthew Screech, Rynard Landman ©, Ben White, Nic Cudd, Nick Crosswell.

Replacements: Rhys Buckley, Boris Stankovich, Shaun Knight, Cory Hill, James Benjamin, Charlie Davies, Angus O’Brien, Geraint Rhys Jones.

b.gud

feckin double posts, seriously boards can you sort this out

ClanofLams

Disappointing for Marmion and Dillane but on the plus side that bench is very strong, all capable of coming on and making an impact.

eezipc

Has Marmion been released for the full six nations or just for this game? I presume because the game was so tight he was not used on Sunday but it's rare these days for a scrum-half to play the full 80 minutes.

The Lost Sheep

eezipc wrote: »

Has Marmion been released for the full six nations or just for this game? I presume because the game was so tight he was not used on Sunday but it's rare these days for a scrum-half to play the full 80 minutes.

Just this game. He will be added in again for the week leading up to England...

gally74

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Just this game. He will be added in again for the week leading up to England...

Is this game on tv ?

The Lost Sheep

gally74 wrote: »

Is this game on tv?

No

thomond2006

The next two games are must wins for Connacht. The run-in is pretty tough.

http://www.pro12rugby.com/teams/connacht/fixtures.php#v4lai1Sk2A2TwQiK.97

its_phil

thomond2006 wrote: »

The next two games are must wins for Connacht. The run-in is pretty tough.

http://www.pro12rugby.com/teams/connacht/fixtures.php#v4lai1Sk2A2TwQiK.97

Glasgow, Munster, Leinster, Ospreys at home is much more appeasing than going away and then we have to go away to Zebre and Treviso. Really don't fear anyone at home. I think that's pretty good.

connachta

fully agree, Dragons away is tougher than deplected Ospreys and Munster home

galwaylad14

Would echo the sentiments of many here, and espeically after watching the Dragons against Ulster last Friday, this will be a very tough game. They are coming into this in serious form and are at virtually full strength. If we manage a win here it'll be one of our best wins of the season.

Having said that we're not playing badly ourselves again and we have a decent team available and a very strong bench to compliment it. I've been a massive critic of his at time but I do think Jack is a fair stretch better than AJ and he would have been coming into this game on the back of one of his best performances of the season.

The main thing a win would probably bring us here is a bit of breathing space, I think it was absolutely vital that starting with the Scarlets game that we won 3 of our following 4 games. Obviously the Scarlets one is in the bag now so need at least 2 from 3 (and hopefully 2 bonus points too) against Dragons, Zebre and Ospreys.

We definitely can win but I think a losing bonus (provided we don't give the game away totally) wouldn't be the end of the world tomorrow evening.

galwaylad14

Would echo the sentiments of many here, and espeically after watching the Dragons against Ulster last Friday, this will be a very tough game. They are coming into this in serious form and are at virtually full strength. If we manage a win here it'll be one of our best wins of the season.

Having said that we're not playing badly ourselves again and we have a decent team available and a very strong bench to compliment it. I've been a massive critic of his at time but I do think Jack is a fair stretch better than AJ and he would have been coming into this game on the back of one of his best performances of the season.

The main thing a win would probably bring us here is a bit of breathing space, I think it was absolutely vital that starting with the Scarlets game that we won 3 of our following 4 games. Obviously the Scarlets one is in the bag now so need at least 2 from 3 (and hopefully 2 bonus points too) against Dragons, Zebre and Ospreys.

We definitely can win but I think a losing bonus (provided we don't give the game away totally) wouldn't be the end of the world tomorrow evening.

madds

Looking at buying tickets for the Connacht/Leinster game on Mar 25th for 4 adults and 6 kids (youngest is 5). Which are the best seats in the Sportsground for families with young kids? The Clan Terrace is sold out. Thanks.

wp_rathead

madds wrote: »

Looking at buying tickets for the Connacht/Leinster game on Mar 25th for 4 adults and 6 kids (youngest is 5). Which are the best seats in the Sportsground for families with young kids? The Clan Terrace is sold out. Thanks.

Main Stand Terrace?
I've said its before but it's situations like this that the Sportsground could do with a Seated Stand

Zzippy

madds wrote: »

Looking at buying tickets for the Connacht/Leinster game on Mar 25th for 4 adults and 6 kids (youngest is 5). Which are the best seats in the Sportsground for families with young kids? The Clan Terrace is sold out. Thanks.

The only seats are in the enclosed section (behind the glass upstairs). A lot of families go behind the goal line at either end as the view is less restricted for kids with no one standing in front of them. Only problem is if when it rains...

Billysays no

its a strong connacht team. its a strong dragons team. jack and aj both bring different qualities to the team. as another critic of jacks i would say that he has been the stronger of the two out halfs this year. mcgintys goal kicking has been very poor but with craig available that shouldnt be a problem. what aj does bring to the game is that he uses the backline well so he encourages a running game. however what has been pointed out is that the pitch will be a bog. so its likely to be a bit of a slogfest rather than an open exciting game. these types of games can go either way. hopefully the welsh weather was similar to the irish weather today and remains the same for tomorrow. if so there is hope that aj can shift the ball around the place. my opinion is a BP win if weather holds. If not then as I say its in the balance

S12b

Pics up of Connacht doing their captain's run in the Arms Park.....the Dragons pitch must be absolutely wrecked!!

aimee1

S12b wrote: »

Pics up of Connacht doing their captain's run in the Arms Park.....the Dragons pitch must be absolutely wrecked!!

it was a mess when leinster played there 2 weeks ago

Billysays no

its a strange thing but as times go on i look at this team and think wow. if there was a weak link its at 10. most every other player simply picks themselves. and the reserves ain't shoddy.

forgot to mention, absolutely try of the season (and it has only started) to george's wife in the womens international. george, your kids will go down in irish history

Billysays no

its a strange thing but as times go on i look at this team and think wow. if there was a weak link its at 10. most every other player simply picks themselves. and the reserves ain't shoddy.

forgot to mention, absolutely try of the season (and it has only started) to george's wife in the womens international. george, your kids will go down in irish history

Billysays no

and while it has taken me an age i have finally nailed what bugs me about henshaw. on the international stage he is simply very damm good. so whats wrong with connacht. shouldnt he be extra good. and thats it. robbie feels he needs to be extra good. so rather than playing team rugby he is playing robbie rugby.

If you take the international game last weekend he passed, took possession, and used players around him well. Maybe he doesn't thinks so highly of his connacht counterparts. His game is so different for connacht it is bemusing

hermano

Billysays no wrote: »

and while it has taken me an age i have finally nailed what bugs me about henshaw. on the international stage he is simply very damm good. so whats wrong with connacht. shouldnt he be extra good. and thats it. robbie feels he needs to be extra good. so rather than playing team rugby he is playing robbie rugby.

If you take the international game last weekend he passed, took possession, and used players around him well. Maybe he doesn't thinks so highly of his connacht counterparts. His game is so different for connacht it is bemusing

I know I shouldn't go for the bait but what???

Billysays no

hermano wrote: »

I know I shouldn't go for the bait but what???

hermano, your safe. its taken we a while to understand the henshaw performance but i finally get it. and i appreciate the problem. he is our only first choice international. when you sit back into an ordinary team (connacht are not ordinary, but i suggest that connacht are ordinary in comparison to ireland) it is hard for you to play rugby on the same wavelength to this ordinary team?

hermano

Billysays no wrote: »

hermano, your safe. its taken we a while to understand the henshaw performance but i finally get it. and i appreciate the problem. he is our only first choice international. when you sit back into an ordinary team (connacht are not ordinary, but i suggest that connacht are ordinary in comparison to ireland) it is hard for you to play rugby on the same wavelength to this ordinary team?

Ah here Ouncer. He is just as good for Connacht as Ireland. That offload to Bundee v Munster showed he is on the same wavelength as "this ordinary team".

mogwai81

Is the Connacht game on Galwaybayfm?

b.gud

mogwai81 wrote: »

Is the Connacht game on Galwaybayfm?

Yeah

Stan27

Any rumoured signings for next season?