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

Tigerandahalf

Do TG4 go to the games? The sound quality of the commentary is v poor. When are the rights for it up again. I'd love to see tv3 give it a shot but they are not HD on saorview like TG4 which is a pity at this stage.

freyners

ClanofLams wrote:

I think they might have changed that this season?

Don't think so. The below is on the erc website

Nineteen clubs will qualify automatically for the 2016/17 European Rugby Champions Cup in the following ways :.

• PRO12: The seven highest-ranked clubs based on their finishing positions in the league. The seven qualifiers must include at least one club from each of Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.

• Top 14: The six highest-ranked clubs based on their finishing positions in the league.

• Aviva Premiership: The six highest-ranked clubs based on their finishing positions in the league.

To facilitate Rugby World Cup 2015 and to avoid fixture congestion, there will be no play-offs for the 2016/17 Champions Cup with the 20th place in the tournament going to the winner of the 2016 Challenge Cup.

If the winner of the 2016 Challenge Cup is already qualified, that club will earn a place in the 2016/17 Champions Cup for the highest-ranked club from its league which has not already qualified.

CMOTDibbler

Robbo wrote: »

At a time when everyone's worried about **** rugby being played to a rigorous blueprint, Connacht are the perfect anecdote to a Uncle Joe's Moneyball game or one of the Jobbridge coaches elsewhere.

"Now lads, Have I told you about the time..."

Crimsonforce

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Do TG4 go to the games? The sound quality of the commentary is v poor. When are the rights for it up again. I'd love to see tv3 give it a shot but they are not HD on saorview like TG4 which is a pity at this stage.

The commentators are not at the game and done from a voice over booth whilst watching the feed coming in.. to be fair lots of sports do this..Tg4 have gone above and beyond their coverage of rugby... but you are right, audio was poor tonight.

eyeball kid

Great result for us. Bonus point win there is fantastic. Thought at one stage in the second half it was looking ominous for us but we got the fourth and held them out. Definitely should be aiming for the play offs now.

ClanofLams

freyners wrote: »

Don't think so. The below is on the erc website

Nineteen clubs will qualify automatically for the 2016/17 European Rugby Champions Cup in the following ways :.

• PRO12: The seven highest-ranked clubs based on their finishing positions in the league. The seven qualifiers must include at least one club from each of Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.

• Top 14: The six highest-ranked clubs based on their finishing positions in the league.

• Aviva Premiership: The six highest-ranked clubs based on their finishing positions in the league.

To facilitate Rugby World Cup 2015 and to avoid fixture congestion, there will be no play-offs for the 2016/17 Champions Cup with the 20th place in the tournament going to the winner of the 2016 Challenge Cup.

If the winner of the 2016 Challenge Cup is already qualified, that club will earn a place in the 2016/17 Champions Cup for the highest-ranked club from its league which has not already qualified.

Ah right thought I read they had made it winner runner up and then semi finalists split by best league position if necessary. All the better that way.

freyners

ClanofLams wrote:

Ah right thought I read they had made it winner runner up and then semi finalists split by best league position if necessary. All the better that way.

Actually that doesn't say anything about seeding bar the seven highest ranked. You may still be correct

BrokenMan

Scarlets not getting a BP at Treviso.
There's a proper gap now back to 3rd. Time to start dreaming of a home SF?

Utopia Parkway

Not Matt Healy's best night. Fell off a couple of tackles and had a few bad drops as well. Allowed a bad game though. Just hope Joe wasn't watching this one.

b.gud

freyners wrote: »

Actually that doesn't say anything about seeding bar the seven highest ranked. You may still be correct

AFAIK the across the 3 competitions the 1st seed is the winner overall competition winner rather than the league winner, eg last year Toulon finished top of the league but lost in the knock out stages so didn't have top seed.
2nd seed then goes to the runner up if the final and then 3rd and 4th go to the losing teams of the semi finals based on how high they finished in the league

So if the pro 12 was to finish today the semis would be Con v Uls and Lein v Sca. If the winner were Uls and Sca and then Uls won the final the seeding for champions cup would be as follows*
1 Ulster
2 Scarlets
3 Connacht
4 Leinster

*Obviously Connacht are gonna win but I needed an example where they didn't to show how it works

Billysays no

BrokenMan wrote: »

Scarlets not getting a BP at Treviso.
There's a proper gap now back to 3rd. Time to start dreaming of a home SF?

now ya got it.

Bazzo

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Not Matt Healy's best night. Fell off a couple of tackles and had a few bad drops as well. Allowed a bad game though. Just hope Joe wasn't watching this one.

1 very unusual drop from a restart and 1 bad missed tackle. He was very quiet though so yeah, definitely not his best night.

Billysays no

thomond2006 wrote: »

Munster have signed both Sean MacCarthy and John Madigan to development deals. If they come good then Munster will be well stocked with locks so there will be no need to look to sign Dillane.

i suggest that u just worry with your own destiny. dillane is signed, tom is signed, bundee is signed. if jake wants to leave it wont be to munster

connachta

Just hope Joe did watch. I'd like Matt Healy available for Leinster game

ClanofLams

Three weeks off is no harm really. Good break before a very big end of season.

connachta

Yes rest time so much deserved for Muldowney and Bundee Aki!

connachta

You know it bodes well for us when you read twits like that : "I'm proud of @EdinburghRugby - 5 point loss to table leader is job well done"
Or "Hats off to Connacht. Just a great story. "
One of the best comments of tonight came from Scottish BBC. Andy Nichol said - thats the best team we have seen this year at Murrayfield.

ClanofLams

Don't like criticising our own but Rodney was farcical in the short time he was on the field. He has been bad all season and worse since the Ulster move was announced.

connachta

Question from Balls.ie: could Connacht beat Ireland? Henshaw/Dillane could switch teams at halftime!:P

Bazzo

ClanofLams wrote: »

Don't like criticising our own but Rodney was farcical in the short time he was on the field. He has been bad all season and worse since the Ulster move was announced.

He's pretty frustrating in that he can be a wrecking ball carrier who locks out the scrum effortlessly one day and a passenger who mosies from penalty to penalty the next. I like Bealham at LH but with Rodney heading off and White hitting 35 I think we may actually see him more at TH next season, unless Conan O'Donnell makes a big step up for us.

Correct me if I'm wrong but that's 29 points out of a possible 30 in the last 6 games? Some return.

Former Coach

Pat is going to be joint-manager of Connacht and Galway United after their 1-3 win away to St Pats😂😂😂 Obviously his pep-talk did the trick!

connachta

Rumours even tell Lam as Ranieri shadow for Leicester City!

WarZ

connachta wrote: »

Rumours even tell Lam is Ranieri shadow for Leicester City!

Wit, great grammar and topical jokes. You truly are a beacon of the rugby forum connachta

Mod: Banned for persistent trolling

connachta

Eoin McKeon try is a great sign for the period coming from now to December.
He can just do a "TOH style" comeback. One season average, then months out on injury, then hell of a level games after games!

ClanofLams

WarZ wrote: »

Wit, great grammar and topical jokes. You truly are a beacon of the rugby forum connachta

You must live a fairly sad life.

connachta

Who cares of that? We're ****ing top of the league, with a ****ing good rugby

connachta

Nobody dares answering the good question from Balls.ie: could Connacht beat Ireland? Henshaw/Dillane could switch teams at halftime

connachta

On Edinburgh Forum :

"I think Buckley is one of the most underrated scrummaging looseheads in the NH, let alone the Pro 12.

This is a serious Connacht side, if it was Leinster we'd be saying "oh well....." this Connacht are the best team we've played this year, no excuses, we lost but to a decent opposition. Other teams have stars, but I can see this Connacht side going all the way to Murrayfield this year due to how well Pat Lam has them playing."

Soooo nice to read this kind of comment from opposite fans

Hagz

connachta wrote: »

Nobody dares answering the good question from Balls.ie: could Connacht beat Ireland? Henshaw/Dillane could switch teams at halftime

No.

Hagz - a regular daredevil.

Zzippy

connachta wrote: »

Nobody dares answering the good question from Balls.ie: could Connacht beat Ireland? Henshaw/Dillane could switch teams at halftime

Eh, no. And also, ridiculous question! It is balls.ie, I suppose...

Diabhal Beag

Hagz wrote: »

No.

Hagz - a regular daredevil.

You're biased though :pac:

ionadnapokot

connachta wrote: »

Yes rest time so much deserved for Muldowney and Bundee Aki!

Savage shift from those lads.
Prob the best players in their positions in Ireland.

CMOTDibbler

connachta wrote: »

Nobody dares answering the good question from Balls.ie: could Connacht beat Ireland? Henshaw/Dillane could switch teams at halftime

Nobody wants to burst your bubble. You're so happy. :pac:

Bazzo

connachta wrote: »

Nobody dares answering the good question from Balls.ie: could Connacht beat Ireland? Henshaw/Dillane could switch teams at halftime

Let's not get carried away....

connachta

ionadnapokot wrote: »

Savage shift from those lads.
Prob the best players in their positions in Ireland.

With Denis Buckeley. If Healy is average tomorrow, he could have a go in the other green jersey...

connachta

Bazzo wrote: »

Let's not get carried away....

I hardly can be considered as both deeply pessimistic and too much carried away on the same topic...;)

Lancey Howard

Surely it is now time to expect success, on the basis of firm evidence.

Consider this evening. Connacht came away from Murrayfield with 5 points. Before today, only Munster had won here, despite Leinster, Ulster, Ospreys, Scarlets and Glasgow (twice) all having a go. Recent form lines through Dragons further show a serious level of success. Lenister-Ospreys tomorrow will be interesting.

Allowing for reasonable luck with injuries, a home SF should now be a minimum target (Powers agree with me - 7/4 second favourites for regular season, 18/1 bar 2).

Three huge home games left. I'm looking forward to raucous full houses, matches to compare to last week and more 4- (5-?) pointers

mjp

Should make for great atmosphere at Leinster game on Easter Saturday in top of table clash. Expect game to be fully sold out by Monday. We would need to beat them to have any chance of topping table heading into play offs. I'm thinking Pat will give the players a well deserved week off after their results over last 6 weeks.

ionadnapokot

connachta wrote: »

With Denis Buckeley. If Healy is average tomorrow, he could have a go in the other green jersey...

Poor auld Healy - The Shadow. It's mad that Buckley is not no. 17 for Ireland. Good for Connacht but!

Zzippy

Another impressive stat: that's the first try bonus Edinburgh have conceded in the Pro12 this season, home or away. They had 19 conceded in 16 games before tonight, 23 now...

connachta

mjp wrote: »

Should make for great atmosphere at Leinster game on Easter Saturday in top of table clash. Expect game to be fully sold out by Monday.

So I did well to have booked my flight and ticket before this evening!;)

Zzippy

Some great comments on the Connacht fb page.

One of the best comments of tonight came from Scottish BBC. Andy Nichol said - thats the best team we have seen this year at Murrayfield.

When you consider that Scotland played England there, that's some accolade!!

connachta

two hours ago

connachta wrote: »

You know it bodes well for us when you read twits like that : "I'm proud of @EdinburghRugby - 5 point loss to table leader is job well done"
Or "Hats off to Connacht. Just a great story. "
One of the best comments of tonight came from Scottish BBC. Andy Nichol said - thats the best team we have seen this year at Murrayfield.

Zippy, you're not focused
You're already forgiven, everyone is on such a night!!!!!!!

S12b

Christ it's an exciting time to be a Connacht supporter!!

Team are playing great stuff, look very confident, took 24/25 points out of that block of games.....and yet there's still lots to work on!!

If Ospreys could do us a favour tomorrow....a home semi final has to become the target!!

mjp

We could hopefully be going back to Murray field again this season for the pro 12 final which is on there 28th May. If were on for a home semi final I might take the chance and book flights Dublin Edinburgh return day trip for €50 with Ryanair for what would be a great trip if we made it. Getting carried away a but I know but its nice to live and dream of finals. Not often we get the chance. I'm sure henshaw would love his farewell game to finish in a final like that.

Robbo

Of the negatives from this evening, Ronaldson looked like he'll be a while. Some kind of ankle knack.

Also, Rodney's completely checked out, in particular since the Brexit referendum was called and Sterling has been on the slide. 10-12% of the value of his new contract has been eroded in the last 3 weeks if he's to mentally anchor his wages to the Euro.

Cosmo Kramer

Just back home from the game, was a great one to be at. Murrayfield was freezing and impossible to build much of an atmosphere in for a Pro 12 game as usual, but the 70 or 80 Connacht supporters there were all in the same area so we managed to make the best of it.

Edinburgh supporters were very quiet, don't seem to have much faith in Solomons and their great hope Hidalgo Clyne has gone way off the boil. For Connacht it was a shame to see Ah You look so disinterested - I don't think he has much business sticking around with that attitude, it's no coincidence that the period he was on the field was Connacht's worst of the game. Once the 6 Nations is over you could ship him off to Ulster early and not lose anything. They'll have their work cut out with him.

However the fight in the team towards the end when Edinburgh came back was great to see, it's another game won this year that would have been lost in the past. Top 6 now secured for sure and two more wins may well be enough for the playoffs - that's very achievable.

I hope Ronaldson's injury wasn't as bad as it looked, his kicking has made a huge difference recently and did again tonight.

Billysays no

[QUOTE=Lancey Howard;98960028Lenister-Ospreys tomorrow will be interesting.[/QUOTE]
Of all the games this weekend this is the one in doubt. So I only won Eur10 at the bookie today. As I said earlier, and indeed the commentators on bbc scotland said, we have a regular team. We have the odd injury, the odd international but i have never see our team so regular from 1 to 15 in all my years. So its great not to have the usual injury crisis. Its also great to be top of the league.

Buckley cracks me up. How good do you have to be before gaining international recognition. As for other opinions I actually go with Joe Schmidt. We don't need this mental ****e, otherwise the HSE would be inundated

CatFromHue

Robbo wrote: »

Of the negatives from this evening, Ronaldson looked like he'll be a while. Some kind of ankle knack.

Also, Rodney's completely checked out, in particular since the Brexit referendum was called and Sterling has been on the slide. 10-12% of the value of his new contract has been eroded in the last 3 weeks if he's to mentally anchor his wages to the Euro.

Did he go off injured?

Or was he just subbed off for playing bad?

Bazzo

CatFromHue wrote: »

Did he go off injured?

Or was he just subbed off for playing bad?

He wasn't injured, he didn't look all that happy about being subbed off.