Connacht Team Talk Thread V - The Friend Zone

KBurke85

The Friend Zone

Wegians89 wrote: »

If both are fit who do you start at 9 against ulster, blade or marmion? I don't think selection tomorrow will show much if marmion starts but that’s because he got so little game time against Cardiff.

I think on form you have to pick Blade

connemara man

The Friend Zone

The problem is that's they're both playing better of the bench lately

KBurke85

The Friend Zone

Munster: Mike Haley; Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Dan Goggin, Calvin Nash; Tyler Bleyendaal, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony (C), Chris Cloete, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Rhys Marshall, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Billy Holland, Arno Botha, Neil Cronin, JJ Hanrahan, Sammy Arnold.

Munster near enough full strength bar injuries

(15-9) Tiernan O’Halloran, Niyi Adeolokun, Bundee Aki, Tom Daly, Stephen Fitzgerald, Conor Dean, Kieran Marmion, (1-8) Matthew Burke, Tom McCartney, Finlay Bealham, Joe Maksymiw, James Cannon, Eoin McKeon, Jarrad Butler (Capt), Robin Copleand.
Replacements (16-23): Shane Delahunt, Peter McCabe, Conor Carey, Eoghan Masterson, Paul Boyle, Caolin Blade, Eoin Griffin, Darragh Leader.

b.gud

KBurke85 wrote: »

Munster: Mike Haley; Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Dan Goggin, Calvin Nash; Tyler Bleyendaal, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony (C), Chris Cloete, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Rhys Marshall, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Billy Holland, Arno Botha, Neil Cronin, JJ Hanrahan, Sammy Arnold.

Munster near enough full strength bar injuries

(15-9) Tiernan O’Halloran, Niyi Adeolokun, Bundee Aki, Tom Daly, Stephen Fitzgerald, Conor Dean, Kieran Marmion, (1-8) Matthew Burke, Tom McCartney, Finlay Bealham, Joe Maksymiw, James Cannon, Eoin McKeon, Jarrad Butler (Capt), Robin Copleand.
Replacements (16-23): Shane Delahunt, Peter McCabe, Conor Carey, Eoghan Masterson, Paul Boyle, Caolin Blade, Eoin Griffin, Darragh Leader.

I do not feel confident

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

b.gud wrote: »

I do not feel confident

I dno, you’ve Munster fielding a team who got beaten up last week and have all the pressure in them this week. Where Connacht have no pressure but players fighting for places in the 23 for the ulster match. There’s also some decent players in the Connacht side. I’d expect Munster to win but I think Connacht will put up a good performance. But with a bit of luck or some decisions going our way can seem Munster buckling

Chippy1234

Great for players like Conor Dean and Stephen Fitz to play against their old team and “prove themselves “ it can be a great form of motivation.


Good to see a weakened experimental team out who can try stake a claim for the 23 v Ulster also happy with Carty in the bubble wrap at home!

Very strong Munster team! I know they’re fighting for top spot still relying on a favour from Edinburgh but I wouldn’t be paying, nevermind starting so many “big guns” with a chance of injury, surely could have rested some of them

realhorrorshow

Chippy1234 wrote: »

Great for players like Conor Dean and Stephen Fitz to play against their old team and “prove themselves “ it can be a great form of motivation.


Good to see a weakened experimental team out who can try stake a claim for the 23 v Ulster also happy with Carty in the bubble wrap at home!

Very strong Munster team! I know they’re fighting for top spot still relying on a favour from Edinburgh but I wouldn’t be paying, nevermind starting so many “big guns” with a chance of injury, surely could have rested some of them

Conor Dean is from Dublin, son of Paul Dean.

RobbieRuns

I thought that Dean was a Leinster, Blackrock College player.

Big chance for him, hope that it goes well

Bridge93

He is ex Blackrock. The fifth in Connachts squad which is random. although two of them are born and bred connacht men

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

Massive chance for dean, if he has a brilliant first game he could find himself on the bench in a quarter final for his second

Chippy1234

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Conor Dean is from Dublin, son of Paul Dean.

My mistake! Was told it one time and never bothered looking into it!

All the same massive game for him!

Good too that he has an experienced back line around him which should help him settle in too

Diabhal Beag

Good to see lads like Dean and Burke in the mix. Performances definitely more important than the result.

freyners

The Friend Zone

Good test for Burke. I know Archer doesnt get much love outside of Munster but hes an experienced and capable prop so how Burke performs against him is a good indicator of his progress to date

Lucas44

Sevu Reece with another 2 quality tries for crusaders today, talk in commentary of being a potential rwc bolter

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

b.gud wrote: »

I do not feel confident

Agreed. The team itself isn’t bad, it’s just hard to see them putting together a cohesive performance given the lack of game time they would have had together. Marmion has obviously never played with Dean, likewise don’t think Daly and Aki have lined out together nor the second rows. Do think the back row will go well though and interesting to see how Dean fares too.

Hopefully they can put a surprising performance in, Griffin will likely get on and wouldn’t be great for his last game in the shirt to be a hammering.

wavehopper1

Lucas44 wrote: »

Sevu Reece with another 2 quality tries for crusaders today, talk in commentary of being a potential rwc bolter

Reece, who is short-ish and full of pace, made one try against three defenders through angle and sheer brute power, think James Lowe in a smaller package.
The opposition (Lions) weren't up to much, but that try was all about Reece.

yoursaviour1989

Why are people still talking about Reece?

b.gud

yoursaviour1989 wrote: »

Why are people still talking about Reece?

Because Reece has been one of the standout wingers in New Zealand and some people, with zero interest in Connacht, are talking about him as a bolter for the RWC* He was supposed to sign with Connacht and when he's getting that much attention it's hard not to look somewhat wistfully and wonder about what could have been. Though I think it's important to note that I think everyone talking about it agrees that cancelling the signing was the right thing to do.

*It's a bit of silly season talking about bolters for the RWC and anyone who shows any bit of form will probably be talked about as one

Jump_In_Jack

b.gud wrote: »

Because Reece has been one of the standout wingers in New Zealand and some people, with zero interest in Connacht, are talking about him as a bolter for the RWC* He was supposed to sign with Connacht and when he's getting that much attention it's hard not to look somewhat wistfully and wonder about what could have been. Though I think it's important to note that I think everyone talking about it agrees that cancelling the signing was the right thing to do.

*It's a bit of silly season talking about bolters for the RWC and anyone who shows any bit of form will probably be talked about as one

He’s Fijian, so might he play for Fiji if NZ don’t pick him?

Former Former

You've got a Friend in me

yoursaviour1989 wrote: »

Why are people still talking about Reece?

Because some people wish he had been signed.

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

Really looking forward to seeing how dean gets on. On the other hand surely not a good sign for Luke carty that two first year academy 10s dean and Fitzgerald have been capped ahead of him, hope carty could move to 15 think he’d have a better chance there

its_phil

Mul, it's over

Former Former wrote: »

yoursaviour1989 wrote: »

Why are people still talking about Reece?

Because some people wish he had been signed.

He was signed. There are few posters here that disagreed with his contract being torn up however.

Fair play to him for getting the help needed and thriving.

its_phil

Mul, it's over

Former Former wrote: »

yoursaviour1989 wrote: »

Why are people still talking about Reece?

Because some people wish he had been signed.

He was signed. There are few posters here that disagreed with his contract being torn up however.

Fair play to him for getting the help needed and thriving.

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

Former Former wrote: »

Because some people wish he had been signed.

Think it’s more like people wish he hadn’t committed the offence and so could have been signed.

He’s looking like a superstar and All black in waiting, of course it’s going to be commented on.

Zzippy

its_phil wrote: »

He was signed. There are few posters here that disagreed with his contract being torn up however.
.

ClanofLams wrote: »

Think it’s more like people wish he hadn’t committed the offence and so could have been signed.

Those are not necessarily mutually exclusive. It is possible to wish for one thing and agree with the other.

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

There’s positives to take out of the whole Reece thing:

A. Connacht were able to identify a seriously talented guy

B. They were able to convince him to commit to Connacht.

If they could do that with only challenge cup hopefully they can do that again with another play now champions cup is on the table too

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

Zzippy wrote: »

Those are not necessarily mutually exclusive. It is possible to wish for one thing and agree with the other.

Sorry I’m not following your point here but I wasn’t disagreeing with itsphil if that’s how it came across.

Zzippy

ClanofLams wrote: »

Sorry I’m not following your point here but I wasn’t disagreeing with itsphil if that’s how it came across.

Sorry, that's how I interpreted your post. Think we're all in agreement here.

Former Former

You've got a Friend in me

its_phil wrote: »

He was signed. There are few posters here that disagreed with his contract being torn up however.

Fair play to him for getting the help needed and thriving.

I don't think anyone disagreed at the time. Now, I'd say a lot more people would be in "give him a second chance" camp...

Re; getting the help he needed... I'd say uprooting a young guy with issues and sending him alone to one of the booziest cities in Europe was the last thing he needed.

Better for all concerned it didn't happen imo

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

Former Former wrote: »

I don't think anyone disagreed at the time. Now, I'd say a lot more people would be in "give him a second chance" camp...

Re; getting the help he needed... I'd say uprooting a young guy with issues and sending him alone to one of the booziest cities in Europe was the last thing he needed.

Better for all concerned it didn't happen imo

Have never heard any Connacht supporter saying on here or in person he should have been given a second chance or been signed anyway. Your theory that some people wish he had been signed seems entirely baseless.