Connacht Team Talk Thread V - The Friend Zone

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

Scarlets giving Glasgow a hammering in glasgow. 25-9 up with twenty to go, need one more for a bonus point. Early in the season obviously but with Munster likely to get 5 points tomorrow and Cardiff v Edinburgh there’s gonna be three sides in Connachts conference with 8-10 points after this round. It was anyway but really a must win for Connacht the way results have gone.

Redo91

You've got a Friend in me

Anyone know if you need to print the eTickets?

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

Redo91 wrote: »

Anyone know if you need to print the eTickets?

Not sure but think I have seen phones being used.

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

Redo91 wrote: »

Anyone know if you need to print the eTickets?

I’ve seen phones scanned loads in previous years

PetKing

Is the Connacht match on TV? (Sorry if this has been asked already!)

*Found it on TG4, I automatically went to Eir looking for it

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

Blade has to get capped after the world cup

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

One of the best performances Connacht have had in three years. Looked a different team to last week. Treviso have a lot away at the World Cup but they have a lot of depth, done well during last six nations period last season and ran Leinster to five points last week having had a guy sent off with over half an hour left.

Played well 1-15 but Roux, Butler, Blade, Robb and Godwin were particularly impressive. Blade looked the complete package, excellent kicking, real pace, green tinted glasses perhaps but outside of Murray, wouldn’t swap either scrum half for anyone else in the country.

Hope Robb gets a clean run at the season, it would be exciting to see how good he could be injury free, has a lot to his game, lovely deft pass back to Blade for fourth try, really strong carrier. Conor Fitzgerald done very well too. Tom Farrell very lively off bench, Sean Masterson and John Porch had a couple of nice touches on their competitive debuts too.

Need to back it up now though and get a win away to the Dragons next week.

connachta

Still lack of power to close out near the tryline.
Otherwise yeah good. Robb is useful, carrier, tackler, runner, passes, and even hugely involved in mauls and ruck.
Robb 12 Aki 13 Farrell 23 could be devastating

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

connachta wrote: »

Still lack of power to close out near the tryline.
Otherwise yeah good. Robb is useful, carrier, tackler, runner, passes, and even hugely involved in mauls and ruck.
Robb 12 Aki 13 Farrell 23 could be devastating

Godwin was brilliant, class player. Aki Godwin with Farrell off bench if I had to pick right now. Good problem to have.

connachta

ClanofLams wrote: »

Godwin was brilliant, class player. Aki Godwin with Farrell off bench if I had to pick right now. Good problem to have.

I didn't oust Godwin, I'd have him as 10. Harsh on Fitz but he's still young.
Carty's gonna coming back so yeah problem it is.
Daly will suffer from last week, but he'll get another chance I guess, long serie of games to come

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

12. Bundee- Robb - Daly
13. Godwin - Farrell

Would be my order.

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

Anyone hear what happened Darragh Leader no?

connemara man

The Friend Zone

ClanofLams wrote: »

Anyone hear what happened Darragh Leader no?

Limped off during the warm up

Diabhal Beag

Marmion is a class player and has the rare honour of starting for an All-Black beating Irish team. But Blade has definitely overtaken him in the last 12 months. Blade has everything. He's ridiculously good.

connachta

Wegians89 wrote: »

12. Bundee- Robb - Daly
13. Godwin - Farrell

Would be my order.

Farrell was close to the Irish squad and look very lively tonight...
We just have to handle with legitimate frustration, there
Poor SOB 2.0 played his last game for a while yesterday...

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Marmion is a class player and has the rare honour of starting for an All-Black beating Irish team. But Blade has definitely overtaken him in the last 12 months. Blade has everything. He's ridiculously good.

I remember last season one of the coaches made a comment about the difference in how they defend that really got me thinking that blade is the number one in their eyes. Think blade has started more often since then

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

connachta wrote: »

Farrell was close to the Irish squad and look very lively tonight...
We just have to handle with legitimate frustration, there
Poor SOB 2.0 played his last game for a while yesterday...

Yeah I would have had Farrell as first choice last season but there must be something going on behind the scenes. Think I’m a big game godwins left boot from the 13 channel could be berry useful.

We’re you at the eagles match? How was it if so? Presume sob 3.0 picked up a nasty injury? Had thought he’d make his debut this season .

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

Just like to say that even though I was disappointed with the lack of recruitment, serious credit has to be given to the coaching team for the development of the squad. It looks really competitive with a lot of competition. Still some weak points but you’ve guys like Buckley, Dillane, Marmion and Farrell who were first choices but now not guaranteed anything.

connachta

Wegians89 wrote: »

Yeah I would have had Farrell as first choice last season but there must be something going on behind the scenes. Think I’m a big game godwins left boot from the 13 channel could be berry useful.

We’re you at the eagles match? How was it if so? Presume sob 3.0 picked up a nasty injury? Had thought he’d make his debut this season .

no, I meant he won't be used besause of the 5 senior and very good centres who can all play 12 or 13. Would "need" 4 injuries...

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

Marmion was no.1 last season I think, he started in Ravenhill. It’s very tight between them though.

Hope we can keep Godwin, Nacewa was at Leinster for a decade, Pienaar had 7 years up in Ulster, Munster have had plenty of exceptions. Very classy player, would be massive to have him two more seasons. Aki will be away with Ireland a lot anyway, assuming he stays.

connachta

Wegians89 wrote: »

Just like to say that even though I was disappointed with the lack of recruitment, serious credit has to be given to the coaching team for the development of the squad. It looks really competitive with a lot of competition. Still some weak points but you’ve guys like Buckley, Dillane, Marmion and Farrell who were first choices but now not guaranteed anything.

Thornbury and Blade are not surprises, even Robb as I always thought he just had to fix the handling to be great. But McAlister, not really used in Gloucester, without having played away friendlies, being 1st choice straight in above Buckley, that's a real shock!!

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

ClanofLams wrote: »

Marmion was no.1 last season I think, he started in Ravenhill. It’s very tight between them though.

Hope we can keep Godwin, Nacewa was at Leinster for a decade, Pienaar had 7 years up in Ulster, Munster have had plenty of exceptions. Very classy player, would be massive to have him two more seasons. Aki will be away with Ireland a lot anyway, assuming he stays.

Godwin said in an interview before arriving in Ireland that his aim was to spend two years improving in the northern hemisphere before going back and trying to get more caps. Time line fits going back post World Cup. Would love to see him stick around though

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

connachta wrote: »

no, I meant he won't be used besause of the 5 senior and very good centres who can all play 12 or 13. Would "need" 4 injuries...

Oh I get you now, an injury and resting key centers before a champions cup match could see him get in. I’d still expect to se him get a few minutes over the season

connachta

ClanofLams wrote: »

Marmion was no.1 last season I think, he started in Ravenhill. It’s very tight between them though.

With Murray ageing and McGrath unconvincing, Marmion and Blade are 1 and 2... for Ireland in February:pac:

Diabhal Beag

connachta wrote: »

With Murray ageing and McGrath unconvincing, Marmion and Blade are 1 and 2... for Ireland in February:pac:

McGrath has shown to me he deserves to be there tbh. I was as sickened as anybody that Marmion missed out but McGrath has been good, certainly not the worst out there on Thursday.

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

McGrath has shown to me he deserves to be there tbh. I was as sickened as anybody that Marmion missed out but McGrath has been good, certainly not the worst out there on Thursday.

He was alright I thought, no more no less. Alright might have been enough to be one of Ireland better players on the day (ruddock and ringrose aside, no one was better than alright). But it wasn’t a huge performance where you thought okay well he’s clearly first behind Murray.

Murray is likely to be no.1 for next couple of seasons, no.2 is still very much there for the taking.

connachta

Wegians89 wrote: »

Oh I get you now, an injury and resting key centers before a champions cup match could see him get in. I’d still expect to se him get a few minutes over the season

I mean our senior centres can play either 12 or 13, If you remember well even Robb and Daly have paired together in Italy. So even with Bundee rested, Farrell injured and Godwin used as outhalf, there's still no room for SOB 2.0...


We're blessed in midfield, scrumhalf (Kerrins will do a good job on the bench sometimes), hookers, backrow (Copeland/SOB coming back). 2nd row is ok too with Macksymiew/Gallagher ready to slot in. So are we on the wing as our Barbarian Niyi is not even on the teamsheet for now.


My real area of concerrn is propping. The 2 Burke's are only 1 injury to play vs Toulouse and Montpellier, and unproven at the level. They will both play quite a lot as 3rd choices anyway..

connachta

connachta wrote: »

My real area of concerrn is propping. The 2 Burke's are only 1 injury to play vs Toulouse and Montpellier, and unproven at the level. They will both play quite a lot as 3rd choices anyway..

By the way if one of our LH gets injured, I can put a coin on O'Donnell coming back as a medical joker (free from his Mitre Cup campain in 15 days)

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

connachta wrote: »

By the way if one of our LH gets injured, I can put a coin on O'Donnell coming back as a medical joker (free from his Mitre Cup campain in 15 days)

I’d be very interested to see how much he’s improved during his stint in NZ. Would personally take him back to add depth at LH

connachta

For TH, we have both R.Burke and Kenny. I wonder which one will slot in as 3rd choice, I think Robertson-McCoy does pretty well to retain his new status. But will it be enough to play 30 min if not even more vs Montpellier or Toulouse...