Connacht Team Talk Thread V - The Friend Zone

connachta

So, IMO

1) Buckley
2) McCartney
3) McCoy
4) Dillane
5) Gallagher
6) Masterson
7) Fainga'a
8) Butler

9) Blade
10) Carty
11) Porch (I'd prefer him ahead of S.Fitz, but most here wants the opposite
- where's Healy, was supposed to be a very short term injury- )
12) Aki
13) Robb (add beef in rucks and behind scrum)
14) Godwin (more physical than Niyi)
15) Leader


16) Heff (ball-carrier)
17) McCabe (experience over M.Burke)
18) Kenny (better scrummager than R.Burke)
19) Copeland (ball-carrier)
20) Boyle (I Hesitate to start him as 6 as Masterson played constantly since September...)
21) Kerrins (over Llyod IMO)
22) Farrell (Godwin covering 10)
23) Niyi/S.Fitzgerald

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

Buckley McCartney McCoy
Dillane gallagher
Masterson butler faingaa
Blade carty
Bundee godwin
Healy/Porch Fitz niyi

Heff Burke Kenny Maksymiw Boyle kerins Fitz Farrell

Don’t think McCabe will go straight onto the bench after one week of training unless he’s very up to speed, would prefer McCabe based on last year. Healy has been pictured training but no word on if he’s back. Godwin not starting last week or the week before makes me think he’ll start this week, tough on Robb

Would go with s Fitz over leader at 15, think he’s a better all rounder.

Lebute

Wegians89 wrote: »

Buckley McCartney McCoy
Dillane gallagher
Masterson butler faingaa
Blade carty
Bundee godwin
Healy/Porch Fitz niyi

Heff Burke Kenny Maksymiw Boyle kerins Fitz Farrell

Don’t think McCabe will go straight onto the bench after one week of training unless he’s very up to speed, would prefer McCabe based on last year. Healy has been pictured training but no word on if he’s back. Godwin not starting last week or the week before makes me think he’ll start this week, tough on Robb

Would go with s Fitz over leader at 15, think he’s a better all rounder.

The good thing re McCabe is he has being training with Munster played some of the celtic cup games so he should be sharp enough fitness wise.

connachta

Wegians89 wrote: »

Godwin not starting last week or the week before makes me think he’ll start this week, tough on Robb

I've made him start, but on the wing (physicality)!

testtech05

Some Like It TOH

Anyone know when the teams are named for the weekend? Is it earlier for the European games than pro14?

KBurke85

The Friend Zone

testtech05 wrote: »

Anyone know when the teams are named for the weekend? Is it earlier for the European games than pro14?

Game is Sunday, Team will be named tomorrow.

It's generally the same as normal.

Lucas44

Butler is doubtful gone for a scan

MarinersBlues

Mul, it's over

Lucas44 wrote: »

Butler is doubtful gone for a scan

Sweet Jeebus.
This is relentless.

Burkie1203

Mul, it's over

Robbo wrote: »

It can all be traced back to the poor advice Jamie Heaslip received on data protection rights which informed the line IRUPA took on these matters.

For comparison, UK based teams seem to have no GDPR concerns when issuing injury updates (Cardiff and Glasgow, for example) which include specifics of the injury and the projected recovery time. Bear in mind that UK based teams have far more reason to be cautious on these issues due to the propensity of their regulator to issue fines and the willingness of the Courts there to vindicate a subjects rights in monetary terms.

It's a players choice

Heaslip and Murray both chose to keep their injury detail out of the media

Burkie1203

Mul, it's over

connachta wrote: »

That said, the ONLY positive from the Leinster disaster was how well our scrum reacts under huge pressure on the hour mark, even without anything to play for but pride.
Twice international pairing C.Healy/Porter gone for the 5m scrum with a certain try on sight, twice the scrum was stabilized by Buckley/McCoy!

And taking into account we'll lose much in open play/rucks, I do think McCabe/Kenny can do the job at scrumtime for the final quarter

There is nothing positive about getting a 30 point hammering at home. The game was done at half time and Leinster dropped levels significantly in the 2nd half while Connacht went into damage limitation mode.

Wegians89 wrote: »

Keeping Leinster to one intercept try in the second half was not something I was expecting at half time.
Big dom lasting 77 odd minutes was something I though would go worse particularly at scrum time.

The first half was just a physical master class from Leinster and that was shown in the 3 blood/his subs early on which added more disruption to an understrength Connacht team. I don’t think Connacht will be near as bad on Sunday, but we really need to see Connacht starting very quickly

Same problem as last week. Monty will try to replicate what Leinster did early on and they have a big team. Losing one or two players isn't going to change a whole lot for them.

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

Butler being out would be a huge blow. Surely there’s an end to the crisis soon?

testtech05

Some Like It TOH

Wegians89 wrote: »

Butler being it would be a huge blow. Surely there’s an end to the crisis soon?

That would be a disaster!!!

connachta

testtech05 wrote: »

That would be a disaster!!!

I'd have Copeland as n°8 in this case, his prefered position, to gain ground.
But as Macksymiw went off too last week, we could end with very thin N.Murray for n°19 then....

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

Some disaster. Just shows regardless of how good S&C is/isn’t, there’s some amount of luck involved, very few injuries last season and calamity at an early stage this season. Down to seven senior second rows/back rows (if Maksymiw is fit) available I think? Can’t see how Connacht win Sunday at this stage tbh

KBurke85

The Friend Zone

ClanofLams wrote: »

Some disaster. Just shows regardless of how good S&C is/isn’t, there’s some amount of luck involved, very few injuries last season and calamity at an early stage this season. Down to seven senior second rows/back rows (if Maksymiw is fit) available I think? Can’t see how Connacht win Sunday at this stage tbh

Connacht Matchday Squad V Montpellier (SUN 17 NOV, 1PM)
(15-9): Darragh Leader, Niyi Adeolokun, Kyle Godwin, Bundee Aki, Matt Healy, Jack Carty, Caolin Blade (1-8): Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Cillian Gallagher, Ultan Dillane, Colby Fainga’a, Jarrad Butler (C), Paul Boyle.
Replacements: Dave Heffernan, Matthew Burke, Conor Kenny, Eoghan Masterson, Robin Copeland, Stephen Kerins, Tom Daly, John Porch

Butler fit to play

connachta

https://twitter.com/connachtrugby/status/1195310196727459843

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

About as strong as could be hoped for. Surprised to see Daly on bench, guess he covers ten?

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

I’m looking forward to seeing Carty, Aki & Godwin. With any sort of decent ball they will be tough to contain, great to have faing’a back too.

connachta

ClanofLams wrote: »

About as strong as could be hoped for. Surprised to see Daly on bench, guess he covers ten?

No, there's Godwin for this... Daly ahead of Robb is surprising. otherwise, as expected...
Masterson in 2nd row, Copeland in back-row, would have done it the other way, but agree to have both on the bench rather than starting, I'm happy with Boyle/Gallagher

connachta

Healy will have a great role, just back from injury : tighten the defence, find gaps and cover FB for Leader if needed.
It's him or Carty with Daly 10, I think it will be him, less re-organization

connachta

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EJaep9kX0AApvVh.jpg:large

testtech05

Some Like It TOH

connachta wrote: »

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EJaep9kX0AApvVh.jpg:large

Don't follow much of top14 but would this be seen as a rotated selection for Montpellier?

ionadnapokot

Bismarck du Plessis still going!

kind of surprised considering SA picked 38 year old Schalk Brits ahead of him

Best of luck Heffernan!

FACECUTTR

testtech05 wrote: »

Don't follow much of top14 but would this be seen as a rotated selection for Montpellier?

Serious bench

Tommybojangles

Mul, it's over

Did I miss an injury to Tom Farrell?

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

Tommybojangles wrote: »

Did I miss an injury to Tom Farrell?

Yeah I did too. He picked up knock against Leinster last weekend according to Murray Kinsella

Dubinusa

Some Like It TOH

No Peter Robb? Wtf. Happy to see Dillane playing. Great chance for him to make a statement!

evil_seed

The Friend Zone

ionadnapokot wrote: »

Bismarck du Plessis still going!

kind of surprised considering SA picked 38 year old Schalk Brits ahead of him

Best of luck Heffernan!

squad harmony

KBurke85

The Friend Zone

Dubinusa wrote: »

No Peter Robb? Wtf. Happy to see Dillane playing. Great chance for him to make a statement!

Possibly saving him for next week and he did get a fairly big cut to his cheek last week

BakeMeACake

From about the 3rd minute of the Gloucester Toulouse game I was certain Toulouse would win it. Only a couple of pieces of magic by Simpson have kept Gloucester in the game. He is potent.