Connacht Team Talk Thread V - The Friend Zone

The Lost Sheep

connachta wrote: »

No lineups?

Game isnt until Sunday so never going to see teams til tomorrow

Former Coach

Mul, it's over

https://twitter.com/connachtrugby/status/1342802308900544513?s=21

connachta

Happy with that team
Final chance for De Buitlear and SOB 2.0 to show they deserve a new contract, before Robb/Farrell/O'Donnell/S.Fitzgerald are back

its_phil

Mul, it's over

connachta wrote: »

Happy with that team
Final chance for De Buitlear and SOB 2.0 to show they deserve a new contract, before Robb/Farrell/O'Donnell/S.Fitzgerald are back

Horrible thing to post. Decisions on players contracts aren’t made on the snapshot of one game.

connachta

its_phil wrote: »

Horrible thing to post. Decisions on players contracts aren’t made on the snapshot of one game.

Not only.
I meant they probably won't have much more gametime due to others returning

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

A real must win game for Connacht.

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

Bit surprised no Boyle or wootton involved. Also what’s happened to Conor Fitz ?

freyners

The Friend Zone

Wegians89 wrote: »

Bit surprised no Boyle or wootton involved. Also what’s happened to Conor Fitz ?

Wooten is out with an injury, had a scan last week

Boyle has played a lot of minutes and is probably being rotated, would have liked him available for this as its a must win.

Conor Fitz seems to be suffering from Dalys ability to cover ten to have more options on the bench.

macslash

Mul, it's over

We haven't turned up here at all yet. Still hungover from last week

CowboyTed

Where is the Penalty Try?

If we get one now it will be against 13 men?

Utopia Parkway

That was a soft pen. Slight little bump in the air.

CowboyTed

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

That was a soft pen. Slight little bump in the air.

The Ref is a small bit questionable...

The Lost Sheep

CowboyTed wrote: »

The Ref is a small bit questionable...

Why not use match thread and questionable how?

Utopia Parkway

Should have had a bigger lead at half time given the territory and possession and it looks like the wind has picked up as well.

testtech05

Some Like It TOH

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Should have had a bigger lead at half time given the territory and possession and it looks like the wind has picked up as well.

Wind seemed massively stronger in the 2nd half alright. Very disappointing result all the same

Terrible.. just terrible.
Can only use the wind as an excuse to a point and it doesnt cover this entire game.

How we're second in the conference, I dont know.
In other years we've been lower with better showings.

We've been pretty dire this year and our overall level is more in the line of 4th or 5th than 2nd.

I think we're going to slide down to that level over the next few weeks, and the table will reflect where we actually are.

realhorrorshow

Ugh, it’s tough being a Connacht fan sometimes. Just didn’t do enough with the possession, territory, and extra man when we had them. I think, trying to look at the Andy Friend tenure as a whole, that we are a quite average team who have some very good days. And we are so, so inconsistent.

SqueakyKneecap

That's two very disappointing showings back to back and a very tough assignment away in RDS in 6 days. A very depressing way to end a very **** year.

Wishing all posters a very safe and much improved 2021.

realhorrorshow

gilberto_eire wrote: »

Terrible.. just terrible.
Can only use the wind as an excuse to a point and it doesnt cover this entire game.

How we're second in the conference, I dont know.
In other years we've been lower with better showings.

We've been pretty dire this year and our overall level is more in the line of 4th or 5th than 2nd.

I think we're going to slide down to that level over the next few weeks, and the table will reflect where we actually are.

We are second because none of the non-Irish teams have any squad depth at all and have been absolutely rubbish so far. They will improve as the season goes on and their internationals feature more, and we will probably struggle for wins over the next few weeks.

Borders no.2

That was a seriously depressing performance. Serious questions to be asked of everyone after that second half. Its a poor league this year but we're going be really struggling to make Europe for next season with the Welsh teams picking up their wins and its looking like 7 defeats in a row. Scarlets is the game I was most angry about as it was like losing two games in the context of the season but this is a close second. The most winnable interpro of the year and we desperately needed the win here to keep in a good position in our pool yet some of the players didn't look like they had the stomach for the fight.

Major revamp needed in the forwards, even teams with poor packs know that they can bully us. The breakdown was a mess throughout, the lineout turned into chaos and defensive maul continues to be a joke. The shambolic tackling for the two second half tries was hard to watch.

One other thing, it might be a small thing but why were we going long with the kickoffs for most of the 2nd half. Needed to give ourselves some chance of field position. To be conceding a score and then giving Ulster a chance to be jogging 70-80 metres down the field is soul destroying for the pack.

Zzippy

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Why not use match thread and questionable how?

He was sh1te. That's how. And feel free to use the match thread yourself but don't tell other posters what to do.

realhorrorshow

Seeing as contracts are the hot topic currently.. (ages are as of 01/09/2021)

Out of contact

Denis Buckley (Loosehead/31)
Finlay Bealham (Tighthead/30)
Shane Delahunt (Hooker/27)
Ultan Dillane (Lock/27)
Quinn Roux (Lock/30)
Gavin Thornbury (Lock/27)
Paul Boyle (Back row/24)
Conor Oliver (Back row/25)
Jack Carty (Out half/29)
Alex Wootton (Back 3/27) - loan expiring

Probably out of contract (signed contract of undefined length in 2019)

Matthew Burke (Loosehead/24)
Paddy McAllister (Loosehead/32)
Dave Heffernan (Hooker/30)
Stephen Kerins (Scrum half/25)
Conor Fitzgerald (Out half/23)
Stephen Fitzgerald (Back 3/25)
John Porch (Back 3/27)

Possibly out of contract (signed contract of undefined length in 2020)

Niall Murray (Lock/21)
Sean Masterson (Back row/23)
Abraham Papali'i (Back row/28)
Colm Reilly (Scrum half/22)
Conor Dean (Outhalf/23)
Ben O'Donnell (Back 3/26)
Peter Sullivan (Back 3/23)

Possibly out of contract (no public announcements made since 2018)

Jonny Murphy (Hooker/29)
Cillian Gallagher (Lock/24)
Eoghan Masterson (Back row/28)

Academy year 3

Dylan Tierney-Martin (Hooker/22)
Joshua Dunne (Back row/21)
Sean O'Brien (Centre/23)
Colm de Buitléar (Back 3/23)
Oran McNulty (Back 3/21)

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Seeing as contracts are the hot topic currently.. (ages are as of 01/09/2021)

Out of contact

Denis Buckley (Loosehead/31)
Finlay Bealham (Tighthead/30)
Shane Delahunt (Hooker/27)
Ultan Dillane (Lock/27)
Quinn Roux (Lock/30)
Gavin Thornbury (Lock/27)
Paul Boyle (Back row/24)
Conor Oliver (Back row/25)
Jack Carty (Out half/29)
Alex Wootton (Back 3/27) - loan expiring

Probably out of contract (signed contract of undefined length in 2019)

Matthew Burke (Loosehead/24)
Paddy McAllister (Loosehead/32)
Dave Heffernan (Hooker/30)
Stephen Kerins (Scrum half/25)
Conor Fitzgerald (Out half/23)
Stephen Fitzgerald (Back 3/25)
John Porch (Back 3/27)

Possibly out of contract (signed contract of undefined length in 2020)

Niall Murray (Lock/21)
Sean Masterson (Back row/23)
Abraham Papali'i (Back row/28)
Colm Reilly (Scrum half/22)
Conor Dean (Outhalf/23)
Ben O'Donnell (Back 3/26)
Peter Sullivan (Back 3/23)

Possibly out of contract (no public announcements made since 2018)

Jonny Murphy (Hooker/29)
Cillian Gallagher (Lock/24)
Eoghan Masterson (Back row/28)

Academy year 3

Dylan Tierney-Martin (Hooker/22)
Joshua Dunne (Back row/21)
Sean O'Brien (Centre/23)
Colm de Buitléar (Back 3/23)
Oran McNulty (Back 3/21)

Would worry Buckley and carty could look abroad with no international prospects. Porch needs to be retained, hopefully not all NIQs will be chopped.

realhorrorshow

Wegians89 wrote: »

Would worry Buckley and carty could look abroad with no international prospects. Porch needs to be retained, hopefully not all NIQs will be chopped.

There's a lot of factors at play. Buckley, Bealham, Heffernan, Roux, Dillane, Thornbury, Carty, and Porch are all excellent players in their prime who because of COVID are about to be lowballed on what in theory should have been the most lucrative contract of their careers. We just have to hope that other factors (potential international honours, family, being settled in Galway, etc.) are sufficient to keep these guys at Connacht.

connachta

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Seeing as contracts are the hot topic currently.. (ages are as of 01/09/2021)

Out of contact

Denis Buckley (Loosehead/31)
Finlay Bealham (Tighthead/30)
Shane Delahunt (Hooker/27)
Ultan Dillane (Lock/27)
Quinn Roux (Lock/30)
Gavin Thornbury (Lock/27)
Paul Boyle (Back row/24)
Conor Oliver (Back row/25)
Jack Carty (Out half/29)
Alex Wootton (Back 3/27) - loan expiring

Probably out of contract (signed contract of undefined length in 2019)

Matthew Burke (Loosehead/24)
Paddy McAllister (Loosehead/32)
Dave Heffernan (Hooker/30)
Stephen Kerins (Scrum half/25)
Conor Fitzgerald (Out half/23)
Stephen Fitzgerald (Back 3/25)
John Porch (Back 3/27)

Possibly out of contract (signed contract of undefined length in 2020)

Niall Murray (Lock/21)
Sean Masterson (Back row/23)
Abraham Papali'i (Back row/28)
Colm Reilly (Scrum half/22)
Conor Dean (Outhalf/23)
Ben O'Donnell (Back 3/26)
Peter Sullivan (Back 3/23)

Possibly out of contract (no public announcements made since 2018)

Jonny Murphy (Hooker/29)
Cillian Gallagher (Lock/24)
Eoghan Masterson (Back row/28)

Academy year 3

Dylan Tierney-Martin (Hooker/22)
Joshua Dunne (Back row/21)
Sean O'Brien (Centre/23)
Colm de Buitléar (Back 3/23)
Oran McNulty (Back 3/21)

A lot to re-sign.
Worried about both Mastersons (scottish quaified)
Porch too as he's too good and may trigger interest in Australia...

thomond2006

Some Like It TOH

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Seeing as contracts are the hot topic currently.. (ages are as of 01/09/2021)

Out of contact

Denis Buckley (Loosehead/31)
Finlay Bealham (Tighthead/30)
Shane Delahunt (Hooker/27)
Ultan Dillane (Lock/27)
Quinn Roux (Lock/30)
Gavin Thornbury (Lock/27)
Paul Boyle (Back row/24)
Conor Oliver (Back row/25)
Jack Carty (Out half/29)
Alex Wootton (Back 3/27) - loan expiring

Probably out of contract (signed contract of undefined length in 2019)

Matthew Burke (Loosehead/24)
Paddy McAllister (Loosehead/32)
Dave Heffernan (Hooker/30)
Stephen Kerins (Scrum half/25)
Conor Fitzgerald (Out half/23)
Stephen Fitzgerald (Back 3/25)
John Porch (Back 3/27)

Possibly out of contract (signed contract of undefined length in 2020)

Niall Murray (Lock/21)
Sean Masterson (Back row/23)
Abraham Papali'i (Back row/28)
Colm Reilly (Scrum half/22)
Conor Dean (Outhalf/23)
Ben O'Donnell (Back 3/26)
Peter Sullivan (Back 3/23)

Possibly out of contract (no public announcements made since 2018)

Jonny Murphy (Hooker/29)
Cillian Gallagher (Lock/24)
Eoghan Masterson (Back row/28)

Academy year 3

Dylan Tierney-Martin (Hooker/22)
Joshua Dunne (Back row/21)
Sean O'Brien (Centre/23)
Colm de Buitléar (Back 3/23)
Oran McNulty (Back 3/21)

Watch out for vans with Limerick regs.

connachta

thomond2006 wrote: »

Watch out for vans with Limerick regs.

Pay your stadium, we'll talk about vans after this:p

connachta

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-40198374.html

Great news overall

ionadnapokot

Any rumblings on Friend staying or going lads?

Bazzo

Mul, it's over

connachta wrote: »

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-40198374.html

Great news overall

SOB II available, thank the divine infant Christ.