Connacht Team Talk Thread V - The Friend Zone

testtech05

Some Like It TOH

I've been a huge fan of toh down the years but with 1.5 mins on the clock I have absolutely no idea what he thought he was at there with that "attempt".

Maybe even warrants dropping based on the whole performance he had today.

That's a sickening loss and such a horrible performance all round. Only bright spots for me were Gallagher and Fitzgerald when he came on

BeardySi

You've got a Friend in me

That LBP wasn't deserved, but that finish sums up the match - botched efforts and going backwards.

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

Think Lloyd will be taking Mitchell’s spot in the squad next year

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

Fitzgerald needs to be back up 10. Leader first choice 15 for a few games at least. Gallagher looks good.

Utopia Parkway

In the table it leaves it

3. Connacht 38
4. Ospreys 38
5. Cardiff 36

Going to go down to the wire.

Diabhal Beag

The two Fitzgerald brothers, Boyler, Fa'ainga, Gallagher and Lloyd can hold their heads up high. The rest were absolute brutal and truth be told we deserved to lose that match.

We probably won't get Heineken Cup rugby next season and it's our away performances like tonight and Ospreys that really worry me because if we're being honest we aren't in a much better place than under KK. I love Friendy but all the talk this week is how excellent the backroom is and look at tonight.

freyners

The Friend Zone

Fitzgerald just put himself up the ranks with that performance. Outside of that what horrid ****e

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

In the table it leaves it

3. Connacht 38
4. Ospreys 38
5. Cardiff 36

Going to go down to the wire.

Two bonus point wins with out the other two getting any losing bonus points is needed now in the head to heads

MarinersBlues

Mul, it's over

Cheetahs will probably get up to 36 with their game in hand against Kings.

We have all of them at home.
It is in our own hands.

Hopefully we are not in the position of needing a result in Thomond, but we probably will be.

KBurke85

The Friend Zone

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

The two Fitzgerald brothers, Boyler, Fa'ainga, Gallagher and Lloyd can hold their heads up high. The rest were absolute brutal and truth be told we deserved to lose that match.

We probably won't get Heineken Cup rugby next season and it's our away performances like tonight and Ospreys that really worry me because if we're being honest we aren't in a much better place than under KK. I love Friendy but all the talk this week is how excellent the backroom is and look at tonight.

We’re still in the qualification places. It’s still in our hands and we are certainly in a much better place than under KK. Friends first season there always gonna be games where it doesn’t click.
Just have to come back after the break and push on again

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

Yeah, definitely better positioned than under KK. Ospreys away and tonight two shocking performances, but every second game was shocking last season.

connachta

We have to be relieved : playing poorly and have a 4-1 split away vs a rival.
Good

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

Look that was pure ****e. But considering there was probably 10 players missing who would probably make the first choice 23, on reflection I think the ospreys match was worse. Before the match a losing bonus pint wouldn’t have been the end of the world and even though Connacht really didn’t deserve it, they scraped it in the end. Disappointed that away trips to ospreys and Cardiff haven’t really been an improvement on last season but pretty much every other match had been an improvement. Think the real point to take from today is that the strength in depth isn’t as good as we thought.

Zzippy

Wegians89 wrote: »

Look that was pure ****e. But considering there was probably 10 players missing who would probably make the first choice 23, on reflection I think the ospreys match was worse. Before the match a losing bonus pint wouldn’t have been the end of the world and even though Connacht really didn’t deserve it, they scraped it in the end. Disappointed that away trips to ospreys and Cardiff haven’t really been an improvement on last season but pretty much every other match had been an improvement. Think the real point to take from today is that the strength in depth isn’t as good as we thought.

Agree with all of that. God tonight was so frustrating. We really are much poorer when certain players are not in the team. Attack was so laboured and we were lucky to even get that try. Those home games vs Ospreys and Cardiff really are 8/10-pointers that are absolute must-wins now. I'm still optimistic of making the playoffs but we can't afford any more slip ups.

realhorrorshow

Wegians89 wrote: »

Look that was pure ****e. But considering there was probably 10 players missing who would probably make the first choice 23, on reflection I think the ospreys match was worse. Before the match a losing bonus pint wouldn’t have been the end of the world and even though Connacht really didn’t deserve it, they scraped it in the end. Disappointed that away trips to ospreys and Cardiff haven’t really been an improvement on last season but pretty much every other match had been an improvement. Think the real point to take from today is that the strength in depth isn’t as good as we thought.

Our fringe guys are generally quite good when you sprinkle a few into a first choice team, but play too many in one game and it looks like they’ve never played together.

tobdom

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Our fringe guys are generally quite good when you sprinkle a few into a first choice team, but play too many in one game and it looks like they’ve never played together.

Agreed, and your username couldn't be any more apt for that match! Also, hindsight being wonderful and everything, it could have been quite different if Lloyd & Fitzgerald had started over Mitchell & Horowitz, they were a real difference and probably the reason we got the undeserved LBP

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

I don’t like being critical of players and I think Horwitz had a poor game but I think Mitchell was the worse of the pair. Lloyd looked much quicker. Think having blade start would have been enough to swing the result but that’s all if buts and maybes

troyzer

If it's any consolation, all of the Irish teams were complete **** this weekend.

typhoony

week after champions\challenge cups caused disruption for all the provinces, also we had meaningful games whereas the welsh teams didn't.

connachta

troyzer wrote: »

If it's any consolation, all of the Irish "A" teams were complete **** this weekend.

FYP

realhorrorshow

troyzer wrote: »

If it's any consolation, all of the Irish teams were complete **** this weekend.

Was a brutal weekend, I don’t even know if I like rugby anymore.

Burkie1203

Mul, it's over

Cheetahs Benetton zebre Ospreys and blues. Connacht have to win those 5 games. If they do I think they will get HEC spot. 4 of them are at home

its_phil

Mul, it's over

typhoony wrote: »

week after champions\challenge cups caused disruption for all the provinces, also we had meaningful games whereas the welsh teams didn't.

I might be missing the sarcasm but didn’t 3 of the games come against Welsh teams?

Former Coach

Mul, it's over

It was a poor performance this evening but the personal criticism of many players is ott. I noticed a comment on the 42 from somebody who was at the match. Conditions were extremely difficult and my only question would be why we didn’t kick more ball in the second half. We got a few good turnovers in our own half and tried to move the ball across the line rather than just putting it in behind their back-three. We got our best outcomes when we did that.

Zzippy

Wegians89 wrote: »

I don’t like being critical of players and I think Horwitz had a poor game but I think Mitchell was the worse of the pair. Lloyd looked much quicker. Think having blade start would have been enough to swing the result but that’s all if buts and maybes

I was very impressed with Lloyd when he came on - really injected some pace and got the forwards running onto the ball more, which started to ask more questions of the Cardiff defence and make some space. He was a definite improvement on Mitchell. Hard to compare Horwitz and Fitzgerald when they were kicking into/with that wind, but was impressed with Fitz too.

its_phil wrote: »

I might be missing the sarcasm but didn’t 3 of the games come against Welsh teams?

Think he's referring to last weekend.

ClanofLams

Mul, it's over

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Our fringe guys are generally quite good when you sprinkle a few into a first choice team, but play too many in one game and it looks like they’ve never played together.

In fairness a few of them haven’t, that 9 10 12 combo never played together before. For the rest of the 6N we should have Marmion/Blade available, Farrell and maybe one of the second rows. That trio tonight would have been more than enough to get the win.

Wegians89

The Friend Zone

ClanofLams wrote: »

In fairness a few of them haven’t, that 9 10 12 combo never played together before. For the rest of the 6N we should have Marmion/Blade available, Farrell and maybe one of the second rows. That trio tonight would have been more than enough to get the win.

Sob, thornbury and niyi all could have made an impact too and all likely to be back for next block of games.

Utopia Parkway

Wegians89 wrote: »

I don’t like being critical of players and I think Horwitz had a poor game but I think Mitchell was the worse of the pair. Lloyd looked much quicker. Think having blade start would have been enough to swing the result but that’s all if buts and maybes

I agree re:Mitchell. Every ruck he is meerkatting. Looking left and right and left and right again before he even goes to put hands on the ball.

Horwitz had to kick into the wind but he was getting no distance on any kick he took. The Cardiff half backs actually managed to get some distance even against the wind.

connachta

Was McCabe injured?
If not, that's a huge sign he may be released and Burke might be 3rd choice next season, he's doing ok and turning 22

which would mean in September

1) Buckley (29) or marquee NIQ
2) McAllister (30)
3) Burke (22)
4) Ryan Lomas (20) -looks promising, try to convert him as LH-

and for TH

1) Bealham (27)
2) McCoy (25)
3) O'Donnell (23)
4) Kenny (23)

If we release Cannon too, all this would release huge money for a great ball-carrying 2nd Row. We need this, desperately. Above all with Dillane/Roux/Thornbury around the Irish squad

its_phil

Mul, it's over

connachta wrote: »

Was McCabe injured?
If not, that's a huge sign he may be released and Burke might be 3rd choice next season, he's doing ok and turning 22

which would mean in September

1) Buckley (29) or marquee NIQ
2) McAllister (30)
3) Burke (22)
4) Ryan Lomas (20) -looks promising, try to convert him as LH-

and for TH

1) Bealham (27)
2) McCoy (25)
3) O'Donnell (23)
4) Kenny (23)

If we release Cannon too, all this would release huge money for a great ball-carrying 2nd Row. We need this, desperately. Above all with Dillane/Roux/Thornbury around the Irish squad

The last position we need to invest big money in is second row