Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

realhorrorshow

Thought our lads went well yesterday for the 20s.

McCormack is a very busy player, and as Dubinusa says, a true openside. Good skills, a well rounded game, and a bit of pace about him. Definitely has the potential to break through to the senior side all going well with injury etc.

Forde's carrying was stronger than I expected but his passing was worse. That was probably a symptom of the general lack of cohesion in the backline and the fact that these players have so little rugby played over the past 15 months, as I know he has it in his locker. Would like to see him at 10 at some stage in the tournament.

Jennings scored one lovely try and was harshly (imo) denied an absolute cracker. He's incredibly naturally talented, everything he does with ball in hand is excellent. Quick, a balanced runner, attacking kicking game, solid basics. Has a tendency to tackle with his arms though. Think he'll get game time with the seniors very soon but perhaps more likely on the wing.

de Buitléar throwing was bowling shoe ugly but he was physical in the loose and got through plenty of work.

Byrne did a little bit of everything. Jackals, carries, good tackles. Looking forward to seeing him get a start.

KBurke85

https://www.otbsports.com/rugby/mcallister-wife-congo-nevin-1212749?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1624019636-7

Great interview with Paddy. Goes to show that we never know what players are going through off the pitch.

ShineyShiney

Lucas44 wrote: »

De buitlear not up to the level unfortunately, effectively 4th choice hooker with Barron & Stewart injured

Played very well yesterday.

Dubinusa

Just noticed that the academy profiles on the Connacht website shows only 3 players? Has everyone else been released?

Lost Ormond

Dubinusa wrote: »

Just noticed that the academy profiles on the Connacht website shows only 3 players? Has everyone else been released?

Not at all. It only lists the players who were 2nd years this year. None of the first years profiles are there
Some of the third years have been released or moved onto senior contracts

Jump_In_Jack

Dubinusa wrote: »

Just noticed that the academy profiles on the Connacht website shows only 3 players? Has everyone else been released?

Nah, that looks out of date, the three there are year 3, and it has them as year 1. Look at Wikipedia for the current academy squad.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connacht_Rugby

Lost Ormond

Nigel Carolan appointed as assistant coach with Glasgow
https://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/carolan-named-as-assistant-coach

Bazzo

Lost Ormond wrote: »

Nigel Carolan appointed as assistant coach with Glasgow
https://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/carolan-named-as-assistant-coach

Best of luck to him. Hopefully see him back in the not too distant future.

ClanofLams

Good to see Bundee is making his presence felt!

From Murray Kinsella


“The Connacht man apparently delivered a huge tackle in the Lions’ first contact training session last week to set the tone for their preparation and earn the respect of his new team-mates.”

https://www.the42.ie/bundee-aki-lions-2-5473097-Jun2021/

Lost Ormond

Shame to see Sean O Brien announce he's retiring due to concussion related injury

https://www.connachtrugby.ie/sean-obrien-to-retire-from-rugby/

ClanofLams

Very sad. Seán was the best indigenous forward Connacht have produced in quite some time. At least he will always have Edinburgh when he had a stormer coming off the bench. But he should have had another decade, Ireland caps more memories.

realhorrorshow

Lost Ormond wrote: »

Shame to see Sean O Brien announce he's retiring due to concussion related injury

https://www.connachtrugby.ie/sean-obrien-to-retire-from-rugby/

I played with him underage, he was an absolute phenom at every age grade as well as an incredible leader. I always kept an eye on his career as I was fully sure he would play for, if not captain, Ireland. He continued to excel at every level; Leinster schools cup captain, Ireland underage captain, then onto the Eagles and pretty quickly the Connacht senior team. Despite constant injuries that plagued his entire career he still managed 50 caps by the age of 24 and more than demonstrated his quality.

We are a small province with a small player pool. Our two best homegrown forward prospects of the academy era have just retired in the same summer in their early to mid twenties. Absolutely devastating for us as a province and most of all for them.

SqueakyKneecap

Gutted for the lad. A fantastic young man who is a credit to his family and province.

testtech05

That's terrible news. A real shame he never got a good run injury free at all over the last few seasons. Even in the limited time he did get you could always see what he added and his huge talent.

Best of luck to him whatever he goes on to do!

ClanofLams

Four Connacht starters on Ireland u20s - Sligo's Donnacha Byrne comes into team at 6, Oisin McCormack at 7 with Forde and Jennings in the centre again. Eoin Dé Buitléar on the bench, Darragh Murray still not available for selection unfortunately.

Lsdrugbyfan

ClanofLams wrote: »

Four Connacht starters on Ireland u20s - Sligo's Donnacha Byrne comes into team at 6, Oisin McCormack at 7 with Forde and Jennings in the centre again. Eoin Dé Buitléar on the bench, Darragh Murray still not available for selection unfortunately.

Murrays 6 nations is over with him being replaced.

ClanofLams

Lsdrugbyfan wrote: »

Murrays 6 nations is over with him being replaced.

I had heard they were hoping he would be fit for last few rounds but that was a few days ago. Are you saying he has left Wales so?

realhorrorshow

Loosehead

Denis Buckley (31) - Signed contract in 2021
Matthew Burke (24) - Signed contract in 2021
Jordan Duggan (23) - Signed contract in 2021

Charlie Ward (21) - Academy year 1

Tighthead

Jack Aungier (22) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Finlay Bealham (30) - Signed contract in 2021
Greg McGrath (24) - Signed contract in 2021
Dominic Robertson-McCoy (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020

Hooker

Shane Delahunt (27) - Signed contract in 2021
Dave Heffernan (30) - Signed contract in 2021
Jonny Murphy (29) - Signed contract in 2021
Dylan Tierney-Martin (22) - Signed contract in 2021

Declan Adamson (22) - Academy year 2
Eoin De Buitléar (19) - Academy year 1

Lock

Ultan Dillane (27) - Signed contract in 2021
Oisin Dowling (24) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Leva Fifita (32) - Signed contract in 2021
Niall Murray (21) - Signed contract in 2021
Gavin Thornbury (27) - Signed contract in 2021

Darragh Murray (20) - Academy year 1

Back row

Paul Boyle (24) - Signed contract in 2021
Jarrad Butler (30) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Eoghan Masterson (28) - Signed contract in 2021
Sean Masterson (23) - Signed contract in 2021
Conor Oliver (25) - Signed contract in 2021
Abraham Papali’i (28) - Signed contract in 2021
Cian Prendergast (21) - Signed contract in 2021

Ciaran Booth (21) - Academy year 1
Donnacha Byrne (20) - Academy year 1
Hubert Costello (u21) - Academy year 1
Joshua Dunne (21) - Academy year 3
Oisin McCormack (20) - Academy year 2

Scrumhalf

Caolin Blade (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Kieran Marmion (29) - Signed 3 year contract in 2020
Colm Reilly (22) - Signed contract in 2021

Outhalf

Jack Carty (29) - Signed contract in 2021
Conor Fitzgerald (23) - Signed contract in 2021

Cathal Forde (19) - Academy year 1

Centre

Bundee Aki (31) - Signed 3 year central contract in 2020
Sammy Arnold (25) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Shayne Bolton (21) - Signed contract in 2021
Tom Daly (28) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Tom Farrell (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Peter Robb (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020

Shane Jennings (20) - Academy year 2

Back 3

Mack Hansen (23) - Signed 2 year contract in 2021
Matt Healy (32) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
Oran McNulty (21) - Signed contract in 2021
Ben O'Donnell (26) - Signed contract in 2020
Tiernan O'Halloran (30) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020
John Porch (27) - Signed contract in 2021
Peter Sullivan (23) - Signed contract in 2021
Alex Wootton (27) - Signed contract in 2021

Diarmuid Kilgallen (21) - Academy year 1

IN: Greg McGrath (Tighthead, Leinster), Leva Fifita (Lock, Grenoble), Shayne Bolton (Centre, Cheetahs), Mack Hansen (Back 3, Brumbies)
OUT: Paddy McAllister (Loosehead, retiring), Conor Kenny (Tighthead, Newcastle), Cillian Gallagher (Lock, retiring), Quinn Roux (Lock, Toulon), Sean O'Brien (Back row, retiring), Stephen Kerins (Scrumhalf, Ealing), Conor Dean (Outhalf, TBC), Sean O'Brien** (Centre, Exeter), Colm de Buitléar** (back 3, TBC), Stephen Fitzgerald (Back 3, retiring)

*ages as at 01/09/2021
**academy player

realhorrorshow

Back row looking a bit weak on paper now.

starkid

pretty weak squad overall.

realhorrorshow

starkid wrote: »

pretty weak squad overall.

Strong at hooker, tighthead, scrumhalf, centre, and back 3.
A bit light in the second and back rows.
Stretched very thin at loosehead and 10.

Zeugnis

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Strong at hooker, tighthead, scrumhalf, centre, and back 3.
A bit light in the second and back rows.
Stretched very thin at loosehead and 10.

I think we've been weakened by the loss of Quinn, and the two Sean O'Briens. In the row, however, Murray had a great season and Dowling looked good when given a chance. And then we'll see what Leva Fifita delivers.

My concerns are the weakness at LH and the absence of an effective openside jackaler. And a bit uncertain about the changes to the coaching slate.

connachta

Zeugnis wrote: »

absence of an effective openside jackale.

McCormack may be the guy?

Wegians89

If croinin signs loosehead will be fine. A backrow could be signed on loan to cover the gap between academy lads making the step up.

Zeugnis

connachta wrote: »

McCormack may be the guy?

AFAIK he hasn't made his Senior debut yet, right?

It's premature to load these kind of expectations on him based on his performance with the Irish U-20s. But youth is no obstacle to brilliance in this position, as Curry and Underhill have demonstrated for England.

Zeugnis

Wegians89 wrote: »

If croinin signs loosehead will be fine. A backrow could be signed on loan to cover the gap between academy lads making the step up.

Agree about Cronin. And I think you're right about loan cover.

Leinster's difficult season with injuries ironically made it easier to deploy their overcrowded ranks of backrowers. If their luck improves next year, there are going to be issues. At seven there's Van der Flier, Connors, Penny, and Leavy, at least. Max Deegan can play there as well. and they have Martin Moloney in the Academy.

Connacht don't have a right to any of these guys, but a loan may make sense for them, the IRFU, and Leinster itself.

Wegians89

Zeugnis wrote: »

Agree about Cronin. And I think you're right about loan cover.

Leinster's difficult season with injuries ironically made it easier to deploy their overcrowded ranks of backrowers. If their luck improves next year, there are going to be issues. At seven there's Van der Flier, Connors, Penny, and Leavy, at least. Max Deegan can play there as well. and they have Martin Moloney in the Academy.

Connacht don't have a right to any of these guys, but a loan may make sense for them, the IRFU, and Leinster itself.

Deegan on loan would make sense for all involved. Would get plenty of game time after his injury and can cover all three spots

Lsdrugbyfan

Zeugnis wrote: »

Agree about Cronin. And I think you're right about loan cover.

Leinster's difficult season with injuries ironically made it easier to deploy their overcrowded ranks of backrowers. If their luck improves next year, there are going to be issues. At seven there's Van der Flier, Connors, Penny, and Leavy, at least. Max Deegan can play there as well. and they have Martin Moloney in the Academy.

Connacht don't have a right to any of these guys, but a loan may make sense for them, the IRFU, and Leinster itself.

Connacht have several highy rated backrows in their academy.. use them

Lsdrugbyfan

Wegians89 wrote: »

Deegan on loan would make sense for all involved. Would get plenty of game time after his injury and can cover all three spots

Apart from he has no interest

Wegians89

Lsdrugbyfan wrote: »

Connacht have several highy rated backrows in their academy.. use them

That’s why I suggested a loan rather than signing someone permanently.