Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

tmc1963

Good from the ref - too much yapping - need to say much more of it from refs

ClanofLams

Fuckin shocking. Seem to routinely do this in huge games, conceded 50 v Leicester last season, 40 v Edinburgh the year before.

Against a Leicester mix of seconds/thirds and an Edinburgh team down 9 internationals tonight and something similar two years ago.

Not far off being time for friend to go

AccidentallyOnside

This is embarrassing

testtech05

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118733760#Comment_118733760

Have to agree. With the respective squads and Edinburgh having lost 3 in a row vs us winning 2 in a row.

It's just been a shambles after a good 20 mins in which we wasted so many chances it was always gonna come back to bite us but didn't see this score coming after 25 mins

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118733718#Comment_118733718

There's something wrong within the squad/club, the frequency with which we completely lose the plot is incredible. Hard to know if it's a head coach problem as we were the same in Lam's last season and Keane's one and only, but it has to be the first place you look.

AccidentallyOnside

50 against the reserves putting kids on for their professional debut.

Worst performance from us in years.

There are props finding gaps in our midfield ffs

franglan

Embarrassing, so bad the prisoners in Castlerea have asked to turn it off and be put back in their cells.

testtech05

That doesn't look good for poor Shane be a huge loss

dockysher

To lose in that manner an absolute disgrace again like the Glasgow game. So many soft tries. We were lucky to get wins last two games to take away from how bad or really is

testtech05

Am I right in saying after that we are really up against it to qualify for next season champions cup?

Wth the run in we have that was a game we need to be winning not to mind losing by 50

realhorrorshow

Probably the worst defensive performance I've ever seen from us. Repeatedly shredded by pretty standard phase attack, even off first phase and slow ball. Hard to know what the issue is, is it the system? The implementation of the system? The players?

Hopefully Delahunt and Murray are ok. Just a **** disaster of an evening all round.

b.gud

The biggest plus from tonight is that my youngest woke up crying so I was spared the last 10 minutes of the game

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118734091#Comment_118734091

Was it your own crying that woke them up?

jimdemp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118733935#Comment_118733935

Connacht win a game or 2 and start believing the hype. physically Small teams like connacht cant be complacent like munster and expect to get by. Duggan cant scrum, Augier has been poor all year but seemed like a good player last year, Porter maul him in Dublin. Set piece always struggles with heff at 2. Connacht may need a backup 2 next year. Papaili looks like a huge loss given boyle lack of size and up down form. Centres had no interest.

RichieRich_89

I haven't seen the game, but by the sounds of it the defence was bad. I've never really rated Wilkins the defence coach. Having someone of the quality of Nienaber or Ferreira, like Munster have had the last five years, could make a huge difference to Connacht's baseline performance, I'd say.

BleedGreen

Wilkins isn't the defense coach

Dave_The_Sheep

Jesus, what the f*ck happened?

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118734846#Comment_118734846

Someone didn't look beyond Wikipedia, but are we surprised?

ShineyShiney

Well played Edinburgh, absolutely tore us apart. Once they got in front they hit the afterburners and we couldn't get near them.

A bad day at the office doesn't make us totally crap just crap today.

The team that lost to Dragons haven't gone away.

Utopia Parkway

Think that's Connacht's worst defeat in 12 years or so? Mad thing is they were 8-0 up after almost 30 minutes and probably should have been further ahead.

AccidentallyOnside

The sad thing is Edinburgh didn't even need to be good.

One of their tries came off first phase with their 12 just running straight and no one laid a hand on him......no dummy runners or change of direction.....just ran straight and there was a huge hole to stroll through.

That's not a systems thing (though that might be an issue too), that's just one or more players going totally off script.

Even when players were they we missed loads of first up tackles, made that Edinburgh backrow look like world beaters. Couldn't win a turnover, couldn't secure our own ball, couldn't field a high ball, couldn't win a kicking dual, couldn't hold onto the ball in contact, couldn't win a clean line out could barely hold on in the scrum. We were lucky we weren't playing a better team or we could have had 100 put on us, we were genuinely worse than the score.

Europe looks like a pipe dream at this point, and if you're losing by nearly 50 to the Edinburgh reserves then that's probably only right.

We know we're a better team than shown last night, but equally have to accept we have performances like last night in us too.

The next time we wonder why we don't get more players in ireland it's worth remembering nights like last night; you won't see a performance like last night from any of the other three provinces. It's not the losing that's concerning it's the complete capitulation, the total collapse of system, the lack of leadership....none of it is encouraging.

Few weeks off now......hopefully some good news on signings and some time to reflect on where we're going because under it all there's a good team in there somewhere.

jimdemp

Hard to believe Connacht won there last year with Daly at outhalf, Masterson in second row.

b.gud

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118734168#Comment_118734168

No comment

Dubinusa

The highlights are grim. Awful defense from Connacht. The couple of scrum that were shown were complete disasters for Connacht.

Connacht are a myster! They play great at times and are AIL level at others. To me, Friend must be the problem. I've not been a fan and I think he's out of his depth.

That's a good squad out west and yet they are awful sometimes. It's hard to imagine that type of performance.

Duggan is poor and Aungier has not kicked on. Dooley will be an upgrade for sure. Josh Murphy will add physical grunt and with Charlie Ryan coming in, they could have a decent pack.

Disappointing effort.

Bazzo

Jeeeesus

realhorrorshow

I see Shayne Bolton got a hat trick for Wegians at the weekend. AIL 2B just isn't the place to develop the likes of Bolton, hopefully there's an A competition in place next year.

ersatz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118737061#Comment_118737061

I walked though a few of Edinburgh's tries on highlights and the defense was a shambles. It seemed like once E got a couple of scores ahead Connacht gave up. Whatever about Friend Connacht need to think about on field leadership, in a situation like that you need a few players who can set a standard and demand the others step up.

Treaty fella

Suppose Connacht have to support Connacht clubs but Shayne Bolton would be better joining Shannon and playing at least 1B

b.gud

2 new contracts to be announced today first is Porch, on what appears to be a 1 year deal. Next one will be at 5pm

Former Coach

I know his presence wouldn't have changed the Edinburgh result but why oh why is Ultan not being selected, at least in the 23??