Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

sydthebeat · 06-04-2022 10:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118887669#Comment_118887669

?

Wegians89 · 06-04-2022 10:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118887521#Comment_118887521

nah had to be contractual, also firmly believing ngatai is his replacement and henshaw I’d coming home to be the face of the new stadium and to Play with Bundee again before Bundee retires…

Wegians89 · 06-04-2022 10:43am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118887712#Comment_118887712

show grounds is Sligo rovers home pitch, sports grounds is Connachts

ClanofLams · 06-04-2022 10:44am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118887712#Comment_118887712

Just a pun from typo/mistake with stadium name. Sligo Rovers play in the Showgrounds. Connacht play in the Sportsground.

sydthebeat · 06-04-2022 10:45am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118887761#Comment_118887761

that makes a lot of sense :D

sydthebeat · 06-04-2022 10:48am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118887742#Comment_118887742

im afraid you have it backwards

Bundee is coming to leinster to recreate that excellent Chiefs backline 12 - 13 - 14 of Ngatai - Aki - Lowe

All will tremble before them !

Wegians89 · 06-04-2022 10:52am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118887787#Comment_118887787

Lowe being moved to the right wing as Mack is now the undisputed best 11 in world rugby?

sydthebeat · 06-04-2022 11:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118887814#Comment_118887814

love mack hansen ! shure we'll take him as well :P

ah in all seriousness i think friday night is going to be closer than a lot of the commentary on here thinks. thornbury will make a world of difference in the tight where youve been a bit lacking this year.

KBurke85 · 06-04-2022 11:50am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118887488#Comment_118887488

He was named in a team to play at the Sportsground once but was ruled out on the day of the game with illness

macslash · 06-04-2022 4:14pm

All joking aside do we think Robbie will ever come home? I remember when he left Muldoon said something about him like it's goodbye for now, I always had a feeling he'd come back but not as sure now.

Won't make Friday unfortunately but hoping we give them a good go.

Boardmember101 · 06-04-2022 4:18pm

I have 2 spare tickets for the Bohermore end for Friday. I will let them go for €50. DM me if interested

Zeugnis · 07-04-2022 11:56am

Team for tomorrow:

15. Tiernan O’Halloran (203)

14. John Porch (54)

13. Tom Farrell (75)

12. Bundee Aki (115)

11. Mack Hansen (10)

10. Jack Carty (175) (C)

9. Kieran Marmion (204)

1. Matthew Burke (36)

2. Dave Heffernan (160)

3. Finlay Bealham (170)

4. Gavin Thornbury (59)

5. Leva Fifita (11)

6. Cian Prendergast (26)

7. Conor Oliver (37)

8. Jarrad Butler (91)Replacements

16. Dylan Tierney-Martin (2)

17. Tietie Tuimauga (9)

18. Jack Aungier (27)

19. Oisín Dowling (21)

20. Abraham Papali’i (22)

21. Caolin Blade (146)

22. Conor Fitzgerald (48)

23. Sammy Arnold (35)

Zeugnis · 07-04-2022 11:58am

No Murray or Boyle, whom I'd prefer over Fifita and Butler. Wooton still out.

realhorrorshow · 07-04-2022 12:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118893397#Comment_118893397

I had been thinking that Boyle has been some way short of the form that got him an Ireland cap, seems the coaches feel the same way.

Zeugnis · 07-04-2022 12:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118893434#Comment_118893434

That's fair. IIRC he had an injury in the autumn and has struggled a bit since. But his high quality performances are recent enough that I still have confidence that he'll recapture that form. And while Butler is a very honest player with consistent effort levels, he hasn't convinced me over the last couple of years.

testtech05 · 07-04-2022 12:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118893397#Comment_118893397

No sign of Ultan either, shame things seem to have really gone down hill for him since it was announced he was leaving, almost the inverse of Sammy Arnold in similar circumstances.

stephen_n · 07-04-2022 1:31pm

So all the conspiracy theories about Henshaw can be put to bed now. From what I saw in the last two games TOH is very lucky to hold on to that jersey. Strong enough side for Connacht though, should be a good game.

freyners · 07-04-2022 2:18pm

81st minute. Connacht are 4 down but are desperately pounding on the Leinster line but look like they are running out of steam

Bundee takes the ball and runs against Henshaw.

Henshaw inexplicably freezes up and bundee jogs on past and scoring the winning trying.

Leinster team round on Henshaw.

All of a sudden the opening bars of Coming Home plays over the tannoy.

Henshaw rips off the Leinster jersey only to find there 2016 pro12 jersey was underneath the whole time.

After all these years, he's swore he would only play for his original team on this hallowed ground.

Put your money on it lads.

salmocab · 07-04-2022 2:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118894085#Comment_118894085

The most unbelievable part of that is only being down by four!

shaungil · 07-04-2022 3:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118894207#Comment_118894207

what do you mean it's over 2 legs? Says Robbie

Wegians89 · 08-04-2022 7:32am

How many of Connachts signing for next season. Would theoretically start tonight?

josh Murphy potentially could come in at lock ahead of fifita.

SHL ahead of butler? Wouldn’t know till he gets here what his standard is.

Dooley would be likely to start at loosehead.

hawkshaw would probably get the 22 jersey ahead of fitz, more versatile at least.

Ralston or Adam Byrne start on the right wing with porch full back?

RonnieL · 08-04-2022 9:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118896774#Comment_118896774

Obviously hard to say for sure, but I'd go along with what you've said there (which is pretty exciting). I'm hopeful Hawkshaw will push on, and apply some pressure to Jack because it's been a while since he's been under pressure to make the starting 15 for us. Full back has also become a problem for us, so maybe Porch or even Hansen could be the answer there if the new recruits do well on the wings.

Really looking forward to tonight. Expecting to lose, but hopeful of a good showing, and a cracking atmosphere.

Dubinusa · 08-04-2022 10:30am

Has Masterson been re signed? England is a good versatile player. Would be a shame to see him let go.

realhorrorshow · 08-04-2022 10:47am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118897440#Comment_118897440

Both Mastersons signed contracts last year, length wasn't announced in either case but there's a reasonable chance one or both could be out of contract this summer.

Eoghan is in a tough spot. He strikes me as someone you would want to keep around a squad for the intangibles he brings, if you pay attention to him on the pitch he is constantly organising and communicating, seems to have an excellent rugby brain. Unfortunately for him, Prendergast has already far surpassed him in terms of on pitch production, and there's a good chance Josh Murphy will next season also.

Sean is also in a tricky spot, in that he is not particularly young nor is he experienced. I've seen plenty of him at every level and he has never really impressed outside of a few flashes. He was having his (imo) best game for Connacht in Paris last season before he got injured, which if I recall correctly was when Prendergast came in and really put his hand up, and never looked back. Really unfortunate for Sean, maybe he could have really kicked on with a strong performance away to an excellent team under his belt.

08-04-2022 11:57am

I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought it, as I saw a similar POV on the previous page.

But I can't ever imagine a scenario from a few years ago where there would be such little enthusiasm for a CC KO game in the City.

Seems to be a combo of the opposition(I think at this point Leinster are just ruining rugby for the other provinces, Munster had their lowest crowd against them for a while last week), the fact it's two legs(so less chance of an ambush), so many teams got through and the awful results this season.

I think if it was any other opposition, regardless of the other points, there might have been a bit more of a buzz about it.

If we were in the Challenge Cup KO you could argue we'd have a chance to win it which would generate more buzz.

I know the argument is made that being in the CC is better for the team financially... But can anyone really say looking with hindsight we have a better team now than we did a few years ago when we were mainly in the Challenge?... Can't say I feel our team is any better on paper with two years in the CC.

SqueakyKneecap · 08-04-2022 12:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118897913#Comment_118897913

It's probably unfair to measure the last 2 years of CC benefits because there were no gate receipts for a full pool stage which would've financially hurt the team and recruitment. But I think the majority of the the dampened hype about tonight comes from the horrific run of form since beating Stade at home. We likely would've found a way to lose those pool games to teams of our own ability in the Challenge Cup, nevermind Leicester with the way heads drop in the last 20 minutes these days.