Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119980971#Comment_119980971

Brive are at the foot of the top 14. They might not have the luxury of turning their home game into a French fortress. They can rest their first team.

Zeugnis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119980561#Comment_119980561

I know the commentary team made this error, but Byrne already played against Ospreys at the end of October (he aslo played the pre-season game against Castres which was a friendly). Anyway, great to see him score a fantastic individual try which was the difference between the sides up to Fitzgerald/Kilgallen bulls eye.

Zeugnis

I felt Newcastle's aggression went beyond the acceptable. Matty Dalton made a dangerous tackle on Blade punished only with a penalty and went on to do a late hit on Adam Byrne after his try. Charlie Maddison made clear head contact with Blade's face on the ground after the whistle had blown - not ok.

As regards Connacht: our midfield continues to malfunction and Daly's discipline was atrocious. In recent years we have been at our best when going wide, but today our wingers' tries came from an individual effort by Adam Byrne and a crossfield kick to Kilgallen. Major choices to be made at cenbtre with consequences for the team's overall style.

Hawkshaw is impatient and needs to pay more attention to basics. if he is going to compete with Jack for 10, he needs to put his penalties into touch. For now, I prefer him at 12. Kilgallen went well after a good outing last week as well. Byrne looked resolute and liek a man intending to prove a point. This is good. Things looked much more organised when Fitzgerald/Farrell arrived. Somewhere in the disorderly deck that is our back line, we have a good hand, but the coaches haven't identified it yet.

For now we we will continue to rely on our pack. Murray put in another great performance, he's a pearl. Boyle was good again as well, and our back row functions so much better when he is on form. McCormack and illo had good cameos and will have benefited, particularly Sam. The one mystery to me is why we went fully loaded at LH, surely either Duggan or Burke should have gotten minutes today, I am not happy at how the latter has been treated after his trojan work last season.

So, a win from a work in progress team. Still much to be done, but we're learning.

ElisaAtWar

Caolin wrecks my head. It's like he just waits and waits and waits until he sees his own opportunity. As compared to Marmion who shovels the ball so fast the defense hasn't had a time to organize.

So I see Marmion as a team player while Blade is just waiting for his own slice of glory.

Caolin is so slow out of the ruck as he decides his own fantasies. To me he is the biggest gobshite in what is supposed to be called a team

macslash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119982451#Comment_119982451

That's not okay. Have your opinions on playing style but less of the name calling. He doesn't deserve that from anyone, never mind someone on the internet.

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119979704#Comment_119979704

Bolton has played on the right wing the last two weeks for wegians. Would expect him involved next week tbh if he’s up to scratch

serfboard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119982451#Comment_119982451

Fair play to you for being able to know what Caolin Blade is thinking …

testtech05

Agreed with the above poster about Burke. Thought he did very well last season surprised he hasn't featured in any squad this season so far I think?

connachta

Blade is ahead of Casey, RWC on sight

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119982931#Comment_119982931

Agreed. You are right on this. I will tone that down in future. It still doesn't take away from the fact that I believe that Caolins style of play is fundamentally hurting the ability to capatalize on opportunities for the rest of the team.

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119982451#Comment_119982451

Bizarre post. I cannot fathom living like this, watching rugby and getting annoyed about the perceived motivations of the players on the team you ostensibly support.

Do you actually like Connacht? Does rugby bring you any joy? If not, what's the point?

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119984596#Comment_119984596

Again I apologize for the tone of the post. But I also think it's important to say what might be impacting team performance. I didn't travel to the game because I have issues supporting Connacht rugby

FACECUTTR

Ignore list gaind a member.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119984768#Comment_119984768

It's a forum Facecutter. It provides opinions. While my opinion may not be the unbridled opinion of others, opinion is supposed to promote debate. And so far I have seen no debate. So explain why Caolin is so slow out of the rucks and explain why Marms is just so fast and provide the reasons why. I have provided a reason so explain how I am wrong. If your opinion is stronger you win

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119984404#Comment_119984404

What?

Strand1970

Casey is definitely seen ahead of Blade in the irish squad. There has been a few games for Connacht where Blade has come off the bench and made an immediate difference to the tempo of the game. Not sure how good he would have been if he started. There is not much between Marmion and Blade, both have good game. I fear we will lose atleast one of them at the end of the season. TBH if I was advising them I would say your not going to get a look in with Ireland so try something different in France while your stock is still high.

Strand1970

How is Ultan getting on in LA? is he getting game time

Strand1970

LR

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119985433#Comment_119985433

Subbing a lot. Played 6 a few times as well

BrokenMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119982451#Comment_119982451

Jack not playing so you have to go spout your vitriol ar someone else? Are you only happy when you're complaining?

Would younsay that to his face?

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119985552#Comment_119985552

I know I am spectrum based where I look at things with a more dispassionate view. So strangely I would have no issue saying that to Caolin and I would be hugely interested in his justification that might even suggest he is playing a team sport

Digifriendly

I am an Ulster supporter but I think Caolin Blade is a real menace to oppostion defences and a very good scrum half. Like any player he is not perfect but criticism I have read here is imho unwarranted.

Evil_g

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119985956#Comment_119985956

It's one person, who has been posting this gibberish under a stream of different usernames for years.

Dubinusa

Blade is a good player. Don't know why he's being singled out. Marmion was getting it when he played for Ireland. It's common that players get **** on.

Blade could be out the door after this season, I'd do as much as reasonably possible to keep him.

Jump_In_Jack

Caolin Blade got man of the match, so he can't have been that bad. If he made a few bad decisions or whatever, it's a bit nitpicky to be calling him names. He always strikes me as a late convert to scrumhalf, I believe he was nearly out of underage before switching from centre to scrum-half, so perhaps he never fully developed a scrum-half brain, but he has fantastic speed off the mark, and is a very tough athlete for his size.

Zeugnis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119987565#Comment_119987565

Blade is a lot closer to the irish quad than he was twelve months ago, this makes a departure less likely.

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119987861#Comment_119987861

You’d have to Imagine that Murray will be out of the international scene post World Cup too

ElisaAtWar

If you look at JGP you see fast distribution as a key factor in Irish rugby. All I say is Caolin is slow and the reason he is slow is so he can identify potential holes in the defense. The problem I see with such behavior is while you identify possible weaknesses the opposing team have the opportunity to form their defensive line.

So what Caolin does has a positive and negative impact. He can fly through a gap or he has slowed things down so much that he has lost an opportunity for the team.

And I rather the team based strategy which is why I dislike how he plays. There is always the opportunity for a 9 to break through the gain line and this is important but it should not be a norm. Because if it's a norm it undermines the rest of the team effort

BrokenMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119986054#Comment_119986054

I should have recognised the posting style.

Wegians89

Thought SHL and kilgallen had big games last weekend. Two lads who could push for spots in the 23 in bigger games