Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

ElisaAtWar

So carty kicked into touch rather than tap and kick into touch which would have ended the game. That was utterly clueless. And he just kicked clueless kicks down the middle all the time. Just pure stupid all game

CMcsporty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120079094#Comment_120079094

They had. Connacht should have put 40+ on that team

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120079043#Comment_120079043

I agree. It's not that some folks have done well. But I have to say Marmion and Carty had a total disaster. They were total rubbish. It's amazing really that you can win a game when your key players continue to under perform

ElisaAtWar

Didn't understand the Ralston change. Once that happened Connacht defense went to nothing

ElisaAtWar

Same thing happened last week vs Leinster

SqueakyKneecap

I'm happy with 5 points considering the breeze tbh. There's always going to be mistakes when the breeze catches anything beyond a 3 metre lineout throw. Lot of pressure at scrum-time that we wised up to after a while. Poor Carty didn't ever really get going, not been his season.

Delighted for young Forde. His linkup with Farrell for the first try was lovely chemistry between them. Can never have enough lads to cover centre.

BrokenMan

For anyone sitting on their couch giving out about kicking and the lineout tonight youngave absolutely no appreciation for the conditions tonight.

I'd take 5 points from that any day and walk away happy.

AccidentallyOnside

Think people are being harsh here: sharks were second string and had no intention of playing into the wind in the first half but they were big and committed.

The conditions varied from still and dry to monsoon rain and winds so mistakes were always going to happen.

That's not to say it was perfect as it clearly wasn't but there's more positives than negatives to take away. Biggest worry was the drop off when the game was "safe", a better drilled team would make hay there. Biggest positive was Murray , in particular, making an absolute mockery of their line out

ElisaAtWar

Like it or not Porch is not a fullback (all the stats say just that) and Ralston is not a winger (he's a centre and the stats say that also). As such it was a stupid choice to replace TOH when he was doing what he does well. Same decision last week and it went sideways that time also

Jack please, please, please stop kicking away possession. It would wreck anyone's head

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120079586#Comment_120079586

My main concern is our attacking shape, as it has fallen off a cliff since Lawler took over. Three of our tries came from a piece of individual brilliance on a busted set play, a charge down, and a maul. The O'Halloran try was promising to be fair.

It's good that we're finding other ways to score but we will struggle to progress without being able to break teams down in phase play.

tintedgreenglasses2016

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120079770#Comment_120079770

Be aware that Ralston went in for Tom Farrell which was a centre for centre switch. Conor Fitz went into fullback with TOH replacement.

You have to love Prendergast. If the ref calls it he doesn't even bother to dispute it. And Conor Oliver is just super good.

It wasn't perfect but the conditions were awfy

FACECUTTR

Is there any word on Boyle ? Without him or Butler 8 is an issue. I hope we look to get a signing there. With Darragh Murray stepping up I'd say Fifita is off so that will free up a decent wedge. I'm sure there are funds still available for a TH too. McCoy can't be on huge money if he was to be released. I think Senekal has really added to out forwards this season.

Lucas44

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120083093#Comment_120083093

Hopefully downing isn’t too bad, with thornbury out already we are down to 3 second rows & Murphy/prendergast. If cian were to get selected for the 6 nations (probably doesn’t deserve it on form) then we would be very light. Could do with a medical joker if dowlings injury is lengthy

Zeugnis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120083158#Comment_120083158

Yes, fingers crossed on Dowling, I am hopeful.

The fixture list is very light form the end of January - just three games in February and March. Given that we still have the Murrays, Fifita, and Murphy, I'd say our chance of a medical joker is nil. You probably recall that we didn't get one a few years ago (2018/19?) when we had a long injury crisis at second row, we were left to fend for ourselves.

Zeugnis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120083093#Comment_120083093

Boyle expected back in February some time, Butler's injury not as bad as feared, expected to return soon. Is Sean Masterson playing AIL with Corinthians or still injured? 8 is a position where ideally we'd be recruiting (if we weren't broke).

macslash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120083093#Comment_120083093

I imagine Joe Joyce is Fifita's replacement. Not sure what money he'll be on. We badly need a proper enforcer in the back row, like Vermeulen.

AccidentallyOnside

The thing is most teams are broke so there might be some really good value in the market.

Prem teams are basically all financial basket cases and 4 teams in Wales is looking unsustainable so I'd not be surprised to see a team go to the wall in each of those.

Only really the French, Japanese and select Irish teams seem to have any money swilling around

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120082507#Comment_120082507

My bad. Had thought it was the typical switch of Porch to fullback and Ralston to the wing. That said the move of Ralston into centre and Fitz to fullback didn't seem to improve anything. Enjoyed the Hansen bit of artistry with the kick over the top. Finally a bit of inventiveness. But you still have to wonder why Jack continues to kick away possession down the middle of the field. Yes it's fine against a second team put out by Sharks but you will be killed with such behavior against a decent team. And Marmions passing was terribly poor. It was always too high which meant the receiver had to correct body position which just takes that little bit of time.

And another matter what's the story with DTM. There has never been a mention of him being injured and most would have considered him first choice hooker months ago but these days he is getting little game time and he looked very much like he is suffering from this lack last weekend?

Lucas44

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120087003#Comment_120087003

Re kicking down the middle: most teams stack the backfield with two at all times. Usually a winger on one 15 and the fullback on the other 15, thus leaving kick space down the middle. The term ‘find grass’ is usually banged home by coaches and kicking it down the middle does so. It also doesn’t leave the kick chase as exposed to counter attack as kicking open but more exposed than kicking blind. If the kicks down the middle could go over the try line with a good chase forcing the other team to touch it down and resulting in a goal line drop out it’s a really effective strategy..

DTM was first choice when heff was just back from nz tour and delahunt was rehabbing back from a nasty injury, he probably isn’t as good as either at the minute

FACECUTTR

Had forgotten about Joyce with it being announced so early. It will be great to have a big bruiser in the forwards again. Would like to see Burke start at LH if he's available this weekend.

FACECUTTR

https://www.the42.ie/mossy-lawler-munster-5965232-Jan2023/

comeback Nigel....

ClanofLams

Won’t happen but with Friend and Lawler leaving, a clear out would probably be the best thing that could happen. Some decent performances this season but a lot of the same old same old too. Get a new head coach who can pick his own staff, an infusion of new ideas, a shake up that hasn’t happened in years and is needed.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120087710#Comment_120087710

But this my point Lucas. There is no kick chase or no possibility of a 50/20. It's just utterly aimless kicking that just puts the team back under pressure again. And I am utterly sick of this aimless rubbish

AccidentallyOnside

Lawlor leaving is a weird one as on one hand it's annoying to see a coach use us as a stepping stone to get to munster. On the other I don't see a lot of signs that he is a good coach. He was defense coach last year, when we were amongst the worse defensive team in the league, moved to attack this year and our attack has looked toothless when last year we looked very dangerous in attack and our defence is visibly improved.

He's moving as a skills coach.....our skills haven't exactly been stellar this year. From a coaching point of view senekal and tucker really have the forwards trucking so hope they stay and think Wilkins is nailed on to stay so don't think it will be a clean slate next year.

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120091873#Comment_120091873

Colm Tucker was defence coach last year, Lawler was skills.

Lucas44

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120091573#Comment_120091573

It’s not kicked with the expectation of a 50:22, if you don’t make yards on the first 5/6 carries, it’s better to pump it long rather than flog your forwards with the risk of a turnover in your own half. I suppose the expectation would be if your 60/70/80m out from the tryline that the other team will either A) kick it out closer to where the balls been kicked from, giving you a good attacking platform to launch a starter play

or b) put the other team under pressure defensively to force an error/turnover

its mainly to play territory and not flog the players, most attacks usually don’t go anywhere in your own half after the first 5/6 phases if there’s not been good yards being made initially. It’s only really when in the other 22 when you see the high number of phases worked through

as you said though often the kick chase isn’t good enough and that’s half the issue

testtech05

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120091873#Comment_120091873

Sounds like it is all a bit of a mess from this.

https://www.the42.ie/connacht-head-coach-wilkins-yet-to-be-interviewed-to-take-over-from-friend-5965839-Jan2023/

Hopefully there is more going on behind the scenes as cant imagine it would help us to hold on to some of our better players who are out of contract this season if they don't know what the story is with the coaching team.

FACECUTTR

So players who are out of contract this season have not been offered new contracts yet and the there's no word on recruitment to replace 2 coaching staff that are leaving !! That is not good at all. I really hope they get this sorted soon or players will be out the door.

connachta

Porch especially

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120093710#Comment_120093710

Yeah, you'd imagine he would have no issue getting a contract in England or France.

No player has played more minutes across the four provinces this year than John Porch - He's played 946 mins from 12 appearances (12 starts), which by my reckoning is 84% of the possible minutes he could have played.

You'd think the Connacht higher ups would recognise that that sort of contribution isn't easily replaced if you let him go (through choice or inaction).