Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Zeugnis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120504695#Comment_120504695

No, he has played regularly except for the period of his injury after new year, lkast appearance was at 10 v Treviso. Jack's return has closed space for him, and there is the competition with Bundee/Forde at 12 where he was prospering early in the season. I can understand hm not starting, but think he should be benching rather than Tom Daly whose form has been poor all season (although tbf he was ok last week).

eagle eye

Glasgow obviously view their unbeaten home record as hugely important. I personally wouldn't care about something like that when theres opportunity to win silverware. They'll feel like utter fools if they lose some starters in this game.

What we can hope for is some of their players being cautious so as to be fit for the big games ahead.

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120504695#Comment_120504695

He just got injured at the worst possible time, and Forde played extremely well during his absence.

tintedgreenglasses2016

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120504798#Comment_120504798

Tom Daly has been poor all season. Wow that's a harsh opinion. Wow.

Zeugnis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120505551#Comment_120505551

I'm surprised that you find that harsh, this isn't personal. Daly hasn't started a game for Connacht since December and his minutes played have collapsed this season. He was a vital player up to his knee injury in autumn 2021 but IMHO has not looked the same since his return. When was the last performance of his that left you impressed?

He has been passed out by Forde and Hawkshaw at 12. Elizaatwar rightly suggested that he might be worth trying at 10, and indeed that's where he was brought on for the last 12-15m against Cardiff. I would love to see TD return to his form the season he won a cap, but let's not delude ourselves on the improvement required. Fortunately for him he's contracted until 2024, so he has time to turn it around.

Best case scenarios from today?

My preference would be to finish 5th or 7th. Glasgow away or Ulster away in the playoffs, and guaranteed Heineken Cup (almost certainly)

6th, and away to the Stormers, would almost certainly be the end of our season.

Of all the possible quarter finals, I'd say our best shot is away to Ulster

Citizenpain

Permutations

http://rugby.connacht.pink/

connachta

Scotland Team Line-up facing England this February // Glasgoww today

Brown (bench)

Gray (ageing)

(bench) Fagerson

Jones (out of position)

(bench) Bhatti

(bench) Horne

FFS what do we fear about? 3 Scots on the bench, 1 out of position and only 1 starter?

1) team we'll face today is barely 20% of Scotland 2) we're talking about Scotland not NZ or Ire, none in their 23 would be in Irish 23, and many of our guys, like Ben Healy i.e Buckley, N.Murray, Prendergast, Carty, Blade, Forde, Porch, would have been capped if Scottish

Our look of it is biased by difference in level between 2 nations! NONE I repeat none of their players is individually better than ours I'm convinced of it

only issue is their machine as a team. But they rotated quite a lot, it will be rusty, it was vs Scarlets already

connachta

Interesting and wise POV here

Why not just swap Porch and Ralston

Depending on tactic of the team, connacht have often used the right wing to hold width creating space in middle & finish moreso then join in and playmake as much as the left. Guess with Ralston being a centre too that suits him to be like 3rd centre.

"In theory, the majority of players being right handed, the left winger (11) will see more of the ball than the right (14) from when the ball is run through the hands - though at international level pretty much everyone can pass well both ways. This gives your 14 the opportunity to play the tracker role and come into the line unexpectedly to create overlaps and exploit weak points. So ideally the winger who makes the yards every time and can create something from nothing takes 11, and the player who can spot gaps and take opportunities midfield goes 14"

Good choice to have Ralston powerful impact in the line as a 2nd centre

And Porch counter-attacks as 2nd FB

connachta

Pack weights (official websites)

Glasgow 888 kg

bench 678 kg // 6 = 113 kg per forward in-coming

Connacht 870 kg

bench 556 kg // 5 = 111 kg per forward in-coming

connachta

10/12/13 axis where most contacts stand (9/back-3 weights less relevant)

Glasgow 299 kg

Connacht 290 kg

Wegians89

Going to be a really interesting day. Ideally Leinster win without giving up a bonus point. A win for Munster too would guarantee top 7 but if Munster lose with no bonus point a win for Connacht could see then finish 5th.

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120504384#Comment_120504384

This one was just a joke, that landed well

RonnieL

Bulls on track for a bonus point win. I just want us to avoid a trip to South Africa in the playoff.

testtech05

Yep, was always gonna be tough for Leinster with the selection they had but I was hoping they might keep it tighter.

Hopefully we can just get a good result and not have to be dependent on other results....

tintedgreenglasses2016

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120506407#Comment_120506407

Reason I find it harsh Zeugnis is because it was very clear from the start of this season that Hawkshaw was the preferred secondary option to Jack. Hence Tom had limited game time. But when he had game time he was not shabby. And more recently Daly has taken over from Hawkshaw as the secondary option covering both centre and out half ( as you said ElisaAtWar had mentioned that option). And now that option is becoming a reality. But it's not Tom's fault that the powers that be wanted to see how the Hawkshaw option would pan out

tintedgreenglasses2016

As for the final stages of the URC when we beat Glasgow tonight, then we end up playing the Stormers in SA in the quarters. Then we play Leinster in the semis in Dublin before we finally play Munster/Ulster (assuming either of them make it to the final) in the Sportsground in the URC final. Unless there is a permutation I hadn't considered?

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120508314#Comment_120508314

If Connacht win they will be either 5th or 6th (depending on Munster result and BP). If Connacht lose tonight they will be 7th.

If 5th Connacht will play Glasgow in the QF. If 6th Connacht will play Stormers in QF. if 7th Connacht will play Ulster in the QF.

Burkie1203

Connacht can end up 8th too

macslash

With Sharks winning at the moment we will be in 8th come kickoff.

Hell for leather lads!

tintedgreenglasses2016

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120508380#Comment_120508380

Negativity reigns

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120508581#Comment_120508581

Reality actually

Wegians89

Draw here would do for us

Conor15th

I hate to say it but I think we’d probably be better off losing this game and staying in 7th and play ulster rather than stormers, I know we’re not guaranteed champions cup but I think it’s unlikely that scarlets or benneton will win the challenge cup

tintedgreenglasses2016

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120508590#Comment_120508590

Glasgow followed by stormers followed by Leinster followed by Ulster. URC title is ours

Thrashssacre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120508804#Comment_120508804

It's not that unlikely scarlet's are at home aren't they? They've been going hell for leather in that comp and benneton rested players for their semi which Toulon may not have much interest in considering there in a scrap for a top 14 playoff spot.

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120508804#Comment_120508804

If the sharks win the URC wouldn’t get champions cup either.

Bigger picture the cash from champions cup next season is worth more to Connacht.

ClanofLams

Definitely get the win for me.

I’ll take the smaller percent chance of winning quarter final (though with our record in ravenhill I’m not sure the difference could be much) with the greater likelihood of being in champions cup.

tintedgreenglasses2016

Let us see what happens. I believe in this connacht team

Digifriendly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120508846#Comment_120508846

Toulon have lost 3 Finals in Challenge Cup so I would think they are pretty keen to get this monkey off their back.

Do agree that Connacht have better chance of winning in Belfast than Cape Town.