Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Buer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121365990#Comment_121365990

I'd suggest that they're a totally different animal with their Springbok stars. At home last season, they were still fairly dirt when those guys weren't available. They were thumped by Cardiff and the Stormers when they had none of their test players. They also lost to Ulster at home without them.

Even with some of their test players, their form was iffy. Fairly uninspiring wins over Ospreys and Treviso and they drew with Munster.

If Connacht had a full deck for this one, I'd back them to pull off a result. Without Aki and Hansen, it's going to be a big ask but I think it will be a tight game.

Digifriendly

Agree with it being tight and if Connacht do get a result it will be a very good win IMHO.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121366035#Comment_121366035

Without Aki and Hansen? You probably have the best centre partnership in Ireland with Forde and Farrell. You have Porch and Kilgallen on the wings. You have TOH at fullback who is playing his best ever rugby. So the Aki/ Hansen issue doesn't really float much

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121369057#Comment_121369057

Both players are there or there about with the best players in the world in their positions, pretty safe to say they would make an impact. Hansen in particular brings a playmaking ability to the back three like no other player. Still fancy the lads selected.

kita99

We may see the first appearance of Jansen. I think that If he is true 「 beast 」, the jobs of Prendergast and SHL will be more effective. A little regrettable that Boyle and Thornebury is out. I hope that their ealry coming back.

Mr Tickle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121369057#Comment_121369057

TOH has hit a bit of form again but I don't think he's at the levels he hit in 2015-2017. Himself, Matt Healy and Niyi were unplayable those years.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370600#Comment_121370600

Couldn't agree more. In those days he hit the line and managed to offload at the last moment to keep the play going. Today TOH reminds me of Rob Kearney in his latter years, just a safe pair of hands and good field management.

It is interesting that both Matt and Niyi didn't seem to last as well as him considering the pace they had.

It would suggest that game management is more important in the modern game of rugby.

Personally I find TOH rather boring this weather and yet at the same time he is boringly reliable. So I'm not sure if my impression is a positive or negative

SqueakyKneecap

TOH seems to have had a fair jump in confidence this season so far in fairness. He doesn't hesitate under high ball, is fairly solid in defense compared to what he has been over the last 5 years and was probably the only actual leader out there against Edinburgh till Joyce came in.

I'm not his biggest supporter in the past while but I've greatly appreciated his contributions this season. Long may he continue this uptick in form.

Wegians89

Wonder how the squad will be managed over the next 5 weeks with the two away games in South Africa, Leinster at home, two matches in Europe. Reason to go fairly full strength in all though matches.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121373459#Comment_121373459

Wegians89 I really wonder if rotation is blown out of all proportion. What Borders said was correct in relation to the Newcastle game last year and the Edinburgh game this year. You simply blow games by using massive rotation. By using sensible rotation you put your somewhat best teams out and have the ability to change them if required.

Instead we put two weak teams out in these two games and we couldn't recover. So Borders was bang on. It's not about rotation, it's about being able to recover if the rotation does not work. Which is why all rotation levels needs to be limited

Utopia Parkway

Hopefully they can nick a win against the Sharks. Think we will be doing well to come away from the Bulls game with anything. They seen to be going fairly well at the moment and playing at altitude is always a challenge. If there is a game to target it's the Sharks. I imagine the Sharks will be keen to get their season going at home though.

Kinda still feel the optimum thing to do would have been to have gone stronger against Edinburgh and won that game. The South African games would have been a free shot then. That said with all the games coming up thick and fast there has to be squad rotation.

macslash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121377711#Comment_121377711

Don't agree. You can't flog lads. We have built a squad for a reason and it needs to be used. It's such a physical game, you can't expect lads to keep going to the well week in, week out. For all we know Farrell/Forde/Kilgallen might have had knocks the last day/in training and it made sense to rest them. Similarly other lads need game time.

Newcastle was a big mess up last year, but I think we're a different team now . And I think we showed that against Edinburgh who were pretty full strength. We were well able to go away and on another day would have had at least 1/2 more points. That was our poorest performance and we still nearly won, and were annoyed we didn't.

Anyway I'd expect us to go as strong as possible on Saturday with possible rotation the following week, with as strong as possible out against Leinster when we get back then.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121378199#Comment_121378199

And this is where I have a problem. Why you go weak against Edinburgh and full out against Leinster. You have to pick your battles and Leinster is not the battle we need to pick. It's very much like F1. You pick your battles. You do not save yourself for such games. You work your way to the qualification stages by understanding your limitations. To consider going up at Leinster at this point is utterly senseless

KBurke85

Team named

CONNACHT RUGBY MATCHDAY 23 VS HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS

15:00 Irish time, Saturday 18th November 2023 @ Hollywoodbets Kings Park

15. Tiernan O’Halloran (224)

14. Byron Ralston (19)

13. Tom Farrell (102)

12. Cathal Forde (16)

11. Andrew Smith (3)

10. JJ Hanrahan (4)

9. Colm Reilly (21)

1. Denis Buckley (231)

2. Tadgh McElroy (4)

3. Finlay Bealham (189)

4. Oisín Dowling (47)

5. Joe Joyce (4)

6. Cian Prendergast (51)

7. Conor Oliver (65) (C)

8. Sean O'Brien (2)

16. Dave Heffernan (183)

17. Peter Dooley (21)

18. Dominic Robertson-McCoy (82)

19. Darragh Murray (11)

20. Shamus Hurley-Langton (23)

21. Caolin Blade (174)

22. David Hawkshaw (16)

23. John Porch (81)

https://www.connachtrugby.ie/news/irish-international-returns-to-connacht-starting-15/bp2785/

SqueakyKneecap

I know we've a few injuries but I really don't like seeing Ralston getting the Tom Daly/Sammy Arnold treatment of being rotated between wing and centre. Don't think it helps with development at all really.

Good bench for tomorrow. That could factor in bigtime.

typhoony

Wilkins definitely showing what the plan is for team selection for this season, which is a lot of rotation

KBurke85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121379683#Comment_121379683

Wasn't much rotation in the first few games in fairness and this week is largely rotating lads in that were left out last week.

The days of playing the same 23 week in week out are gone unless you're Andy Farrell haha

Former Coach

Hollywoodbets Sharks

Ntuthuko Mchunu

Dylan Richardson

Coenie Oosthuizen

Corne’ Rahl

Emile van Heerden

James Venter

Phepsi Buthelezi

Sikhumbuzo Notshe

Cameron Wright

Curwin Bosch

Aphiwe Dyantyi

Francois Venter (c)

Lukhanyo Am

Werner Kok

Aphelele Fassi

Replacements

Daniel Jooste

Dian Bleuler

Hanro Jacobs

Jeandre Labuschagne

Tino Mavesere

Zee Mkhabela

Boeta Chamberlain

Rohan Janse van Rensburg

SqueakyKneecap

Am starting will be a nice test for the centres.

Zeugnis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121379529#Comment_121379529

I was disappointed by the selection for the Edinburgh game, something confirmed by the narrow margin of defeat. But it was great to see that mentally we stayed in the match, two years ago we collapsed in the same fixture, and the change tells me that this group has made massive progress.

Like the look of this team and fancy Connacht for the win. Think the Bulls will be a much tougher prospect, but a victory against the Sharks tomorrow can give us momentum, then who knows...

macslash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121378360#Comment_121378360

Ya and I get that. But those matches aren't consecutive and I think seeing no DK tomorrow shows he obviously has a knock or something. Joe Joyce had started 3 in a row so probably needed the rest of benching last weekend. JJ obviously wasn't 100% either. Not sure what else could have been done.

Anyway looking ahead to tomorrow, best of luck lads. I just hope it's not a 'ah we could have won that one too" situation tomorrow evening. Connacht abú

ElisaAtWar

It's interesting reading the other provinces team sheets for this weekend it can be seen that all the internationals are returning to action. Which makes you wonder why Bundee and Mack are unavailable?

SqueakyKneecap

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121380888#Comment_121380888

Both carrying knocks. I think Hansen might miss Leinster at home too. They'd be over there like Bealham otherwise.

KBurke85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121380888#Comment_121380888

Hard to play if you're injured. Bundee has a hamstring issue and Mack has an ankle issue

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121379602#Comment_121379602

I think there’s a significant difference here as Ralston played most his professional stuff in Aus as a winger. Australian backs are also generally very versatile and come up through the ranks playing numerous positions.

Don’t necessarily see it as a bad thing for him to be getting as many minutes as possible in either position. He’ll probably be 4th choice centre moving forward with Bundee, Forde and Farrell taking the majority of minutes in the 12 and 13 jerseys. Really interested to see how 12 Forde and 13 Bundee would go. Bundee not an international 13 as seen against Italy but he’s been exceptional for Connacht there at Champions Cup level before.

Wegians89

One thing I have been delighted to see this season is a serious impact from the bench. Again the bench this week looks strong.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121382800#Comment_121382800

Very much agreed on this

realhorrorshow

Senior players Matthew Burke, Paul Boyle, and Liam McNamara playing AIL for Buccs today.

FrancieBrady

A bit panicky but Connacht did well in defence there.

typhoony

The officials have missed a nasty contact with the head on Cathal Forde, I think it was Bosch that came in with the shoulder, played it back in slow-mo and can see it clearly