Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

kita99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121473561#Comment_121473561

I totally agree your posting. Connacht must to make new fresh team by young players until the completion of the redevelopment.

eagle eye

Some people really go over the top after one bad game.

Obviously lots to be done to avoid this happening again but this team is, and has shown, that they are capable of taking on anyone.

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121473710#Comment_121473710

Would agree with this. There’s a real opportunity to catch Saracens on the hop after their trip to SA next weekend. This Connacht team is way better than what was on display tonight and they’ll need to show that next weekend. If they do t get a result next week, I’d consider rotating for the final two rounds of Europe.

Digifriendly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121473715#Comment_121473715

You're living in cloud cuckoo land if you think Connacht can beat Saracens away from home.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121473765#Comment_121473765

Saracens have lost two of their last four home games.

If you remember last year, they struggled to beat Edinburgh at the Stonex.

It's unlikely but cloud cuckoo land it's not.

You are off your head like so many others because of one game.

I played rugby at a good level many moons ago. It doesn't matter what level I was playing at I never quit, I never gave up and I always believed we could win. I didn't sulk after a loss, I just concentrated on the next game as did nearly all my teammates.

I celebrated a win for the rest of the day and then starting looking forward to how we win the next game.

These guys are professionals, they work very hard and they want to get paid on the field for all the work they put in.

Never underestimate a team coming off a bad loss.

Buer

A really sobering result. Disappointing in all facets, in reality I thought. Prendergast really did look to take the fight to Bordeaux but nobody else was on his level for Connacht.

The thing is, that looked like the absolutely typical French away performance in the opening 10 minutes. Connacht were winning the collisions and getting over the gain line with every carry on that opening passage that walked Bordeaux back 40m. The Bordeaux selection suggested they weren't particularly targeting this fixture either. They left two of their French test players from the RWC out of the 23. They left stalwarts of their pack like Douglas and Diaby out of their 23.

But when Connacht screwed up a few times and Bordeaux clicked in attack to score a try, they suddenly realised they could get a win here and Connacht weren't anything special in defence. In that opening period, there were three really sloppy errors that summed Connacht's attack up. 5m maul gets stopped, referee calls first stop and Heffernan is becoming slightly isolated at the back. Blade goes in initially but Heffernan holds it and tries to splinter for the line with Blade driving him on. He's held up. Blade needs to boss that situation and Heffernan needs to give it up.

Then (with advantage) JJH spills a perfect pass into his chest on the 22 when Connacht are attacking and moving it wide. You can't make those errors when you're stretching the defence. And then (I think from the advantage), Heffernan throws the 5m line out as crookedly as I've ever seen. 2mins later Bordeaux are over.

But Connacht were every bit as patchy on the other side of the ball. I think Fardy will have a short coaching career if he doesn't sort it fast. There was one play in the second half where Bordeaux launched a strike play off a line out. Simple ball out to Jalibert who popped it inside to a runner. He cruised through without a finger on him for about a 40m line break, culminating in a 5m scrum and a penalty try. It was really weak.

Connacht now have away to Saracens, away to Ulster, home to Munster and away to Lyon in their next 4 games. That run of games is going to have a huge impact on their season. Lose next week and it's only a 6 day turnaround to Belfast to get heads right and try to get the season back on track.

bingobango12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121473877#Comment_121473877

You playing AIL or whatever level you played has zero to do with anything. Connacht have an average squad with poor 10s to choose from. Saracens do not.

While an upset is always possible, if Connacht came within 15 points of Sarries I would be surprised.

Greengrass53

Connacht may as well pack it in. They're useless

phog

MFs do a prediction of Champions Cup games, from memory, the majority of posters went with a Connacht win. The nature of the loss was very disappointing but that doesn't make Connacht a bad team.

Obviously, they'll have to show something in the next few games, but if you get a few more players playing like Prendergast last night it would be a whole lot different.

If the lose next week, then at least they know what they can concentrate on for the rest of the season and that in itself wouldn't be a bad thing.

SqueakyKneecap

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121473710#Comment_121473710

It's not one bad game. They blew a draw against Edinburgh, were poor but lucky against Sharks, understandably poor against Bulls (where they still should've taken a TBP), poor for most of the Leinster game and then served up their worst home performance in years last night.

It's a pattern going in a fairly bad direction. It's not overreactions to one disappointing result.

The Moist Buddha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121474103#Comment_121474103

if they lose??? they will get absolutely pumped !!!

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121474332#Comment_121474332

I just love the positivity on Boards

Borders no.2

Considering we couldn't win at teams like Newcastle and Worcester away in the challenge cup in recent years if i was offered 100/1 on a connacht win next week i wouldnt take it. Id be worried that next week could get out of hand quickly if we don't get a good start.

Maybe we should concentrate on the URC but having worked hard to get into this competition do we just pack it in and them go full pelt to get back into it next year. It seems like a vicious circle.

ShineyShiney

I don't question the effort level of the players, they are all trying hard but honest post game analysis will surely show that 12 ( ?)visits to the opposition 22 for 5 pts is a fairly glaring example of an issue. It's an issue of coaching and game plan.

We give easy access to our 22 and concede pts we get access often to opposition 22 but need many visits per score.

Take the f'ing points lads and learn to secure the restart and exit our half.

Digifriendly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121473877#Comment_121473877

Saracens lost their opening game at home when being without their England WC contingent and lost last weekend to a very good Northampton side who brought Glasgow's unbeaten home record to an end.

So anything less than a comfortable Saracens win would be highly unlikely.

And no I'm not off my head.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121474875#Comment_121474875

What Saracens have is a lot of their best players getting old. Jamie George, Mako and Billy Vunipola, Owen Farrell, Elliott Daly, Maitland and Goode are all over 30. Not sure about Itoje or Lozowski but they aren't young.

When you have a lot of older players it's entirely possible you could meet them on an off day.

It's very likely they win it by 15-20, I think that's what would be expected but you just never know.

Look at what happened earlier on today, a young Exeter team went to France and beat a tough, experienced, in form Toulon. That certainly wasnt expected. Toulin were 15 point favourites in that game.

dockysher

“I don’t want to sound excited too soon, but in terms of incentive and having a full week to prepare and put the bits in place around selection and training, we couldn’t wish for a better scenario"

Very strange statement from Pete.

Couldn't wish for a better scenario, I could think of a few 😂

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121473923#Comment_121473923

When you mentioned 10' it reminded me of playing Bolton Street while in college. They weren't a great team and we beat them 38-0 but it would have been well over 50 but for their out-half who cleared their lines brilliantly many times.

His name was Ralph Keyes.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121475998#Comment_121475998

Ralph Keyes was some player in his day😀. It was a bit unfortunate that Mack went off so early. I think he provides a lot of inspiration to the team. And on the very opposite I'm really finding Bundees lack of performance for Connacht a bit annoying at this stage. If he doesn't want to be there and the players don't want him there he should be allowed to leave. I'm inclined to believe that his negativity is impacting the teams performance. For example when was the last time Denis and Finlay were substituted at half time.

So a couple of other things. The lineout, which is one area I really had high hopes for this year, is a bit of a disaster area. No matter what the stats say I always felt that Dave's throws went to **** when we needed them most. And I really thought this year that DTM would sort all that and make this position his own.

And I'm in agreement that JJ really isn't doing it. So I don't see any reason to shake it up a bit and put Forde in at 10. We have lots of cover at centre. That said I would prefer if Bundee is no longer considered when making team selections. I know that's a terrible thing to say but I firmly believe he drags this team down and kills their spirit

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121476315#Comment_121476315

Bundee will get it together but he needs players around him performing to show his best stuff.

I don't know but I suspect he's a great guy in the locker room.

He doesn't want to leave, he loves Galway. He signed a new contract.

Munster could only draw with Bayonne, a much poorer side than Bordeaux. Saracens were well beaten by the Bulls, got a score late to make it look better but they were dominated for most of the game.

Tommybojangles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121473710#Comment_121473710

Can you give an example of when this team have showed they are 'capable of taking on anyone"!?

Didn't disgrace ourselves in the semi final last year but lost by 18 in the end. When would you say we really went toe to toe with a good team who weren't heavily rotated

Digifriendly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121476583#Comment_121476583

Strange how we see things differently. Saracens played with 14 men for most of second half and deprived Bulls a try BP.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say.

Just watching Bristol vs Lyon. Connacht could have a tough day at the office vs. Lyon away. They've two tries score after 10 mins away to Bristol

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121476583#Comment_121476583

That is such an amazing statement to make about Bundee. Considering he probably was the player of the world cup, to suggest he needs others to step up so his performance levels can improve, is so fundamentally fcuked up on the most basic level

KBurke85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121476784#Comment_121476784

People are also forgetting yesterday was Bundees first game in two months. He was never going to be at his best

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121477015#Comment_121477015

That looks like such a rational comment and yet if you actually look at that comment in perspective it's a ludicrous comment. Hansen came back firing on all cylinders while Bundee came back just being the same petulant child he has been for Connacht for quite some time now. So apologies but your justification doesn't stand under the most minimal of scrutiny

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121477314#Comment_121477314

Could you give time steps from the match on when Bundee acted like a “petulant child” I must have missed that.

Bundee was pretty garbage but so was everyone else apart from Prendergast. It’s especially hard for backs to be involved in the game when the 10 has as bad as a stinker as JJ did.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121476710#Comment_121476710

Saracens were down by 21 when they lost Vunipola.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121476784#Comment_121476784

So if the out-half and his partner at centre are doing nothing then you still expect to see him play well? Tell me how does he do that?

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121476660#Comment_121476660

Can you name all these good teams?

Like I could say a team and you'll go tell me they are not a good team so to prevent that please name all the teams you consider good teams.