Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

lavrenti

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122523501#Comment_122523501

I like this one.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122546826#Comment_122546826

its not said as its spelt.

its pronounced YO-ah-Nay

ElisaAtWar

Connacht: The Wilkins show.

And then we wait and see. I simply have no doubts Wilkins will kill this club and it will take years to repair. Sorry, I did say I wouldn't post again in this forum but this is what will happen in my eyes

ElisaAtWar

Also I think it is appropriate that Wilkins gets the title because this is a year of pain and he will be primarily responsible

MarinersBlues

That makes me like it even more :D : D

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122551584#Comment_122551584

Reasons I'm feeling cautiously optimistic:

• We have a lot of talented young players. With another season of experience and a pre season behind them, they should be able to contribute more, make better decisions, impose themselves more physically, etc.
• Our coaches are also largely new to their level of authority, and have had time to digest last season, where we went wrong, and a long pre season to impose their vision.
• A new outhalf.
• Blade will hopefully be revitalised the summer tour and presumably being kept away from the captaincy.
• Hugh Gavin.
• Our starting backline is absolutely stacked now, if we can get our best players on the pitch more often.
• Some of our issues are so glaring (not kicking enough or effectively) that we cant not address them surely.

ShineyShiney

I'm not optimistic about the season, hope I'm wrong.

The coaching group is young inexperienced coaching group who have had a challenging first season but look to be too committed to a style of play that has not worked. Doing the same thing expecting different results is not a good look imo. Hopefully we can see some evolution of style and I'll be eating my words.

ElisaAtWar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122551889#Comment_122551889

I will comment again at some stage. I like your positivity realhorrowshow. That said I don't share it

lavrenti

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122551889#Comment_122551889

I share your optimism. Josh Murphy's return adds some dog to the pack, and in Shamus and Prendergast we have two top class back rows. We need one of Jansen or O'Brien to kick on at No8 as I think Boyle is past it (I hope I'm wrong). Aungier will surely enter consideration for Irish squads soon. That all said we're weak at hooker and I can't fathom the David O'Connor signing at all. There's potential aplenty in the backs. Murphy and Devine at 9 can share some of the workload with Blade which McDonald and Reilly weren't good enough to do last season. Carty is being eased out at 10 and with our new outhalf, Hawkshaw, and hopefully Naughton breaking through we showed have choices. A back five from a selection of Aki/O'Connor/Forde/Gavin/Porch/Smith/Bolton/Ralston/Jennings/Mullins/Mack and Cordero is surely the envy of any other side in the URC.

Now if we could only bring in Felix Jones as attack or even Head Coach!

b.gud

Wilkins was talking about pre season and he mentioned that we also have pre season games against Glasgow and Bristol. I don't recall seeing these mentioned before,or maybe I just missed it. I assume they are both away games

Borders no.2

I'll be honest I've enjoyed Connacht not playing for a few months. I'm not looking forward to that first game against Munster.

The frustrating thing for me is that there's the basis of a good backline at least and with a couple of additions the pack could be competitive. We obviously lack ball carriers but even allowing for that we are very predictable to play against. I don't see much leadership within the group as a whole and I don't have any faith in this management team.

The beginnings of the new stand being put in is exciting but my fear is we risk driving people away before we have that infrastructure in place. As the winter rolls in and this team is struggling very few will want to stand in the rain watching a team devoid of a game plan and devoid of passion / resilience.

We got a huge leg up at the start of last season with the world cup but we threw it away as the season wore on. Hopefully the challenge cup will give us scope to rotate and still progress but 5 interpos and Glasgow away in the first 10 before the 6 nations mean we are likely to be struggling for momentum. We should beat Dragons but I wouldn't bet on us in any of the other games.

Ben Bailey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122545793#Comment_122545793

The West's Awake

. When all beside a vigil keep The West's asleep, the West's asleep Alas! and well may Erin weep That Connacht lies in slumber ...

Tommybojangles

I'm as pessimistic as I've ever been going into a season, I look at the quality of the backs and young players available and try to trick myself into confidence but I can't. We were just so bad at times last year but what was really disheartening was the fact that it began at the end of the 2022/2023 season when the coaching ticket was announced. We had been very poor at times that year and then a great win up in Ulster and the Cordero signing should have brought confidence but the announcement of Wilkins was so disheartening. I really don't like to be so down on someone and by all accounts he's a genuine and hard working fella but in all his time with Connacht I don't recall every seeing the area he was responsible being strong. To see him then get the top job was a shock. He's not alone ither and Muldoon and Fardy have an awfule lot to work on as well.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122551584#Comment_122551584

What about The Divine Comedy?

The one where Dante travels through hell, to purgatory and finally to heaven. Seems apt where Connacht has had a rough patch but has lots of young prospects.

Connacht has been well represented at U20s level in recent years. It's not the same as senior where most players are from leinster. Reason for optimism?

ShineyShiney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122557394#Comment_122557394

Wilkins has rolled his dice, this is his squad now, last year was his free pass.

We will know exactly where we stand by round 5 vrs Leinster.

MarinersBlues

In fairness this is as good as interview as he could have given at the moment.

Acknowledges last year was poor and that it was systemic failures which he had put a llot of thought and reflection into.

I would be happy with a top 6 finish.

Frankly, as someone who goes into the Sportsground to watch every match, I prefer to watch Connacht play top seed challenge cup to bottom seed champions cup. So I am indifferent to finishing 7-10.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2024/0828/1467116-wilkins-much-to-reflect-on-after-tough-connacht-season/

KBurke85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122553718#Comment_122553718

Glasgow is away next weekend

FtD v2

Connacht have named their team to face Sale in tomorrow's pre-season friendly:

(15-9,1-8):

Piers O'Conor, Shayne Bolton, Byron Ralston, Cathal Forde, Hugh Gavin, Jack Carty, Matthew Devine, Peter Dooley, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Sam Illo, Joe Joyce (c), Darragh Murray, Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Sean Jansen.

Reps:

Denis Buckley, Temi Lasisi, Adam McBurney, Jack Aungier, Fiachna Barrett, Niall Murray, Oisin Dowling, David O'Connor, Oisin McCormack, Paul Boyle, Ben Murphy, Colm Reilly, John Devine, David Hawkshaw, Daniel Hawkshaw.

Exciting to see Hugh Gavin start and to see Fiachna Barrett amongst the replacements.

realhorrorshow

Some interesting selections. O'Conor at 15, Gavin on the wing, Murphy in the back row, and Lasisi seemingly covering loosehead.

FtD v2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122561852#Comment_122561852

Yeah, Lasisi was a LHP at U20s (same side as Illo), but seems to have the ability to switch between both. Of his two brief appearances off the bench for Leinster, one was at LHP and the other at THP. He mostly played 3 for Lansdowne in the AIL last year, but did switch to LHP occasionally during games I think too.

ShineyShiney

First team I saw had POC at 13 and Jennings at 15 . Jennings not now in the squad, must be sick or something.

realhorrorshow

Did anyone catch the Sale game?

Redo91

I was at it. Decent run out. Thought Piers O’Conor looked good at FB and Bolton was very physical bumping his opposite number twice. Hugh Gavin acquitted himself well out on the wing. Gave one great offload.

kita99

Generally, Connacht's deffence was good. I think that has been the improvement from the last season. Devine and Gavin were impressive. Forde (at OH from 2nd half) lokked better than the starter.

Thanks Connacht tv streaming. But they need more file capacity. Some people may think expensive to watch paying 7 euro (not me).

arsebiscuits1

Watched the game as work is quiet. I thought Connacht looked pretty good.

Dooley had their TH on a platter in the scrums before going off. Hopefully he's ok.

The lineouts and setpieces were all solid.

The overall shapes in open play I thought were strong and the skill level was to a pretty high standard.

Sales rush D was commendable. For a preseason game they flooded the line time and again and made it tough.

That was Connachts biggest issue. They fervently stuck to their shapes when it really wasn't working that well. Very little animation or danger of doing something a little bit off the cuff. A little chip over or a pick and go would keep them honest.

There was no animation inside Carty so they could just push off him. Similarly the screen passes were extremely easy to read.

Phase after phase of good looking passes and nice attacking shape and went absolutely nowhere. Quick ball once they got outside the rush D on a soft shoulder and they'd have been up the park. But once the gainline was won around the line the ball got slowed down again. Frustrating watch at times.

As far as preseason games go with all the chopping and changing of personnel it went as well as expected. Some brilliant individual performances

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122574750#Comment_122574750

Sounds very similar to last year in terms of phase play, particularly the lack of animation. We tend to do very little to counteract aggressive linespeed, be that kicking or attacking the blindside. Who stood out to you? Did Barrett get much time off the bench?

HBC08

Does anyone have a pic of the work on the new stand?

Robbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122575445#Comment_122575445

Concrete skeleton appears to be going up at a rate. I noticed on the stream on Saturday that there appeared to be work ongoing whilst the match was on so the builders are keen.

HBC08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122578744#Comment_122578744

That's great!

Thank you for getting back.

Exciting times.

Robbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122579343#Comment_122579343

For anyone who wasn't on the stream last weekend, it was mentioned that they're looking at having the new stand open by the mid point in the 2025-26 season, so about 15/16 months left of construction.