Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Wegians89 · 29-03-2021 8:15pm

ClanofLams wrote: »

Haven’t heard anything about papalii but it didn’t make sense that he was in last two fairly experimental squads if he was off unless literally no one else fit.

Hope it’s true anyway, he’s shown what he can do ball in hand, conditioning and tackle technique are both things that should be capable of improving.

As someone mentioned before he had recently uploaded a highlights video of the season. Not really a good sign that he’d be staying

ClanofLams · 29-03-2021 8:23pm

Wegians89 wrote: »

As someone mentioned before he had recently uploaded a highlights video of the season. Not really a good sign that he’d be staying

Ah ok missed that, yeah would generally indicate off alright I guess, could have changed though, guess time will tell.

Wegians89 · 30-03-2021 7:22am

Team for the weekend pretty much picks itself unless any other injuries:

Buckley heff Bealham
Dillane thornbury
Masterson Boyle Oliver
Marmion Carty
Daly sob
Wootton Toh porch

Delahunt Duggan aungier Murray/dowling papalii/ masterson jnr blade Fitz Healy

RonnieL · 30-03-2021 10:17am

Wegians89 wrote: »

Team for the weekend pretty much picks itself unless any other injuries:

Buckley heff Bealham
Dillane thornbury
Masterson Boyle Oliver
Marmion Carty
Daly sob
Wootton Toh porch

Delahunt Duggan aungier Murray/dowling papalii/ masterson jnr blade Fitz Healy

Have we any other fit and available centres?

KBurke85 · 30-03-2021 10:38am

RonnieL wrote: »

Have we any other fit and available centres?

Nope

realhorrorshow · 30-03-2021 11:17am

Wegians89 wrote: »

Team for the weekend pretty much picks itself unless any other injuries:

Buckley heff Bealham
Dillane thornbury
Masterson Boyle Oliver
Marmion Carty
Daly sob
Wootton Toh porch

Delahunt Duggan aungier Murray/dowling papalii/ masterson jnr blade Fitz Healy

Could make a strong case for Delahunt, Blade, and Healy to start.

b.gud · 30-03-2021 1:23pm

Wegians89 wrote: »

Team for the weekend pretty much picks itself unless any other injuries:

Buckley heff Bealham
Dillane thornbury
Masterson Boyle Oliver
Marmion Carty
Daly sob
Wootton Toh porch

Delahunt Duggan aungier Murray/dowling papalii/ masterson jnr blade Fitz Healy

Looks like Aungier and TOH won't be available

https://www.the42.ie/nigel-carolan-leaving-connacht-5395806-Mar2021/

The province have also confirmed that Jack Aungier is rehabbing a neck injury and has yet to return to training, while Conor Dean (shoulder), second row Sean O’Brien (head) and Tiernan O’Halloran (quad) are all 2-3 weeks away from being available for selection.

Bazzo · 30-03-2021 1:28pm

b.gud wrote: »

Looks like Aungier and TOH won't be available

https://www.the42.ie/nigel-carolan-leaving-connacht-5395806-Mar2021/

Thought Robertson-McCoy did reasonably well while he was on last week, hopefully he's available.

ShineyShiney · 30-03-2021 1:33pm

Wegians89 wrote: »

Team for the weekend pretty much picks itself unless any other injuries:

Buckley heff Bealham
Dillane thornbury
Masterson Boyle Oliver
Marmion Carty
Daly sob
Wootton Toh porch

Delahunt Duggan aungier Murray/dowling papalii/ masterson jnr blade Fitz Healy

Toh wouldn't be in my selection based on his form. Healy wooton porch for me. But I could see a Toh selection based on experience being required with so many out.

FACECUTTR · 30-03-2021 1:52pm

b.gud wrote: »

Looks like Aungier and TOH won't be available

https://www.the42.ie/nigel-carolan-leaving-connacht-5395806-Mar2021/

Second row SOB ? Typo I presume.

ionadnapokot · 30-03-2021 1:57pm

What's people thoughts on Ben O'Donnell? I know he had been injured for a long while but he didn't look very good against Edinburgh or Scarlets.

its_phil · 30-03-2021 2:01pm

ionadnapokot wrote: »

What's people thoughts on Ben O'Donnell? I know he had been injured for a long while but he didn't look very good against Edinburgh or Scarlets.

Porch didn’t start off brilliantly either from what I remember. He just needs some games during Rainbow Cup and a bit of confidence. A good pre-season will help to hit ground running.

There is a raw player there from what I’ve seen

Bazzo · 30-03-2021 2:16pm

FACECUTTR wrote: »

Second row SOB ? Typo I presume.

SOB 2.0 played a lot of second row underage so presumably they mean him even though he hasn't covered there in years.

connachta · 30-03-2021 3:21pm

Bazzo wrote: »

SOB 2.0 played a lot of second row underage so presumably they mean him even though he hasn't covered there in years.

Very happy by this
Means Prendergast will focus on 6 for the next years with decent gametime

RonnieL · 30-03-2021 3:24pm

Yes, they're talking about SOB 2.0. He's had an awful run of injuries, but the one positive is that they have been different injuries since he came back from the long layoff. Fingers crossed he gets back to fitness soon and manages a run of games.

realhorrorshow · 30-03-2021 3:31pm

ionadnapokot wrote: »

What's people thoughts on Ben O'Donnell? I know he had been injured for a long while but he didn't look very good against Edinburgh or Scarlets.

He is adapting to a different code, settling into a new team, and recovering from a serious injury, all at the same time. Hopefully with a few Rainbow Cup games and a full pre season under his belt he will be competing for first choice next season.

KBurke85 · 30-03-2021 3:58pm

realhorrorshow wrote: »

He is adapting to a different code, settling into a new team, and recovering from a serious injury, all at the same time. Hopefully with a few Rainbow Cup games and a full pre season under his belt he will be competing for first choice next season.

Another issue we are only going to be able to play two of himself, Porch and Butler in any given game. Could it make it tricky for him to nail down a first choice spot

realhorrorshow · 30-03-2021 4:14pm

KBurke85 wrote: »

Another issue we are only going to be able to play two of himself, Porch and Butler in any given game. Could it make it tricky for him to nail down a first choice spot

Is that the case? I thought that ceased to be an issue for Leinster once JGP was IQ even before he got capped. Could be wrong though.

KBurke85 · 30-03-2021 4:49pm

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Is that the case? I thought that ceased to be an issue for Leinster once JGP was IQ even before he got capped. Could be wrong though.

Friend said in a press conference a few weeks back that there's been a change the thought once Butler became IQ he'd be fine but apparently that's not the case.

ionadnapokot · 30-03-2021 4:55pm

realhorrorshow wrote: »

He is adapting to a different code, settling into a new team, and recovering from a serious injury, all at the same time. Hopefully with a few Rainbow Cup games and a full pre season under his belt he will be competing for first choice next season.

All good and fair points.
I had forgotten that he really hasnt played much XV rugby.

Sweetnam would be a good fit for the Connacht squad. The IRFU should be trying to keep him in Ireland.

ClanofLams · 30-03-2021 5:07pm

ionadnapokot wrote: »

All good and fair points.
I had forgotten that he really hasnt played much XV rugby.

Sweetnam would be a good fit for the Connacht squad. The IRFU should be trying to keep him in Ireland.

Apparently the issue with sweetnam is when he signed last contract his stock was fairly high having recently been capped so he was on substantial enough salary. As he is no longer at that level of Ireland squad for whatever reason he would be getting reduced offer anyway but with Covid on top it’s a very significant reduction. So seems to be backing himself to get deal in France/Uk, perfectly reasonable given short career etc

FACECUTTR · 31-03-2021 10:25am

Friend mentioned hopefully getting new singings over the line in a few weeks. Wasn't expecting new bodies in. Hopefully Roux and Papalii are staying.

macslash · 31-03-2021 1:21pm

That's disappointing if there'll be no new incomings.
But it was to be expected

SqueakyKneecap · 31-03-2021 1:32pm

Jimmy Duffy leaving too

Redo91 · 31-03-2021 1:46pm

Another loss. Would be a big blow to lose Carolan and Duffy. Wilkins is the only one I wouldn’t have minded seeing leave and he will probably end up staying at this rate.

lenny4545 · 31-03-2021 1:51pm

What's the likelihood that Muldoon is being lined up to return as forwards coach?

siltirocker · 31-03-2021 1:53pm

Duffy and Carolan gone.

Bizarrely they are the two coaches I would have tried to keep over Wilkins. Mad stuff!

b.gud · 31-03-2021 2:00pm

https://www.connachtrugby.ie/head-coach-andy-friend-confirms-connacht-coaching-team-for-next-two-seasons/

Duffy, Carolan and Wilkins all signed 2 year extensions at the same time and given that there hasn't been an announcement on an extension for Wilkins it's not guaranteed that he will be staying

ClanofLams · 31-03-2021 2:06pm

Yikes. Interested to see where they both end up, presume they both have something lined up, even if it possibly can't be said publicly at the moment.

With Conor McPhillips and Muldoon in charge of Bristol backs and forwards respectively and Bristol flying, hard to see much change there unless Muldoon is very eager to come home for family reasons, in which case straight swap might be plausible.

It's a lot of change in one season - really important right appointments are made.

Lucas44 · 31-03-2021 2:14pm

Will be interesting to see how Farrell gets on next year, not often a head coach doesn’t get to bring his own men in with him to the club. No harm shaking things up, the likes of Carty, marmion, heff, bealham, Buckley etc would of being listening carolan and Duffy their whole careers.. change can be needed.. also worth noting Connacht probably had the worst maul defence this year so hopefully that will be sorted

Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

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