Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Some good business if true. Was surprised JOC didn't get more opportunities with the 20s after the first game, guy has the speed and the strength to succeed as a pro winger. Same with Reilly, thought he looked handy and assured in his singular sub appearance. Haven't seen what his kicking game is like though.

Thought Leinster would've held onto Illo, but perhaps the TH picture is just a bit too stacked with Alalatoa, Furlong, Porter, and others.

Illo is the beast we need on long-term, 118 kg at 20 means 125 when mature. Good carrier.

Bealham should switch to LH and trust Aungier/McCoy/Illo for TH

Keep poaching from The Evil Empire, I say.

I'll wait until I see it in person to make a judgement. Some decent ones looked bad at launch but looked good in my hands and vice versa.

It's grand. Doesn't look all that different from some recent kits. Nothing groundbreaking but they didn't make a balls of it either.

Connacht Rugby are pleased to announce the signing of Irish U20 international prop Sam Illo.

Illo represents Old Wesley RFC and has played at underage level at Leinster Rugby, before going on to feature at tighthead in all five of Ireland’s U20 Six Nations games this summer.

The 20-year-old has signed a two-year deal and will link up with the Connacht squad next week as they continue their pre-season preparations.

8 senior props now signed so I assume that's it for recruitment? None of them are frontline internationals so that would appear to be sufficient numbers. I read on his wikipedia that DRC plays both sides of the scrum. Perhaps Bealham will be used at LH.

Paddy Butler did at Munster.

Connachta may be right on this one. Would be ironic given that Farrell played Finlay at LH for Ireland against Italy, seemed almost unfair at the time.

I'd be optimistic that some of the multiple bets at prop are going to come off and we'll be in a better place this time next year. Youth is certainly being given its opportunity. Has anyone seen Charlie Ward play? I know he was on the U20s but haven't heard anything about him.

Another thing to remember: in March Finlay signed a contract extension of just a year. Multiple possible explanations for that, but concerning nonetheless.

Now final one

Position |1st | 2nd |3rd |4th

LH Prop | Bealham |Duggan| M.Burke| Buckley/McGrath/Ward

Hooker |Heffernan |Delahunt| Tierney-Martin | Murphy/Adamson/E.deBuitlear

TH Prop | Aungier | McCoy | Bealham | Illo/McGrath

n°4 2nd Row |Dillane | Fifita |Dowling | E.Masterson

n°5 2nd Row |Thornbury| Murray| Prendergast | Murray 2.0

Blindside Flanker |Prendergast |E.Masterson | Boyle | D.Byrne

Openside Flanker |Butler |Oliver |S.Masterson | McCormark/Booth

n°8 | Boyle |Papali'i | Butler |D.Byrne/One of Mastersons

SH | Marmion | Blade |Reilly | Reilly 2.0

OH |Carty |Fitzgerald | Hansen | Daly/C.Forde

11| Wootton |Healy| McNulty| Kilgallen/O'Connor

Inside Centre |Aki |Daly |Robb| Forde

Outside Centre |Farrell | Bolton |Arnold | Aki/Jennings

14 | O'Donnell |Hansen|Sullivan| Porch

15 | Porch |TOH|McNulty| Wootton

(1-8) Bealham-Heff-Aungier-Dillane-Thurnbury-Prendergast-Butler-Boyle

(9-15) Blade-Carty-Wootton-Aki-Farrell-O'Donnell-Porch

(1-8) Duggan-Delahunt-McCoy-Fifita'a-Murray-Masterson-Oliver-Papali'i

(9-15) Marmion-Fitzgerald-Healy-Daly-Bolton-Hansen-TOH

FFS both teams are very tasty and balance youth/experience.

That's only after the 30thish player it'd be more about unproven/out of position covers

Think it’s more likely to see mcgrath/McCoy converted to loosehead than to see Bealham moved there

Connacht has a Test lion. G'wan Bundee

Delighted for him

They mean centre partnership involves current player (Aki) and Connacht developed player (Henshaw)