Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Two year deal for Matthew Burke.

More announcements in the coming days

I thankfully missed the game, and could barely bring myself to watch the highlights, so I feel for those in attendance (although Edinburgh is a great spot to drown some sorrows!). Bernard Jackman placed the blame squarely at the players door in his analysis on against the head last night, and from what I did see it's hard to argue with him. One piece of advice - if you're still hurting from Friday, don't look at our fixture list.

I think it's more than the players to blame (although they were gutless as a whole Friday). Although we've a good blast of young talent coming through I don't think Friend and Co are gonna be able to bring us on. There's too many system malfunctions like Edinburgh last Friday, 3/4 Heineken Cup pool games and Scarlets away last year where we bottled a 20+ point lead at halftime. Friend is a lovely guy but this is professional sport.

If we had a pack like Munster's we'd walk a lot of games with our current gameplan, Munster could score so much more if they played a bit more expansively. I realise I'm tping this after a record win for them at the weekend, but some of the games earlier this season where they struggled and didn't appear to trust their backs were awful to watch.

Would guess e masterson, Healy, TOH are all at risk. Dillane already gone. Robertson McCoy?

That wouldn’t leave many of our Pro12-winning team……… Bundee, Kieran, Finlay, Heff, Pete Robb…..

Looks like a cracking prospect.

Could see Robb going too actually

What position will Hawkshaw likely to settle in? Feel between himself and Forde one should settle on 10 and one On 12. Feel Forde should look at 12 long term

Dooley confirmed.

https://www.connachtrugby.ie/peter-dooley-to-join-connacht-ahead-of-new-season/

Think it’s a shoot out between tuimuague and robertson McCoy now for the final tight head spot. Tuimuague would probably be cheaper and has Shown a bit more for me tbh. Would like to see him kept on

Loosehead

Denis Buckley (32) - Signed contract in 2021

Matthew Burke (25) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Peter Dooley (28) - Signed contract in 2022

Jordan Duggan (24) - Signed contract in 2021

Tietie Tuimauga (28) - Signed contract in 2021

Charlie Ward (22) - Academy year 2

Tighthead

Jack Aungier (23) - Signed contract in 2022

Finlay Bealham (31) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Sam Illo (21) - Signed 2 year contract in 2021

Greg McGrath (25) - Signed contract in 2021

Dominic Robertson-McCoy (28) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020

Hooker

Shane Delahunt (28) - Signed contract in 2021

Dave Heffernan (31) - Signed contract in 2021

Jonny Murphy (30) - Signed contract in 2021

Dylan Tierney-Martin (23) - Signed 1 year contract in 2022

Declan Adamson (23) - Academy year 3

Eoin De Buitléar (20) - Academy year 2

Lock

Oisin Dowling (25) - Signed contract in 2022

Leva Fifita (33) - Signed contract in 2021

Darragh Murray (21) - Signed contract in 2022

Niall Murray (22) - Signed contract in 2021

Gavin Thornbury (28) - Signed contract in 2021

Back row

Ciaran Booth (22) - Signed contract in 2022

Paul Boyle (25) - Signed contract in 2021

Jarrad Butler (31) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Eoghan Masterson (29) - Signed contract in 2021

Sean Masterson (24) - Signed contract in 2021

Oisin McCormack (21) - Signed contract in 2022

Josh Murphy (27) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Conor Oliver (26) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Cian Prendergast (22) - Signed contract in 2021

Donnacha Byrne (21) - Academy year 2

Scrumhalf

Caolin Blade (28) - Signed 1 year contract in 2022

Kieran Marmion (30) - Signed 3 year contract in 2020

Colm Reilly (23) - Signed contract in 2021

Will Reilly (u22) - Academy year 1

Outhalf

Jack Carty (30) - Signed 3 year contract in 2022

Conor Fitzgerald (24) - Signed contract in 2021

Cathal Forde (20) - Signed contract in 2022

Centre

Bundee Aki (32) - Signed 3 year central contract in 2020

Shayne Bolton (22) - Signed contract in 2021

Tom Daly (29) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Tom Farrell (28) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Shane Jennings (21) - Signed contract in 2022

Peter Robb (28) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020

Back 3

Mack Hansen (24) - Signed 2 year contract in 2021

Matt Healy (33) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020

Diarmuid Kilgallen (22) - Signed contract in 2022

Oran McNulty (22) - Signed 2 year contract in 2022

Ben O'Donnell (27) - Signed contract in 2020

Tiernan O'Halloran (31) - Signed 2 year contract in 2020

John Porch (28) - Signed 1 year contract in 2022

Peter Sullivan (24) - Signed contract in 2021

Alex Wootton (28) - Signed contract in 2021

Josh O'Connor (21) - Academy year 1

IN: Peter Dooley (Loosehead, Leinster), Darragh Murray (Lock, Academy), Ciaran Booth (Back row, Academy), Oisin McCormack (Back row, Academy), Josh Murphy (Back row, Leinster), Cathal Forde (Centre, Academy), Shane Jennings (Centre, Academy), Diarmuid Kilgallen (Back 3, Academy)

OUT: Ultan Dillane (Lock, La Rochelle), Abraham Papal'i (Back row, Brive), Sammy Arnold (Centre, Brive)

*ages as at 01/09/2022

With Dooley's arrival, Burke's progress, and Buckley's recovery we look fairly solid at LH now. Duggan's performances have varied.

The weakness now appears to be at TH. When Finlay is absent, or has done his 50 minutes, what do we have? Aungier's performances have been mixed. DRMc hasn't played much rugby this year, but scrummaging is not his strong point (I've mentioned before Friend calling him ashore right for a scrum just befroe half time in Rainbow cup tie against Munster). Tietie has looked strong when they've played him at TH, so I'd prefer to see him retained and made concentrate on that position. He also looks very game and committed. I'm sorry they haven't given Illo more of a shot, he's on a senior contract and we shouldn't be giving those out to then treat players as if they were in the Academy. Not sure where things stand with Greg McGrath, he was thrown in at the deep end and did his best.

Overall I'd have Tietie duking it out with Aungier as number 2 TH.