Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Friend has had more than a fair go of it (Wilkins too despite being a horrific defense coach till he got the promotion) but it's not worked out overall. An absolute gent, don't me wrong, but maybe he's too nice. There's a lot of players who need a massive kick up the arse, even some who had contract extensions in the past couple of weeks. Friendy isn't the man for that.

With seemingly huge turnover in the squad would be best to cut the chord with Friend at the end of the season. Seems like a good guy, has been a part of some good moments and Connacht have made some great signings during his period but the performances this season have been unacceptable.

The league is going to get tougher year on year, it’s important Connacht don’t slip back to the bottom of the table on a consistent basis.

Squad depth is definitely an issue but that’s no excuse for some of the performances this season and the inconsistency every season he has been here. Twice in the last few seasons Connacht have allowed an Edinburgh side shorn of ten internationals put around 50 points on them. The hammering away to a mix of Leicester thirds/seconds in the Challenge Cup last season, getting well beaten by Dragons at home at the start of this season, etc etc

There’s multiple performances every season where Connacht are just way below an acceptable standard.

To be fair to Friend, Connacht have made some excellent signings which he has presumably played a large part in given their background esp Porch & Hansen and had some very good moments, beating all three provinces away etc but ultimately it’s time for a new coach.

It's not just Friend though. Wilkins came from a poor Edinburgh at the time and he has shown nothing at all to get signed on. Butler being signed again was a mistake too. He was fantastic the first 2 seasons but has become very ordinary since. He is good at chatting to refs but he doesn't seem to be a good motivator or inspire around him. We lack leaders in the pack and in the backs when Bundee is away which is a lot.

Get Carolan back in the top seat with a defence coach who actually has a decent record. A proper leader needs to be found in the team too.

With Leinster rumoured to be signing Charlie Ngatai and Henshaw out of contract this summer

Possibility of Henshaw going home to Connacht ?

It would be fantastic but I doubt it very much.

Henshaw is centrally contracted. If he’s not signing, it won’t be Connacht he’s going to.

You've just dropped a nuke there fairplay

Friend is contracted until the end of next season. I doubt there is any chance the IRFU will pink slip him before then. This has been a hard season for the fans, and it would be good to see some accountability for that, but i don't know what form that should take.

There are some positions that need to be figured out: TH first among them, we are so exposed there when Finlay is absent - and it has cost us repeatedly. And let's stop all the messing around with back three recruitment.

Jackman has wondered whether the fact that many Connacht players arrive after having been released, or rejected, from their original provincial trajectory, lends itself to a mental fragility which emerges when things go against them. I found this theory a bit trite initially, but the Edinburgh game forced me to consider it more seriously. Next season's influx of senior Leinster players is going to be interesting, because they could, and should, bring a fillip in terms of expectations and ambition, Connacht should build from that.

Every province needs a Johnny Sexton who requires that standards be met. Jack looked like he was going that way early this season, less so of late. I don't see Jared as Captain material at all, too nice, and too inconsistent in his own performances.

One last thing, there are players who know they are going elsewhere next season, and those who probably suspect they won't be getting another contract. If they can't be trusted, or are not putting in the effort, they should be on gardening leave. There have been some very poor performances in this category of late, and they shouldn't continue to be selected for sentimental reasons. I find it disappointing that some appear to take little pride in their work, those minutes would be better spent on the lads in the Academy, especially now that we're playing for pride.

To Carty and Daly's, you can add Heff's crooked thow to concede the scrum which would result in Leinster's first try. At that point we're just a maul and a scrum penalty away from a full house of classic Connacht errors.

So yes, senior players, not all Friend's fault by any means. In addition to not believing that the IRFU will break his contract, I also think he should be given next season - he's got a front row seat to the problems, give him an opportunity to fix them.

As regards Europe: we should have won three out of four of our Champions Cup games but... Instead we're in this nightmare with Leinster. A couple of seasons ago we were winning tight games, that's rare of late.

I think the point the poster was making stands. Friend doesn’t get much credit for Connacht first time reaching the knockout stages when that involved one win out of four. We have had better campaigns previously but 16 out of 24 teams weren’t reaching the knock out stages then.

Most Connacht posters here are supporters who are at every game I would guess and largely realistic about what any coach could do. What’s well below standard is getting hammered by the Dragons at home, conceding 50 points to Edinburgh seconds (given ten internationals away and few injuries) on two occasions, conceding 50 to Leicester 2nds/3rds etc. Nobody expects to win the league.

I don't think the squad is weak or that players have checked out. Their is a lack of depth in areas that need addressing. Th obviously and oh. Carty is a good player but he's too inconsistent and seems to lose focus. I can't see him getting chances with the national team.

The good news is there's a glut of new talent. The incoming players from Leinster will be a plus. Loose head should be fairly good. Tight head is weak. Aungier has not really kicked on. It's not like he hasn't had chances. I still think he could be a good player.

The problems have moved around, and many have been solved. Our lacl of squad depth produced a huge problem at second row a couple of years ago, Murray and Dowling have developed. This season the big concern was at LH, Burke has done well and the feared collapse there didn't materialise. Our maul was leaking tries at a disturbing rate, that has mostly been fixed. Now there are new problems, foremost at TH. Existing defensive weakness in the back three has gotten worse, and in the last couple of games the midfield defence by our centres has been very poor. The latter is a somehwat new issue, as Daly had been doing a good job on that front.

Of course, I feel the frustration and a certain despondency. But I'm dubious about quick fixes based on totemic changes in the coaching team. To return to the issue of leadership, we do need an inspirational figure in the front eight. I don't know that will be delivered by the recruitment at TH. Maybe it can come from within, but Connacht need to keep watching the Edinburgh game until they come up with an answer. There needs to be somebody there who ensures that when **** hits the fan, you don't drop the head and take a backward step.