Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

I tend to agree, it’s obviously nice to come out of the blocks absolutely flying but it’s hard to judge where different teams are in the build up to a new season. Better to do well but wouldn’t read too much into not doing great.

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Thanks for the report @connachta. Any thoughts on Booth, McCormack, Illo and Murray the younger?

Also hoping to see a lot of Jennings this season, if he is to play 13 his defence will need to have improved..

How was Hawkshaw at 10?

Completely agree with bolton 12

Hawkshaw played under huge defensive pressure but didn't seem afraid by rush defence

Booth ok D Murray very lively when on + lineout catches but needs to bulk

The rest did not play enough

One very bad (his 1st) the others held well

Line out and maul d looking reasonably solid so far tonight. Butler, Bolton and killgallen All injured before or early in the match

Dooley has been very good so far, encouraging stuff.

All of the young lads off the bench have been excellent.

Pretty standard pre season game, but some encouraging stuff there. Lineout and maul were very good on both sides of the ball. Defence was decent but to be honest Sale were awful with ball in hand. Almost no deception in midfield, which I find is usually what we struggle with. Our attack was pretty ordinary between the 22s but nice to see us be reasonably clinical at close range. Forwards really struggled to make yards in straight up carries. Exits were quite poor and we struggled in the backfield, barely took a high ball cleanly all day. Good performances from the new guys and the usual suspects like Marmion, Oliver, etc. Murphy in particular was excellent I thought, and will likely be first choice from the outset, whether that be in the second or back row. Did concede one stupid penalty, which is always my concern with him, but hopefully his discipline won't be an issue throughout the season.

Most encouraging for me was the performance of the young players, including those who came off the bench. Best of the bunch IMO were DTM and Oisin McCormack but literally every one of them showed enough to make me want to see more of them in the senior setting.

Also noticed that Adam Byrne was in one too

As was said on this forum it wasn't really surprising that our defense was better against Sale. Thornbury adds loads to the lineout wins and his fitness will be crucial to Connacht this season.

And while there has been negative comments about TOH, let's look at the other options and why none of them are lighting up the world. If we think back to years ago, TOH was the man who drew in the defense and then provided the offload. Now he just brings ball into contact. So this looks negative but in reality if you put Porch or Wooten or Bolten in the same place, they are all struggling to find supporting players because the supporting players are simply not there. And that's a coaching issue, not a player issue

Unfortunately time catches up with everyone and it comes to a point where that negates experience.

This “Emerging Ireland” tour of South Africa is a complete joke. Connacht could lose 5/6 of their best players to it, totally undermines the league, absolute farce.

Prendergast, Heffernan, Carty, Thornbury, Murray, Boyle, Blade/Marmion, maybe Oliver. Yes, it would mess with the URC campaign, but it would be a good experience for the players involved, and would certainly allow them to build or advance their case for Irish selection. I think that's an important part of why players from other provinces want to come to us, to get opportunities to show what they can do which they don't have at home.

Murphy, Dooley and Byrne could also be in the running, maybe Farrell or Daly as well, but it's too early in the season, they don't have the body of work yet. That could look different after Xmas. Farrell should look at doing something similar during the 6Ns.