Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

I have a fierce amount of respect for the Connacht Clan travelling support (I was a season ticketer that saw cowardly showings in person in Sale, Coventry, Toulouse and Gloucester) but they've clapped off too many gutless showings, like tonight.

There's folks that would've forked out hundreds of euros to travel and watch that while players shrug it off in their sponsored car or 6 figure pay packets.

We never see Ruane and co held accountable because "shur we won it in 2016". An extanded stadium might hide them from accountability again.

I woke this morning even more annoyed. People complaining isn't really with hindsight. Last weeks team was almost fully loaded for our easiest game in years.

At the time I though it was to get a few tries, boost confidence etc and that we'd still have a strong team going to Newcastle but even allowing for Bristol being deducted the 5 points we still needed at least a losing bonus point to get a home quarter final and given how the seeding works from quarter final on our aim should have been to get as high a seeding as possible. The other results falling in our favour was difficult to predict but what wasn't was that we neededa result of some description.

We haven't won in England since 2009 and i think only twice in our history so how our coaching team could underestimate a close to full strength Newcastle is mind boggling.

Even on the bench there was no real insurance policy. To have Murray, Prendergast, Porch and in particular Marmion and Carty sitting at home was incompetence of the highest order. Id be as critical of Carty as anyone this season but when was the last time Fitzgerald played 10. Starting that 9 and 10 was crazy.

The first 20 minutes was shameful from any professional team. OK the ref was very hot on offside in a way that others wouldn't but it was just one stupid penalty after another along with terrible kicks out on the full. Newcastle effectively didn't do anything creative to get access for the first 3 tries. It was just terrible discipline.

We fought back well for 10 or 15 minutes but once we got back in contention we shot ourselves in the foot again when we went to the corner. The try after half time should never happen in the space it did

We've been rotating heavily all season and it hasn't really worked. Our chances of reaching the play offs in the URC are very low and even if we do make top 8 it mightnt be enough for Champions Cup qualification.

We really targeted the Ulster game and then didn't show up against a team horribly out of form and again last night everyone would have known the importance of that game before kick off yet we turn in that opening 20 minutes.

This has happened too often. I'd generally say Friend has done OK but inconsistency has killed us and he seems to have packed his bags and just handed the reins to Wilkins who is clearly not up to the job.

I hope the one good thing that might come from this defeat is those responsible for appointing the next coach realise that we need a fresh start.

Agree with all of what Borders said.

When you factor in that a losing bonus point was needed to secure a home last 16 in any case not going full strength is inexcusable. If any of other provinces made a similar mistake in the champions cup, there would be near riots.

There is a zero percent chance it will happen but Friend should be told thanks and best of luck tomorrow morning with Elwood made interim head coach until the end of the season. There doesn’t seem to be any accountability at Connacht and there hasn’t been for a long time.

Who knows - probably think they're helping development or something......Instead Connacht have lost the opportunity to have all home knockouts until a potential European final in Dublin, a very rare opportunity.

I'm not sure when, if ever, I saw decision making as bad in professional sport.

I don’t but I would presume Friend at least sign offs on team selections or has a level of input into it.

Clearly Wilkins shouldn’t get the job. Leaving aside yesterday, there is no reason why he should be top of the list. I wanted Friend gone last season, they have done ok but no more, why the second in command is presumed head coach in waiting is beyond me. Other than people at senior level in Connacht seem to be content drifting along without any ambition or vision.

Benetton v Connacht.

Winners at home then against the winners of Cardiff v Sale.

It's probably best for the complete enema. Pink slip the entire coaching ticket.

People keep saying this but his one season as attack coach was very promising.

Seems like if Cardiff win we would be away again but home if Sale win.

Maybe he's wrong.

https://twitter.com/RuaidhriOC/status/1617210742918324225

They are ranked higher but if they aren’t getting home games that’s a bit strange that they are ranked higher.

Good news for Connacht if true!

I always thought Friend was a bit of a bluffer talking up our scrum and talking up an unproven player at center to try to deflect from not picking Bundee, but selection in general for games has been acceptable, not sure I agreed with him constantly rotating centres. But this weekend his bluffing was found out

Jack picked up an injury during the week too which explains his absence.

The issue with Bundee should have been resolved weeks ago though. He is and has been a talismanic player for us and , no matter what the issue is, it should have been sorted and he should have been selected for those recent games. The reality now is that we’ll only see him a few more times in a Connacht jersey this season.

He may not have looked happy coming off against Ulster at a very early stage of the game, but truth said he was brutal. And there were comments from the Clan that night which were a bit harsher. Think Bundee has done his time