Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

connachta · 26-02-2023 7:34pm

Reilly + Devine are enough behind very good Blade.

We have to (finally) put money on a n°8, 10, hooker (for Delahunt) and back-3 (for Wootton and TOH)

Cosmo Kramer · 26-02-2023 7:40pm

Would Marmion be eligible for Wales next year under that mad new three year rule thing that makes Cooney eligible for Scotland now? Looking at the state of them and Tomos Williams' performance yesterday it's maybe not beyond possibility that he could end up picking up a few Wales caps before his career ends.

ulsteru20s · 26-02-2023 7:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120291468#Comment_120291468

I saw somewhere that delahunt might be gone too.

SqueakyKneecap · 26-02-2023 7:54pm

I'm not too familiar with that twitter lad but Marmion was absolutely fielding offers since end of December at least so he must've known Blade had been given a lengthy contract. Marmion backed himself to get back into the international setup after the disappointment over 2019 but unfortunately Blade flourished and that cut down significantly on Marmion's starts. Hopefully Marmion gets a good payday because he's been a fantastic servant to Connacht.

macslash · 26-02-2023 8:47pm

Would be very hopeful that that is not true. Madness if so.

If Delahunt goes it wouldn't be the end of the world in my opinion. Have good options there with DTM and Heff, and De Buitlear looked good last week. I'd be devastated if Marmion goes though, especially with that reasoning.

testtech05 · 26-02-2023 9:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120291776#Comment_120291776

100% agree with all of this.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 26-02-2023 9:27pm

If Marmion leaves Connacht I hope its for a payday elsewhere. I feel like his profile has fallen over the last 3 years so I doubt that Connacht would be offering a big pay rise.

To a certain extent I feel like Marmion was hoping for a return to international rugby last time he renewed his contract.

If you think that you can make it into the Ireland squad you may feel like their pay is 150K more than their contract. 150K is about right for appearance money and win bonuses for an Irish international in an average year where we aren't particularly good.

Now I feel that he doesn't have a real chance of return to the Ireland squad so he has to be accepting his Connacht contract as total renumeration.

realhorrorshow · 26-02-2023 9:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120291494#Comment_120291494

As far as I can tell, he would be eligible under World Rugby regulations but Wales wouldn't pick him due to their self imposed 25 cap rule.

Edit: although I think there's an exemption to that rule if the player has not been offered a WRU contract.

kita99 · 26-02-2023 10:24pm

Marmion is even now very impressive SH in Ireland. If there is some problem, it's that he looks don't like a box kick. Maybe it's by his belief. On the other hand,I wander that Connacht wouldn't use M.Devine.I think he will become Irish Dupont (too much praising?) in near future. His pass, kick and run all superb. Is it some problem with him?

Cosmo Kramer · 26-02-2023 10:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120291991#Comment_120291991

The 25 cap thing wouldn't actually be an issue for the length of his first contract outside Wales after being called up. The same way Rees-Zammit has been playing away for them for a few years.

Anyway it probably won't happen, I just find it interesting that he's probably eligible despite all his Ireland caps.

26-02-2023 11:03pm

If Marmion is confirmed on a longer and better contract elsewhere then I wish him all the best. He's been a brilliant servant for the club and probably has two decent contracts left in him if he stays fit. Ideally we'd have kept him another season to shepherd through Reilly and hopefully then Devine, but he's too good a player to just retain with a simple one year extension.

The rumour mill seemed to be Declan Moore in from Ulster with Delahunt unfortunately leaving. Nothing stronger than rumour, but the emergence of Tom Stewart has left him a distant fourth choice with almost no minutes before Ulster even look in their academy for next year. The IRFU may want another chance for their project. I'd have preferred to keep Delahunt if that's the case.

Wegians89 · 27-02-2023 8:22am

Marmion would also be able to play for England I believe?

Wegians89 · 27-02-2023 8:25am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120292306#Comment_120292306

Moore would make sense, Heff is down the pecking order internationally again with Stewart coming through and DTM would be a clear second choice

serfboard · 27-02-2023 5:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120279637#Comment_120279637

"I'm sure there are" is fact-free statement based off no information other than your own wishes.

You're right in that there are opportunities in Connacht as both Warren Gatland and Pat Lam discovered. However, any prospective coaches would need to pass the four tests of a having good track record, as well as being interested, available and affordable. I don't know how many of these people are out there, and I doubt you do either. And maybe after you apply those filters you end up with ... Pete Wilkins.

Now, you could be right, and it may have been or laziness, or a "go with the one you know" attitude that got Pete Wilkins the job, but you can't know that for certain.

ClanofLams · 27-02-2023 6:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120294751#Comment_120294751

Pete Wilkins has the weakest cv of any coach appointed in decades. I noted the calibre of previous head coaches who had head coaching super rugby experience/premiership/international 7s, etc

The Connacht job is now significantly more attractive that it was when those were appointed, there has been improvements in facilities and planned in stadium, budget is bigger leading to more competitive squads and relatively recent success (obviously unlikely to be repeated but shows potential at challenge cup level/make the league playoffs), there is stability in Irish rugby unlike every other country bar France where the are significant financial concerns for most teams.

The idea that Pete Wilkins was the best candidate in this light defies all known logic.

ElisaAtWar · 27-02-2023 8:54pm

I know I get repetitive but the loss of Marmion is simply bad news and yet not unexpected. If you take the recent Zebre game you begin to understand that neither Blade or Carty can manage a game. It was only when Marmion came on that some sanity returned to the game.

But he has been second choice to a player he should be first choice to for far too long. So I wish him well and have no doubts he will be treated better elsewhere

ElisaAtWar · 27-02-2023 9:06pm

And on other matters Jack has been a 7 year experiment that has failed. How much longer must we continue this. At some point do you call a spade a spade or believe it's not a spade

27-02-2023 9:46pm

Finlay our of the 6N. No more info. Hopefully his knee just needs a few weeks of rehab and he'll be back for some of our run in. 🤞

ElisaAtWar · 27-02-2023 10:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120295661#Comment_120295661

Always thought Illo was never given the proper opportunity. Think he is simply excellent. I hope he gets his chance now

kita99 · 28-02-2023 2:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120295778#Comment_120295778

100% agree.

And I hope him to starti in next match aginst Dragons. Also possible Boyle at NO8.And Prendargust and Blade are released from Ireland.I expect that both appear. Never three openside flunkers.

FACECUTTR · 28-02-2023 11:36am

https://www.the42.ie/tucker-connacht-coach-6006625-Feb2023/

Tucker signed up for 3 years.

MarinersBlues · 28-02-2023 12:12pm

Does anyone know what the story is with SOB at Exeter. I see he has only played 11 games for them.

Is there any chance he could come back?

connachta · 28-02-2023 1:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120297073#Comment_120297073

Certainly not, we have Aki, Daly, Hawkshaw, Forde and Devine primarily 12, we don't want to move players out of position when we have big needs elsewhere (8 and 10 above all)

28-02-2023 1:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120297073#Comment_120297073

He has to compete with Slade, Devoto (if he's ever fit), Kata, Whitten, and O'Loughlin for a centre spot. When they get deeper into the squad O'Loughlin is a better 23rd man than him too given the positions he covers.

I don't think there's enough evidence that he's a player we need to invest in right now.

connachta · 28-02-2023 3:39pm

Sh**, 2 hookers out, 1 barely back.. Byrne out until Glasgow final game

Hope Boyle, Hawkshaw, and Dowling are there (1st 2 should, on the training pics)

connachta · 28-02-2023 3:46pm

I'd go with

Dooley

DTM

Aungier

Murray

Murphy

Prendergast

SHL

Boyle

Blade

Carty

Forde

Farrell

Porch

Wootton

TOH

Buckley

Heff

Illo

D.Murray

Oliver/Butler

Marmion

Hawkshaw (10/12)

Kilgallen

KBurke85 · 28-02-2023 5:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120298083#Comment_120298083

Kilgallen is out injured

connachta · 28-02-2023 5:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120298417#Comment_120298417

Ralston injured too...

McNulty 23 the last option before looking for Academy options (O'Conor mainly)

Zeugnis · 28-02-2023 7:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120298433#Comment_120298433

Bolton? Jennings?

connachta · 28-02-2023 9:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120298984#Comment_120298984

The final player who has any professional rugby under his belt in such a crucial game I should have said

Basically the same

Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

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