Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Leaving aside the fame of the opposition and the effect that has on gate/ground income, can anyone explain what financial benefits there are to qualifying for the Champion's Cup over the Challenge Cup? Are there implications in terms of the share of the broadcast income, or is that going to the IRFU anyway?

Likewise, are we any richer for having qualified for the knock-out stages and is there a premium based on advancing further in the competition?

We have players like Bundee, Hansen, Boyle, TOH or Murphy who have to play again to fit in back the system, + players we can risk because they have (available for Cardiff) same-level back-ups

-so Dooley, Aungier, Hawkshaw, Forde, Oliver, Blade, Heff can be used- (Buckley, Bealhan, Carty, Aki, SHL/Butler, Marmion, DTM available if wanted for Cardiff/Glasgow)

That's making us competitive even resting, as we should IMO, N.Murray, Farrell, Prendergast, Porch.

Those 4 are vital for Cardiff/Glasgow, and have not so much quality behind (Ralston not even played for months, Cian is an international 6, same to be for N.Murray, and Porch would have been close if IQ)

which means

1) Dooley

2) Heff

3) Aungier

4) Murphy

5) D.Murray/Dowling

6) SHL

7) Oliver

8) Boyle

9) Marms or Blade

10) Hawkshaw

12) Aki

13) Forde/Daly

14) Jennings (deserves to start)

11) Hansen

15) TOH

16) DeBuitlear/DTM

17) Duggan/McCoy (depending on hand injury of Jordan)

18) Illo

19) the other of D.Murray/Dowling

20) Butler

21) Reilly

22) McNulty/Bolton

23) Fafita (i'd have the 6-2 split vs Italians) but if conservative then the not starting one of Daly/Forde

Ralston out with a long term injury, expected back towards end of April

anyone know if the Benetton game is televised?

Play the best team available against Benetton, and then again against Cardiff.

if win against Cardiff I think that will turn out to be enough to make the top 8.

I reckon Glasgow will be about 10 points clear of the team below them and about 5 or 6 points below the team ahead of them, so I’d expect they’ll rest players for the final round of the URC.

Could play a semi-rotated team for that and still have a good chance of getting some points out of it.

It might sound like a big call but I reckon Connacht have a great chance of finishing above Munster.

Let's be clear, if the management decide to prioritise one over the other they can rest players but the players cannot be in on it. Their job is to give their all for 80 minutes or as long as they are on the field.

I've never been involved in a team where we decided that one tournament isn't important.

There's a 2 week gap between the games. Go full strength and keep the momentum going. You can lose a player in a training session even after resting them. Remember if Sale win their match we have a home quarter. That's worth fighting for.

Couldn't tell you when I went out with an umbrella last. They're not much good in Galway with sideways rain 😁

Potential 4 games left in challenge cup. Then two games left in URC followed by potential 3 games to win the URC. So 9 games at a max. It's all in or nothing. Strongest team every time is my belief. Would like to see TOH/Hansen/Porch with Jennings on the bench. Center wise it would be Forde and Farrell with Bundee as a backup. And here is the thing. Hackshaw at 10. His kicking was incredible against Edinburgh last weekend. With virtually no possession he ensured we were leading at the end of the first half

What the **** are we even doing as supporters if we don't want them to try to win every game and every competition?

You can bet your bottom dollar the players don't want to be rested for any game.

Some of you are embarrassing.

What supporters think doesn't really matter a toss. Everyone has their own opinion but what matters is management and the team they pick and how they prioritise matches and competitions.

I'm firmly of the belief that we only play in two competitions and that we should give the competition a proper go but for management the priority is obviously the league which it has to be in fairness.

We went with weak teams in the first two games to prioritise having our best team on the field for Ulster. In that game we then failed to turn up.

The Newcastle game was a clusterf### from management whether they choose to accept that or not. The cards fell in a way that to some extent couldn't be predicted but we did need a result in that game either way so some of the selections and the indisciplined way we started that game is on management for me.

Of course all of us want Connacht to win every game but if you've an issue regarding this it should be with Pete Wilkins and Andy Friend for how they handled the group stages rather than supporters giving their opinions as to what is priority.

Good to see Bundee back. As strong team as we can muster given injuries. Will be interesting to see how the substitute front row cope, like the look of Illo especially.

That's a very strong team

Hugely disagree having risked Murray, Farrell, and Prendy, hope that won't come biting us.

Otherwise agree with the rest including Jennings and Boyle starting.