Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Citizenpain · 30-04-2023 12:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120538542#Comment_120538542

you would not think it

connachta · 30-04-2023 2:21pm

Now Leinster to eat Sharks and we're in Champions Cup!

Phase 1 : Glasgow, wasn't done at all at HT

Phase 2 : Toulon, wasn't done at all after 6 min red card

Phase 3 : TBSeen, with Connacht fans like me cheering Leinster inside the Aviva!

01-05-2023 12:43am

I'll be brutally honest, after 3 games of the season, I thought the Heineken Cup for Connacht was some mythical place, like Atlantis, and that Andy Friend and Co, should be out the gap.

To finish 7th,behind the other Irish teams, 2 south African teams, and Glasgow is actually a great achievement for Connacht.

Were punching way above our station, and long may it continue. I'll start next season as an optimist again

tintedgreenglasses2016 · 01-05-2023 1:25am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120541605#Comment_120541605

Agreed. We have done well. Roll on Ulster on Friday. We have done well so why not hope for a bit more. No reason why not. Go Connacht

SqueakyKneecap · 01-05-2023 11:41am

Heineken Cup rugby would've been my very best case scenario at the start of the year. If they manage that, which looks likely with a lot of luck, then it's a very good season considering.

It also sets things up well for the future.

realhorrorshow · 01-05-2023 1:42pm

Final positions of the teams who beat us in the league:

2nd, 3rd, 6th, 1st, 5th, 2nd, 1st, 4th.

A very atypical Connacht season where we beat the teams below extremely consistently, but failed to pull off any of our customary upsets. A major achievement imo to finish 7th despite having the toughest fixture list in the league. Very pleasing to do it while accelerating the development of the likes of DTM, Aungier, Illo, Murray X2, SHL, Hawkshaw, Forde, Ralston, Jennings, etc. Those players are all very young and there's no reason to believe we can't improve year on year as they approach their peak.

Just need to give Ulster a good crack and Leinster to dispatch the Sharks and I think we can call it a successful season.

typhoony · 02-05-2023 12:24pm

So 41 players available for selection against Ulster, thats decent for end of season

RonnieL · 02-05-2023 2:37pm

Craggy pod interview with Pete Wilkins implied there will be 1 more player signing. I hope it's a 10. He also mentioned they'll be announcing an attack coach in the next couple of weeks.

connachta · 02-05-2023 4:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120546620#Comment_120546620

Don't know where else it could be except if Thornbury is not coming back since 2024, then it might be a lock

Zeugnis · 02-05-2023 4:19pm

Is there any news on how Gavin Thornbury's rehab from injury is going?

KBurke85 · 02-05-2023 5:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120547052#Comment_120547052

Doubt we will hear anything until after the summer given he was ruled out for the season

Wegians89 · 02-05-2023 5:40pm

Could very well be the case that the quality of 10 coming in is dependent on if it’s champions or challenge cup next season..

Would be a lot easier to convince a Frawley or a Harry Byrne west if they’re likely to be a 23 in champions cup

SqueakyKneecap · 02-05-2023 6:19pm

A loan move for somebody like Harry Byrne would be fantastic but I'd wonder if Hawkshaw is gonna be second choice with Daly as emergency or Harry West making up the 10 coverage now that Carty is highly unlikely to be capped again.

ClanofLams · 02-05-2023 7:08pm

Frank Murphy reffing Friday. Not a fan of him, but pretty ridiculous that he is selected to ref this game anyway, he literally played alongside some of the longer established Connacht players such as Marmion. Absolute farce for a playoff game.

Zeugnis · 02-05-2023 8:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120547340#Comment_120547340

They were both just in the Leinster 23 against Toulouse, unlikely we'll be seeing either of them. Harry might review his options at the end of his next contract but somehow I can't imagine him as a Connacht player.

Zeugnis · 02-05-2023 8:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120547273#Comment_120547273

At one point the word was that he might make it back for the end of the season.

I've said it before, but it surprises me that people doing fan media around Connacht don't involve the guys who are on long term injury, might help keep their morale up.

connachta · 02-05-2023 8:38pm

I do think the last signing won't be any of Leinster guys. Look at half of the Ulster team we will face. We have lots of NIQ spots free, at least 2, so we'll fill 1!

Only Cordero, SHL, and (maybe even not he doesn't know himself if he can qualify for Ireland) Porch for now

Wegians89 · 02-05-2023 9:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120548007#Comment_120548007

Can not see the IRFU allowing g a NIQ ten with sexton retiring. They’ll want as many Irish tens getting as many minutes as possible

Wegians89 · 02-05-2023 9:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120547852#Comment_120547852

Yeah I think it’s unlikely to be either of them unless there’s a lil nudge in the same vein as Carbery to Munster. Think they’re both contracted for next season too.

Just it’d be a lot easier job to convince players with Champions Cup to look forward to.

cson · 02-05-2023 10:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120547651#Comment_120547651

He was awful in our game against Ulster before Christmas too. Frank always seems to go out of his way to prove he isn't biased from his time here by, well, being biased for the opponent!

fatgav · 03-05-2023 8:21am

Andrew Brace is referee, with Frank on the line.

Zeugnis · 03-05-2023 9:03am

Any predictions for friday evening? I have a quiet feeling that Connacht will turn Ulster over.

Borders no.2 · 03-05-2023 9:34am

The Ulster games this season were definite low points of the season so Friday is a good game to finish with to measure our progress.

The first game of the season was terrible to put it mildly but we gradually improved from there.

We had a bit of momentum before the game at Christmas snd again we were very poor. We targeted the game but never fired a shot against an ulster side who were struggling at the time. The late tries took the bad look off it but with our soft turnovers they got on top and their maul destroyed us that night.

To me that Christmas game looked like it killed our league chances but we did well to recover from the position we were in.

With Connacht away there's always the worry that it could run away from us very quickly.

Discipline and dealing with restarts in a competent manner is key. My worry is we give them an early foothold and rack up a few silly penalties early and Ulster get the foothold to use their maul. It can be a long night in Belfast if you lose a couple of tries early.

connachta · 03-05-2023 9:40am

Likely team

Buck, Heff, Beal, Murphy, Murray, Prend, Bulter, Oliver, Blade, Carty, Aki, Farrell, Porch, Hansen, TOH

Dooley, DTM, Aungier, Dowl, SHL, Marms, Daly, Ralston

My own would have Dowling starting, Murphy benching, SHL starting 7, Boyle 8, Butler 20, no Oliver too light too many penalties, Forde/Jennings on the bench for Daly/Ralston, the rest as expected.

03-05-2023 9:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120547494#Comment_120547494

There's no chance of this. Sexton has likely played his last game for Leinster, so Harry is Leinster's #2 outhalf, and #1 when Ross goes to the RWC (outside chance Harry himself goes to the RWC too).

Tector to me is the only guy in Leinster who there is a chance of snagging away.

ClanofLams · 03-05-2023 9:47am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120549180#Comment_120549180

Thanks, I read that wrong obviously. That’s a bit better at least although he really shouldn’t be involved at all imo given former teammates will be on the pitch.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 03-05-2023 10:11am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120549402#Comment_120549402

If Frawley and the Irish coaches thinks of him as a 10 Connacht might be able to lure him.

Personally though I don't think of him as a 10 and the Leinster coaches don't think of as a 10. I'm not sure if the Irish coaches really think of him as a 10 either. Farrwll has given him gametime at 10 against Maoris but I think that would have been with a view to having him in a squad as a utility back.

03-05-2023 10:21am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120549501#Comment_120549501

Yeah, we don't really know if the Irish coaches had any really well developed plans for Frawley as a 10.

As you say, he was brought on the NZ tour and named as a centre. The goal would have been for Harry Byrne to play those games, but he got hurt and Frawley got the chance.

He did okay in those games, and with a dearth of other options, Farrell decided to explore further and see if he could be developed into a 10 option, hence the decision to send him on the EI tour (injury stepped in again) and the start against NZ XV in Oct/Nov (when he got injured again).

As you say, if he sees himself as a 10 and wants to make a go of that, then maybe Connacht would be alluring to him.