Connacht Team Talk Thread VI - Some like it TOH

Probably the latent effects of his SH conditioning has SHL in peak condition now. The delayed start to next season should give him time to reset and a good preseason should see him adapted to the NH season.

I think from hearing Friends interview on viaplay/premier sports after the game sounded like he was happy with the kicking option but he and everyone else on the sidelines was calling for the kicks to go deeper.

Huge win. Before Friend came here we'd never won in Ravenhill since the 40s or 50s i think and now we have 3 wins there.

I have had my criticism of the Connacht coaching team during the season but i have to credit them. Defensively we have gradually improved as the season went on and slowly but surely we look a lot more resilient as a team.

Really we were comfortably the better side but it was never going to be straight forward. It looked like it could have been another of those what if nights but we dug in and that was huge. Probably our biggest night since 2016.

For Connacht to make the last 4 in a competition of this quality is a massive step forward. Next week is a very tall order. If we can match that intensity in defence and bring a bit more composure at key times who knows but I'd worry that as the game wears on we'll run out of gas. For now we are the only team in the last 4 so let's enjoy the moment before it passes.

The coaching reshuffle at the start of the season looked questionable at the time but is starting to seem like a stroke of genius. Wilkins has done a great job of rebuilding our defence, and Colm Tucker has been a revelation as scrum and contact skills coach. I've never seen a Connacht team dominate collisions like last night, incredible stuff.

If Connacht could pick up a decent skills coach, they would be doing well. Good strong pack at the moment but basic skills are shocking. The amount of unforced errors last night killed them. Either ones that lead to knock on, or just killed momentum in attack trying to gather poor balls. Connacht should have won that by a lot more and the main reason they didn’t was down to handling.

He only turned 23 in April too which is scary

It does. 8 qualifiers. The shield winners, the league champions, the european champions cup and the european challenge cup winners and then the top league finnishers that aren't otherwise qualified.

So the Welsh shield winners being outside the top 8 meant that it was the top 7 qualifying with Sharks taking the place of 7th if they won the league.

One thing that was a bit strange was the Hansen Porch head collision. At first look it looked pretty darn bad. So I kind of wondered why both should have not gone for HIA. Not saying I wanted that to happen but that was some clash of heads. And I was surprised to see Hansen back after that blow to the head. Obviously I was glad to see them both ok but it looked really nasty

Yes and I think as Semi Finalists you're at least in Tier 2 for ERC draw. Make the final and you're a tier one team.

That's a great season now. Heineken Cup is massive for us. Bonus territory next week.

If they put up the same performance at the breakdown they'll be very hard to beat. Just need to be a bit more clinical when deep in the opposition 22.

I agree Friend has done an excellent job and many were giving out about him early in the season. They'd all love to see him stay now.

No. Doesn't work like that.

Winner and losing finalist are first seed. Then it goes by league table.

Connacht will either be first seed or 4th seed from the urc.

I think the criticism was more directed at Pete Wilkins, as defense coach, after our start to the season. It manifested itself a bit with the team selection for the Challenge Cup Benetton game where Andy was largely held responsible.

All that aside, if stats serve me correctly, and after a difficult start to the season we have won the last 11 of 14 URC outings. If true that ain't shabby.

And on a controversial note (this I am renowned for) it's hard to feel in any way sorry for Ulster fans. They tend to be the least likeable of the 4 provincial sets of fans. I thought Bundees reaction said it all at the end of the game. I could paraphrase it but I don't think I need to

Well he's not wrong about a good section of Ulster supporters.

I've experienced it a couple of times up there. It's not nice, it's not rugby like. They are more like soccer fans.

You always want to welcome the opposition and show them respect but obviously theres a large contingent up there who don't want to do that.