Connacht 2022/23

[ronk]

8 points up, 3 tries, penalty on their own 10 line with time up: Connacht ended the game.

I’m not sure whether they were spent and just happy to bank the win or whether denying Munster a bonus point was a factor given the distance they’d need to make to get that try.

[blockhead]

Team for tomorrow night

Tiernan O’Halloran, John Porch, Byron Ralston, David Hawkshaw, Mack Hansen, Jack Carty (CAPT), Kieran Marmion, Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Niall Murray, Leva Fifita, Cian Prendergast, Conor Oliver, Paul Boyle

Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, Oisín Dowling, Jarrad Butler, Colm Reilly, Cathal Forde, Alex Wootton

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Cormac Foley will be feeling better about himself after seeing Niall Murray get another block down and even score a try off it! It really looked like a knock on though, crazy not to look at that properly.

[enby]

Well merited bonus point win for the Westies albeit against a shocking poor Scarlets side. Hawkshaw had a big game. Carty continues to mix the good with the dreadful, his goal kicking has gone to the dogs.
Heffernan was on the button with his lineout throws and was never afraid to send it long. Hansen is an entertaining watch and finished his two tries beautifully.
The SA ref was a pain and seemed determined to be the centre of attention

[paddyor]

Scarlets LO 9/13. Connachts defensive LO becoming a serious asset.

[blockhead]

Big 5 points for Connacht, well deserved but Scarlets were poor in the 2nd half.
With a lot of tough fixtures out of the way they could climb that table.

[Experimental]

Connacht looking a lot more physical this season, they are gonna give a lot of teams trouble if they keep playing like this. Very much agree with you enby on Carty, hes honestly not switched on at times. Hawhshaw deserved MOTM imo with Prenderghast a close second. Dowling didnt do much wrong when he came on either.

[Mookie]

Thought Murray's try looked like a knock on too. Anyway, great block .

[sunshiner1]

Happy for Connacht their home form will keep the supporters happy at least. Some of the younger guys too are beginning to step up and find their feet which is encouraging. Really hope this continues. The academy seems to have taken a step back recently which is a worry.

[Ruckedtobits]

Cully Tucker may well be the best scrum Coach in Ireland, based at least on the evidence of the recent performances of the Connacht front five.

The respective performances against Munster, Leinster and Scarlets have demonstrated his development of Finley Bealham, Denis Buckley and Dave Heffernan in the past two months. Allied to his work with Murray, Dowling, Thornbury & Fifita, it has been a clear demonstration that scrum coaching is science and not art.

He has also done really well with Aungier, Duggan, Martin and others and it will be interesting to watch the development of each of these players in the coming months.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I didn’t notice Aungier’s scrummaging but he certainly seems to be looking more and more dynamic/skilful around the park. That was his USP as a highly rated youngster so if he can finally bring that to the top level consistently then he’ll be a serious player.

[Ruckedtobits]

Really disappointed that Connacht didn't go after the bonus point win tonight against Ospreys. When you look at the League Table, which I presume they must do, it's clear that another BP takes them up to 11th and two more (which they should have had by now, would place them equal 7th.

Carty "managed" the 2nd half well, presumably to instructions. But the Connacht players were good enough in possession to get a 4th try, kill the game and leave with five points. It's understandable at some level that they were afraid to lose but, really, they should have confidence in their ability to attack and put teams away, particularly when 5hey have given them a 14 point start and then scored 19 unanswered points.

A missed opportunity, but a valuable win on the road.

[paddyor]

I didn’t notice Aungier’s scrummaging but he certainly seems to be looking more and more dynamic/skilful around the park. That was his USP as a highly rated youngster so if he can finally bring that to the top level consistently then he’ll be a serious player.

Very visible tonight I thought but I didn’t see all the game.

Sam Illo got a good run out and was impressive but did seem to be that bit slower to get back into the game. Scrum Put the replacement front row under pressure. Big unit.

[paddyor]

Really disappointed that Connacht didn't go after the bonus point win tonight against Ospreys. When you look at the League Table, which I presume they must do, it's clear that another BP takes them up to 11th and two more (which they should have had by now, would place them equal 7th.

Carty "managed" the 2nd half well, presumably to instructions. But the Connacht players were good enough in possession to get a 4th try, kill the game and leave with five points. It's understandable at some level that they were afraid to lose but, really, they should have confidence in their ability to attack and put teams away, particularly when 5hey have given them a 14 point start and then scored 19 unanswered points.

A missed opportunity, but a valuable win on the road.

Connacht just aren’t clinical though. They wasted a lot of chances tonight and against us( they had chances to get it too). I can see why they didn’t push for more. Just play territory and make Ospreys take chances and look for an in that way.

[sunshiner1]

by paddyor

Sam Illo got a good run out and was impressive but did seem to be that bit slower to get back into the game. Scrum Put the replacement front row under pressure. Big unit.

I watched him during the E.I tour and now here. His cardio isn't where it should be in my opinion. I know he's a young player and the scrum is an attritional position but watching him around the park he's breathing heavily and taking time to get back into position. Hopefully he gets it sorted soon and becomes match fit.

Regarding the win I think Connacht are still mentally fragile and the first ten mins spooked them (and rightfully so). They were happy to come away with points.

[wixfjord]

Absolutely delighted for Hawkshaw and how good he has been in green.

Had some lovely cameos for us but was never going to get that level of gametime and opportunity.

He has grabbed it with both hands in fairness, doing the stuff he usually does but also taking on a Bundee lite carrying role.

Some competitor.

[Ruckedtobits]

Absolutely delighted for Hawkshaw and how good he has been in green.

Had some lovely cameos for us but was never going to get that level of gametime and opportunity.

He has grabbed it with both hands in fairness, doing the stuff he usually does but also taking on a Bundee lite carrying role.

Some competitor.

+1, He's been great and seems to relish a challenge. I thought he might get in last night after he took return pass from Farrell and might have done if he had prepared better for tackle from behind, but his progress has been super.

[ronk]

He's already more (minutes and starts) for them than he ever did for us. Fair play to him.

His 1st 3 caps were at outhalf. Then Carty returned and Aki got banned at the same time and he's held down 12. With Aki back and having missed an international window (along with Carty) Hawkshaw may have a change of fortune. His versatility for the 22 jersey may help him but there's plenty of competition at 10 and centre, so it might be as much out putting a back 3 player on the bench.

[betty swallocks]

Wonder would Paul O'Connell be interested in a Head Coach role at Connacht on Andy Friend's departure?

[Ruckedtobits]

Wonder would Paul O'Connell be interested in a Head Coach role at Connacht on Andy Friend's departure?

I hope not. Paulie is superb in the role he's doing and there's nobody in World rugby that I'd prefer to have. In time, somebody whom he's worked closely with will mimic his ability in this field and then Paulie can move on to a Head Coach role if he wants to.

That role is much more about man- management than rugby coaching. Talking with & listening to coaches & players & video analysts, S&C, Medical & Nutrition and then Media & IRFU personnel. Once in Camp, the daily round of communication and assimilation of all those conversations is all consuming.

The Coaching role is much more focused and within the control of the individual specialist Coach, albeit he gets instruction from the Head Coach. The objectives are much clearer and progress is much more clearly evident from session to session.

No, let's leave Paulie doing what he does best until he makes it clear he wants to move on to something different. He has a superb crop of young second-row (McCarthy, Ahern, Edogbu, Izuchukwu, Murray x2, Baird etc) and back-row jumpers at present. In addition there are huge improvements to be brought into our mauling technique below the first choice Squad. There's at least a couple of years of work before he gets all those guys onto the same page and when he does, we'll all be better for it.