It's all relative. For alot of this season we were fielding teams with 13/14 Irish qualified players.ceemec wrote:Looking at Connacht's squad for next season though, there is a concern about the sheer number of their foreign players. They raison d'etre for the provinces is to provide players for the national side.
Connacht's first choice side could conceivably be:
Loughney, McCartney, White/Ah You, Clarke, Muldowney, Muldoon, Heeney, Nauopu, Marmion, Nikora, Poolman, Aki, Henshaw, Healy, Muliaina.
Obviously, that's worst case scenario but that's 10 foreign players in their starting side, potentially.
Tbh, I don't see it as an issue at all, and from a Connacht pov, we need to be selfish and think of our own needs as well. We've been burned before in taking in other provinces cast offs and seeing them leave or in the case of Elwood's signings-TJ Anderson, NOC, McCrea, Grace, POD, Dave Moore, just not good enough at all.
Also bear in mind that players from other provinces are reluctant to come here. If we can't top up our squad with signings from other provinces then what choice have we? I know that Luke O Dea and Nagle have said no of late to name just 2.
The IRFU clearly have relaxed the rules for us a bit and along with the Connacht coaching staff have identified project players who could break into the national team. Heenan and Bundee Aki being the 2 main ones.
And there's no problem with the Connacht production line. Some really good young players coming through. Griffin would always have to leave with Henshaw being earmarked for 13 by Schmidt. And take Conneely and Qualter, it's not an exact science, not every promising underage player fulfills their potential.
It's fantastic to get the experience of first Parks, then Clarke and now Muliaina who can guide all these young players. Definitely the correct approach.