Connacht 2016/17

[simonokeeffe]

Connacht, Wasps, Toulouse, Zebre

as ever a cliche but handy to get a disinterested Toulouse away late on, but theyve faded as a European force and still have problems with an ageing team and halfbacks

but the big 4 games in this are Pat Lam's difficult second album

[Fireworks]

The whole year is going to be the difficult second album. As I think I said somewhere before I hope it does not turn out to be a Terence Trent D'arby.

[Oldschool]

Surely with Zebre in their group they've a great chance of a second place finish at least.
Connacht score a lot of tries, it's worth remembering and their defense has tightened up quite a bit.

[simonokeeffe]

Surely with Zebre in their group they've a great chance of a second place finish at least.
Connacht score a lot of tries, it's worth remembering and their defense has tightened up quite a bit.

Theyve a great chance of second and a quarter final. They may need Waaps or Toulose to do the double over the other

[Ruckedtobits]

Connacht are not Leicester and succeeded last year despite very significant injuries. They also had a lot of young guys coming through and playing key roles. IMO, they will progress further this year in performance. The key difference may be that they are playing from the winners pedestal and no longer under the radar. Everybody will consider a victory against them, however acquired, will be a big victory.

On the other hand, in Europe Connacht face teams who are a new challenge and easy to get up for. A double against Toulouse last season showed they have the ability and Wasps, with key players departed, may not be as big a surprise as last season.

Connacht probably most favoured of Irish teams to get a quarter final slot at this point and must have a decent chance of a home Q/F - where would they play that?

[simonokeeffe]

Also their backs coach left, along with Henshaw, Muldowney, and maybe White

Home quarter a big big ask with Wasps there
Minimum is 15k I think so RDS?

[sunshiner1]

Connacht sign a kiwi full-back called Josh Rowlands. Makes we wonder why the f*ck they signed Kelleher then.

[Dave Cahill]

Its all a plot by Hugonaut to f%~k with him

[simonokeeffe]

Including Kelleher they had 6 senior back 3 players which isnt a huge amount plus Gaffney in academy year 3

And hes IQ and cost buttons so why not

[sunshiner1]

by simonokeeffe
Including Kelleher they had 6 senior back 3 players which isnt a huge amount plus Gaffney in academy year 3

And hes IQ and cost buttons so why not

I prefer Dave Cahill's reason.

[simonokeeffe]

Connacht announce academy first years including one ex Leinster under ager

* Peter Claffey Lock Galwegians RFC
* Cillian Gallagher Lock Sligo RFC
* Conor Kenny Prop Buccaneers RFC
* Stephen Kerins Scrumhalf Sligo RFC
* Adam Leavy Wing Galwegians RFC


YEAR 3
Jamie Dever Tighthead Prop
Jack Dinneen Hooker
Ciaran Gaffney Back Three
Marc Kelly Back Row
Conor McKeon Scrumhalf
Saba Meunargia Tighthead Prop

YEAR 2
Cormac Brennan Back Three
Conor Kyne Loosehead Prop
Conor Lowndes Scrum Half
Stephen McVeigh Back Row
Conan O'Donnell Tighthead Prop
Ed O'Keeffe Back Three
Pat O'Toole Hooker
Cian Romaine Lock


YEAR 1
Peter Claffey Lock
Cillian Gallagher Lock
Conor Kenny Prop
Stephen Kerins Scrumhalf
Adam Leavy Wing


[simonokeeffe]

Murray Kinsella tweets

A pair of possible pre-season friendlies fell through for #Connacht, meaning they are unlikely to play another one before the Pro12 starts.

smacks of shoddy organisation

[enby]

Aki sounds a bit homesick in his Irish Times interview today. No doubt the NZ media will pick this up. Difficult to believe that Joe hasn't been in touch with him

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/b ... -1.2758538

[simonokeeffe]

Aki sounds a bit homesick in his Irish Times interview today. No doubt the NZ media will pick this up. Difficult to believe that Joe hasn't been in touch with him

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/b ... -1.2758538

theres been a few interviews with him, first one he was playing coy about re signing and wanting to play for Ireland

reading others I get impression he's going to take big money move to England or maybe France (or even Japan) and play for Samoa

Joe has namechecked him before so am sure Joe or Lucifora will be in touch if they havent already

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I wouldn't be disappointed if he did tbh. Loved watching him play but I'd prefer if we kept project players to a minimum. I'm not as against them as others but would still like to keep the numbers down and it's not a position where we're desperate for players.

This is a massively negative slant on things but fast forward a year or two and Connacht may not have Lam, Muldowney, Dillane, Aki, and Henshaw from the team that won the league. They'd be big blows to have to take.

[simonokeeffe]

I wouldn't be disappointed if he did tbh. Loved watching him play but I'd prefer if we kept project players to a minimum. I'm not as against them as others but would still like to keep the numbers down and it's not a position where we're desperate for players.

This is a massively negative slant on things but fast forward a year or two and Connacht may not have Lam, Muldowney, Dillane, Aki, and Henshaw from the team that won the league. They'd be big blows to have to take.

Lost their backs coach and Dan McParland who played a big role too

The dream of another Leinster/Ireland centre partnership lives

[sunshiner1]

Lost their backs coach and Dan McParland who played a big role too

It's McFarland not McParland and they lost him the year before they won the league. No idea what to make of Aki's interview's but they will be some serious kick-up if he leave's I think. A lot of people in Galway believe this is all an angle for him to get a central contract which would be a first for a guy who isn't eligible to play for Ireland yet. I honestly think it could happen.

[Armchair]

Lost their backs coach and Dan McParland who played a big role too

It's McFarland not McParland and they lost him the year before they won the league. No idea what to make of Aki's interview's but they will be some serious kick-up if he leave's I think. A lot of people in Galway believe this is all an angle for him to get a central contract which would be a first for a guy who isn't eligible to play for Ireland yet. I honestly think it could happen.

Don't hold your breath the IRFU don't work that way!

[simonokeeffe]

Lost their backs coach and Dan McParland who played a big role too

It's McFarland not McParland and they lost him the year before they won the league. No idea what to make of Aki's interview's but they will be some serious kick-up if he leave's I think. A lot of people in Galway believe this is all an angle for him to get a central contract which would be a first for a guy who isn't eligible to play for Ireland yet. I honestly think it could happen.

I know when he left but he laid a lot of foundations, groundwork and other cliches

In Aki's favour there will be very few backs on central deals to 2019

[Dave Cahill]

There is no chance of him getting a central deal without being Irish qualified, IRUPA wouldn't stand for it and it would be moronic of the union to even consider it