Connacht V Dragons 6/09/2014 5pm

Diom wrote: Dunno... I can't see why not. We already know that he is a top-drawer flanker so I cannot see much objections about it. One concern would be if developed into a perma-broke type player. Not that that seems likely but he did miss half of his contract so far through injury. What is he on at the minute?

two year project player to go, but I fear a scenario "a la Sexton" he we wait the last year to renew..

NewGuy wrote: Game on TV ?

nope but on galway bay fm, if you're not in galway they stream their broadcast

Excellent interview with Heenan on TheScore today. Can't wait to see him back in action.

Link?

16-11 FT



So to sum up

1) win against a decent team
2) Naoupu and Mc Keon apeased the worriness about n °8
3) 3 problems : kicks , pens conceded (more than 10 for a home game), lack of focus
4) great improvement at the breakdown
5) scrum and lineout solid even without AhYou/Henry
6) young guns settled in very well
7) Carty seems ok (such a relief as we're short for 10)
8 ) White back to the level
9) even without Henshaw/Muliaina/Aki, we've class-acting players : Buckley, Heenan and Poolman
10) Marmion could play for Ireland, he's well covered

connachta wrote: 16-11 FT

So to sum up

1) win against a decent team
2) Naoupu and Mc Keon apeased the worriness about n °8
3) 3 problems : kicks , pens conceded (more than 10 for a home game), lack of focus
4) great improvement at the breakdown
5) scrum and lineout solid even without AhYou/Henry
6) young guns settled in very well
7) Carty seems ok (such a relief as we're short for 10)
8 ) White back to the level
9) even without Henshaw/Muliaina/Aki, we've class-acting players : Buckley, Heenan and Poolman
10) Marmion could play for Ireland, he's well covered

Would agree with most of that.

Some improvements at the breakdown but some silly penalties conceded also.

Carty was a mixed bag for me, remain to be convinced whether he has the physicality but improved as the game progressed. Not sure he's the man to get us territory but provides different strengths. Layden did ok. Hopefully will improve with more games

Thought Heffernan and Kearney put themselves about well. Heenan in the main very good and will get better with more games. Porter looked decent. I don't think we'll be putting our head in our hands if Marmion isn't available or has to come off. Definite improvement to our options at scrum half.

Kicking at goal again not hectic. 2 from 6! 2 of those Leader should have scored, unlucky with the other, Nikora doesn't have the length for the kick he took on. Still a big problem area.

Niyi at 14 looks a bundle of energy, is willing to chase everything and has pace to burn, probably a bit raw in certain areas but love his attitude.

Defence was a major worry I took from that game, we were far too sloppy and just about got away with it on a couple of occasions. Defence around the fringes was non-existent at times. In terms of re-aligning the defence after an initial breakout we are far far too slow. Too many players fell off tackles for my liking. Hopefully that will improve but its something that will have to.

Also we aren't clinical enough. 8-0 early on gave us a good springboard but we just stopped playing for a long time then. We only really got back in to it after a (somewhat lucky) yellow card for Lee Byrne. Again we didn't press home our advantage and we left them in the game and were scrambling around at the end trying to hold out in a game where we were comfortably the better side. Dragons should never have left with 1 point this evening and its these things that can prove costly coming towards the business end.

For the moment though, I'm happy with the win and being the only Irish side with a win to their name after round 1 isn't bad.

Heenan was MASSIVE for us tonight - I mean seriously brilliant!!! What a player....

His injury doesn't look too bad?

Internet packed in 5 mins into the second half We won which is great and still have a bunch of big boys to come in. Today is a good day.

On TG4 at 22.45 along with the other matches for anyone who wants to see it.

connachta wrote: His injury doesn't look too bad?

Same shoulder as was operated on earlier this year but from what I hear its not as bad as was first feared. He still could be out for a few weeks. McKeon came off at half time with concussion but should be ok.
Uncle Joe was at match. I'm sure he was impressed by Bucks and Kearney and pencilling Poolman and Heenan in for the future.

galway_gas wrote:

connachta wrote: His injury doesn't look too bad?

Same shoulder as was operated on earlier this year but from what I hear its not as bad as was first feared. He still could be out for a few weeks. McKeon came off at half time with concussion but should be ok.
Uncle Joe was at match. I'm sure he was impressed by Bucks and Kearney and pencilling Poolman and Heenan in for the future.

Thanks a lot for those precisions
Yeah I firmly assert we can come from 0 to 5/6 international players in a 2/3 years term

Lee Byrne pass was indeed forward

How was roux ?

Front row good?

Entire pack was good, Roux like the rest was solid and lasted the full 80, jumped at the front of the lineout on our ball, was a lifter on theirs. . Dragons scrum under pressure from first to last.

Agree with everything Diom said. Carty is clearly a skillful footballer, those cross field kicks were inch perfect, but in general I thought he struggled a bit. Layden looked out of his depth and II thought our lineout was dodgy too - it was obvious that Heffernan's poor throwing is still an issue. Having said that, I thought we played well and shouldn't have given the Dragons the opportunity to nick it at the end. Thankfully they couldn't take their chances. A win in the first game of the season, so onwards and upwards.