Connacht squad 2018-2019.

1st 4 and last 4 that's clear on the Salmson list. Go and Stay, without much doubts...

Shane Delahunt Hooker
Tom McCartney Hooker 2020
Pat O'Toole OR new Hooker
Dave Heffernan Hooker 2019


Denis Buckley Prop 2019
Denis Coulson Prop
Conan O'Donnell Prop 2019
Conor Carey Prop 2019
Finlay Bealham Prop 2019
Dominic Robertson-McCoy Prop
New Prop (Dooley?)


Quinn Roux Lock 2019
Ultan Dillane Lock 2019
James Cannon Lock 2019
Gavin Thornbury Lock 2019
Cillian Gallagher Lock/Flanker 2019
Peter Claffey Lock 2019

Eoghan Masterson Back Row
James Connolly Back Row
Sean O'Brien Back Row 2020
New Flanker (Gilsenan?) Back Row
Robin Copelan n°8/Lock
Eoin McKeon Back Row
Jarrad Butler Back Row 2020

Kieran Marmion Scrum-half 2020
Caolin Blade Scrum-half
James Mitchell Scrum-half 2019
Conor McKeon Scrum-half (or Kerrins)

Jack Carty Out-half 2019
New Out-half
Craig Ronaldson Out-half/Centre

Kyle Godwin Centre/Outhalf
Bundee Aki Centre 2020
Eoin Griffin Centre
Tom Farrell Centre 2020
New utility back 1 Centre/Wing

Matt Healy Wing
Niyi Adeolokun Wing 2019
Cian Kelleher Wing
Rory Scholes Wing 2019
Tiernan O'Halloran Wing/Fullback 2020
New utility back 2 Wing/Fullback
Darragh Leader Fullback

Green : to re-sign
Red : to sign

43-man senior squad

Connacht Rugby and the IRFU are delighted to announce that back row Robin Copeland will join the province at the end of the current season. Copeland has made over 60 appearances for Munster during four seasons with the club and previously played over 50 times with the Cardiff Blues. He will join Connacht on a two year contract.

Underwhelmed TBH

I'm hoping this is the start of the annual week of daily announcements.
Contract renewals tomorrow
New signing on Wednesday and Thursday
Contract renewal on Friday

I think that's an excellent signing tbh.
He never suited Munster's game and if he can stay fit I think he could be a top player for us.
Probably the best wheels of any backrow in the country, you give him space and he's gone.

The best Irish backrow available this summer (with Murphy gone to Ulster) so I'm not sure why people aren't more excited by this.

Accidentally Onside wrote: I think that's an excellent signing tbh.
He never suited Munster's game and if he can stay fit I think he could be a top player for us.
Probably the best wheels of any backrow in the country, you give him space and he's gone.

The best Irish backrow available this summer (with Murphy gone to Ulster) so I'm not sure why people aren't more excited by this.

Because he's a potentially expensive squad player. Our starting backrow next season all going well is 6 SOB 7 Butler 8 Masterson with 20 McKeown. If we get a good NIQ he falls down that list. With Heenan and possibly Dawai gone we need a 7 and a general cover. He's been injured more often than not in the past 4 years.
There aren't articles being written about how huge a loss to Munster he'll be. He plays well against the so called poorer teams. But they up their standards against us. And where is the anger and outcry from Munster fans that he's going.

Is it wrong that I'm not happy with Solid. Shouldn't our aspirations be more than solid? Good cover? Etc...

I want to be excited, I want to see good to great signings.

connemara man wrote:

Accidentally Onside wrote: I think that's an excellent signing tbh.
He never suited Munster's game and if he can stay fit I think he could be a top player for us.
Probably the best wheels of any backrow in the country, you give him space and he's gone.

The best Irish backrow available this summer (with Murphy gone to Ulster) so I'm not sure why people aren't more excited by this.

Because he's a potentially expensive squad player. Our starting backrow next season all going well is 6 SOB 7 Butler 8 Masterson with 20 McKeown. If we get a good NIQ he falls down that list. With Heenan and possibly Dawai gone we need a 7 and a general cover. He's been injured more often than not in the past 4 years.

Is it wrong that I'm not happy with Solid. Shouldn't our aspirations be more than solid? Good cover? Etc...

I want to be excited, I want to see good to great signings.

I want Alannah Beirne to bring me dancing

ConnachtCows wrote:

connemara man wrote:

Accidentally Onside wrote: I think that's an excellent signing tbh.
He never suited Munster's game and if he can stay fit I think he could be a top player for us.
Probably the best wheels of any backrow in the country, you give him space and he's gone.

The best Irish backrow available this summer (with Murphy gone to Ulster) so I'm not sure why people aren't more excited by this.

Because he's a potentially expensive squad player. Our starting backrow next season all going well is 6 SOB 7 Butler 8 Masterson with 20 McKeown. If we get a good NIQ he falls down that list. With Heenan and possibly Dawai gone we need a 7 and a general cover. He's been injured more often than not in the past 4 years.

Is it wrong that I'm not happy with Solid. Shouldn't our aspirations be more than solid? Good cover? Etc...

I want to be excited, I want to see good to great signings.

I want Alannah Beirne to bring me dancing

I hope you don't just accept that will never happen though and want more in your life

connemara man wrote:
Because he's a potentially expensive squad player. Our starting backrow next season all going well is 6 SOB 7 Butler 8 Masterson with 20 McKeown.

The 4 back rows you've named have 4 starts between them at 8 this season, so I think it's somewhere between highly likely and absolutely certain Copeland is being signed as our starting 8.

I presume he's looking at Connacht as a launchpad to the Irish RWC squad given the sudden dearth of no 8s behind Stander (Heaslip gone, SOB with Darren Anderton's injury profile, O'Donoghue won't play in the big games at Munster, Conan unexpectedly displaying feet of clay, Coetzee NIE at Ulster), but like you I'd be worried he'll just turn out to be a squad player.

salmson wrote:

connemara man wrote:
Because he's a potentially expensive squad player. Our starting backrow next season all going well is 6 SOB 7 Butler 8 Masterson with 20 McKeown.

The 4 back rows you've named have 4 starts between them at 8 this season, so I think it's somewhere between highly likely and absolutely certain Copeland is being signed as our starting 8.

That's because 1 injuries and 2 Muldoon. IMO he doesn't leapfrog Masterson into the 8 jersey with Muldoon gone and he doesn't start ahead McKeown either on rotation

Masterson is not the answer at 8. Copeland will offer us a ball carrying threat in the back row, it’s good to have options.

connemara man wrote:

Accidentally Onside wrote: I think that's an excellent signing tbh.
He never suited Munster's game and if he can stay fit I think he could be a top player for us.
Probably the best wheels of any backrow in the country, you give him space and he's gone.

The best Irish backrow available this summer (with Murphy gone to Ulster) so I'm not sure why people aren't more excited by this.

Because he's a potentially expensive squad player. Our starting backrow next season all going well is 6 SOB 7 Butler 8 Masterson with 20 McKeown. If we get a good NIQ he falls down that list. With Heenan and possibly Dawai gone we need a 7 and a general cover. He's been injured more often than not in the past 4 years.
There aren't articles being written about how huge a loss to Munster he'll be. He plays well against the so called poorer teams. But they up their standards against us. And where is the anger and outcry from Munster fans that he's going.

Is it wrong that I'm not happy with Solid. Shouldn't our aspirations be more than solid? Good cover? Etc...

I want to be excited, I want to see good to great signings.

I don't disagree he's a bit of a punt, as he has injury problems, but if he can get his game together he's a better player than any of our backrow. That's not an opinion, none of our backrows have been in the Team of The Season, which Copeland was in 2014 playing for a Blues team that liked to run the ball, as we do, so his top end is higher than any of our current loose forwards.

Of course there is no guarantee he can get back to his best, but we might as well be optimistic as pessimistic about it. What pretty much every Munster fan I can see is saying is: "hope it works out better for him at Connacht, we never saw the best of him in red", and if we get the player who Munster had for the majority of those 4 seasons then it will not have been a good signing, but if we get anything close to the tearaway the Blues had 4 years ago it will be a brilliant signing.

I like that he's signed for us too- if he had wanted to cash in his chips I'm sure he would have had offers in England or France so by staying in Ireland I hope that speaks to his ambition.

Mark Mostyn wrote: Masterson is not the answer at 8. Copeland will offer us a ball carrying threat in the back row, it’s good to have options.

Totally agree

www.connachtrugby.ie/connacht-rugby-anno...-contract-extension/

Copeland is a very decent player. I for one welcome his signing.

FACECUTTR wrote: www.connachtrugby.ie/connacht-rugby-anno...-contract-extension/

That's very good news. Wish it was longer than 2 years, but still good to see Masterson extend.
Expect another signing or contract extension tomorrow hopefully