Harlequins Oct. 20th @ The Sportsground

Thoughts after seeing the game are as follows.

1. The difference Parks makes is huge. His experience got us most of our points and if we'd had anyone else there i.e Nikora or Jarvis we'd have been nowhere close to that.
2. Vainikolo had his best game in a Connacht shirt.
3. The whole team played there hearts out and this game was easily the game of the tournament so far.
4. Kidney was there so the likes of Marmion, Muldoon and McCarthy will have done themselves no harm in getting into the Irish teams named for the November tests.
5. Buckley is fantastic but it's only against the likes of Johnston you realise that he's still a pup in propping terms.

Really proud of the guys. Yes there was mistakes but you couldn't have asked for more effort or heart.

at around the 20 min mark sky put up the most telling stat of the game. the score was 10-9 to connacht but connacht had made 39 tackles to quins 9. that workload imo contributed massively to conceding 15 points in 8 minutes at end of first half.

The first try is a huge set back defensively and the team leaders have to have a serious look at themselves re defensive set up and ensuring its right before the play resumes.

Swift(missed tackle in front of posts) and Muldoon(missed tackle on line), two senior players, have to hold their hands up for 2nd try and it was a poor try to concede. if gannon had done either people here would be baying for his blood. Swift again gave away a pen for poor discipline and its now a trend with him.

That said they played really well for 72+ minutes of that game and deserved the bonus point at least. we have to get more clinical in our approch to the game though. at 76 min we were 8pts down when we won a pen in our own half. we kicked to the line just outside their 22. we needed to score twice to win and once to get a point. our whole setup from that lineout should have been to secure 3 pts and the bonus pt and play on from there. it wasnt and we came away from that possession and game with nothing.

THIS mentality has to change and we must become more professional.We have to take what we deserve from games.

That said they played really well for 72+ minutes of that game and deserved the bonus point at least. we have to get more clinical in our approch to the game though. at 76 min we were 8pts down when we won a pen in our own half. we kicked to the line just outside their 22. we needed to score twice to win and once to get a point. our whole setup from that lineout should have been to secure 3 pts and the bonus pt and play on from there. it wasnt and we came away from that possession and game with nothing.

Agree with you on this. It was the wrong decision to make and I was surprised at Parks for not going for posts.

The first try was sloppy imo. Marmion saw that Care was going to go but instead of coming round the scrum to cover it himself he shouted for someone else to. That left Vainikolo with a 2 on 1 and there was only going to be one winner there. Don't know who was the next man beside Marmion but he should have listened to his scrumhalf. That said it was a split second thing and if Marmion saw the break he was in the best position to stop it. It comes down to inexperience he'll learn from this and do better next time.

Also agree with Menace that Fifita should have come on a little earlier, he was made for this game. Not that Griffin or McSharry had bad performances.

First of all the major negative of the night was the restarts in the first half. Ultimately our inability to deal with the Harlequins restart to the right side on 4 or 5 occasions cost us dearly. Harlequins are one team you can't give free possession too because they will hold on to it and eventually get a score from it. Its a small thing but was directly / indirectly attributable for the majority of Harlequins points in the first half. We were very good in the first half imo but at half time we had conceded 24 points which is far far too many.

With that rant out of the way must say that I never feel good after a Connacht defeat but tonight would be the most optimistic I've been after a defeat for a long time. We showed we can compete at this level. There was a good purpose to our play for most of the game and a few small things here and there were all that cost us really.

The ref was getting a lot of stick. Thought we were hard done by at the breakdown and he didn't seem to see any forward passes or knockons for Harlequins but his decisions didn't win or lose the game. Overall Harlequins deserved their win. I wouldn't be rushing down the bookies to put money on them to win it out but they are a good side who play rugby the right way.

Major frustration is to lose by 8 because all that effort deserved at least a bonus point. Bar a few areas here and there, that level of performance is what we must reach more regularly, looking at Glasgow - Ulster last night and Llanelli - Leinster today our performance compared favourably in most areas.

I sound like a broken record but its replicating this application and intensity against the weaker sides thats the key and lets establish ourselves up the league. Biarritz may provide us with an opportunity next time out in the Heineken but that goes to the back burner for a while now. Time to climb the league.

connachtexile wrote:

That said they played really well for 72+ minutes of that game and deserved the bonus point at least. we have to get more clinical in our approch to the game though. at 76 min we were 8pts down when we won a pen in our own half. we kicked to the line just outside their 22. we needed to score twice to win and once to get a point. our whole setup from that lineout should have been to secure 3 pts and the bonus pt and play on from there. it wasnt and we came away from that possession and game with nothing.

Agree with you on this. It was the wrong decision to make and I was surprised at Parks for not going for posts.

The first try was sloppy imo. Marmion saw that Care was going to go but instead of coming round the scrum to cover it himself he shouted for someone else to. That left Vainikolo with a 2 on 1 and there was only going to be one winner there. Don't know who was the next man beside Marmion but he should have listened to his scrumhalf. That said it was a split second thing and if Marmion saw the break he was in the best position to stop it. It comes down to inexperience he'll learn from this and do better next time.

Also agree with Menace that Fifita should have come on a little earlier, he was made for this game. Not that Griffin or McSharry had bad performances.

While i agree that Marmion should have done better are defence adopted a 5-1 split on a scrum 15m out with a field position of 2/3- 1/3 approx. thats just poor defence management. Fetu should not have been on his own and should have being roaring his head off for help when he saw that he was. He and care knew what was going to happen when they both saw the scenario in front of them.

IT JUST SHOULDNT HAPPEN.

its_phil wrote:

Devils own wrote: 9. Marmion
10. Parks
11. Griffen
12. Mata
13. Henshaw
14. O'Halloran
15. Carthy

like to see this backline given a go in rabo carthy should be accomadated give him a bit of time at fullback to learn and his kicking and tactical play alongside parks at 10 could be of massive benefit, mata to make the big runs henshaw to exploit the space.

No Carty isn't a 15. It'd be a waste when you consider that you could be playing Layden there. You can't throw someone into 15 like you throw someone on to the wing. It's a specialist position and there's no point putting a young 10 there when you can put one of the most exciting backs in the country there who is a natural in the position.

I am in favor of him coming off the bench though in the Rabo at 10. When Frank comes back that might be the best time to try it. Cartys distribution needs to improve too, there was too many balls hitting the inside shoulder against Newcastle last night. But I think the physicality did get under most the teams skin last night, so that could have played a part.

As for tonight, I think the bookies have called it right. But that's one of the best bits about being a Connacht fan; Beating the odds.

I'm dying to see how McSharry and Griffin go tonight to prove they are up to it at the highest level. Marmion vs Care is exciting too, if he puts in a good show Kidney should sit up and take note.

I understand its a specialist postion but in saying that a guy with talent can learn quickly this doesnt mean that henshaw cant play there if when required ( plus henshaw was only thrown into that postion due to an injury and has shown what he can do) but look at leinster, madigan playing 15 with kearney out and keatley at 15 for munster many times neither are specialist so it woudl be no harm to see how it would work out in the event of injury etc think a global view needs to be taken, a 10's ingenuity and kicking gives another type of option. Does anyone know when mata is irish qualified?. Am i the menace?..unfortunately didnt see the eagles match didnt sound pretty tho

rossie wrote:

connachtexile wrote:

That said they played really well for 72+ minutes of that game and deserved the bonus point at least. we have to get more clinical in our approch to the game though. at 76 min we were 8pts down when we won a pen in our own half. we kicked to the line just outside their 22. we needed to score twice to win and once to get a point. our whole setup from that lineout should have been to secure 3 pts and the bonus pt and play on from there. it wasnt and we came away from that possession and game with nothing.

Agree with you on this. It was the wrong decision to make and I was surprised at Parks for not going for posts.

The first try was sloppy imo. Marmion saw that Care was going to go but instead of coming round the scrum to cover it himself he shouted for someone else to. That left Vainikolo with a 2 on 1 and there was only going to be one winner there. Don't know who was the next man beside Marmion but he should have listened to his scrumhalf. That said it was a split second thing and if Marmion saw the break he was in the best position to stop it. It comes down to inexperience he'll learn from this and do better next time.

Also agree with Menace that Fifita should have come on a little earlier, he was made for this game. Not that Griffin or McSharry had bad performances.

While i agree that Marmion should have done better are defence adopted a 5-1 split on a scrum 15m out with a field position of 2/3- 1/3 approx. thats just poor defence management. Fetu should not have been on his own and should have being roaring his head off for help when he saw that he was. He and care knew what was going to happen when they both saw the scenario in front of them.

IT JUST SHOULDNT HAPPEN.

Agree total gift think everyone saw it coming in slow motion

I thought the defense thought he (Care) was going to pass so were set for a move that never happened.

Quin Kong wrote: I thought the defense thought he (Care) was going to pass so were set for a move that never happened.

you may be right but you play whats in front of you and the field position dictated a 4 - 2 defensive split. The fact that they didnt set up that way is an indictment on the leadership on the field.

Eric and co must have been pulling their hair out in that box of theirs.

On a side note imo the two form scrumhalves in the country arm marshall and marmion. Kidney has to have been impressed with him today.

Totally agree with you devils own..id love to.see fifita get a good run..hes dangerous..yeah he is irish qualified now..hes married to an.irish girl and has been in ireland for approx four years already.
Great game from all the boys..well played not as many mistakes tonight..onwards & up

Fifita is useful when coming on late in games against tired defences, but he just doesn't have the same all round game as McSharry or Griffin, and I'd wager that Tonetti will replace him on the bench when he gets fit.

Seems like a few posters here have bigged up Fifita in every post they've made thus far! Sligo RFC members obviously

WestLuce wrote: Totally agree with you devils own..id love to.see fifita get a good run..hes dangerous..yeah he is irish qualified now..hes married to an.irish girl and has been in ireland for approx four years already.
Great game from all the boys..well played not as many mistakes tonight..onwards & up

Thanks WestLuce good to hear, ya id draft him in straight away kinda like the dressing room scene where the coach says right new plan "give the ball to him" he could cause havoc dont understand how he is on the bench id prob try him for ireland if im being honest we have no one to handle the likes of players the size of the welsh backs like jamie roberts ect think its a major weakness

RuggerMan wrote: Fifita is useful when coming on late in games against tired defences, but he just doesn't have the same all round game as McSharry or Griffin, and I'd wager that Tonetti will replace him on the bench when he gets fit.

Seems like a few posters here have bigged up Fifita in every post they've made thus far! Sligo RFC members obviously

Hmm constantly biggin up K.tonetti i see, I smell the blood of a leinster man

haha yeah i smell the blood of a leinster man..
Nope not a sligo rfc member but i like the way the guy plays seen him a few times yeah..and i vomment because i.agree with the views of others and would like to.see more of him..

Fa'fita has serious power but from what I've seen of him I'd worry about his ability to offload and his distribution. He definitely can help as a battering ram option though which is vital at times just to get go forward ball. He looks a useful acquisition especially as he's Irish qualified. I'd see his role as off the bench also, maybe a bit earlier than he was brought on tonight.

I think these sort of signings are Connacht getting it right. We've got another IQ centre option for half nothing. We brought in some duds over a number of years but we got Marmion under the radar and I'm sure the other provinces are kicking themselves over that one. White, Faloon and Parks are good acquisitions. The likes of Kearney have shown promise as well. Cooney, Gardiner and these lads might and mightn't work out but we're getting them on our books and if they're good enough we can get them contracted.

We don't have the type of money of a Harlequins of the big French teams but some good recruitment like this allied to the development of our own local young players can make us a strong team.

Borders no.2 wrote: Fa'fita has serious power but from what I've seen of him I'd worry about his ability to offload and his distribution. He definitely can help as a battering ram option though which is vital at times just to get go forward ball. He looks a useful acquisition especially as he's Irish qualified. I'd see his role as off the bench also, maybe a bit earlier than he was brought on tonight.

I think these sort of signings are Connacht getting it right. We've got another IQ centre option for half nothing. We brought in some duds over a number of years but we got Marmion under the radar and I'm sure the other provinces are kicking themselves over that one. White, Faloon and Parks are good acquisitions. The likes of Kearney have shown promise as well. Cooney, Gardiner and these lads might and mightn't work out but we're getting them on our books and if they're good enough we can get them contracted.

We don't have the type of money of a Harlequins of the big French teams but some good recruitment like this allied to the development of our own local young players can make us a strong team.

ya i agree indigenous talent from our academy is the number one goal then if we have to supplement certain areas we can go looking. ya he probably needs to work on distribution and his overall game but who doesnt but i'll say it again 113kg, Bastareaud is only 112kg and his distribution is poor but he trampled all over ireland by himself when he played us, id play a earls type player outside him perfect combo was thinking maybe henshaw would be the closest we have. Ok thats the last mention