Connacht vs Biarritz - 07/12/12 Galway SS Red But?

The spread on the game is 14-15 points (given we lost by 8 and 21 points to far better opposition in Harlequins and Toulouse last year that seems generous). We have more back from injury (White, Swift, Naoupu) than we lost (Faloon). And the weather is supposed to be foul. So I'd hope 5 would be beyond them.

Foul weather will certainly suit them far more than us but 1 try looked beyond them for most of last Friday's game (must watch that last lineout again actually) can't see them getting 4 this week. I really, really try not to be stupidly optimistic before massive games (or any of our games for that matter) but I can't help but feel Friday could be one of the best nights in our history.....

This is now the featured game on sky Friday night

Good weather, foul weather, old coach, new coach Biarritz should first worry about winning this game. If Connacht get in their faces from the opening kick and force them into some early errors Biarritz will be there for the taking. Yachvili is fooling himself if he believes they lost that match because of the game plan. Isaac and Milhas didn't drop one pass or miss one kick out there. I believe it was Dewi Morris on Sky who said they played like 15 individuals out there and I could see that only getting worse Friday should things start to go pear shaped.

The fact is Connacht played far from the perfect game. They got the passion and commitment spot on, but from knocking on the opening kickoff which led to a Yachvili penalty to the cock up at the final lineout which led to their try Connacht sprinkled in enough errors to undo themselves. Keep the passion and drop the mistakes and they could give Biarritz a very hard time.

Porterbelly wrote: This is now the featured game on sky Friday night

So that's why I couldn't set it to record last night (just had European Rugby listed, not the 2 games).

Haven't we come up in the world?

Porterbelly wrote: This is now the featured game on sky Friday night

Surefire sign they smell an upset

They probably considered the alternative...the atmosphere at a virtually empty Murrayfield even with Edinburgh having a good chance for a win. No match for the Basque baying for blood, Connacht's to start, but maybe their own by the end.

after watching the second half on youtube i have few points to make.

biarritz stamped 3 times in the 2nd half, once trying get the ball out, once on brownes hand and also another players side of the body.

harinordoquy 3 times man handled players, KM by the neck and twice on eoin mckeon, both of the ball.

double headbutt by biarritz on locks with 3 mins to go.

after our last penalty, when biarritz kicked of the ball didnt reach the 10metre line but ref shouted play on.

great tackle by mcsharry at the end.

we made a balls of the last lineout. awful, luckly we had a huge advantage, but ill never believe that, that try should be given.

i thought the sky commentaters were very good, dont get mike mccarthy and mick mccarthy mixed up though!!!!
they said that biarritz were 15players playing but connacht played as a team and would die for one another.
also made a comment that the "clan shed" was like the shed in glouester, not many teams will get there way with the ref there. (thats what we want).
they seemed very much up to date with on goings at connacht which was good

swift4prez wrote: after watching the second half on youtube i have few points to make.

biarritz stamped 3 times in the 2nd half, once trying get the ball out, once on brownes hand and also another players side of the body.

harinordoquy 3 times man handled players, KM by the neck and twice on eoin mckeon, both of the ball.

double headbutt by biarritz on locks with 3 mins to go.

after our last penalty, when biarritz kicked of the ball didnt reach the 10metre line but ref shouted play on.

great tackle by mcsharry at the end.

we made a balls of the last lineout. awful, luckly we had a huge advantage, but ill never believe that, that try should be given.

i thought the sky commentaters were very good, dont get mike mccarthy and mick mccarthy mixed up though!!!!
they said that biarritz were 15players playing but connacht played as a team and would die for one another.
also made a comment that the "clan shed" was like the shed in glouester, not many teams will get there way with the ref there. (thats what we want).
they seemed very much up to date with on goings at connacht which was good

The stamping I think you were referring to, one was on Kearney, another on Browne and the other I can't remember off the top of my head. Although noticing them (I think) I didn't reckon that they were too bad on first viewing (not that they would thank them for it), but taking into account that they were slowing down the ball lying on the wrong side of the ruck. My own ramblings - I once saw a hardy scrumhalf point out to the ref that an opponents hand was slowing down the ball, the ref disagreed, so the scrumhalf proceeded to stamp down on the ball (more than likely breaking the oppositions hand in the process), the ref blew up and was promptly told that "I thought you said his hands weren't on the ball!". Moral of the story, I don't agree with dangerous stamping, but if you are killing the ball at ruck time, you can expect to be roughened up a bit for your troubles.

Harrinodoquy was doing what any senior player would do, as mentioned by the commentator at the time I believe, and try to get the team fired up, we all know what Marmion was doing slowing down the ball being given back to Biarritz. Not a whole lot in it.

The headbutts, ok granted, thankfully for Loughs they didn't look like that they were too damaging, but should have warranted a card if spotted by the ref or the officials, certainly should have been brought before a citing panel, no place for it in rugby.

Fully agree about the commentators comments, brought a smile to my face when I heard them say that.

after our last penalty, when biarritz kicked of the ball didnt reach the 10metre line but ref shouted play on.

That was close to the line, and I'm fairly sure that one of our players made a play for it, so play on.