Match Thread - Connacht vs Ospreys 15/2/13

To all our season ticket holders,

To celebrate Valentine’s Day and as a thank you for all your loyal support throughout the season, Connacht Rugby is opening the doors of the hospitality suite once again for all season ticket holders. The suite will be open before and after the Connacht v Ospreys game tonight (KO 7:45pm).

There will be full bar facilities, live music as well as player and management interviews pre and post-match.

Just come along to the hospitality suite from 6:15pm which is located at the Sportsground via the Clubhouse gate and show your season ticket at the door.

Love,
Connacht Rugby

6-17 defeat in this fixture last season and it was during the November internationals with a similar Ospreys squad and during our 14 match run of close calls and that game was one of the worst ones in the 14 match run.
We are given away too many penalties at the break down We need out forwards to carry the ball around the ruck's
A good example of winning rugby are Quins They let their forwards make ground get the penalties and in the 20 minutes around Half-time they up the pace and try to kill off the game, they did it to us twice this year and in our first HCup game in the stoop

We have to set the tempo tonight

sea_point wrote: For those of us outside Ireland, hopefully someone streams the match..

www.firstrow1.eu/sport/rugby.html

www.sportlemon.tv/c-11.html

aertv.ie is yer only man

link for anyone stuck abroad:

lsh.streamhunter.eu/static/popups/13496303418720.html

How did he award that? Unclear from all angles bar one, and cant make out where the line is in that one

Great build up to that try, Muldoon and Poolman did very well, a great line at the end as well

10-7 to Connacht

That'll do, pig. That'll do.

Great win but neither of those touch judges should be allowed anywhere near a game of rugby again how they missed the spear tackle is beyond me and what happened over the other side when we got a penalty and then it was taken away? Referee did OK but he was badly let down by his assistants especially the guy near the clan stand.

Just watched Faloon's try again. Great scrum, then 8 recycles and Faloon scores on 9th phase. Remorselessly executed, hope it's a sign of things to come.

sea_point wrote: Wille Faloon and Danie Poolman...

That is all.....

Parks, White, Faloon and Poolman. That really was a good bit of business last summer.

Good result. Particularly pleased with the way they closed it out, but that was a very disjointed Ospreys performance.

Good win. Ospreys have done a few smash and grab jobs on us so pleased to get one over on them. Ospreys were missing effectively a whole matchday squad but they showed up in Ravenhill last week that they have huge depth. Sloppy try at the start but apart from that Connacht had the better of it. The crucial area was that the penalty count was a lot lower than in the past couple of games.

Having John Muldoon and Willie Faloon back really boosted our back row. Swifty put in some big hits. Eoin McKeown once again played well but picked up an injury which is most unfortunate. Poolman impressed most in the backline with Robbie Henshaw lively also. Credit to Eoin Griffin diving in head first to win a crucial ball on the ground. Got a bang for his troubles but we got 3 points from that attack and if we can instill that kind of attitude in our players we will come out the right side in more tight games.

We played some good stuff but once again lacked the killer instinct to kill off the game and let the game drift into a lull. It looked like a familiar finish with Ospreys getting back within 6 and attacking against a tiring Connacht defence late on but we got away with it. Parks had one of his better games of late and while the scrum fluctuated throughout the game we got enough penalties off it to keep moving forward.

My only gripe on the night was the decision to bring Rodney on, its a terrible thing to say but luckily he went off injured as if he'd stayed on I firmly believe we'd have lost. Brett Wilkinson came back in and steadied the ship again. How much more do they need to see of him. Why not put Bealham or someone on the bench at least we'll see someone new get gametime and see if they are up to it.

We played very well tonight.

White, JHW, and Wilkinson very solid indeed. Kearney and McKeon have the skills to feature in this pack for years to come. Mul was back to his best, and an excellent performance from Willie Faloon. Parks showed all his experience again tonight and I thought all of the backs excelled tonight. Special mentions for Poolman and Henshaw who are both class acts.

In fact Henshaw is the form 15 in the country at the moment, outplaying Rob Kearney. If Kidney was picking on form....................

Only dark note of the night was the weakening of the performance by over-use of the bench. At 16-10 and with the Ospreys on the attack it only took an inspitred steal by Duffy to save us.

Ah You suffered the indigity aof being substituted uninjured after 10 minutes on the park.

Eric: please cut this guy loose. He is not a rugby player.