Try Healy from the kick off

How did this happen?

28-20, conversion to come

Try Niyi under the posts

23-20 Connacht

columoc wrote: 20-16. Seems better in 2nd half.

Poor Jack Carty has left 10 behind, though both conversions appeared to be difficult.

I think I spoke too soon!

20-16. Seems better in 2nd half.

Poor Jack Carty has left 10 behind, though both conversions appeared to be difficult.

Last 20 minutes seem to have been a shocker.

Team must be losing confidence, Ultimate Rugby suggests loads of errors, both attack, defence and breakdown. LR playing with weakened team also.

Must fix it 2nd half or it will be 5 losses in past 6 games.

Not looking too good. 20-11 down coming up to half time.

8-6 to Connacht after 22 mins. Faloon off injured after 15 mins Muldoon on to replace him. Marmion scored the try for us.

Magpie wrote: Is there any TV/Radio coverage for this game?

Galway Bay fm is covering live

Is there any TV/Radio coverage for this game?

Good team, I think we can get away with Poolman at 13 for this one and its worth a look with Scarlets in mind anyway. I'd probably prefer him and Daragh Leader to switch. Don't think the wing is the best place for Leader by any stretch. Up front the changes make sense. If we are professional we should progress to the last 8 but a French team at home are never to be taken lightly especially if given any encouragement and we've had enough f##k ups in this type of match over the years to hopefully keep everyone honest.

cadman wrote:

The problem for the front row wasn't solely up front, the lack of grunt behind them played a significant part. Pat gambled on playing Faloon (who was excellent at what he does) at 7 but even ignoring this, man for man we must have given (at least ) about 5KG away against Exeter up front. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but ideally for the game Mul should have shifted across and Browner started at Six to add ballast. All thing being equal between two front rows, the front row with the bigger bugger behind them pushing will always dominate...

Using official website figures for both teams the starting Connacht pack in total were 5Kg heavier than the starting Exeter pack.
There was a difference of 2 Kg between the starting front in Connacht's favour, a 10Kg advantage to Connacht in the second row, while the Exeter backrow had 7Kg on Connachts.

We had plenty of grunt in the pack, but I think we saw a lot of players running out of steam after a long run of tough fixtures. The upcoming break will hopefully recharge them and we will resume our march to finish in the Top 6.

The Connacht figures are clearly nonsense though, even allowing for bulk added during the summer. There are massive discrepancies across the various official rugby sites when it comes to Connacht Rugby players dimensions.

You could visibly see that Exeter were much bigger (I know wearing white is supposed to make you look fatter etc, but... ) when the teams were side by side.....

Couple of examples:

• Dave Ewers -1.93 m/ 6' 4" & 122 kg / 19 st 2 lb and he looks it and more....even Swifty is barely that size and he would be outside Rodney our biggest player by a good bit...
• Luke Cowan-Dickie - according to the stats McCartney is half a stone heavier than Cowan-Dicke, where? His Boots maybe?... :lol:

• Dennis Buckley is 5'10 and 17'2lb apparently too...
• Bealham = 18st+..??

The problem for the front row wasn't solely up front, the lack of grunt behind them played a significant part. Pat gambled on playing Faloon (who was excellent at what he does) at 7 but even ignoring this, man for man we must have given (at least ) about 5KG away against Exeter up front. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but ideally for the game Mul should have shifted across and Browner started at Six to add ballast. All thing being equal between two front rows, the front row with the bigger bugger behind them pushing will always dominate...

Using official website figures for both teams the starting Connacht pack in total were 5Kg heavier than the starting Exeter pack.
There was a difference of 2 Kg between the starting front in Connacht's favour, a 10Kg advantage to Connacht in the second row, while the Exeter backrow had 7Kg on Connachts.

We had plenty of grunt in the pack, but I think we saw a lot of players running out of steam after a long run of tough fixtures. The upcoming break will hopefully recharge them and we will resume our march to finish in the Top 6.

More or less a second string for ASR.
Barraque in at ten. He seems to be mainly used as a 13/15 this season though I think he was mainly a fly half at Biarritz. Alofa Alofa is a regular starter too, though usually on the wing.

salmson wrote: 3 of the front 5 dropped from the matchday squad after being knackered/rubbish against Exeter (delete to taste). Harsh but fair. Worried about Poolman in the centre, he was beyond awful there away to Exeter.

12 homegrown players in the 23.

I had every sympathy for our front row last weekend, we brought a knife to a gunfight...

The problem for the front row wasn't solely up front, the lack of grunt behind them played a significant part. Pat gambled on playing Faloon (who was excellent at what he does) at 7 but even ignoring this, man for man we must have given (at least ) about 5KG away against Exeter up front. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but ideally for the game Mul should have shifted across and Browner started at Six to add ballast. All thing being equal between two front rows, the front row with the bigger bugger behind them pushing will always dominate...

Starting 15:

15 Alofa Alofa
14 Arthur Cestaro
13 Charles Bouldoire
12 Elliot Roudil
11 Damien Cler
10 Jean-Pascal Barraque
9 Julien Berger
1 Vincent Pelo
2 Hikairo Forbes
3 Benoit Bourrust
4 Leo Cedaro
5 Mathieu Tanguy
6 Benoit Guyot
7 Nicolas Djebaili (capt)
8 Albain Meron

While I'd prefer Poolman on the wing, he was last minute switch vs Exeter away, so.unfair to.judge him on that.