That's tough news for Carty, sorry to hear it. Really felt Pat was giving him every opportunity to claim the outhalf spot. I imagine Ronaldson will finally be seeing some time there now. Will be interesting to see who is named in the centre. Aki/Parata? Any chance Pewhairangi gets a run out?

FACECUTTR wrote: Wow that's significant for Carthy. Could that be a career ender ?

Highly unlikely. Having an enlarged spleen is worse than having none at all (i.e. no contact sports with enlarged spleen). Some people who lose their spleen need extra shots beyond what a normal adult would get due to the effect of a missing spleen on the immune system, but it's very unlikely to materially affect the quality of life of an otherwise healthy young man. He may have to forget about that tropical rafting holiday but hopefully that'll be the extent of it.

Wow that's significant for Carthy. Could that be a career ender ?

Carty out for up to 3 months with a ruptured spleen, thanks to a water slide while on holidays

www.connachtrugby.ie/#ConnachtNews
www.the42.ie/jack-carty-waterslide-2591403-Feb2016/

some good news as well:
Pat Lam who is expected to be able to welcome back Matt Healy and Sean O’Brien as the pair complete their return to play protocols following concussions.
Jason Harris-Wright has already been cleared to play while prop JP Cooney, who underwent shoulder surgery last October, is also available for selection for this weekend’s game with the Dragons.

Yes, not too bad. Was scanning the replacements so closely for Dillane that it took a moment to realise Kieran had been named in the squad. It's going to be a tough match.

2 Connacht guys as starters and one on the bench for Ireland, how about that? :woohoo:

Which is interesting is the relative freshness of the squad
Buckley AhYou Dillane Heenan Connolly McCartney, even Bealham, all have a number of minutes played still very reasonable in the pack.

Overused players are Muldowney, Muldoon, Masterson Aki, TOH, and Healy (maybe Marmion)
And what is great is Connacht management has fresh cover for them, guys with enough gametime to make them ready to play (Naoupu, Ronaldson, Niyi, Parata, Blade, Porter, SOB 2.0). Add to that a second wawe soon to be back (McKeon, Browne, Marshall, Roux, Carr).

So I do think with targeted rotation we could finish the season without beeing out of depth, as we were last season.
I still believe Lam should have rotated more early December to win Ulster home and maybe Scarlets away (and this home game, which didn't look good after 45 min).
But past is past, now with this squad situation I advocate to make rotations in ones and twos and only for the 6/7 "overused players"

Aki is not IQ yet. You'll have to wait for 1 and a half year to see an Irish Connacht pairing

connachta wrote: wihich means a McCloskey/Henshaw pairing? yummy!

since this is a connacht thread i would think henshaw and aki aint half bad. while it was virtually a slam dunk against eni sei tomorrow will say a lot about connacht

Evil_g wrote:

menacethedenis wrote: Some interesting quotes from Pat in the Advertiser today

www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/82284/l...g-things-for-bealham

He repeats this a few times: "the whole focus is on those who want to be here"

Interesting that Bealham is preferred over Rodney tomorrow.

Perhaps it's also interesting that Robbie is preferred over Ronaldson.

Remember when Robbie returned from the world cup, as we reached peak "it's a done deal", he was slotted in at full back to maintain continuity in the Aki / Ronaldson centre partnership.

I wonder if anything has changed?

That decision was possibly to ease Robbie back into the team in a less physically demanding position, I think he mentioned as much himself in interviews that he had been put at 15 to protect him from some of the more physically demanding elements of the game.

connachta wrote: wihich means a McCloskey/Henshaw pairing? yummy!

It would certainly be interesting to see Roberts and Davies up against a taller, heavier, faster centre partnership for the first time.

wihich means a McCloskey/Henshaw pairing? yummy!

Evil_g wrote: Maybe (probably) I'm reading too much into this, but I think Pat would be starting Craig if Robbie was leaving.....what with the "the whole focus [being] on those who want to be here" and all.

Schmidt said earlier in the week he'd release those who needed gametime,. It was also reported that he'd be asking for them to play in their international positions, though there was no direct quote on that bit. So I reckon the only thing it might mean is that Robbie won't be at 12 against Wales.

Intothewind wrote:
I would say it's the fantastic form of TOH at fullback, he's played out of his skin over the last few months.

He's been in fantastic form all season and he was still moved to play Robbie at full back for the first time in two seasons.

Maybe (probably) I'm reading too much into this, but I think Pat would be starting Craig if Robbie was leaving.....what with the "the whole focus [being] on those who want to be here" and all.

Evil_g wrote:

menacethedenis wrote: Some interesting quotes from Pat in the Advertiser today

www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/82284/l...g-things-for-bealham

He repeats this a few times: "the whole focus is on those who want to be here"

Interesting that Bealham is preferred over Rodney tomorrow.

Perhaps it's also interesting that Robbie is preferred over Ronaldson.

Remember when Robbie returned from the world cup, as we reached peak "it's a done deal", he was slotted in at full back to maintain continuity in the Aki / Ronaldson centre partnership.

I wonder if anything has changed?

I would say it's the fantastic form of TOH at fullback, he's played out of his skin over the last few months.

menacethedenis wrote: Some interesting quotes from Pat in the Advertiser today

www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/82284/l...g-things-for-bealham

He repeats this a few times: "the whole focus is on those who want to be here"

Interesting that Bealham is preferred over Rodney tomorrow.

Perhaps it's also interesting that Robbie is preferred over Ronaldson.

Remember when Robbie returned from the world cup, as we reached peak "it's a done deal", he was slotted in at full back to maintain continuity in the Aki / Ronaldson centre partnership.

I wonder if anything has changed?