And the rest of my summary doesn't suit you, no comment? :ohmy: :lol:

connachta wrote: PS : if I saw correctly, Api was hanging around with a knee brace after the match

Connacht put up a video where Pat said Api had done his knee, hopefully not too serious.

PS : if I saw correctly, Api was hanging around with a knee brace after the match

Haha, I was writing. I knew you all can't wait a little summary, can you?

1) O'Leary's kicking game OK, Ronaldson missed conversion embarrassing
2) Scrum utterly dominated by Castres for the 1st 30 minutes, then Buckley on, and it was the reverse. 2 or 3 pens earned for him, especially one on our 5-meter line. Irish international material, Denis!
3) Lineout was so-so. 4 or 5 throws lost, but also 2 stolen to Castres
4) Sorry but i didn't see anything special, bad or good, about newcomer Fox-Nepia, should have focused on him..
5) 1st Castres try = Maul+blindside, not much to do, 3rd = step inside close to our tryline but our defence was holding firm overall on the 5-meter line, which is very good. The 2nd try was IMO the most annoying : Cooney correct up-and-under to clear, but no pressure, Castres FB, on his own 10-meter line, run, two passes wide, and try. Too easy
6) Our Try : Rodney pick and go, powerful, concluding a collective action from the forwards
7) Standout player: Leader, gone through 2 or 3 defenders several times, very sharp and fast. Schmidt was right, once more : among the uncapped Connacht players, he is, with Buckley, the nearest to the Irish jersey
8 ) Marmion : 2 lovely breakthroughs, had his part in the positive change between 1st and 2nd half, quicker balls, limiting the turnovers in the rucks (too many IMO). Don't know how Boss did today, but if average, Kieran is well able to be in the RWC mix...

Anyone stand out Connachta?

As you could have expected, I was at the game
Wet and windy, good "Galway waether" to prepare the guys

19-5 full time. Rodney with our try. Castres sealing it with a try in last 10 minutes.

12-0 Castres at half time. twitter.com/castresrugby

Hardly going to be on any French tv channels ?

Schmidt have released him for gametime, hope he gets a good filmed 50 minutes shift, then back in contention with Boss

Ah You pulling double duty, starting and on the bench. I wonder how much game time they plan on giving Marmion? If he is dropped from the RWC squad in the coming weeks will he have to sit out at all for player welfare?

salmson wrote:

connachta wrote:
2) Qualter in the engine room, does he have the level?

4) Where's Conor Finn?

Based on last week, Qualter just isn't able to get around the pitch fast enough.

Yes that's what I saw against Bayonne, but what about lineout catching, powerhouse in the scrum, ruck and tackling abilities?

As for Conor Finn, he did his cruciate towards the end of last season, so I'd expect it to be several more months before we see him.

I've missed that, we could be in big trouble next month for centres, with Api not used to play Union Rugby, McSharry potentially injured, Henshaw at RWC, Finn out... Hope Parata breaks through, if not it could be Leader/Poolman back there....

connachta wrote:
2) Qualter in the engine room, does he have the level?

4) Where's Conor Finn?

Based on last week, Qualter just isn't able to get around the pitch fast enough.

As for Conor Finn, he did his cruciate towards the end of last season, so I'd expect it to be several more months before we see him.

I dislike/worry about

1) McSharry's injury, again...
2) Qualter in the engine room, does he have the level?
3) Parata, tough call for him
4) Where's Conor Finn?

I like

1) the trio Poolman/TOH/Leader, should match Castres physicality
2) O'Leary as outhalf, has to be tried, as we're short in that spot
3) Same for Bealham as LH, waiting for Loughney in October
4) our backrow, should be the starting one in pro 12 till November
5) Roux, back in contention

Pat Lam has named a young side for his side’s pre-season clash with Castres Olympique tomorrow evening in France. The game, which is part of the Challenge Vaquerin, kicks off at 8pm (7pm Irish time) at Saint-Affrique.

As the management team continue to blend the new summer signings and academy players into the squad, the line-ups show a combination of youth and experience and will come up against a top French side just eight days out from the start of their Top 14 campaign.

Uncapped academy centre Rory Parata will start in the backline on the same day he celebrates his 21st birthday in France. The Galwegians club man will link up with Bundee Aki in midfield while Shane O’Leary and Emerging Ireland player John Cooney make up the half back pairing. Tiernan O’Halloran also returns to the fray after his summer tour to Georgia and starts in a back three with Darragh Leader and Danie Poolman.

Up front, new signing Nepia Fox-Matamua will have his first outing in a Connacht shirt and is named in a back row with Eoin McKeon and 22-year-old Eoghan Masterson who will captain the side in France. The Portlaoise man, who has graduated from the Connacht Academy, was one of nine Connacht players to return from a successful Emerging Ireland tour in Georgia.

Connacht 15 – 9: Darragh Leader, Tiernan O’Halloran, Rory Parata, Bundee Aki, Danie Poolman, Shane O’Leary, John Cooney

1 – 8: Finlay Bealham, Dave Heffernan, Rodney Ah You, Ben Marshall, Danny Qualter, Eoin McKeon, Nepia Fox-Matamua, Eoghan Masterson (captain)

Replacements: Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney, Shane Delahunt, Rodney Ah You, Quinn Roux*, Ultan Dillane, Andrew Browne, John Muldoon, James Connolly
Fionn Carr, Matt Healy, Api Pewharangi, Jack Carty, Craig Ronaldson, Kieran Marmion

*Quinn Roux was a late addition to the traveling squad. Dave McSharry was withdrawn late due to a shoulder injury picked up in training on Tuesday. A further medical update will be provided next week.

Commenting on the team selection and the upcoming game, head coach Pat Lam said:

“Castres are just a week out from the start of their Top 14 campaign so we excited to have a tough encounter away from home. This is a great opportunity for us to take the learnings from last week and improve.

“As a coaching team, we are encouraging strong competition throughout the squad and this a perfect chance for all players to stand up to the challenge, and push for a starting place in the team.“

Castres Olympique v Connacht Rugby
Saint-Affrique
Friday August 14th
kick off 8pm local time (7pm Irish time)

I havn't thought about it when i read. You give me some hope! :woohoo: