salmson wrote: Way I see it is that we need 55-60 points to get 6th. We will have 28 or 29 after Friday so 30 in the final 15 games of the season is the target. There are easily enough winnable games to do this:
I target 27 points after Treviso, and will be hard enough yet. 6 wins 3 BP

- Cardiff away: after some decent performances in Ireland during the world cup they appear to be in full meltdown mode again.
Don't share your optimism
- Ulster home: every Christmas they put out the espoirs in the away game and get regularly pumped. Ulster will be coming off a Toulouse double header; this is a potential 5 pointer.
That's possible, it's a key game for us I agree
- Scarlets (h), Dragons (a), Zebre (a), Ospreys (h), Edinburgh (a) during the 6 nations: we won 4 of these 5 last year when only 2 of them (Dragons Ospreys) fell in the international windows. We have to finally win against Ospreys at home. Dragons away was won partly because they took a red card after 30 min. And Embra because they underestimated us after winning at Thomond Park.
- Leinster in the Sportsground. Bring. It. On.
- Treviso at season's end. tricky one

If we do Treviso on Sunday then 6 of the 9 listed above would be enough (along with a few bonus points) for 6th even allowing for no surprises in the other games.

For all the chat about how small our budget and squad is (talk to Brive if you want to know what that's really like) we have a better and deeper squad than we give ourselves credit for. Start of last year we were wondering what we'd do for an 8 and 10 - now we have 3 live options in both positions. Granted there are a couple of positions we're light on numbers (Loughs and Heenan can't get back soon enough) but there's a definite lack of dead wood around. Any targetting/rotation we need to do can be kept for the European games, effectively building in breaks the Champions Cup teams don't have. For instance Buckley, Carty, Marmion, Henshaw, TOH and Fox-Matamua shouldn't even travel to Russia. Fully agree, but will it be enough rest when April comes? We broke apart last season

There is not a single league fixture left where we have not taken something - win, draw or bonus point - in either or both of Lam's previous 2 seasons in charge. Therefore there is no such thing as an unwinnable game for Connacht from now on.

Way I see it is that we need 55-60 points to get 6th. We will have 28 or 29 after Friday so 30 in the final 15 games of the season is the target. There are easily enough winnable games to do this:

- Cardiff away: after some decent performances in Ireland during the world cup they appear to be in full meltdown mode again.
- Ulster home: every Christmas they put out the espoirs in the away game and get regularly pumped. Ulster will be coming off a Toulouse double header; this is a potential 5 pointer.
- Scarlets (h), Dragons (a), Zebre (a), Ospreys (h), Edinburgh (a) during the 6 nations: we won 4 of these 5 last year when only 2 of them (Dragons Ospreys) fell in the international windows.
- Leinster in the Sportsground. Bring. It. On.
- Treviso at season's end.

If we do Treviso on Sunday then 6 of the 9 listed above would be enough (along with a few bonus points) for 6th even allowing for no surprises in the other games.

For all the chat about how small our budget and squad is (talk to Brive if you want to know what that's really like) we have a better and deeper squad than we give ourselves credit for. Start of last year we were wondering what we'd do for an 8 and 10 - now we have 3 live options in both positions. Granted there are a couple of positions we're light on numbers (Loughs and Heenan can't get back soon enough) but there's a definite lack of dead wood around. Any targetting/rotation we need to do can be kept for the European games, effectively building in breaks the Champions Cup teams don't have. For instance Buckley, Carty, Marmion, Henshaw, TOH and Fox-Matamua shouldn't even travel to Russia.

There is not a single league fixture left where we have not taken something - win, draw or bonus point - in either or both of Lam's previous 2 seasons in charge. Therefore there is no such thing as an unwinnable game for Connacht from now on.

I just can't help but worry how on earth we can grab 25 pts like we did last season against Munster and Leinster home, Zebre, Treviso Dragons and Edinburgh away. That's why I assume "targeting" Ulster Glasgow and Ospreys at home, to compensate the difference between 25 points and what we'll have this year.

But yes, for coaching it should be presented to the players game after game

Thank you Ger C. Not sure what Connachta is on (although in fairness he has stepped back from his original "targeting" manifesto in subsequent posts). We should play every game to win - simple as!

Rotation is needed we all agree with that. You made your point about not resting 3 or 4 leaders at the same time.
But I keep my opinion. Resting regular starters one by one may be very costly too. Connacht is not a team able to close it out when it's a tight affair yet, even if the 2 last fixtures have shown improvement.

I can already imagine Heff missing throws McCartney wouldn't have missed on a key lineout against Ulster. And then, Roux/Marshall/Dillane making small mistakes against Munster at the Sportsground, because Muldowney was sent to Ravenhill the week before, costing us a 2-point-game. Or Parata forced to step up against Scarlets home, because Aki played stupidly the same team, away, just to get injured (with Henshaw busy for 6 nations).

You're gonna say it's speculation, but when you say resting 3 players in the same time will collapse the squad, you do so too. And yes, we're still a small team, with the smallest squad and budget, we have to face it. That's why Top 6 is more important for getting bigger, than any grandiloquence and moral.

I love your optimism, but the worst part of the season is yet to come. Hard to be sure we'll beat Leinster and Munster at home again, the Italians, Edinburgh and Dragons away once more.

"Targeting" is a dirty word around here. Everyone is in agreement that some level of rotation is a must. That goes without saying. Continuous sensible rotation is the way to go, rather than picking a game that we've done poorly in the past in, and resting 3 or 4 key players. We've progressed to the point now where there is no league fixture, home or away, that we should go into thinking we can't/won't win. For example, the history books will tell you that we tend to get beaten badly in Belfast, but if we go up there this season and win, it won't make headlines around the world as the biggest upset in pro 12 history. That's because we have improved to the point where everyone (us, opposition, journalists) knows that Connacht are no longer the pro 12 whipping boys. In summary, we should take each week at a time, and put out a team that we think will give us the best chance of victory, while continuing to sensibly rest players. The best example I can think of is the away fixture against Bayonne last year. Pat chose a team he felt could get a result, at the same time giving a couple of guys a rest. That was probably the biggest morale boost the squad got last year.

www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/match/ERUP3769993

Borders no.2 wrote: Lets not look too far down the track. The season has to be taken in segments. The final part of this segment is Treviso next Friday. Lets get the result there and re-evaluate for the European games and league games in the weeks ahead. There will be options to rotate as we get more lads back and inevitably there will be injuries whether lads are playing or not. The likes of Nathan White actually needs game time at this stage as will Jake Heenan when we get him back.

Agree 100% with that part

Borders no.2 wrote: I wouldn't like to be the one to tell Bundee he is being rested because we aren't targeting the game.

Aki is not a 20 y-o boy. He's 25, reasonnable father. He can understand he has to be rested as he's our more determinant player since Gloucester game IMO

And yes of course there will be more painful rotations than others.

To use a Fresh Heenan/McKeon/Browne backrow instead of the rested Nepia/Masterson/Muldoon, isn't a hard decision to make

But keeping Aki and Muldowney out, or resting 34 y-o White, McCartney and Buckley while our scrum seems not as dominant as it was, YES, it's a tough call. And it needs a bit of "targetting", I endorse the word, to do it wisely.

Lets not look too far down the track. The season has to be taken in segments. The final part of this segment is Treviso next Friday. Lets get the result there and re-evaluate for the European games and league games in the weeks ahead. There will be options to rotate as we get more lads back and inevitably there will be injuries whether lads are playing or not. The likes of Nathan White actually needs game time at this stage as will Jake Heenan when we get him back. I wouldn't like to be the one to tell Bundee he is being rested because we aren't targeting the game.

We have tough fixtures down the track but lets take them as they come and not concede points as impossible to get too readily.

In addition, morale in the squad is good and Pat has brought in an attitude that everyone is part of the squad and he backs whoever in the squad to go out and do a job. We don't want divisions within the squad between front-liners and lads sent out to fulfil certain fixtures. A couple of 30-40 point beatings away from home with scratch teams would have a detrimental effect on what we are trying to build as a squad.

wp_rathead wrote:

connachta wrote: I'm ready to be lynched for what I'm saying now,
but it's time to adopt a Bradley's strategy

If we only target and win against Italians away + 2/3 of our home games remaining, we're through. I woudn't play the full team available for any of the away interpros, or for Parc y Scarlets.

Now, let the trashing begin :dry: :lol:

Why aim for 6th? Why not aim for Top 4?

'cause, no. Being unrealistic won't make us better. Don't misunderstand me, I'd be the 1st to say woooohooo :woohoo: if that happens

But 3 main reasons make it highly unlikely

1) the smallest argument is that others had more unavailable players until now. True but not the worst
2) worse is our shortcomings. We've not, at all, top 4 stats. 80% tackling success against weaker teams, is simply not enough, and won't be addressed in the short-term, it's impossible
3) the main point, far above RWC, is our favourable calendar until next week. Afterward, there is NOT A SINGLE game for which we'll be clear favourite. Either because it's away (even Zebre showed how tough it is to win far from home for "mid-table" team), or either because it's the biggest teams coming home.

For me, the "partly Bradley" strategy is not about giving up running rugby. It's about rotation. Aki, White Heenan Fox McCartney must be rested for the biggest "must win" games (i.e Ospreys and Glasgow home, Italians away, Challenge Cup final phases etc). I don't want to ruin their fitness and confidence by sending them to away games for no reason. I just advocate to give them 3 or 4 matches off, to have them stronger mentally and physically when it matters.

connachta wrote: I'm ready to be lynched for what I'm saying now,
but it's time to adopt a Bradley's strategy

If we only target and win against Italians away + 2/3 of our home games remaining, we're through. I woudn't play the full team available for any of the away interpros, or for Parc y Scarlets.

Now, let the trashing begin :dry: :lol:

You're right Connachta, stay where you are the lynching committee will be there in 10 minutes.
I don't think anyone on here ever wants to return to the bad old days of the Bradley targeting era. There would be no faster way to empty the Sportsground of supporters and negate the goodwill that has built over the last few years.
No doubt as players return from injury Pat will rotate and a really positive aspect of what Pat has brought is the belief that all players have a contribution to make. Long may it continue! I for one couldn't stomach a return to Bradley's targeting. Rotate for sure but target? NEVER.

wp_rathead wrote:

connachta wrote: I'm ready to be lynched for what I'm saying now,
but it's time to adopt a Bradley's strategy

If we only target and win against Italians away + 2/3 of our home games remaining, we're through. I woudn't play the full team available for any of the away interpros, or for Parc y Scarlets.

Now, let the trashing begin :dry: :lol:

Why aim for 6th? Why not aim for Top 4?

For once I agree with Dave Finns rant. Why set your sights too low. We should be aiming for the pro 12 playoffs and not just top six.

connachta wrote: I'm ready to be lynched for what I'm saying now,
but it's time to adopt a Bradley's strategy

If we only target and win against Italians away + 2/3 of our home games remaining, we're through. I woudn't play the full team available for any of the away interpros, or for Parc y Scarlets.

Now, let the trashing begin :dry: :lol:

Why aim for 6th? Why not aim for Top 4?

I'm ready to be lynched for what I'm saying now,
but it's time to adopt a Bradley's strategy

If we only target and win against Italians away + 2/3 of our home games remaining, we're through. I woudn't play the full team available for any of the away interpros, or for Parc y Scarlets.

Now, let the trashing begin :dry: :lol:

Relieved to have got those 4 points in the bag. There was some talk of bonus points and so forth before the game but in reality Edinburgh even with their absentees are still a decent team and hadn't beaten Leinster, Ospreys and Ulster and held them all to 10 points or less in the early rounds for no reason. They may have been missing 12 but we still have a good few missing also.

The try early on was a great line from Matt Healy, very satisfactory to now see us finish those chances when we do get in behind. In reality, there were very few try scoring opportunities on either side so that one was vital. Again we had got a good start but we were sloppy for a long time in the first half, set pieces were poor even if I think Edinburgh got the nudge in the scrum partly because of a split second early engagement. Lineout started well but malfunctioned too many times as the game progressed.

2nd half,we had to soak up a good bit of pressure but some excellent work from our lads at the breakdown to get vital turnovers, our line rarely looked in danger but we were struggling for territory and 5 points is no lead to be hanging on to. However, we closed it out quite well. Bit disappointed Jack Carty didn't put the game to bed with the first of the 2 kicks, would have been useful to deny them a bonus point but given the way the game went it was just a relief to get over the line but I'd firmly expect Edinburgh to be in the hunt for Top 6 later in the season.

Nepia Fox Matamua continues to impress, TOH man of the match again, having a superb start to the season, Matt Healy again making key contributions, Bundee throwing himself about and seemingly teetering on the edge for most of the game and very happy to see the bench coming in and turning the tide at scrum time. It was a night of hard work up front.

Far from perfect but do the business against Treviso next Friday and we'll be ideally placed heading into the European games.

wp_rathead wrote: Let's never talk about the half time Fields of Athenry techno mix
My gawd

I was half expecting the two boys to pull plastic bags over their heads and tell us we'd been pranked by the rubberbandits. Jesus wept.

Let's never talk about the half time Fields of Athenry techno mix
My gawd