"Connacht's injury crisis has escalated again this week with loosehead Denis Buckley ruled out for the next two months because of an ankle injury."
"Centre Dave McSharry is also definitely out of Sunday's Challenge Cup trip to Newcastle after he picked up a concussion in last weekend's win over the Falcons at the Sportsground."

"Tiernan O'Halloran was a late withdrawal from that game due to a quad injury and will be assessed as the week goes on as to his availability for the weekend, while winger Matt Healy is also in the same boat due to a calf haematoma."

Good news:
"Craig Ronaldson, Andrew Browne, Eoghan Masterson, Api Pewhairangi and Jake Heenan all returned to training this week, but neither Pewhairangi nor Heenan are registered to play in Europe."
And Saba has replaced Denis in Euro Squad

No luck getting Gaffney into the squad
Flip - will we be even able field a team?

He'd be lucky to be allowed bring Gaffney in, though he should at least replace one of the injured front-rows with a fit one. Possibly he could even replace all 3 under the "emergency front row" rule. Obviously they'd have to be replaced with other front rows, which could lead to a rather comical bench, but it's better to have three fit hookers on your bench than a crocked scrum-half.

Did you see how Api Pewhairangi handled his first official Connacht game?

Hopefully can get him in but its unlikely you'd imagine. Would be the obvious call for full back if available. Looking at him yesterday, he made a couple of mistakes defensively but when he got ball he looked good in an attacking sense. Given Jersey's forward dominance it wasn't a day for our backs unfortunately.

Considering the circumstances Matt Healy filled in quite well on Friday but there were a couple of occasions when it was obvious we had no-one playing who was used to being at full back. Fortunately Newcastle blew those opportunities but for the away game I'd like to see us with a more balanced back 3.

Lam asking for bending of the euro-rule to include Gaffney against Newcastle

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/pro12/pat...acht-squad-1.2465248

Had a little chuckle at Jack talking about the young lads doing well.

Oranmoron wrote: You'd hope that a few of the lads out with concussion after the Cardiff game might be back, Marmion, Ronaldson. A couple of the other lads hurt in the Munster game had relatively short term injuries and might be close to a comeback too, I'm thinking Buckley and Masterson. Browne is supposed to be close to making a come back and Api is starting for the eagles this weekend (not sure if he's in the Challenge Cup squad though). I'd imagine if we can't fill a bench that's our own lookout - it certainly is in other sports.

Buckley and Masterson are due back against Munster but Browney should be back for next week. Mul, Bundee and Loughs weren't ruled out until later in the week so hopefully some of them will be back.

Edit: Pat's postmatch interview suggests Healy has a knock and that nobody will be risked ahead of the Ulster game.

You'd hope that a few of the lads out with concussion after the Cardiff game might be back, Marmion, Ronaldson. A couple of the other lads hurt in the Munster game had relatively short term injuries and might be close to a comeback too, I'm thinking Buckley and Masterson. Browne is supposed to be close to making a come back and Api is starting for the eagles this weekend (not sure if he's in the Challenge Cup squad though). I'd imagine if we can't fill a bench that's our own lookout - it certainly is in other sports.

So we were down to 24 this week and with Tiernan and Dave now out, we need some guys to come back from injury to even be able to field a full 23 for Kingston Park.
I notice as well that when McSharry went off, no-one came on to replace him and we finished with 14 men. Now at 15 points up on the last play of the game, I'm hoping he just said feck it, why bother, but a bit concerned that we didn't even have someone to trot on. Porter was unused.

Anyone care to speculate on what happens if we don't have 17 fit registered non-front row players? There is nothing in the rules about it. We can bring in emergency front rows but aside from that the squad is now set in stone. Would we just have to start with less than eight on the bench?

mikey wrote: Anyone travelling over to Newcastle should consider bringing some kit,cos the way our injury count is going we might yet get a pitch side summons to play....whether you've a porter belly or 6 pack torso .

Unfortunately, boots and a gumshield are the least of your worries, the main item you will need will be a counterfeit passport in the name of one of the 41 registered players. Does the Clan have an official forger?
I reckon Swift4Prez could pass for Andrew Browne in a crisis.

Anyone travelling over to Newcastle should consider bringing some kit,cos the way our injury count is going we might yet get a pitch side summons to play....whether you've a porter belly or 6 pack torso .

Given the injury crises we encountered over the last couple of seasons, the one that instigated the 14 game losing streak under Eric was the most impactful in our history, But I never thought we'd see a season with so many injuries againn.. How wrong I was, that is an unbelievably high ratio of injured players. I don;t think I can remeber any professional sports team with an accumulation of injured personnel at one time ever in any sport....

Unavailable through injury from European registered Squad: Tom McCartney, Denis Buckley, Ronan Loughney, Andrew Browne, Ben Marshall, Quinn Roux, Nepia Fox-Matamua (deregistered), Eoghan Masterson, John Muldoon, Eoin McKeon, John Cooney, Kieran Marmion, AJ MacGinty, Bundee Aki, Craig Ronaldson, Robbie Henshaw, Fionn Carr, Darragh Leader.

Other squad unavailability: JP Cooney, Jake Heenan, Conor Finn

Bu that we're even thinking that a win is remotely possible against the Falcons show how far we have come in a relatively short period of time..

They have to play on an artificial pitch in Newcastle next week as well.

Last week was a disaster to be fair, and you'd have to question the use of artificial turf if the injury rate increases. Is the injury rate due to the faster pace of the game on the artificial pitches? Would be interesting to compare the injury rate increase against the increase when moving to a drier climate for example, where the speed of the game would similarly increase.

That is the silver lining to all this. Where is all this talent coming from? it's as though we have a Back row all called Pocock and O'Brien. the younger lads are all stepping up, big time, and will continue to do so, seeing as Conolly, parata and delahunt got senior contracts today. Its just extremely frusturating to have half our squad injured, again.