"Chasing a first away victory of the season"

Pretty sure he meant of the year perhaps! :lol:

I just watched the highlights on Skysports.
Some of the facts that the commentator came out with are shocking

I believe he said that the Dragons were on an 8 game winning streak, and that was Connacht's first away win of the season

Highlights were on TG4 after the Munster match
Healy's try was a peach

THAT'S GETTING BETTER AND BETTER

Muldoon 16 tackles 1 missed
Muldowney 13 0
McCartney same as above
Heenan 14 1
Masterson 12 0
Dillane 9 0 (within 25 minutes)

Those 6 did more than half of the total

overall tacking rate 93%!!!!!! Finally we are above 90%!!

Evil_g wrote:

Enda wrote: How did blade play before being subbed? Just wondering if marmion is not returned from the irish camp the next time ?

Sounded like he was badly caught for one of the tries, with a kick being blocked down inside his own 22, but apart from that I don't know. He was subbed at 55 minutes I think.

Cooney could be back for the Ospreys, which would be fantastic.

He had no protection for that so can't be too hard on him

Enda wrote: How did blade play before being subbed? Just wondering if marmion is not returned from the irish camp the next time ?

Sounded like he was badly caught for one of the tries, with a kick being blocked down inside his own 22, but apart from that I don't know. He was subbed at 55 minutes I think.

Cooney could be back for the Ospreys, which would be fantastic.

How did blade play before being subbed? Just wondering if marmion is not returned from the irish camp the next time ?

When he got subbed, play took place on far side of the pitch, around the 22. He didn't walk across the pitch, but instead, walked off, around the posts, and onto the bench.
Didn't look like injury to me, he was walking slowly, more like he was wrecked.

Any word on Jake? I read somewhere (here?) that it was a tactical substitution. Can anyone that was there confirm?

Patchy wrote:

Evil_g wrote: How many Zebre players are on international duty? It seems impossible to find the Italian Squad with club affiliations on line.

Pro12 site lists 9 in the match day squad and 13 in the overall squad, but as others have said, the 6N rest week might mean more of them are released.

Translated via Google Chrome...

FIR site wrote: MCLEAN FAR FROM THE FIRST MINUTE Sunday OLIMPICO

Rome - Jacques Brunel, Head coach of the Italian National Rugby Team, announced the formation that will face England Sunday, February 14 at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on the second day of the RBS 6 Nations in 2016.

The kick-off is fixed at 15, a direct simulcast on DMAX channel 52 and Deejay TV channel 9 on the remote starting at 14:20 with Rugby Social Club, the pre-match study conducted by Daniele Piervincenzi.

Only one change in the fifteenth blue than the game of Paris, with Luke McLean starts Extreme chosen to replace David Odiete, who injured his ankle in the first round of the Tournament.

Confirmed for the rest of the starting lineup, with Biagi recovered from the muscle problem in his thigh and just today returned to training with the group after working separately over the course of the week.

Bench Brunel put other two potential debutants after launching in France six new Azzurri.

Find place in the race list flanker Benetton Treviso Abraham Steyn, former U20 World Champion with South Africa in 2012, and the young fly-half of Zebras Edoardo Padovani.

Finally jersey number 23 for the center / wing of the Benetton Treviso Andrea Pratichetti, who has the chance to win his second cap in almost four years after his only appearance, in Toronto against Canada in the 2012 summer tour.

This Italy's training for the second day of the RBS 6 Nations 2016:

15 Luke MCLEAN (Benetton Treviso, 76 caps)
14 Leonardo TAILOR (ZEBRE, 24 caps) *
13 Michele CAMPAGNARO (Exeter Chiefs, 19 caps) *
12 Gonzalo GARCIA (ZEBRE, 40 caps)
11 Mattia Bellini (Petrarca Padova, 1 cap) *

10 Charles REED (ZEBRE, 8 caps)
9 Edoardo Gori (Benetton Treviso, 48 caps) *

8 Sergio PARISSE (Stade Francais, 115 caps) - Captain
7 Alessandro ZANNI (Benetton Treviso, 95 caps)
6 Francesco MINTO (Benetton Treviso, 24 caps)
5 Marco FUSER (Benetton Treviso, 7 caps) *
4 George Biagi Fabio (ZEBRE, 9 caps)
3 Lorenzo CITIZENS (Wasps Rugby, 45 caps)
2 Ornel GEGA (Benetton Treviso, 1 cap)
1 Andrea Lovotti (ZEBRE, 1 cap) *

available

16 Davide Giazzon (Benetton Treviso, 25 caps)
17 Matthew ZANUSSO (Benetton Treviso, 1 cap) *
18 Martin CASTROGIOVANNI (Racing '92, 116 caps)
19 Valerio BERNABO '(ZEBRE, 28 caps)
20 Abraham Steyn (Benetton Treviso, newcomer)
21 William PALAZZANI (ZEBRE, 16 caps)
22 Edoardo Padovani (ZEBRE, rookie) *
23 Andrea Pratichetti (Benetton Treviso, 1 cap) *

* Is / was a member of the FIR "Ivan Francescato"

Evil_g wrote: How many Zebre players are on international duty? It seems impossible to find the Italian Squad with club affiliations on line.

Pro12 site lists 9 in the match day squad and 13 in the overall squad, but as others have said, the 6N rest week might mean more of them are released.

I expect us to get 13 points in the next 3 games. Who knows if we ever get a chance like this again. Players like mul, Rolocks and fellow old heads like Tom and aly will know that this is a serious chance that can't be missed.

Speaking of last night game, think the better team lost, but we did score when we got chance. Pat said he gave the lads a holiday, before the game was chanced to a Thursday so I can that they might not of been trained well enough during the week.
Just stupid handling error really.
Maul attack and defence was again spot on. We can hurt any team like this, I would not fear any pack.
It was great having a strong bench last night. 4 players there could be starters and the others aren't far behind.

Rodney was again awful. Not a player that deserves to be in that squad. Was very happy when he was pulled of after giving away a penalty under the posts for no arms in tackle. He was lucky it was also on there tighthead who went to ground but was able to take the hit. If that was a back, and felt the shoulder going into his ribs, no doubt it would be a sin bin.

If they can beat Zebre and do well against Edinburgh and Ospreys then the games against Leinster and Munster are going to friggin epic......

Nice comment from a poster on Wales On Line this morning...


Olehand
"This Connacht side are a marvel and an inspiration for show what is possible when great leadership is combined with committed players. All that is managed within a shoestring budget. They would be really worthy winners of the Pro12."

ConnachtCows wrote: If this is true, we should be looking to run up a cricket score against them

Yeah, in normal circumstances I'd be wary of a trip to Parma, but you'd expect them to be seriously weakened at the moment.

Of course next week is a rest week in the six nations so maybe most of their players will be released a la France.