No it's not. There's no place for sentiment in professional sport

Nice article.

Good guy Dan. Pity we didn't hold onto him for 1 final year.

Nice interview with Dan Parks on planet rugby.


www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_9399146,00.html

Former Coach wrote: Where has fa'amausili gone? Thought that he struggled to impress even with Corinthians in AIL?

He went to San Gregorio for a year and then Montpellier HR in the top14 came in and handed him a 3 year deal till 2015. i cant get any up to date stats on games, but from first season up to feb 2013, he had 11 games played.

Interesting that our longest serving (unbroken service) are Swifty, John Mul, Loughs, Brownie, TOH (23) and Miah (open to correction) Just shows how much our squad has changed over the years!

Where has fa'amausili gone? Thought that he struggled to impress even with Corinthians in AIL?

Dylan rodgers moved to Hongkong around the new year and won the Hong kong premier league with HKCC Rugby in late february.

having a look at players who left since summer 2010 till summer 2013, 35 players left. only a handful have made it. 2 came back, fionn and george

the good players we knew are doing well, keats, croinin, macca, fets etc
any player who left cause they 'werent good enough' proved they werent good enough apart from,
fanning, fa'amausili, monahan,

i read that yesterday. huge pith about macauley, anytime ive seen him play for the eagles, he was the best back. seems to be giving up pro or even semi pro. his comment:

“A good bit before the end of last season I decided I didn’t want to carry on with it.

no wonder he wasnt given a contract, he didnt want one.

with reilly he seemed more pushed about going further.

“I was looking into trying to get into the Championship, but I’m not 100% set on it at the moment. I’m enjoying it over here and I was also thinking of heading to see my friends to Australia for a while,” says 23-year-old Reilly.
“I could just end up playing club rugby in Dublin, so all the doors are pretty much open. I haven’t really set my mind to one at the moment; I’ll wait until the season ends here.”

but its not the usual, 'i want to play for a province' etc etc. its more. 'ah sure, i'll be grand' attitude. yes, every door is pretty much open, but some doors are bigger then others. the bigger doors close sooner.

Nice article here on the recently departed Macauley and Reilly

www.thescore.ie/stephen-macauley-peter-r...ate-1553957-Jul2014/

Matthew jarvis has left Nothingham for Ealing Trailfinders, They fell from the championship last year, going to the wire on the last with jersey.
www.nottinghamrugby.co.uk/news-events/no...inson-and-venus.aspx

speaking of jersey, they have let go of Niall o connor. i cant see if he has picked up a new club yet, or what he'll do. if he cant stay with a club who finished second bottom, then maybe he will hang up the boots.

edit to add, tj anderson leaves ealing trailfinders

swift4prez wrote: Tony Buckley retired. Turned down clubs in London and Paris to play for home club kanturk

L'Equipe quotes Jacky Lorenzetti as saying: "Once again we are outbid and outmuscled by the big powerhouses of Munster Junior League Division 1. This will destroy rugby in Europe and I demand an investigation by EPCR."

It's a very rough translation, my French isn't what it was.

Tony Buckley retired. Turned down clubs in London and Paris to play for home club kanturk

I have to admit that I was not a fan of Dan's before he arrived at Connacht for precisely what he did at Croke Park in 2010. Saw him too many times stride up to a ball with those aforementioned sideburns and coolly slot a killer blow. Wasn't on the other side of those kicks as much as I'd hoped but I'm in complete agreement that he helped immensely with the development of the younger backs and is a true professional in the best sense of the word. Also agree with ConnachtCows that he is still better than those available at outhalf for Connacht at the moment though he probably doesn't suit Pat's style of play. Unfortunately I can't see money in the budget to take Dan on fulltime as a kicking coach, but maybe if catches on somewhere in the area he can be brought in a few times over the course of the season to help out. I wish him the best of luck going forward.

Farewell to the Man with the Immaculate Sideburns.

My favourite memories are *that* kick in Croke Park, his debut against Leinster where he brought a spark to the backs that Leinster had in no way expected and his points away in Toulouse.

I see from the Twitter that Brett Wilkinson is back in Galway. I know there was talk about him doing some coaching but has anyone heard anything concrete?

swift4prez wrote: Very disappointed to hear this, he openly stated that he wanted to keep playing, I guess he didn't find a club at high enough to make it worth playing. He really became a connacht player through and through, as said above, he always clapped the crowd and always had time for pictures.
When he signed it was said he would get a coaching job at the end of the 2 years, but when he said he wanted to keep playing that might of been the end of that
I think he might of been seeing someone from Galway so he might stay around

Probably my stand out moment from a connacht player has to be parks in his first game which was vs leinster. I've never seen leadership like that before

journal quotes him as saying he will stay in galway, might be a good chance to get a kicking coach for connacht, whatever he does I wish him all the best.

I'm a big fan of Dan's, and personally think that he's still better than anyone else we have in that position. I dont know what he was been paid, but I imagine his lack of new contract was down to money more than anything. He would be a great head to have around the young players for another few years

I hope he enjoys his retirement from playing, and can get into coaching.