at around the 20 min mark sky put up the most telling stat of the game. the score was 10-9 to connacht but connacht had made 39 tackles to quins 9. that workload imo contributed massively to conceding 15 points in 8 minutes at end of first half.

The first try is a huge set back defensively and the team leaders have to have a serious look at themselves re defensive set up and ensuring its right before the play resumes.

Swift(missed tackle in front of posts) and Muldoon(missed tackle on line), two senior players, have to hold their hands up for 2nd try and it was a poor try to concede. if gannon had done either people here would be baying for his blood. Swift again gave away a pen for poor discipline and its now a trend with him.

That said they played really well for 72+ minutes of that game and deserved the bonus point at least. we have to get more clinical in our approch to the game though. at 76 min we were 8pts down when we won a pen in our own half. we kicked to the line just outside their 22. we needed to score twice to win and once to get a point. our whole setup from that lineout should have been to secure 3 pts and the bonus pt and play on from there. it wasnt and we came away from that possession and game with nothing.

THIS mentality has to change and we must become more professional.We have to take what we deserve from games.

Thoughts after seeing the game are as follows.

1. The difference Parks makes is huge. His experience got us most of our points and if we'd had anyone else there i.e Nikora or Jarvis we'd have been nowhere close to that.
2. Vainikolo had his best game in a Connacht shirt.
3. The whole team played there hearts out and this game was easily the game of the tournament so far.
4. Kidney was there so the likes of Marmion, Muldoon and McCarthy will have done themselves no harm in getting into the Irish teams named for the November tests.
5. Buckley is fantastic but it's only against the likes of Johnston you realise that he's still a pup in propping terms.

Really proud of the guys. Yes there was mistakes but you couldn't have asked for more effort or heart.

Great effort from everyone in second half shame we didnt get a bonus point, we need to get more clinical. marmion, white and mccarthy stand out for me

Swift can not keep giving away cheap penalties in these games has to stop, Mata HAS TO BE IN THAT TEAM the second he came on he ran over their hooker and dumped a fella backwards 2 yards the guy is 113Kg! thats huge, but its always the last 10 minutes when he barely have any ball. wilksonson and loughney need to up their game big time miles behind white in scrummaging and endevour. Played some nice rugby. Alright boys were getting there

Frickity Frick.Last 10 minutes of the first half really done us in.Scrums were terrible.

Well done Marmion,Henshaw and everybody.Ya played your hearts out lads .You were up against an improved Emglish Premership Champions team and ran them really close.

mental not playing mata the guys a tank

im watching it on sky sports red button

some nice rugby played by the lads but seriously poor defense quins seem to be able to go the whole length of the pitch easily and care's try was total mess wont win anything unless they knock them back on their collective asses and stop coughing up every kick off

24-19 to Harlequins at half-time. Game on a knife edge. Need a big performance in the second half from the guys. This is winnable.

Found a link eventually

www.thefirstrow.eu/watch/147617/1/watch-...-vs-harlequins.html#

EXCITED!!! Wish I could go see this but alas in Dublin for now. 'I want to fucking win this!'

Anybody know if this on the box ? any links ?

Again CMON LADS YOU CAN DO IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Time to get my skates on. See you at the SG.

COME ON CONNACHT!

Sol_ie wrote: Lovely day, sun shining, low wind.

Feck.

Ironically imo this particular connacht team play better in the conditions you describe. In my too season watching them in sportsground they have underperformed in poor conditions, quins last season being the obvious exception. Hopefully that will continue today!

www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/1020/1224325504119.html

ConorO'Shea wrote: “We are excited about what the atmosphere will be like in the Sportsground. We’ve been to plenty of hostile environments in the last 12 to 18 months and won. Whether it be Toulouse or Munster or Kingsholm. But we haven’t done the job in the Sportground and it is something this team want to do.”

This guy is great. The message is that Connacht are afforded the same respect as Toulouse and Munster - others pay lip service but you sense that he means it. He's leaving very little for the Connacht dressing room door. His team mightn't have bought that line last year, but they will this time.

Devils own wrote: 9. Marmion
10. Parks
11. Griffen
12. Mata
13. Henshaw
14. O'Halloran
15. Carthy

like to see this backline given a go in rabo carthy should be accomadated give him a bit of time at fullback to learn and his kicking and tactical play alongside parks at 10 could be of massive benefit, mata to make the big runs henshaw to exploit the space.

No Carty isn't a 15. It'd be a waste when you consider that you could be playing Layden there. You can't throw someone into 15 like you throw someone on to the wing. It's a specialist position and there's no point putting a young 10 there when you can put one of the most exciting backs in the country there who is a natural in the position.

I am in favor of him coming off the bench though in the Rabo at 10. When Frank comes back that might be the best time to try it. Cartys distribution needs to improve too, there was too many balls hitting the inside shoulder against Newcastle last night. But I think the physicality did get under most the teams skin last night, so that could have played a part.

As for tonight, I think the bookies have called it right. But that's one of the best bits about being a Connacht fan; Beating the odds.

I'm dying to see how McSharry and Griffin go tonight to prove they are up to it at the highest level. Marmion vs Care is exciting too, if he puts in a good show Kidney should sit up and take note.

He has played well so far, hope to see him come on