connachta wrote: Ok guys, just came back from Lacaune, I suppose you'd like some feedbacks!


Honnestly I didn't recognize our team, the progress is huge!!!

We missed 4 or 5 key players, whereas Castres had nearly the full team (even R.Gray played 30 minutes), Castres had had 2 friendly match before, but despite of all that, I swear we matched the level of the French Champions in every sector of the game

Scrum was perfectly stable even with Reilly
Only 1 lineout lost (cost us the try)
Offensive tackles, continuity of support and binding, our power at the breakdown amazed the Castres suppoters around
Fionn Carr was lights-out for us in 2nd half, Healy in 1st half
No physical crash in the end, last Castres action on the 5 metres line was avorted
M Kearney and S Layden were the injury concerns, but seem both ok after the match, I don't know more..

Another good news, Frank Murphy told me after this morning trainning session I attended, that he should be involved as early as next week

If you have any questions to complete my repport, don't hesitate

Any evidence of improved ball handling? or greater use of offload? We hear so much about how Lam has been focusing on these skills in training. Do you think Parks was under instruction to kick less?

About the gameplan, I notice Pat Lam's Connacht takes more depth to run the backline, the wingers are better used and can express their speed.
In yesterday trainning session, Pat works 1 hour with the team on lures, then opening up the game for the backs, and quick support from the forwards

Thanks for the match report Connachta. Disappointed about Ah You but way to early to tell if the new rules will help him. Very interested about Finn at 12. He got taken in front of Leader and then gave a good account of himself. With Tonetti, Griffin and McSharry all being prone to injury and Hemshaw still considered a 15 he could could get gametime there this season. Hopefully we will see more of him in the friendlies still to come.

If only we all spoke Google English! Pure poetry

clanman wrote: I'm not sure you can read all that much into these friendlies, i'm sure the home team is allowed win anyway. scrum would have made interesting viewing though, I'm in 2 minds whether the new rule will hinder or help us, does it help against a bigger pack when the initial hit is taken out of the equation or maybe for us not having advantage of the initial hit as a lighter pack goes against us. really not sure on what the effects will be. I'll guess we find out when Ulster come to town in September as they usually make it hard for us at scrum time

No "home" team really, it was one of several challenge matches hosted across four different small club grounds in the Tarn region as part of Challenge Vaquerin honouring a former legendary France Prop (In 1993, Vaquerin shot himself while playing Russian roulette in a bar in Béziers. - uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/oval-talk/r...atest-110015877.html )

And the Match report form the Challenge Vaquerin website (via google translate):

Castres 42 - 31 Connacht (halftime 20-17)

Setting fire to the four corners of the court by execution speed far above the average, the province of Connacht flaunts the quality of its rugby. Consequently, the Castres Olympique took by the throat the start to the match had to wait until the 35th minute to level the score (17-17). The test scored by scrumhalf O’Donohoe(11th) had sanctioned this way of being Irish, while vitality and answered the penalty adjusted Kockott (7th) for a score of 3-7.

With a team of gazelle in the line of three-quarters Connacht recurred 18th for a test corner Marouley who filed any defense. Mimicry coaches and Castres Milhas Daricarrere worth all the explanations. Back through the battle fronts or CO imposed its law, the scoring opportunity presented itself on button with a test Kockott he transformed to a score of 10-12 (18th). But it was said that the execution speed of the green would cause further torment to Castres as the attack on or off as an arrow shot in the opposing defense, winger Healy (28th) sped to the Irish for new test (17-10).

The large audience found its account. It is then returned Bonnefond instead of Martial to wing it instead of sliding Teulet injured his knee while defending the opposing trial, which crossed the line of Connacht, Kockott adjusting the processing time for a score 17-17 (36th). Kirkpatrick (38) providing for the first time the home team penalty. By registering three additional tries in the second period against two Connacht, the intensity of the meeting held their breath.

Castres are required 42-31. With 73 points and registered a high level of content, both teams gave this 20th Challenge Vaquerin a festive air to the height of the event. The audience applauded at length both teams. Castres will begin next week's as champion in the Top 14 and Toulouse will find Connacht in the Heineken Cup this winter in Ireland. Not sure this is a cakewalk.

I'm not sure you can read all that much into these friendlies, i'm sure the home team is allowed win anyway. scrum would have made interesting viewing though, I'm in 2 minds whether the new rule will hinder or help us, does it help against a bigger pack when the initial hit is taken out of the equation or maybe for us not having advantage of the initial hit as a lighter pack goes against us. really not sure on what the effects will be. I'll guess we find out when Ulster come to town in September as they usually make it hard for us at scrum time

connachtexile wrote: Good to have a lad at the game Connachta. So my questions are these:

1. How did Ah You do?

He just played a little bit at the beginning of 2nd half, difficult to have a clear idea.. Seems very sharp, on the other hand our two only penalised scrums were with him, if I remember well... Can't determine the part of his responsibility though

2. Do you think the new scrum laws will help or hinder us?

Help us apparently, even the two only penalties against us were harsh. The impact is less important which entails stability..(better for Ronan, don't forget his hand on the ground which cost us defensive bonus point against Quins for our 1st Hucp match) No reset in the whole match, but maybe Castres wasn't 100% in this sector yet..

3. Heard good things about Conor Finn at 12. Thoughts?

Very handy boy, made a few line breaks, I think he was at the origin of Healy's 2nd try, regainning the ball in our 22

4. How did Fifita do at 6?

Haven't seen much of him, except he is visually our most impressive player, bigger and taller than Big Georges himself

5. Who did Sean Henry play was he solid? Were his line-outs good?

Sean made his defensive duty, no lineout lost as far as I remeber (the only one we lost was JHW at the end of the 1st half)

6. Any views on Aly Muldowney or any of the other new guys like Heenan?.

As you know with the scorline, this game was really more for the backs than the forwards, not easy to distinguish any standout players 1-8... Aly misses one lineout catch, but took another.. Though, our defensive organisation in the mauls is doubtful for the least...

7. What about the other young lads in the academy any stand-outs?

Walsh was denied a try for crawling, Shane Layden was injured quickly after he came in (his mother was very worried seeing him lying down with ice on the knee but he was standing up after the match).. Rael easily found 2nd base jumper, with precise throw.. Mc Auley was on the other side of the pitch I didn't see much of him

Two reflexions : Carr should be our top scorer once again, found gaps like nobody ( after 60 min, he runs 40 metres, give TOH the ball in the inside, chip and chase, Castres defender arrived just one step ahead on his 5m line)

Parks was disappointing with his conversions, barely one out of 3, didn't cope with the wind at all, Miah and Ronaldson may have gametime next season, and So'Oialo will be precious to kick

yeah id love to know how heenan did and i think henry at hooker?

Good to have a lad at the game Connachta. So my questions are these:

1. How did Ah You do?

2. Do you think the new scrum laws will help or hinder us?

3. Heard good things about Conor Finn at 12. Thoughts?

4. How did Fifita do at 6?

5. Who did Sean Henry play was he solid? Were his line-outs good?

6. Any views on Aly Muldowney or any of the other new guys like Heenan?.

7. What about the other young lads in the academy any stand-outs?

Ok guys, just came back from Lacaune, I suppose you'd like some feedbacks!


Honnestly I didn't recognize our team, the progress is huge!!!

We missed 4 or 5 key players, whereas Castres had nearly the full team (even R.Gray played 30 minutes), Castres had had 2 friendly match before, but despite of all that, I swear we matched the level of the French Champions in every sector of the game

Scrum was perfectly stable even with Reilly
Only 1 lineout lost (cost us the try)
Offensive tackles, continuity of support and binding, our power at the breakdown amazed the Castres suppoters around
Fionn Carr was lights-out for us in 2nd half, Healy in 1st half
No physical crash in the end, last Castres action on the 5 metres line was avorted
M Kearney and S Layden were the injury concerns, but seem both ok after the match, I don't know more..

Another good news, Frank Murphy told me after this morning trainning session I attended, that he should be involved as early as next week

If you have any questions to complete my repport, don't hesitate

Some nice photos from the game on Friday.

www.flickr.com/photos/mathiildeb/sets/72157635006072494/

Seen these from @Murray_Kinsella on twitter. He also tweeted a few things after the game how the French clubs will definitely be putting offers into Matt Healy now they were that blown away with his tries.

Sounds like lots more positives than negatives though ! 5 tries scored. Good run out by all accounts. Well done lads.

Id love to know how we got on at scrum time!

I have to say I was intrigued by some of the choices he made such as Conor Finn at 12, Peter Reilly at 1 and Mata Fifita at 6. Would have loved to have seen the game so I could see how they did.

Sounds like an exciting game, good to get up and running with a game anyway as I'm sure they're sick of just. I'm sure we'll see a more settled side the next evening.

5 tries apiece!