Johnny O Connor out for a month

Concerns over Swifty, Ah You, Griffin, Fa'afili, Anderson, Murphy and O Donoghue for Friday night

Check out this thread, on this forum

www.connachtclan.com/forum/index.php/topic,44.0.html

If anyone is goin to the game, where will there be Connacht fans?  Goin gettin tickets soon.

Thanks

That's if both McSherry and Griffin are both fit !! I agree about Jarvis he will be inaffective at 12 or 13, still our best 10 in my oppinion but then again I do not pick the team. I would also put O'Donohue ahead of Murphy but as sure as eggs is eggs Eric will be selected for his experience !!!!!

I don't understand what people see in O'Donohue - I'd start Frank ahead of him all day, and I felt we improved against Ulster last night when he came on. I'd also credit NO'C with some of the improvement last night - not saying he was good, but he was better than Miah IMHO.

If you have two opensides and a rush defence you don't need beef in the back row, saying that Ofisa is incredible in the tackle so he is not lacking beef. If we use the rush defence the ball will rarely get to 13 and if it did there would be no speed in it. O Donahoe sweeping behind the back line ready to feed our three runners if a chip over occurs. On our ball, none of this kick the ball up in the air bollocks and hope we can catch it(although we never actually chase it to catch it). Offence we should vary the attack with not just the odd inside pass to a winger coming in but also in mid field, instead of going our usual route replace the 12 in the line with a back row, who off loads to the 12 who is following behind. There are actually so many moves we could make but we don't that some time on the paddock would sort out, but you need the backs coach to stand up to the plate(if he is allowed) Its great to talk about this, but we all know none of it will come about, what was hugely successful for us last year like the restarts up the middle with George or Mike or Gavin chasing and tapping back I don't think has been used once this year. The extra man behind ten at a 5/10 metre scrum which countless teams scored against us last year has not been adopted and used. This where a video man with skill comes into play, copy recycle and reuse with your backs coach.

Jarvis is too slight to play 12, Turner Hall would bash through him. As well as that, it would represent a major risk to start Jarvis at 12 having not played there this year. McSharry/Griffin partnership gives us a specialist 12 and 13, pace in attack and solid in defence.

While we have to come up with plans to stop Quins, we must play our own game to an extent as well. We have to be more creative in attack, we can't just defend for the 80 minutes.

I was referring to a Jarvis-McS 10-12 axis. Jarvis is the best defender of our available flyhalves, and probably has the biggest boot too, so was thinking the two of them would stand up to the big Quins runners best. Nikora would get swatted too easily.

That's if both McSherry and Griffin are both fit !! I agree about Jarvis he will be inaffective at 12 or 13, still our best 10 in my oppinion but then again I do not pick the team. I would also put O'Donohue ahead of Murphy but as sure as eggs is eggs Eric will select Murphy for his experience !!!!!

Watching Quins win over Bath yesterday, they really made good ground with their big ball carriers in the pack. We need to put as much beef in the side as possible - particularly in the backrow and in the 10-12 channel. Hence I'd veto the idea of two opensides, and I'd go with a Jarvis-McSharry axis in the midfield.

Jarvis is too slight to play 12, Turner Hall would bash through him. As well as that, it would represent a major risk to start Jarvis at 12 having not played there this year. McSharry/Griffin partnership gives us a specialist 12 and 13, pace in attack and solid in defence.

While we have to come up with plans to stop Quins, we must play our own game to an extent as well. We have to be more creative in attack, we can't just defend for the 80 minutes.

Watching Quins win over Bath yesterday, they really made good ground with their big ball carriers in the pack. We need to put as much beef in the side as possible - particularly in the backrow and in the 10-12 channel. Hence I'd veto the idea of two opensides

Mentality is Rodney's big issue I feel. Big man, all the physical attributes but he seems to be too nice or something. He needs to get a hard edge to him and be consistent

You're probably right about this...and that "nasty streak" may come with a bit more hardening through additional experience.

Mentality is Rodney's big issue I feel. Big man, all the physical attributes but he seems to be too nice or something. He needs to get a hard edge to him and be consistent

Regarding Rodney, it's just going to take some time, I think.  He's all of 21 years old, if I remember correctly -- which is an infant in prop terms.  He's got bags of God-given ability, and he's extremely active in defending as far as front-rowers go.  He just needs more instruction and experience.  Hope we hang on to him as I think he'll be a force after another season or two.

Anyone got a link to Eric's post match interview ???

I'm coming around to the idea of playing the 2 opensides. Ofisa and Concrete will hunt Evans, that's what we need. Couple of late hits, a possible charge down and we get doubts into his head. Quins are a very rounded team but essentially Evans makes them tick and without him they're nothing special. If we play a rush defence we need our 9 be it Murphy or O'Donoghue and our 15 be it Duffy or Tiernan, very alert to the chip in behind. If not we'll be caught all ends up.

13 is the key defensive position in the backline, it knits everything together. I think it would be suicide to start Henry there until he learns to put his body on the line in defence and move his feet. It's got to be Griffin who's a specialist or Duffy who's defence is very good, with McSharry inside either or. We've got to be bold here and start McSharry at 12.

I wouldn't read into Elwood's comments too much after the match. I'd say privately with the team he wouldn't be as nice.

I know what you mean about Henry, but the 13 channel is easier to defend and I do not believe he is a 12, he has a side step after all which is not only rare in a 12 but in modern rugby there is no room for a 12 to perform one hence why I think he would be better at 13.
Not wanting to single out players, but the number 6 you suggest has shown no leadership this year. As a player he is not playing his best at the moment, although he fronted up last night. He was in my IMHO the best defensive number 6 in Irish Rugby but also not a great offensive 6, but for one match Ireland against the Baa Baa's he showed fantastic offence skills that night, but that was with a good team. The problem with plenty of mauling and keeping it tight is you use energy so forwards will fatigue quicker which means subs, and you cannot change all your forwards.Ofisa and O Connor after Nick Evans will create mayhem to the Quins back line especially if we use a rush defence system initially. Make him  throw bad passes, make him kick early, hit him late the odd time and also hit high and low at the same time if the opportunity arise's. People might not like what I am saying, but I am not suggesting killing him, I am merely suggesting you hurt him a little . With O Halloran and Fetu both been good broken play runners any kick over the top can be counter attacked with Duffy a brilliant strong straight line runner. As for Rodney at scrumtime, he can be devasting and weak, one week with Greg Feek would have Rodney sorted.

1. Wilko
2. Flavin
3. Rogers
4. Swifty
5. McCarthy
6. Ofisa
7. O Connor
8. George
9. O Donahoe
10. Jarvis
11.O Halloran
12. McSharry/ Matthews
13. Henry
14.Fetu
15. Duffy

16. Eithienne
17. Ah You
18. Frank Murphy
19. Jamie Stevens
20. Nikora
21. Eoin Mckeon
22. Dave Gannon.

Starting Henry at 13 would be like waiting for a car crash to happen, the man can't defend for his life. We need Muldoon at 6 for his leadership, big hits and devilment around the breakdown. Essentially we need all our mad dogs in the pack to try and strangle Quins up front, so Mul, JOC, Swift and Macca are needed badly. Quins play a lovely open brand of rugby so if we keep it tight when we have the ball, plenty of mauling we can frustrate them. Their pack wouldn't be the most heavyweight around so we can take them on here. There's an argument for Ofisa because with both him and Concrete we'd have 2 opensides who could go after Nick Evans all day. If we stop Quins getting quick ball, and then stop Care and Evans at source, then we can keep it respectable. A tall order, but that's what's needed