Losing is bad enough but the manner of the losses is the problem.

Yes it has been agreed. Whether its utilised for next season is in the hands of PRL but its agreed and is the benchmark of the season from here on.

rossie wrote: I'm sorry phat but that all changed when merit based qualification was agreed to, sponsors like Mazda came on board and crowds grew from 1500 to 4000+. Its a business in its own right and something needs to be done to put it back on track.

What do you mean merit based qualification, the new heineken cup? Has that even been finalised?

Anyways I'll say it again the season of the infamous losing streak people were calling for Elwood's head and the team finished in their highest ever position. When you're part of the bottom half of the table you lose more than you win that's just how it goes. Am I happy about that or the loss? No I think this team has the capacity to challenge for 6th and higher in the next couple of years. However none of us afaik actually saw the game so the majority of this outrage is based on scraps.

Squad just fine. Work it out from there

I asked the talented question to get a response re game plan etc. Lads have been talking about exciting running game etc and it perplexes me. Have Connacht improved so much that they propose to run/pass their way through teams? I don't think so but yet that's the game plan or at least it was for the first part of the league. Far better teams know better so there are questions already.

Then you have a decent kicking 10 who has had a very good career but gets dropped, presumably for not implementing game plan, and has performed poorly since. The record try scorer fails to get into team, most effective tight 5 player in the loose gets his first selection tonight, I could go on but there are issues and its getting worse not better.
Edinburgh and dragons who have been rivals at Connacht end of table for last few seasons have brought in experienced directors of rugby and home performance and results particularly have improved significantly. Connacht on the other hand?

Name a better scrum half in the last 10 years - name a better second row then clarke name a better th ????? Actually just name the squad season you thought was better!

phatguerilla wrote: Lots of knees jerking here but the reality is the same points made before the game still hold up afterwards - Lam needs to be judged on the basis of a full season. Everyone's hurting after losing a game that was won last year but that doesn't take away from the fact that its still an away game. Yes there are questions to be asked but saying the backs coach is here now so everything should be fixed up - how long has he been here, three weeks? Skills, gameplan, defensive strategies take a season to bed in. I'm not here to claim there have been no mistakes made because there have been a few and I've had my say on them before but this sort of reaction has been consistent the last few seasons and it doesn't help in any way.

Sorry, screw that, decent team, poor management. Forwards are as good as ever , backs are as good as ever, forwards don't engage, backs don't play together. Explain whose fault

You have to be kidding me. As a team we have scored less tries on average per game this year. We have a scrum half that can't move a ball. We move in frank as an option. Are other suggestions?

Everything is relative , personally I think they are the most talented connacht have ever had - if you start comparing to munster etc Rossie then its a different kettle of fish. I tend to agree with Phatg. But I think we seem to be lacking in heart and thats what gets to me!

I'm sorry phat but that all changed when merit based qualification was agreed to, sponsors like Mazda came on board and crowds grew from 1500 to 4000+. Its a business in its own right and something needs to be done to put it back on track.

Lots of knees jerking here but the reality is the same points made before the game still hold up afterwards - Lam needs to be judged on the basis of a full season. Everyone's hurting after losing a game that was won last year but that doesn't take away from the fact that its still an away game. Yes there are questions to be asked but saying the backs coach is here now so everything should be fixed up - how long has he been here, three weeks? Skills, gameplan, defensive strategies take a season to bed in. I'm not here to claim there have been no mistakes made because there have been a few and I've had my say on them before but this sort of reaction has been consistent the last few seasons and it doesn't help in any way.

How talented are they though?

I like what lam is trying to do rugbywise as an attacking team - However we have no defense -since MF left - no heart since Eric left - so we have pat trying to put his mark (attacking brand) fused with what the previous men brought to the squad! Itsa big ask and a difficult situation and I feel sorry for all parties involved. We dont want togo to the sg and see connacht beaten. The same as the players or management. They dont go out to lose.Is this job to big for pat or does he not have the support structures round him and his team to bring the best out of these extremely talented bunch of players???

Agree with that. My point is that people are under consideration and others are not. Bottom line no player would have saved Connacht tonight as it is a team without leadership, ideas, management but not without ability

Dont know what your connection / infatuation with TOH is fluffyc. But his selection or non selection is not the reason we are in the situation we are in. Something deeper is underpinning the recent run of results not the selection of a winger!!!!!!!

Myself and Porterbelly have had recent difference of opinion on the 24th man. Funny but toh wasnt even brought to Scotland. He was the only fit possible 24 and he wasn't considered the ticket. Lam decided no 24 required. He has to leave connacht. He has no future within this adminstration. And then you look at griffin, he will be fast on his heels. Connacht at an all time low. Shame to see such home grown quality having to leave

rossie wrote: Would you take Eddie o Sullivan now portebelly? And borders ? I know I would.

We won't be let, nor were we let in the first place, the IRFU saw to that as they had previous beef with him.

He was the ideal coach to have in that we badly needed structure in our game which is his forte. He was the candidate I wanted originally. My only reservations at the time were that he had his media friends trying to railroad him into the position and had the knives out when Lam was appointed. Although he and along with Vincent Hogan and co. will be laughing now.

Pride should be swallowed and he should be called for. Unfortunately, the IRFU don't like to bury the hatchet.

And our head coaches tend to be answerable to nobody. Bradley was case in point