one aspect of the game which got a lot of comments by the press and during the coverge was our defense and linespeed. I think we were incredibly fortunate not to get penalised for offside on numerous occasions, we can thank the Referree for that and his lack of awareness. If we get one of the top referrees for Saturday's game we won't get away so easily. At least that's my take on it

Borders no.2 wrote: I heard that stat about Toulouse and not to take away from our achievement but did Harlequins not win there two years back or was that not at the same venue? Just curious more than anything.

You're kind of both right. Toulouse haven't lost in the HEC their "Stade" since January 2009, but they did lose to Harlequins in the soccer stadium across the city more recently.

I think that was against Stade in Paris

EDIT: Way off, that was in 2008. Never doubt Borders:

www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/16131562
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/clu...31-match-report.html

I heard that stat about Toulouse and not to take away from our achievement but did Harlequins not win there two years back or was that not at the same venue? Just curious more than anything.

salmson wrote:

galway_gas wrote: Anybody know who got MOM award?

I saw one match report saying Marmion, can't remember where.

Good call. The people at Planetrugby were suitably impressed also. He's made it onto their Team of the Week. Craig Clarke gets a mention.
www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_9065445,00.html

At ESPN Scrum Connacht are team of the Week and Pat Lam coach of the week.

www.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/story/208435.html

Just read another interesting fact. Last HCup team to win away in Toulose was Glasgow in January 2009. Dan Parks scored 18 points www.ercrugby.com/matchcentre/1823.php

I am still on a high from this result. So delighted. What a day. Good this is why sport is my one and only true love!

galway_gas wrote: Anybody know who got MOM award?

I saw one match report saying Marmion, can't remember where.

Anybody know who got MOM award?

I barely slept last night thinking about this result. What's most encouraging for me is that we were far from perfect. Missed kicks to touch, a slow throw-in, a slipped bind, multiple missed try opportunities and kicks at goal almost cost us, we can play even better than this if we can cut those errors out. Hopefully that's what Pat will be drilling into them tomorrow and they can reproduce the defensive intensity they showed yesterday.

Magpie wrote: Anyone got any better highlights?

The full game is up on youtube. 80 minutes of highlights!!

"According to the French and the English, sides like Connacht (who only qualified because Leinster won the Amlin) do not merit a place in Europe's elite club competition. Given the jolly green giants of Galway have now beaten Harlequins, Biarritz and Toulouse inside the past 23 months, such lofty assumptions of supremacy grow shakier by the day."

www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/dec/09/to...-rugby?commentpage=1

Seems we're softened a few coughs in the Grauniad too. Good job all round.

Anyone got any better highlights?

Murph13, I'll agree Lam should not be canonised or elected coach for life on the back of a single performance, but if this is the kind of result the team can get following his tactics when they put in the tackles, keep down the penalties and make the passes than he just might be the coach to bring Connacht to the next level. The point I was making after the Edinburgh game when a lot of posters were calling for Lam to be dropped was that until the players started to execute even the most basic skills of the game like passing, kicking and tackling than it wasn't fair to judge him on less than half of a season. Muldoon said as much himself, the players had to step it up themselves.

Let's give Pat at least until closer to the end of his contract before we start picking out his successor. I image the team's performance will fall somewhere between the two extremes of the past two games. I'm hoping it will be closer to the Toulouse performance, if the average over the next season and a half is closer to the Edinburgh game than I'll come over and drive Pat to Shannon myself.

On the way to work this morning,listening to radio in the car .

Totally unrelated,but they started playing "You'll never walk alone " I was nearly in tears.Just got a bite to eat in O'Briens and was also nearly in tears .So think I could see a Labrador talking a shit and i'd probably well up.

Point i'm making ,is that it's a wonderful Monday .Never in the History of Rugby (not that i'm aware ) has there ever been such a result.Duiseteor's word's were open and honest ,and seemed very sincere and arguably mean more coming from such a world class player .We beat them folks and there was no luck involved .

Whatever about Lam etc blah blah is for another day .Let's enjoy this day ,we deserve it .Fair dues to the fans that went to France .They went for the love of their team .Bookies had Toulouse at 1/200 to win .Can't wait till Saturday !!!!

salmson wrote:

ConnachtCows wrote: Im not sure if there is some sarcasm in your post or not

Not a jot. I'm just annoyed at the the "not tactics, just Connacht heart" faction. "Connacht heart" has seen us beat out the gate in away games for years. It's been ugly at times but Lam is definitely trying to expand our game and up our skillset.

I'm in agreement with you

ConnachtCows wrote: Im not sure if there is some sarcasm in your post or not

Not a jot. I'm just annoyed at the the "not tactics, just Connacht heart" faction. "Connacht heart" has seen us beat out the gate in away games for years. It's been ugly at times but Lam is definitely trying to expand our game and up our skillset.