Well said Benji

Well, That was some hammering. I'd a feeling that we would lose well but not by that margin.
Saracens were just too good on the day and we werent at the races at all.
Clarke a pro who has great experience. He didnt show it or wasnt let. White who is experienced enough from his days with Leinster. We were in the frying pan before his card but it was an awful effort on his part. His damn lucky it wasnt a red. What would the score be if it was a red.
Parks, I wasnt happy with his selection as his a liability. We nearly lost in Toulouse with his poor kicking game. He was taking the ball too deep and we went deeper with passes behind the pod after that. So Sarries were getting to tackle us 15 metres behind the gainline. I'd be quite happy not to see Parks line out with Connacht again.
Sarries, I hate them as a club. Their side is built all around muscle. They are bully's.
Rugby is a simple game. Make your tackles and it will take a good side to beat you. We fell off too many tackles. Granted they were physically bigger but our heads werent up for it. Most of those tackles could have been made but werent.
I'd say its the end of the line for Duffy, Swift and Parks.
This beating were common place for us 5 years ago. I dont think that we are as bad as Saturdays result or a good as the away Toulouse result.
For example look at the beating Leinster gave Northampton away. Some time you dont get the bounce and the opposition are on form. Sarries passes and the bounce favoured them.
We could well have beaten Saracens at home with better ref decisions.

We are always the underdogs in 80% of our matches. The resources that most sides have are greater.
There was a massive difference at the weekend. We dont have the players or the mental strength to play like the away Toulouse game every week.

So, As Supporters lets suck it up. As Connacht supporters we must stand behind the team who will be suffering more than us after the weekend.
Of course we can question their attitude and willingness to make that tackle at the weekend and demand more. So Sarries with their bigger and faster players got the run on us and destroyed us. Ìt happens and they couldnt compete. What I want from this Connacht side is to truly focus on the battles that it can win, Be it home games or the weaker Rabo sides.
Thats where we should be measuring ourselves. Thats where we are coming up short.
As somebody else said they would swap the Toulouse win for a few Rabo wins and so would I.

Sarries will beat better sides than us by similar score lines this year.

theCulk wrote: Not acknowledging the fans.... Come off it.

After getting hammered the way they did, they were embarrassed and humiliated. Do you honestly think that was one of the things going through their minds

I agree, they were ashamed and depressed after that and going over to receive an applause from us wassomething must of them would have felt they didn't deserve.

Less said about the match the better but was great to meet some more of you lads.

micktreacy wrote: I doubt this is the vision that Eric had for his beloved Connacht this time last year when he decided it was time to step aside! I'm a long time supporter and I can tell you it's getting harder and harder to justify taking time off work and doing a 200km round trip to watch this crap!!

Actually make that 260km round trip!!

Totally agree and for me it is a 475km round trip for a home game

Not acknowledging the fans.... Come off it.

After getting hammered the way they did, they were embarrassed and humiliated. Do you honestly think that was one of the things going through their minds

Droptheclaw wrote: Apologies, SP - won't happen again.

Nuff said!

Thing most sour in my mouth was neither the performance nor the result - it was the fact the team didn't acknowledge the massive away attendence of the Connacht fans..

Poor form imo

But yes was great day- good meet few members havnt met before and again thanks to galway_gas for the free ticket.. my plan to head Phil's that evening didn't turn out to well as my hour nap turned into a 6 hour snooze and woke at 1am - beer for breakfast prob wasnt best idea..

Oh, and good to meet WP_rathead, GalwayGas, Diom and the rest yesterday. Nice to put faces to names, lads, the green trews are no longer sacred.

Apologies, SP - won't happen again.

RogueXV wrote: Think too much is being made about Lam's decision on Carty and the bench selection. A more likely reason was that Carty pick up a minor injury in practice and came good for the game.

I think the first try of the 2nd half is my reason for not agreeing with removing Lam. Healy, Connacht's pick of a poor lot, makes a good run, kick, then chase. He forces the man laterally across the field but no one else comes up with any conviction so the Saracens easily work the ball for a try. The players have to shoulder a lot of the blame. Is Lam faultless? No, but he shouldn't have to trying to coach desire or the basics to players at this level and he can only select players available to him.

Not sure what White was thinking, he will be cited. If his foot hit Barritt's face it was just a glancing blow, but it was completely unnecessary & will be view a reckless.

Indeed and calling for Lam's head on the basis of that result is pathetic and more embarrassing than the loss frankly. I have been at many way worse performance than yesterday's, many that didn't make TV.

The only thing that could have changed the result yesterday was Saracen's completely underestimating us, they didn't they played their strongest squad and had their analysis spot on. On paper looking at the two squads how many Connacht players were the equal of their opponent by even 80-90%? Maybe Heenan, Clarke, Marmion and Henshaw and that's about it out of both 23's. In the pack it was men and boys, when you were up close to the two packs and compared the size of the Vanipola's and James Johnson etc to our lads it was massive. Our biggest problem yesterday was that we generated absolutely no go forward at all simply because we could not match up physically and Sarries defence ensured that we could not generate and pace into our game to get as round them.

Selection was all wrong for me anyway, trying to match up to Sarries physically away from home was a fools errand. Picking Mul at eight ahead of Naoupu and then Parks at 10 made for slow, slow ball that made life supremely easy for Sarries defensively. Duffy's selection denied us any counterattacking threat and a target for our speedsters Healy and Carr to track. Would have preferred to have the more muscular option to Donaldson starting at ten. Do wish we had Fallon, McSharry and Poolman available though which would free up Henshaw to move back to his most effective position for us.... Fullback!

Fair dues to Sarries though, they were absolutely clinical...

Exactly that, Bob - I couldn't believe it. He made a wee

Sea_point wrote: If you really think that that language is appropriate regardless of the player or result yesterday, you are on the wrong forum

. Utter idiot. Having said that, the rest of the Sarries players were sound as a bell, I had a brief chat with Steven Borthwick and he was apologising for giving us such a hiding! Fair play to them for letting everyone on the pitch after, too, it was a good laugh chucking a ball around and generally having a bit of craic with Sarries fans.

Devils own wrote:

The Outlaw wrote:

Devils own wrote:

Its not far off it. We still have too many players who wouldn't be mapped at the other three provinces.

Thats not a viable way to analyze our team, if a large proportion of our team was indeed mappable onto other provinces then we would be serious european cup contenders.
The question should be is the team far better than a 60 point drubbing at the hands of saracens and if yes then what went wrong. I would say that yes we are far better than what we saw today with marmion, clarke, henshaw, white, JHW, Heenan and perhaps healy on form being very good quality players.

I agree 60 points was an embarrasement. I wouldn't suggest otherwise.

However our team is fundamentally flawed and I think there is a reluctance of Connacht fans to accept this and a change in coaching structure won't alter that.

We don't have enough quality in the outhalf position and we don't have a pack of forwards that can stamp their mark against a pack like Saracens today.

I despaired at times watching some of the our forwards trying to carry ball today. We've some real talents in the backline but they never get the ball.

Likes of Marmion and Henshaw will not hang around with a province going nowhere.

I agree we are quite weak in the backrow and right now at outhalf both crucial areas. I also expected us to lose as im sure most did, in reality its the pauper versus the prince in terms of cash.

However what annoyed me was the manner of the defeat and the crazy inconsistency , lack of fundamentals, falling off tackles, guys not calling and colliding, indiscipline etc etc these are problems that can be addressed and should have been long before now. I dont think Connacht fans expect us to be turning over saracens away on a shoe string budget but i do think most of us want to see total professionalism take root.

Even if you are up against a better outfit you do the fundamentals well thats priority number 1, have passion and pride along with some mental strength and you make the other team work damn hard for every point.

What i saw today was very far from that. Im not calling for lams head as i think he did well bringing in heenan and clarke but one big win all season and stuck to the bottom of the table behind the Italians is pretty bad.

Its terrible. An awful season . I'd swap the toulouse win for half a dozen Rabo wins in a heartbeat

The Outlaw wrote:

Devils own wrote:

Its not far off it. We still have too many players who wouldn't be mapped at the other three provinces.

Thats not a viable way to analyze our team, if a large proportion of our team was indeed mappable onto other provinces then we would be serious european cup contenders.
The question should be is the team far better than a 60 point drubbing at the hands of saracens and if yes then what went wrong. I would say that yes we are far better than what we saw today with marmion, clarke, henshaw, white, JHW, Heenan and perhaps healy on form being very good quality players.

I agree 60 points was an embarrasement. I wouldn't suggest otherwise.

However our team is fundamentally flawed and I think there is a reluctance of Connacht fans to accept this and a change in coaching structure won't alter that.

We don't have enough quality in the outhalf position and we don't have a pack of forwards that can stamp their mark against a pack like Saracens today.

I despaired at times watching some of the our forwards trying to carry ball today. We've some real talents in the backline but they never get the ball.

Likes of Marmion and Henshaw will not hang around with a province going nowhere.

I agree we are quite weak in the backrow and right now at outhalf both crucial areas. I also expected us to lose as im sure most did, in reality its the pauper versus the prince in terms of cash.

However what annoyed me was the manner of the defeat and the crazy inconsistency , lack of fundamentals, falling off tackles, guys not calling and colliding, indiscipline etc etc these are problems that can be addressed and should have been long before now. I dont think Connacht fans expect us to be turning over saracens away on a shoe string budget but i do think most of us want to see total professionalism take root.

Even if you are up against a better outfit you do the fundamentals well thats priority number 1, have passion and pride along with some mental strength and you make the other team work damn hard for every point.

What i saw today was very far from that. Im not calling for lams head as i think he did well bringing in heenan and clarke but one big win all season and stuck to the bottom of the table behind the Italians is pretty bad.

fluffychickens wrote: My point is that while the result may not have been a good result these guys work day in and day out to supply results. As a surgeon you are not in the public eye each week. These guys are in the public eye and open to critisism for every move they make

Yes of course thats true but for example if a surgeon leaves an instrument inside you by accident you would be probably be furious and claim negligence maybe sue and ask he/she be struck off ruining a career. These are the different hazards that come with different jobs. Rugby players get plenty of other benefits from being in the public eye, being open to criticism yes is a downfall it comes with the job.

Devils own wrote:

Its not far off it. We still have too many players who wouldn't be mapped at the other three provinces.

Thats not a viable way to analyze our team, if a large proportion of our team was indeed mappable onto other provinces then we would be serious european cup contenders.
The question should be is the team far better than a 60 point drubbing at the hands of saracens and if yes then what went wrong. I would say that yes we are far better than what we saw today with marmion, clarke, henshaw, white, JHW, Heenan and perhaps healy on form being very good quality players.

I agree 60 points was an embarrasement. I wouldn't suggest otherwise.

However our team is fundamentally flawed and I think there is a reluctance of Connacht fans to accept this and a change in coaching structure won't alter that.

We don't have enough quality in the outhalf position and we don't have a pack of forwards that can stamp their mark against a pack like Saracens today.

I despaired at times watching some of the our forwards trying to carry ball today. We've some real talents in the backline but they never get the ball.

Likes of Marmion and Henshaw will not hang around with a province going nowhere.

My point is that while the result may not have been a good result these guys work day in and day out to supply results. As a surgeon you are not in the public eye each week. These guys are in the public eye and open to critisism for every move they make