Westie85 wrote: www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/connacht-...ifully-34615778.html

Good article from Quinlan I think it sums up the game and the result quite well

I wouldn't fully agree. Don't want to pick on Quinlan as he's one of maybe two ex-Munster commentators who've been honest about the state the brave but not so faithful find themselves in, but anyway...

I've talked about this with some of the guys I watch Connacht with, and while how we play may look high risk and loose, I think we deliberately choose a game plan that encourages turnovers in possession (to both sides), on the grounds that we profit from such turnovers better than any team in the Pro 12, and possibly all of Europe (as evidenced by the fact that we've scored more tries away than at home this year).

The closest analogy to what we do is in soccer: the move from Barcelona in recent years to replace some of their passers with dribblers (Neymar) and runners (Rakatic), which amounts to deliberately increasing turnovers of the ball to the opposition but also increases their own turnover numbers (from the opposition), and therefore the number of scoring chances they create.

While the cross kick in our own 22 was absolute madness and gave Grenoble a start on pulling the lead back from 16 to 3 points, don't forget we recovered from this and scored 10 unanswered points in the second quarter to push back to 13 points ahead. If we're talking about what parts of SOL's game cost us the match, his 2 second half restarts out-of-bounds were far more costly in that we were under the cosh and the game was in the balance at the time. Equally if he'd been left on the field we might have had someone capable of striking a drop goal in the last seconds. If we're talking individual mistakes that cost us Bucks thoroughly unnecessary yellow cost us 14 points in the 10 minutes he was gone. But it's always easier to focus on the quarterback.

When reading/listening to the Monster Munster Media Mafia over the next few days, I'd strongly advise against playing a drinking game involving their use of words like "naive", "percentage rugby", "schools cup rugby", "common sense", "win ugly", "territory" etc. and so on when discussing Connacht; doubly so if you were one of our glorious invading army in Grenoble and are already flirting with multiple organ failure.

While this is what they'll be saying about us, what they'll be thinking is "Sweet Baby Jebus, don't open up against us (Munster) like that or we'll ship a forty-burger."

www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/connacht-...ifully-34615778.html

Good article from Quinlan I think it sums up the game and the result quite well

If shane horgan stopped calling tiernan by o'halnarhan it would give him a bit more credibility. But patience all. All these media folk are on a learning curve with us

Bit disappointed with McKeon's piece.

We all understand it, but don't come across as a bitter child. Never liked Cave for all his whinging.

Buckley and TOH probably could feel much much more aggrieved than EMK and glad they have said nothing.

(In fairness Gerry Thornley had a decent article about Tom , Alan Quinlan (who always does his homework) has an interesting (and honest) perspective on 2002 , and Ruaidhri O'Connor got Eoin McKeon to go on a Darren Cave "Face doesn't fit" style whinge about not being picked for the Ireland squad)



This is all very strange.

It's wall to wall Connacht out there today.

Apparently the province was nearly disbanded 14 years ago, but Pat Lam has done a great job and the lads skillz are great, which you could see against the Ulster and Leinster (and possibly in other games but these were on TG4 so nobody watched them), and this can all be epitomised by John Muldoon who is 33 and from Portumna.

But Murrey Kinsella (as usual) did some actual research and wrote a wonderful article about Niyii with this highlights reel that I'd never seen before:

I may be missing something with the Murray reference but D'arcy's definitely from Wexford ?

salmson wrote:

Evil_g wrote: And so begins another patronising article wherein the author makes it blindingly obvious that they've only watched Connacht play interpros.

It should be pointed out that Connacht are not the most patronised province in this article:

I fully expect Munster to qualify for the Champions Cup next season by winning two of their last three matches at home to Edinburgh and Scarlets. But if they do miss out I don’t see it as being a catastrophe.

There is a lot of work to be done in Munster and being fourth seeds in a very tough Pool could result in a similar way to this season. However, a largely stress-free run in the Challenge Cup would allow their younger players to develop the foundations that Lam has built in Galway.

You'd know he came from the money-no-object province.

Eh...Murray's from Munster...
Waterford lad ex Waterpark RFC, Munster Academy (same group as Scott Deasy & Tommy O'Donnell) and Ireland u-19's....

Marmion interview in In Touch magazine:

intouch.newcenturypublishing.com/i/661987-intouch-april-2016

Evil_g wrote: And so begins another patronising article wherein the author makes it blindingly obvious that they've only watched Connacht play interpros.

It should be pointed out that Connacht are not the most patronised province in this article:

I fully expect Munster to qualify for the Champions Cup next season by winning two of their last three matches at home to Edinburgh and Scarlets. But if they do miss out I don’t see it as being a catastrophe.

There is a lot of work to be done in Munster and being fourth seeds in a very tough Pool could result in a similar way to this season. However, a largely stress-free run in the Challenge Cup would allow their younger players to develop the foundations that Lam has built in Galway.

You'd know he came from the money-no-object province.

menacethedenis wrote: Gordon Darcy writing about us in the Times today

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/gordon-d-...ron-is-hot-1.2599504

Gordon D'Arcy wrote: Pat Lam’s well-drilled side will never have a better opportunity to win a trophy

And so begins another patronising article wherein the author makes it blindingly obvious that they've only watched Connacht play interpros.

This is from yesterday. Interesting article from the Thornicator about proposed restructuring of the PRO12

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/gerry-tho...of-urgency-1.2598028

Gordon Darcy writing about us in the Times today

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/gordon-d-...ron-is-hot-1.2599504

This is all we are going to here for the next two years.

Ultan, when are you coming back to Munster?

www.the42.ie/ultan-dillane-connacht-muns...and-2697706-Apr2016/

Interview with Sene Naoupu...
www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/sene-naou...-the-pitch-1.2592518

...and Ringrose and Molony angle for a transfer to Connacht
www.balls.ie/rugby/two-of-leinsters-most...r&utm_source=twitter

Great piece by Murray Kinsella
Analysis: Connacht continue to be the brightest light in Irish rugby
the42.ie/2688369