I hope he gets picked for the Bayonne game as I don't see him getting a start in the PRO12. last home game is Ospreys and we'll still be fighting for places in the league

sea_point wrote: Went to Richmond to watch the game. Poor performance tonight against a strong Scottish lineup, but huge number of errors consistently killed any momentum they were building. Ref was terrible, a real arrogant little pr**k, let Scottish away with murder and hammered us.

He carded Jacob Walshe after a scrum collapsed (no warning that I noticed), and then Swifty a few mins later for taking exception to some Scottish shenanigans. So for about six minutes we were down to thirteen (Scottish lost one also with Swifty's yellow). No composure when in the red zone, we had plenty of opportunities to win thus but poor decisions meant we only converted one.

The gulf between our first 23 and the Eagles is pretty huge on tonights showing no one put their hand up for inclusion. Legend though he is, I don't see Swifty getting another contract after thus season, he's showing his age these days.

Hide the end of the post for Swift4prez right now :lol:

No hopes for Masterson Blade Layden and Finn? They seemed to be the closest Eagles to the main Squad/Challenge cup 23...

Went to Richmond to watch the game. Poor performance tonight against a strong Scottish lineup, but huge number of errors consistently killed any momentum they were building. Ref was terrible, a real arrogant little pr**k, let Scottish away with murder and hammered us.

He carded Jacob Walshe after a scrum collapsed (no warning that I noticed), and then Swifty a few mins later for taking exception to some Scottish shenanigans. So for about six minutes we were down to thirteen (Scottish lost one also with Swifty's yellow). No composure when in the red zone, we had plenty of opportunities to win thus but poor decisions meant we only converted one.

The gulf between our first 23 and the Eagles is pretty huge on tonights showing no one put their hand up for inclusion. Legend though he is, I don't see Swifty getting another contract after thus season, he's showing his age these days.

Unfortunately lost 17-7 to London Scottish this evening. Conor Finn with the try converted by Miah Nikora.

The result leaves us bottom of the pool with 5 points but in fairness its a strong pool, Bristol top of the championship, London Scottish in 3rd 8 points clear of the 4th place team and Pontypridd who are 5 points clear at the top of the Welsh Premiership.

Playing these sort of games can only be of benefit to the young players.

Wow I was right about Swift dear Clanman!
I've predicted the whole pack except Delahunt. Maybe he's preserved as we're struggling with hooker injuries...

Connacht Eagles team to face London Scottish:
15 Shane Layden
14 David Panter
13 Conor Finn
12 Peter Robb
11 Shane O’Leary
10 Miah Nikora
9 Caolin Blade

1 Jacob Walshe
2 Jack Dinneen
3 Saba Meunargia
4 Michael Swift
5 Ultan Dillane
6 Mata Fi’fita
7 Rory Moloney
8 Eoghan Masterson (captain)

REPLACEMENTS

16 Pat O’Toole
17 Conán O’Donnell
18 Cian Romaine
19 Stephen McVeigh
20 Conor Lowndes
21 Conor McKeon
22 Rory Parata

Tough game, Connacht Eagles have pretty much got as tough a draw as they could get this year. We are likely to end the group with just one win but long term its a good learning experience.

Why not? He needs gametime, Eagles need him, we're not in a injury crisis for locks...
Eagles are not composed entirely as an Academy team, but as a mix... Browne played in Bristol when he came back. No reason not to do the same for Swift..

I doubt if Swifty will lineout with the Eagles, Cian Romaine and Stephen McVeigh will be in the team if available.

Connacht Eagles team I'd see (Saturday 7:00)

15 Ciaran Gaffney
14 Shane Layden
13 Shane O’Leary
12 Connor Finn
11 Fionn Carr
10 One of Nikora/ronaldson (depends on who's with Pat for Scarlets)
9 One of John Cooney/Porter (same as above)

1 Jacob Walshe
2 Shane Delahunt
3 Saba Meunargia
4 Michael Swift (Cap)
5 Ultan Dillane
6 Mata Fafita
7 Rory Moloney
8 Eoghan Masterson

Replacements:

16 J Dineen/ P. O'Toole
17 ???? who's left? (Dever seems unlikely)
18 Aaron McCloskey
19 D Qualter
20 C Romaine
21 C. Blade
22 C. McKeon
23 P.Robb/R.Parata/D.Panter (TOH next week)

Jes just noticed Aaron McCloskey was on the bench !!! Former rugby league player for ireland !! Saw him play for Shannon was decent ! How did he get on ???

Enjoy! especially the last try

Great write up Furlo!

Fair play to the LS fans, what they lacked in numbers they made up for in volume. Felt a bit gutted for them at FT, but them's the breaks.

It's great that these young guys are getting an opportunity to test themselves against teams with older and more mature players, it's a step up from AIL and provinciual games. It's hard to watch them getting bullied at scrum and maul, but to see them fight back amd get the win is great for Connacht rugby, it must give them confidence that they can step up to senior level. In reality it's not skill or talent that is making the difference it's the few kg per man is what it comes down to, and with the right training that gap can be bridged.

This was a weird game. We started off fine and took the game to them. Even won a couple of pens from scrums. LS were running everything into a gale and got pinged a couple of times for holding on in their own 22 which McKeon knocked over. But we gave them a of soft pens in reply going off feet at own rucks. Then after 20 mins our scrum just disintegrated and we coughed up pen after pen. Saba on for Jacob on 39 mins as scrum is banjaxed. They kept going for touch and we kept them out but right on half time, pressure told and their no 8 got in for a try under posts.

HT Eagles 6 London Scottish 13

Anyway we come out fired up and we disrupted their game and got down to the line but we were held up and then gave a free kick from the resulting scrum. But we got back down again but again held up and this time a LS penalty from the scrum. SO for the third time in fifteen minutes we get down to the line and get a 5m scrum and it retreats faster than Napoleon from Moscow but somehow before ref blows, Masterson flicks it to Cooney who feeds Jerome Haramate who runs in for simple try under posts.

Eagles 16 London Scottish 13

In response LS changed whole front row and half backs and plan of campaign. We're still coughing up dumb pens at the ruck and they're kicking to touch. BUT instead of running the 12 channel, they maul and it's a beast. They get run running from HW and we bring it down. Saba sees yellow. They go for touch and it's about 30m out. Catch and maul and maul and they keep going and they get over the line with No 7 going over.

Lowndes on for John Cooney

So we kick-off and get the ball back and try to run. Gaffney gets an inside pass on half way and is creamed-it's a fair shot but it can be heard in Barna. He's downa and out but we have the ball but McKeon(really his only error) puts in a poor grubber. LS collect and run and we are in trouble as they run back to where Gaffney would be and we dont have the cover and No 11 gets a simple pass to dot down under posts and surely game over
Corcoran on for Gaffney

Eagles 16 London Scottish 27

So there's about 5 minutes left and fair play to the guys they keep going and once again we get inside the 22. Now earlier in the half LS had narrowed their defensive line and Shane O'Leary had pulled right out to the touchline for a crossfield that didnt come. This time McKeon sees him. It's not perfect but O'Leary steps inside his man and is in for nice finish. McKeon coverts so it's a minimum losing bonus point but we're deep in injury time

Eagles 23 London Scottish 28

How deep? Deep but we still play on for one more play. We field the kick-off. One charge and recycle and Lowndes is away. Over HW, 22 but he's hauled down but they recycle and then Steve McVeigh is in the clear and he's over. McKeon taps over the conversion
Eagles win

FT: Eagles 30 London Scottish 27

So the positives: We Won: The spirit. Game was played so much faster. Against Pontypridd, it was so slow but there was a pace to this game. McKeon was excellent. Dillane & Romaine were superb in open play. Maloney & McNeigh big in D.

Negatives: THE SCRUM: The problem seems to be that we are playing raw prospects against men who have been doing whatever it is that front rows do for donkeys and it is showing. We did alright initially but once they worked out our strategy they killed us. We didnt handle their maul well for the second try. Our discipline at the breakdown this week was poor as it killed our momentum and brought them back into both halves. Also we should have kicked for touch when Gaffney was down rather a grubber as they countered against 13.

Look a win is a win. It's a very young team apart from Cooney (The bench looked like a school trip that had won a raffle to sit on the sideline)and they are standing up and being counted. There is talent there and we tend to forget that the other teams are full teams rather than the reserves. On a weekend when some of the more experienced guts who might play were in Exeter, fair play to the lads who played and lets enjoy this win

Did well to come away with the win with a last minute wonder try. They had us dead to rights in the scrum and maul (marched us back almost from halfway for a try), but were a bit toothless in attack, we matched them physically and defended well (apart from one shocking break where we slipped a few tackles, to be fair one of our players was down injured at the time).

McKeon did very well I thought, some lovely touchfinders. To be honest I was listening to the Exeter match on the radio as well, didn't see any any other stand out performances.