Dreadful call to start Carty again. Dreadful call.
If we go down to the Dragons on Sunday with Carty having another shocker, then Pat'll have some explaining to do.
Carty owes Pat a big performance. Let's hope he comes through.

ConnachtCows wrote:

swift4prez wrote: Jack carty again? Pat, are you taking the f***in p**s

At the moment I'd rather see Ronaldson in the center, to help defensively. It also allows Poolman to return to the wing.
I think if he had more fit centers, Ronaldson would be starting at 10

Whats the story with Cooney? Thought Leinster had taken him back? Maybe they only took back on a one game basis, while they were short

Your right as in poolman is not the answer at centre.
Why not leader with toh at full back? Mata hasn't played in the backs for few Seasons but he is a huge strong unit. .
Few of us in dail last Sunday agreed that niall o connor was a better player than what jack is now.
What's the point of having a good centre defence when the out half can't do anything with the ball? .
Kicks out on the full, kicks down middle of the pitch for the other team to have full pitch to attack.
Last weeks game would get most out half's to lose there jersey. I was at Edinburgh away match and that was worse than last week's game.
Remember niall o connor kicking the ball away when time was up vs Gloucester and getting booed for a hell of a long time but carty done exactly the same vs Exeter and not a word was said

swift4prez wrote: Jack carty again? Pat, are you taking the f***in p**s

At the moment I'd rather see Ronaldson in the center, to help defensively. It also allows Poolman to return to the wing.
I think if he had more fit centers, Ronaldson would be starting at 10

Whats the story with Cooney? Thought Leinster had taken him back? Maybe they only took back on a one game basis, while they were short

Jack carty again? Pat, are you taking the f***in p**s

Connacht team to face Dragons
20th February 2015

Head Coach Pat Lam has made three personnel changes to his Connacht side that will face Newport Gwent Dragons in Wales on Sunday.

On his return from injury, Craig Ronaldson has been named to start at inside centre while Dave McSharry moves outside him and Danie Poolman switches out to the wing.

In the absence of Kieran Marmion, scrum half John Cooney will partner Jack Carty at half back.

There is just one change to the pack with George Naoupu making way for Eoghan Masterson at number 8 for the 21-year-old’s first start of the season.

Changes to the bench include the incoming Shane Delahunt, Finlay Bealham and Mick Kearney.

Commenting on the upcoming game, Head Coach Pat Lam said:

“Despite last week’s defeat to Scarlets, we remain in sixth place and a top six finish is still in our hands. However, we no longer have that safety net and the outcome of tomorrow’s game is important for both sides.

“The Dragons’ side will be brimming with confidence on their home patch after a big win last week and we know the challenge we face.

“The guys worked extremely hard in what was a tough week’s training but that work needs to be reflected in 80 minutes of team work on the field on Sunday.”

Connacht team to face Dragons

15. Darragh Leader
14. Danie Poolman
13. Dave McSharry
12. Craig Ronaldson
11. Matt Healy
10. Jack Carty
9. John Cooney

1. Denis Buckley
2. Tom McCartney
3. Nathan White
4. Quinn Roux
5. Aly Muldowney
6. John Muldoon (captain)
7. Jake Heenan
8. Eoghan Masterson

Replacements:

16. Shane Delahunt
17. Rodney Ah You
18. Finlay Bealham
19. Mick Kearney
20. George Naoupu
21. Ian Porter
22. Niyi Adeolokun
23. Tiernan O’Halloran

Unavailable/Injured: Jason Harris-Wright, Sean Henry, Michael Swift, Willie Faloon, Eoin McKeon, Kieran Marmion, Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Mils Muliaina.

DRAGONS v CONNACHT
At Rodney Parade, 4pm
Live on S4C; Deferred highlights on TG4
Listen to Galway Bay FM

Referee: Lloyd Linton (SRU, 6th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Rhys Thomas, Sean Brickell (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Ray Wilton (WRU)
TMO: Gareth Simmonds (WRU)

I'm feeling quite negative at the moment
We have these types of runs every season, and I think we're in the middle of one at the moment. We're just not playing as good as we can.
We really need a solid performance. Something the players can build on.
It has to come down to the coaching. We need to send out our strongest available team, and take a game by the scruff of the neck. Really impose ourselves. Take the other team out of the game early. The coaches needed to let the players know when they're not performing to the expected standards.
Who knows how last week could have ended up, if Healy's try wasn't disallowed.

the post match interviews last week were bizarre, Heenan's own performance was well below what you would expect, he kinda admitted he needed the gametime but unfortunatley we need the players to be match ready. he should just have admitted his own performance was not acceptable. ok i do agree we have to move on.

A must win, pure as. Concerned that Marmion won't be there. This window should be the time for us to race ahead of others, massive disappointment if we can't!

Also: Dail will be showing the game again this Sunday. I for one am looking forward to more horribly invasive interviews.

With our difficult run-in (Glasgow, Ospreys, Munster, Ulster) we needed to win three out of this batch of four games and get 13 points. We've lost the most important game and we've let Edinburgh and Llanelli back into the race for 6th in the past couple of games. If we're to qualify for the HEC next year we must win the next three - simple as that.
No more room for performances like the last two!

squeaky bum time!

even the fixture list is conspiring against us, after the Treviso game we only have really a 4 day turnaround to the all important Cardiff game.

even 2 wins out of the next 3 games is probably unacceptable if we are to compete for 6th play come the end of the season.

Borders no.2 wrote: If we lose this one I really can't see us coming back in the race for 6th or7th.......

Borders no 2. Have to agree with you.
Failure to win this one and it's back to their drawing board and Challenge Cup again next year.

If we lose this one I really can't see us coming back in the race for 6th or indeed 7th. I would agree about moving Poolman back to the wing. Haven't seen as much as others of Finn or O'Leary so not sure if they can make the step up but I think needs must at this stage.

Ronaldson has to be at 10 if fit but either way we have to be more defensively solid than last week. Sunday's defensive display was an embarrassment being frank about it.

Dragons put up some decent scores in the Challenge Cup but in the league aren't generally heavy scorers (average just over 15 pts a game) so would hope that defensively we are able to cope better than we did last Sunday. Our joy in this fixture last year came with our dominance up front. With Treviso to come at home next week a win could get us back a bit of momentum.

You here a lot of talk about getting the processes right and let the result look after itself and after last Sunday I think it is very applicable to this game. We need to put the building blocks in place both up front, defensively and territorially early on and establish a foothold in the game.

I can't properly comment, as I haven't seen the games where Poolman has played in the center, but he does seem to be wasted in there.

Marmion out for this week but at least Ronaldson back..

Hoping Poolman is moved back to wing and Finn or O'Leary given a go at 13

Dragons be pumped after their win away in the RDS..