wp_rathead wrote: Sinead Kissane reporting that Henshaw fractured hand - 6 week's out and Buckley out for 3 weeks

Hope its the hand he uses to sign his name! Seriously that's terrible news tho

Sinead Kissane reporting that Henshaw fractured hand - 6 week's out and Buckley out for 3 weeks

This deserves to be mentioned here too and not just in the Robbie Henshaw thread:

Marmion extends Connacht contract until 2018

25th November 2015

Connacht Rugby and the IRFU are pleased to announce the extended contract of Ireland international Kieran Marmion. The 23-year-old, who was first capped for Ireland in the summer of 2014, has put pen to paper on a new two-year contract with Connacht Rugby.

Having started out in the Connacht Academy in 2012, Marmion earned his first PRO12 cap for Connacht that September when he lined out against Cardiff Blues in the opening round of the league.

He went on to start every game of the 2012/13 season and was the sole Connacht squad member and only player in the league to do so. Now in his fourth season at the province, the young number 9 has 86 Connacht appearances to his name.

The scrum-half, who was born in England, and grew up in Brecon, Wales, but whose family hail from Loughrea, Co. Galway, was brought over to Ireland through the Exiles system and went on to be capped at Under-18, 19 and 20 level for Ireland before making the step up to the Wolfhounds and then senior team .

Commenting on the contract extension, Connacht CEO Willie Ruane said:

“Kieran is a tremendously talented individual and naturally there was a lot of interest in where he would be playing his rugby. He is an important part of our vision going forward as an organisation. I have no doubt that he has an exciting future ahead of him with Ireland and it’s fantastic that he will be representing Connacht at the same time.”

Head Coach Pat Lam said:

“It’s great for Connacht Rugby and our supporters that Kieran has chosen to continue playing at the Sportsground where he started out his professional career. Over the years, he has grown enormously as a player and as a person and has obviously established himself as a vital cog in the team. At 23, he’s still very young but he is a key member of our leadership group and is massively respected by everyone on and off the field. I’ve really enjoyed working with him and I look forward to continuing that for another two seasons.”

Kieran Marmion added:

“I’m delighted to be staying with Connacht Rugby for at least the next two years and I’m looking forward to achieving some big things with the team in that time. I’m really enjoying the rugby we’re playing and the culture we’ve built. It’s a very exciting time to be involved.”

Decadence wrote: Hopefully Healy's hip isn't too bad and McCartney is back by the end of the year (i.e. the Ulster game)

And That's a very good point to have him right back for Ulster. He can focus on this decisive game, and be fresh for it. JHW and Heffernan can have a decent amount of gametime in the meantime

Hopefully Healy's hip isn't too bad and McCartney is back by the end of the year (i.e. the Ulster game)

There are worse times to be having these injuries, as long as we don't lose too many in the next fortnight...
So realy only McCartney & Roux are the majorish concerns.
Funny, I thought McCartney was a year or two younger....

#

wp_rathead wrote: Tom McCartney
Tom McCartney suffered a hamstring tear scoring his side’s second try on Friday
night. The 30-year-old hooker is expected to be unavailable for up to six weeks

John Cooney
Scrum half John Cooney will see a surgeon this week to examine the extent of a shoulder subluxation [a partial dislocation - SP]. The 25-year-old is unavailable this week.

Matt Healy
Try scorer Matt Healy is unavailable this week having incurred a joint sprain to his hip on Friday night.

Nathan White
Nathan White was concussed during the first half of Friday’s game and
subsequently removed from the game. The Ireland international had mild symptoms
today and will continue to follow the RTP protocols.

Quinn Roux
Quinn Roux had surgery last week to repair the nasal fracture suffered in the game against Edinburgh. He is expected to return to action in three weeks.

Tom McCartney
Tom McCartney suffered a hamstring tear scoring his side’s second try on Friday
night. The 30-year-old hooker is expected to be unavailable for up to six weeks

John Cooney
Scrum half John Cooney will see a surgeon this week to examine the extent of a shoulder subluxation. The 25-year-old is unavailable this week.

Matt Healy
Try scorer Matt Healy is unavailable this week having incurred a joint sprain to his hip on Friday night.

Nathan White
Nathan White was concussed during the first half of Friday’s game and
subsequently removed from the game. The Ireland international had mild symptoms
today and will continue to follow the RTP protocols.

Quinn Roux
Quinn Roux had surgery last week to repair the nasal fracture suffered in the game against Edinburgh. He is expected to return to action in three weeks.

Agree a team full of talented youngsters still need leadership and players who have been through the highs and lows.

On another note, I think we have very young talents (under 25) we can't get rid of on the teamsheet i.e Masterson Heenan Fox Buckley Marmion Henshaw Leader
IMO we need to balance these not-fully-matured talents by playing White,McCartney, Muldowney, Ronaldson, Healy and potentially Browne and Loughney the more we can...

I had a little fever tonight after the victory, and I realised we have now a full-team of partly-foreigner, and not far from the best XV

1) Bealham (Oz)
2) McCartney (N-Z)
3) AhYou/White (N-Z)
4) Roux (S-Af)
5) Muldowney (Scotland)
6) Heenan (N-Z)
7) Nepia Fox (Samoa)
8 ) Naoupu (N-Z)
9) Marmion (Wales)
10) McGinty (USA)
11) Adeolokun (Nigeria)
12) Parata (Oz)
13) Aki (N-Z)
14) Poolman (S-Af)
15) Api (N-Z)

WOW the game today will give Pat some headache sooner rather than later

2) McCartney, Heff, JHW or Delahunt
3) White or AhYou
4) Roux or Dillane
5) Browne or Muldowney
6) Muldoon or McKeon
7) Fox Nepia or Heenan
8 ) McKeon or Masterson
9) Marmion or Cooney
10) Carty or MacGinty
15) TOH or Leader
Back substitutes Ronaldson/Parata/McSharry, Api, Adeolakun, Finn, Gaffney....

Hi All, USA and Connacht supporter here and I think this is a perfect fit. (possibly a doubly biased opinion though).

AJ kind of came out of no where a few months ago but the matches I've watched he's seems very capable. He's controlled the game well and his kicking has been impressive. I think his performance in the RWC was a small step down from where he was going into it but I still think he did well overall.

As for his NIQ status; I have no idea. Whether he can hold up during the long season; no one can answer that. And will he be able to adjust to the wind and rain in Galway; ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ . But I am fairly certain that his signing is worth the risk and I have a feeling he could make some good impressions pretty early on.

Yeah, imagine he is on very reasonable money and it's just a one year deal so little risk to Connacht. As it has been mentioned, Ronaldson has proven a bit injury prone and even if healthy he could be called into the centre given McSharry's own injury problems and Henshaw's international commitments so he could prove a handy player to have around. Even if he just provides some depth at outhalf and plays a few Eagle's games he is probably worth the shot.

Given Ronaldson's perpetual injury problems, and Carty's all round flakiness and having to be overused last season due to Ronaldosn being injury-prone: then I think this is a smashing piece of business again by Pat.

Not sure why we would be worrying about NIQ slots. We only have one fully NIQ player as it is, plus a few projects, and it's a one season deal, so unless Richie McCaw was going to come up to provide cover for us at 7, we're not losing anything here. I think most of us were under the impression that business was done for the season, so this is a bonus.

if he fills a NIQ then thats a poor signing in my opininion, if not then fair enough