connachta wrote:

McNamara wrote:

connachta wrote:

connachta wrote: 15) TOH, Leader, Another winger/FB, (Gaffney)

Here is our winger/FB to replace Carr...
"Leicester have confirmed that Niall Morris will leave the club at the end of the season. Fine player who’s had a really bad run of injuries."

That's the first thing I thought as well but if he's got a poor injury profile is it worth it?

Of course he is; Highly rated by both Emerging Ireland and Leicester coaches + injuries can stop + it's not like we have no one else, with TOH, Leader, Niyi, Dannie, Finn, Parata, even Boshoff for wing and FB. Perfect squad addition.
It would be him, McIlwaine or a NIQ, to really please me. Nobody else..

Niall Morris, not a chance. Law of diminishing returns.
Even allowing for no games from injury this season he's been on a downward curve since whatbwas by far his best season four years ago, and even then he managed only seven tries in 24 games. He's just not Lam's type of player either.

Munster will probably pick him up judging on their recent signings...

McNamara wrote:

connachta wrote:

connachta wrote: 15) TOH, Leader, Another winger/FB, (Gaffney)

Here is our winger/FB to replace Carr...
"Leicester have confirmed that Niall Morris will leave the club at the end of the season. Fine player who’s had a really bad run of injuries."

That's the first thing I thought as well but if he's got a poor injury profile is it worth it?

Of course he is; Highly rated by both Emerging Ireland and Leicester coaches + injuries can stop + it's not like we have no one else, with TOH, Leader, Niyi, Dannie, Finn, Parata, even Boshoff for wing and FB. Perfect squad addition.
It would be him, McIlwaine or a NIQ, to really please me. Nobody else..

We struggle already during the season with injuries whether it's down to the style of play, conditioning or the game getting more physical. His injury profile is too much and would be on his way back out in a year or 2. JHW who is a great player too but is too injury prone.

connachta wrote:

connachta wrote: 15) TOH, Leader, Another winger/FB, (Gaffney)

Here is our winger/FB to replace Carr...
"Leicester have confirmed that Niall Morris will leave the club at the end of the season. Fine player who’s had a really bad run of injuries."

That's the first thing I thought as well but if he's got a poor injury profile is it worth it?

connachta wrote: 15) TOH, Leader, Another winger/FB, (Gaffney)

Here is our winger/FB to replace Carr
Reasonable money I guess, and we can put the whole amount remaining on a international Lock/n°8


"Leicester have confirmed that Niall Morris will leave the club at the end of the season. Fine player who’s had a really bad run of injuries."

This may come down to which game we want to win more. For me, it would be the Munster game. Hands down.

I hope some players are kept in reserve. Even the travel/ prep/ sitting on the bench is not really a rest.

I badly want the Munster win! Will really set up those last two games.

Plus using more of the squad for Grenoble is one hell of a way to dangle the carrot for the full squad.

Agree. I think we should be holding back several for the big clash the following week. We have a reasonable chance to take Grenoble with a 'reasonable' team out, in my view.

clanman wrote: if their recovery is not 100% we can afford to hold them back for the munster game, I've watched Grenoble play a few times and I was not overly impressed, they are no better than a mid-table top14 side, Edinburgh beat them handy enough at home and then should of beat them away. in fact they have a very poor scrum and they're maul defence is woeful

Statistically they've one of the best scrums in the Top 14, which probably goes to show stats can lie sometimes. They've shipped 25.5 points on average at home in the Top 14 this season, so they do look kind of set up for us. Of course they're probably saying the same thing about us.

if their recovery is not 100% we can afford to hold them back for the munster game, I've watched Grenoble play a few times and I was not overly impressed, they are no better than a mid-table top14 side, Edinburgh beat them handy enough at home and then should of beat them away. in fact they have a very poor scrum and they're maul defence is woeful

Great piece of news it is!
www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/connacht-...charge-34600541.html

Marmion and Heenan back for Grenoble, Carty and TOH sooner than expected.

the42.ie / Murray Kinsella report Marmion and Heenan back for Grenoble this w/e.

Don't know how I'm going to cope- Swifty last year and now George...

Best of luck to all the lads leaving. Particularly sad regarding George leaving. I'd imagine he's probably had his fill of it at this stage and wants to do something different. He has been up and down in his second spell here but I'll never forget the lift he gave us when he arrived in his first spell. We were in the final year of Bradley's reign of terror and going nowhere fast, we first saw him I think it was against Worcester in the Challenge Cup and he really gave us a massive lift. He (along with the usual suspects at the time) had a huge role to play in us getting to the semi-final that year and clocking up a couple of big victories which to me provided us with the first small step on the road to where we are at the moment.

Fionn Carr has been a disappointment in his 2nd spell but his first spell was memorable. Also we can't forget he finished a try off in the final few minutes that got us home against Dragons on the opening night and started this rollercoaster.

All the lads have played their part and wish them well for the future. Interesting Robbie Henshaw isn't included on the list there. Maybe he's seen the light!

Surprised Api is being cut, especially as there were some comments around here that suggested he looked good at club level on his return. Maybe he wants to go back to league.

Also a bit surprised/disappointed that George is leaving, he has played less and less the last two seasons so perhaps it was predictable but we have a definite need for a player like him. He might be slowing down slightly as an 8 but has been very very good as a utility option imo.

a solid 12 who is a decent kicker, teams are crying for players other than out-half position who have decent kicking percentages, Craig is worth more than Heenan right now.

Backs:

AJ already covered, he just shouldn't be leaving - full stop.

Fionn and Porter fairly unsurprised by departures of these, sadly unless we were ever going to see the old Fionn return then he's just blocking development of one of the young lads. Porter never came close to establishing himself as number one or two scrumhalf (injuries not helping), kicking is a nice to have but you have to do the nitty gritty of scrum half play to a higher standard more consistently and he's a fair bit behind Marmion and Cooney and possibly Blade too.

Api - disappointed at that one really. Don't know what money he was on, but he missed the first third of the season and when he returned his B&I participation when he returned he was in a very inexperienced side as we were in the middle of the big injury crises when we went to Newcastle with only 22 fit players. If we could afford to I'd like to see him stay on for another year and see what a full pre-season and injury free start would do, I doubt if Wegians can afford to keep him on for next season on their own bat (he could do a Troy Nathan, and find his feet late).

Pack:

Jay - real shame because I like the way he plays but he's physically broken and don't know if his body will allow him be the player he could have been.

Aly - Another that should be staying, but at the stage of his career I can understand why he's leaving he has a future to secure or at least give him so leeway for when he finishes. He's been absolutely brilliant for us, just got better and better. Great shame that he won't be playing in Connacht Green in the HEC next season, or that he hasn't got an Ireland Cap out of his last two seasons for us..

Big George - There was rumour of an offer from up North which would make sense as Sene is a current International and that would keep them in country. Just happy that he came back to us for five more years after his time in Japan, he's been a great squad player and while maybe not at his peak anymore still gets the Sportsground going with one handed lineout takes and when he takes the ball up...

connemara man wrote: Players not back next season

Fionn Carr
Jason Harris-Wright
AJ MacGinty
Aly Muldowney
George Naoupu
Api Pewhairangi
Ian Porter

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