Sky was right with their stats, he's amongst the worst kickers in the pro 12 and that goes for kicks from hand and kicks to touch also.

I feel for the guy but his career is gone unless he gets those stats up. We are not in a position where we can let the team suffer while a pivotal player gets experience any more. For all those who preach from their pulpits that we are not allowed question jacks place in the team/squad ask yourselves would he get in the squad of any other province? Notice I said squad not team as there is not a chance in hell he makes any other team in Ireland.

Nathan White officially in the coaching staff
new TH prop cover looked after
Robb and Heenan maybe there for Munster

Christmas nightmare is now over?

and in truth when your coach goes on national television and says we must kick for touch because we cant kick for the posts then that says it all salmson.

salmson wrote: Jack misses a penalty against Wasps that he absolutely should nail. Everyone spots that we kick to the corner where maybe we don't have to.

In the second half Jack misses a kick to the posts, by a whisker, that most kickers would have booted for touch. No one - not here, not on boards, not in the papers - asks whether 4 lost lineouts in the Wasps 22, 2 botched trick lineouts, and a non-functioning maul might have forced him to take on a speculative kick.

I find the criticism of Jack lacks context, or an understanding of team sport as a conplex system. It's not a penalty shootout: the kick and the decision to take it are intrinsically linked.

Also amused that when Sky put up an incorrect stat of 56%/45% for his kicking (as far as I can tell it was 69%/63% at the time), everyone, me included, swallowed it as gospel.

I stood in that clan stand, as many others, maybe you resided in a different end of that stand, but in my end of the stand it was wondering how folks have any hair left on their head. Everybody just looked at each other. It is that simply bizarre thing where you cannot equate absolutely mental kicks to rational behaviour.

Jack misses a penalty against Wasps that he absolutely should nail. Everyone spots that we kick to the corner where maybe we don't have to.

In the second half Jack misses a kick to the posts, by a whisker, that most kickers would have booted for touch. No one - not here, not on boards, not in the papers - asks whether 4 lost lineouts in the Wasps 22, 2 botched trick lineouts, and a non-functioning maul might have forced him to take on a speculative kick.

I find the criticism of Jack lacks context, or an understanding of team sport as a conplex system. It's not a penalty shootout: the kick and the decision to take it are intrinsically linked.

Also amused that when Sky put up an incorrect stat of 56%/45% for his kicking (as far as I can tell it was 69%/63% at the time), everyone, me included, swallowed it as gospel.

salmson wrote: Two things I'm getting tired of:

The Jack-haters - Carty is far from the finished article but he was bloody fantastic in the last two games.

The we-got-an-easy-start-because-of-the-world-cup nonsense. We got an easy start because we had 5 of the eventual bottom 6, at home, in the first 7 games. We upgraded our results in those matchups, compared to the previous season, from 4 wins and a draw to 5 wins. So most of those matches are gimmes every year, and we always start decently. The effect of the RWC on our results? A resounding damn all. All that schedule meant was that when we played the big boys it was outside the internationals and they were locked and loaded, and harder to beat.

Anyway, rant over, we move onward. We need 12 wins, i.e. 8 from the remaining 12, to get 6th place. If we fail tobeat Munster we need 8 from 11 which doesn't look doable, whereas if we win we're on top of Cardiff, Glasgow, Ulster and Scarlets once you take the game in hand into account. Don't give up hope, at least til we see how Saturday goes.

In my case I am no huge Jack fan. Does this make me a Jack hater. I am disappointed by the performances of many of our players. Is this a hate issue or just I'm disappointed.

salmson wrote: Two things I'm getting tired of:

The Jack-haters - Carty is far from the finished article but he was bloody fantastic in the last two games.

The we-got-an-easy-start-because-of-the-world-cup nonsense. We got an easy start because we had 5 of the eventual bottom 6, at home, in the first 7 games. We upgraded our results in those matchups, compared to the previous season, from 4 wins and a draw to 5 wins. So most of those matches are gimmes every year, and we always start decently. The effect of the RWC on our results? A resounding damn all. All that schedule meant was that when we played the big boys it was outside the internationals and they were locked and loaded, and harder to beat.

Anyway, rant over, we move onward. We need 12 wins, i.e. 8 from the remaining 12, to get 6th place. If we fail tobeat Munster we need 8 from 11 which doesn't look doable, whereas if we win we're on top of Cardiff, Glasgow, Ulster and Scarlets once you take the game in hand into account. Don't give up hope, at least til we see how Saturday goes.

In relation to the World Cup I never said we got an easy start I said we got a great start which we did. There is no such thing as easy. In that run Edinburgh was a real dogfight and Cardiff, Dragons and even Treviso pushed us nearly all the way.

I'll grant you that 5 of the 7 were kinda gimme home games but in fact in the previous season we'd a very damaging loss at home to Edinburgh and we'd drawn from 14 points up against Cardiff so it was actually 3 wins and a draw in the corresponding games. It was a nice boost to get those points in the bag against sides we'd have viewed as challengers to us for Top 6. Furthermore, the 2 gained from a seemingly hopeless situation at Glasgow and more importantly the win away to Ospreys which I'd regard as one of the milestone victories of last season came within that period. That victory seemed to me to give us huge belief and gave us a massive lead over Ospreys which they never really looked like reeling in. Also I think that gave us the confidence to go to Munster in the next game with the belief we could win away to a big side which we mightn't have had if we hadn't the belief of taking a big scalp earlier in the campaign.

Two things I'm getting tired of:

The Jack-haters - Carty is far from the finished article but he was bloody fantastic in the last two games.

The we-got-an-easy-start-because-of-the-world-cup nonsense. We got an easy start because we had 5 of the eventual bottom 6, at home, in the first 7 games. We upgraded our results in those matchups, compared to the previous season, from 4 wins and a draw to 5 wins. So most of those matches are gimmes every year, and we always start decently. The effect of the RWC on our results? A resounding damn all. All that schedule meant was that when we played the big boys it was outside the internationals and they were locked and loaded, and harder to beat.

Anyway, rant over, we move onward. We need 12 wins, i.e. 8 from the remaining 12, to get 6th place. If we fail tobeat Munster we need 8 from 11 which doesn't look doable, whereas if we win we're on top of Cardiff, Glasgow, Ulster and Scarlets once you take the game in hand into account. Don't give up hope, at least til we see how Saturday goes.

we could bring the two lads up from skibereen for a pep talk

Honestly I think the most important thing is momentum and partnerships or lack thereof. We're obviously lacking a Muldowney type figure as has been discussed in detail. Similarly with McGinty/Henshaw etc. to a lesser extent. However, for me the inability to get our best team on the field or to build partnerships in each area of the field has been the big problem. Between injuries and the lack of gametime at the start of the season we've never really got settled for a series of games this season. The 4 wins including the European games looked like a turning point but we ran into a road block against a Leinster side who were ready for us and we haven't really re-discovered our mojo since. There have been signs of some players beginning to show some form and then they get injured or they are forced to play with a new partner or in a different position due to injuries and we are just struggling for continuity. Ulster was a good example. Our try showed us at our best and there were spells especially early on where we looked like we could punch holes in them but overall we were disjointed in what we were doing and lacked fluency

Last year we got a great start during the World Cup and that gave us the buffer to stay in contention through the bad patch. Lots of games we played early on last year it was hard to see us as contenders but the more the season grew and the more we got into a rhythm the more our belief grew. We were the most settled side in the league pretty much and when we got everyone back from injury we had the added benefit that lots of other players had stepped in and got experience so it wasn't as difficult to interchange a few players in and out of the system. This season we've just got no real foundation stone to work off in selection mainly due to injuries and to be honest a lack of adequate recruitment/recruitment that was far too late on in the summer/autumn.

Regardless of how this season pans out I think we need to look at the disproportionate amount of injuries we are picking up and we need to back the new coach to get the players we need in as early as possible. We don't need huge change but we do need a couple more quality options in the pack and a quality option at midfield at a minimum and work from there.

Its a concerning time. Denis, the turnover expert ;last year, well that hasn't been so much this year. Tom, had his jitters with the lineouts last year but got it sorted, and then a few more jitters this year. Finlay has put in fantastic performances at international level but hasn't quite backed them up at provincial level, to the point that Conor Carey is probably first choice. Our second row is anyones guess these days. I have been hugely impressed with Quinn and then less so with Ultan. James Cannon could be a good buy, still to prove his point. Jake has not really fired, John has been dependable without been brilliant, SOB has been fantastic and Nepia certainly has stood up to the mark.

Kieran is a very good scrum half but Jack has not really done anything (yes that kick against wasps was important). Matt is struggling with a hand injury and not tackling effectively, Rory is doing well in the centre but without Bundee we look weak there. Niyi has never looked so alienated in his runs and been turned over so often. Tiernan has missed tackles that he needs to be making.

So that's the negative. So what needs to change?

And here's the thing. Not much. If you read my diatribe you would be forgiven to think there is no hope. Instead I suggest there is loads of hope. Having functioned so poorly and yet to have hung in there with the best of European teams suggests this team is capable of great things. We are no longer the bottom of the table stuff. There just seems to be a belief missing this year that was evident last year. Do we need Austin Powers to give them a pep talk on their 'mojo'?

Ahead of Saturday’s Guinness PRO12 round 12 game at home to Munster (5:30pm), the Connacht Rugby medical team have provided the following update.

Props:

Finlay Bealham sustained a head injury v Ulster and will follow return to play protocols.

Ronan Loughney has undergone minor surgery on his knee injury and will be out of action for 6 weeks.

Conor Carey will be out for 3 months with the foot injury sustained v Wasps.

Dominic Robertson McCoy is undergoing rehabilitation for a shoulder injury sustained in training.

Ivan Soroka is continuing his foot rehabilitation under the supervision of the medical and fitness team and is due to return to play in mid-February.



Locks:

Ultan Dillane sustained an ankle injury in the final minutes v Ulster and is awaiting a scan to determine the extent of the injury.

Andrew Browne is continuing his ankle rehabilitation under the supervision of the medical and fitness teams for the injury sustained vs Dragons and is due to return to play in February.
Back Row:

John Muldoon sustained a minor thigh injury v Ulster and will be monitored during the week prior to the Munster game.

Jake Heenan is due to reintegrate into training with the squad this week following his knee and ankle injuries sustained in the Wasps round 3 game.

Eoghan Masterson is progressing well in his knee rehabilitation with the medical and fitness staff and is due to be available in the coming weeks
Scrum Half:

John Cooney sustained a thigh injury in training this month and his undergoing rehabilitation with the medical and fitness teams.



Outhalf:

Marnitz Boshoff  has undergone surgery for the shoulder injury he sustained v Treviso and will be out for 3 months.

Shane O'Leary is continuing his recovery and following the graduated return to play protocols for concussion.
Centre:

Craig Ronaldson is progressing well in his thigh rehabilitation and is due to be available in mid-January.

Peter Robb is due to reintegrate into training with the squad this week following his thigh injury.

Bundee Aki  has undergone surgery on his ankle injury and will commence his rehabilitation this week. He is due to return in mid-February.

Stacey Ili is progressing well in his ankle rehabilitation and will return to running this week.

Eoin Griffin is undergoing rehabilitation for a chest muscle injury and is due to return in March 2017.



Back Three:

Cian Kelleher is continuing his rehabilitation for the hamstring injury he sustained v Wasps (round 3) and will return to running this week.

Danie Poolman sustained a head injury v Ulster and will follow the return to play protocols.

Josh Rowland is progressing well with his ankle rehabilitation and is due for a return to play in the coming weeks.

Darragh Leader continues his recovery from hand surgery and will return in February 2017.



Connacht v Munster
Saturday December 31st
the Sportsground
Kick off 5:30pm

Any chance you could copy and paste the article onto this post as for some reason I can't scroll down when viewing a page on the Connacht Rugby site

EvoGeo wrote:

phatguerilla wrote: www.connachtrugby.ie/squad-update-ahead-...game-8/#ConnachtNews

When you have so many injuries you need to list them by position.

We're well past the stage where it would be quicker to list who is available than who isn't.

Seriously lads is it just misfortune or is there some underlying reason for all these injuries. Is anyone here up to speed on sports science/physical conditioning?

Just realized they left Ben Marshall out of the news and also Conan and the other injured academy prospects.

Most of the injuries listed stem from match impacts, nothing that can be done about that.

EvoGeo wrote:

phatguerilla wrote: www.connachtrugby.ie/squad-update-ahead-...game-8/#ConnachtNews

When you have so many injuries you need to list them by position.

We're well past the stage where it would be quicker to list who is available than who isn't.

Seriously lads is it just misfortune or is there some underlying reason for all these injuries. Is anyone here up to speed on sports science/physical conditioning?

It'd be interesting to see a breakdown of how injuries are occurring, i.e. in training or matches or on water slides.

If the majority stem from game situations, I guess you could maybe attribute it to our policy of keeping ball in hand creating more contact situations and more risk of injury.

It would be worrying if we have a greater than average rate of training injuries but I'm sure the professionals at the club know a lot more than us fans and aren't risking the players by training them too hard or anything.

phatguerilla wrote: www.connachtrugby.ie/squad-update-ahead-...game-8/#ConnachtNews

When you have so many injuries you need to list them by position.

We're well past the stage where it would be quicker to list who is available than who isn't.

Seriously lads is it just misfortune or is there some underlying reason for all these injuries. Is anyone here up to speed on sports science/physical conditioning?