Bucks could be back as early as the Enisei game

www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/connacht-...return-34339152.html

the type of rugby connacht are playing, (wide, expansive, running and pass oriented) unfortunately has repercussion's. and they accumulate in the type of injuries we are sustaining. minor knocks, concussions, soft tissue damage, ligaments, etc the body has to be loose and not fixed like if your crashing up into the tackle. breaks are an unfortunate injury but can happen at any stage but rouxs injury Id hazard a guess and say the 4G pitch in Cardiff defiantly didn't help, and Newcastle have the same, so im hoping no serious injuries come out of sundays game

Fair enough Connachta.

:ohmy: it was an ironic sentence to point out the importance of Heenan come-back

though, we have :

1) only 22 players fit for Sunday
2) a grip to maintain in pro 12, with a much greater chance to be top 6 qualified...
3) ....than to win a competition with Harlequins in it...
4)... and with a likely away semi-final, because of the new rules

So, yes, if there are no more injuries/Irish capped players in February, if we keep our momentum in Pro12, if we won Newcastle+Brive away despite our weakened squad + if Montpellier beats Quins in the final k.o stage, if all that makes us through a home semi-final, then Ok, Challenge Cup matters a lot.

But that's a lot of "if"
You have to admit i've thought quite much about this competition for someone you presumed scronrful toward it

Disappointing to read Connachta you say "Honestly I don't really care about the Challenge Cup"
Not impressed with an attitude that disdains the winning of a competition we are doing well in. Are you not aware that there is a route into the Heineken Cup for the winner of this competition, or the fact that we've never won anything, so we shouldn't turn our nose up at any competition.

Bad news from the near future opposition : Henry rested for Toulouse, Williams on the bench. Their back-row will be fresh and scrary in the Sportsground. Hope we will have our Heenan/Masterson/Muldoon association, with McKeon/Connolly on the bench, to counter this threat...

The injury list is splitted in 3 part, hopefully the good part is better filled...

Back now or so, before new year (15) -
Browne, Masterson, Marmion, Porter, Ronaldson, Poolman, Aki, Healy, Loughney, O'Halloran, Heenan, Pewhairangi, MacGinty, McCartney, McKeon

Back sometime in February (6) -
Buckley, Cooney, Leader, Marshall, Roux, JP Cooney

Uncertain, probably January (4)
Carr, Henshaw, Finn, McSharry

Next season
Fox-Matamua

connachta wrote:
BTW We're ok for Saturday

LH Bealham, , sub O'Donnell
TH White, sub Meunargia (rest AhYou)
Hooker Delahunt, sub Harris-Wright,
Lock Browne, Dillane, sub Qualter (rest Muldowney)
Back-row Masterson, Naoupu, O'Brien (rest Connolly)
SH Blade, Porter
FH Carty, Ronaldson
Centre Parata, Robb,
Wing Adeolokun, Poolman
FB O'Leary

POSSIBLY AVAILABLE (6) -
Aki, Healy, Loughney, Marmion, Muldoon, O'Halloran

I do think we've the potential to win in Newcastle, with these guys. Apart from Qualter, Saba, O'Donnell and O'Leary (most if not all of them will be on the bench), all the players have prooven there are up to it, on a multiple-game basis, including Blade, Robb and Parata IMO

wp_rathead wrote: Also we are required to rest White for specific number of games under IRFU Player Welfare- be a waste playing him in this game and then having to rest him in another game of more importance

Maybe but with his concussion + RWC when he played just 20-minute-shifts, he needs gametime to be ready for Ulster IMO....

Agree RE: resting Connolly
However I'd rather not play Masterson in this either, maybe bench.
Let Browne go 6, George 8 and SOB 7 (I know he's not an openside but apart from Heffernan we kinda short on options..)
Qualter and Dillane second row
Also we are required to rest White for specific number of games under IRFU Player Welfare- be a waste playing him in this game and then having to rest him in another game of more importance

salmson wrote: Bottom line is we need one of TOH and Healy to come through to fill out the backline (or we go with a 6-2 split on the bench), and we should have 33 minus whatever toll the plastic pitch extracts to pick from against Ulster. Personally I'd leave Muldowney and Masterson at home and have Heffernan cover back row again.

AVAILABLE (25) -
Ah You, Bealham, Meunargia, O'Donnell, White
Delahunt, Harris-Wright, Heffernan
Browne, Dillane, Muldowney, Qualter
Connolly, Masterson, Naoupu, O'Brien
Blade, Porter
Carty, O'Leary
Parata, Robb, Ronaldson
Adeolokun, Poolman

POSSIBLY AVAILABLE (6) -
Aki, Healy, Loughney, Marmion, Muldoon, O'Halloran

FIT BUT UNREGISTERED (2) -
Heenan, Pewhairangi

UNAVAILABLE (12) -
Buckley, Carr, Cooney, Fox-Matamua, Henshaw, Leader, MacGinty, Marshall, McCartney, McKeon, McSharry, Roux.

BTW We're ok for Saturday

LH Bealham, , sub O'Donnell
TH White, sub Meunargia (rest AhYou)
Hooker Delahunt, sub Harris-Wright,
Lock Browne, Dillane, sub Qualter (rest Muldowney)
Back-row Masterson, Naoupu, O'Brien (rest Connolly)
SH Blade, Porter
FH Carty, Ronaldson
Centre Parata, Robb,
Wing Adeolokun, Poolman
FB O'Leary

POSSIBLY AVAILABLE (6) -
Aki, Healy, Loughney, Marmion, Muldoon, O'Halloran

Honnestly, I don't really care about challenge Cup. Heenan is baaaaaaaaaaaack!

Bottom line is we need one of TOH and Healy to come through to fill out the backline (or we go with a 6-2 split on the bench), and we should have 33 minus whatever toll the plastic pitch extracts to pick from against Ulster. Personally I'd leave Muldowney and Masterson at home and have Heffernan cover back row again.

AVAILABLE (25) -
Ah You, Bealham, Meunargia, O'Donnell, White
Delahunt, Harris-Wright, Heffernan
Browne, Dillane, Muldowney, Qualter
Connolly, Masterson, Naoupu, O'Brien
Blade, Porter
Carty, O'Leary
Parata, Robb, Ronaldson
Adeolokun, Poolman

POSSIBLY AVAILABLE (6) -
Aki, Healy, Loughney, Marmion, Muldoon, O'Halloran

FIT BUT UNREGISTERED (2) -
Heenan, Pewhairangi

UNAVAILABLE (12) -
Buckley, Carr, Cooney, Fox-Matamua, Henshaw, Leader, MacGinty, Marshall, McCartney, McKeon, McSharry, Roux.

What's the story with Marmion? He's not mentioned as returned to training, does that mean he's not training or was he already back just not passed fit for last week?

He's still undergoing RTP protocols according to squad update on website.

Jack Carty FB and Ronaldson 10?

Is that five tight heads in the squad now? Three of them could be on the bench.
What's the story with Marmion? He's not mentioned as returned to training, does that mean he's not training or was he already back just not passed fit for last week?
If neither Tiernan or Matt make it we could be in a spot of bother. Craig or Shane O at full back?