Analysis: Connacht not pushing panic buttons after poor Pro12 start - nice piece from The 42

www.the42.ie/tiernan-ohalloran-connacht-...016-2976531-Sep2016/

tough game to watch as my first back in the sportsground this season. a real mixed bag

But there are positives:

scrum and maul were good and definitely should have got a penalty try in the first half. Surprisingly tryhouse didn't give one

Tiernan had a great game real quality fullback covering by him on some of Ospreys breaks. there was a break in the second half when McKeown was on the pitch as a winger I was hoping he would pop it of and see if Mckeown could make it but I'm sure taking it in was the safer and smarter option.

We are creating opportunities and Marmion was dictating things nicely for me.

Negatives: Cartys up and down nature there's a good 10 there when he wants to show up.

The lack of a ball playing forward too many times the ball got shifted along amongst the middle pod. I know that was Muldowneys area I think Browne will be a benefit here. That also goes for the line-out we seemed fairly predictable at times.

Tackling and especially Griffin for me bounced of way too many tackles not at all good enough. Also himself and Bundee haven't gelled and I feel you can see that Bundee doesn't trust him. I'd like to go back to a Ronaldson/Robb Bundee partnership as soon as. the defensive structures and intensity in general need a look

There is a general sluggishness about Connacht but no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater just yet.

Top 6 is still possible but we'll need a serious step up. I'm glad its Zebre next week and not Treviso who are putting it upto teams so far this season.

All things being equal and where our lofty expectations have reached I yesterday's performance was a step in the right direction . Where I'd like to see us go team wise from yesterday .... Loughney is a solid deputy but we need Buckley fit and on the pitch as much as possible . 2nd row we need Quinn roux back asap and hope that Romaine or one of the academy's locks are a bit of a bolter Ultan style or a signing . Connolly is a class act no concerns in the back row. I think we need Ronaldson at 12 for 2 reasons. 1- He kicks and takes pressure of Jack and let's him get on with his game and 2. Bundee is more productive at 13and seems happier there. Back 3 - Tiernan looked like a guy that was playing his first game of the season so I'm not concerned and feel sorry for Danie never seems to catch a break he's the Jake of the backs . Blade seems a better player coming off the bench - just my tuppence halfpennys worth.

Ya don't want to say much about it but its not happening at all so far. When we got it to 11-10 we had put some good play together but even at that we'd failed to take proper advantage of the yellow card and conceding the penalty straight away knocked the stuffing out of us. Its a sad sight seeing us at the moment. Hopefully we'll get back on track against Zebre next week but psychologically giving up two bonus point defeats at what was our fortress last season is very damaging. Not many are really standing out in the dross of the last two performances. Its been a sobering few weeks.

Another bad loss for me and the game isn't even over. We started that game with 7 Irish internationals!!!!

Perhaps we just can't ship the quality we have lost post season but also the number of injuries we have. From the pack alone, you could argue it is missing Buckley, White, Roux, Heenan and Masterson. I would probably add SOB into that.

It is concerning all the same as the shape from last year (in attack and defence) doesn't seem to be there.

Half backs is a big problem and Marmian to me, has regressed a lot. Doesn't look like an international at all whatever has happened to him. Carty again for me was very poor. Missed tackles, missed touchline kicks, missed kicks to goal.

Aki doesn't seem to be too happy at 12 and Griffin isn't doing it for me.

Team look a bit of a mess to be honest.

Given some of the other results, top 6 is going to be very difficult.

salmson wrote: Ospreys team:

15 Dan Evans
14 Jeff Hassler
13 Ben John
12 Josh Matavesi
11 Eli Walker
10 Sam Davies
9 Rhys Webb (Capt)

1 Nicky Smith
2 Sam Parry
3 Dmitri Arhip
4 Bradley Davies
5 Rory Thornton
6 Olly Cracknell
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Tyler Ardron

16 Scott Baldwin
17 Paul James
18 Ma’afu Fia
19 Lloyd Ashley
20 James King
21 Dan Baker
22 Tom Habberfield
23 Dafydd Howells

Ospreys backs could destroy us if defence is not up to scratch and/or needlessly coughing up possession cheaply occurs.

Could be a cracker if both sets of backs get decent ball!

Love the backs selection, if they gel as well as we did coming up to the end of last season we'll be fine. Pack should do their job well. Hopfully Jack has put the opening games jitters behind him - KM on from the start should be a calming infulence and call the game.

I'm going for a 3 point win!

What do we think?

I hope for a win, but would probably take a losing bonus point.

sea_point wrote: We're at nineteen players already this season, which is a little depressing.

Would have been easier to say here's your 23; Delahunt, Carey, and Rowland are available but not selected, and every other senior squad member is injured or unavailable.

I was sure I heard several commentators mentioning last week that this season we would not only have neutral country refs, but also at least one touch judge and the TMO would be from a third country also, or did I pick that up wrong? So how do we end up with Pen Tryhouse?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting we put Claudio in the middle or anything.

Ospreys team:

15 Dan Evans
14 Jeff Hassler
13 Ben John
12 Josh Matavesi
11 Eli Walker
10 Sam Davies
9 Rhys Webb (Capt)

1 Nicky Smith
2 Sam Parry
3 Dmitri Arhip
4 Bradley Davies
5 Rory Thornton
6 Olly Cracknell
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Tyler Ardron

16 Scott Baldwin
17 Paul James
18 Ma’afu Fia
19 Lloyd Ashley
20 James King
21 Dan Baker
22 Tom Habberfield
23 Dafydd Howells

Decent enough side when you consider the talent unavailable / injured..

Denis Buckley
Nathan White
Quinn Roux
Andrew Browne
Ben Marshall
Nepia Fox-Matamua
Jake Heenan
Sean O’Brien
Eoghan Masterson
John Cooney
Stephen Kerins
Conor Lowndes
Craig Ronaldson
Marnitz Boshoff
Rory Parata
Peter Robb
Darragh Leader
Cian Kelleher
Ciaran Gaffney.

We're at nineteen players already this season, which is a little depressing.
But saying that last year was a record hig for injured players at one time and we went on and won the whole darn show.....

That is actually a really good looking team. Time to get the show back on track.

Team announced

www.connachtrugby.ie/connacht-team-to-fa...reys-5/#ConnachtNews

Connacht team to face Ospreys, Saturday 10th September, the Sportsground, 7:35pm

15 Tiernan O’Halloran
14 Niyi Adeolokun
13 Eoin Griffin
12 Bundee Aki
11 Matt Healy
10 Jack Carty
9 Kieran Marmion

1 Ronan Loughney
2 Tom McCartney
3 Finlay Bealham
4 Ultan Dillane
5 Danny Qualter
6 Eoin McKeon
7 James Connolly
8 John Muldoon (captain)

Replacements:

16 Dave Heffernan
17 Dominic Robertson-McCoy
18 JP Cooney
19 Lewis Stevenson
20 Rory Moloney
21 Caolin Blade
22 Shane O’Leary
23 Danie Poolman