There were so many fundamentals wrong with this weekend it is not funny. What bothers me most is this ball release, quick hands, but fundamentally going backwards. I can crib about Niyi but Aly managed to take contact and then on other occasions swung it back to the backline, Brown just swings it laterally. So nothing could be more obvious. Soft hands are great to see but it cannot remain to be this lateral readable stuff.

McKeon had a stormer too.
14 tackles, 40m run, 3 defenders beaten.

He and Dawai should start next week. They are the ball-carriers we desperatly need, especially if McCartney is out.

connachta wrote: nobody seems to notice it but Griffin, disappointing in September for his initial comeback, was excellent

He had one absolute shocker of a missed tackle early on but after that he was very good. Ran great decoy lines all night as well as his work in possession.

nobody seems to notice it but Griffin, disappointing in September for his initial comeback, was excellent

Honestly that was just an awful game last night. If I was an Edinburgh supporter I'd be disgusted with the effort/performance of their team. It's one thing to be low on confidence but there was a lot of players on their side who honestly didn't look like they gave a toss. It was clear even seeing them running out at the start that the season was over already in their mind. From their viewpoint, Richard Cockerill can't get in there soon enough to ruffle a few feathers.

On our side we started slowly but managed to capitalise on Edinburgh failing to take their chances. It was like us in other games/years in some ways, Edinburgh butchering some great positions, Weir missing some easy chances and Crosbie picking off a couple of tough penaltys.

The try before half time gave us a glimpse again of how valuable Marmion is to us. At that stage we were in complete control but I knew it was too weird watching Connacht without us creating any drama for ourselves. The penalty try decision was incredibly harsh especially given the angles they were looking at it definitely didn't conclusively prove anything but even so it shouldn't have been a problem. It did coincide with John Muldoon going off which is no coincidence.

We completely lost our shape and our discipline after that. We gifted them the field position to give them hope. Even with 15-20 seconds left and the sting took out of it we didn't just close down the game sensibly like any other side and in the end Edinburgh had worked their way past halfway. It would only have taken one infringement for the game to have ended in a draw and we were on the wrong side of the ref at that stage.

It's only 2-3 years ago where any away win was a fantastic result. I'm pleased we got the 4 points but I think this win needs to be placed in the context of how lacking in any real structure we are and how awful Edinburgh were.

Really we're far too easy to defend against at the moment. There are times when we look like a good side but in general we're playing with no real ideas at the moment and giving the defensive line cheap targets to pick off.

Given Ulster's draw last night we'll probably need to win our two home game if we want to finish 7th. Can't really see it on present form but hopefully we can get it together to some extent in the next couple of games because with form like this we won't beat anyone in the play-offs.

I actually changed the channel towards the end because it was so difficult to watch the team collapse like that. I was convinced they were going to lose. So hopefully it will give them a kick up the jacksie leading up to Leinster. I won't name players but there are a few on that team that are nowhere near where they were last season and I cannot figure out why.

sea_point wrote: With Leinster up next any sort of a win was required tonight.

Before the game I would have thought the same thing but rarely has a win ever felt more like a loss than tonight. And I imagine the lads probably feel the same so the result will do little to build any confidence ahead of the Leinster game. I've been expecting the best from them all season and they've let me down so hopefully they'll continue to because now I'm expecting the worse.

sea_point wrote: Not going to lie, we're playing nowhere near well enough to turnover Leinster on current form. But it's a one off game....

In the first 20 minutes you were left scratching your head. Yes the score-board was ok but we are a better team than Edinburgh. Full stop. We don't need to beat them with fancy stuff. We simply play moderate rugby and we win. Same against Zebre last week. Just play sensible rugby. As for Leinster, they will absolutely tear us apart if we play this muck. I love connacht rugby but the last two weeks are no reflection of the excitement of connacht rugby, they are a reflection of shocking play and if it continues to Leinster we will get walloped.

Mark Mostyn wrote: Outscored 3 tries to 1, Ducan Weir and Edinburgh's poor discipline won us that game. Same old problems, our attack is easily dealt with and apart from a few good moments we didn't cause Edinburgh enough problems with ball in hand. I'd say Bundee had more sideways yards than forwards. Defence looked in trouble any time they could string a few passes together. Set piece was fairly solid I thought.

Eoin McKeon had some really important interventions, and I thought Crosbie looked to have enough to be 3rd choice 10 next season. His goalkicking was good and he has a nice snappy pass. Our gameplan seems to involve the outhalf sitting deep and shipping the ball on, we miss the threat MacGinty used to pose when he took the ball to the line. Thought Delahunt was everywhere for a while when he came on, then Edinburgh started to turn the screw on us.

Leinster next week will be a really tough game, I don't expect us to sort out our systematic issues but I really want to see play with passion and really front up to them physically.

With Leinster up next any sort of a win was required tonight.

But a very mixed bag despite the win, thought Crosby was decent (offered a better range than Jack,,but did all that was asked of him from a kicking, carrying, passing and tackling perspective competently) and the pack got stuck in well from the start. But Edinburgh were poor and deserved to be 22-0 down, and we should have hosed them in the second half if our attack was a bit more clinical. Tiernan, yellow apart was excellent, especially in the first half where he was a class apart in his work., Griff wa fraily anonymous, but it's his first game back at this level for a while...

But..... the decision by Lam to make the changes at 62 mins when we were defending in our 22 for me was really poor and lead to the disorganisation defensively that forced Tiernan to gamble and get a yellow for offside.It also should not have been a penalty try, as a try would not definitely have been scored, without the try and extra man the game would have petered out...

Danie is a nuts and bolts winger, for me he doesn't do anything extra other than carry the ball back directly.
Not once tonight when Bundee cut outside towards his wing did he look to hit an inside line off him as space got tight even if it was only to draw a single defender, instead remained hugging the touchline while Bundee got tackled. Really not sure if I can see a future for him with a new coach on the way in, he just doesn't offer enough of a threat on the wing and there must be some wing talent floating around the AIL that would offer a greater threat...

Not going to lie, we're playing nowhere near well enough to turnover Leinster on current form. But it's a one off game....

connachta wrote: Do you think the fact McCartney was allowed to put weight on his foot is a good sign?

Rephrase. Do you think that McCartney was unable to put weight on his foot. Obviously. Hopefully good times for Delahunt. I am caught in the middle of selecting professionals and wanting our academy to succeed. What is the point in simply shipping our academy prospects that are simply never used. It bugs the crap out of me.

And if you were to look at the JP call, well it made sense to me. We needed Finlay on the bench to manage the replacement front row. It was a no-brainer of a call. After our front 3 collapsing from 60 minutes onwards in most every game who wouldn't make that call. So it added a bit of solidity rather than complete acquiescence.

Probably what is most disturbing about Connacht is mental daft plays. There is absolutely nothing that makes sense about how they play, other than they fling the ball around. There is no management, there is nobody that takes ownership. It is an absolute mess. It can look pretty but it is a total mess. There is no construct . Pat can not leave soon enough. This is muck

Do you think the fact McCartney was allowed to put weight on his foot is a good sign?

Mark Mostyn wrote: Outscored 3 tries to 1, Ducan Weir and Edinburgh's poor discipline won us that game. Same old problems, our attack is easily dealt with and apart from a few good moments we didn't cause Edinburgh enough problems with ball in hand. I'd say Bundee had more sideways yards than forwards. Defence looked in trouble any time they could string a few passes together. Set piece was fairly solid I thought.

Eoin McKeon had some really important interventions, and I thought Crosbie looked to have enough to be 3rd choice 10 next season. His goalkicking was good and he has a nice snappy pass. Our gameplan seems to involve the outhalf sitting deep and shipping the ball on, we miss the threat MacGinty used to pose when he took the ball to the line. Thought Delahunt was everywhere for a while when he came on, then Edinburgh started to turn the screw on us.

Leinster next week will be a really tough game, I don't expect us to sort out our systematic issues but I really want to see play with passion and really front up to them physically.

' our attack IS easily dealt with'.

Outscored 3 tries to 1, Ducan Weir and Edinburgh's poor discipline won us that game. Same old problems, our attack is easily dealt with and apart from a few good moments we didn't cause Edinburgh enough problems with ball in hand. I'd say Bundee had more sideways yards than forwards. Defence looked in trouble any time they could string a few passes together. Set piece was fairly solid I thought.

Eoin McKeon had some really important interventions, and I thought Crosbie looked to have enough to be 3rd choice 10 next season. His goalkicking was good and he has a nice snappy pass. Our gameplan seems to involve the outhalf sitting deep and shipping the ball on, we miss the threat MacGinty used to pose when he took the ball to the line. Thought Delahunt was everywhere for a while when he came on, then Edinburgh started to turn the screw on us.

Leinster next week will be a really tough game, I don't expect us to sort out our systematic issues but I really want to see play with passion and really front up to them physically.

Niyi has been the same all season. When Tiernan went off its like logic disappeared. And to be honest that was a harsh call with him. And I really don't like that he is the only person capable of calling the back line. We need others to stand up.

A bit sticky at the end there but think we edged it overall. 22-0 was very unfair on Edinburgh but think the bonus point is what they deserved and losing would have been very harsh on us.

Thought crosbie was good, and unlike someone above i thought his defense was very good. Niyi needs to hold onto the ball, coughed it up in contact a few times. Tom was our Mom for me, good display all around from him.

Onward and upward, an away win is not to be sniffed at but we've played better and lost this season.

A win is a win with the season we are having... The end was so uncomfortable to watch considering how most of the match had gone . Agree with Sol with the penalty try decision. But me being the eternal optimist I cant wait for next Saturday . We have beaten that shower with lesser teams and we will do it again. No doubt !!