Well happy I have been there in the Sportsground for this game.
We played some good flashes of last season rugby,
improve the defence and the play-off win is achievable on that basis
Very good athmosphere, great people as usual
Prouder than ever to be part of the Connacht family!

Just what we don't need.

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/pro12/bun...ct-charges-1.3062461

Banm wrote: huge roar from clan side but game played on

Story of the night there, really.

Someone went I thought headfirst into ruck on clan side in second half when Connacht were attacking, huge roar from clan side but game played on

Bazzo wrote: Cian Healy has been cited for dangerous play at a ruck, sounds like possibly a shoulder charge in a clear out. Anyone have any idea when it might have happened?

www.newstalk.com/reader/47.302/97300/0/

He was scrapping on the ground with Mul when one of the tries was scored, wonder if it was in advance of that?

Cian Healy has been cited for dangerous play at a ruck, sounds like possibly a shoulder charge in a clear out. Anyone have any idea when it might have happened?

www.newstalk.com/reader/47.302/97300/0/

Set piece seemed to click a lot better than that have as of late. I'm not sure did we get amazing ball off any of the setpieces, but I don't think we gave away any penalties or much turnover ball.

Thought our place kicking was on point - Craig took the chances that he was given and the one missed kick was tough.

I thought we were stifled somewhat offensively. Very lateral passing and slow ball from rucks (thanks in part to the way the game was reffed). That said some of our offload passing was sublime, and that crossfield kick to Danie was beautiful.

Leinster played it very close to the wind when it came to the laws. Offside quite a bit, we did seem to be getting very very slow ball etc. That said, it was clear the ref wasn't going to be calling them on it, more power to them for using that advantage.

That said, we gifted them two, maybe three, of the easiest tries you'd see at this level. If we had kept the heads about us a little better you could've seen us well up at 60 mins chasing the 4 tries. Such a marginal thing, but I don't think the scoreline in any way reflects some of the effort put in on our side. Fair play to Leinster, a great win for a group of team selection unlikely to be starting this weekend. That said, this was a game that Connacht lost, not that Leinster won.

Dobby while I agree with most of your analysis. And Craig and Denis errors cannot go unnoted but I do think reffering to them as 'unforgiveable' is a bit much .

Just got a chance to look back at the tape of the game. And yep Bundee did fine. Indeed Jack (other than a couple of stupid passes) had a really solid game. Heff was great in open play but his lineout is always dodgy and the scrum wasn't as solid as it should have been. That said I don't think Shane offered any improvement. To focus on the mistakes, well for the first Leinster try Dani came out of the line but the pass from Byrne to Kirchner was obviously forward. If I were to be critical of Kirchners try I have to say TOH was definitely in touch when he shovelled the ball back that led to the Poolman try. Probably the biggest blunder was Craigs attempted pass that Byrne picked up and walked the length of the field. Then Marmion gets his kick for touch blocked which was simply poor and led to a Leinster penalty. So after this Jack kicks the length of the field and the ball goes dead, so its back close to the Connacht 22. Then Luke McGrath walks between Denis and Dave from a Leinster scrum to enable a Leinster try. Then we have Dawai losing possession in our 22 that leads to another try. And then Denis decides to pass which gives Daly another Leinster walk-in try. And then TOH breaks out of defence and passes the ball to fresh air. Simply nobody there.

So all said I enjoy the controlled passing. I less enjoy the uncontrolled passing. It is all fine and good to be exciting but what Craig and Denis did was unforgivable. And it cost Connacht the game. Yes every team makes mistakes but you try and minimize the amount of them. Craig is long enough playing rugby to see an opponent breaking the line and still make such a daft pass. And the same goes for Denis.

So I thought, when I looked back at the game it would be error strewn. In fact it wasn't. Just some daft decisions cost Connacht the game. And I would like to say kudos to Jack. You were not perfect (think before you pass) but you played well. And indeed Crosbie played well when he came on.

So its not a disaster. Remember all these Leinster are fighting for a starting position in the CC semis. I think we did ok. Just a couple of stupid decisions undid us. And I see on the 42 Pat talking about little things and suggesting that last year they went our way. In truth no matter how you play these two plays back they could have never gone our way. They were outright poor decisions and nothing else

He took plenty of flak from the Connacht fans on the Clan side too. The haircut/bath/makeover jokes were ten a penny.

pinky wrote: I think we need to focus on the really pertinent issues here.
What I want to know is, what was that vaguely bird-shaped thing wandering around the sidelines last night and what the hell has he done to Eddie the Eagle?
He had a slightly psychopathic look about him so God knows what he has done to the real Eddie ...

I did notice there were less childers asking him to dab yesterday. A little fear at that age is no harm though. He was taking no flak from the Leinster fans in front of the mainstand.

Signings Signings Signings.... Where are they?!!

dobby wrote: Bundee is not infallible and is fairly ordinary these days

Hard to take anything you say seriously when you come out with this sort of crap. Ridiculous and baseless comment.

pinky wrote: I think we need to focus on the really pertinent issues here.
What I want to know is, what was that vaguely bird-shaped thing wandering around the sidelines last night and what the hell has he done to Eddie the Eagle?
He had a slightly psychopathic look about him so God knows what he has done to the real Eddie ...

Are you referring to the mascot or the touch judge?

I think we need to focus on the really pertinent issues here.
What I want to know is, what was that vaguely bird-shaped thing wandering around the sidelines last night and what the hell has he done to Eddie the Eagle?
He had a slightly psychopathic look about him so God knows what he has done to the real Eddie ...

dobby wrote: . That said I stand by every comment I posted. Bundee is not infallible and is fairly ordinary these days.

I find this statement to be very unfair.
The whole backline (bar TOH) have no space.
And the majority of the time Bundy was double teamed.
Any bit of space he got in the second half he took advantage of it.

The problem is our half backs are too predictable. And there is no second receiver of note like Ali last year (brown is by far the best option but needs match fitness)

Other things that went wrong was.
Eoin MC Keon was a massive lost.
Only back row too make yardage consistently.
And was doing a about massive of work.

It also looks like we cannot take scores when they are available.
2 times there were drop goals on in the second half 15m in front of the post. We did not take them. We came out of their 22 with nothing. Leinster had the measure of us in defence.
Both times we would have taken the lead

You also have to say the bounch of the ball went Leinster way. They got 3 tries from broken play.

The other thing is.
Are the correct people on the bench?
Dawi should cover or start on the wing. He can make unbelievable yardage when given the ball.
He can also make massive hits which is not happening in our back 3 ( he might be shite under the high ball)

This would let SOB cover back row.
Letting Canon ( is he fit?) cover second row.

I think there were also a few decision that went against us ( I did not see it on TV yet)

I do think the team gave everything, but not enough stood up as leaders. Which was the losing of the game.