Gonna break with my traditional doom & gloom forecasting and predict a win by 5 points. 'Mon Connacht & to hell with everything that's happened this season!!!

Dobby does tend to talk a lot of chyte, but I do agree with him that Rowland should be playing instead of Poolman this weekend. I'm also beginning to wonder if Boshoff is actually a mirage. Will we see him at all this season?

connemara man wrote:

dobby wrote:

connemara man wrote:

dobby wrote: A misfiring Connacht selection versus a second string Leinster selection. Brings back memories of the munster game at Christmas. Utterly pointless selection

Like I said above pick the next 4-5 starting 15 so with an eye on winning the playoffs

That just makes no sense to me. We play a misfiring team rather than experiment to find out what actually fires . When we reach the playoffs we are going to have a team that is absolutely crucified with lack of confidence. We know what Heff brings, we don't know what Delahunt brings, we know what a Roux/Brown combo beings, we don't know what Roux/Cannon brings. We know what Jack brings. We know what Dani and Niyi bring these days. So if we don't experiment then we end up in the playoffs with our confidence absolutely shot and knowing nothing new

So pick the team you want to see starting, all you seem to have an issue with is 4 players. I'll keep asking till you answer, I'm stubborn like that.

If you don't think we'll win the playoffs that's fine, but to give the team their best chance at them the strongest 23 need to start and win games.

I believe that we will not succeed in the playoffs playing the 15 fielded for tomorrow, simple as. I think Tom brought a physicality that is not matched by Dave but is matched by Shane. I think we need this physicality otherwise our scrum will be bullied. I think Andrew brings a degree of certainty to the lineout but doesn't provide the ball needed to unleash our centres/wingers. Now this may be because the outhalf is not working in tandem with what Andrew is doing but personally I think Andrew is too lateral with his play. If you look back to the Aly era he was an expert in providing ball back into the pocket for the likes of Bundee to do his damage or AJ to fling it quickly to the wings. Today there is none of that which effectively nullifies our backline. So I'd like to see if Cannon can provide any improvement on this. While Dani has been a great servant to Connacht his confidence is clearly shot. Just watching him going for a 50/50 ball in the air says it clearly to me. Dani is clearly pulling out of these collisions. As such Rowland really should be starting. I get the impression that Bundee is totally frustrated with how things are going these days so I would like to see if the injection of new blood with Farrell might provide new energy in the centre. As for Jack, he cannot be involved in the playoffs or else its curtains on our hopes. So Crosbie really had to start this weekend. As for Griffin, I have been hugely unimpressed with the majority of his performances that he has been available for this season. As Salmson says there are a multitude of 15s that can be selected but I think this 15 takes the biscuit. It shouts 'nothing to see here'. I have huge critic of Joe Schmidts conservative outlook, I never thought I would see the day where I would be saying the same about Pat Lam's selections.

Certainly a very winnable game, there are so many positions where we are superior, a good battle at 9, expecting Marmion to have a big game. In midfield we'be gone with experience, would like to have seen Boschof on the bench as he needs to get gametime before the playoffs

dobby wrote:

connemara man wrote:

dobby wrote: A misfiring Connacht selection versus a second string Leinster selection. Brings back memories of the munster game at Christmas. Utterly pointless selection

Like I said above pick the next 4-5 starting 15 so with an eye on winning the playoffs

That just makes no sense to me. We play a misfiring team rather than experiment to find out what actually fires . When we reach the playoffs we are going to have a team that is absolutely crucified with lack of confidence. We know what Heff brings, we don't know what Delahunt brings, we know what a Roux/Brown combo beings, we don't know what Roux/Cannon brings. We know what Jack brings. We know what Dani and Niyi bring these days. So if we don't experiment then we end up in the playoffs with our confidence absolutely shot and knowing nothing new

So pick the team you want to see starting, all you seem to have an issue with is 4 players. I'll keep asking till you answer, I'm stubborn like that.

If you don't think we'll win the playoffs that's fine, but to give the team their best chance at them the strongest 23 need to start and win games.

While there's probably as many possible XVs as there are posters on this forum - I'd have gone for Griffin or Farrell over Ronaldson most likely & SOB at 6 - I don't see how playing a bundle of fringe players & losing a third game of four helps us any. Get the win and worry about the next day the next day.

Quick Question (The Usual One From Me!)
What is the plan of action after the game? Am in studio so won't be out til after Full Time!

connemara man wrote:

dobby wrote: A misfiring Connacht selection versus a second string Leinster selection. Brings back memories of the munster game at Christmas. Utterly pointless selection

Like I said above pick the next 4-5 starting 15 so with an eye on winning the playoffs

That just makes no sense to me. We play a misfiring team rather than experiment to find out what actually fires . When we reach the playoffs we are going to have a team that is absolutely crucified with lack of confidence. We know what Heff brings, we don't know what Delahunt brings, we know what a Roux/Brown combo beings, we don't know what Roux/Cannon brings. We know what Jack brings. We know what Dani and Niyi bring these days. So if we don't experiment then we end up in the playoffs with our confidence absolutely shot and knowing nothing new

Folks - I have 2 adult tickets and one student/senior ticket for sale face value if any one is interested. College Road end.

PM Me

Betty Swallocks wrote: Wonder where Boshoff is? Very surprised that Carty is picked top start.

He's only just back from SA this week.

Wonder where Boshoff is? Very surprised that Carty is picked top start.

dobby wrote: A misfiring Connacht selection versus a second string Leinster selection. Brings back memories of the munster game at Christmas. Utterly pointless selection

Like I said above pick the next 4-5 starting 15 so with an eye on winning the playoffs

Play strongest selection available. Winning and trying to get on a winning streak is most important for confidence for the playoffs. Winning can become a habit and as every Connacht supporter knows, losing certainly becomes a habit that's hard to break

dobby wrote: A misfiring Connacht selection versus a second string Leinster selection. Brings back memories of the munster game at Christmas. Utterly pointless selection

What's wrong with our selection?

A misfiring Connacht selection versus a second string Leinster selection. Brings back memories of the munster game at Christmas. Utterly pointless selection

pinky wrote: Leinster obviously have one eye on next weekend. 11 changes.

Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets)

15. Zane Kirchner (84)
14. Adam Byrne (20)
13. Rory O’Loughlin (18)
12. Noel Reid (79)
11. Dave Kearney (110)
10. Ross Byrne (20)
9. Luke McGrath (71)
1. Cian Healy (169)
2. James Tracy (38)
3. Mike Ross (150)
4. Ross Molony (40)
5. Hayden Triggs (27)
6. Dominic Ryan (111)
7. Josh van der Flier (41)
8. Rhys Ruddock (127) Captain

Replacements

16. Sean Cronin (126)
17. Peter Dooley (35)
18. Michael Bent (83)
19. Ian Nagle (9)
20. Peadar Timmins (6)
21. Nick McCarthy (5)
22. Tom Daly (7)
23. Barry Daly (9)

www.leinsterrugby.ie/preview/leinster-ru...-connacht-announced/

That's an incredibly beatable Leinster team