This will throw some light on the selection of Dani at centre no Boshoff and delayed announcement.

www.the42.ie/connacht-epcr-registration-...fin-3398957-May2017/

FACECUTTR wrote: Was Boshoff dropped or did he pick up a late injury? If he was dropped I wouldn't be hugely surprised. Is there a chance there could be a mutual agreement between him and Connacht to leave his contract ?

Was Boshoff dropped or did he pick up a late injury? If he was dropped I wouldn't be hugely surprised. Is there a chance there could be a mutual agreement between him and Connacht to leave his contract ?

Mark Mostyn wrote: So I guess the selection calls to be made are:

- Bealham or Carey
- Who plays in the second row
- O'Brien or McKeon or maybe even Dawai at 6
- Carty or Boshoff
- Who plays in the centre
- Who plays on the wing

My verdict:

- Bealham with Carey to come on early
- Roux/Browne with Dillane on the bench if fit
- Would personally go with SOB at 6 and McKeon at 8 but that's not gonna happen
- Has to be Carty, surely Boshoff would have started against Munster if he was gonna be considered
- Errrr.. Don't really want to see Farrell play 13 in a big away game until he graduates from the Noel Reid School For Kids Who Can't Tackle Good. Actually think Crosbie could be our best option at 12 but too late for that.
- Kelleher and it's a toss up for the other side, nobody's really in form

That wasn't far off. I'm in the same camp about Farrell. He has made some super line breaks but whenever he plays the defensive line seems to fall to pieces. So some might moan about Dani at centre but to be fair Dani has been a part of the Connacht structure for some time now and probably will slot in fine. He may not be a brilliant centre but I think he might bring a bit more structure to our centre partnership. Then you have the dropping of Marnitz. And I am going to apply the same logic to him. He really has played so little rugby for Connacht. Will Cooney be better (or more pertinent will Cooney be used at outhalf at all) is hard to say. Again John is just simply more familiar with the processes. This is such a huge game you really can't gamble. So that's my take on Dani and Marnitz.

Benji wrote: Dannie in the side is always a risk defensively but at 13 its madness. I'd have played myself instead.

I make Danie's record as centre 5 wins (notably away to La Rochelle & the HEC win over Biarritz, rest were against Italian teams), a draw vs. Treviso, and almost a dozen defeats, amongst them a memorable pumping away to Exeter in the Challenge Cup & that manky 23-3 loss to Treviso in Pat's first season in charge. Craig's really struggled for form recently too. They just need to bring North in off his wing behind a decent screen a few times and that should be that. We can only hope that Northampton are as complacent as I'm pessimistic.

Dannie in the side is always a risk defensively but at 13 its madness. I'd have played myself instead.

yeah Dannie 13 and Cooney 22 is enough said.
The rest of the team is ok, but those out-of-position guys will cost us a lot

Strange that Boshoff isn't listed as unavailable but we've gone with two scrumhalves on the bench

how we ended up with only 1 fit center is a bit puzzling, hopefully Danie has one last big game for us

15 Tiernan O’Halloran
14 Niyi Adeolokun
13 Danie Poolman
12 Craig Ronaldson
11 Cian Kelleher
10 Jack Carty
9 Kieran Marmion

1 Denis Buckley
2 Dave Heffernan
3 Finlay Bealham
4 Quinn Roux
5 Andrew Browne
6 Sean O’Brien
7 Jake Heenan
8 John Muldoon (captain)


Replacements:

16 Shane Delahunt
17 JP Cooney
18 Conor Carey
19 Ultan Dillane
20 Naulia Dawai
21 Caolin Blade
22 John Cooney
23 Matt Healy

www.connachtrugby.ie/connacht-team-to-face-northampton

team announcement is running late, strong Northampton lineup

Looking back on that Scarlets game (Defending out-wide) North particularly worries me.

Anyways, Onwards.

I'm looking forward to heading up to franklin's gardens on Saturday.

Strong team. North, Lawes and Picamoles .....

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS TEAM TO PLAY CONNACHT
European Rugby Champions Cup qualifier
Franklin’s Gardens
Saturday, May 20th, 2017
Kick off 4:00pm
15 Ahsee Tuala
14 Ben Foden
13 Nafi Tuitavake
12 Luther Burrell
11 George North
10 Harry Mallinder
9 Nic Groom
1 Alex Waller
2 Dylan Hartley (capt)
3 Kieran Brookes
4 Courtney Lawes
5 Christian Day
6 Jamie Gibson
7 Teimana Harrison
8 Louis Picamoles

16 Mikey Haywood
17 Campese Ma’afu
18 Gareth Denman
19 Api Ratuniyarawa
20 Tom Wood
21 Lee Dickson
22 Sam Olver
23 Rory Hutchinson

www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/news/latest-...ews-versus-connacht/

they are very powerful! we will need to get parity in set piece to have any chance.

salmson wrote: Northampton team announced:

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Just have seen it too. As expected, no Myler, no JJ (both injured). But wil we have a chance against that 2nd row + Picamoles?

Northampton team announced:

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