Packie wrote:

sea_point wrote:

clan clover wrote: Who is the new back in all the photos on FB, its not Miah and Fetu is with Tonga at the moment.

Yeah was thinking exact same myself, quite tall chap..

www.connachtrugby.ie/images/Backs_Training_680.jpg

99% certain thats Mata Fifita the Sligo centre

Mataele Fifita - He's IQ as far as I know, been with Sligo last two seasons and season before with Navan after having a season at least with Sligo before that although I think he was played at No.8.

Wonder what the thinking is there. If he was that good I would have thought an AIL 1 club would have snapped himmup...

sea_point wrote:

clan clover wrote: Who is the new back in all the photos on FB, its not Miah and Fetu is with Tonga at the moment.

Yeah was thinking exact same myself, quite tall chap..

www.connachtrugby.ie/images/Backs_Training_680.jpg

99% certain thats Mata Fifita the Sligo centre

clan clover wrote: Who is the new back in all the photos on FB, its not Miah and Fetu is with Tonga at the moment.

Yeah was thinking exact same myself, quite tall chap..

www.connachtrugby.ie/images/Backs_Training_680.jpg

www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150882...53561&type=1&theater

at the back ???
is it a lean looking george.

Who is the new back in all the photos on FB, its not Miah and Fetu is with Tonga at the moment.

Each season, Eric and the coaches compile a list of players they would like to sign/positions that need filling.
Both Fionn Carr and Jamie Hagan were on this seasons list, but not very high.
They've kept in touch with both players, and will take them back if the opportunity arises

connachtexile wrote: There's an element of gambling in it regardless of what he does. As for him burning bridge's with Connacht I have to disagree. If he's thinking of coming back then imo it means that Connacht have been keeping tabs on him and might have mentioned that the door is always open for him etc. That doesn't strike me as us having hard feelings about it. An while he might get the bird from one or two fans in the stand I think the rest of us are practical enough to realise what an asset he is for us if he does return.

The 'burnt bridges' is something I heard from someone within the camp. There was alot of discontent with the way he left.

However, that could easily be looked beyond if we wanted him back and we could get him back

There's an element of gambling in it regardless of what he does. As for him burning bridge's with Connacht I have to disagree. If he's thinking of coming back then imo it means that Connacht have been keeping tabs on him and might have mentioned that the door is always open for him etc. That doesn't strike me as us having hard feelings about it. An while he might get the bird from one or two fans in the stand I think the rest of us are practical enough to realise what an asset he is for us if he does return.

i think the succession plan is already being shelved in its original announced format anyway. the person who announced it came out a few weeks back and called it a guideline or vision of the way forward and not a hard and fast rule. exceptions have already been made for dougie and nacewa and munster are preparing to make one for bj and wian.
Brett and Ronan will be in big demand anyway when their contracts come up for renewal as none of the provinces particularly want to use up their niqs in the front row where possible.
ironically if hagen does come back it may hasten the departure of loughney who now must have real international ambitions at tight head. if he does he will not fancy being seen as a utility prop to fill holes while hagen and white are seen as specialist ths.Connacht imo are looking for a Loose head and loughs cant view himself as one at this stage of his career.

Imo Hagen has to leave Leinster if he is to fulfil his potential and ambition. Schmidt, who has proven himself to be an excellent coach, doesnt rate him highly and he needs to be playing pro12 rugby at a min and preferably hec to show his talents at this stage of his career.However there is every chance he will remain at 3rd choice behind loughs and white if he returns to connacht.

The obvious opportunity in ireland is at munster where he would def imo be ahead of archer and sharing position with BJ. Leinster will have Ross and Bent and Ulster have Afoa and Fitzpatrick all of whom are ahead of Hagen at this time as are imo loughs and white. His other alternative is the Aviva Premiership but that will finish any international ambition.

With the signing of White and Ronan's ability to play both sides I think we're seeing the beginning of preparations for life without Brett.

Once the IRFU succession plan comes in next year IE props will be at a premium. With only one NIE loosehead and one tight allowed across the other three provinces 2 into du Preez, Afoa, VdM, Botha etc won't go. There will be a mass exodus of props, and before that there will be a mad scramble to sign IE props from elsewhere, including from Connacht.

With that in mind Brett will be under pressure (similar to Hagan and Cronin) to move on to improve his HEC and international prospects. I think we will have a very hard time when it comes to re-negotiating his contract when it's up.

White moving to Connacht covers us at tighthead, and we'll be a bit overloaded with Ronan available there too, so it won't surprise me if he's moved back to loose again to prepare for the potential loss of Brett.

I think Hagan will stay where he is at this stage and hope to get himself above Bent in the pecking order and become a regular in the Leinster 23. In fairness to Schmidt he has tried to give him game time but Hagan looked off the pace last season.

Would his situation in terms of gametime improve significantly at Connacht? Nathan White hasn't come cheap I'd imagine and would be first choice and he'd have a tough battle with Ronan Loughney for 2nd choice if Loughney is still regarded as a tight head option next season.

I'd be delighted to see him return and it would give us real strength in depth throughout the front row but I'd say its unlikely.

What I foresee happening is that he'll probably end up going abroad at the end of next season in search of regular gametime. This may help his development but in an island where tight heads are hardly two a penny its all very dissapointing how its turned out.

Bent isn't coming from the Hurricanes to play B & I Cup. Bent is 25 and will be given opportunities and Hagan will have to make a big impression early on next season, if he gets a chance. Hagan is bound to be a bit peeved

However, he burnt bridges in Connacht in the manner in which he left and there'll have to be grovelling on his part to come back. But at the end of the day, Elwood aint stupid, Hagan would be a much better option than something like Borlase or Royce Burke Flynn

True and while no one was on the by-line i think it was written by Peer O'Reily who is usually quite reliable. He's no Hugh Farrelly anyway.

Looking at it from a Leinster view would they let him leave a year early? White is gone and Bent while sounding good on paper hasn't played Rabo Rugby yet. So that makes Hagan technically no. 2 behind Ross who will be away on international duty so you'd figure that he'd get more gametime. Leinster will probably want to keep him for the last year of his contract just to see how Bent does and bring up one of the younger lads to take his place as 3rd choice.

I'm sure that privately Hagan has wondered whether moving back to Leinster was the right move especially when he was relegated to third choice behind Nathan White, no more so than most people in Irish rugby would have wondered it. I don't have any insider knowledge but I thought it was strange that the paper would just make a throwaway comment he was considering leaving unless there was some concrete evidence behind it.

ididnotkillmywife wrote: It says "Hagan has been deliberating over a return to Connacht - though as things stand, he will remain under contract to the European champions next season". To me that reads as him and Connacht are trying to negotiate a release from his Leinster deal, much as Steven Sykes managed to do a few months ago in returning to the Sharks. If Leinster can replace him, I'd say they'll allow him leave. The IRFU would probably be happy if it played out that way too since it would give him a better chance at starting in the Heineken Cup than he currently has in Dublin.

That's an interesting way of looking at it

Loughs, White, Wilko, Hagan, Buckley. That would be a pretty impressive roster of props

Perhaps if Leinster are able to sign a replacement then they'll let him go.

It says "Hagan has been deliberating over a return to Connacht - though as things stand, he will remain under contract to the European champions next season". To me that reads as him and Connacht are trying to negotiate a release from his Leinster deal, much as Steven Sykes managed to do a few months ago in returning to the Sharks. If Leinster can replace him, I'd say they'll allow him leave. The IRFU would probably be happy if it played out that way too since it would give him a better chance at starting in the Heineken Cup than he currently has in Dublin.