green-devil wrote: we can't keep blaming the ref

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Our away form in almost all Pro12 games is awful and has been all season. They managed to lift this in the Hec performance wise but results stayed the same. I wouldnt worry about it too much at this stage of their development.
Whats most important in the immediate future, both rest of this season and all of next, is that we turn good home performances into home wins consistantly in the league and amlin(if thats where we end up). 8 wins out of 11 at home should be the target in the league and 3 out of 3 if in amlin. Hec is a different ball game and Targets should be based on draw if applicable.
If we can achieve those targets and aim for 2 to 3 wins on the road in the league with 3 to 4 losing bonus points that would represent real progress for this team.
Based on performances to date these targets are obtainable next season especially with a bit more emphasis on fitness and defence in preseason and a better Goalkicking return overall.
Consistant away form and results are 2 to 3 seasons away for these lads assuming they reach targets similar to above at home first.

all for blooding the young players
the senior players and management have to start taking responsibility
they are all professional players
we can't keep blaming the ref
senior players and management should take a long look in the mirror and take action now

Is it fatigue setting in? Or the new players not as up to speed?

We have one of the stingiest defences in the league, so we've been doing plenty right up 'til now. Or at least, we had one of the stingiest defences until we gave up 5 tries at the weekend.

That was the only TBP we've allowed all season. In fact, with the exception of last week and one game against Ulster, we have not allowed anyone else score more than two tries against us all season. (Pro12 results, Toulouse got a TBP against us in the HEC)

We've shown we can be tough to put tries past. Consistency has to be the key.

green-devil wrote: saw the tries conceded on against the head.
Absolutely disgraceful.
Some of the tries were carbon copies of recent tries conceded. Are they not learning anything, especially when opponents are doing their homework.
To see llanelli players run over Connacht players and knock them back, terrible, in the words of the great one 'where's your f****** pride?'
It looked like real men against little boys.
Serious questions have to be asked about the players attitude and the management of this team.
I am so disappointed.

Was planning to log in and make a very similar post after watching against the head last night - some embarressing tries conceded. On the plus side, the try we did score was when Moore had come on, and there was a lovely flat pass from him at the start of the move to get things going.

I have some mixed feelings about this match. Blooding new players is important, but they need as many experienced heads around them to learn from, otherwise you might as well send out the 'A' team.

Having said that, two years ago in the same fixture we sent out a team that lost 58-10, but started TOH, Griffen, Andrew Browne and Dave Nolan, as well as bringing Dermot Murphy and Eoin McKeon off the bench. All of those guys are still involved and, injuries aside, have to differing extents made valuable contributions to Connacht.

We were all disappointed by that result two years ago, and we have even more reason to be disappointed this year because a better table placing was within our own hands. But if the new guys who played can bring as much talent to Connacht then maybe sometimes it's ok to take a step back in order to make a few steps forward.

saw the tries conceded on against the head.
Absolutely disgraceful.
Some of the tries were carbon copies of recent tries conceded. Are they not learning anything, especially when opponents are doing their homework.
To see llanelli players run over Connacht players and knock them back, terrible, in the words of the great one 'where's your f****** pride?'
It looked like real men against little boys.
Serious questions have to be asked about the players attitude and the management of this team.
I am so disappointed.

We know what he does, what we don't know is what the coaches do with the information supplied to them. The same mistakes should never happen repeatedly at club level, let alone at Provincial level.

Greendragon wrote: a prop picked up the ball and went strait through the ruck !!! the same as the last two games we have played. Surely the coaching team especially defence !! should pick up on these errors and rectify them, it's not rocket science!!

You'd seriously wonder what our video analyst does 5 days a week...

Saw some highlights on S4C last night couldn't believe what I saw for one Scarlets try. guess what?? a prop picked up the ball and went strait through the ruck !!! the same as the last two games we have played. Surely the coaching team especially defence !! should pick up on these errors and rectify them, it's not rocket science!!
The players must take some of the blame by not being switched on at the breakdown, but surely they must work harder as a collective to make sure it doesn't happen again, three in three games is not a good ratio. Any pack worth it's salt would be ashamed to let it happen on a regular basis, so let's get it sorted Eric and Co.

seanin4711 wrote: i am sick also of the nicey nicey comments only being allowed on facebook,no real comments to be seen!

Seanin, you have Facebook page which you use to promote your company, some folk leave negative comments about your company on YOUR facebook page.

Would you delete them?

before the final whistle the branch were touting the munster tickets,i am sick also of the nicey nicey comments only being allowed on facebook,no real comments to be seen!
If this result happened in any other province there would be a witch hunt!
but we move on asap to the next big payday!ie munster
not impressed with so many changes and obviously sent out as a training exercise,our try small conciliation as we had only 3 points on the board and managed to sneak one try as soon as scarlets had the BP wrapped up.
really shows how poor Edinburgh are!
cannot wait for next season as this one has been one forward 3 back!

thanks for the Heffernan correction I was thinking of Conor Kindregan instead. How did Heffernan do? I know in a game like this with us on the back foot it would always be difficult but overall? Was glad to see Borlase and Buckley doing well.

Dissapointing but not unexpected. We've been papering over the cracks for a while now both defensively and in terms of physicality. Scarlets are a good side who were always going to expose our weaknesses up front and when they get the game at their tempo you are chasing shadows.

Its not ideal but with the lads away with Ireland our options were limited. Its a baptism of fire for the likes of Heffernan and Kearney isn't a veteran either but I think these lads will benefit from this. Borlase did ok by the sounds of it. I can only presume Muldoon wasn't picked due to not being 100%.

Parks and White are a good start but the pack in particular needs to be looked at in terms of depth at least in the short term.

Perhaps Buckley could be added to your list. By Joe's account Borlase had a good game, but sounded like when Buckley came on for Locks he picked right up from last week. I hadn't calculated Muldoon's leadership when he was left on the bench for Heffernan, but still thought they should have done better dealing with the changes. Other sides do it all the time when they're internationals are away, maybe not without their bumps, Leinster had a hard enough time with Aironi tonight, but Connacht really seem out to sea. Ref didn't help matters, but far from the leading factor in the loss

RogueXV wrote: I owe ummm an apology. Maybe they didn't mean to throw this game but they certainly have. I thought the team had advance enough from years past to deal with the number of changes made to the line-up, but obviously not. Very disappointing handing the bonus point to the Scarlets.

Mul probably should have been on with ten mins to go to halftime as we had lost all momentum and were struggling to cope physically, Eric should have been brave enougn to correct this mistake. Seems to be a lack of leadership on the pitch and this is something that is a re-occuring theme this season. The team has dropped their heads and Gav sounds like he's unable to manage the ref, and if anything has managed to turn him against us....

Got to question whether Eoin Griffin is fit enough to start games at the moment on the back of 30 mins last week, he was pretty quiet last week. But it's something we seem to do this all the time with players returning from injury.

Grace has come on and made an immediate impact, so after a decent performance last week why didn't he start or for that matter Mul? All for giving Heffernan an opportunity but a starting berth away from home, a very big ask? If we couldn't match up against Scarlets up front we were always going to be under the screw in the backs which has always been a stron area for them. Our only hope was neutering them up front.