Godwin call up to Wallabies squad

'Since re-joining the Force earlier this year for the Super Rugby AU season, Godwin has been a consistent and reliable figure. The versatile back’s class at both ends of the field saw the 28-year-old named in the Rugby.com.au Team of the Week on back-to-back occasions in Rounds 7 and 8.'

www.westernforce.com.au/force-trio-named-in-wallabies-camp/

The42 wrote:
Irish flanker Conor Gilsenan retires 'with a heavy heart' at the age of 27.

www.the42.ie/conor-gilsenan-retirement-5192586-Sep2020/

The42 are reporting that Conán O'Donnell has been named in the Mitre 10 squad for Bundee's old side Counties Manukau again for this season.

www.the42.ie/conan-odonnell-counties-manukau-5192225-Sep2020/

He'll be sharing a dressing room with Kieran Read apparently, who has cut short his Japanese move due to Covid.

They could make their debuts against Sale on Saturday. Live on Channel 5 so it'll be the closest thing to a Connacht game on FTA TV.

Adeolokun & McCabe joining Bristol on short term deals as injury cover:

www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-...connacht-old-4461166

Disappointing that it's one of our own, but there was always going to be issues relating to the handling of concussion in the Pro game and longer term health repercussions in rugby players...

Irish Times wrote: Potential landmark case

Not to put a dampener on the return of rugby but Dave McSharry’s legal action against the IRFU and Aviva could have massive ramifications for the sport, specifically for players seeking to insure themselves against concussion.

What we have learned over the years – Cillian Willis versus Sale Sharks and the family of 14-year-old Ben Robinson who died during a schools game in 2011 – is such proceedings take years to reach any sort of conclusion and that the cost is extremely high, financially and psychologically.

“Rugby players who leave the sport due to a career-ending injury can be paid multiples of their salary through their insurance policies,” wrote Aaron Rogan in the Sunday Business Post. “Players who retire due to concussion, however, generally only do so when they have suffered a number of head injuries, meaning their condition may instead be classified as a repetitive injury by insurers.”

McSharry – a talented centre who came through Templeogue College and UCD before Connacht snapped him up – was forced to retire in 2016 after sustaining four concussions over a 12-month period. A professional player taking the IRFU to court over head trauma would be a landmark case that will be watched with great interest by all, especially parents.

Kyle off to the Waratahs next year.
www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/hunt-fu...20200709-p55anh.html

That puts paid to my theory that Connacht were shaping to sign him back up again once Super Rugby AU finished.

In other news he's on the bench on Saturday morning (10.15 our time), so his first game back will be against his next employers

Now Pro14 acknowledged unscheduled games can't count as it'd have been a huge unfair advantage for Treviso, we're good to go in the Champions Cup we deserve (home play-off vs Dragons would have likely been won)

we can have those 2 signings we need, 8 and 15/10 utility

I think we will sign them only for new season

1) we can play the 2 derbies with the squad we have, nothing at stake + 38 players fit (old injuries recovery should be good for everyone)

2) Australian provincial competition will end mid-September, I'm sure Friend will find it easier to make 2 guys come from here to start with us on the 3rd of October!

3) 3 months of salaries (July to September) for 2 NIQs saved this way too, it does count...

Beat Ulster (who are 9 points clear of Glasgow as their game in hand will be declared a draw) and we're likely out of sight of Cardiff, who'll lose to Scarlets.

Good point on Treviso though - they're effectively only 4 points behind us as they have a game-in-hand/extra draw too. Thankfully not too many Italian derbies feature try bonus points.

Ensuring qualification for a 24 team Champion's Cup next season would I imagine be our top ask from those two games in August Salmson (I agree we can't get into the playoffs). To stay in the top 4 of our conference we need to stay in front of Benetton and Cardiff. We're likely to need to win both (and definitely one of the two interpros) to do that. I'd feel more confident us doing that if we were properly resourced at No8 and in the back three.

I can't imagine we'll be signing anyone right now, given we can't qualify for the playoffs (we'd need to turn around a 2 win, 10 match point, and a points difference of 163 to pip Munster to the semis) and we have no further competitive rugby until November at the earliest, and possibly the new year.

If we get the win we likely need for Champions Cup qualification there'll be plenty of availability of Southern Hemisphere & English based players, if we don't the 40 we have is probably enough for a Challenge Cup season.

Likely schedule (put together from Pro14, rugby pass and the Thornley Gazette):

August
22nd - Ulster
29th - Munster

September
5th - Pro 14 semis
12th - Euro Q/Fs
19th - Pro14 final
26th - Euro S/Fs

October
3rd - Ireland vs. Italy (possible date 1)
17th - Euro finals
24th - Ireland vs. Italy (possible date 2)
31st - last round six nations.

Reasoned points all round. We'll know soon enough anyway if there are to be any extra arrivals. Leinster/Munster start pre-season training next Monday the 22nd, so if there are to be announcements regarding players like Wootton, the Byrnes, Kearney, or Penny it'll be done by then. We return to training on the 29th so presumably that'll be the deadline for announcing any signings from anywhere else.

Betty Swallocks wrote:
“so we're back to one of two outcomes then, a selectorial decision by the Coach or a financial decision imposed by the IRFU.”

There are more than two possible reasons for his leaving.
Connacht may have decided simply not to renew his contract for financial reasons in this time of huge financial uncertainty. As someone already pointed out it happens regularly.
The new stadium build could well be a factor- if it gets off the ground in these cash strapped Covid times.
Godwin not being Irish qualified could have had an influence on the decision also.
I was very disappointed to see him go, but he is gone, signed with another team and it’s over.
I’d be more interested now in what other signings ( if any) we make.

To be fair I don't think it would be wise for the branch to make a statement on any one particular player leaving. Reading Eoin McKeon's article about his departure, it was clear that back in December he thought there was a contract there for next season so commenting on one opens the can of worms on a number of others.

Having said that, when the branch have finished their discussions as to how to handle season tickets as they have been sending updates on, I think as supporters we are entitled to get a clearer picture about our current situation as a whole.

Pre Covid-19 Munster and to a lesser extent Ulster had plans in place to bring in players. When our increased season tickets prices were released before this all escalated, the reasonable assertion to make at the time was that the extra cost was going towards financing something be that improving the squad or even just retaining existing squad members.

There's no doubt that we are taking a lot of cost cutting at the moment, much more than our fair share in my view. For me I'd just like a clear statement as to where we are going. If we are going to try and scrape by with our current squad and delve into the academy for any shortfalls for the next couple of years while we try and build the new stand so be it but when the dust settles I think supporters deserve something from Willie Ruane to let us know where we are heading for the years ahead.

Ultimately, the branch should want fans to claim more ownership of the team, the IRFU are never going to do any more than the bare minimum at best with Connacht especially when funds are tight as they will likely be for a few years. The branch imo needs to do a lot more to try to galvanise the fans. If they were for example to offer supporters a chance to buy a brick for new stand or something along those lines, we need to be more creative as to how we bring in more income if we are to put together a competitive squad.

I don't think it's unreasonable Sligsup and biffo77 to expect some kind of commentary from the Branch on Godwin's departure.
Kyle Godwin has been Connacht's best and most consistent player over Andy Friend's two seasons in charge. The news of his departure was almost smuggled out among the news of the departures of the rest of the twelve players announced to leave.
With the possible exception of Eoin McKeon, none of the other twelve were likely to figure in too many match-day 23's next season. That is not the case with Godwin.
33% of a replacement (centre only, not wing or Out Half) may have been sourced in Sammy Arnold - released by Munster in the wake of their expensive signing of two Springbok world cup winners - and good luck to the young lad, but I don't think anyone is going to give us the range of options that Kyle Godwin did.
Let's hope there are two or three more signings to announce or we can be forgiven for thinking we're reverting to development province status again.

Betty Swallocks wrote: Thanks for confirming that Newname - so we're back to one of two outcomes then, a selectorial decision by the Coach or a financial decision imposed by the IRFU. Would be nice if the Branch would come out and comment on this!

The branch, or the management team, don't owe us any comments.
He wasn't fired or released, he, just like hundreds of contracted players, all over Europe, wasn't given a new contract.