Connacht sign Craig Clarke

[colster]

http://www.connachtrugby.ie/20130218832 ... aig-clarke

[Apocrypha]

Great piece of business by Sears and the IRFU.

So Connacht get Craig Clarke and Munster get Tom Hayes. The IRFU are clealy trying to level up the standards of the provinces, in order to make all of them feeders for the national team. A related goal is to not have any of the provinces challenging for HEC honours in the next few years.

[ceemec]

Big signing and one that softens the loss of McCarthy significantly. Nathan White surely had an influence on the deal going through. I still think they need a top class 10/12 to add some dynamism to their play but with Parks on a 2 year deal, that's not going to happen.

[lummix]

Can he qualify to play for Ireland? 3 year deal looks very much like a project player?
Missed munster signing Tom Hayes, what age is he? Surprised he left being captain of Exeter to probably not even making the munster bench for the big games

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Is there an option for us to buy him during his contract or do we need to wait 3 years?

Great signing and the fact that he's there for 3 years means they can really build plans around him. Maybe Sears isn't so bad after all!

[Apocrypha]

Is there an option for us to buy him during his contract or do we need to wait 3 years?

Great signing and the fact that he's there for 3 years means they can really build plans around him. Maybe Sears isn't so bad after all!

Surely, you'll have got your kicks on Route 66 by that stage, no?

[cormac]

http://www.connachtrugby.ie/20130218832 ... aig-clarke

That's some signing. I'd wager that virtually all the Pro12 sides would be more than happy to have made that signing so great strides from Connacht to be able to get him.

[johng]

The lucky lucky lucky ba$tards.

[simonokeeffe]

Hayes halfway through 2 year deal
Cant see him leaving the club he captains to be a sub at best for Munster
Plus Munster have Ryan, DOC, POC, Nagle, Holland, Foley so even if they release 2 why would they bother
Think Hayes one is pure internet gossip

But we could have done with Clarke, great signing for connacht

[johng]

It's just Appo fockin with yiz lads.

[johng]

Or it could be me fockin with yah and it's true.

[Donny B.]

Can he qualify to play for Ireland? 3 year deal looks very much like a project player?

Played twice for junior All Blacks, which is their second side, so that would rule him out of playing for Ireland.

Great signing for Connacht though, seems a real winner who you could build a team around. They might have actually done better out of the Mike McCarthy deal out of this.

[Sea_point]

Great piece of business by Sears and the IRFU.

So Connacht get Craig Clarke and Munster get Tom Hayes. The IRFU are clealy trying to level up the standards of the provinces, in order to make all of them feeders for the national team. A related goal is to not have any of the provinces challenging for HEC honours in the next few years.

It's a great signing on paper only at the moment, but a player with a lot of the qualities that made Andrew Farley a big success at Connacht.

By levelling up the provinces perhaps they are trying to unblock the movement of young talent that we still have. Still far too many young players (under 24's) staying with provinces content enough with a bit part role instead of maximising their potential and experience by moving away..

[Apocrypha]

Great piece of business by Sears and the IRFU.

So Connacht get Craig Clarke and Munster get Tom Hayes. The IRFU are clealy trying to level up the standards of the provinces, in order to make all of them feeders for the national team. A related goal is to not have any of the provinces challenging for HEC honours in the next few years.

It's a great signing on paper only at the moment, but a player with a lot of the qualities that made Andrew Farley a big success at Connacht.

By levelling up the provinces perhaps they are trying to unblock the movement of young talent that we still have. Still far too many young players (under 24's) staying with provinces content enough with a bit part role instead of maximising their potential and experience by moving away..

Completely agree. There are at least 8-10 players at Munster who would benefit from joining Connacht. For some of them their ship may have already sailed, as far as a professional career is concerned. I think Holland, Ronan, Barnes and Murphy would be very good players, an would benefit with more gametime. There are a whole host of otehrs at Leinster and Ulster who should look to make the same move

[hugonaut]

Absolutely great signing, and a superb replacement for Mike McCarthy. He's a serious player and an excellent leader, and in most other countries would be a test player.

Interested to know what the story is with Aaron Conneely – he made 12 starts for the Irish U20s and played in four U20 tournaments between 2011-12, and was a significantly talented openside at underage level. He's listed as Year 3 of the Connacht Academy, but he hasn't played in the Pro12 this season. I think he needs to be given a bit of a push selection wise [if he's fit], because Jonny O'Connor can't go on forever and is a bit of a fading force.

[simonokeeffe]

Can he qualify to play for Ireland? 3 year deal looks very much like a project player?

Played twice for junior All Blacks, which is their second side, so that would rule him out of playing for Ireland.

Great signing for Connacht though, seems a real winner who you could build a team around. They might have actually done better out of the Mike McCarthy deal out of this.

were they the designated 2nd side at the time?
Maitland still eligible for Scotland as despite playing for Junior All Blacks, Maoiri AND Baby Blacks, all of which were the designated second side some years, he never played for them in a year they actually were the designated second side

[bamboozle]

Maitland's got a scottish granparent, maybe that helped

[Apocrypha]

Would he not be designated as a pp, if there was any chance of him playing for us, a la Roux?

[lummix]

Great signing for them anyway. That's the tight 5 sorted for next year. Still need a backrow or 2, a centre and a back 3 player but it's great for Irish rugby there at long last being taken seriously. Let's hope pat lam can deliver for them now.

[ceemec]

Fairly sure Maitland never played for the JAB side. NZ Maoris, perhaps but they do not count towards international qualification.