dropkick wrote: ↑May 30th, 2021, 9:58 pm
He is and they seem to have a recruitment strategy that they stick to. I had a look at their squad age profile and they've only 7 players 30 or older and most of those are fringe players. They usually like fairly physical players which guarantees a certain level of performance and the star players can add a little extra. SOB offers physicality at the very least and they've just signed a 135kg prop from NZ for next season.
That's very perceptive Dropkick - I think you're absolutely right.
I read an article recently where Baxter was talking about Sam Simmonds. He mentioned how they had previously got an awful lot of value from Thomas 'the Tank' Waldrom, who banged in loads of tries for them after arriving from Leicester, seemingly on his way downwards in his career.
Baxter was saying that they had got used to the idea of playing with a short No8 and a big blindside, so that when Simmonds started playing really well and pushing for selection, they weren't flustered by his short stature for a backrower - I think Baxter said something like, "we knew we weren't trying to replace a 6'5" No8."
It's a very Bill Belichick approach. If everyone is fighting over a small pool of 6'5" 8s then you go a completely different approach and look for value in someone unfashionable. That said, fullback is the highest paid position in England and they went premium there.
sunshiner1 wrote: ↑June 1st, 2021, 10:26 am
What do people think of the new signing by Connacht Leva Fifita? Anyone seen him play before?
I haven't seen him play, but on paper I'm not sure if he's quite what we're looking for. We have a huge need for a big mean lock who hits rucks, mauls, and scrummages on the tighthead side. We have an excellent cadre of second rows in situ but they are all quite similar; dynamic loosehead locks who are excellent in the lineout and get through lots of work in open play (I guess Thornbury is somewhere in between but he's not a natural 5, more a 4.5 maybe). Fifita is roughly the same height as Roux but ~10kg lighter and almost exclusively wears the 4 jersey for Grenoble so I'm not sure he will quite plug that gap.
On the flip side he has played almost as many minutes for Grenoble this season as Quinn has for Connacht in the last three (1588 vs 1851). There's a case to be made that there's more value in a less able player who gets onto the field much more often.
king wrote: ↑June 3rd, 2021, 9:06 am
Fully agree, not the tight head lock we were looking for. Looks a decent player but in a position we have very decent players.
The three aspects where Connacht needed a replacement for Roux are a) tight-head scrumager; b) mauler with technique and raw strength and c) line-out lifter with the agility to shift positions quickly.
Your new recruit fills a) and c) very well and hopefully the new Connacht backroom team can educate him as to how to optimise his strength and technique at b). There's little doubt that his time at Grenoble will have added to his expertise in this area. He already has a better than average ball-carrying ability which far exceeds that of Roux.
Four weeks for Papali’i. Six weeks with two knocked off. He must have really impressed the beak with his character to get such a decent mitigation as his disciplinary record is dreadful.
Dave Cahill wrote: ↑June 4th, 2021, 12:48 pm
Four weeks for Papali’i. Six weeks with two knocked off. He must have really impressed the beak with his character to get such a decent mitigation as his disciplinary record is dreadful.
An interesting, if not exactly high quality, first half between Connacht and Ospreys. 26-19. Connacht can't defend an attacking set-piece and the Ospreys simply can't defend. Their defence for Connacht's 4th try would have shamed an U-13 side.
Rumour that Connacht are trying to bring in a centre to replace SOB from South Africa. Personally I don't believe it. Friend has said that they've finished recruitment for next year.
Stranger things have happened. Bundi off with the lions, Robb and farrel out on fairly long term injuries with Arnold who is just back and Daly who has played practically every minute of this season. None of that information is new though so unlikely Friend would have said recruitment was over.
Could see a joker at loose head with Buckley's long-term knee injury. Cronin would be nice but I'm sure he's after 2/3 years and probably has his deal sorted.
king wrote: ↑June 5th, 2021, 10:14 am
Stranger things have happened. Bundi off with the lions, Robb and farrel out on fairly long term injuries with Arnold who is just back and Daly who has played practically every minute of this season. None of that information is new though so unlikely Friend would have said recruitment was over.
Could see a joker at loose head with Buckley's long-term knee injury. Cronin would be nice but I'm sure he's after 2/3 years and probably has his deal sorted.
If they sign a centre after letting O'Brien go, I'll puke.
As regards LH, has anyone watched Conán O'Donnell for the Highlanders, how has he been? It would be ironic to try and get him back after Connacht released him in 2019, but if needs must...
The optics mightn't be great, signing a centre after letting one go but that's not the reality of the situation. Deals were done a long time ago on our 5 and on sob.
I would puke if I thought a 6th centre was signed while letting roux go because of lack of money.
We seem that have only 6 props signed as well so would be really poor use of resources unless Robb was moving to the front row.
Rumour has it its a 20 year guy been signed into the academy who was or is on the Cheetah's books. Again I have no idea how true this is. TBF it strikes me as false.
As for LH I could easily see McCall going down to Connacht for a season.
sunshiner1 wrote: ↑June 8th, 2021, 8:42 am
Confirmed Irish Qualified Shayne Bolton center from Shimlas has signed with Connacht for next year. Seems to be highly rated within South Africa.
Dave Cahill wrote: ↑June 10th, 2021, 12:58 pm
Connacht, Ulster and, bizarrely, Munster are in the hunt to sign James Cronin - as well as other sides overseas
Am I allowed to think that Cronin isn’t much of a loss for Munster but would still be a good signing for Connacht or Ulster?
He made his debut for Connacht 'A' back in November 2015 as an 18 year old, and played his first senior game for Connacht in the Challenge Cup in October 2017 as a 20 year old. In the interim he played in three U20s tournaments for Ireland, and started in the win over NZ U20 in the 2016 JWC.
This lad was one of the very best forwards that Connacht produced in the last decade, and it's a real pity to see him have to shut down his hopes in the game at such a young age.
He made his debut for Connacht 'A' back in November 2015 as an 18 year old, and played his first senior game for Connacht in the Challenge Cup in October 2017 as a 20 year old. In the interim he played in three U20s tournaments for Ireland, and started in the win over NZ U20 in the 2016 JWC.
This lad was one of the very best forwards that Connacht produced in the last decade, and it's a real pity to see him have to shut down his hopes in the game at such a young age.
Such a pity. He also captained Ireland u20 in 2017 after Jack Kelly got injured, before unfortunately getting injured himself if memory serves. He, Sean O'Brien, and Niall Murray are the three best indigenous Connacht forwards of the last 10 years imo. Now Gallagher is retired at 23, and O'Brien has played 3 games since 2018. Hopefully Murray has better luck.
