berliner wrote: ↑April 22nd, 2022, 10:40 am
betty swallocks wrote: ↑April 22nd, 2022, 10:23 am
Confirmed props for next season are Dooley, Buckley, Duggan at L/H, and Bealham and Aungier at T/H with McGrath also confirmed. Unsure what's the story with Burke and Illo and Robertson-McCoy is on his way. So yes, a T/H may be needed.
Burke signed a new contract in March. I'd imagine DRMC will be released if his contract is up. Illo is a bit of a mystery: signed on a senior contract, played just once against Stade.
Connacht have been spraying penalties from the scrum, but yet they've just released Tietie who was part of keeping the boat afloat - odd. Greg McGrath has been an honest player for Connacht and has not wanted for effort, but he's struggling and conceding a lot of penalties. Aungier has had a poor season, and with Finaly Bealham away in green a lot, the problems at TH are really obvious. Even if they do recruit a serviceable TH they could have used TT, seems like a weird decision. Some are suggesting that this was an IRFU decision, doesn't add up to me, they can't be that blind.
With regard to Illo, I can imagine two possible scenarios:
a) Due to agent wrangling/an offer from abroad/relative lack of interest from the player, we offered a senior deal without the intention to utilise the player much differently to any academy year 1.
b) We signed him intending for him to be involved with the first team but for one reason or another (injury, inexperience, struggling to adapt, Tuimauga being a better tighthead than expected) the coaching staff have decided to be patient with him.
I am a little disappointed as I expected him to get 300-400 minutes this season before surpassing DRM, McGrath etc. to play a bigger role in his second. Looking back, that was probably quite unrealistic. I think it would be quite unusual for a tighthead prop to play a significant amount of rugby in his first season out of u20s, never mind the fact that Illo missed out on a season of AIL and a JRWC due to COVID.
Tuimauga has really impressed me, surprised he didn't get a Top 14 contract. Rock solid in the scrum despite no prior pro tighthead experience, and decent around the park. I think it's important to note that he would was specifically signed as loosehead injury cover, for Denis Buckley. I have no idea to what extent provinces have to "pitch" NIQ signings to the IRFU, but perhaps it was a factor. Or perhaps Colomiers made an offer we couldn't match, or the financial security of a 2+1 deal was a major factor for the player.
Friend has said that he is expecting one more signing, and Bernard Jackman has reported that Connacht are in the market for a tighthead. If we do sign a tighthead, and he is a downgrade from Tuimauga, then questions will definitely be asked. Much like when we replaced AJ MacGinty with Marnitz Boshoff.
Jack Aungier is a strange one. Thought in 2020-21 he did everything you would want from a young tighthead; got 500 minutes under his belt, looked very mobile and effective in the loose, and at least adequate in the scrum. This season has seemed like a step back, he has been struggling in the scrum and much less noticeable around the park. He didn't start a game between 13/03/2021 and 04/03/2022.
I have found Connacht's selections at prop extremely strange all season to be honest. Players playing both sides of the scrum, and regularly dropping in and out of favour. The one plus has been Matthew Burke, who has stepped up massively and reached a level I didn't think he was capable of. Huge credit to him and very happy to be proven wrong.