Connacht 2022/23

[betty swallocks]

Wonder would Paul O'Connell be interested in a Head Coach role at Connacht on Andy Friend's departure?

I hope not. Paulie is superb in the role he's doing and there's nobody in World rugby that I'd prefer to have. In time, somebody whom he's worked closely with will mimic his ability in this field and then Paulie can move on to a Head Coach role if he wants to.

That role is much more about man- management than rugby coaching. Talking with & listening to coaches & players & video analysts, S&C, Medical & Nutrition and then Media & IRFU personnel. Once in Camp, the daily round of communication and assimilation of all those conversations is all consuming.

The Coaching role is much more focused and within the control of the individual specialist Coach, albeit he gets instruction from the Head Coach. The objectives are much clearer and progress is much more clearly evident from session to session.

No, let's leave Paulie doing what he does best until he makes it clear he wants to move on to something different. He has a superb crop of young second-row (McCarthy, Ahern, Edogbu, Izuchukwu, Murray x2, Baird etc) and back-row jumpers at present. In addition there are huge improvements to be brought into our mauling technique below the first choice Squad. There's at least a couple of years of work before he gets all those guys onto the same page and when he does, we'll all be better for it.

Good points all.

[Ruckedtobits]

Wayne Pivac is unfortunate to lose the Wales' job. However, he's a really good Coach and IMO, Nucifora should go after him for the Connacht Head Coach role in succession to Friend.

Some people may feel that such an offer would be 'beneath' him, but Irish rugby is very highly rated internationally and Connacht are still upwardly mobile with good recruitment prospects and IRFU funding.

Being a Club Coach and a National Coach are very different jobs. The latter is about selection and man-management, the former is about hands-on transfer of rugby knowledge and motivation. Pivac showed in Scarlets that he really knows how to do the Club Coach role. In the Welsh job, he didn't show the same sure touch and never won the media battle.

[scentofgunpowder]

Wayne Pivac is unfortunate to lose the Wales' job. However, he's a really good Coach and IMO, Nucifora should go after him for the Connacht Head Coach role in succession to Friend.

Some people may feel that such an offer would be 'beneath' him, but Irish rugby is very highly rated internationally and Connacht are still upwardly mobile with good recruitment prospects and IRFU funding.

Being a Club Coach and a National Coach are very different jobs. The latter is about selection and man-management, the former is about hands-on transfer of rugby knowledge and motivation. Pivac showed in Scarlets that he really knows how to do the Club Coach role. In the Welsh job, he didn't show the same sure touch and never won the media battle.

Pivac would be a great fit for Connacht imo, he reminds me of Lam in that he was able to overachieve with an unheralded club side through savvy recruitment, tactical nous, strong man management, and a heavy focus on individual skill levels. As Leinster have shown, there can be a huge benefit in being the team to rehab the image of a good coach who has suffered reputational damage, for one reason or another.

However, Andy Friend has already been replaced as head coach, by Pete Wilkins. Maybe Wilkins will leave also and the roles will combined yet again, but all signs point to Wilkins being highly rated both within the branch and by the IRFU. Alternatively, perhaps Wilkins will subsume Friend's duties. Judging by this article [https://www.the42.ie/connacht-rugby-7-5902220-Oct2022/], Wilkins is very much a 'tracksuit' - "Wilkins was named head coach – which meant he would ‘lead on-field preparation of the team as well as defence’." I would think of Pivac as also more of a head coach than a DoR, seems to be that there would be a lot of redundancy between he and Wilkins.

[sunshiner1]

Connacht team to face Newcastle

Connacht:

15. Tiernan O’Halloran

14. Adam Byrne

13. Tom Daly 

12. Cathal Forde 

11. Diarmuid Kilgallen

10. David Hawkshaw

9. Caolin Blade 

1. Peter Dooley

2. Dylan Tierney-Martin

3. Jack Aungier

4. Josh Murphy 

5. Niall Murray

6. Jarrad Butler (captain)

7. Shamus Hurley-Langton

8. Paul Boyle 

Replacements:

16. Shane Delahunt 

17. Denis Buckley 

18. Sam Illo 

19. Leva Fifita 

20. Oisín McCormack

21. Colm Reilly 

22. Conor Fitzgerald

23. Tom Farrell

A decent team. Hope McCormack does well.

[StopTheLights]

Interesting looking side alright. Not to disparage Newcastle, but it seems a good opportunity to get some new names in the team sheet. Will be interested to see how Hawkshaw goes at 10 with Cathal Forde outside him as a second playmaker. Delighted for Byrne too, the three Leinster boys really give a depth of experience to the side. McCormack looked a very good prospect with the u20s, hope he shows something if afforded the opportunity.

[riocard911]

Fabulous try by Adam Byrne!!! 14-8, 38 mins.

[riocard911]

Wonderful crossfield kick by Fitzgerald. Caught and grounded by Kilgallen. 22-8, 78 mins.

[riocard911]

FT: Connacht 22-8 Newcastle.

[naraic]

Good win for Connacht.

Between Brive needing to focus on the league to avoid relegation and a first up win against Newcastle Connacht have a very good chance of qualification.

[Oldschool]

The Connacht 23 selected for the Newcastle game seemed like a strange one.
A lot of the usual faces were missing.
Was this down to injuries or a planned resting of certain players.
In any event it worked out quite well for Connacht.

[StopTheLights]

A tactical choice to rest key players, based on the reasoning that although this was a European game, Newcastle at home was an easier fixture than much of their URC fixtures. A calculated risk, but one that paid off. Considering that Brive are struggling in the Top14 this season, we could see a similarly experimental Connacht side next week.

[berliner]

All the provinces are under orders to rest the internationals, Connacht took the opportunity of a home game against a weak side in a competition they haven't yet committed to fully. Others, such as Conor Oliver and John Porch, have played a lot of rugby already this season.

I was a little surprised that they rested Carty, as I think he needs more game time, but I guess it was a chance to try Hawkshaw again at 10 and give Forde some minutes at 12. But yes, it was a slightly weird team.

The Connacht 23 selected for the Newcastle game seemed like a strange one.
A lot of the usual faces were missing.
Was this down to injuries or a planned resting of certain players.
In any event it worked out quite well for Connacht.

[berliner]

Hopefully Brive rest Sammy Arnold and Papa Leahy

As regards next week, I would return Tom Farrell to 13, not sure where Daly goes from here, he had a troubled game on Saturday. I'd rather see Josh Murphy at 6, and maybe bring Darragh Murray into the row, he was good against Ospreys and has oodles of potential but needs minutes.

A tactical choice to rest key players, based on the reasoning that although this was a European game, Newcastle at home was an easier fixture than much of their URC fixtures. A calculated risk, but one that paid off. Considering that Brive are struggling in the Top14 this season, we could see a similarly experimental Connacht side next week.

[StopTheLights]

Agreed on Darragh Murray, seems to have a bit of an edge about him, would be good to see him get some gametime. Daly always seemed to play his best rugby at 12, so perhaps partnering Forde with Farrell makes more sense. I’d love to see Shane Mallon make an appearance but I’d imagine he’s not ready for senior rugby just yet.

[betty swallocks]

Connacht need to get Duggan or Burke some game time at loose head in case anything happens to Buckley/Dooley.

[berliner]

According to the injury update, Burke now has a neck issue (he was playing AIL earlier this season). DTM a problem with the elbow so Heff should be back in. Sounds like Murphy is out this weekend after a head injury at the end of the first half on Saturday, so there will be a call up to the row.

I hope we mix strength and youth against Brive, we need to qualify for the knockout phase for development purposes, a win on the road this week should get us there.

Connacht need to get Duggan or Burke some game time at loose head in case anything happens to Buckley/Dooley.

[StopTheLights]

Connacht team to play Brive

15. Conor Fitzgerald (59)
14. Adam Byrne (2)
13. Bundee Aki (121)
12. Tom Daly (67)
11. Diarmuid Kilgallen (10)
10. David Hawkshaw (8)
9. Kieran Marmion (217)
1. Peter Dooley (8)
2. Shane Delahunt (119)
3. Sam Illo (5)
4. Darragh Murray (1)
5. Gavin Thornbury(70)
6. Oisin Dowling (33)
7. Shamus Hurley-Langton (7)
8. Paul Boyle (82) (C)

Replacements
16. Dave Heffernan (173)
17. Jordan Duggan (30)
18. Dominic Robertson-McCoy (72)
19. Niall Murray (43)
20. Ciaran Booth (2)
21. Colm Reilly (14)
22. Byron Ralston (7)
23. Oran McNulty (11)

[berliner]

Plenty to pique the curiosity there, see that three recent Connacht departures will be lining out for Brive: Arnold, Titie Tuimauga, and Papali'i.

Good to see that Darragh Murray and Kilgallen are starting, and happy to see Hawkshaw given another shot at 10, although I would have put Bundee outside him at 12 and played around with 13. Not sure this is being televised.

Connacht team to play Brive

15. Conor Fitzgerald (59)
14. Adam Byrne (2)
13. Bundee Aki (121)
12. Tom Daly (67)
11. Diarmuid Kilgallen (10)
10. David Hawkshaw (8)
9. Kieran Marmion (217)
1. Peter Dooley (8)
2. Shane Delahunt (119)
3. Sam Illo (5)
4. Darragh Murray (1)
5. Gavin Thornbury(70)
6. Oisin Dowling (33)
7. Shamus Hurley-Langton (7)
8. Paul Boyle (82) (C)

Replacements
16. Dave Heffernan (173)
17. Jordan Duggan (30)
18. Dominic Robertson-McCoy (72)
19. Niall Murray (43)
20. Ciaran Booth (2)
21. Colm Reilly (14)
22. Byron Ralston (7)
23. Oran McNulty (11)

[Oldschool]

Going well against Brive, in Brive.
Looks like Brive are down to 14 men.

[BlueStreak]

Going well against Brive, in Brive.
Looks like Brive are down to 14 men.

They are and it's Papali'i who got the red. Quelle surprise!