Connacht Rugby club <dot dot dot questionmark>

Morning all,

I felt like there was a need amongst Irish posters in particular to move away from team selection debates and post match analysis so I felt this would be an easy subject to debate considering they will be playing Ireland on Thursday and yet is still far enough removed.

It is no secret that Connacht is definitely the 4th of 4 Irish provinces with regards to rugby. All the other 3 were competing in semi finals and finals were as Connacht were battling mid table. The IRFU have stated they want Connacht to grow and to succeed and will do more to help them, my question is what can and should they do?

Connacht has been growing over the past few seasons with out a doubt. Their Amlin Challenge Cup exploits 2 seasons ago were a fantastic boost to the club getting a home semi final against Tulon which they unfortunately lost, still they welcomed the likes of Wilkinson, Sackey, Smith and Contempomi to the Sportsground that day. It also gave them huge belief that they can compete with big teams.

Last year Connacht improved further. Their end of season standings were the best they have had in a while beating other teams who they had lost to in years gone by. They became a team hard to beat at home and went on quite a home run undefeated before Christmas. They also became a team hard to put away, they started managing to scrap losing bonus points where years ago they may have given up and conceded more tries. Elwood has installed a much greater sense of pride than they had before.

They also started challenging other irish provinces much more, Ulster drew in Galway, Munster nearly lost but for a fumble and hack through near the end and Leinster only just denied them a bonus point as Connacht began chasing the game.

Connacht are definitely growing and improving and due to Leinster are now part of the Heiniken Cup party which will create a lot of revenue, increase the interest in potential signings and sponsors and also will create more positivity.

But…. They have lost some of their best players now. For all the IRFU said about strengthening Connacht, they actually look a slightly weaker team this year. Personally I was very disappointed when Carr, Cronin, Keatley and Hagan left and more followed suit. Connacht have recruited some players but are they enough?

So what should be done??
Should the IRFU request that every year or two each province should send a player to Connacht?? Possibly the likes of Duncan Williams, Denis Hurley, Eoin O’Malley, McKineley?
Maybe old heads with only a year left should help Connacht for a season, Quinlan, Hayes, Horgan??????
Should the IRFU invest more in Connacht so they can buy more players from overseas?
Should the IRFU invest in better training facilities and higher quality, scrum, backs and defence coaches?? (I think Elwood is forwards coach)
What kind of strategies could Connacht rugby employ to increase season ticket numbers further?? Free pint for every season ticket holder?? The night of a match maybe if you show your ticket at a pub you get a free pint or if you are wearing a Connacht jersey????
They have started doing open training sessions, should they do more of this???
Does more money and energy need to be invested into youth rugby in Connacht and in their academy?
Is the game against Ireland and the one vs Samoa a good idea? I think so. What else can they do like this?

What do you think will help Connacht? How do you think Connacht will do this year? What can the IRFU do to help?

PS: Is anyone going to Connacht Ireland in Donnybrook on Thursday??? Tickets are €5.

Connacht are always going to be weaker in a WC year. The bigger Provinces are going to hold onto their fringe players this year which makes transfers of these players to Connacht difficult.

IMO next year it would be great to see some players go to connacht on a loan basis to gain first team experience and this is something that should have been done in the past,

For example players like Nagle, Ruddock,kearney would have benefited hugely last year at connacht as their game time last year would have been limited.

They are quality players with huge futures and these one year moves would benefit the players, the clubs and possible the IRFU>

Glad to finally see Connacht playing Heineken Cup. 3 amazing showpiece games against Quins, Toulouse and Glaws will really put them on the map. Capable of 2 wins IMO.

It is great news yes Trev.

So Kev, you think short loans, of a small number of players are the answer?
Many would say they wouldn't want mercanaries in Connacht and that it may hurt team spirit?????

There is that argument true.

I lived in Galway for a while and went to alot of matches. Connacth are very much my second team.

From chatting to friends up there who follow connacht they love this idea.
it would make connacht stronger and develop players.

the other down side is that connacht is then only being used purely as a development team.


Cronin

I think that Ulster, Leinster and Munster currently have pretty good squads in terms of age profiles and abilities. Connacht may have a chance to build a team for a few years without losing their best players. I also think Elwood is an excellent coach who could easily coach a team of higher calibre. Loyalty such as he has shown is what will save Connacht as will keeping young home grown boys such as the likes of Griffin, O'Hallornan and Browne.

I think Connacht need something of an icon, who is in the Irish team and is a really liked player across the country. eg: BOD, POC, 1F.

I thought that was going to be Cronin but then he left Connacht and hasn't really shone once in an Irish jersey to any great extent.

I think if players like Andrew Conway, Duncan Williams and an Ulster lad went to Connacht it could strengthen them a lot.

Also get the overseas players back playing in Connacht that would be a huge boost and would make Connacht quite strong

Wilson, Murphy, Bowe, Best, Hayes, Buckley, Casey

even just 2 of those guys would make a huge difference to Connacht and Irish rugby

Do people think a deal package would help entice supporters into packing the sportsground week in week out, say pint for every season ticket holder or in certain pubs on match days a free pint if your wearing a jersey????

Is that the kinda thing that makes Connacht a fortress???
Any time Connacht record a bonus point win maybe do something else to??

I think linking with a paper is a good idea to what Leinster do with the herald is great, free calanders, vouchers for Leinster tee shirts etc, can Connacht sort out a bandwagon like that???

1) I think Connacht lost Cronin, and Keatley because while the IRFU did their review of Connacht, they were only allowed to sign coaches and players on 1 year contracts, meaning that these players deals expired and they were free to go for nothing. In future they'll be tied to contracts and Leinster and Munster would at least have to buy them out of these if they want them. ( I don't include Carr in this as he would have left anyway).

So I while they may lose one or 2 players each year, a mass exodus like this year shouldn't happen again.

2) The IRFU have increased their funds, this shows in the likes of George leaving as he wanted a bit more, and now Connacht have the funds he has returned, a great player for them.

3) while Connacht have lost some good players there recuitment has been excelent in replacing them

Ian Keatley = Niall O'Connor
Sean Cronin = Ethienne Reynecke
Mike McCormish = George Naoupu
Fionn Carr = Fetu'u Vainikolo
Troy Nathan = Henry Fa'afili

Ok for some the replacements not as good as the player they are losing, but Connacht do have far greater strenght in Depth than any other season.

I think everything is oging ok for Connacht to grow, as they have to grow from the roots up which means development at underage level and having more players like Duffy, Griffin and a few other good ones we'll see this year (that i can't remember their names)

Do Connacht have a higher quota of NIQ players also??

Is there a replacement for Hagan also?
I just think with those players still at Connacht they really could have been a force again this year and pushed for top half of the table finishing.

Would you like to see academy/retiring players joining Connacht?

Maguire replaced Hagan.

It is a little ironic that the big 4 of Keatley, Cronin, Hagan and Carr all left to pursue the dream of Heineken Cup rugby but will be lucky to make HC matchday squads at Munster and Leinster while they would have been guaranteed to start against Toulouse.

Connacht don't need a load of loan players coming in and leaving after a year or two, they need stability. It's the constant changing of the squad and need to re-establish themselves every year that impedes progress. They need their own home grown players to come through and stay with the province.

Yeah it is more than a little ironic.
Keatley should make the bench as should Cronin but the other 2 probably won't.

Our their home grown players good enough though? To compete for top half of the league places and in the HCup?

Think they have a NIQ allowance of 8.

If Connacht do well this year hopefully we see the standard of there NIQ players improve, that should really help them out, as they attracht bette players for these spots.

Imagine if they had the same standard of NIQ as the other 3 provinces(Connacht NIQ player = Best NIQ player in Ireland in same position)

Ethienne Reynecke = Richardt Strauss
Dylan Rogers = BJ Botha/John Afoa
Ray Ofisa = Pedrie Wannenburg
George Naoupu Best NIQ 8 in Ireland
Fetu'u Vainikolo = Doug Howlett
Miah Nikora = Isa Nacewa
Henry Fa'afili = Lifeimi Mafi

Our their home grown players good enough though? To compete for top half of the league places and in the HCup?

I don't think they're good enough, but what any team needs is a back bone. The four departed players were part of that back bone, which is a mistake. They should have complimented a stable, local backbone.

What Connacht need to do is build around Muldoon, Andrew Browne, Johnny O'Connor, Griffen, O'Halloran and Duffy.

That would be fantastic for them!
They could really use a guy like that, for instance Pieenar and Muller have been icons for Ulster and Rocky and isa have been for Leinster. having someone like that would be a huge help.

Do Connacht have a problem position also?

What is the increase in the size of the sportsground this year like?

Some of the players you mentioned there are getting too old to be a backbone they will be gone before too long.

mcCarthy could end up being one of their best players actually. Hope he pushes on after his Irish cap, he acquitted himself very well

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:Do Connacht have a problem position also?

Can't think of one that isn't

(Sorry, sorry, that's not fair)


(True though!)

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:Some of the players you mentioned there are getting too old to be a backbone they will be gone before too long.

JOC maybe, the rest are all under 30.

Duffy is he under 30?

Well their starting backrow realistically is quite strong. Their locks are quite strong. Scrumhalf is pretty ok too. Griffin is pretty good also.

Duffy's 29, so only just under.

Thing is do they know their starting backrow? They played Muldoon out of position for most of last season. He was either injured or at 8. With Naoupu back that might help him move back to 6, though.

That is a pretty good unit realistically

4 Browne
5 McCarthy
6 Muldoon
7 O'Connor
8 Naoupu

Murphy is a good halfback.

Their centres are pretty ok in Matthews and Griffin.

Front row could be an issue

From what I heard on the radio, Ah You got schooled in the front row against Exeter. Not a good sign for their front rows. I imagine we'll see Maguire start against Ireland on Thursday.

Is that being televised?

Not sure I plan on going to the game it's only a fiver. Games like this really help Connacht IMO. Wish they'd play more of them would really help them.

They help, but they could help more. If it was in Galway Connacht would get the gate receipts. As it's in Dublin it's an away game and the IRFU make the cash.

That's true and also the local crowd don't get a day out from it but it's still an added bonus.