Connacht vs Scarlets Discussion

Just starting a thread for discussion of this game at the Sportsground- should be a pretty tight game! Certainly one Connacht are targeting for the win and trying to get the home fans out in force.

http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/23885.php

CONNACHT: 15 Gavin Duffy (capt), 14 Mark McCrea, 13 Eoin Griffin, 12 Henry Fa'afili, 11 Tiernan O'Halloran; 10 Matthew Jarvis, 9 Frank Murphy; 1 Ronan Loughney, 2 Adrian Flavin, 3 Rodney Ah You, 4 Michael Swift, 5 Mike McCarthy, 6 John Muldoon, 7 Ray Ofisa, 8 George Naoupu.

Replacements: Ethienne Reynecke, Brett Wilkinson, Stewart Maguire, Thomas Anderson, Johnny O'Connor, Paul O'Donohoe, Niall O'Connor, Brian Tuohy.

http://www.scarlets.co.uk/eng/rugby/4154.php

SCARLETS: 15 Daniel Evans, 14 Lee Williams, 13 Rhodri Gomer Davies 12 Gareth Maule, 11 Liam Williams, 10 Dan Newton, 9 Ruki Tipuna, 1 Iestyn Thomas (capt), 2 Emyr Phillips, 3 Rhys Thomas, 4 Aaron Shingler, 5 Dominic Day, 6 Rob McCusker, 7 Josh Turnbull, 8 Ben Morgan.

Replacements: Kirby Myhill, Phil John, Simon Gardiner, Lou Reed, Johnathan Edwards, Rhodri Williams, Aled Thomas, Adam Warren.

Two debuts in there for the Scarlets; Ruki Tipuna makes his first start at 9 and Liam Williams is in on the wing. I expect a very close, tight match. My prediction; Connacht by 3.

I'd tip Connacht. I think they have a good team out with question marks over their halfbacks and they also have a strong Connact bench.

Tis Liam not Lee getting his debut Notch

I am soooo SO glad Darth is back fit for this match. We really missed Maule last week, so hope Gomer-Davies takes some confidence from him and we put in a much, much better performance in the centre.

Unchaged pack as well which is unusual for the Scarlets, and great to see Johnathan Edwards back on the bench.

Huge worry that Fenby is out with a groin strain. It was his groin injury that kept him out for pretty much all of last season. Hope it doesn't develop into a serious problem again.

Really looking forward to seeing how Ruki plays, not really seen/heard too much about him, but sounds like quite a strong character which is just what we need.

It'll be a close game of that I'm certain, and I think Connacht will probably just edge it. Still, hoping for an improved Scarlets performance this week. We actually played well in the 2nd half last week (unusual for us!), so hope we manage to put together a more complete performance this time round.

Tipuna sounds like a very interesting signing, will be interesting to see how he gets on. Maule is just back from injury, they missed him against Aironi.

It's hard to tell how Scarlets are likely to perform, I only saw the second half of their match against Aironi and the conditions were as poor as the rugby. They were never tested though.

Wilkinson is back for Connacht, which will mean their scrum should acutally improve once the replacements come on. And I'm looking forward to seeing Stewart Maguire coming on at some point. TJ Anderson is a strange pick for second row cover but I guess they've too many injuries there.

Now we'll see how much of the talk about 3000 season tickets was hype and how much was real.

Yeah dreamer, the guy who played 9 last week for Scarlets was not ready for it. Also, the centres were poor so Maule back is another potential improvement in two of the major problem areas from last week.

greay, TJ Anderson has played second row for Ulster off the bench and played there at Schools level- not his most natural position but one thing he is good at is the lineout so there's reason to it.

Oh, and I think you meant "Now we'll see how much of the talk about 3000 season tickets was hype and how much was bandwagoners who are going to turn up to Munster, Leinster and the three Heineken Cup games but couldn't tell you the first thing about the rest of the fixtures." To be fair

That looks a much better and more balanced Scarlets team with Maule and Tipuna in the back line, not seen much of Tipuna but I hope he's good.

Big shame about Fenby, and I thought it was Lee Williams (who I like) in the team 1st of all, whose this Liam Williams? how old is he and how good is he, does anyone know?

It's Lee Williams on one wing and Liam Williams on the other Smirnoff (that might confuse the commentators a bit!). Liam played a lot for Llanelli last season, think he's covered at full back quite a bit. Got a turn of speed on him that I know, but not sure what else really. Seems to be all good things said about him though, so good luck to him Oh and I just checked and he's 20.

It certainly didn't confuse me dreamer, no, not at all

I backed all the provinces to win this weekend in an accumulator works out as 7/2. Connact are the one I thinkvcould potentially let me down, but I think they'll win. they may even have the potential to sneak intovthe top half of the table. Hoping for a good weekend for Irish rugby.

unrelated Argentina are 5 to 1 to beat England with paddy power while I think England will win thought the odds are to high on Argentina and put a fiver on them.

maule is a key man for the scarlets never seen this 9 play he could be quality or he could be the next nutbrown!

ill tip the scarlets to win a tight game by 3 to 5 points

Is this game being shown on tv?

erm from what I can recall of Penfro's tv guide (yes I'm too lazy to double check) it's on tg4? so not on Welsh tv.

TG4 only.

Any streams going, anyone?

I dunno, I'm no good at finding them, but if anyone has a link for one, a PM of it would be greatly appreciated

I'm listening to it on the radio at the moment...

http://www.galwaynews.ie/galwaybayfm

aaargh ty greybeard, for some reason I thought this was kicking off at half 6!!

Am getting updates from the Scarlets' fbook page too.

0-3 to Scarlets after a Dan Newton penalty.

Poor Connacht and Scarlets. It's the refs first game!

ah no greybeard really? just our luck!!

0-6 to Scarlets with roughly 5 mins to go at HT I think.

sounds like good bits of play from both sides but there are too many errors.

Oh my Scarlets, give away a penalty straight back in their own 22! should be 3 points for Connacht.

3 - 6

Sounds like a decent game with some great runs and tackles, but just not enough skill on either side to finish off moves.

yep, just too many errors, but apparently conditions aren't great out there.

Think if either side finishes off one of their chances they'll settle down into the match properly.

greybeard wrote:Now we'll see how much of the talk about 3000 season tickets was hype and how much was real.

I take back what I said, a crowd of 3,408 apparently. I wonder if they count season ticket holders who don't turn up

on SG the capacity is only down as being 3,000 - who let the other 48 in??

Seriously though, brilliant for them.

They have two new stands, they can cater for up to 7000 now, I think. It's part of the HEC preparations.

ah really? that's great to hear, I've always had a soft spot to Connacht (this may change if they win )

Same here, they're kicked around too much, I feel sorry for them. And I like to keep an eye on the Leinster players over there.

ooo have we scored a try through Shingler?? please say yes!

Yes!

Dan Newton lining up the conversion....ah no drops short

3 - 11 now to Scarlets

2 players in the bin now I think??

Punches being thrown or something. The commentators are being incredibly scathing over the ref.

Oh, things just got interesting, McCrea in for Connacht.

I thought the reversal of the penalty (for the yellow cards was harsh). He gave it for retalitation but by that logic whoever landed the last punch should have gone. Initial penalty should have stood

NOC on

Wilkinson coming on is a plus for Connacht, he's fresh and their normal loose head starter.

Any score ?

10-11 to Scarlets, both have scored tries in the 2nd half

Rhodri Williams on at SH for Scarlets now and Adam Warren on in the backs. Aled Thomas came on earlier for Dan Evans, and Lou Reed is on in the 2nd row, but not sure who for.

REf has no clue at the breakdown

By God it took him ages to blow that. Was he told by a TJ? worrying if so.

Where is the ref from ?

G'wan NOC!! I knew you could do it!

No idea Cymro

dunno Cymro but like greybeard says, it's his first ever Pro12 match, and it's showing.

what did NOC do Stand? my commentary keeps cutting out.

Ooooh, penalty for Connacht, NOC lining it up. Can he become a Connacht Hero? Or at least heard of in Galway?

He does... 13 - 11, and the commentary is still about how the ref is getting everything wrong. Poor show RaboDirect.

Cymroglan wrote:Where is the ref from ?

italy

rugbydreamer wrote:what did NOC do Stand? my commentary keeps cutting out.

Kicked the points

McCrea having a good game but the number 8, Ah You and the new centre are standout. I havent named them as i have no idea about the spelling

Connacht are not a 'get ahead and hold it' team. They need to keep trying, maybe sneak a DG to put themselves beyond penalty range, otherwise they're in danger here.

aaaaargh no I really want us to win this

rugbydreamer wrote:aaaaargh no I really want us to win this

Only natural, you'd be a crap Scarlets fan otherwise!

POD on, g'wan Leinster!

How much time left ?

Who is commentating Grey?

I mean which network?

but we've been ahead for so long, even the commentators are saying we are marginally better overall, Scarlets why do this to me?!?!

Don't think our subs have worked out well for us.

about 6 mins to go.

scarlet, you have mail