Connacht v Harlequins, Discussions, Banter and teams.

First topic message reminder :

The final match of pool 6 see's Irish newboys Connacht host English pace setters Harlequins at the Sportsground.

If Quins win this game then with a little luck they could get one of the runner up spots with a haul of 20 points. If they getting a winning bp then that's almost assured, although the men in quarters will have a little bit of hope riding on their fellow Englishmen of Gloucest that they can get one over heavy weights Toulouse and so potentially gift Quins the top spot in the pool.

Of course this is all assuming they get that win in Galway; Connacht have been tough opposition so far in this comp and don't let the lack of W's fool you, they've scared both the English clubs in their pool for long periods. Gloucester and Quins both had to come back from behind at home to them to manage wins in bitterly contested games Gloucester only managing to get ahead on the 74th minute. So even if the Irish team does lose on Fri I think they can be pleased with their showing in Europe this season.

Anyway on to my prediction, I can see this game being again very close and contested mostly through the physicality of the packs in what I assume will be mucky conditions. But with Harlequins extra experience in this comp and their place in the knock outs at stake I expect Robshaw and Evans to steer them to victory.

I'm going for Quins by 10 no try bp.

I hope its an inspiration to Treviso...!

maestegmafia wrote:I hope its an inspiration to Treviso...!

Oi less of that thanks!!!!!

As a Quins fan I have to say well done Connacht, that's got to have been the most intense defensive display i've ever seen. You deserve the win and on the back of that display we really don't deserve to be in the knock outs.

Quins just seemd incredibly niave at times, turning down kicks at goal and then just going route one through the forwards the whole time. No where near good enough from Quins, probably our worst performance of the season to date.

Well as a silver lining at least we can now focus on the prem like the rest of the Eng clubs.

On the plus side, ever since Johnston came on against Exeter our scrum has been transformed.

I just watche the re run and enjoyed it just the same.

What a fantastic game. So pleased to see how much it meant to the players and fans.

Connacht really deserved this. Let's hope it is the start of things to come from the western most province..

Can't believe Connacht managed to keep up that defensive effort into the wind in the second half and with no scrum...heroes to a man, Muldoon and McCarthy in particular stood out. Elwood has done wonders and Mike Forshaw take a bow sir for that defence.

You can't buy commitment like that though, players dieing for the cause. Brilliant stuff.

KiaRose wrote:This is fromtoday's (Saturday) Irish Times. As it is not on the sports pages you might miss it.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0121/1224310575819.html

From that article;

McDowell may well passionately love the West but he remotely doesn’t understand the place if he can’t see how the unavailability of tea might deter potential rail travellers: not providing tea is almost as grievous a sin as not bothering to furnish the carriages with seats.

Having made many a rail journey in various different countries and never had a cup of tea on one, I have to conclude that is the most quintessentially Irish sentence ever!

The article also says it's frustrating to know players who languish on the fringes of the big three's squads could make a difference to Connacht if only they were allowed to move West. But sure wasn't it Niall O'Connor, Ulster reserve 10 last year, who scored all Connachts points?

Aye, we all love Connacht up North now though. We'll have to send Connacht a box of chocolates or something.