Conancht v Scarlets

No Wales starters, no Wales standby players.

Unviable rugby.

Scarlets
15. Steffan Evans
14. Harry Robinson
13. Michael Tagicakibau
12. Regan King
11. Kristian Phillips
10. Steve Shingler
9. Aled Davies
1. Phil John
2. Kirby Myhill
3. Peter Edwards
4. George Earle
5. Johan Snyman
6. Aaron Shingler
7. James Davies
8. John Barclay (capt)
Replacements
16. Ryan Elias
17. Wyn Jones
18. Jacobie Adriaanse
19. Lewis Rawlins
20. Rory Pitman
21. Kieran Hardy
22. Josh Lewis
23. Gareth Owen

No Henshaw for Connacht is something. But they have Rodney and Marmion back from test duty.

******g pathetic

Pivac said he will be without his entire Wales contingent for the game and was not expecting prop Rob Evans – who was called up to train as injury cover this week – to be released.

“We don’t have anyone at this stage,” said Pivac. “We have been told players won’t be available, they are covering knocks and we are running out of time with our flight leaving early on Friday morning.

Chin up Chunky, that's not a bad squad when you consider we're missing so many players, the pack especially should hold its own, let's hope for some typical west Irish weather so the backs are less of an issue and keep our fingers crossed that a fresh Pitman can do some damage in the final quarter.

Connacht

15. Mils Muliaina
14. Danie Poolman
13. Bundee Aki
12. Dave McSharry
11. Matt Healy
10. Jack Carty
9. Kieran Marmion
1. Denis Buckley
2. Tom McCartney
3. Rodney Ah You
4. Quinn Roux
5. Andrew Browne
6. John Muldoon (captain)
7. Eoin McKeon
8. George Naoupu
Replacements
16. Dave Heffernan
17. Ronan Loughney
18. Finlay Bealham
19. Mick Kearney
20. Willie Faloon
21. John Cooney
22. Craig Ronaldson
23. Darragh Leader

I'll get this in early, Leighton Hodges is woeful.

Anyway, given the players available not too bad a side.  Sadly a lbp will be a good result, especially given our lack of front row options, and half back options.

Bookies have Connacht as favourites with about a 64% chance of winning, prob have to agree with that.
Think the only area Scarlets have a slight advantage is the back row, and 2nd row as well.
Intrested to see how Tom McCartney gets on, as line out has been a bit of a weakness for Connacht, lets see if his throwing tidies that up?

Kngshu, that close really?  They are above us in the league, at home and neigh on full strength, surely they got to be bigger favourites than that.

yeah
Scarlets 36% chance
Draw 5%

and a 5% overround or margin or error.

all at the best odds, maybe should average instead of best odd but don't think there would be that much of a difference.

Any Scarlets fans know what has happened to Jorden Williams? He looked a star in the making last season.

What a great try

Strange penalty call at scrum time, thought Pete the meat got mullered.

It wasn't the last strange call. The refereeing of the breakdown has been absolutely abysmal. He's let Connacht get away with so much: they've been quick on the ball, but frequently they're being driven off it before going back on the ball. That's hands in the ruck, not a penalty for not releasing. I'd say half the penalties that have gone their way have been very difficult to justify, not least his continual refereeing of the scrum. Connacht got one good drive in the first half, and he's given everything their way as a result, even when it's just a collapse. Useless.

miaow wrote:It wasn't the last strange call. The refereeing of the breakdown has been absolutely abysmal. He's let Connacht get away with so much: they've been quick on the ball, but frequently they're being driven off it before going back on the ball. That's hands in the ruck, not a penalty for not releasing. I'd say half the penalties that have gone their way have been very difficult to justify, not least his continual refereeing of the scrum. Connacht got one good drive in the first half, and he's given everything their way as a result, even when it's just a collapse. Useless.

Ha ha...on the other hand you could say he let Scarlets get away with murder at the breakdown. Side entry overrunning the ball. Gives a penalty against Muldoon for holding past the ruck which was barely formed when he ignored the same in the first half where Muldoon was held about 4 metres past the ruck. As for the scrum..in the second half Scarlets were fairly under pressure.

What a ******g surprise.

Great try from Healy.
Great win to from Connacht.
Aki looked good and deserved man of the match.

Seagultaf wrote:Any Scarlets fans know what has happened to Jorden Williams? He looked a star in the making last season.

He got shown up badly defensively at the start of the season, he also has a reputation down here for not bothering to mix with the team post match, tends to head back to his local club and his old mates. I don't think that fits with the expected behaviour of a professional player of a team game. Just what I've heard locally on the 2nd point though.

Regarding the comments about the ref, Hodges is a poor referee but todays result was not due to a duff ref, it was due to an insistence to kick the majority of possession the Scarlet's had as high balls when the most experienced player on the field was Connaughts full back. (Mullianna did not get MOTM but for me he was definitely the best player on the field.) Combined with a front row that where out classed in the top 2 inches after the 1st 10 mins of the game.

Just a shame the return leg is during the next international window so once again we will play our main competitor for the final ECC place without the frontline squad. Let's hope we show a little more creativity at home than we did tonight.

Well done Connacht.

Second that.

There's a bit of me that would relish seeing Connacht overtake Leinster in the chase for places.

Pot Hale, I think, with the exception of Leinster fans, most people second you on that.

Personally I would like to see Connacht, Zebre and Treviso overtake Leinster (hell just about everyone really).

Yis 'id all like to see Leinster shafted in Pro12??????

Why???

Ain't them there lads, the Ospreys, the Galacticos of 'Celtic' rugby?  Ain't them the winnin' boys of Pro12?  (Oh we caught up on them last year, I forgot.  And that makes us the villains of the Jokebox League - as defined by our betters in Top14 and AP)

I think I'd like to see Connacht outgun Ospreys in the places game  Just to read the papers the next day like...  

I'd like to see Connacht overtake Leinster too maybe ............................. because let's face it, it looks like they have to pass over us to get to Ospreys.

2ndtimeround wrote:Regarding the comments about the ref, Hodges is a poor referee but todays result was not due to a duff ref

Yeah, I agree entirely. I hope my post didn't come across as an undeserved result for Connacht. Scarlets were terribly naive. In the end, Shingler's missed conversion proved vital. It would have given them some sort of buffer to kick on, or at least try and score in threes, instead of waiting for a try to fall their way.

SecretFly wrote:Yis 'id all like to see Leinster shafted in Pro12??????

Why???

Tradition, mostly.