Connacht lose coach to London Irish

London Irish have appointed Brian Melrose as the club's new elite player performance manager.

Melrose joins the Exiles from Connacht, where he has been working as backs coach, and will be responsible for the development of the current squad and for recruiting new players.


London Irish director of rugby Toby Booth said: 'London Irish places a great deal of importance on the development of its players both on and off the field and the advancement of our development programme is vital for maximising positive performance on match days.'

From: http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2011/0602/connacht.html

Thats another blow to Connacht. How will they fare this year?

Thats another blow to Connacht. How will they fare this year?

Bottom 4/5 of the ML I guess

Elwood can do that job. It would be worse if Melrose was a forwards coach.

I wonder will Carr be on his way to London Irish now?

Thought Carr has already signed for the Ladies Sin?

I doubt London Irish will want Carr. Wing is a position where we have a lot of good young talent coming through as well as a pretty good establishment of senior players.

Tighthead, back row and centre is where we need to strengthen.

LDCPete wrote:Tighthead, back row and centre is where we need to strengthen.

Just like Munster 8)

stag do you think munster will come looking for ryan or ruddick from leinster

Tayto wrote:Thought Carr has already signed for the Ladies Sin?

I think he is only there because of the world cup. His contract is only for a year.

D24tress wrote:stag do you think munster will come looking for ryan or ruddick from leinster

I don't know whether they will or not. Ryan will probably stick around Leinster - Jennings is getting on a bit. Ruddock is definately keeping his options open (re-signing for a year only) - not sure it will be Munster though - more likely he will head back to the Os.

Interesting D24. Ruddock is obviously keeping his options open having only signed a one year contract.

At Munster we have Peter O'Mahoney, Tommy O'Donnell and Paddy Butler, all of whom need more game time and be assessed properly before we can start thinking about signing other players.

We won't sign any of them. Either we bring in ab asbsolutely World Class backrow or else we check out what we have first. I think Ryan will actually be a flash in pan guy. I don't see him going the distance.

Connacht started well and finished ok-ish, but didn't they have a really poor period in the middle of the season? I think Melrose may have brought something new to them, but once teams did their homework on Connacht there was no plan B.

i'm surprised actually that munster dont have much more back rows coming through

it just seems like a position that they would churn out what with axel there,
Maybe they are they just haven't been given a chance.

I think rudduck is going to be something special though,
heislip, o'brien, mcloughlin ryan and rudduck somethings got to give

Stag,

Will have to disagree with you on Ryan. I doubted him after seeing him play a few times at school level then at underage but after seeing him this past season I've learned my lesson and I think he's got a big future ahead of him.

I wouldn't see Ruddock going to the Ospreys since he can't qualify to play for Wales. I'd see him going to England or maybe just maybe to Ulster.

I really hope that one of those Leinster boys looks at making it in Connacht.

On Munsters front we are playing lock Donnacha Ryan at 6 with Coughlan and Wallace. Leamy is on our bench. O'Donnell, O'Mahony, Ronan, Holland and Butler are our other backrows.

[quote="MBTGOG"] Will have to disagree with you on Ryan. I doubted him after seeing him play a few times at school level then at underage but after seeing him this past season I've learned my lesson and I think he's got a big future ahead of him. [quote]

I've only seen him once or twice this year and he did well but I also saw him play then and was fairly unimpressed. Maybe I'll learn my lesson too but with such rivals at Leinster I couldn't back him to succeed.

His rival at Leinster is Jennings who while still 29, turns 30 next months, will start to slow down while Ryan still has plenty of room to improve, which is why he is such an exciting prospect.

I really hope that one of those Leinster boys looks at making it in Connacht.

I don't know. Connacht actually have a few bright prospects coming through in the back row in McKeon, Qualter and Conneely, so it might be better to let them grow there.

Interestingly, according to irishrugby.ie Connacht haven't lost Melrose, they chose not to offer him a new contract...


http://www.irishrugby.ie/provincial/23268.php

MBTGOG wrote:

I really hope that one of those Leinster boys looks at making it in Connacht.

I don't know. Connacht actually have a few bright prospects coming through in the back row in McKeon, Qualter and Conneely, so it might be better to let them grow there.

Ulster, on the other hand, are in desperate need of backrows as the signing of McComish shows! Mind you, we sent TJ Anderson the other way... not sure who got the good end of that deal.

Notch wrote:Ulster, on the other hand, are in desperate need of backrows as the signing of McComish shows! Mind you, we sent TJ Anderson the other way... not sure who got the good end of that deal.

The only way Connacht could have got the good end of that deal would have been if you accidentally sent Pamela Anderson.

I think Connacht got the better end of the deal as they got some depth and a player who probably wants to prove himself.

But a backrower went in each direction, so the depth remained the same.

I think they did a better job getting Munster/Exeter's Eoghan Grace, though.

Ah yes, but I said you've got two players with very different motivations. Plus I think Anderson is better than McComish.

He obviously couldn't stand the heat in the rugby cauldron of Connacht, off to the sleepy suburbs of Old London Towne for a bit of peace and quiet.

Riddance.

Only 'riddance'? Not even a good one?

Connacht will be playing in the HC next season, the squad is getting a bit more robust in terms of potential and has attracted a number of players who may wish to prove their real worth.

I'm not sure Melrose would be the man to get the best out of those players and do them and a place in the HC justice.

I wouldn't necessarily say "good" riddance as that would be churlish, but at the same time I can honestly say I don't feel negative about it.

Riddance it is.

I don't thinkConnacht will suffer this year as much as is made out

Players In Season 2011/12

George Naoupu from Kobe Steel
Niall O'Connor from Ulster[4]
Mark McCrea from Ulster
Matthew Jarvis* from Ospreys[5]
James Loxton* from Cardiff Blues
TJ Anderson from Ulster[6]
Stewart Maguire from Leinster Academy[7]
Ethienne Reynecke from Saracens[8]
Fetu'u Vainikolo from Highlanders[9]
David Moore from Harlequins[10]
Eoin McKeon promoted from Academy
Paul O'Donohoe from Leinster[11]
Eoghan Grace from Exeter Chiefs
[edit]Players Out Season 2011/12

Ian Keatley to Munster[12]
Sean Cronin to Leinster[13]
Jamie Hagan to Leinster[14]
Mike McCormish to Ulster
Conor O'Loughlin retired due to injury[15]
Fionn Carr to Leinster[16][17]
Troy Nathan to Glasgow Warriors[18]
Cillian Willis retired[19]
Bernie Upton to Japan
Niva Ta'auso
Aidan Wynne
Shane Monahan
Darragh Fanning
Liam Bibo


Losing Cronin Keatley and Carr is a blow but,
Keatley wasn't playing OH as much last season Nikorawas there a lot, and will prob play there next year, so Keatley a loss but they were prepared for it so not as big a deal.

Cronin is a loss but Reynecke is a good replacement, same with Carr but Vainikolo is a good replacement and may be better defensively.

The return of George is great news for them.

All is all I think the first XV is about the same strength but the squad is stronger overall, plus Elwood has made them a tough team to play, and this is his first year where he can recuit the players he wants, he'll make them better. Add to that the Scottish and Itialian teams are going to miss a lot of their players for a good bit of the year, I expect Connacht to at least finish 8th.

MBTGOG wrote:Ah yes, but I said you've got two players with very different motivations. Plus I think Anderson is better than McComish.

I think there much of a muchness to be honest. I think Anderson will do well in Connacht if given the chance; still not worth a starting place. They have a good backrow going now. I'd take any one of their starting backrow for Ulster.

So whats the starting XV next season:

01 Brett Wilkinson
02 Ethienne Reynecke
03 Stuart Maguire
04 Andrew Browne
05 Mike McCarthy
06 John Muldoon
07 Johnny O'Connor
08 George Naoupu
09 Paul O'Donoghue
10 Miah Nikora
11 Fetu'u Vainikolo
12 Keith Matthews
13 Eoin Griffin
14 Mark McCrea
15 Gavin Duffy

They should move McCrea into the midfield- they have O'Hallornan. They seem to have lost quite a few wingers mind you. It's a waste of a fairly decent centre having McCrea out wide. I maintain part of the reason he failed at Ulster was he was not played in what I think is his most natural position.

Notch we'll have to see. They lack any depth at 12 really. Tuohy or O'Halloran could go wing with McCrea at 13.

Tuohy at 14, McCrea at 13 and I reckon Moore will give O'Donoghue a run for his money, on the whole that doesn't look a bad team at all Stag.

Connacht with options - good times.

Kingshu wrote:I don't thinkConnacht will suffer this year as much as is made out

Players In Season 2011/12

... LOTS ...

[edit]Players Out Season 2011/12

... LOTS ...

Regardless of who's in and who's out, it can't be good for stability losing so many. But I suppose this was Elwoods chance to create a squad that he wants, I think they'll go backwards this season but be better for it the year after. The key is for them to maintain the majority of the squad after that, and not have to start from scratch again.

If we lost Strauss, Ross, Sexton and Fitzgerald all in one go it would be a shock to the system, we'd suffer too.