Toulouse v Connacht Jan 22nd 2017 - Match Thread

dobby wrote: So Cooney pulled the trigger and put TOH through the posts And his kicking percentages are through the roof..And his play was simply otherwise excellent. Yep, jack has to start (sarcasm). Ronaldson at 12 is a prerequisite. He stabilizes things at centre and then its a matter of finding a talent at outside centre.

Three things -

1) Cooney's play was not excellent. He missed two kicks to touch (Jack get's flambéed if he misses one) and his tackling was poorer than any of the other starting backs. Given it was his first game at 10 he exceeded expectations, and his kick for TOH's first try was the cheekiest assist I've seen all season, but notwithstanding that he'll be targeted if he starts at 10.

2) Jack has to start? Damn right he does. With Craig at 12 as an alternate distributor he can play right on the line and is a great bet for firxt try scorer.

3) Ronaldson at 12 a prerequisuite? Yup. Since (a) he was played at 12 not 10 when there was no 10 available (b) when asked why he wasn't playing 10 Lam said he was a better 12, (c) Lam talked about how he contributes to phase play at 12 aprés match and (d) we have 3 other fit players who can play at 10, I think the Ronaldson at 10 thing is just irrelevant. We scored 8 tries in 50 minutes with him on the field and 2 in 30 when he wasn't. He also took and secured the first three Zebre kickoffs (a usual weakness for us).

Stevenson ran the lineout last week. Best line out performance all season. And I'll not hear "It was only Zebre"

But you have to hear "except the lineout, it wasn't good enough at all"
Look I was the first one to rejoice when he came to Connacht and note he's reliable in our messy lineout ; but there's not a single ruck where he is not 2 meters in the opposite camp, his tackling is uncertain and slow, only using his weight to "fall" on the ball carrier, if someone else manages to catch the latter. No meters gained ball in hands either.
Definitely would have SOB ahead of him for 19.
And it's not a problem to have SOB here, I think Heenan and Nepia should start, even if freshly fit, there are on a higher standard than anyone in the back-row

I'd have Sob there for the mayhem and energy he bring when he plays . The one thing about Sean is he empties himself and does his best. The lineout has been disappointing aspect to our play. We have struggled with injuries this year but it should be still better.

www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/connacht-...ribute-35381979.html

Well 50% Chance of "game over", 50% chance "we can still go through QF"

Connacht team to face Toulouse
20th January 2017

Connacht Rugby Head Coach Pat Lam has named his match day 23 to face Toulouse in the final pool game of the Champions Cup this Sunday (kick off 4:15pm local time).

There are five personnel changes in total from the team that lined out at the Sportsground in the bonus point win over Zebre six days ago.

Jack Carty has recovered from injury to take the reins at outhalf while Peter Robb also returns to form a new centre partnership with Craig Ronaldson.

Up front, Ireland international Quinn Roux comes in having missed out last week while the back row is also boosted with the return from injury of flankers Nepia Fox-Matamua and Jake Heenan.

Commenting on the upcoming game, Lam said:

“We are aware of the phenomenal challenge that awaits us in Toulouse on Sunday but these are the sort of games that you want to be a part of. It’s an opportunity as a player and as a team to put in a performance on the big stage.

“While the right outcome would be massive for Irish Rugby, the focus remains on executing our game plan in a pressure environment to get us the win we need.”

Connacht team to face Toulouse

Sunday January 22nd, kick off 16:15, Stade Ernest-Wallon

(Connacht caps in brackets)

15 Tiernan O’Halloran (117)
14 Niyi Adeolokun (48)
13 Peter Robb (24)
12 Craig Ronaldson (57)
11 Matt Healy (83)
10 Jack Carty (70)
9 Kieran Marmion (114)

1 Denis Buckley (107)
2 Tom McCartney (55)
3 Finlay Bealham (71)
4 Quinn Roux (45)
5 James Cannon (
6 Nepia Fox-Matamua (15)
7 Jake Heenan (46)
8 John Muldoon (291) (captain)

Replacements:

16 Dave Heffernan (74)
17 JP Cooney (43)
18 John Andress (3)
19 Sean O’Brien (30)
20 Naulia Dawai (5)
21 John Cooney (30)
22 Tom Farrell (1)
23 Danie Poolman (78)

Injured / Unavailable: Conor Carey, Ivan Soroka, Conan O’Donnell, Ultan Dillane, Andrew Browne, Ben Marshall, Marnitz Boshoff, Shane O’Leary, Stacey Ili, Bundee Aki, Eoin Griffin, Cormac Brennan, Cian Kelleher, Darragh Leader, Josh Rowland.

Toulouse v Connacht
Sunday 22nd January
Kick-off: 16:15 (local time)
Stade Ernest-Wallon

Referee: Wayne Barnes (Eng)
Assistant Ref: JP Doyle (Eng)
Assistant Ref: Peter Allan (Eng)
TMO: David Grashoff (Eng)
Citing Commissioner: John Montgomery (Sco)

as strong a team as we could have hoped for, although don't be suprised to see some late fitness tests.

as far as SOB is concerned I prefer to see him on the bench as he can cover 2nd row and backrow, when we need his power in 2nd half we will need him to come on

clanman wrote: as strong a team as we could have hoped for, although don't be suprised to see some late fitness tests.

The Eagles selection should give us a good idea who's going to France as cover (and therefore who's touch-and-go).

Edit: Robertson-McCoy is with the Eagles so they must be confident in Buck's fitness.

I'd be happy if that the team thats fit and starts. Feck it were up against it this weekend. Please let us still be in the game in the 60th minute when our fitness should show. Dawai is given another chance here. He had a great start against Wasps but I hope he can show a bit more this weekend. More power and running needed.
I'd expect full use to be made of the bench.
Safe travels to all that are going ye lucky *******

Toulouse:

15. Yoann Huget; 14. Arthur Bonneval, 13. Yann David , 12. Gael Fickou, 11. Paul Perez; 10. Jean-Marc Doussain, 9. Sébastien Bézy; 1. Cyril Baille, 2. Christopher Tolofua, 3. Census Johnston, 4. Richie Gray, 5. Yoann Maestri, 6. Joe Tekori, 7. Thierry Dusautoir, 8. Francois Cros
16. Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17. Vasil Kakovin, 18. Gurthro Steenkamp, 19. Talalelei Gray, 20. Piula Faasalele, 21. Gillian Galan, 22. Toby Flood, 23. Alexis Palisson

GOD SPEED

salmson wrote: Toulouse:

15. Yoann Huget; 14. Arthur Bonneval, 13. Yann David , 12. Gael Fickou, 11. Paul Perez; 10. Jean-Marc Doussain, 9. Sébastien Bézy; 1. Cyril Baille, 2. Christopher Tolofua, 3. Census Johnston, 4. Richie Gray, 5. Yoann Maestri, 6. Joe Tekori, 7. Thierry Dusautoir, 8. Francois Cros
16. Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17. Vasil Kakovin, 18. Gurthro Steenkamp, 19. Talalelei Gray, 20. Piula Faasalele, 21. Gillian Galan, 22. Toby Flood, 23. Alexis Palisson

Some great players in that side

Wow
Sooo happy with SOB as 19, and the whole bench, and the whole team, and Denis Buuuuuckley!
Won't say I'm optimistic, but that's exactly the team I wanted, it makes me the less pessimistic I can be . No more injury (good) excuse there (except Bundee). Bring it on guys

salmson wrote:

dobby wrote: So Cooney pulled the trigger and put TOH through the posts And his kicking percentages are through the roof..And his play was simply otherwise excellent. Yep, jack has to start (sarcasm). Ronaldson at 12 is a prerequisite. He stabilizes things at centre and then its a matter of finding a talent at outside centre.

Three things -

1) Cooney's play was not excellent. He missed two kicks to touch (Jack get's flambéed if he misses one) and his tackling was poorer than any of the other starting backs. Given it was his first game at 10 he exceeded expectations, and his kick for TOH's first try was the cheekiest assist I've seen all season, but notwithstanding that he'll be targeted if he starts at 10.

2) Jack has to start? Damn right he does. With Craig at 12 as an alternate distributor he can play right on the line and is a great bet for firxt try scorer.

3) Ronaldson at 12 a prerequisuite? Yup. Since (a) he was played at 12 not 10 when there was no 10 available (b) when asked why he wasn't playing 10 Lam said he was a better 12, (c) Lam talked about how he contributes to phase play at 12 aprés match and (d) we have 3 other fit players who can play at 10, I think the Ronaldson at 10 thing is just irrelevant. We scored 8 tries in 50 minutes with him on the field and 2 in 30 when he wasn't. He also took and secured the first three Zebre kickoffs (a usual weakness for us).

On your last point, I would love to see our aggregate score this season with Ronaldson on the pitch and not, might try look into it if I get bored

Benji wrote:

salmson wrote: Toulouse:

15. Yoann Huget; 14. Arthur Bonneval, 13. Yann David , 12. Gael Fickou, 11. Paul Perez; 10. Jean-Marc Doussain, 9. Sébastien Bézy; 1. Cyril Baille, 2. Christopher Tolofua, 3. Census Johnston, 4. Richie Gray, 5. Yoann Maestri, 6. Joe Tekori, 7. Thierry Dusautoir, 8. Francois Cros
16. Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17. Vasil Kakovin, 18. Gurthro Steenkamp, 19. Talalelei Gray, 20. Piula Faasalele, 21. Gillian Galan, 22. Toby Flood, 23. Alexis Palisson

Some great players in that side

I wouldn't say it's a great team... They are big, that's for sure.
What I recall from the last game, Census might still be dizzy from watching the Connacht players running rings around him.

you quoted one rare weak link.
But Tolofua, who should have been out injured, is such a great ball-carrier/offloader for example. Misses some tackles though, we have to target that.
To keep possession will be the key, as it was 3 years ago