Connacht v. Scarlets - Saturday 22nd September - 5.15 PM at the Sportsground

FACECUTTR wrote: I don't want to say negative things after a great win but I think Buckley is literally hanging on

I honestly do not know what is going on with Denis. Long past are the days when he was our turnover machine. Today, and indeed in the last two years, he exists on this team. Nothing more

Played excellently. Saying his breakdown work is gone beyond lazy analysis, literally the first action of the game by a Connacht player past the kickoff was Buckley getting on the ball legally and slowing it for 2-3 seconds, another ref may have given a penalty and Mitrea would have if he'd held on another second, but slowing like that is still very useful for your team, particularly after a kick. He did turn over a little while later but just knocked on while trying to get the ball back to his own side, appealed to Mitrea on the grounds of the ball being interfered with by the player on the ground and causing the knock on, which was reasonable, but didn't get it.

Lovely passing all throughout the game, not just from the base of the ruck. Skip passing from open play perfectly and getting quick, long range ones out from the base of a ruck regularly is ridiculous for a prop.

100% on own scrum put in to 75% for Scarlets, enough said.

ChrisY wrote:

salmson wrote: Was amazed to see the spread is only 1 point, but on checking, since Scarlets were crowned champions in May 2017 their only league wins outside Wales were against Kings, Zebre, and the semi vs. Glasgow. They've lost to Leinster and Ulster twice, and Munster, Cheetahs, Treviso & Edinburgh (a hockeying) since.

That stat is a lot more hopeful than the caps count - I make it roughly 272 vs. 52.

I put a few bob on the Connacht Glasgow game and sat out doing the same on the Edinburgh game. The exchanges were scarily on the button for both games.
Watching the blues Munster game tonight kinda backs my own personal belief that the players who play best together are the best team selection, and not about the return of international players. Which is why I wouldn't start bundee in my 15 selection. Other than not having Marmion at 9 week-in week-out all other positions really are utter quality

How could you not have Bundee in our 15?

didn't get to see the whole game but thought there was a lot of positive energy about everything the team was doing even if it wasn't coming off. So great to see Carty stepping up, the smile when he was being subbed suggests he's enjoying his rugby.

Sol_ie wrote: Some game. I'll be honest and say that I thought the bookies giving us even odds was generous. Glad to be proven wrong.

Jack has a great game, Bundee back to himself. Blade made a good show when he came on, get to see.

Special mention to SOBs carry to set up the final try.

Did anyone spot what happened in the very final phase of play?

SOB looks fit and sharp. On the last play we knocked on then they knocked on before advantage was called over so Mitrea called it back.

ChrisY wrote:

FACECUTTR wrote: I don't want to say negative things after a great win but I think Buckley is literally hanging on

I honestly do not know what is going on with Denis. Long past are the days when he was our turnover machine. Today, and indeed in the last two years, he exists on this team. Nothing more

I don't know what ye are watching lads. I've seen some sh1t3 on this board but this is on top

One stat that caught my eye on the ESPN site was that Denis made more passes than anyone except the starting halves and Blade (yes, that includes Scarlets replacement scrummie Hidalgo-Clyne). The other was that our thirteen forwards missed three tackles between them. The pack (including, maybe especially, Denis) were brilliant.

Winter is coming (said someone). If, on a perfect day for running rugby, we can kettle Scarlets in their 22 through Jack's kicking and have the pack beat the tar out of them, that bodes well for games in Proper Sportsground Weather further down the line.

I was talking about his scrummaging. He Has huge problems getting the long bind because of his stature. Some refs let it go but some others punish it. It just looked to me like he was under pressure but decisions went his way which is great. Another day and it would be penalty after penalty.
My apologies for commenting on the game forum and giving my opinion. I'll run all my posts by you first in future.

FACECUTTR wrote: I was talking about his scrummaging. He Has huge problems getting the long bind because of his stature. Some refs let it go but some others punish it. It just looked to me like he was under pressure but decisions went his way which is great. Another day and it would be penalty after penalty.
My apologies for commenting on the game forum and giving my opinion. I'll run all my posts by you first in future.

No need to do that. Saying that a player only "exists" on the team however is not talking about this game. There have been players in the past that were only good for holding tackle bags and played like that, but Buckley is not one of them. Not even close. I'm surprised I was the only one to call you out tbh.

Maybe you should 're read the post that says he only exists on the team and reply to that person so.