Great to see fox matamua taking full part too, and Masterson some part too

White has been seen for the 1st time since Leinster game in April. Relief
A lock and we're good to go.

Meanwhile, the Lions will be without Marnitz Boshoff for their match away to the Jaguares. Boshoff’s MRI scan showed bone bruising to the knee and a mild strain of one of the knee ligaments.

He is expected to return to action in two to three weeks.

First team of the season I would suggest might look like
buckley, McCartney, white
browne, marshall
sob, heenan, muldoon
cooney (has he recovered after Edinburgh), O'Leary
Ronaldson, aki
adeolokum, leader, Kelleher

Bench: loughney, heff, JP, Qualter, McKeon, Blade, Carty, Parata

The worrying thing about that this selection is we are already down to bare bones in the second row with a fully fit team (internationals excluded)

Or the recruiters are being optimistic and assuming lots of Connacht backs will be away with the national squad and have reduced allowed game time.

FACECUTTR wrote: Utility backs are handy as cover in the squad. Maybe 1 of our current backs is not recovering from an injury.

Maybe let's not go down that particular rabbit hole after the whole White thing :blush:

I take your point on utility backs though, and it should be noted that Rowland's signing only brings our quota of senior backs to last year's level (19).

Utility backs are handy as cover in the squad. Maybe 1 of our current backs is not recovering from an injury.

Not sure we needed this fella considering leader to come back and Kelleher. I can only imagine that he was cheap and Irish qualified so a relatively light punt.

I agree we want some oomph in the pack to conclude the recruitment.

Dont know where the rumors about White started, but he's supposedly down at training with the squad

Yeah 22 forwards was the right number but I didn't count Qualter and Connoly as "proven senior" and I may have counted some backs twice. Anyway 19 backs it's enough, only 20 forwards with more than 2 or 3 pro games played, it is not. We need this experienced 2nd row NIQ, at least. Badly

salmson wrote: Not sure where you're getting that count from - it's 23 forwards (22 if White doesn't return) and 19 backs, which is more balanced.

Hooker (3):
Shane Delahunt
Dave Heffernan
Tom McCartney

Prop (7):
Finlay Bealham
Denis Buckley
Conor Carey
JP Cooney
Ronan Loughney
Dominic Robertson-McCoy
Nathan White

Lock (5):
Andrew Browne
Ultan Dillane
Ben Marshall
Danny Qualter
Quinn Roux

Back Row (:
James Connolly
Nepia Fox-Matamua
Jake Heenan
Eoin McKeon
Eoghan Masterson
Rory Moloney
John Muldoon
Sean O'Brien

Scrum half (3):
Caolin Blade
John Cooney
Kieran Marmion

Fly-half (3):
Marnitz Boshoff
Jack Carty
Shane O'Leary

Centre (6):
Bundee Aki
Eoin Griffin
Dave McSharry
Rory Parata
Peter Robb
Craig Ronaldson

Back 3 (7):
Niyi Adeolokun
Matt Healy
Darragh Leader
Cian Kelleher
Tiernan O'Halloran
Danie Poolman
Josh Rowland

I want to underline the massive change since the last time we play in Europe : we had a junior backline now we have a senior one : Any of our "likely starting" backs except Marmion are between 25 and 28 years old. So are most of our back-ups (McSharry, Ronaldson, Poolman etc). Young guns like Kelleher Leader Robb and Parata can step up only when they have fully grown-up, into a more cohesive back-line than the one with Murphy(s), Duffy, Fafita or Carr. They won't be put on fire like the team sent away to London for Saracens or Quins 3-4 years ago.

Not sure where you're getting that count from - it's 23 forwards (22 if White doesn't return) and 19 backs, which is more balanced.

Hooker (3):
Shane Delahunt
Dave Heffernan
Tom McCartney

Prop (7):
Finlay Bealham
Denis Buckley
Conor Carey
JP Cooney
Ronan Loughney
Dominic Robertson-McCoy
Nathan White

Lock (5):
Andrew Browne
Ultan Dillane
Ben Marshall
Danny Qualter
Quinn Roux

Back Row (:
James Connolly
Nepia Fox-Matamua
Jake Heenan
Eoin McKeon
Eoghan Masterson
Rory Moloney
John Muldoon
Sean O'Brien

Scrum half (3):
Caolin Blade
John Cooney
Kieran Marmion

Fly-half (3):
Marnitz Boshoff
Jack Carty
Shane O'Leary

Centre (6):
Bundee Aki
Eoin Griffin
Dave McSharry
Rory Parata
Peter Robb
Craig Ronaldson

Back 3 (7):
Niyi Adeolokun
Matt Healy
Darragh Leader
Cian Kelleher
Tiernan O'Halloran
Danie Poolman
Josh Rowland

So, at the moment 22 backs for only 20 forwards in the senior squad. With our new "double issue" i.e international caps+Champions Cup 22 players of each would be nice. Add a back-row n°8 + a very good NIQ 2nd row + Academy reinforcements = 44 men, 50+ widened squad, future built on key positions, best team in Europe Simple as.

Old highlights already posted but not those IIRC

True connachta, I was thinking that when I was reading the article. If this was to be the last signing they would likely have said something along the lines of "this concludes our recruitment for next season" or some something to that effect.

Well all right, but TBH I was convinced we had enough backs. The best news is the announcement doesn't close the recruitement, opening the door to the 2nd row we really need (and/or n°8 to a lesser extent)