Connacht have signed Stacey Ili from Auckland. Covers all of 11-15 apparently/

Doubt I'll be the only one who knows nothing about him but stats from www.rugby.com.au/players/stacey-ili seem to suggest he's good going forward but no so much defending:

General
Tries 4
Points 20
Carries 60
Metres 433

Defence
Successful Tackles 34
Missed Tackles 14

That's based off nine games for the Melbourne Rising (?). Only seems to be signed until the end of the season but here's hoping he can have a positive impact.

Only made his debut for Auckland a month a go at 25 years of age:
www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cf...=4&objectid=11696646

New Signing www.connachtrugby.ie/connacht-sign-new-b...ey-ili/#ConnachtNews

Darragh wrote: And don't get me started on the rest of the organisation behind the scenes.....

Yeah. Please don't.

Dillane needs to be used in a different way at times. Maybe not all the time, but they have got to get more out of him. He is too good to make 2-3 carries on the wing and hit a few rucks. For me, his impact on games just isn't high enough for the talent he is and I am concerned that is because of the way he is being deployed.

I suspect Schmidt will see it the same way.

I think we have as good a front five as most other teams in the league when all are fit and switched on but this hasn't happened this season yet.

I think we are woefully under equipped in the back row for the modern game. We completely over achieved here last season. Having said that, I think a Heenan, Masterson, SOB back row has a lot of potential. I don't particularly rate the others if I am honest. They are all decent squad talents, but hardly game changers. The problem is other teams have game changers in their back rows and some even on their benches too.

Half backs is a huge problem. I am not sure if we even have a solution here. Boshoff better be the second coming of Jesus himself to improve things here.

Centre partnership requires surgery. I would prefer Aki at 13, but he definitely does not look too happy so far and it shows in his performances.

Our back three can be guilty of errors in games but the potential outweighs the weaknesses for now.

And don't get me started on the rest of the organisation behind the scenes.....

Sorry I was thinking of Cardiff when I said the Dragons as an example of a team who seem to have improved.

Apologies....

Maybe that's the answer then, Definitely think they need to mix it up a bit and try to break the line more centrally every so often.

I still think there's no need to panic ... Connacht will improve for sure the more games they play and with players coming back.

Zebre couldn't of come at a better time.

tlocke wrote: What do people think about playing Ultan at 5 instead of 4 ... Giving him more of a first receiver role. He might give Connacht more penetration down the middle and mix it up a bit, he certainly has the hands and passing ability to move the ball out wide quickly when required.

Thoughts ?

Problem with that is that the way the forwards lineup in open play you have the front row and your slower lock in the middle and the faster lock works the wings with the back row. If Browne was playing you could definitely switch him and Dillane at will, but none of the other locks in the squad are fast enough to work up and down the touchline.

We can't be overly critical given amazing achievements of last year but just looking at some of signings elsewhere

Ulster = Have signed serious big names like Piutau and Coetzee plus Peikrishvili to go with their host of internationals Payne/Pienaar and injured returnees like Olding.

Glasgow warriors =Jarrod firth , Corey Flynn , Leonardo Sarto, Nemia Kentale, Tjiuee Univi, Hagen Schulte ( 4 internationals and 2 younger New Zealand potentials)

Cardiff blues = Nick Williams, Matthew Morgan, Willis Halaholo

Leinster =Have Lured Henshaw our highest profile and most experienced international to ad to Gibson Park and Nagle and their bloated international roster.

Munster = even in their mess have managed to
Jean Kleyn, Sam Arnold, Jaco Taute

Ospreys =Kieron Fonotia, Rodhri jones

Scarlets = Jonathon Davies, Werner Kruger, Rhys Patchell

Just listened to the off the ball Monday night rugby podcast. I think they were a bit harsh really, that said I think they have a point when they say teams have worked Connacht out a bit.

What do people think about playing Ultan at 5 instead of 4 ... Giving him more of a first receiver role. He might give Connacht more penetration down the middle and mix it up a bit, he certainly has the hands and passing ability to move the ball out wide quickly when required.

Thoughts ?

Sol I don't think anyone is wiring off bundee but our chances of retaining him and lam beyond their contracts have been dramatically reduced due to the lack of ambition/professionalism of the team in the office in sg imo.

I was worried pre ko and my fear has turned out to be valid. We just didn't get that marquee player we should have. We will never be in a stronger position to go and sell the connacht dream to a top player looking for a challenge. I am not overly concerned about results in the first two games of the season but looking longer term I am very concerned. I don't want to go back to the days when we did 13 game losing streaks.

I do think there are questions to be answered re team preparation this season including conditioning and recruitment.

Darragh wrote:
Personally i also think the league is showing that it is getting harder year on year and other teams are improving all the time. Dragons, Edinburgh and Ospreys look a tad better than last year for example. Are we?

It's hard to judge from 2 games but I don't see anything to suggest Dragons or Edinburgh are better, they've both got 1 fewer point compared to the same fixtures last year. If anything Dragons look a lot worse. they nearly beat Ulster and nil-ed Zebre in the comparable games last year; they rolled over for Ulster and scraped past Zebre this term.

Ospreys it's hard to tell. They could hardly be any worse but they've only beat Zebre and the bottom team so far.

Munster, Leinster & Ulster have shown nothing to suggest they've improved thus far.

The only teams that have definitely kicked on are Cardiff and Glasgow (respectively 4 & 5 points more than in the same fixtures last year) the comparable games last season, the only ones that have definitely regressed are Scarlets and Connacht (5 & 8 fewer respectively). The loser of the Scarlets/Connacht in round 4 is going to be right behind the eight ball in terms of making the top 6.

Lots of valid points here, and I totally get the reason for pessimism but:

We've played two games this season.

Two games.

Against two of the better teams in the league, one of which was out for blood. Our third last game was the final, we cruised past Leinster, our fourth and fifth last were against Glasgow, and we took them to task.

Has something not clicked? Of course! Have we lost some of our most important lads in Aly and AJ? Yep. Do we think for a second that there's a man in the SG that doesn't realise this, and isn't working towards it? Not a chance.

And the lads writing off Bundee, come on. This is Bundee Aki, shirt thumping, try scoring, sing songing, every-club-in-world-wants-to-sign-him Bundee Aki.

Darragh wrote: The next three games will tell a lot, but questions are valid about the pre season sham and the number of injuries coming into the season opener. 16 injuries before the first game.

Questions can also be asked re general recruitment. Granted they have to do business within the IRFU model, but right now, it is plain to see we have lost much more than we have gained in terms of player quality.

For me, those two aspects are completely on the orgsanisation.

I truly hope we front up and rise up because the last two games regardless of excuses have been terrible.

Personally i also think the league is showing that it is getting harder year on year and other teams are improving all the time. Dragons, Edinburgh and Ospreys look a tad better than last year for example. Are we?

Yes very worrying that there's been a lot of improvement in already strong perhaps underperforming teams and those bigger sides who missed out on champions cup place. Amazing achievement by Connacht to be pro12 champions and in Europe. However i also believe recruitment was below par and has left us pretty vulnerable especially if we mean to compete strongly/credibly in the champions cup which should be a top ambition this year. Also pat is sending out contradictory messages regarding our ultimate ambition to be the very best with statements like 'never' can't condone that type of language in public by the great one. Connacht were never in a stronger better position being pro12 champions and in Europe to attract a big project player or two we needed to use our success and get stronger not weaker also for the love of sanity sort out the ongoing stadium debacle.

The next three games will tell a lot, but questions are valid about the pre season sham and the number of injuries coming into the season opener. 16 injuries before the first game.

Questions can also be asked re general recruitment. Granted they have to do business within the IRFU model, but right now, it is plain to see we have lost much more than we have gained in terms of player quality.

For me, those two aspects are completely on the orgsanisation.

I truly hope we front up and rise up because the last two games regardless of excuses have been terrible.

Personally i also think the league is showing that it is getting harder year on year and other teams are improving all the time. Dragons, Edinburgh and Ospreys look a tad better than last year for example. Are we?

EvoGeo wrote: Surely with 4000 plus attendance they can sign a 500k player.

Lol.

dobby wrote:

EvoGeo wrote: Bye bye Pat and Bundee unfortunately.

Surely with 4000 plus attendance they can sign a 500k player. Looks like connacht competing was not part of the script.

#dissilusioned supporter

Behave yourself. So we had a good season. Now these lads have to prove their true worth and back it up. Aki as a centre looks plain. Maybe he's made his decision. So let him go. If bundee has given up, if you have given up pat lam and Connacht has not given up. Niyi signed up, Finlay signed up. If you wanna cry, cry elsewhere. We have a few fundamental problems to sort in our team. Grow up

Jesus lads the pessimism is unreal - Bundee is the best centre in Ireland hasn't being brilliant the last to games but neither has anyone give the man a break. If anything moving his family to Galway would indicate that there is a better chance of him staying than not. And I dont doubt we will see him back to his best sooner than later. John Muldoon said last week alot of the newer fans would have never witnessed us go on 13 game losing streaks ( not that I ever want to see that happen again) but I think people need to realise where we came from where we got to and where we are ....... And we are in a great place!!!!