salmson wrote:

connemara man wrote: It looks like the same setup as this from December clothes and all

Well spotted Scooby Doo. The mystery rolls on...

Well fair play yo Marnitz - hes entertaining at the very least :huh:

connemara man wrote: It looks like the same setup as this from December clothes and all

Well spotted Scooby Doo. The mystery rolls on...

It looks like the same setup as this from December clothes and all

salmson wrote:

sligsup wrote: although on closer inspection it looks like a billboard for Snoozles in the background so dark clouds ... snoozles , its Galway.

The Snoozles billboard and the dog track lights were useful for confirmation, but the second I saw the sky I knew.

Waith till Johnny gets hold of him for a bit of S&C he might be gone in a shot again.

sligsup wrote: although on closer inspection it looks like a billboard for Snoozles in the background so dark clouds ... snoozles , its Galway.

The Snoozles billboard and the dog track lights were useful for confirmation, but the second I saw the sky I knew.

although on closer inspection it looks like a billboard for Snoozles in the background so dark clouds ... snoozles , its Galway.

Westie85 wrote: Looks like Boshoff could still be in Galway

Other than the dark clouds ... what make you think thats galway\??

Looks like Boshoff could still be in Galway

This is the Sportsground, right?



In which case looks like our new outhalf is our old outhalf, so to speak...

Westie85 wrote:

Mark Mostyn wrote: Yes and O'Brien is better than all of them and he's only 22. I don't know why we would move one of our best prospects to a position he will never be an international player in.

It's about picking players where they can best serve the Connacht team, surely that is more important than how it affects the players international chance.

Does that mean Robbie Henshaw should never have played full back for us as he wasn't going to play full back for Ireland.

The coaches have to worry about Connacht first and foremost.

And I don't think anyone expects the coaches to make O'Brien a second row full time but it's handy to have the option if we have injuries etc.

Yes I agree that it's a case of player development vs getting results. Playing Gallagher at 4 and O'Brien at 6 is best for the individual players' development but the team would be more likely to win with O'Brien at 4 and McKeon at 6. I want to see us go full strength in important games of course, but balance is key and I'd love if we used Challenge Cup and easier home league games to give young lads a shot.

"that is more important than how it affects the players international chance." What? If a player's chances of playing for Ireland is improving that means he's becoming a better player which is obviously great for us, especially with local lads!

Mark Mostyn wrote: Yes and O'Brien is better than all of them and he's only 22. I don't know why we would move one of our best prospects to a position he will never be an international player in.

It's about picking players where they can best serve the Connacht team, surely that is more important than how it affects the players international chance.

Does that mean Robbie Henshaw should never have played full back for us as he wasn't going to play full back for Ireland.

The coaches have to worry about Connacht first and foremost.

And I don't think anyone expects the coaches to make O'Brien a second row full time but it's handy to have the option if we have injuries etc.

connachta wrote:

sligsup wrote:

connachta wrote:

Mark Mostyn wrote: Yes and O'Brien is better than all of them and he's only 22. I don't know why we would move one of our best prospects to a position he will never be an international player in.

Because a 2nd row of Thornbury Browne and barely 20 y.o Gallagher looks weak/not deep enough, when Dillane/Roux are rested/in the camp/injured

I expect good things of Thornbury and he looks a beast. Gallagher needs to be given game-time this year. If your good enough your old enough. Look at Jordie Barrett with The AB's , 20 and playing full back. If he was in Ireland he'd be three years in camp learning systems before he'd even get a go on the bench. Diverged a bit there but i think we need to get Gallagher on the pitch this year. '

You can't say we have enough locks in order to give gametime to unproven Thornbury/Gallagher
Yes unproven but so was Dillane before he palyed against Ulster and Leinster his first 2 games and less than 12 months later Irish international - I dont think Thornbury has being bought as a squad filler there were huge hopes for him at leinster but had a bad run of injuries and fell down the order and had to explore other alternatives. Grant it Gallagher has played vey little rugby but this time last year I would have hoped for him to have had senior experience last season. What I'm saying is we need to see these lads expose them to the standard that is out there , put them in the team against a Zebra or Treviso - they perform and it puts pressure on whats ahead of them but also breeds confidence from their perspective.

And think in the same time we needed Butler, when Connolly/McKeon are going to be kept out of the 23
Those last two have shown the Pro12 standards, compared to the first quoted...

Let's be honnest, nobody can claim that a back-row was more needed than a lock in our squad

Maybe the case here was we can get a average lock that doesn't increase the over all standard of the position or a quality BR that does and I assume that is why Nepia was released.

Because I do think, even out of his future best position, he'll be more consistant than a barely 20 y.o who hasn't played more than 3 games in AIL last season.
And because we have enough back-row guys to make this choice for now.
But of course outside the international/injuries windows, or if we sign another lock, SOB is not the 1st to be called here

connachta wrote: Don ARMAND back-row/LOCK 1m91
Tim SWINSON LOCK 1m95
Cory HILL LOCK 1m95
Maro ITOJE LOCK 1m96
Quinn ROUX LOCK 1m96
Marco FUSER LOCK 1m94
Dean MUMM LOCK 1m94
Guido PETTI LOCK 1m94
All international players this season

Sean O'BRIEN back-row/LOCK 1m94
Will never ever be if he plays lock regularly.

Logic?
Haven't we picked Toner as a gigantic guy already?
We can afford a smaller one ...

Most of those players are bang average. Itoje is a physical freak. Quinn is a scrummaging tighthead lock which SOB will never be, he has 20 kgs on him. Why put him at an immediate disadvantage instead of playing him in his best position?

clanman wrote: every team needs a primary ball winner in the lineout who is also making the lineout calls, since muldowney left we don't have that

Little lads can win lineouts too.

That's what I call a new signing.