Centre Francis Saili, prop Peter McCabe and lock John Madigan are also set to move clubs

Prop Peter McCabe, who featured prominently vs. the Maori All Blacks in November, was on loan with us but did not play earlier this year, is leaving Munster for another unspecified club. Anyone heard if we're looking at hm?

FACECUTTR wrote: What's the word on Conan O'Donnel guys I know he was injured a good bit this season. Is he ready for the step up going forward? We badly need a LH. The Coulson thing is up in the air until the court crap is sorted.

We need to forget about Coulson and sign someone else.

Re O'Donnell, it's really hard to predict how a young player will come back from such a torrid run of injuries. He could probably do with a move to Buccaneers

Any truth he's moving west..

Earlier today All Blacks Assistant Coach Wayne Smith announced he is stepping down from the All Blacks at the end of the Investec Rugby Championship.


How to start a rumour.. but wouldn't it be nice

What's the word on Conan O'Donnel guys I know he was injured a good bit this season. Is he ready for the step up going forward? We badly need a LH. The Coulson thing is up in the air until the court crap is sorted.

That is a very harsh review of a limited, but honest and hard working player.

That said I agree our money can be spent better elsewhere. If he's going he'll end up somewhere like Worcester or London Irish where they're willing to pay over the odds for a player they can guarantee will put in a solid shift for them.

FACECUTTR wrote: Has McFadden been released by Leinster?
Would definitely be worth a contract.

Injury prone, overrated, plodding wannabe-flanker who's scored 5 tries in the last 4 years. We could sign half a dozen lads from the English championship or the AIL for what he'd cost and half them would be as good or better than him. Mind you he'd nearly double our caps total in one fell swoop.

Not the way it looks here
www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/european-...or-2017-18-1.3037430

FACECUTTR wrote: Has McFadden been released by Leinster?
Would definitely be worth a contract.

He signed his current contract in 2015, Leinster don't announce contract lengths but their fans seem to reckon it was a 3 year deal.

Has McFadden been released by Leinster?
Would definitely be worth a contract.

Micko mckeon is a definite he's been telling others including myself personally that he's been given a pro contract surprised it hasn't been announced yet.
Fergus McFadden and coulson would be great great additions

salmson wrote: No official word on Masterson, but Murray Kinsella's word is good enough for me. He's usually (continental legal complications asides) bang on the money about contractual stuff.

I'm assuming, given he was Academy Player of the Year, that Micko McKeon is coming on board too. I'm also assuming that as per Rowland 12 months ago, Conroy's accidental listing as a Connacht player by the IRFU when listing him for the 7s means he's coming on board. That would leave us with 38, but 2 front rows short of minimum Euro requirement. We also have room for 2 or 3 NIE signings as TOM and Bundee are IQ for next season and Nepia F-M is leaving.

FR ( - Bucks, JP, Heff, Tom, Delahunt, Finlay, Carey, Robertson-McCoy. If Coulson comes we're ok
Lock (5) - Ultan, Quinn, Brownie, Cannon, Thornbury. Desperately need 1 or 2 signings including a major NIQ one. Claffey/Gallagher are back-ups for now...
Backrow (7) - Mul, Jake, SOB, McKeon, Masterson, Dawai, Connolly. Connolly is well able to step up for Nepia. With the younger Masterson as back-up, capped again with the U20s, I think we're ok
Halfbacks (6) - Marmion, Blade, Micko(?), Jack, Boshoff, Crosbie. Maybe Stringer to play/coach a wee-bit when Marmion is busy with Ireland?
Centre (5) - Bundee, Craig, Griff, Rob, Farrell. the 2nd good NIQ there please, even if he has to arrive in November
Back 3 (7) - TOH, Matt, Niyi, Kelleher, Leader, Ili, Conroy. Byrne as back-up. But definitely think we have a amazing opportunity to complete the squad with released Fergus McFadden...

salmson wrote:

Bazzo wrote: We'll almost definitely sign a loosehead but I'm not so sure there'll be any other front row signing.

You can bring in academy players as medical jokers on a game-by-game basis for Europe even if they're not in your official squad, so there's little benefit in naming them in the Euro squad. I'd hope we bring in two more front rows. If we're in the Challenge Cup though, finances and rotation might mean we don't bother.

I was under the impression that academy players could only be added to the matchday squad for emergency cover? EDIT: Never mind, you said medical jokers so obviously you're aware of this rest of the post still applies.

3.4 In order to reduce the possibility of uncontested scrums, each club may also nominate further front row players, referred to as Emergency Front Row players, who may be registered with EPCR on a match-by-match basis provided that all necessary details of the players have been submitted before 12 noon (GMT) on 22 September 2016. The provision for the nomination of Emergency Front Row players is not intended to allow clubs to improve the quality of their squads, and is designed to cater for illness and/or injury in the relevant positions. The players added to squads will typically come from a club's academy or similar.

We know that finances are tight and from what I've heard there are reasonable hopes of O'Donnell making it at pro level, I'd rather see him get game time than waste money and a squad space on a journeyman ambi-prop to be honest, particularly if we're in the Challenge Cup rather than the Champions Cup.

Bazzo wrote: We'll almost definitely sign a loosehead but I'm not so sure there'll be any other front row signing.

You can bring in academy players as medical jokers on a game-by-game basis for Europe even if they're not in your official squad, so there's little benefit in naming them in the Euro squad. I'd hope we bring in two more front rows. If we're in the Challenge Cup though, finances and rotation might mean we don't bother.

Bent would be a good signing for Connacht, albeit more as a LH than a TH. But Bent signed a new contract starting summer 2016. Leinster didn't announce the length of it and he wasn't in the renewals last month, but I think it's safe to assume he has another year left. If he didn't I'm sure his agent would be leaking to the mejia left right and centre.

Big fan of Bent the last 2 seasons. Not sure why leinster would let him go though.