Babbling 'brook

I wonder if there's a commercial element to Barrett's signing? Perhaps they are expecting Aviva fatigue to set in and hoping a big name signing can shift some tickets?

Pretty sure Lam had the academy boys training with them for a good while. Maybe that stopped under Keane and Friendly. If so then it wasn't a smart move. Hopefully we see more Academy players coming through. Quite frankly I think Gavin and Devine would have made it anyway without pro training. This...

3 + useable academy is about right imo. The 2 others in the academy are not useable so Connacht need 4 imo. Murphy may feel squeezed between Foley and Gunne and Gunne. I actually think he is better than Foley at the moment. Leinster need to manage who they want to keep of the younger scrumhalves. G...

3 + useable academy is about right imo. The 2 others in the academy are not useable so Connacht need 4 imo. Murphy may feel squeezed between Foley and Gunne and Gunne. I actually think he is better than Foley at the moment. Leinster need to manage who they want to keep of the younger scrumhalves. G...

great to see Hugh Gavin and Matthew Devine move into connacht senior squad. Quote from Wilkins: “This year we introduced a new approach with the Academy department on how we grow our up-and-coming talent. By increasing the integration between both setups, all of our Academy players have trained alo...

Great win for the stone-eating men of the west. Particularly big night for Prendergast Snr., who showed great pace to ally with his excellent fitness to bag the second of his tries. They were his sixth and seventh tries of the season, an excellent return for a forward. He has had a particularly bus...

Didn't watch it but good to see Ulster get the win, the Challenge Cup could represent a good opportunity for Murphy to build some positive momentum and inject some good feeling to the province. If he can have a good tilt at the knockouts while getting the weans onto the pitch, he'll build plenty of ...

Prendergast and Munster's apparently much improved attack have gotten so much positive press that it seems to have become accepted fact, but I'm not convinced the reality reflects the narrative. Two issues that pervade all levels of Irish rugby, scrum struggles and a lack of pace in the backs, very ...

Theleafysuburb wrote: ↑April 1st, 2024, 4:48 pm Temi Lasisi has earned himself a 2 year senior contract in connacht. Berman headed up north as it stands haven’t heard anything regarding munster to date, that being said it wouldn’t surprise me if he does get an offer.

Do you know if he is seen as a loose or tight head moving forward?

Is Lasisi headed to Connacht and replacing ward ? I don't think Ward needs replacing, he's been in the academy for 4 years without playing a minute. I hadn't heard so much as a whisper about Lasisi until I speculated on another forum that reconverting him to loosehead may be a good option for us, g...

Theleafysuburb wrote: ↑March 15th, 2024, 12:27 pm Rumours of Temi lasisi to Connacht, not 100% but would make sense.

Where did you see/hear that?

Jack O'Sullivan seems to have not grown since he was an U20. Just came through early and hit his max size. Not sure if Munster rugby have failed update his weight since he was U20 or if he is the same size as he was as an U20. I'd actually believe the second option. I was chatting to a person who w...

I have heard Thornbury is on his way out too. His injury profile is such that he is unlikely to offered a new contract, particularly with Josh Murphy due to return. Props Burke and Robertson-McCoy, hookers Moore and McElroy, utility back McNamara, are also likely to join Daly, Boyle, Kilgallen, and...

Thornbury has played a lot of AIL this year for Blackrock, so leads me to believe he has been available to Connacht for a good while. Injuries really ruined his career. He was on the cusp of potentially cracking an Ireland squad in late '22 (played against NZ A at the RDS) but had a poor game that ...

Maybe, for the sake of the Irish team, as is so often quoted as a reason for moving a player, Stockdale should move to Leinster. I know you're joking, but I was thinking the same thing at the weekend. He's been mostly fit for a season and a half now, he starts all the time, and has scored 7 tries t...

Some good comments about Connacht's lack of gametime for it's younger players on boards Zeugnis Feb 5, 2024 Very much enjoyed the U20 game against France. As mentioned above Hugh Gavin was very impressive. Looking at last year's line up, I noted that 11-13 are all now in our Academy: (11) James Nic...

This idea that we're 'slow to use these guys' seems to be a consistent theme now and I'm not sure it stands up to scrutiny. France have what, 30 pro teams? We have four. We do a really good job of bringing young talent through in general. The reduction in URC games may hamper that but just because ...

Squidge thinks that Crowley doesn't really fit Faz and Catt's attack plan. As interesting as ever https://youtu.be/SyNNgzDYWBE?si=_nFR4X7nnSp8ioB8 I admire Crowley's combativeness but he spends far too much time on the deck to orchestrate Ireland's attack in the way Sexton did. Sam Prendergast is t...

Flannery is in Ulster French is the current top scorer in the rfu championship in Englandwith bedford Gallagher is in Bath Moore is in Connacht and has been in Ulster since he left Munster Eoin O'Connor in Exeter Liam o'Connor retired in 2023 due to injuries A bit off topic but Moore seems to have ...

Wouldn't like to see as a Connacht fan, but if I was Leinster I'd seriously consider making an offer to Shayne Bolton, out of contract this summer.