Positive Signs From Connacht

Connacht have recovered well from a tough mid-season run. (c) Pierre-Selim.

There’s been plenty of good news from the West in recent times. The coup of Leinster’s Nathan White last month was followed up by the capture of experienced outhalf Dan Parks. Equally positive is the revelation that all four of Dave Gannon, Paul O’Donohoe, Dave Moore and Kyle Tonetti have extended their contracts beyond the end of this season.

Earlier in the campaign, the highly promising trio of Tiernan O’Halloran, Eoin Griffin and Dave McSharry tied themselves to their home province for at least another two seasons. It’s a hugely encouraging sign that these ambitious prospects want to be part of a progressing Connacht.

Unfortunately, it’s been a frustrating campaign for Elwood and his squad to date. Their infamous 14-game losing streak from the end of September until mid-January wasn’t a totally fair reflection of their performances. Of those 14 games, only 5 were lost by more than 10 points, and came against powerhouses like Toulouse, Munster and Ulster. Many of the losses came by narrow margins, due to the lack of accuracy in Connacht’s finishing and an inability to close out winning positions.

That’s not to excuse the bad run, a loss is still very much a loss and there were some poor displays along the way. Momentum is a vital factor in any league and not just in regard to winning. Anyone involved in a side racking up consecutive losses will know that the momentum of losing can be hard to stop. Connacht did it manfully, with their heroic 9-8 Heineken Cup win over quarter-final chasing Harlequins. That night at the Sportsground will never be forgotten in Galway.

O'Halloran has signed on for at least another two years. (c) Pierre-Selim.

The fact that Connacht were in the Heineken Cup at all was certainly a contributing factor to their poor PRO12 form. Compared to the massive squads at Munster, Ulster and Leinster, Elwood’s player base is small. The combined demands of the PRO12 and HC stretched the squad. The coach had very little room for rotation, making minimal changes from week to week. Big efforts and narrow misses in Pool 1 against Harlequins away, and both ties with Gloucester took a lot out of the players.

The signings of Parks and White could make an influential difference next season. New Zealander White has been impressive in his 16 appearances for Leinster this season. He will add leadership on and off the pitch, as well as strong scrummaging at tighthead. With Brett Wilkinson packing down at loosehead and the likes of Ronan Loughney, Rodney Ah You and Dylan Rogers providing cover and competition, Connacht look like being well-stocked in the front-row for next season.

Parks is an interesting acquisition, but the deal makes sense. At 33, concerns will be raised that Parks is past it as this level. However, age is not really a concern here. Much like Ronan O’Gara, Parks’ playing style and strengths have never been reliant on physical attributes. He will kick the corners to put Connacht into good positions, he will release his outside backs when it’s on, and most crucially, he will take any points on offer.

The Scot is the all-time record scorer in the PRO12/Celtic League with 1338 points in his 128 games since 2003. This season, he has kept his rate up with 75 points in 9 games for the Blues. Parks’ reliable boot is what Connacht have missed at times this season. Niall O’Connor has done well in patches, but too many times Connacht have come away from good territory with nothing to show on the scoreboard. Parks will convert a high percentage of any penalties on offer and if nothing’s on, will try the drop goal.

Parks will convert territory and possession into points. (c) Simon Williams.

White and Parks should improve the team next season and if Elwood can add one or two more players of decent quality, Connacht will be heading into next season with higher expectations. With the young players hopefully continuing to improve, Connacht will hope for a Leinster, Munster or Ulster Heineken Cup win and the top-tier European qualification that would bring.

For now the focus is on a strong finish to the PRO12 season. Connacht sit 10th coming into tomorrow evening’s clash with Munster in Galway. There’s 5 games left including this derby, and Connacht can rise up the table with a good run. Munster at home, Dragons away, then Ulster and Aironi at home will all look like winnable fixtures to Elwood and his management team.

9th is the highest Connacht have ever finished in this league. Treviso in 8th are only 5 points ahead and that should be the target. 4 wins from the 5 in these remaining games would also allow the western province to equal their record for most amounts of wins in a league season, set at 8 all the way back in 2003/04. It’s a big ask but certainly achievable. Time to ‘front up, rise up’.

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Photos courtesy: Simon Williams, Pierre-Selim.

PRO12 Previews

Munster vs. Blues @ Thomond Park

Friday 24th Feb, 19.05 (RTE2)

Simon Zebo, who scored two tries against Treviso last weekend, is on the left wing. (c) Jason Miller.

The revelation that Tony McGahan will leave the province at the end of the season has dominated Munster news this week. However, that will have to be pushed aside tonight as they look to continue their 4-game winning streak. 3 of those wins have brought try-scoring bonus points, but the Blues, 5th in the league, represent a tougher challenge.

McGahan has made five changes to his starting 15. Ronan O’Gara, Donnacha Ryan and Peter O’Mahony, all starters against Treviso last weekend, are on the Irish bench tomorrow. Denis Hurley has also been called up as cover in the event of any late injuries. For Munster, Marcus Horan starts at loosehead ahead of Wian du Preez, while Ian Keatley, Tommy O’Donnell and Billy Holland slot in for the internationals with Felix Jones getting his first start of the season at fullback.

Blues’ boss Justin Burnell has made three changes to his side. Richie Rees replaces Welsh squad member Lloyd Williams at scrumhalf, Chris Czekaj comes in at fullback for Ben Blair while Maama Molitika starts at No.8 with Xavier Rush out ill. Munster fans will be denied an early look at recently announced signing Casey Laulala, sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Munster are 3rd in the table coming into this weekend, 4 points behind the Ospreys, with a game in hand. A Munster win, coupled with a favour from Ulster in Ravenhill, would see McGahan’s men into that home play-off position. Verdict: Munster by 5.

Munster: 15 Felix Jones, 14 Johne Murphy, 13 Danny Barnes, 12 Lifeimi Mafi, 11 Simon Zebo, 10 Ian Keatley, 9 Tomas O’Leary, 8 James Coughlan, 7 Tommy O’Donnell, 6 Dave O’Callaghan, 5 Mick O’Driscoll (capt.), 4 Billy Holland, 3 BJ Botha, 2 Damien Varley, 1 Marcus Horan.
Subs: 16 Denis Fogarty, 17 Wian du Preez, 18 Stephen Archer, 19 Dave Foley, 20 Paddy Butler, 21 Duncan Williams, 22 Scott Deasy, 23 Luke O’Dea.

Cardiff Blues: 15 Chris Czekaj, 14 Richard Mustoe, 13 Gavin Evans, 12 Gavin Henson, 11 Tom James, 10 Dan Parks, 9 Richie Rees, 8 Maama Molitika, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Michael Paterson, 5 Paul Tito (capt.), 4 Cory Hill, 3 Scott Andrews, 2 Ryan Tyrell, 1 John Yapp.
Subs: 16 T Rhys Thomas, 17 Nathan Trevett, 18 Sam Hobbs, 19 Macauley Cook, 20 Thomas Young, 21 Lewis Jones, 22 Ceri Sweeney 23 Ben Blair.

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Ulster vs. Ospreys @ Ravenhill

Friday 24th Feb, 19.05 (BBCNI)

The Ospreys, with Dan Bigger at 10, beat Munster at Thomond Park earlier this season. (c) Martin Dobey.

Ulster’s recent good form was brought to an abrupt halt by the Blues last weekend, as the Cardiff side came out 21-14 winners. Brian McLaughlin knows that a win tonight is vital if Ulster, in 6th, are to keep their play-off hopes alive. While the Ospreys have only lost three times in the PRO12 season, they are missing a total of 16 squad players due to international call-ups.

McLaughlin has finally made the call that many, including The Touchline, have been calling for in recent months. David Humphreys has been dropped to the bench, with Paul Marshall coming into the side. That results in Ruan Pienaar moving to outhalf. Pedrie Wannenburg’s return from a foot injury means that Robbie Diack (3 tries in 4) is unlucky to miss out. The only other changes are in the front-row, with Paddy McAllister taking over from Callum Black at loosehead and Andy Kyriacou being restored at hooker in place of Nigel Brady.

As mentioned, the Ospreys are missing a host of internationals, as well as having 7 players out injured. They can still name the likes of Welsh internationals Duncan Jones, Ian Gough, Dan Biggar and Andrew Bishop in their starting line-up. The talented young trio of Rhys Webb, Matthew Morgan and Ashley Beck have curiously been left on the bench, so expect an impact from them at some stage.

There will be no better chance for Ulster to beat a team above them in the PRO12. While the Ospreys are severely depleted, Ulster’s selection is basically first-choice bar Stephen Ferris, Andrew Trimble and Rory Best.                            Verdict: Ulster by 7.

Ulster: 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Craig Gilroy, 13 Nevin Spence, 12 Paddy Wallace, 11 Ian Whitten, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Paul Marshall, 8 Pedrie Wannenburg, 7 Willie Faloon, 6 Chris Henry (capt.), 5 Dan Tuohy, 4 Lewis Stevenson, 3 John Afoa, 2 Andi Kyriacou, 1 Paddy McAllister.
Subs: 16 Nigel Brady, 17 Callum Black, 18 Adam Macklin, 19 Tim Barker, 20 Robbie Diack, 21 Ian Humphreys, 22 Simon Danielli, 23 Adam D’Arcy.

Ospreys: 15 Richard Fussell, 14 Hanno Dirksen, 13 Andrew Bishop, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Eli Walker, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Kahn Fotuali’i, 8 Joe Bearman, 7 Sam Lewis, 6 Tom Smith (capt.), 5 James King, 4 Ian Gough, 3 Joe Rees, 2 Scott Baldwin, 1 Duncan Jones.
Subs: 16 Mefin Davies, 17 Ryan Bevington, 18 Will Taylor, 19 Jonathan Thomas/Lloyd Peers, 20 George Stowers, 21 Rhys Webb, 22 Matthew Morgan, 23 Ashley Beck.

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Connacht vs. Edinburgh @ The Sportsground

Friday 24th Feb, 19.30 (Not televised) 

Connacht are looking for their 5th win of the season. (c) Pierre-Selim.

Connacht managed to end a 10-game losing run in the PRO12 against the Warriors last weekend thanks to a last-gasp Niall O’Connor penalty that drew the score level at 13-13. As seems to be the way with Connacht, it could have been so much more. Tonight they take on an Edinburgh side who sit 9th in the league and are coming off a disappointing loss to the Dragons. Prime opportunity for Connacht to secure a rare win.

Eric Elwood has given Academy prop Denis Buckley his first start for the province with Brett Wilkinson away covering for the international squad. The only other change to the side sees scrumhalf Frank Murphy return after recovering from a groin injury. Dave Moore is unfortunate to drop out of the match day squad after some promising cameos in recent weeks.

Michael Bradley makes four changes to his Edinburgh side after that loss ot the Dragons. Chris Paterson comes in at fullback, Jim Thompson is selected at 13, while 20-year-old Gregor Hunter should add some flair at outhalf. Up front, Scotland A international Andrew Kelly starts at hooker. The prolific Tim Visser is on the left wing, and Connacht will need to cut him down early.

It’s not the most intimidating Edinburgh selection, and this is a game that Connacht will most likely have been targeting for a home win. Whether or not they start finishing the chances they have been creating will be the deciding factor. Verdict: Edinburgh by 3.

Connacht: 15 Gavin Duffy (capt.), 14 Fetu’u Vainikolo, 13 Kyle Tonetti, 12 Henry Fa’afili, 11 Tiernan O’Halloran, 10 Niall O’Connor, 9 Frank Murphy, 1 Denis Buckley, 2 Adrian Flavin, 3 Ronan Loughney, 4 Michael Swift, 5 Mike McCarthy, 6 John Muldoon, 7 Eoghan Grace, 8 George Naoupu.
Subs: 16 Ethienne Reynecke, 17 Dylan Rogers/Brett Wilkinson, 18 Stewart Maguire, 19 Mick Kearney, 20 Ray Ofisa, 21 Paul O’Donohoe, 22 Matthew Jarvis, 23 Eoin Griffin.

Edinburgh: 15 Chris Paterson, 14 Tom Brown, 13 Jim Thompson, 12 Matt Scott, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Gregor Hunter, 9 Chris Leck, 1 Kyle Traynor, 2 Andrew Kelly, 3 Jack Gilding, 4 Grant Gilchrist, 5 Sean Cox, 6 Stuart McInally, 7 Roddy Grant (capt.), 8 Netani Talei.
Subs: 16 Alun Walker, 17 Mike MacDonald, 18 Ulises Gamboa, 19 Esteban Lozada, 20 Hamish Watson, 21 Alex Black, 22 Phil Godman, 23 Dougie Fife.

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Warriors vs. Leinster @ Firhill

Saturday 25th Feb, 18.00 (TG4)

Last weekend's win over the Scarlets was Leinster's 12th in a row. (c) Ken Bohane.

Fergus McFadden’s complete individual performance helped Leinster to a narrow 16-13 win over the Scarlets last weekend. That win saw them maintain a 10 point lead at the top of the PRO12. The Warriors were denied a victory in Galway as Niall O’Connor kicked Connacht level with the last action of the game. The Warriors remained 4th after the draw, but will be feeling the pressure of Ulster, the Blues and the Scarlets breathing down their necks this weekend.

Joe Schmidt has made several changes to the team which scrapped past the Scarlets. Young centres Collie O’Shea and Brendan Macken return, hoping to continue the promise they showed two weeks ago against Treviso. At scrumhalf, Isaac Boss comes in with Eoin Reddan on Ireland duty. In the front-row, Richardt Strauss is joined by Heinke Van der Merwe and Connacht-bound Nathan White. Mark Flanagan gets his 2nd start of the season in the second-row, while Dominic Ryan is at blindside. There’s plenty of youth on the Leinster bench, including promising 20-year-old wing Andrew Conway.

The Warriors show four changes to the side which drew in Galway. Alex Dunbar comes into midfield with Graeme Morrison selected for Scotland. Sevens specialist Colin Shaw is on the left wing in place of ex-Ulster man Tommy Seymour. In the pack, Mike Cusack is chosen at tighthead, with Scottish Rugby Elite Development player Nick Campbell starting in the second-row. Ruaridh Jackson will run things from outhalf.

Leinster were far from their sharpest last weekend, and with the Warriors under pressure in the last of the play-off spots, this is a big test for Schmidt’s side. Incredibly, they haven’t lost in any competition since the 17th of September 2011, an 18-game unbeaten streak. That loss was at the RDS against the Warriors, with fairly similar line-ups. Crucially, the likes of Ian Madigan, Leo Auva’a and Dave Kearney have grown as players since then. Verdict: Warriors by 2.

Glasgow: 15 Peter Murchie, 14 David Lemi, 13 Alex Dunbar, 12 Troy Nathan, 11 Colin Shaw, 10 Ruaridh Jackson, 9 Henry Pyrgos, 8 Ryan Wilson, 7 Chris Fusaro, 6 Rob Harley (capt.), 5 Tom Ryder, 4 Nick Campbell, 3 Mike Cusack, 2 Pat MacArthur, 1 Ryan Grant.
Subs: 16 Dougie Hall, 17 Jon Welsh, 18 Gordon Reid, 19 Rob Verbakel, 20 Calum Forrester, 21 Scott Wight, 22 Federico Aramburu, 23 Tommy Seymour.

Leinster: 15 Isa Nacewa,14 David Kearney, 13 Brendan Macken, 12 Colm O’Shea, 11 Fionn Carr, 10 Ian Madigan, 9 Isaac Boss, 1 Heinke van der Merwe, 2 Richardt Strauss, 3 Nathan White, 4 Damian Browne, 5 Mark Flanagan, 6 Dominic Ryan, 7 Shane Jennings (capt.), 8 Leo Auva’a.
Subs: 16 Aaron Dundon, 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Jamie Hagan, 19 Devin Toner, 20 Jordi Murphy, 21 John Cooney, 22 Eoin O’Malley, 23 Andrew Conway.

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Photos courtesy:  Jason Miller, Martin Dobey, Pierre-Selim, Ken Bohane.

RaboDirect Round-Up

PRO12 Round 14 Matches

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Leinster 42-8 Treviso 

Thursday 9th February @ The RDS

Shane Jennings and Richardt Strauss helped Leinster to a win over Treviso at the RDS. (c) Ken Bohane.

Leinster lead the PRO12 by ten points after their fourth try-scoring bonus point win of the season. You can read the full match report on the Treviso game here. The Italians gave Leinster a tough battle in the first-half, but in the end tries from Ian Madigan, Richardt Strauss, Isa Nacewa, John Cooney and Fionn Carr allowed Joe Schmidt’s side to pull well clear. Man of the Match Nacewa added 17 points from the tee as part of a truly complete individual performance.

Carr, Madigan and Shane Jennings all had strong showings while the young centre partnership of Collie O’Shea and Brendan Macken, 21 and 20 respectively, gave plenty of promising signs. With eight games left before the PRO12 play-offs, Leinster continue to look good for a home quarter-final. Next up, they welcome the 7th-placed Scarlets to the RDS on Friday .

Here’s the highlights of the Leinster vs. Treviso game:

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Ulster 30-12 Dragons

Friday 10th February @ Ravenhill

Ulster move up to 5th in the table after their fourth consecutive bonus point win at Ravenhill. Crucially, Brian McLaughlin’s men are now only 2 points behind 4th-placed Munster, although the southern province do have a game in hand. Friday night’s win didn’t see Ulster dominate but they still had far too much for a poor Dragons side. Get the full match report here. Tries from Robbie Diack, Ruan Pienaar, Craig Gilroy and Stefan Terblanche did the damage for Ulster. Pienaar added 10 points with the boot.

The second try, started and finished by Pienaar, showed Ulster at their best with the ball flashing through 10 pairs of hands as they attacked from inside their own half. It’s well worth a look below. That passage of play will have been particularly pleasing for Brian McLaughlin in a week that brought the public revelation of Ulster’s long-standing decision not to renew his contract as coach for next season. McLaughlin remains focused on the job though, and Ulster’s play-off push continues away to the Cardiff Blues on Friday.

Here’s the four Ulster tries against the Dragons:

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Cardiff Blues 22-15 Connacht

Friday 10th February @ Cardiff Arms Park

Connacht lost to the Blues in Cardiff. (c) Sum_of_Marc.

In their first match since the historic 9-8 win over Harlequins last month, Connacht reverted to old habits as they failed to take several try-scoring opportunities in Cardiff. Tries from Tiernan O’Halloran and Dave Moore, as well as a conversion and penalty from the boot of Niall O’Connor, weren’t enough to get a win against the Blues. However, the losing bonus point gained through Moore’s late try sees Connacht move up a place in the PRO12 table.

O’Halloran put in another promising display on the wing, scoring one and setting up the other try. Coach Eric Elwood will have felt a familiar frustration though as Connacht failed to finish off some good breaks throughout the game. On Saturday, the western province host Glasgow Warriors at the Sportsground. Elwood will be keen to ensure his side don’t go back on a run of losses. Connacht sit 10th in the table now, with Edinburgh just 5 points ahead in 9th. A few wins in the remainder of the season will be the target.

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Aironi vs. Munster

Postponed

Ireland vs. France wasn't the only fixture disrupted because of the cold weather last weekend. (c) Olivier Pechenet.

Munster’s game in northern Italy was postponed due to the freezing weather in the region. Aironi’s Stadio Zaffanella was heavily covered with snow all week, forcing the game to be rescheduled. This fixture will now take place on the 11th of March.

Glasgow Warriors’ win over the Scarlets on Thursday sees them jump above Munster in the table. Sitting 4th, Munster do have a game in hand. Despite, the disruption to their schedule, Tony McGahan has refocused his side’s attention to Saturday, when Munster travel to Italy to take on Benneton Treviso.

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Here’s the latest PRO12 table:

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Photos courtesy:  Ken Bohane, Olivier Pechenet, Sum_of_Marc.