Connacht 'A' games

Deramore Park, Wednesday 7th March (kick off 5pm):


Connacht XV & replacements
1 Denis Buckley
2 Kevin O’Byrne
3 Stewart Maguire
4 Brian Moylett
5 Mick Kearney
6 Dave Heffernan
7 Eoghan Grace (capt)
8 Eoin McKeon
9 Dave Moore
10 Jack Carty
11 Mark McCrea
12 Tadhg Leader
13 Brian Murphy
14 Matt Dever
15 Callum Boland

16 Stevie Collins
17 Finlay Bealham
18 Peter Borlase
19 Conor Kindregan
20 Isaac O’Grady
21 Marcus Walsh
22 Darragh Leader
23 Conor Fitzgibbon



Ravens XV & replacements
1 Richard Lutton (Belfast Harlequins)
2 John Burns (Ballymena)
3 Conor Carey (Ballymena)
4 Michael Shiels (Rainey)
5 David Houston (City of Derry)
6 Conor Joyce Malone)
7 Dominic Gallagher (Dublin University)
8 Neil Faloon (Armagh)
9 Paddy Farrell (Queen’s University)
10 James McKinney (Queen’s University)
11 Chris Quinn (Queen’s University)
12 Luke Marshall (Ballymena)
13 Michael Allen (Belfast Harlequins) (capt)
14 Conor Gaston (Dungannon)
15 Ricky Andrew (Ballymena)

16 Andrew Warwick (Ballymena)
17 Michael Cromie (Banbridge)
18 Stephen Mulholland (Ballymena)
19 Paul Pritchard (Ballymena)
20 Andrew Semple (City of Derry)
21 Johnny Burgess (Malone)
22 Taylor Acheson (Malone)



Lots of home grown talent in the 'A' team, great to see. Glad to see Jack Carty getting to start.

Not sure why Eoghan Grace is captaining a side after starting two games for the big boys.

McCrea must be counting down the days to when his contract is over. And no sign of TJ Anderson? Is he injured?

ummm, wrote: Deramore Park, Wednesday 7th March (kick off 5pm):

McCrea must be counting down the days to when his contract is over.

Doesn't he have a year left on his contract? That's a long countdown.

Aye, but if I was him I'd have started the countdown early!

He left Ulster to get game time. Now he's playing against the reserves he would have been playing for if he had stayed.

Not saying he deserves a start 'just because', but he has done well any time I've seen him play.

Ya decent team considering we are missing the lads for the u20 game.

Is Dermot Murphy injured or whats the story with him? Though he did ok in the couple of senior games he was required to play last season but haven't heard much on him since.

Good to see Brian Murphy get a chance he's been a good performer at AIL level.

McCrea seems a favourite of some on here, he's been a mixed bag for me, but probably deserves to be closer to the 23 than he has been. This is his chance. Its not a glamorous game but its a platform for him to get himself back in contention. Given he can play centre too he has the potential to get himself into the no.23 jersey given his versatility and go from there.

I know Matt Dever is with Galwegians but is he in the Connacht academy? Any background on him, seems to have come over from England?

Only recognise a handful of the Ulster players but I'm sure they'll be a good side who are well drilled since they reached the knockout stages in the B&I Cup. We haven't played at this level in a while but most of these lads are used to playing with each other at one level or another.

Did anyone read the offical Connacht release? Nigel Carolan actually mentioned that they were hoping to be in the B&I Cup next year. I know it's an open secret but I think it's the first time it's been mentioned openly by anyone on the Connacht Staff. I thought it was interesting...

problem is there mite not be a b+i cup next year.

I was wondering if that's actually true, though.

There are 24 teams, with 4 pools of 6. Top two from each pool goes through to the quarter finals.

If we joined and no one fell out, 25 teams can easily be 5 pools of 5, pool winners and 3 best 2nd place teams go through.

17-7 to Ulster was the final score if anyone didn't hear. Don't know who got the try. Was 12-0 to Ulster at ht.

Try was by some fella called Penalty. Must be from Roscommon with a name like that.

It's either that or someone agrees to step aside to let us in. Not a great solution either way to be honest. With 12 entrants the English could probably do with paring down, but tough on the 12th that doesn't make it.

Maybe one of the Welsh teams for financial reasons? And don't the Scots 'make' a team from there clubs and put it in rather than play a real team for there league's? Could be either of those.

connachtexile wrote: Maybe one of the Welsh teams for financial reasons? And don't the Scots 'make' a team from there clubs and put it in rather than play a real team for there league's? Could be either of those.

Apologies if im dragging this a little off topic here, but Scotland have 3 teams involved from the best of my knowledge, Currie, Ayr and Melrose. But these clubs take players from other teams who are not involved in the B&I cup for games. Its no set club that you can recruit players from either, I know some lads from my old club went to one club and some other went to another club for the B&I Cup games.

Think these might change this year as it was supposed to be based on the top 3 clubs in the league. Dundee are currently sitting in 2nd place with Gala fighting to overtake Currie for 3rd spot.

For anyone watching the Ireland v Scotland club international tonight, keep an eye out for the Scottish tighthead Alan Brown, a super player besides being a freak of nature. If it wasnt for his NIQ status, I always reckoned that he could have done a great job for Connacht.

Connacht V Ulster Weekend of 13/14/15 April. Anybody know when date/time will be fixed? Weekend only on Pro12, Connacht/Ulster sites.

Ulster will be announcing their final fixtures for the season at 1pm