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Breifne wrote:

Borders no.2 wrote: The rule of thumb on the Connacht facebook site is you need to be the happy-clappy all singing all dancing supporter. I think its great to have a page for generating positive support for the team and keeping supporters up to date, competitions etc. but it has to be a site too that is representative of the views of all Connacht Supporters.

I agree that the page should be kept free from abuse towards the team/individuals and over the top criticism but its too much the other way.

Agreed. I made a level-headed criticism (i.e. no profanity, abusive language, etc.) after last week's loss, and it was promptly deleted by the Connacht Rugby page. Very disappointing.

finally someone has said it!
I have exactly the same feeling about the connacht facebook and twitter.
You can have an opinion as long as its the "right" opinion!!!
Total lack of objectivity and they live in a cocoon world .
j

Borders no.2 wrote: The rule of thumb on the Connacht facebook site is you need to be the happy-clappy all singing all dancing supporter. I think its great to have a page for generating positive support for the team and keeping supporters up to date, competitions etc. but it has to be a site too that is representative of the views of all Connacht Supporters.

I agree that the page should be kept free from abuse towards the team/individuals and over the top criticism but its too much the other way.

Agreed. I made a level-headed criticism (i.e. no profanity, abusive language, etc.) after last week's loss, and it was promptly deleted by the Connacht Rugby page. Very disappointing.

The rule of thumb on the Connacht facebook site is you need to be the happy-clappy all singing all dancing supporter. I think its great to have a page for generating positive support for the team and keeping supporters up to date, competitions etc. but it has to be a site too that is representative of the views of all Connacht Supporters.

I agree that the page should be kept free from abuse towards the team/individuals and over the top criticism but its too much the other way.

As I've read through all the fan comments on the Connacht Rugby Facebook page after each of these last 12 losses in a row, 90% of them say something to the effect of "Unlucky," and "We were the better team today and deserved to win."

Does anyone who says this actually BELIEVE it, or are they just employing the power of positive thinking? I have to say, it gets wearisome to read this week after week when we clearly are a very, very poor squad. And there's always one "super-supporter" or two who will rake you over the coals for offering honest criticism and choosing not to be blindly optimistic like the others.

It's getting old...

My boss once told me when something really really pee's you off write it down in a letter and get it off your chest and then delete it. After reading the trash talk in the indo today coming from the SG? I wrote such a Letter to EE. It went something like this.

Dear Eric
......................................"........................................................................................
.................................................................,........................"........................!..........................
..............................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................
".............................................................................................................................................

Signed

Really Pissed. Off Punter

swift4prez wrote:

salmson wrote:

connachtexile wrote:
Yup at this stage season's over need to build toward next year. Couldn't believe NOC's kicking last night, 4 missed from 7 including 2 gimmes. Don't forget he threw an intercept pass for the first try too.

SEASON IS NOT OVER. STILL ONLY 5POINTS BEHIND ULSTER FOR A HEINEKEN CUP PLACE

yeah right!!!LOL

Yep...so there goes that five-point margin between us and Ulster that was being offered as a glimmer of hope for this season. Barring a surprise win on Sunday, this season is indeed over.

just finished watching ulster v munster on box and ulster got deserved bonus point win which they wanted so their decision was justified.

Commentator gave stat that it was 10th win out of 11 home games in 2011. Thats champ winning home form so they must be crap on road. Only loss was to treviso in october and prob took that one for granted and were caught out.

Maybe if we are to ever finish above them eric and connacht should look to home games first. anythin else is a bonus.

no swift4prez what i was saying really that eric and the team have a moral obligation to be in the best possible possition to preform well and win regularly in front of their home fans. Ulster and Mclaughlin understand this and acted accordingly.

I think everyone who follows connacht wud accecpt a 40 plus loss in thomond if we got a win (or something) at home sunday and a win in aironi. If we are realistic in our expectations every fan would accept 7/8 home wins in pro 12 with some losing bonus pts in others while 2/3 away wins with a few losing bonus pts on road wud be great. Thomond under any circumstances wud not be a targetted win. in those circimstances wit a home game coming and a winnable away game on its heels i dont think eric did his job very well these last few days(and prob in general this season).

what wud have been wrong with playing rodgers at th,kearney maybe in 2nd row and a backrow of anderson, grace and mckeon. Why are we paying these players wages if they cant(it seems) play them. Also tonetti, henry and tuohy cud have been given a chance. and i havent even mentioned jarvis. loughney,macca, gannon, mul, george etc cud do wit the break if we are to come out of this run.

This squad was put together by eric(i presume)but he doesnt utilise it. We all know there are weaknesses in it but flogging the decent players we do have isnt working so give the untrid ones a chance. Ulster knew they were on a hiding to nothing but took it on the chin knowing their own limited resources wudnt stand up to two derbies in a week.

I think connacht shud have done something similar.

rossie wrote: i agree with many of the points raised here already.

There are two things that stick out to me at the moment as reasons why we are in position we are in now.

The first is obvious and well analysed here already. we have no back up at tighthead. Ronan Loughney who started season as our backup loosehead is our best option at th. Rodney is worse than buckley when it comes to his primary role of scrcumaging so we end up losing ball and more often than not points off our own scrum when he is in. He needs to be benched and made shed at least 10-15 kgs before next season. Maguire needs to be looked at and rodgers brought in to support ronan.
Noc has also proven not to be good enuf at this level and his inabilty to put points on the board is damaging morale in the overall team. every placekicker needs to reward his teammates workrate with points on the board and he doesnt do that so should be dropped to the a team on that basis alone.

Going forward to next season a good scrummaging th and decent goalkicking 10 are a must. jarvis backed up by carty and nikora should be given rest of season to prove that a new 10 isnt needed but if they come up short a new experienced 10 should be brought in.

The other issue i see is the managements squad management. There doesnt appear to be any and thats a big worrry. Ulster sent their a team to the rds the other night and imo were right to do so.
here we had a management team who recognised their obligation to be competitive and win their home games. Away games can be sacrificed sometimes to ensure that team is is in best possible position to win at home in front of their own fans.
Eric sent down pretty much a full strength connacht team to what was always going to b an emotional farewell to a legend of the game on his home patch in front a large munster crowd. By doing so he showed no respect for the 3000plus connacht season ticket holders who are crying out for a home win of their own.

He should take a leaf out of ulsters book and concentrate on his home games and keep the fans he still has happy between now and end of season if he wants any of them to come back next season.

from what im reading here rossie is you want to go back to the beadley era when we lost by 40+ points on the road in scarlets etc. no -_-ing way is that the way forward.

In fairness its hard for Eric to win, if he went down to Munster with the A side, people would have said he blew a big chance of a very rare win down there, the Hayes issue was a sideshow really, Munster wanted to win as always but weren't exactly "emotionally charged" (say in an extreme example like their fringe players against the All Blacks a few years back) for the game. It was a run of the mill Rabo game with a good but still mix and gather Munster side who there to be taken.

I'd have liked to have seen a few more changes going in to the Munster game like all supporters but not a 2nd team. However I think the squad should have been rotated for these two games with a view to the Aironi game, if we lose that we'll have lost 15 in a row by the time the HC groups end, not exactly a great bargaining chip at the time of years contracts and new signings are up for discussion.

i agree with many of the points raised here already.

There are two things that stick out to me at the moment as reasons why we are in position we are in now.

The first is obvious and well analysed here already. we have no back up at tighthead. Ronan Loughney who started season as our backup loosehead is our best option at th. Rodney is worse than buckley when it comes to his primary role of scrcumaging so we end up losing ball and more often than not points off our own scrum when he is in. He needs to be benched and made shed at least 10-15 kgs before next season. Maguire needs to be looked at and rodgers brought in to support ronan.
Noc has also proven not to be good enuf at this level and his inabilty to put points on the board is damaging morale in the overall team. every placekicker needs to reward his teammates workrate with points on the board and he doesnt do that so should be dropped to the a team on that basis alone.

Going forward to next season a good scrummaging th and decent goalkicking 10 are a must. jarvis backed up by carty and nikora should be given rest of season to prove that a new 10 isnt needed but if they come up short a new experienced 10 should be brought in.

The other issue i see is the managements squad management. There doesnt appear to be any and thats a big worrry. Ulster sent their a team to the rds the other night and imo were right to do so.
here we had a management team who recognised their obligation to be competitive and win their home games. Away games can be sacrificed sometimes to ensure that team is is in best possible position to win at home in front of their own fans.
Eric sent down pretty much a full strength connacht team to what was always going to b an emotional farewell to a legend of the game on his home patch in front a large munster crowd. By doing so he showed no respect for the 3000plus connacht season ticket holders who are crying out for a home win of their own.

He should take a leaf out of ulsters book and concentrate on his home games and keep the fans he still has happy between now and end of season if he wants any of them to come back next season.

I have been saying for months and months that NOC is a joker at this level and if Elwood doesn't see it then he's not the man for Connacht either. The Garryowens, the missed kicks that my 6 year old would score , the wasted passes , the lack of conviction in decision making................quite simply he just doesn't have it at this level.End of story.

Jarvis is our only option at No. 10 and I mean ONLY option at no 10. When Eric granted him the privilage of 14 minutes game time in Thomond Park , we were camped in Munster's 22 and not a Garryowen was seen. He will bring us some time in the opposion's side of the rugby park.

FIX THE PROBLEM IN THE CENTER PLEASE ERIC FOR GOD'S SAKES MAN!!

If the backs, and indeed forwards, have a no 10 who can drive the team on and show them a bit class and gile going forward (and not allow hard earned yards be pissed away like NOC does), then we have a chance. If not, we will be lucky to win another game anywhere for the rest of the season!!

Sort it out.....

Eric needs to give Millard ownership of the backs and take a step back and see where it takes us

Eric's imprint is all to clear on us, very conservative at 10 and loads of garryowens.

Naoupu has to pull the finger out, he's been way below par all season. He has to be moved back to 8, Leinster won't have Ross or Healy so we can put Gannon in the 2nd row. I'm sick of it now, lets player our players in their best position and see where we go.

Just read Rob's article on knockon. Very well put i thought. As well as a critic he is one of the biggest fans and the passion can always be seen in his pieces.

I made a point a few weeks ago about the players having no interest. It seems to be getting more and more obvious. Of course the ones we bring through ourselves (Griffs, Johnny, Gav etc.) do and the ones who owe us something(MC Sharry). Others are ehre for the cheque.

I have long been a fan. I am getting tired of it, and useless interviews after games. We need some accountability. PLayers are not playing on form, but know it is ok because there is no risk of getting dropped. How many players have we used this year? Our coaches cry about a small squad yet are afraid to use most of them, Dermot Murphy, Connelly, Jarvis. Im sick of them saying we are stretched, when these players are playing AIL and have shown they are up to the level.

I dont know what our coaches are doing. I have time for Dan and think for the last few years we had a great scrum. This was built on hagan and Morris though. Hagan took time coming through but it wasnt an issue. We have no leader TH now. OUr defence has improved hugely so no issue there. Our attack is poor, Billy Milliard has a great record but there is an issue here. Whether he not allowed pass on the information. I honetly dont know what Conor Mc Phillips is doing. I think Eric may be in over his head. It is his first professional head coach job and im not sure he understands it