O'Donnell's scrumaging held up well.

Didn't do too much wrong. I'd be worried about his tackle technique he was just throwing his shoulder into the opposition and not wrapping will get into trouble with it going forward

Magpie wrote:

Tall Paul wrote: You have to happy with the win. Not getting a bonus point will put us under next week.

It was great to see the fringe players getting a run out.
McCabe was on fire, and his going off seem to have a big impact on the tempo of the pack. Hope he is available next week.

Very disappointed with the ball carriers they seemed to be running into dead ends all day.
It was a shame we did not got wide more their back 3 looked very poor.
I think we should have tested them more.

Our discipline is the worst l have seen in years.
We must be giving away 15 plus penalties a game.

Jack looks he has no gas in the tank when he came off.
He needs a rest. Could we get a joker with Reese budget?
Fitzgerald looked very nervous and it affectedis game, fingers crossed he can improve. We need him to be a strong back up

The question is who will be available for next week Will bundee be allowed to play?

McCabe was having a great game, it was his line break that lead to the first try, and scrum was dominant while he was on. He was initially injured in that break, but I don't think it was a re-occurence of the shoulder/arm issue that has blighted him. Some nice running lines and hands from Goodwin, looks a good player. At the end of the first half I was sure we'd get the 5 pts, pack was dominant. We had territory and possession and while it was 15 vs 15, and were on for the 5pts. Copeland getting the bin, Bordeaux sensing they might get something, lots of subs coming on, all caused us to lose shape for a bit. After the 3rd try I thought we were on for the 5pts again, but McKeon’s injury ended that hope.

Bordeaux were not great, but they did not wilt or give up, they fought to the end.

How did O'Donnell go at 1 as was in fairly got a good run and looks like he is going to be needed this season.

Tall Paul wrote: You have to happy with the win. Not getting a bonus point will put us under next week.

It was great to see the fringe players getting a run out.
McCabe was on fire, and his going off seem to have a big impact on the tempo of the pack. Hope he is available next week.

Very disappointed with the ball carriers they seemed to be running into dead ends all day.
It was a shame we did not got wide more their back 3 looked very poor.
I think we should have tested them more.

Our discipline is the worst l have seen in years.
We must be giving away 15 plus penalties a game.

Jack looks he has no gas in the tank when he came off.
He needs a rest. Could we get a joker with Reese budget?
Fitzgerald looked very nervous and it affectedis game, fingers crossed he can improve. We need him to be a strong back up

The question is who will be available for next week Will bundee be allowed to play?

McCabe was having a great game, it was his line break that lead to the first try, and scrum was dominant while he was on. He was initially injured in that break, but I don't think it was a re-occurence of the shoulder/arm issue that has blighted him. Some nice running lines and hands from Goodwin, looks a good player. At the end of the first half I was sure we'd get the 5 pts, pack was dominant. We had territory and possession and while it was 15 vs 15, and were on for the 5pts. Copeland getting the bin, Bordeaux sensing they might get something, lots of subs coming on, all caused us to lose shape for a bit. After the 3rd try I thought we were on for the 5pts again, but McKeon’s injury ended that hope.

Bordeaux were not great, but they did not wilt or give up, they fought to the end.

Well I eventually sold my spare ticket for todays game, but one Kind Bordeaux supporter gave me a free spare ticket for the Clan Terrace, so I had a second Grant Thornton Stand ticket to get rid of, which I eventually did.

Not the best of games weather wise but a win nonetheless, pity we couldn't get the try bonus point.

Anyway here is my video of today's game.

damiengmullen wrote: Hello again.
I still have one spare ticket which I am selling for the @connachtrugby v @Bordeaux @epcrugby @ERChallengeCup match on October 13th. The ticket is for the @GrantThornton Stand. The Face Value is €40 But I am selling for €25.
I will be in Murty Rabbit's this Saturday to hand over the ticket to the buyer.

You have to happy with the win. Not getting a bonus point will put us under next week.

It was great to see the fringe players getting a run out.
McCabe was on fire, and his going off seem to have a big impact on the tempo of the pack. Hope he is available next week.

Very disappointed with the ball carriers they seemed to be running into dead ends all day.
It was a shame we did not got wide more their back 3 looked very poor.
I think we should have tested them more.

Our discipline is the worst l have seen in years.
We must be giving away 15 plus penalties a game.

Jack looks he has no gas in the tank when he came off.
He needs a rest. Could we get a joker with Reese budget?
Fitzgerald looked very nervous and it affectedis game, fingers crossed he can improve. We need him to be a strong back up

The question is who will be available for next week Will bundee be allowed to play?

Good win. Wud have been nice to get bonus but wasn't to be. Don't think the challenge cup is much stronger than last year. Reckon we shud take 10 points off Perpignan as they won't have any interest in it after losing at home last nite, 1 more win and we make quarters. Wud not b afraid of the English teams or ospreys for that matter, Clermont r the standout all right.

Underwhelming game. Lack of bonus point is disappointing but I think our focus appears to be on the league. It was the sort of game we were always on top but never comfortable. Bordeaux made a reasonable fist of it in fairness.

With the likes of Clermont and La Rochelle in this and looking like they mean business along with the usual English contenders plus Ospreys our chances of winning this are very slim.

Last year I thought it was a weak competition there to be won but I think quarters would be a decent achievement this year and focus on the league.

Especially after today Ospreys away is a far more important game than Sale.

Lovely day for it!
A win, hopefully bonus point, and to get a few young lads a run out is what today is about.
They won't be writing folk tales about this game.

Driving down from the East tomorrow morning if anyone wants a lift. Dublin about 9:30 - 9:45 planning to be in Rabbits for the lunch at 12:00

salmson wrote:

connachta wrote: Sale going full-strenght in Perpignan, will they rotate a bit next week to prepare their domestic league?

Sale don't have a league game until November 17 (the not-Anglo-Welsh Cup kicks off straight after Europe) so they may be fully loaded against us.

Shit. We're done then. We won't win away vs their main, except if injuries happen tonight in France. Beating 14 Ulstermen in crisis has already been hard

In fairness to Bourdeaux we went over to Newcastle with Heff at 20 and nobody at all at 23 a few years back, I know that was due to severe injuries; but should we give them the benefit of the doubt or is that too kind. There are some of their big names in the squad.

connachta wrote: Sale going full-strenght in Perpignan, will they rotate a bit next week to prepare their domestic league?

Sale don't have a league game until November 17 (the not-Anglo-Welsh Cup kicks off straight after Europe) so they may be fully loaded against us.

We will win. in all likelyhood, to be careful.
Main question is : Why Griffin instead of Leader?
And more crucial : Sale going full-strenght in Perpignan, will they rotate a bit next week to prepare their domestic league?

I withdraw my defamatory allegation of defamatory allegation (without prejudice or admission of liability).
I thought you meant the replacement props were all hookers, but it's much worse than that!
I assume UBB just didn't get the memo about the move to unlimited squads. Surely they have lads in their espoirs that they could have included who would do a much better job on the wing than their fifth choice hooker.

pinky wrote: Explain yourself salmson, you can't just randomly accuse people of being hookers!

Maynardier starts at hooker, Dufour backs him up, but numbers 20 (Lamothe, 1 start at hooker for UBB) and 23 (Pelissie - 18 UBB starts & ~50 before that for Aurillac) are also hookers. The four lads are marked as talonneurs on the UBB website, and rugby journo Paul Eddison is having a go on Twitter too.

J'accuse, UBB! J'accuse!

theCulk wrote: So much for squad depth. We've our new center on the wing

I would have expected leader to come into the mix

So much for squad depth. We've our new center on the wing

BeardySi wrote: No TV coverage of this one?

BT Sport appear to be focusing on the Heineken Cup certainly for the group stages. No Challenge Cup pool games listed to be shown live.

Are they definitely all hookers or is that just what the EPCR site calls them?
They have Finlay as a LH, Tom as a TH and Conor Mc as a 10.

EDIT: Actually, based on both EPCR and UBBs listings, there are four props and two hookers.
Explain yourself salmson, you can't just randomly accuse people of being hookers!

salmson wrote: FFS 4 hookers in the UBB 23. The weather probably won't co-operate, but they deserve to have a proper score put up on them.

Both packs heavily rotated: theirs has 10 starts between them over the first 7 rounds of the Top 14; ours has 12 over 6 rounds. Our backs have collectively more starts this season (23) than the whole UBB team (22). The four hookers thing really gives the game away though.

Horwitz not fit is disappointing. This would be a perfect place for him to start and give Jack Carty a break. I would've started James Connolly, giving Jarrad a break and making Copeland captain.

No TV coverage of this one?

FFS 4 hookers in the UBB 23. The weather probably won't co-operate, but they deserve to have a proper score put up on them.

(15-9) Cian Kelleher, Niyi Adeolokun, Eoin Griffin, Bundee Aki, Kyle Godwin, Jack Carty, Caolin Blade, [1-8] Peter McCabe, Shane Delahunt, Conor Carey, James Cannon, Quinn Roux, Jarrad Butler (c), Colby Fainga’a, Robin Copeland.

Replacements (16-23): Tom McCartney, Conán O’Donnell, Finlay Bealham, Joe Maksymiw, James Connolly, Conor McKeon, Conor Fitzgerald, Colm De Buitléar.

Godwin on the wing is an interesting one ...

Bordeaux side: www.ubbrugby.com/ubb/actualite/6694-la-c...ace-au-connacht.html

Hello again.
I still have one spare ticket which I am selling for the @connachtrugby v @Bordeaux @epcrugby @ERChallengeCup match on October 13th. The ticket is for the @GrantThornton Stand. The Face Value is €40 But I am selling for €25.
I will be in Murty Rabbit's this Saturday to hand over the ticket to the buyer.