Great performance from 1 - 23, has to be said. We were clinical in exploiting a mis-firing Ulster team on the day. We could have easily ran another few points on them.

Think a good shout re trying Jack out as Capt. I'm not sure if it was the change in venue, but he seemed to be very vocal, very bossy (in a good way) and very focused on the game. At one point, I think it was after a semi-kickable pen, he had to ask whether we had the bonus point wrapped up, clearly he was just keeping his head in the game and not worrying about the scoreboard.

Maul defence was great. Obviously it's been a major work on for them recently, and it's paying dividends. Bit of a minor step backwards when it comes to lineouts, but a blip as a opposed to anything more serious.

Shame in a way that we have such a lay off now, you'd hope we'll be able to retain that momentum after the break.

There's the aggression and physicality we've been begging for for so long. Hopefully the new coaching ticket can get them to produce that regularly, because if we can manage to show that grit every week we're on an upward trajectory.

Plenty of mistakes but they're much easier to forgive when they manhandled their opposition.

Another big performance from Carty, worth keeping him on as captain? Hopefully the funds can be found to keep him in Connacht. Tom Daly was also excellent and could have been MOTM. Niall Murray already looks like a complete player at 21. Paul Boyle is some man, really drives standards in the pack even with the odd mistake.

Have to say that I'm looking forward to this. You'd have to think the lads heads are going to be up, and they've got a point to prove after last week.

Bundee will be a loss, of course, but should be a great battle.

Connacht take on Ulster in the Aviva!...

Guys
Lady luck might be looking kindly on us for Sat.

All trains from Belfast to Dublin on Sat are finishing at Drogheda

"06:50 Belfast to Connolly,
08:00 Belfast to Connolly,
10:35 Belfast to Connolly &
12:35 Belfast to Connolly will operate to Drogheda only, bus transfers from Drogheda"

Let's hope the Ulster supporters are not toooo inconveniencd !!!!!

Good luck trying to do it on a phone!

The ticketing system for this is a pain in the hole.

For any other season ticket holders who haven't yet claimed theirs, you need to click the green "Add Code" button after you enter the discount code which was emailed out to us last month.

If you don't hit that button you'll get charged full whack (€50) for your ticket.

Those prices are crazy if they want to sell a big number of tickets. I imagine there will be less than 10,000 at the game.

As I said previously, this is unlike Connacht. I went searching for a reason and I came across this nugget that I probably had heard but paid no heed to. Connacht appointed a new commercial manager 3 months ago.

www.connachtrugby.ie/philip-patterson-ap...ommercial-marketing/

Just got the link for the free premium ticket just clicked in for curiosity sake...to bring someone with you to the premium level to sit with you have to pay 50eur for the privilege! unbelievable! Lower stand tickets 35 which is fair as normal interpro price. Anyway I can't go up to dublin as have people visiting that wkend plan was to go to Ulster game as assumed restrictions were being lifted the day before. I guess will be a Galway pub to watch it instead!

I am shocked that this idea was put forward, with 20k in the Aviva, the atmosphere won’t come close to 2.5k in the Sportsground.

There is no advantage to Connacht playing Ulster in Dublin.

I don’t know about the other fans, but I much prefer standing in line on College Road on a cold, wet, windy evening and having the craic with both sets of fans, than going to Landsdowne, trying to figure out where to go, going through numerous checkpoints. The whole thing is leaving a sour taste.

I absolutely agree.
The main benefits seemed to be

* More fans can attend
* Players get to play in the Aviva
* Fans get to experience the Aviva

They dont seem to have considered that a lot of fans dont want to/cant attend in the Aviva

If we don't gain any financial benefit then this really is a silly move. A full Sportsground is significantly better than 20k in a 52k seater.

Diabhal wrote: I'd be very interested to hear from the Clan on how they were approached myself. I get the sense neither Connacht nor the Clan were expecting this to be near universally panned online.

That's not me throwing any digs btw. Clan is a fantastic resource but unless this relocation involves a big profit for Connacht versus a full SG (hopefully) and the obvious boost that the city gets from pubs/restaurants/coffees etc I'd have to say I'm hugely against it.

Just to say, I rang the branch this morning, and expressed my displeasure about the whole thing.
I asked them directly, if this was a financial decision, and the women that I was speaking to, said "absolutely not". She explained that Connacht dont expect to make any extra money off of this game.

I've emailed them through my reasons for not been happy with this move, and asked them to re-consider, or offer season ticket holders a refund for this particular game

I'd be very interested to hear from the Clan on how they were approached myself. I get the sense neither Connacht nor the Clan were expecting this to be near universally panned online.

That's not me throwing any digs btw. Clan is a fantastic resource but unless this relocation involves a big profit for Connacht versus a full SG (hopefully) and the obvious boost that the city gets from pubs/restaurants/coffees etc I'd have to say I'm hugely against it.

essielo wrote: I have to say am very annoyed also at this decision I just don't see what it brings to us except a fairly debatable financial benefit. I cannot see more than 10 or 15k fans attending this game from both sides so would like to see what exact financial benefit we will receive out of this. Let the IRFU and Connacht be transparent on it to justify us having to concede home advantage as well as a chance for season ticket holders to attend a first interpro in how long. Also its a bit of a kick in the teeth for loyal sponsors like Murtys and Pucan and other pubs around the city who have supported the team and players in the past and will now miss out on the pre and post match crowds. Finally can anyone from the Clan actually confirm whether they were consulted on this? Although even if the Clan was I imagine it would have gone ahead anyway.

Well said, and a very good point about the businesses around Galway.

I noted how the keep mentioning the consultation with the Clan alright - it's as if they sensed it might go down badly, so they proactively threw the clan under the bus.

I have to say am very annoyed also at this decision I just don't see what it brings to us except a fairly debatable financial benefit. I cannot see more than 10 or 15k fans attending this game from both sides so would like to see what exact financial benefit we will receive out of this. Let the IRFU and Connacht be transparent on it to justify us having to concede home advantage as well as a chance for season ticket holders to attend a first interpro in how long. Also its a bit of a kick in the teeth for loyal sponsors like Murtys and Pucan and other pubs around the city who have supported the team and players in the past and will now miss out on the pre and post match crowds. Finally can anyone from the Clan actually confirm whether they were consulted on this? Although even if the Clan was I imagine it would have gone ahead anyway.

Del87 wrote: Very unfair.

To give away a home game, an interpro, the first interpro back after all that's happened.

So disheartening. Always support but yeesh, this is a hard one to fathom for me.

Really sucks that we wont have the clan stand roar the first opportunity of full capacity. Instead will be spread out in a cavernous leinster stadium.

Ya I fully agree. A big night in the Sportsground with a full Clan Stand would be amazing. Also as a part of a night in Murtys and town with restrictions lifted would be just great.

I am very annoyed by this I must say. It's not like Connacht to do something like this, the sense of pride in our community and our 5 counties is something they talk about and I buy into. Even something like landing in Knock rather than Shannon or Dublin after winning the pro 12 is the kind of thing I lap up and love when they do that kind of thing. To just forfeit home advantage to a rival is fairly pathetic. Things like "Newbride or nowhere" come to mind as a complete contrast to this.

Very unfair.

To give away a home game, an interpro, the first interpro back after all that's happened.

So disheartening. Always support but yeesh, this is a hard one to fathom for me.

Really sucks that we wont have the clan stand roar the first opportunity of full capacity. Instead will be spread out in a cavernous leinster stadium.

The losses in the last 2 years greatly exceed the generous deferral from us season ticketers. Potentially even the 80% temp payment deferred by the players will only do so much.

My sneaking suspicion is they may have been tipped off the 50% capacity for large events may be extended and would rather chance 20k than 2.5k at a home game. That's just me speculating of course.

What I would recommend is that all 2,500 of us make sure to buy a few concessions in the next couple of home games. It all helps.