Connacht 12-19 Toulon

[TRF_Cymro]

A Mafileo Kefu try just before half-time and 14 points from Jonny Wilkinson gave Toulon victory over a committed Connacht in the Amlin Cup semi-final.

Connacht threw everything at their classy opponents but fell just short.

Ian Keatley and Wilkinson landed three first-half penalties each with the Toulon star also landing a drop-goal.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/connacht/8655491.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/connacht/8655491.stm
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[monkeypigeon]

Ah well. Good effort from my beloved Connacht. But they were never gonna go all the way.

God loves a tryer...

 

[munstermuffin]

Well lads packing the bags for San Sebastian but was at the Sportsground tonight and well Connacht can be proud. They gave it a great lash and the reality is they had chances to change outcome. But in reality the difference was the financial muscle and difference in resources tonight. Toulon are a team on the way to top french table of clubs while Connacht are a team that are constantly playing for their futures and can all be proud of their efforts this season.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Wow Connacht are not a side to be taken lightly anymore!

 

[munstermuffin]

Well chances are cymro that they will revert to been poor next season again but hopefully not and Elwood will make a big difference as Head man

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Often the neglected side it looks like ... Dragons, Border Reivers and Celtic Warriors and always Connacht.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Good effort by Connacht, i was expecting it to be a walkover, pretty much. Hopefully they can carry on improving next year

 

[munstermuffin]

What Connacht need is a few more players that will improve the squad.

 

[Bluemoon]

Fantastic effort Connacht. What a season they have had and very well deserved. It does say a lot about the Magners League and I am starting to seriously consider that its starting to become a very competitive league indeed.

As for the final of the Amlin, whoever gets through today now, it bodes well for a fantastic final.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Good effort from Connacht but they had their chances and didn't take them.

It's not being spoken about elsewhere since people are handing out plaudits despite defeat but Michael Bradley made a huge error taking Ian Keatley and Frank Murphy off the field. Both were playing well and their replacements aren't in the same class as the starting players. It smacked of making chances for the sake of making changes which is a massive criticism of Bradley's seven years in charge. He's always been prone to needlessly emptying the bench.

 

[durbutter]

Connacht will be awful next season, as the IRFU are only allowing one year contracts for the players and coaching staff. Surely any decent players they have will leave due to this, they'll get hockeyed all next season givbing the IRFU the excuse they need to wind the prvince up.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

They're describing Connacht's performance "gutsy" on the BBC website... I hate that word. It's like a back-handed compliment.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Connacht will be awful next season, as the IRFU are only allowing one year contracts for the players and coaching staff. Surely any decent players they have will leave due to this, they'll get hockeyed all next season givbing the IRFU the excuse they need to wind the prvince up.

Most of their players have re-signed with the province for another year. George Naoupu is the only exception as far as I know (he's going to Japan).

 

[Thingimubob]

I watched this match, and I honestly think Connacht were unlucky to lose this one! Their defence and line outs were fantastic, especially from John Muldoon, and the Kefu try that they concided was only scored after a ridiculous 10 minuites of extra time for re-set scrums AFTER the first 40 were up, despite the fact that Wayne Barnes missed a very obvious knock on my Luke Rooney about 9 mins earlier. Connacht were more than a match for Toulon, which is incredible when you hear that Jonny Wilkinsons pay alone comes to roughly half that of the entire Connacht squad!

 

[coonor]

Connacht play in style which should be embraced by every other team. They play with great passion and commitment, they play for each other and the team. this year has really brought the fans of connacht together and I can see some future Irish internationals. Kidney sees potential in Connacht and he was watching a performance which connacht can be proud of.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Connacht play in style which should be embraced by every other team. They play with great passion and commitment, they play for each other and the team. this year has really brought the fans of connacht together and I can see some future Irish internationals. Kidney sees potential in Connacht and he was watching a performance which connacht can be proud of.

I slightly disagree with the bolded part. For 7 or 8 games per year, Connacht display those qualities however their away games in the Magners League, their home games against non-Irish provinces and outside the Amlin Cup sees Connacht go through the motions.

They have some decent players but their coaching staff hasn't instilled a much needed drive in the team every time they take the field.