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'We've got Bristol to look forward to ' - Pat Lam's old team want Bears scalp
Connacht head coach Andy Friend believes his side have a massive opportunity to beat Bristol next weekend after they claimed an impressive losing bonus point in a 26-22 defeat at the hands of Racing 92 in Paris. Tries from Matt Healy, Alex Wootton and Conor Oliver along with seven points from the boots of Jack Carty and Tom Daly saw Connacht suffer a narrow loss in their Heineken Champions Cup opener.
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Last season’s beaten finalists Racing scored four tries to claim maximum points with Georges-Henri Colombe, Kurtley Beale, Sebastien Taofifenua and Dominic Bird all touching down. Teddy Iribaren and Maxime Machenaud kicked six points between them.
Connacht host Bristol, who suffered a 51-38 home defeat at the hands of Clermont Auvergne on Saturday, next weekend and Friend is already looking forward to that match.
“It’s a massive opportunity for us next week to beat Bristol at the Sportsground,” said Friend.
“I’m not too phased with what other teams are doing. All we can control is what we do against Bristol.
“We’ll dissect this game, pick out the good bits and the things we didn’t do too well.
“We are a good team and are building ongoing belief and understanding of how we want to play and what we can do to opposition.
“We got some learnings there today, but we also did some pretty good things out there today. It’s frustrating we didn’t win it, but we picked up a losing bonus point and we’ve got Bristol to look forward to next Sunday.”
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Racing crossed for three tries in the opening half with Colombes powering his way over from short range before Virimi Vakatawa burst clear to put Australian great Beale over.
A sensational acrobatic finish from Taofifenua extended Racing’s lead but Healy touched down after a well-timed cross-kick from Carty to cut the home side’s advantage to 19-8 at the interval.
Donovan Taofifénua with an okayish finish on his Heineken Champions Cup debut
Just okay like…? #R92vCON pic.twitter.com/6KYDhm9ZlB
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 13, 2020
Former All Black Bird claimed Racing’s bonus point try before an impressive late rally from Connacht saw Wootton and Oliver cross to earn a losing bonus point.
Despite slipping to defeat Friend insists the character his side showed to leave Paris with a point will stand them in good stead.
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“I thought the fight was incredible,” said Friend. “We said it at half-time that we thought we’d be brave out there. We said we needed a bit more in the second half and that’s what we got.
“It was frustrating that we couldn’t nail it at the end there but it’s very hard to be disappointed with the performance. Let’s call it as it was their set-piece and their maul was very dominant.
“I thought our fellas kept fronting up which was great, and the scoreboard kept edging us closer and closer but in the end, it wasn’t enough for us.”
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments