In mitigation, Ray & Matthew were both puking from stomach bug just before the game. Injuries left us very vulnerable defensively as guys were playing out of position. But why, oh why, did we try to run that ball out of our own 22 with two minutes to go and a bonus point in the bag. We hadn't threatened their line in the second half and it was highly unlikely that we were going to score from deep in our own half. If ever there was a time to stuff it up the jumper! Still the next two matches are winnable, Cardiff at home and an Ulster side short on confidence away!

Full credit to both Ray & Matt who were very impressive first half then especially factoring in illness.

The way we played however second half it was no surpise we coughed up the bonus point though, serious lack of application and focus even allowing for changes. We should have seen and heard more from the senior players/on field leaders...

Scrum got screwed, fitness looked way below Leinster and even in the first half we had zero shape defensively.

Busy few weeks for Eric and the management to try and get the season back on track. We would have been seriously backing ourselves in that one and came up a lot short.

Positives, Joc and ofisa. Touhy had a pretty good game.
Negatives, In particular i thought Noc and rodgers struggled also wilko is not where he was before injury.

It was a disappointing defeat. We the supporters did a great job of making some noise though! hope to see more support at future away games, really makes a difference to have that "power in numbers"!

???left the RDS yesterday feeling sick, lost count of the number of unforced errors in the second half and the lack of professionalism to cough up the drop goal at the death was shocking. We really should have got something from the game considering the position at half time, we seemed incapable of holding on the ball for more than a couple of phases in the second and really capitulated, left the ground very frustrated knowing that we are improving as a squad and will be a physical match for anyone especially at home but sickened to lose a point the way we did, all in all, the best and the absolute worst of being a connacht supporter in one afternoon! great to see and hear the clann support in the south stand

Even if Wales lose next wee their Welsh contingent are unlikely to be back in action

If they lose they still play the following Friday in the 3rd/4th playoff. So they'll be pretty uch just off the plane, and the players in the 1st 15 like Warburton, Jenkins, Roberts and Halfpenny certainly won't play.

Even if Wales lose next wee their Welsh contingent are unlikely to be back in action

That leaves them without Roberts, Halfpenny, Jenkins, Warbuton, Davies, Lloyd Williams.

Couple that with (hopefully), the likes of O'Halloran, Vainikolo, Naoupu, Nikora and Griffin returning for us

We really must win this one

I agree uuum, we must learn from basic errors, or the season will be over before it's begun.
We have by our past standards been a revelation this season, but, and I have posted this before, we must protect the ball that we have worked so hard to secure. To many occasions we have made the wrong basic decisions, this point must be made to the players. Their own game management skills must improve if we, as a Province wish to achieve parity with our neigboring Provinces and indeed the other teams in the Rabo Direct.
I think we are all fed up with saying that's a game we should have won. The players must take some of the responsibilitis on their own shoulders. Come on guys we can do it, take break and then let's come back and sort out the Blues good and proper.

They're only winnable if we've got a full team to choose from. The break is coming at a good time, although there is plenty to be said for getting back on the bike and playing again next week just to get over this loss.

But we don't have that opportunity, so now it's take the break, get the heads straight, learn from what happened and move on.

In mitigation, Ray & Matthew were both puking from stomach bug just before the game. Injuries left us very vulnerable defensively as guys were playing out of position. But why, oh why, did we try to run that ball out of our own 22 with two minutes to go and a bonus point in the bag. We hadn't threatened their line in the second half and it was highly unlikely that we were going to score from deep in our own half. If ever there was a time to stuff it up the jumper! Still the next two matches are winnable, Cardiff at home and an Ulster side short on confidence away!

Needed time to compose myself, Disgusted with the manner in which we chucked that game away. A truly miserable day. What should have been a win turned in to zero points mainly through our own poor mistakes and general stupidity.

Some good stuff in the first half, in their faces, back row superb, purposeful in attack etc. but even with that, absolute stupidity from Rogers, needless yellow,  led to a farce of a try for Toner, even with 14 men that was awfully soft (didn't even have to drag us through any phases). Still we took our own chances well and had the game in our grasp at ht.

That 2nd half summed up all thats so frustrating with Connacht Rugby, did all the wrong things, countless unforced errors, when playing into the wind possession is of crucial importance and we gave it up too cheaply, the first time we got a few phases together was a few pick and drives in the middle of the field at 24-20.

Scrum was taken apart after the NZ fella came on at ht for Leinster. 10 direct points for Leinster (I can remember) off our own scrums in our 22. Countless other scrum penalties, poor handling etc. that kept the traffic going one way in the 2nd half. I hope Stewart Maguire gets a run at tight head, if we're going to struggle at least let it be with an Irish lad who will learn, Wilkinson has struggled a bit in recent weeks too, Loughney isn't that far behind him now. Its scary how much our scrum will be demolished in the HC if things don't improve.

Some of the changes were strange, Ofisa was a major surprise didn't really see a reason, didn't help our cause, Flavin seemed like one of these pre-planned subs. We'll bring you off after 50-55 no matter how you are going kind of thing. I'd imagine Eric would have been reluctant enough to throw 2 rookies in so I'd say there was concerns over McCrea and Jarvis.

Really though 5 mins into 2nd half we were a beaten side as we failed miserably to do the basics and gave Leinster the momentum they needed. Jarvis carrying in to touch, got a break with Leinster knocking on, then gave away penalty on our own scrum and it went from there.

Might as well mention as well no problems with the ref (as it is often used as an excuse), we have only ourselves to blame.

I agree with Porterbelly, there are no excuses, if we can't see out a game like that we are only wasting our time. Leinster have a fairly decent side even minus all the internationals but as you'd expect its difficult to get a the combinations working with all the internationals missing you could see there tonight why the likes of Glasgow had beaten them in recent weeks.

No mention of bug in offy site match report, strange if true it would surely warrant a mention....

Was mentioned (by Eric) in prematch interviews on TnaG

No mention of bug in offy site match report, strange if true it would surely warrant a mention....

Offy Site wrote:
Leinster 30 Connacht 20
Saturday, 08 October 2011 16:43   

A late change to the Connacht starting lineup didn’t phase the Westerners and right from the kickoff pressure on the Leinster catch gave Connacht a lineout deep in the Leinster half. Strong running from Henry Fa’afili, Michael Swift and Matthew Jarvis kept the hosts pinned in their own half for the opening exchanges and after just 4 minutes Niall O’Connor stepped up to kick a penalty just inside his own half. The kick had the legs but floated just left of the posts. He made amends 4 minutes later to give Connacht the deserved lead. Isa Necewa levelled the score when Dylan Rogers was harshly yellow carded in front of the Connacht posts after 10 minutes. Superb covering tackles from Brian Tuohy and Henry Fa’afili stymied the Leinster attack. O’Connor put Connacht in the lead again after 15 minutes with another penalty from the halfway line.

A lapse in the Connacht defence saw Devin Toner slip past Rodney Ah You to score the first try of the match after 21 minutes, Necewa missing the touchline conversion. Another excellent covering tackle from Tuohy brought down former Connacht scrumhalf Cillian Willis after he slipped his tack but it wasn’t long before Connacht were on the attack again, Brett Wilkinson was unlucky to be beaten to the Leinster try line by Ian Madigan following a Frank Murphy kick-through. Johnny O’Connor had a magnificent game at 7 tackling everyone and everything and it wasn’t long before one of his trademark turnovers gave Connacht the platform to launch an attack into the Leinster half that ended with Ray Ofisa sprinting in for his 1st try of the season. O’Connor converted and Connacht were back in the lead with 6 minutes to go in the 1st half. Flavin, Wilkinson and Ofisa continued to disrupt the Leinster rucks and, coupled with some huge hits from McCarthy and Swifty led to open space for Tuohy to finish off a slick backline move. The conversion added left Connacht in a commanding 20 points to 8 lead at half-time.

Isa Necewa scored a penalty 3 minutes into the second half after Connacht failed to deal with the restart and the men in Blue had much of the early possession. The Connacht defence continued to soak up the Leinster attack and after 10 minutes of defence 3 points from the boot of Isa Necewa was all the hosts came away with. Brian Tuohy was unlucky to be brought down just short of the line after a turnover deep inside the Connacht half. Despite Leinster throwing everything at the Connacht line the defence stood firm.

Referee Peter Fitzgibbon made his mark on the game with a number of penalties for both sides, Henry Fa’afili being judged not releasing the ball inside the Leinster half giving Ian Madigan the opportunity to bring the hosts to within 3 points with 20 minutes to go. Shane Layden made his senior debut when he replaced Mark McCrea. The 19 year old was drafted into the squad when Eoin Griffin pulled up with a injury. Luke Fitzgerald crashed over for a try after the Connacht scrum was dismantled 10m out from their own line. Necewa converted to give Leinster a 4 point lead with 15 minutes to go. Connacht tried to pressure the Leinster line but could not break the gain line. On 75 mins, Connacht were penalised for going offside at a lineout and Necewa stretched the home side’s lead to seven. However the killer blow came right at the lastkick of the game when Ian Madigan kicked a drop goal from 40 metres to deny Connacht a loosing bonus point. Disappointing second half from Connacht who now have two weeks to pick themselves up before they welcome Cardiff to the Sportsground. Tickets are on sale now from www.ticketmaster.ie

Connacht:
Matthew Jarvis, Mark McCrea, Gavin Duffy ©, Henry Fa’afili, Brian Tuohy, Niall O’Connor, Frank Murphy, Brett Wilkinson, Adrian Flavin, Dylan Rogers, Michael Swift, Mike McCarthy, John Muldoon, Johnny O’Connor, Ray Ofisa

Replacements:

Ethienne Reynecke, Rodney Ah You, Ronan Loughney, TJ Anderson, Dave Gannon, Paul O’Donohoe, Dave McSharry, Shane Layden.

Leinster:
Isa Necewa, Fionn Carr, Eoin O’Malley, Luke Fitzgerald, Dave Kearney, Ian Madigan, Cillian Willis, Heinke can der Merwe, Richard Strauss, Jamie Hagan, Steven Sykes, Devin Toner, Kevin McLoughlin, Rhys Ruddock ©, Leo Auva’a, Aaron Dundon, Jack McGrath, Nathan White, Damian Browne, Dominic Ryan, John Cooney, Brendan Macken, Darren Hudson.

there were too many changes too early and ultimately that let Leinster off the hook.

OK my tuppeny-worth from the warmth of my couch -

McCrae was carrying an injury from early on, had his foot and ankle heavily strapped. Wilkinson got blown away by the Kiwi prop Leinster brought on at half time, and Murphy was having a very very very poor game defensively. Gannon and Ah You only got a few minutes when we were chasing the game...

However, there was no indication the two half time substitutions and Flavin's substitution were due to injury, and they were hugely premature. Not sure what they were thinking, Ray's substitution especially beggared belief.

In mitigation, we should also remember that Leinster had trouble getting out of their own half in the first half, a couple of great breaks aside, and the conditions looked to worsen in the second. And if Touhy had held on to the ball in contact we'd have cantered home.

That said though, I can't help feeling that if we'd stuck with the same 15 for the first 15 minutes of the second half we'd have got a handful ore points and closed the game out.

And as for O'Connor missing tackles, he was the better of the halfbacks in that regard, he kicked 4 from 5 (and the one he missed was from 55+ metres) and threw the sweetest of passes for Ray's try. Though he did throw the ball at Henry's ankles when we were building pressure in the closing stages

We are allowed to win in Dublin, but to do that we need to score more points than the opposition, we failed.

Hope Eric has someone to dress him down as well.

We had them and we got cocky. With so many first (and second) teamers missing Leinster were there for the taking.

100% agree. tg4 interviewed eric before match and he said there was a bug. feels like we arent aloud to wn in dublin. remember two years ago same thing happened

Romour has it that there was a bug doing the rounds within the squad, if that wwas the case then that may have swayed Eric to make so many early changes. If that is not the case then why was Jarvis taken off at half time ? he was playing well, some of the other changes were as mistifying to say the least.
Eric have a word.