John Fallon reports from Krasnoyarsk
THE CONNACHT PLAYERS and management are expected to finally touch down in Dublin later this evening after a marathon trek back from Siberia.
The team were due back on a charter flight into Shannon at around midnight on Saturday after their 31-14 European Challenge Cup win over Enisei-STM in Krasnoyarsk.
But a problem developed with their French charter aircraft shortly before they were due to board and they had to retrieve their bags and go back to the city centre to a hastily arranged hotel.
At one stage it appeared that it would be Wednesday before they would leave, as the aircraft owners tried to get a replacement part for the aircraft flown in. However, the squad are now returning to Ireland on a variety of scheduled flights.
The group has been split into three — they will travel to Moscow on two separate flights, with the first group leaving their hotel at 4am local time (9pm last night Irish time) and the final group departing three hours later.
In Moscow, the first group will travel to London Heathrow and then on to Dublin. The second group will go via Amsterdam, with those two groups expected in Dublin at about 5.40pm today. The third group will leave Moscow for Paris and will arrive in Dublin at 9.40pm.
Connacht will play Brive in the second round of the Challenge Cup at the Sportsground next Saturday afternoon at 5pm.
Decent first half from Ulster but totally blown away once the respective benches came on. UBB aren’t contenders – their defence is quite porous which will cost them later in the comp. Some good signs with ulster young players
@Michael Corkery: Thay don’t even blink tho, French teams of old (some new) would have given up at half time, they just know they’re going to get a cut, was full sure Ulster had that, great first half from a raft of lads, Timoney, Izzy, Doak. Next weekend going to be a good one tho. That Cooney injury from making him play on the wing is really roosting
@Thesaltyurchin: Ulster are a basket case and have been so for quite a while.
@Richard Ford: Yea but it’s all part of the drama, glorious rugby.
@Thesaltyurchin: Not much drama when a team gets battered AGAIN!!!
@Richard Ford: What do you even mean?
@Michael Corkery: Wasn’t overly impressed with Bordeaux, albeit it was always likely they had another gear. Ulster were well in there for an hour.
@Richard Ford: must you parrot that “basket case” tag – BOD was the first to use it and lost the Ulster fans with it. It’s insulting to all those connected with Ulster rugby.
It is such hard work being an ulster supporter. I try to get excited at the start of every season but it’s been two decades of ‘almost but not quite’ or total pish.
@Paul Wilson: from what I can see of the young players you have, I think ye’ll start being competitive from next season. This season will be a struggle though
@Michael Corkery: I don’t know how many more times I can convince myself. I feel like every 2-3 years I say to myself; this next batch of youngsters look brilliant – then they just don’t quite get there. Same with coaches, “this guy took Glasgow to the title with Townsend. This bloke won the U20s” We get the likes of Bowe, Trimble, Best, Ferris who can perform wonders at club and international level but we can’t put together a team to actually win anything. Even Benetton won the Rainbow cup! We are the eternal bridesmaids of the game. At least with the Dragons or Zebre you know where you are and you don’t need to pretend that you might win the league. Jesus Ulster have had more semi’s than a 4am strip club and with the same gratification – “look here’s the prize, no you can’t touch”.
@Paul Wilson: Ulster’s youngsters have looked poor for ages. It’s only now there are some decent prospects. Still, someone needs to tell DH that he should stay out of prop development.
We need to figure out how to properly fund ulster and Connacht to be competitive at this level. Ulster got blown away by UBBs bench
The ulster lads got tired in the second half. They need more rest. They are being flogged to death, poor chaps.
@JJB: Hilarious. The fact is that Ulster have shed a dozen internationals and not replaced them. Go figure.
@JJB: Come and say hi next Friday night.
@Justin Robinson: if they worked on a consistent 23 they actually might have some chance. But Henderson, Izzy, Heron, played so much rugby in November they needed to be rested for Bordeaux – it worked out very well tonight I thought. Poor lads- so tiring carrying water and sitting on their arses. All this rest, It will make Ulster great again. Meanwhile other team’s big players play the big games.
@JJB: Hope your Munster lads enjoyed their rest yesterday. Shame we won’t see you on Friday.
@Justin Robinson: childisn comment. I used your play matches up there in a different time- the pomposity of the Ulster rugby archetype was very overbearing- way too haughty for my liking. I will stay put next week rather than be reacquainted with the condescension. Indeed that haughtiness is so anochronistic. The only player with any value to Ireland today is the lad from Offaly – an irony in itself. The rest are peripheral and need more rest as they move towards retirement.
@JJB: That’s a shame. You’d be very welcome. Not much pomposity where I stand. Izzy is English but Ireland are going to need to make a bigger number 6 shirt.
@Justin Robinson: A lot of inaccuracies in that last post but there you go …. Keep resting them superstars up there! Loads of cotton wool available if needed so they stay intact. Poor lads …. Such a tough life.
@JJB: Could be said that ‘pomposity’ makes a change from ‘arrogance’ from a certain other province. Your mention of overbearing, condescension and haughtiness makes me think you belong to a Bertie Wooster novel and you’ve never set foot in a rugby club anywhere north of Dundalk.
@Keno: I am not well read like yourself. Never heard of B Wooster- the plebian that I am – so sorry. Regretfully I saw more matches beyond Dundalk that I care to remember – no fond memories to be honest in the round.
Was the referee Italian?
@Brian Kernahan: yes, and a good Referee.