Connacht 16/17

[Rooster]

Bernard Jackman, ROG, Mike Ruddock? Let the speculation on his successor begin.

I'd say Bristol offered big money. Can't blame him, it's a professional sport.

You actually think Jackman or ROG would consider it ?

[Dave]

I think it would be perfect for Doak/Clarke...

[thecrouch]

I think it would be perfect for Doak/Clarke...

I concur.

I'd drive them both over myself.

[Neill_M]

Lam still had 1 year to run on his deal, so I am guessing that Bristol bought out the deal. Big money especially for a team likely to be back in the Championship next year.

Jackman's Grenoble currently sit last in the Top 14, 10 points from safety. There always old EOS...

Aki and Dillane signed new deals, presumably on the basis of Lam staying...might we see the Xavier Rush manoeuvre?

[Russ]

Tuohy then

[jean valjean]

Will Lam leaving increase the likelihood of us getting a decent scrum half? Marmion would be nice but would take either of the other 2.

[scrum5]

Bad For Connacht in my humble opinion, thinking of emailing the bloke who owns Bristol and telling them how wonderful Doak and Clarke are, Doak has turned us into one of the best attacking teams in Europe afterall

[Dave]

*EOS sits up on his chair, inhales deeply and fumbles around looking for his phone.*

[BaggyTrousers]

Bernard Jackman, ROG, Mike Ruddock? Let the speculation on his successor begin.

I'd say Bristol offered big money. Can't blame him, it's a professional sport.

Well you might not but then .............. am I dreaming it or did he not recently bat away talk of his contract saying he planned to stay long term and it was like a labour of love?

Yeah a professional sport but if you are going to chase the money, why come out with bullshite like that a month or two before you sell yourself?

I await the first clown to say, "he owes Connacht nothing".

Disappointed of Bangor.

#NeverTrustAForeigner

[Rooster]

*EOS sits up on his chair, inhales deeply and fumbles around looking for his phone.*

You mean he might come here and send our lot to Connacht

[Russ]

*EOS sits up on his chair, inhales deeply and fumbles around looking for his phone.*

You're wrong. Eddie has the phone in his hand waiting for Toto Wolff to call

[UlsterAreBrill]

Rumour is Lancaster is going to follow him to Bristol

Jackman favourite to replace him

[Dan Dare]

Just bad for the Westies as a whole, even when they win a trophy, straight away they lose Henshaw (Rodders as well) to another province and now the head Coach. Very hard on them to be seen as anything other than the poor relation.

[BaggyTrousers]

Bernard Jackman, ROG, Mike Ruddock? Let the speculation on his successor begin.

I'd say Bristol offered big money. Can't blame him, it's a professional sport.

Well you might not but then .............. am I dreaming it or did he not recently bat away talk of his contract saying he planned to stay long term and it was like a labour of love?

Yeah a professional sport but if you are going to chase the money, why come out with bullshite like that a month or two before you sell yourself?

I await the first clown to say, "he owes Connacht nothing".

Disappointed of Bangor.

#NeverTrustAForeigner

Yes I knew I wasn't dreaming, this is what Pat Lam said just 6 months ago:

"When I arrived, I put out a five-year plan. One of the biggest things was that sense of team. The more that everybody is together and in-sync about that, the better.

"There are a group of guys that I'd like to bring through and I am very excited about what is coming through. When you look at the average age of our team [that age is coming down]. People tell me that we haven't had that many signings. I see that as a good thing.

"We've built a core group and we're now adding to that... there are some good names [of possible signings] but we have to ask ourselves 'Will they make a difference?'"

There had been talk, last season, of a Leinster approach to Lam, and other clubs are taking note of the province's upward swing. Does he see himself seeing out his five-year deal?

"I'm going to," he declares. "I'm down to do at least five. I signed a new deal [recently] and I'm here until June 2018."

"This is why I came to Connacht," he adds. "It wasn't just a job; it was a vision, a plan."

Greedy lying Gatland.

[solidarity]

I suspect he didn't know that Connacht are seen as a development province whose best players get stolen regularly. I guess his intentions were good but, when he saw how the Westies are treated, he decided he'd had enough. Oh and a big dose of cash from the other West Country probably didn't go amiss either.