Ian Madigan

some not so good days there with Bristol that was a good rivalry because you would have played them when they were in their pomp Exeter like under Baxter when they were really like the double winners probably and they were they were a serious team then yeah like they were so good sure we had to change the rules remember the latching they'd go 40 50 60 phases and make a yard a carry and eventually get over your line that was dire to watch to be fair Sam Simmons I think he scored like he has some outrageous try record for Exeter

Yeah, but even, I always find the early kickoff, like I think, what is it, like 12, 30?

Half 12, yeah.

Half 12 kickoff.

I always find that that favours the home team.

You know, you've a bit of travel in you, you're sleeping in a hotel and versus the, you know, the home team that they'll probably get, like Baxter's sharp, like you'll have them in the stadium really early.

They'll, you know,

Yeah, look, I was critical of Connacht earlier in the season, but even at that point, I was impressed with how they were improving, the quality of their skills, how they were resourcing the breakdown.

The main area that I was being critical of them was they were going too high into the phase count.

They were tiring themselves out.

The low point probably came against Leinster in the Aviva where

they just ran themselves into the ground and Leinster picked them off and that game really got away from them in the end.

But they're just playing with a lovely kind of set structure.

They run a really nice shape, which has lots of deception and lots of options.

It really challenges defences.

And they've turned into a team that's really hard to beat.

They fill the field well defensively.

They get off the line.

They compete really well at the breakdown.

like consistently they're always in poaching which means that you know the attacking team often have to pile players in it's slow ball they get a bit frustrated the new stadium's been great like it's definitely energising it's brilliant oh they look so good on TV I can't wait to just go I actually just want to go up there and go to a game as a fan like I'm just sitting to stand like it looks great on TV