On the back of a hugely successful European campaign, Connacht can return to the United Rugby Championship in confident mood when they take on Glasgow Warriors in the Sportsground on Saturday (2.55pm ).
This is a real opportunity to continue their development in the Andy Friend era, having taken valuable steps forward during the Heineken Champions Cup campaign.
There is disappointment they could not nail a win against Stade Francais in Paris last weekend, but it does not overshadow their success in becoming the first Connacht team to progress to the knock-out stage on the biggest European rugby stage.
Not only that, but of the 16 teams which have advanced, only the four Irish provinces from the PRO14 can claim that achievement. Connacht, who now face Leinster home and away, Munster and Ulster now represent the PRO14 in this tournament; Bristol Bears, Sale Sharks, Harlequins, Exeter, Leicester Tigers represent the English premiership; Racing 92, Stade Francais, Montpellier, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Clermont fly the French flag.
It is an achievement that must be acknowledged, heralded, and embraced, but the development must continue. Connacht senior coach Pete Wilkins describes Connacht as now “moving to its next developmental stage” following those two near-wins on the European stage, starting with a win against the visiting Glasgow Warriors.
“It is important because it demonstrates the next stage - the challenge now of putting ourselves in a good position and seeing that home.
“In my first few seasons we were probably a team that came alive when there were lower expectations, either when games were already lost, or perhaps in the interpros when we were not given too much of a chance.
“But in the last couple of weeks we have moved into a different stage. From the get-go we are taking the game to other teams and looking to impose our identity in terms of attack and defence. We don’t want to be at that stage for long. You have to learn the lessons, apply them, and make sure we then get to the point where we are the team that sets the pace, imposes ourselves on opposition, and gets the job done.”
Buckley back
The challenge now, he says, is after putting themselves in positions to win, they need to “see that home.”
The first test is the visit on Saturday of Glasgow's assistant coach Nigel Carolan - the former Galwegian and Connacht player and coach. Good news is there is some reinforcements for the front row with prop Tietie Tuimauiga available, and also the hugely experienced Denis Buckley after his nine month recovery from a cruciate injury.
It is a timely boost for the 31-year-old Connacht player after Andy Friend’s side was forced to take on Stade Francais in the Heineken Champions Cup last weekend with six props unavailable.
“A massive boost, “ says senior coach Pete Wilkins. "We were stretched on the weekend, but we managed to get 23 out there and get the game played which was important for all sorts of reasons, but we will have some reinforcements this week.
While criticism has been levelled at Connacht for their failure to see out games when in the ascendency, Wilkins says mistakes were compounded.
“We showed an enormous amount of confidence, self belief and the ability to put ourselves in that position and we did that with those guys who were available there and then, but six errors were punished.
“Of those six errors in contact, five of those resulted directly in scrum penalties and one of those became a maul penalty. We lost three of our four props from that Leicester game and another two during the week, so that would put a strain on anyone’s resources."
Stade at home was always going to be a tough ask for Connacht, but with six enforced changes to Friend’s starting XV, a win was always going to more challenging. No Bundee Aki, no Kieran Marmion, six props down. No Andy Friend either - the Connacht boss unable to travel due to being a close contact with a person with Covid.
However, wing Alex Wootton ensured the perfect start - securing a cross field kick from Sam Arnold to touch down, while Caolin Blade was denied a second try for an early crossing infringement.
But in the see-saw nature of this game, Connacht were kept on their toes as the home side and Stade outhalf Nicolas Sanchez put their first points on the board after 17 minutes. During a period in which their forwards took control, left wing and man of the match Adrien Lepegue broke through for a try, converted by Sanchez.
After Carty drew the sides level, Stade's pack again delivered the platform, but was denied by TMO evidence of a shoulder clear-out on Shane Delahunt. It helped Connacht to finish the half with a 17-10 lead after Blade crossed and Carty converted following a purposeful maul. set up by Oisin Dowling.
Stade were quick off the blocks after the restart with Sanchez breaking through two props to allow New Zealand centre Ngani Laumape to cross in the corner, but as Connacht ramped up their line speed and Tolu Latu was red carded after a second yellow for backchat to the referee, a Tom Farrell try and Carty conversion made it 15-24.
The French outfit, needing the win to qualify, took advantage of some porous Connacht tackling to reduce the deficit to 20-24 through Hamdaoui before the hardworking Jarrad Butler added Connacht’s fourth, extending the lead to 20-31 with Carty’s conversion.
It should have been enough to see out the game, but when Conor Oliver was yellow carded for persistent infringements, Stade capitalised. A Chapuis try converted by replacement Joris Segonds narrowed the gap to 27-31, and when their pack again provided the platform, Lapegue once again finished off. A deserved win for the French outfit and a gallant effort for an injury-hit Connacht.
Stade Francais: K Hamdaoui, T Veainu, K Laumape, L Barre, A Lepegue, N Sanchez, W Percillier C Castets, T Latu P Alo Emile, M De Giovanni, P Gabrillagues, C Francoz, R Chapuis,T Gray (cap ). Replacements, J Hall for Percillier (41m ),L Da Silva for Gray (43m for yellow card ), M Alo Emile for Castest (50m ), N Roelofse for P Alo-Emile ( 59m ), J Van der Mescht for Gabrillagues (59m ), M Kremer for Gray (59m ), J Hall for Percillier (41m ), J Segonds for Hamdoui (9 mins, HIA ), P Champ for Hamdoui (66m ).
Connacht: T O'Halloran, A Wootton, T Farrell, S Arnold, M Hansen, J Carty (cpt ), C Blade J Duggan, S Delahunt, G McGrath, O Dowling, N Murray, C Prendergast, C Oliver, J Butler. Replacements, D Heffernan for Delahunt ( 50m ), S Illo for McGrath (75 m ), L Fifita for Dowling (63m ), P Boyle for Prendergast (66m ), C Reilly for Blade ( 71m ), C Fitzgerald for Carty (79m ), D Kilgallen for O’Halloran (75m ).
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU ).
