A “massively exciting week” awaits Connacht Rugby when they head into Mayo’s GAA heartland to play the first rugby fixture at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park on Saturday.
Hosting URC opponents Munster in a ground that can accommodate some 26,000 people is a real boost for the province, and particularly for Mayo fans who regularly travel to Galway’s Dexcom Stadium to support their team.
Already a sell-out, the fixture not only breaks new ground, but is also a vital interprovincial in the aspirations of both Connacht and Munster.
Munster will arrive as favourites, currently in sixth position on the URC table. Yet Connacht although in a precarious 12th place, are just three points in arrears in what has become a crowded table, with just four points between fifth placed Cardiff and Pete Wilkins’ side.
Thus, Saturday’s showdown in MacHale Park is a real opportunity for Connacht to play to the best, helped by what will be their biggest home support.
Cullie Tucker will again lead the coaching team in the absence of Wilkins, who is on sick leave, in what the scrum and contact coach describes as a “ huge game for both teams”.
“The race for the top eight is increasing every week. Every team seems to be beating each other, and in all the games at the weekend there was only a score between them.
“There's been fantastic rugby played. I'm sure most teams be looking at shoring up defensively, which will be a massive focus on a lot of teams this week. All teams are capable of beating each other on any given day. So it's making a very exciting URC,” he says.
However, Connacht’s concession of three tries in a matter of minutes is this week’s big focus, he says, “in terms of the top two inches”.
“While some elements of those defensive lapses were disappointing, we feel we've had a good run fixing them already over the last couple of days, and I was very proud of the effort to come back into the game.”
Unavailable are Shayne Bolton who suffered a foot sprain in last weekend’s thrilling, but ultimately disappointing 43-40 loss to Ospreys. Peter Dooley is also ruled out with a calf strain while Sean O’Brien (hamstring ), scrumhalf Ben Murphy (finger ) and winger Byron Ralston (knee ) continue to be sidelined.
However, Tucker will have Connacht internationals Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen, Finlay Bealham and captain Cian Prendergast available for this showdown in Mayo, who he says have already “started playing a huge role this week” .
Aware of the significance of the occasion, Tucker says Connacht will remain “process driven and calm”.
“It's a very special week. We've acknowledged that as a group. We've spoken about it, and about MacHale Park, and there's a lot of excitement with the group about going up there.”
The team will visit the venue tomorrow for the first time “to get a feel of it”, while Mayo football manager Kevin McStay also visited Dexcom yesterday to chat to the players and coaching team.
The bottom line, however, is that Connacht need the victory and while Tucker acknowledges the occasion, it is all about points.
“I think it's a bit of an occasion as well, but we have to be very clear on how we prepare. It's still Munster. They are a fantastic team and we have to build through the week with our processes and practices, and then just enjoy everything when we get there. We're going up there to win the game. That's our approach, and that's going to be our mentality for each game we play for the rest of the year.
“From our point of view, considering the amount of tickets sold, the spread of tickets in the five counties, definitely it will be a home game for us.”
Importantly, he says, Connacht now have an opportunity “to get out amongst the province, get out from the Dexcom, and show a good account of ourselves”.
