After an ideal start to their European Champions Cup campaign, Connacht face an altogether tougher task when they travel to the home of current Premiership leaders Leicester Tigers for Sunday's second round fixture.
Big up front, dynamic in the backs, Leicester are firm favourites to win, understandably after disposing of French leaders Bordeaux-Begles by 16-13 in France on opening weekend.
Yet, Connacht are not travelling into the unknown - although for several young players it will be their first foray to Welford Road. Last season's 48-32 loss in the Challenge Cup is hugely informative, and also reassuring. Despite Tigers' decimating maul, Connacht produced many bright moments, but alas, also too many errors on that day. And, their failure to fire sufficient shots inside the 22 was costly.
Since then Connacht have honed their style of play, added steel and speed, and are mentally more resolute. That will be necessary against a side that will try to torment Connacht up front.
"We need to go there believing we can. If we do believe that, we put ourselves in a contest; if we believe we can't, no point turning up. I think mentally we need to have that attitude, and I believe we've got it. This week we are reassuring the players that we have the game plan to cause some issues. Like anything in top level sport, the top two inches is pretty damn important."
Maul offensive
Friend is preparing for a Leicester offensive through their maul, and says it is an area in which his side needs to be better. "We are not naive to know where those threat are coming, we have to be better handling those."
Ultimately, he says, these are the weeks why people play rugby - "Massive occasion, Leicester Tigers unbeaten at home turf, potentially 20,000 people - brilliant. There is a real buzz and energy that they will want to be there.
"Yes, historically we have struggled, but we want to be the first to come out pool stage, we still believe in that, and we are very aware of the challenge ahead of us. It will be a clash of two different styles of rugby and it should be a real contest."
Leicester will certainly test that resolve, but in Friend's Connacht there is a growing confidence, a pep in their step, helped in no small measure by the introduction of youth. The injuries from Sunday's win over Stade Francais are still being monitored. Mack Hansen is still a doubt with a calf injury, but Bundee Aki, however, is "looking likely to be available".
Certainly last weekend's 36-9 victory at the Sportsground has cemented confidence in Connacht's style of attack and committed defence .
Andy Friend's team led 19-9 at the break, before finishing with a flourish and adding another three tries. Stade never crossed the whitewash once - which is a huge commendation of Connacht's defensive effort.
Although the French side's muscle and power troubled Connacht, they had little else in their repertoire, despite the superb skills of fullback Telusa Veainui. Connacht opened the scoring after 11 minutes, through Caolan Blade, while Stade were content to kick their points. It was not until the 27th minute the home side made their domination count - Cian Prendergast secured the line-out and eventually Carty sent the perfect pass to a waiting Porch to touch down for 12-6 lead.The third try came via a penalty to touch, and once again Carty produced a looping pass for a waiting Alex Wootton to score.
The visitors continued to try to bully Connacht off the park, but their only reward was a 47th minute penalty. It was not until the Connacht bench added impetus to the home side's cause that they made the breakthrough. Kieran Marmion provided Eoghan Mastersonon on 69 minutes to bag the bonus point fourth try, and with their tails up Diarmuid Kilgallen and Prendergast added to the try tally.
Connacht: O McNulty, A Wootton, S Bolton, S Arnold, John Porch, J Carty ©, C Blade, M Burke, S Delahunt, D Robertson McCoy, O Dowling, N Murray, C Prendergast, C Oliver, J Butler.Replacements, J Duggan for Burke (25 ), D Heffernan for Delahunt (45 ) and J Aungier for Robertson-McCoy; E Masterson for Dowling (55 ), D Kilgillen for Bolton (61 ), K Marmion for Blade (65 ), C Fitzgerald for Carty and S Masterson for Murray (71 ).
Stade Francais Paris: T Veainu, P Champ, A Arrate, L Barre, L Etien, N Sanchez, J Hall, Q Bethune, T Latu, N Roelofse, M De Giovanni, J Van Der Mescht, M Kremer, C Francoz, T Gray (cpt ). Replacements, P Gabrillagues for Van Der Mescht (46-55 ), L Da Silva for Latu, L Godener for Gray, P Alo Emile for Roelofse (all 60 ), P Gabrillagues for Kremer (62 ), W Percillier for Hall (65 ), A Lapegue for Etien (70 ), G Wolf for Arrate (73 ).
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU ).
