Connacht, some eight places behind the Sharks need to produce a big performance in Saturday's URC clash at the Sportsground ((5.15pm ).
There are defining matches in every season - those rubicon moments which can determine the future - and although there are still seven rounds remaining, Connacht know time is running out on their bid to secure a top eight finish and Champions Cup qualification.
There are fine margins in this URC table, but in the current top eight, it is all about tries and wins. Connacht boast just four wins and two try bonus points - only Zebre and Scarlets below them have a similar number. And, they do make a difference. Edinburgh, also with four wins, have five more championship points due to losing bonus points.
If Connacht are to take their place in the Champions Cup, every championship point has now become vital - particularly the winning one.
However, head coach Pete Wilkins says Connacht is not in panic mode, despite their recent 41-12 loss to Leinster.
“There's no panic stations. We were disappointed with the result. We're disappointed not to be in the top eight at the moment, but it doesn't feel like it's panic stations, or any reason to try to do something different. We just have to keep working hard and keep getting better," he says.
“We've had a few moments like that over the last five or six years, and I think that's what makes this place special. Whether it's as a team or as an organisation, through those tough times guys don't stop fighting - that inner belief in terms of what they can do to make a difference positively for the team or for the club.”
As a result he believes Connacht will be “there or there abouts come the end of the year”.
“I think there's still a real quiet confidence around the place, but ultimately all that matters is we get out there against the Sharks and we show fight, and if we do that, then you know the cliche - the result will look after itself.”
The return of several key players is a timely boost. Internationals Finlay Bealham, Mack Hansen and Bundee Aki, in addition to Josh Murphy are fit and available for Saturday’s visit of Cell C Sharks who arrive in Galway in a comfortable fifth position on the table.
And without David Hawkshaw (ankle ), Jarrad Butler (finger ) Adam Byrne (calf ) and Matthew Burke (neck ), head coach Pete Wilkins accepts this is another of the season’s “must-wins games”.
“We’ve had a lot of must-win stages in our season to date, and I think this week is another one,” he says. “We've toured South Africa and we've come out the other side, and we're in touch with the top eight, so how others decipher that is up to them. But, certainly for us, we're confident we can get result this weekend, we're confident that will propel us at the table, and we're still aiming to be in that top eight come the end of the season.”
On the back of a 41-12 loss to Leinster, Wilkins, now in his sixth season, says there have been gains in every season, and Connacht “were really good value for the first 60 minutes” at the RDS.
Eliminating errors is one major improvement needed, but Wilkins is hoping Connacht’s weather might detract from the Shark’s fleet-footed players on the Sportsground’s new fast surface, saying the ground, conditions and the Connacht Clan do make a difference.
“I think the wind and the rain will still be there, regardless of the surface. So how much they enjoy that, I don't know. The setup here is different to what a lot of other teams are used to, particularly those from overseas,” he says.
“We relish playing in those conditions. We relish playing here in front of our fans. So that is a weapon for us, but also we've got to align that with what we do on the field and we've got to apply the pressure and take them out of their comfort zone in the rugby sense as well. So hopefully if we can get the best of both worlds, then we'll be in for really good performance."
Women's Interpro
Connacht Women return to action in the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship when they face Leinster on Saturday at Energia Park (2.30pm ).
Head Coach Lyndon Jones has named a 37-player squad for the championship, which will be Connacht's first competitive game in 15 months.
The squad includes young players from the Women’s Emerging Talent programme, but Jones will be key players in Aoibheann Reilly and Rhiann Heery through injury, and Beibhinn Parsons and Anna McGann who are on the IRFU Sevens programme.
CONNACHT RUGBY WOMEN: Forwards, Katelyn Bourke, Lily Brady, Grace Browne-Moran, Dearbhla Canty, Hannah Coen, Emma Fabby, Laura Feely, Orla Fenton, Emily Gavin, Stacy Hanley, Maria Kelleher, Jessica Loftus, Eva McCormack, Sonia McDermott, Elizabeth McNicholas, Lisa-Marie Murphy, Niamh O’Grady, Grainne O’Loughlin, Alana Roche, Fiona Scally, Mollie Starr, Karly Tierney. Backs Clara Barrett, Finola Collins, Mairead Coyne, Meabh Deely, Orla Dixon, Nicole Fowley, Maria Gorhamm], Olivia Haverty, Mary Healy, Laoise McGonagle, Eabha Nic Dhonnacha, Sarah O’Connell, Ava Ryder, Shannon Touhey, Kayla Waldron.
