Connacht can take another important step up the URC ladder if they secure a victory over Ulster on Saturday in Kingspan Stadium (8pm ).
After delivering a 23-24 win against Scarlets in Wales last weekend, Connacht now boast 11 points from three fixtures, and sit fourth in the table,
With Pete Wilkins in his second year as head coach, and the acquisition of some key players such as New Zealander outhalf Josh Ioane and Australian back Piers O’Connor, Connacht have enjoyed one of the best starts to the season.
“I don't think we would have won that game last season,” says Wilkins of last Saturday’s win in Llanelli.
“The spirit and identity we're trying to build in order to drive the intensity that we needed to stay in the fight was important, although we didn't have the accuracy at times. And also I'm not sure the team last year would have scored enough points to be in a position to win - three first-half tries were incredibly important for us.”
For that Wilkins heaped praise on local star, Corinthians’ Cathal Forde, who at 23-years-old, has already made 33 appearances, while scoring his first try in January last year against the Sharks. And this season, he continues to impress with his carrying, ability to beat defenders, his tackling, and now his kicking ability - securing the win against Scarlets with the last kick of the match.
“Cathal Forde deserves a huge amount of credit for the way he slotted the final kick, but those three first-half tries were obviously very, very important to us as well. That was significant in our development, and for it to come so quickly on the back of the Shark's performance, where we're able to turn around a big deficit at half-time, you know that reassures me we're moving in the right direction. “
Academy
Wilkins is “hugely impressed” with Forde, who is product of the Connacht Academy.
“What he's shown over these appearances so far this season is, not only can he bring his talents to the fore as an inside centre, but there's a confidence and assuredness about the way he's approached that role of outhalf as well,” he says.
“The direction he's given the team, and his ability to vary his game has been really impressive. So each game, each chance he gets, he's getting better. And I was just delighted for him to have nailed that kick, because it wasn't just the execution of it, but to have the mental strength to say, ‘yep’, firstly, ‘I want to take it ‘and then secondly to line up and slot it. I thought that was mighty impressive. So, you know, as a homegrown boy, we're really proud of Forde, and I think there's more things to come from him.”
With Galwegians’ Hugh Gavin and Buccaneers’ Matthew Devine also having come through the Academy, coupled with new recruits Joshua Ioane and Ben Murphy, Wilkins believes Connacht is building an important blend of players at the Sportsground.
And this week the Connacht head coach will welcome the return of several key players ahead of Connacht’s showdown with Ulster in Belfast on Saturday.
Ioane is good to go, having completed HIA protocols following the win over Scarlets, and he is joined on the return-to-play list by experienced lock Joe Joyce who has recovered from a neck injury. Others to come into selection consideration are prop Jordan Duggan, having recovered from an ankle injury, and backrow Cian Prendergast, who completes his HIA protocols. Still unavailable are Shamus Hurling Langton with a shoulder injury, Sam Illo and JJ Hanrahan.
On the back of a hard-fought victory over Scarlets and Hollywoodbets Sharks, head coach Pete Wilkins says it has shown Connacht have learned how to eke out a win, but the “feet are firmly on the ground”, knowing Kingspan Stadium will pose tougher obstacles.
“We have to fight for everything, and these last two weeks have shown that we can turn it around when we're significantly behind on the scoreboard. It's not ideal, but at the same time, we rarely get ideal, and not many teams do. I think the consistency of character that's enabled us to achieve that has been a really pleasing thing.
“As delighted as we were with the result [against Scarlets], we were disappointed with the performance overall, and that's probably timely as well, because we're going up to Ulster, not taking anything for granted and knowing that all departments of our game needs to be better if we're going to get the points up there.”
Connacht arrive in Ravenhill in an unusual position - fourth on the URC table with 11 points, while Ulster currently sit in 13th with five points, but Wilkins believes Ulster’s 47-21 loss to the Bulls will not be relevant on Saturday.
Belief
“We've got belief coming into this game. We've got a degree of form. I'm not sure Ulster's performances in South Africa will worry them too much. I reckon they probably picked that side to face the Bulls with that in mind.
“The other side of it, there were some important players who either weren't playing or were coming off the bench or were subbed early. When you hear Richie Murphy's comments afterwards, they weren't too disappointed with that result, but I think they were probably looking at it with us in mind.
With games against Ulster typically tight in recent times, Wilkins knows it will be “hotly contested”.
“They'll have at least some degree of energy preserved from that [game in South Africa], and to get back in front of their home fans, they'll be determined to get off to a good start and try to get the crowd in the game as well.”
“So that's not ideal, but at the same time, we rarely get ideal, and not many teams do. I think the consistency of character that's enabled us to achieve that has been a really pleasing thing.”
However, greater accuracy is required if Connacht are to continue their ascent of the table.
“If we are more accurate in those situations - the maul and in the 22 - they're both things we'll be working hard on, because we know both will be crucial in Belfast.”
However, with one of the best starts to a season, Connacht head to Ravenhill in good shape, with Wilkins believing his side now is different from those in the past.
“The similarity is we got off to a decent start, but I think we won't draw on the one game as much as about what are we seeing rugby wise, what are we seeing spirit wise and identity wise. It's not that long ago that we're pretty dissatisfied with a few of our performances, and it's also not that long ago we got off to a decent start and then faded out as the season went.”
Connacht v Scarlets XV: S Cordero, M Hansen, C Forde, B Aki, P O’Connor, j Carty, B Murphy, D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham, N Murray, D O’Connor, J Murphy, C Prendergast, C Oliver.
Replacements, P Boyle for Prendergast( 32 ), D Tierney Martin for Heffernan (52 ), P Dooley for Buckley (52 ), S Bolton for Carty (54 ),Temi Lasisi for Bealham (63 ), O Dowling for Murray (57 ), C Blade for Murphy (54 ), D Hawkshaw for Cordero (63 ).
