Connacht head to Italy this weekend hoping to shake off the blues from their opening day loss to Stormers at Dexcom Stadium.
There was little joy in the 15-29 scoreline conceded to the South Africans, but Connacht’s line-out and maul coach John Muldoon says the squad will be boosted this week with a number of internationals available, which could include Finlay Bealham, Cian Prendergast, Sean Jansen, Sam Illo and Billy Bohan.
“Glad to say we'll have a few of the internationals back,” he says.
“They've been training well, champing at the bit for the last couple of weeks, and it's great to have them back into the squad. Obviously they're going to add a lot to us,” Muldoon says.
“So, some of them some will come back in and start, and some will will start off the bench.”
The internationals will be a huge boost against a Benetton team that drew with Dragons 19-19 last weekend. The Italian outfit, known for its physicality, can make life difficult for visitors to the Veneto.
“Basically, we're playing the Italy team. So yeah, it's the breakdown, scrum, maul,” says Muldoon. “It's an international match without the jersey, really. So we have to be ready for that. We've got to take a big step forward again this week.”
So, no time for “licking wounds”, Muldoon says. “We need to jump forward, and the best thing about pro sport is you’ve got to get over it very quickly.”
Although the Italian team finished in 13th place last season, their renowned physicality and strong scrummaging can cause issues for visiting teams.
“The breakdown is huge for them. They come hard, and they also have a lot of outside backs that love getting into breakdowns and love counter-rucking out wide. So, breakdowns are going to be massive for us.”
Turnovers
However, Muldoon says Connacht also need to be more proficient in high-ball situations.
“In the modern game you have to win high balls. They don't kick the ball off the pitch an awful lot, so we've got to make sure we contest those aerial contests, and we win some of those scraps on the floor.”
“We need to make sure we bring up those parts of our games and our shape quality. Looking after the ball is a key priority for us.”
Connacht should be too strong for the Italian side. But at home, and now under Kiwi Wayne Pivac, who is the former Wales coach, Connacht will need to be on their toes, be prepared for physical battle, and deliver through clean execution.
“We had 15 turnovers at the weekend, so we've got to be better there,” says John Muldoon. “They got a bit of dominance around the scrum, which gave them field position, which gave them territory, which gave them attack, and put us under pressure. So, if we look after the ball better, I think we'll get some better outcomes.”
Connacht cannot take Benetton for granted. They possess quality players - outhalf Jacob Umaga scored 96 URC points and 182 across all competitions last season. Add in Louis Lynagh, Ignacio Mendy, Rhyno Smith, Matt Gallagher, Paolo Odogwu and Leonardo Marin, who all can deliver in attack.
And while their away record is poor, Pivac will have his team primed to ensure they utilise home advantage to the fullest.
