Connacht open their home season on Saturday evening against English visitors Wasps at the Galway Sportsground, and for the first time supporters will get a peak at this new-look side under coach Pat Lam.
Like Castres in the opening pre-season friendly last weekend in France, Wasps will certainly be a good test for the home side and supporters can expect to see a Connacht outfit that is working towards a successful start to the RaboDirect Pro 12 which opens on September 7 against Zebre.
“The biggest thing for supporters is that they will see we are trying to play as a team,” says coach Pat Lam. “We have done a lot of work and they will see a lot of energy.”
Last weekend that work rate ensured Connacht ran in five tries against the French champions with scrumhalves Paul O’Donoghoe and Kieron Marmion, wing Matt Healy (2 ), and John Muldoon grabbing tries.
However Lam believes Connacht should have won the game had his side been more clinical.
“We blew opportunities to win the game. We scored five, but I counted four that we missed and we need to have that ruthless edge to nail those.
“However I am happy where we are at. We had objectives going to France - team building was the main one, the chance to build relations, and have an opportunity to play a game, so all-in-all it was very successful, but we certainly have a lot to work on.”
Once again Lam will use most of his squad for Saturday’s friendly. Scrumhalf Frank Murphy is available for selection after a lengthy injury break, and that is good news for the club. Supporters will have their first opportunity to see Fionn Carr back in the green of Connacht, alongside a host of new recruits. However Michael Swift is still a week away from being fully fit, while Mick Kearney has been ruled out following a head knock. Still unavailable are the long term injured Dave McSharry and Kyle Tonetti, while Robbie Henshaw, who is on the Irish management programme, will not be available till the season’s start. New recruit Craig Clarke will be watching from the stands, having arrived in the city today.
Lam’s philosphy is an all-inclusive squad of players who work for each other, and he insists that results will come with the confidence all players have in each other.
“When you play the French champions or Wasps, we don’t have the same budget or international players, but what we do have is a squad that needs to play for each other, and understanding we can only compete if we play as a team. We cannot rely on anybody, but we have to rely on everybody.
“I am not worried about pre-season results - confidence comes from relationships, connections and the structures. Last weekend we scored five tries, and put them under pressure, but the moment the guys lost structure, they missed opportunities. So that is where the confidence is coming from - playing as a team.”
