NEW CONNACHT COACH Kieran Keane is set to arrive in the Sportsground earlier than anticipated in a bid to prevent a repeat of the disjointed preseason campaign which undermined the province’s defence of the Pro12 crown last year.
Keane, who is assistant coach with the Waikato Chiefs, may not set up in Galway on a permanent basis until August, but is coming to the Sportsground for a week this month to get their preparations up and running.
An arrangement has been put in place for Keane to take a break from his duties with the Chiefs during the upcoming interval in the Super Rugby schedule to travel from New Zealand to oversee Connacht’s preparations.
The Chiefs face the Hurricanes next weekend with only the visit of the Lions on 20 June to play in the five-week gap before their final regular season match against the Brumbies.
The 63-year old will spend just over a week in Galway at the end of this month, sorting out Connacht’s preseason campaign and meeting most of the players for the first time. Keane will then return to New Zealand and see out his contract with the Chiefs, which will run to late July or, given how well they are doing, quite possible into August.
Keane is in regular contact with the western province from New Zealand but his arrival in Galway at the end of this month will be well received amid fears that another poor preseason would again undermine their campaign.
Connacht ended up playing just one pre-season game last summer — a workout against Montpellier in France on August 11 — and were clearly under-cooked three weeks on when they opened the defence of their Pro12 crown at the Sportsground and were hammered 41-5 by Glasgow.
A week later Ospreys came to Galway and inflicted a 32-11 drubbing, with the then reigning champions suffering a 17-8 loss away to eventual winners Scarlets.
Connacht finally won a match when they defeated Edinburgh 28-15 at the end of September but never really recovered, finishing eighth in the Pro12 and missing out on Champions Cup rugby for the new season.
A pre-season clash with Pat Lam’s Bristol is pencilled in for August 26 at the Sportsground, with Connacht expected to play at least two other warm-up games prior to that. The return to Galway will conclude Lam’s pre-season with his new club, relegated Bristol having also arranged home warm-up ties with Harlequins, Bath and Pro12 champions Scarlets.
Forwards coach Jimmy Duffy is the only survivor is on the Connacht coaching team, with academy manager Nigel Carolan stepping up as backs coach and ex-Edinburgh and Queensland Reds defence coach Peter Wilkins also coming on board.
Connacht also need to appoint a new head of fitness after Paul Bunce opted to move to Bristol with Lam, a journey which former winger and backs coach Conor McPhillips is also undertaking.
But the earlier arrival of Keane, even if just for a week, will be a big boost to Connacht, with several new signings also expected to be completed ahead of the new season.
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It’s a sign of the times we live in .
That person with the sign should be arrested for assault
@thomas walsh: Assault?
@Thomas O’ Donnell: they hit the rider with a sign causing injuries. That’s assault
@thomas walsh: bit dramatic. From the footage I saw, woman holding sign (stagnant and made of cardboard) and looking the opposite direction, into which the rider cycled.
@Kevin Norris: she was at a bike race and caused a crash…because of her being a spanner…fair play to tour of france..people should be accounable for their actions….
@Kevin Norris: you left out the bit where she was on the road and the only path for the rider was straight ahead.
@Kevin Norris: she was completely reckless and only thinking of herself. People were injured because of her selfishness. She should pay the price
@Kevin Bury: i was commenting on whether I would describe it as assault or not.
@Dave O Keeffe: again – assault?
@thomas walsh: again – assault?
@Kevin Bury: don’t know much about French law but what could charge her with?
Assault Battery Negligence or what?
@Kevin Bury: don’t know much about French law but what could you charge her with?
Assault Battery Negligence or what?
@Kevin Norris: yes assault here in irelamd anyway
a person shall be guilty of the offence of assault who, without lawful excuse, intentionally or recklessly—
(a) directly or indirectly applies force to or causes an impact on the body of another, or
Reckless would cover it
@Kevin Norris: yes did I stutter? Assault. Where people not injured? Did she cause these injuries? That my friend is assault
@thomas walsh: sorry but the video is quite clear. She was standing on the road and the cyclist crashed into her? Cyclist should have avoided her
@seanieP: sure that’s so ambiguous it could mean that the woman involved could sue the cyclist, standing on a public road, if they want to sue then the roads should be closed to the public.
@guineon: ah come on now. There was a race she was well aware of happening and shouldn’t be in the road. It’s her recklessness.
Would you apply the same logic if someone popped out in front of usain bolt with a sign on the track mid pelt and he ran into them. Bolts fault I guess….. he should have just hurdled her.
@Mark Sheehan: what’s ambiguous? The definition of assault?
Was the the cause of impact intentional or reckless by the cyclist ? I never made comment on whether someone should be sued. I chimed in over a debate on assault.
@Mark Sheehan: also do all public roads need to be physically closed off to pedestrians.
Regardless of a race or not should people be standing in them wether or not they are ‘public’? The m50 is a public road sure go stand on that with a sign. Might try and sue the motorist if survive.
@thomas walsh: typical social media two babies having a fight lol
@guineon: how, the only path he could take was straight ahead as seen by the fact that when he went a few inches to the left he collided with other cyclists. Other cyclists that were meant to be there i might add.
Sue her for the millions she has…..some chance
Whatever the sign said it should be tattooed on her forehead
@Anthony Doyle: it’s says “Go Grandma and Grandpa”