EVEN IN DEFEAT, there were a number of positive strands to Connacht’s showing at Thomond Park on Saturday evening, not least their scrum dominance and the performance of a number of individuals.
One of Andy Friend’s main takeaways from the Pro14 inter-pro was his side’s need to turn possession and territory into points, particularly away from the Sportsground, but there was a lot to like about what Connacht’s reconfigured side offered against Munster.
The pack’s superiority over a near first-choice Munster scrum at the set-piece was one pleasing aspect, while Kieran Marmion looked sharp as he bids to displace Caolin Blade in the nine jersey for Saturday’s quarter-final trip to Ulster.
A debut for 21-year-old Conor Dean brought Connacht’s tally of players used this season to 50, the young out-half the seventh academy prospect to make his first senior appearance this term, and Saturday again showed the province’s growing strength-in-depth.
With a number of front-liners wrapped in cotton wool, the trip to Limerick was about three things for Friend — playing with pride, taking opportunities handed to individuals and building on the momentum of four straight Pro14 victories.
A 27-14 loss meant there was initial disappointment in the away dressing room at Thomond Park but Friend and Connacht know they are in a good place heading to Belfast, and into next season.
“You only become a better rugby player by playing better rugby,” the head coach says.
“Too often coaches, we can make a judgement on a player and say he is just not ready yet. How do you know? Give him a chance. What we have done this year, we have given blokes chances. On the whole, they have answered that for us and said we are ready.
“Then what we have got in a squad is we have got a group of players who are pushing each other, stretching each other and getting better. The other big thing for us is we know we are in the Champions Cup next year. We cant just rely on 15 players. We are going to need depth within our squad.
“I honestly feel at the moment we can nearly put out two 15s that are very, very similar. We probably saw that against Munster. We saw some different names on the team-sheet yet they have come here to Thomond Park and are two scores from getting a win. We are building.”
The emergence of Dean is particularly pleasing, not just as a home-grown talent, but with Connacht’s out-half resources stretched after injuries to Craig Ronaldson, Dave Horwitz and Conor Fitzgerald.
Dean, the son of former Ireland international Paul, produced a composed display in the pivot against Munster, showing glimpses of his play-making and decision-making abilities, while kicking excellently from hand in the first half in particular.
“I thought he was good,” Friend continued. “He showed glimpses there. I thought he was, he had a little break at the end of the game there was probably his highlight. He’s calm, he’s pretty calm and collected for a young bloke. Directs the boys well and backs himself with his skill, didn’t shirk any of the defensive stuff, a couple of his kicks certainly in the first half were very good. I was pleased with his performance.
“He has been unflappable all week. He trained really well. Just looking at him he has got the confidence of the players around him because he is so assured of what he wants. He has got a lot of skill. That is the start of what I think is going to be a very promising career.
“With the good work that our academy coaching staff are doing and the identification that is going on there, we have got that depth coming through now which is very important.”
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Brilliant to see lads coming through there own system. Should be a cracker the weekend.
@mrbryanrussell: to be fair, he moved from Leinster about 1 year ago. He’s not exactly from Connacht’s system.
@Leinster: Indeed. I always hold my tongue with that until someone graduates from an academy. The true barometer in my opinion of where a player (in a rugby sense) is from/developed. Up to that point a player’s club (or provincial sub-academy) still holds the most significance.
@Havid Dickey: Some Irish fans are a bit too obsessed with the provenance of players to use as a stick to beat their rivals with. Dean wasn’t wanted by Leinster so he moved to Connacht. If he makes the breakthrough and ends up in the Connacht team then he’s a Connacht player.
He had a nightmare from the tee but a massive learning experience
Thats 7 players Connacht have given a debut to this season, Ulster have given 10. Would be intrested in how Leinster and Munster have done?
@Kingshu: You wouldn’t want numbers of debutants that high EVERY season as it would indicate lots of turnover and/or players being tried and then quickly discarded. (I don’t know what the numbers are for Leinster and Munster but Leinster are well known for introducing lots of young players over the last few years; while for Munster debutants would include signings from elsewhere – Joey, Tadgh, Alby, Arno – which would give you a different view that debuts for academy players
I’d say Connacht are absolutely sickened they backed out of the Reece deal over a simple misdemeoner, now he’s in line to be an All black. Hardly as bad as signing a steroid cheat after a 2 year ban.
@Baz Dunne: Must try harder
@Baz Dunne: I think Connacht and the IRFU were too quick to dismiss Reece, he recieved a discharge without conviction, as a conviction would have ended the Connacht contract and the judge thought that to severe and a conviction would be disproportionate to the offending. The judge even noted ‘An Irish contract would help Reece provide for his family’ and left it open for the mive to Connacht. The IRFU have decided they are better than NZ law and terminated the contact anyway, it leaves it that any Irish player in future that makes a mistake will have to leave Ireland the IRFU cant have it both ways.
@Kingshu: I think it had a lot to do with the hairy metoo feminist rubbish too over Jackson and Olding. The irfu had to be seen to be taking a hard line stance on anything to do with possible criminal activity of any kind, even though he didn’t get convicted. If it hadn’t been for that stuff that happened then I totally believe Reece would have joined Connacht.
@Kevin Ryan: kiss my hole
@Baz Dunne: @Baz Dunne: it means that if a player gets something like a drink driving coviction ( like Wilson did and the IRFU said nothing) they now have to be released from their contact and move over seas, after all an actual conviction is worst than a discharge without conviction. The IRFU have kinda painted themselves into a corner over this and would have been better backing what the court decided.
@Kingshu: He didn’t get a conviction though dud he?
@Baz Dunne: Jackson or Olding were not convicted either. The nature of their alleged offence and Reece’s alleged offence demand a significantly harder line imo and the IRFU are entitled to act accordingly.
@AmbroseHoulihan: @Baz Dunne: Wilson was convicted twice of drink drinking (think first time he was at Saints i think) yet no action from the IRFU. The others were not convicted yet were released from their contacts. Since his was before all this it will be intresting to see what happens when the next Irish player makes a mistake. Being actually convicted of drink driving (where someone could have been killed) is worse than not being convicted of an alleged offence. The IRFU will have to take a harder line on convictions in future unless allegations are worse than actual convictions?
@Kingshu: Fairly sure Ashton and other English players were fined for failing the professional standards of the RFU at RWC 2011, despite the accusations against them being proven false and malicious.
@Baz Dunne: Jesus man. Ya, he didn’t get convicted. But he pleaded guilty to assualting his Mrs. The judge said the only reason he wasn’t being convicted was because he had a Connacht. Again, he openly admitted battering his Mrs. He chased down a street screaming he was going to hurt her. Got her, gave her a box, then slammed her on the ground. Can you not see how people might not be able to look past that?
@Havid Dickey: From reports about court case, “Reece yelled at his partner to “shut up, in much more colourful language than that”, and chased her down the street, dragging her to the ground.” No mention of shouting he was going to hurt her, slamming to ground or giving her a box. While not acceptable, you could as least get things right, or at least not exaggerate them.
@Kingshu: the fact that she was running down the street away from him & he chasing her, kind of gives the impression he was going to hurt her though. Id guess she was scared for a reason unless she’s a very nervous type
@Kingshu: You criticise me for exaggerating (got it verbatum from a NZ site) yet you leave out her black eyes noted in the report.