AS HE CONSIDERED the need to bring in fresh talent to bolster a decimated squad, Andy Friend underlined his wish to fill out the playing group with talent reared west of the Shannon.
Yet while a necessary wait for long-term goals come to fruition so often there comes a need to order in some ready-made sustenance.
With an injury count billowing way into double figure, Friend says he has been working with a senior squad of just 26 for the trilogy of Christmas inter-pros.
Meeting Leinster who fielded their 44th player – including ex-Connacht players Cian Kelleher and Robbie Henshaw plus Mayo-born Caelan Doris – in the same period, they were never likely to hold back the tide.
Connacht already have players from all four provinces in their ranks. And, be it in-season or off, Leinster have supplied reinforcements the western way many times before. Saturday’s starters Paul Boyle, Niyi Adeolokun, Tom Daly and Gavin Thornbury are among the many to seek out their opportunity west of the Shannon rather than their native east.
Friend will need more to follow to build his side back up to speed and peak confidence before they return to Pro14 duty in February.
“We’ve got (Munster native) Pete McCabe in who has been with us previously but shy of that it has been a bit tricky. It is hard getting players, it is hard and that is why we have delved into our academy – and they produced some good rugby out there tonight and I’m pleased for them.”
The Australian, sitting in the RDS after a 54-7 drubbing, added: “Where are the majority of the rugby-playing population? It’s up here. And there are some very good footballers up here.
“From a Connacht point of view we want home-grown players, we really do. But at the same time, we’re realistic and we know we don’t have the depth that is up here. So if we can get a sprinkling of other players who want to play some football in the Pro14 and Europe, the more that is sort of spread the better it is.”
Three successive inter-pro losses on the trot have nudged Connacht right down the form guide, with the miraculous last-gasp turnaround against Gloucester their only win in five matches. Next up, they host one of the best teams in Europe when Toulouse head for the Sportsground on Saturday. On paper, you might be concerned that matters could get very ugly in front of a packed house.
“I’m not because we have a lot of fight and character in the group,” says Friend.
“It’s a fine balance because we have to be realistic about the performance we put out there, but be realistic abut us building and being challenged by tough European games and really strong inter-provincial games.
Leinster, Ulster and Munster are very good football sides and I’d suggest Ulster and Leinster are probably the pick of the teams in the Pro14 at the moment. We want to be up there with them, but the performance there tonight says we have a bit of work to do.”
“I’ll always tell you we can win. What will determine that is the opening 15 or 20 minutes. If we deliver an opening 15 or 20 minutes like tonight, we haven’t got a snowball’s chance.
“Let’s hope we don’t see that again this year. They have to come to us, the French travelling team, we know if we kick loosely or don’t make our tackles, they are going to hurt us.
“But if we can front up and do some of the things we have done in other games this season, we have a dead-set chance.”
Tom Daly is the only player of the 4 mentioned to sign from Leinster. Thornbury was in New Zealand for a year after leaving the academy, Niyi was with UCD or Trinity. Think Boyle was in Connacht academy
@Paul Brennan: Quinn roux
@Paul Brennan: they all came through the Leinster underage system though, that’s all he’s saying. The underage structure is massive in Leinster, between schools and clubs. In Connacht our lads double up between schools and clubs, in Leinster for all of the stronger schools they bar kids playing Club Rugby (even CBC Monkstown used to do it back in the 80′s). So even if they had the same number of schools and Clubs as Conancht, there’d be more players…
Connacht can’t be expected to compete when 1/2 the squad is injured/ unavailable – this wouldn’t be tolerated at any other province
I decent loan system would be a good idea. Players could move for 3 to 4 months and go back to their home teams if they wanted.
@Chris Mc: That could be a good idea – gives lads a chance to try it out and see what they think. There are players at all levels who might be scared of a move but might be happy with it if they gave it a shot. Would a centralised academy be a crazy idea – as a supplement to the provincial ones? Then players from there are farmed out as needed.
While I agree with Andy Friend in promoting home based players, I would do it when confidence is high in a squad and not while your decimated by injuries. Forces to draft in academy players like the young lad Murray had him completely lost at sea at this level.
Connacht might have to bring in some senior players from outside until their injury situation improves or face a long hard season.
@Aidan Prior: don’t think he was lost at sea at all, a very good player. But underpowered, at 20 he’s built like a back rather than a second row. Two years time he should have the necessary bulk on board, and matured physically.
He had a huge tackle count on Saturday, 28 with three missed (he got fended in one, this is where his missing physicality is shown. The James Ryan’s of this world are freaks, I don’t see Murray getting to that level, but the nuts and bolts of his game are very good.
Its apity we blew so much koney on Mils Muliaina a few years back, Connacht could do with a solid veteran import to bolster the squad
We have to face facts and admit that we are simply not good enough to be competing with the leinsters / ulsters and munsters of this world. We have no strength in depth and when we are missing a few key players we just fall apart. Last two matches have been embarrassing as the players appear to have totally lost confidence in themselves and the structures they have. God help us on saturday against toulouse, we just dont have the players or squad to be competing in both champions cup and pro 14. While it is great to be in the champions cup when u missing half of your first 15 it is lambs to the slaughter unfortunately. How that team are going to recover from the leinster and ulster matches and then facing toulouse of all teams, i dont know.
@Henry Madden: id actually be very confident for sat. We were unlucky out in toulouse not to come away with a losing bonus point. Connacht will have beahlem, mccarthy, dillane, butler, carty, aki, ohalloran and maybe a few others back for sat.
@Henry Madden: Did a good job of competing the last few seasons, one bad month doesn’t negate all the good work done over the previous 5 years. What’s done for Connacht this season is the 13 matches on consecutive weekends since the World Cup. They really need to get to the two week break and recuperate. Luckily for the club/unluckily for the players involved not many of them will be involved in the 6 nations this season. What’s done for them is not bringing in more senior pros in the summer after qualifying for the champions cup and knowing you would be facing into 13 consecutive weeks of rugby through the Autumn and Winter. What’s done for them is yet again having another “unprecedented” run of injuries. It’s not “unprecedented” if it happens every season. Stating the obvious rugby is a tough physical sport, but as ever Connacht have had quite a few non-match/non-contact injuries to contend with. Perhaps when/if their facilities get upgraded they will be on a better footing from a S&C point of view, but I guess that remains to be seen.
@Darragh Murray: agree we always seem to have a high injury count and that has to be looked at from within. Also the lack of sigings last summer with respect to players whom left was always going to cause us issue. We have a squad of 36 the smallest of any season before to best of my knowledge.
Who ever made the decision not to follow through with the signing of Sevu Reeve should be removed from the board of Connacht Rugby. Everyone has their own personal and family issues. If he’s good enough for the All Blacks he’s good enough for Connacht Rugby.
@Ray Ridge: you think the IRFU would have allowed him to be signed after they had cut Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding loose? Snowball’s chance in hell.
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