BUNDEE AKI’S FIRST start of the season for Connacht was utterly devastating on last year’s Pro14 finalists Scarlets as they fell to a 33-20 defeat.
The centre set the tone and tempo for the Westerners from the opening minutes with powerful carries through contact. And head coach Andy Friend paid tribute to the way in which the Grand Slam winner then typified the efforts to maintain the collective energy throughout the contest.
“Our theme this week was: ‘unrelenting,’” Friend said post-match, “Bundee was unrelenting in the way he continued to put the opposition under pressure with and without the football. That gives the rest of the boys massive confidence.”
Though Aki wasn’t on the score-sheet himself, his fingerprints were all over the three-try win as he continually offered himself as a willing carrier at effective angles off playmaker Jack Carty.
It’s put to Friend, unshakable from his quiet calm demeanour despite emerging from a raucous Sportsground, that Aki’s presence in the back-line served to raise the performance of all those around him. And it’s tough to argue that he got the best out Carty and Tom Farrell on top of delivering his own 15 carries and two clean line-breaks.
“The other thing is, he puts the fear of god in the opposition. He’s a baller that boy. I reckon their 10 didn’t want to see another sight of Bundee Aki, which is good.”
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Out-half Carty, who must have run Aki very close for the official man of the match award, noted that communication on top of physicality is a vital component of Connacht’s defence when Aki is on board.
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In attack, the Roscommon man ensured his centre’s ability to attract defensive attention was used to create space elsewhere on the field.
“Bundee brings physicality and he’ll draw defenders and open up space on the outside,” says Carty, who kicked seven from seven off the tee during the win.
“He draws defenders and, if you keep playing him in, he’ll open up space later on.”
Through a breathless opening four-minute exchange in which both teams turned over and mounted swift attacks, it appeared as though there would be space aplenty throughout the match ahead. However, Carty’s ability to manage the flow of the contest for his pack – dominant in the set-piece and at the breakdown – tightened the game and squeezed Scarlets back into their own territory for a staggering 74% of the match.
“Jack Carty sitting beside me, his game control was excellent,” Friend said,
“We talked about it after the Zebre game, keeping that ball in front of the forwards. Tonight we did that really well – the amount of times Jack turned them and put them in the corner and we played where we wanted to play.
“Our game control with our nines and 10s, Tiernan (O’Halloran) at the back, they did a great job playing in the right areas.”
With a second win of the season leaving them nestled between Ospreys and Munster in Pro14 Conference A, Connacht are in a good place for the commencement of inter-pro action next week.
“I said to the boys in the shed afterwards: ‘enjoy that,” added Friend.
“You’ve got to enjoy it when you knock off big sides like that. We will enjoy it, we’ll temper that knowing we have Leinster next weekend and that’s our next focus.
“Really proud of the boys, especially the way they held their nerve in the last eight minutes when they came back within six points.
They’re the sort of moments which tell you whether the team’s growing or the team’s stagnant. For me, we grew.
“It’s early doors in the season, but they showed that fortitude to stick with a plan and get the last try.”
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'He puts the fear of god in the opposition,' says Friend after relentless Aki display
Sean Farrell reports from the Sportsground
BUNDEE AKI’S FIRST start of the season for Connacht was utterly devastating on last year’s Pro14 finalists Scarlets as they fell to a 33-20 defeat.
The centre set the tone and tempo for the Westerners from the opening minutes with powerful carries through contact. And head coach Andy Friend paid tribute to the way in which the Grand Slam winner then typified the efforts to maintain the collective energy throughout the contest.
“Our theme this week was: ‘unrelenting,’” Friend said post-match, “Bundee was unrelenting in the way he continued to put the opposition under pressure with and without the football. That gives the rest of the boys massive confidence.”
Though Aki wasn’t on the score-sheet himself, his fingerprints were all over the three-try win as he continually offered himself as a willing carrier at effective angles off playmaker Jack Carty.
It’s put to Friend, unshakable from his quiet calm demeanour despite emerging from a raucous Sportsground, that Aki’s presence in the back-line served to raise the performance of all those around him. And it’s tough to argue that he got the best out Carty and Tom Farrell on top of delivering his own 15 carries and two clean line-breaks.
“The other thing is, he puts the fear of god in the opposition. He’s a baller that boy. I reckon their 10 didn’t want to see another sight of Bundee Aki, which is good.”
Out-half Carty, who must have run Aki very close for the official man of the match award, noted that communication on top of physicality is a vital component of Connacht’s defence when Aki is on board.
In attack, the Roscommon man ensured his centre’s ability to attract defensive attention was used to create space elsewhere on the field.
“Bundee brings physicality and he’ll draw defenders and open up space on the outside,” says Carty, who kicked seven from seven off the tee during the win.
“He draws defenders and, if you keep playing him in, he’ll open up space later on.”
Through a breathless opening four-minute exchange in which both teams turned over and mounted swift attacks, it appeared as though there would be space aplenty throughout the match ahead. However, Carty’s ability to manage the flow of the contest for his pack – dominant in the set-piece and at the breakdown – tightened the game and squeezed Scarlets back into their own territory for a staggering 74% of the match.
“Jack Carty sitting beside me, his game control was excellent,” Friend said,
“We talked about it after the Zebre game, keeping that ball in front of the forwards. Tonight we did that really well – the amount of times Jack turned them and put them in the corner and we played where we wanted to play.
“Our game control with our nines and 10s, Tiernan (O’Halloran) at the back, they did a great job playing in the right areas.”
With a second win of the season leaving them nestled between Ospreys and Munster in Pro14 Conference A, Connacht are in a good place for the commencement of inter-pro action next week.
“I said to the boys in the shed afterwards: ‘enjoy that,” added Friend.
“You’ve got to enjoy it when you knock off big sides like that. We will enjoy it, we’ll temper that knowing we have Leinster next weekend and that’s our next focus.
“Really proud of the boys, especially the way they held their nerve in the last eight minutes when they came back within six points.
“It’s early doors in the season, but they showed that fortitude to stick with a plan and get the last try.”
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