PAT LAM HAS a back-line injury crisis on his hands as Connacht put their Champions Cup quarter-final hopes on the line against Wasps at the Sportsground next Saturday.
Confirmation that Marnitz Boshoff is out for three months has compounded the situation at out-half with Jack Carty the only recognised number 10 left standing.
Craig Ronaldson is sidelined until mid-January with a thigh injury while Shane O’Leary, who came off the bench in the Pro12 final win over Leinster, remains out with concussion.
Carty is also the only established place-kicker available to Lam as they plot a revenge mission against Wasps, with back-up scrum-half John Cooney, who has been accurate off the tee this season, also unlikely to be available because of a quad injury.
Lam says the finance is not there to consider bringing in a short-term replacement to cover the key games in the defence of their Pro12 title or the January Champions matches at home to Zebre and away to Toulouse.
“There is no medical joker because you have got budgets. You need money, we don’t have money to do that so we just have to work out what we can do. All the players who are injured, they still have to get paid.
Jack is the last out-half still standing. We will look at options but we just to need to do a job this week and get on with it.”
It’s far from ideal as Connacht bid to reverse Sunday’s 32-17 loss in the Ricoh Arena but hopes are high that both Bundee Aki (thigh) and Tiernan O’Halloran (hip) will recover from knocks picked up in that match.
However, winger Cian Kelleher is out for four weeks with a hamstring injury, while centre Stacey Ili is unlikely to be available because of an ankle problem.
Flanker Jake Heenan is also unlikely to feature after picking up knee and ankle injuries in the loss away to Wasps.
Lam admitted it is not an ideal situation but he has always challenged the next player to step forward and produce a big display.
“We are down on numbers. That’s what I wanted, I wanted competition and have the opportunity because we go six-day turnaround, six-day turnaround to Ulster. And then a seven-day turnaround to Munster and then Ospreys.
“Big games, and we need as many on deck as we can. It is what it is and that’s the adversity that you face and the challenge and we just have to face it and we will.”
Last year several players stepped forward from Nigel Carolan’s academy to fill gaps as Connacht went on their march to Pro12 glory but the injuries to Boshoff, Ronaldson and O’Leary mean that the back up to Carty is now his younger brother Luke.
“None in the academy, the academy don’t have one either. That’s Nigel’s remit, to find us a 10. We have got young Luke Carty, Jack’s brother in the sub-academy, but he is just out of school,” added Lam.
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Injury rate in professional rugby is just bonkers!
It’s almost as if it’s a physically demanding game!
@David: the public are being entertained and the powers that be are coining it so lets bury our heads in the sand about all the injuries and concussions.
There is a famous saying in boxing – “you cant put muscles on your chin”, well you can’t put them on your brain either. I really fear for some of these guys in later life.
Be interesting to see if Ian Keatley goes back to Connacht next season now that munster will have JJ and Tyler. Maybe he could go to Bristol instead.
By all accounts, Pat will make a move for AJ McGinty once he gets his Bristol shoes on. He was a big fan & was very disappointed to have to move McGinty on due to the number of overseas players on the Connacht books
After probably 30 years plus, bringing my boots to games, maybe this is the chance! Albeit I am not sure are Connacht in such a desperate state yet!
Dont want keatley would rather give O’Leary a chance. He cqn b a bit mad but he can also get a backline moving well.
I wouldn’t be so quick to turn my nose up if I were a Connacht fan. Keatley had an incredible points-to-game ratio in his time there, given how poor the team was at the time.
@Ewan Euphrenza: Yeah well that was then. The current Keatley is a lot different to the one back then. I’d give youth a chance.
I’m all for giving youth a chance, but coming of the bench against Wasps just after finishing school might be a little much.
In fairness Evan, Connacht back then created very little tries. Vast majority of our points came from the boot hence stats for Keat’s, McHugh and Warwick before him…. But he is a running ten, and it’s just a shame that his time with us didn’t coincide with Pat’s arrival. He’s an infinitely better player than Carty, put it this way at his best he was lined up to replace RO’G……
So many injuries, Ili and Kelleher are our utility backs as well which could cause more trouble in the backs if anyone else injured
What about mitch lam as back up? Was he not playing 10 for the eagle’s a while back? I’d love to see carty pull off something awesome on Saturday and shut up all the haters!
Carty is fine in open play most of the time and improving, it’s his kicking which has let him down, hence you’ll have people pick on him for that.
Lam signed for Nottingham earlier in the season, was only temporary cover until Boschoff was free to come to Ireland….
@Gavin O Toole: Conor Mckeon could be an option as well, he played for eagles at scrum half at the week-end but has played a good bit of rugby at 10 and is a pretty good place kicker anytime I’ve seen him play.
You’d have to question whether there’s equality of funding from the IRFU if Munster are bringing in Thomas du Toit, Te Aihe Toma and Jaco Taute as injury cover yet funding isn’t there for Connacht
People seem to forget that Jack carty was connachts October player of the month and is nominated for November potm
Rory Parata was a school boy out half and place kicks a few years back.
Connacht have today registered back row Naulia Dawai in their European squad and de-registered the injured Eoin Griffin.
Who’s he?
@Glenbower: He could be an option on the bench and maybe start Connolly seeing as Heenan likely out.