ANDREW CONWAY is at the midpoint of his breakthrough season with Leinster and the challenges keep coming.
Having established himself on the right wing for the Blues, and with a Heineken Cup debut against Exeter to look back on, Conway will play his final game of the season at fullback.
The position is not foreign to the 21-year-old but, with Leinster desperate to arrest a three-game losing spin, it is a sign of the trust placed in him by Joe Schmidt and the coaching staff.
“From our perspective it has been a frustrating last few weeks,” Conway told TheScore.ie. ”Our performance over in Stade Marcel Michelin [against Clermont Auvergne] was pretty good but over the last two games we haven’t been clinical enough and we have been disappointed with aspects of our play.
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“Against Ulster there was only a point between the two sides five minutes into the second half, but they were quick to seize an opportunity and that’s what good sides do.”
He added, “From my own perspective, it has been great to get a run of games under my belt this year.
“I’m picking up a lot of experience and that was a big target for me at the start of the year. But from a personal point of view I don’t feel as though I’ve hit my stride yet.”
Old boys return
Mike McCarthy, set for a summer move to Leinster, will be missing from this evening’s clash at the RDS but there are plenty of players that have experience of playing time with both provinces.
Fionn Carr and Sean Cronin are in the Leinster squad while Connacht have a couple of Dubliners in their travelling party.
Conway said, “Some of their ex-Leinster boys like Paulie (O’Donohoe) and Dave McSharry are going so well. They are going to be a big threat.
The thing about Connacht is that they have built a strong squad of players. Up front they’re physical and abrasive and if we allow them the chance to dominate us, we’ll be punished.”
Eric Elwood’s men were 34-6 victors when the two sides met in Galway but their only other wins have come against Italian opposition.
“Connacht have built on a good win against us earlier in the year and have pushed on with big results and we know that we have to really up our performance levels on Saturday, because they’re a side who can hurt you,” said Conway.
“Looking at their defeat to Munster last weekend, they probably felt that it was a game which they could have, maybe should have won. So they’ll be looking to come to the RDS and aiming to do a job on us.”
TheScore.ie will be at the RDS from 7:15pm providing a liveblog of the action, which kicks off at 7:45pm.
Pro12: Conway and Leinster seeking revenge for September mauling in Galway
ANDREW CONWAY is at the midpoint of his breakthrough season with Leinster and the challenges keep coming.
Having established himself on the right wing for the Blues, and with a Heineken Cup debut against Exeter to look back on, Conway will play his final game of the season at fullback.
The position is not foreign to the 21-year-old but, with Leinster desperate to arrest a three-game losing spin, it is a sign of the trust placed in him by Joe Schmidt and the coaching staff.
“From our perspective it has been a frustrating last few weeks,” Conway told TheScore.ie. ”Our performance over in Stade Marcel Michelin [against Clermont Auvergne] was pretty good but over the last two games we haven’t been clinical enough and we have been disappointed with aspects of our play.
“Against Ulster there was only a point between the two sides five minutes into the second half, but they were quick to seize an opportunity and that’s what good sides do.”
He added, “From my own perspective, it has been great to get a run of games under my belt this year.
“I’m picking up a lot of experience and that was a big target for me at the start of the year. But from a personal point of view I don’t feel as though I’ve hit my stride yet.”
Old boys return
Mike McCarthy, set for a summer move to Leinster, will be missing from this evening’s clash at the RDS but there are plenty of players that have experience of playing time with both provinces.
Fionn Carr and Sean Cronin are in the Leinster squad while Connacht have a couple of Dubliners in their travelling party.
Conway said, “Some of their ex-Leinster boys like Paulie (O’Donohoe) and Dave McSharry are going so well. They are going to be a big threat.
Eric Elwood’s men were 34-6 victors when the two sides met in Galway but their only other wins have come against Italian opposition.
“Connacht have built on a good win against us earlier in the year and have pushed on with big results and we know that we have to really up our performance levels on Saturday, because they’re a side who can hurt you,” said Conway.
“Looking at their defeat to Munster last weekend, they probably felt that it was a game which they could have, maybe should have won. So they’ll be looking to come to the RDS and aiming to do a job on us.”
TheScore.ie will be at the RDS from 7:15pm providing a liveblog of the action, which kicks off at 7:45pm.
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34-6 Andrew Conway backline Guinness PRO12 Connacht dave mcsharry Dubliners Eric Elwood fullback Inter-pros interprovincial Joe Schmidt League Leinster Pro12 RDS Rugby try WINGER