Connacht have to put the brakes on Harlequins

Their half back pairing like to have the English champions playing at pace. If Connacht can stop them, they can win

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI has reminded me of Napoleon Hill’s words. “One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat.” Well done last Tuesday.

Saracens are not as good as their massive win in Scotland and Edinburgh are not as bad. For Connacht: are Harlequins as good as their bashing of Biarritz (down their stars)?

After Exeter demolished Harlequins Conor O’Shea remarked that: “We were very very very average. Exeter had more desire, wanted to win the collisions more, they won all the contact areas . . . We were lucky to only concede 42.” Sound appetising Connacht? Post Exeter, O’Shea summed up: “That was not us, not acceptable, there will be a reaction to that.” I assume his memory of last year’s defeat in Galway could be paraphrased as above. What will their reaction be?

Thus far this season has been about space, but this week its about pace or more accurately Harlequins pace and Connachts ability to slow it. Nick Evans presence tomorrow (injury dependent) is crucially important. Biarritz’s aggressive defensive line did pressurise Harlequins skill set but Evans is the pivot, the fulcrum around so much activity. There is variety of options around him where he’s comfortable taking the ball to the line, rarely carrying into contact, arrow-heading and popping inside or out to suit the perceived weakness in the opposition line. Ben Botica, Evan’s natural replacement does enjoy contact and along with the above is a powerful runner providing a very different late challenge for defence coach Mike Forshaw!

Sweating on him, as many will try, will only provide another Quin such as Nick Easter or Jordan Turner-Hall opportunity, with their explosive back three loitering. It is crucial that Connacht keep their chain of three disciplined to remain water tight in defence when Evans pulls the strings. Just when you become accustomed to Evans at the tiller along comes Danny Care, happy to sprint across the line forcing fatiguing Connacht players into split second decisions. This is dangerous with his pace as his team-mates are well accustomed to his style; Connacht not so.

Care is their tempo; never ever take your eyes off him. Penalties deep in their 22 will be tapped quickly. Connacht must delay handover of the ball, circle Care, ensuring he can’t up the pace. Their 22 metre kick-off is generally split with Evans getting real height down the middle. All kick-offs are dangerously chased where Connacht will require their ball catcher to be lifted high in the air preventing turnovers from Ugo Moyne.

Quins’ tight head James Johnston is not just a power house in traffic, when he keeps his shoulders square and hips aligned his power through the scrum is awesome. Biarritz loosehead Fabien Barcella depowered him with Biarritz getting a very beneficial left hand wheel. Johnston has a tendency to keep his feet back – tent pegging – which reduces his ability to dictate scrum height, exposing him to being lifted up above the horizontal and destabilising their scrum as he goes up and across. Mind you he was propping against Barcella but he did fatigue badly and provided little rugby around the park.

Their lineout throw from Rob Buchanan can be very flat and is open for a steal. Inside their half they will launch with off the top ball with Evans carrying to the line; their midfield will offer very flat with the second option off a spot pull back pass attempting to get fullback Mike Brown into the outside channel.

This is a big day for Connacht’s 13. They are happy to target all sections of the lineout with Care making the most of any weakness. Connacht’s defence behind the ruck is crucial. Off Connacht’s left hand field scrums Care will fly around to the open side to aid Evans in defence. Connacht go blind!

It’s hard to know who is more important. Evans or Botica is the tiller with Care the spark and Easter the brute providing balance between backs and forwards where last week he provided 20 carries and eight offloads. His upper body strength gets his shoulders turned for offloads. Centre Jordan Turner-Hall is a real go to man at 12 as too is winger Tom Williams especially active from his blindside popping up on the left hand side. Loosehead Joe Marler appears calmer these days but is worth a wee niggle!

Chris Robshaw is a very competent openside involved in everything but he is no Thierry Dusautoir. He does pop up in the line as a link man where in general play Quins work a myriad of systems. Take their kick off receptions. They’ll catch and control with Evans as first receiver and Robshaw in the back line to force a big target for Connacht’s defence, where he will pull back to Brown for a clearance kick. Connacht should encourage him back in by cutting off his outside pass as he lacks real pace and will truck it up. Perfect slow down!

Can Harlequins’ unreal systems and offloading survive a drop in tempo? Last year they blew it as they couldn’t get to break neck speed where their systems are like a Formula One racing car. Like any Formula One car, they splutter and stammer at lower revs. Worryingly, Harlequins really understand the balance between a carrying and kicking attack. Harlequins will counter a flat aggressive defence with a chip over the top.

They are very calculating in their numbers at the breakdown, giving Connacht a great opportunity to counter ruck and get cheap steals. Connacht must slow that ball, vary their kicking (avoiding Evans/Botica) and keep them to less than five phases (penalties and no sin bins) by pressurising their systems functioning at pace.

Can Connacht win? I leave you with the words of Napoleon Hill: “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”