Crunch period ahead in westerners' history

ON RUGBY:The Magners' table tells no lies, but it could be a little more honest toward Connacht right now. In truth they have been far, far more competitive than it suggests, writes GERRY THORNLEY

WITH THEIR greatest player, Eric Elwood, in his first season as director of rugby, this is a crunch period in Connacht’s history, for if there is no evidence of progress on and off the pitch in the next year or two, you really would begin to wonder when progress will happen.

The table tells no lies, it’s often said, but heavens above, it could be a little more honest toward Connacht right now. In truth they have been far, far more competitive than a cursory glance at the Magners League table would suggest.

Alas, while no longer occupying their customary place over the last few years of bottom place, seven league defeats in a row leaves them 11th of an extended 12-team league, with only Aironi propping them up, and in years to come the investment in the new Italian franchise suggests they will make progress from this debut campaign.

This time last year Connacht had won two and lost six of eight, whereas 12 months on they’ve again won two, drawn one and lost eight. Yet last season they had only picked up one bonus point in those defeats whereas last Saturday’s depleted, 30-8 defeat at the RDS was only the third time in this season’s eight losses that they didn’t pick up a bonus point.

The only other times they have not been within seven points of the opposition at the finish was when beaten 22-6 away to Cardiff, when forced to negotiate a logistically nightmarish trip and play five days after a bruising draw with Ulster because of the Ryder Cup, and when coughing up an intercept try at home to Leinster as they sought to win from their own half with the last play of the game.

Were it not for the last-minute try away to the Scarlets (33-35) and the 78th-minute converted try at home to the Ospreys (15-16), Connacht would now be eighth in the table, 10 points off the play-off places and four points adrift of Ulster. All ifs, buts and maybes perhaps, but then the perspective on Connacht’s season would be altogether different. With the arrival of Australian backs’ coach Brian Melrose and defensive coach Mike Forshaw, all their stats show a marked improvement. This time last season they had scored six tries in the League and conceded 26, whereas now they have scored 13 and leaked 19. Their points difference then was minus 143. Currently it is minus 44.

To Elwood’s understandable chagrin, for the second time this season, (and the third time since April), the smallest, most under-resourced squad in the League are being compelled to play a fixture away in Wales with just a five-day turnaround. They play the Dragons on Thursday, the team nearest them in the table, at the behest of television – which makes for a third game in 11 days on the back of successive Irish derbies.

Last Saturday was only the second time they have coughed up four tries in 16 games this season; the first was that heartbreaking defeat to the Scarlets in round two. In a change of tack from last season, Connacht have sought to be more competitive every week in the League, with none of the embarrassments of the recent past – such as last season’s 62-13 defeat in Edinburgh. Connacht used only 16 players in their first four starting line-ups, at which point their only defeat had been away to the Scarlets. The core of the side has largely stayed the same, but this has stretched their resources, and they have had to bear their current fixture congestion without John Muldoon, Ray Ofisa, Ezra Taylor and Mike McComish in the backrow alone, not to mention Gavin Duffy.

The only time Elwood heavily rotated his squad they lost away to Cavalieri Prato in their opening Amlin Challenge Cup tie. Thus, whereas this time last season they had won four from four in the ERC’s secondary competition en route to reaching the semi-finals, effectively that route into the Holy Grail of a Heineken Cup is now closed.

The League route, by dint of finishing above one of the other provinces, also looks a fairly forlorn hope so, once again, they are depending on one of the other Irish provinces winning one of the two European competitions to qualify for next season’s Cup.

The IRFU’s recent imprimatur for a new independent Professional Game Board (PUB) to oversee all aspects of the professional game removes the Sword of Damacles from above their heads, but has been partially offset by the news that Seán Cronin, Ian Keatley and Fionn Carr will leave at the end of the season.

Cronin and Keatley are apparently bound for Leinster and Munster, and all of this shows that Connacht must be doing something right, for they have helped to sustain and develop three talents that might otherwise have missed the boat.

However, for Connacht to maintain the progress under Elwood, then there has to be hard evidence of the promised commitment from Leinster, Munster and Ulster to allow more movement of selected players to the west. There are plenty more where the aforementioned trio came from who could benefit from greater exposure to League and European rugby.

One thinks of Dave Kearney and Paul O’Donohoe in Leinster, or Paddy Butler, Tommy O’Donnell, Dave Foley or Danny Barnes in Munster. But next season is a World Cup year, which has intensified scouting of Irish talent abroad and also put young Irish talent at a greater premium – hence the imminent departure of the aforementioned trio, and the reduced likelihood of that “commitment” being fulfilled next season.

As important as any progress on the pitch is advancement off it. Elwood has complained about the poor spectator facilities at the Sportsground, and the sight of a 5,000 crowd being drenched for the Munster game was a reminder that the loyalty of Connacht’s support can only be stretched so far.

In fairness to the Connacht Branch, the wheels have already been set in motion toward the creation of a new stand, and the PUB – which has an impressive make-up – should further facilitate that aim. It would serve as a massive statement of intent toward the Connacht supporters, the current playing staff and putative new signings, as well as a general announcement about their ambitions, not to mention improving future revenue streams.

With Elwood making such a big deal of it too, it simply has to happen.