RUGBY:ERIC ELWOOD has issued a challenge to his Connacht players, on the eve of the new RaboDirect Pro12, to repeat last season's best league finish.

Still missing a handful of key players as his squad heads to Italy to face Treviso in Saturday’s opener, Elwood says Connacht must now back up last year’s campaign in which they finished ahead of the Italian sides and Glasgow.

“We have changed our whole approach. We firmly believe on our day we are capable of challenging anybody. I think we have proved that home and away. The challenge this year now is can we do it again? Can we back it up again? Fifteen new players and that is their challenge,” he said.

“We do not want to take a step back and it starts against Treviso on Saturday.”

Elwood said his team is under no illusions about Treviso’s strength at home despite their dozen World Cup absentees.

“They are a very strong outfit at home. They are confrontational and direct, love to maul, have very big ball-carriers – that is the first threat we have to deal with. The key for us is the physicality because last year we had two boys with broken cheek bones from that match.”

Despite losing all three pre-season fixtures, Elwood is hoping the intensity of those games has prepared his new squad for Saturday’s opening fixture.

“I believe we got a lot out of them in terms of our competitiveness, intensity, the way we applied ourself and the pace of the game. We are looking forward to taking that forward now to Treviso.”

Elwood has handed the captaincy this season to 29-year-old fullback Gavin Duffy, who takes over from John Muldoon after three years. The Ballina-born player had hoped to be flying to New Zealand with Declan Kidney’s World Cup squad – although he remains on standby – but says he has now quickly changed his focus.

“I was disappointed. Everyone has individual hopes and aspirations and mine was to play in the World Cup, but it is such big year for Connacht . . . and that has helped me to change the focus quickly. It will be a massive season with the new RaboDirect and being in the Heineken Cup.”

The new covered terrace at the Sportsground will be ready for the first home match against the Scarlets on September 10th despite some problems with the location of essential supplies.

The shortfall in funding from the IRFU has been taken up by the Government which will also allow the new stand to be extended in the future, while toilet facilities and services will also be improved.

Connacht are gearing up to put forward a team in the British and Irish Cup next season.

Elwood says it is the way forward for the province, which until now has been relying on the All Ireland League for players to make the step up to professional rugby. However the province must fulfil a series of fixtures this year in order to satisfy the IRFU that it has the players able to join the other 24 teams from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.

“We need to have our players playing week in and week out. We need to fill the void between the RaboDirect and the All Ireland League and we see it through the competitiveness of the British and Irish Cup,” says Elwood.

Connacht have expanded their academy this season with several youngsters brought into the senior squad for the pre-season challenges before last Friday’s game against Munster. Connacht are now in talks with several Rabo-Direct clubs which boast second teams, particularly in England.

“Having your team identity is very important, and we will certainly promote and push indigenous players forward,” says Elwood. “That is why we have had full integration with our senior squad during the pre-season. We are trying to fast-track them and see their capabilities.”

Elwood says it has been encouraging that players from Dublin had also joined the academy with both Mick Kearney and David Moore lining out during Connacht’s pre-season friendlies.

The province’s Professional Games Board is supporting the initiative, and Connacht CEO Gerry Kelly says the importance of A fixtures is now accepted.

“We are in talks with fellow Rabo Direct League teams where they would have second teams, and we are looking at anything within a radius of Bristol so it is easy to fly in and out of. . . the likelihood is that providing we fulfil our fixtures this year we will be in the cup next season.”