Making a fist of the hand he's dealt

Rugby Challenge Cup semi-final: There is never a dull moment for Connacht or Michael Bradley. Just days before the significant exodus from the west for an Easter Sunday showdown with Harlequins in London comes confirmation that the province is to lose the services of its 6ft 6in lock, Damien Browne.

Although the interest of Premiership team Northampton had been well flagged, the news highlights the fact that nothing in Connacht can be taken for granted. As a development province, it will always be liable to the loss of the players it nurtures, which is tough for a growing fan-base that had begun to see their team as settled.

"Damien had told us from the beginning that he had received an offer from Northampton," says Bradley, "so we were always aware of what was going on and this came as no surprise. It was Northampton, obviously, who broke the news at this time.

"Look, he will be a loss. Damien has spent five good years here and developed exceptionally well as a player. As well as that, he's very popular with the players and he will be missed. But that is the nature of the game and, as I said, it was no surprise to any of us so it doesn't interrupt our preparation in any way. For now, Damien remains a Connacht man through and through."

Even if Bradley were to wake up to the news that half his squad had been lured away, it is hard to imagine the Corkman getting flustered. Consummate professionalism and cool decision-making have been his brand of management since arriving at the beleaguered province and setting in motion what has been its most successful season to date. The Harlequins game, televised on Sky, represents a new high and has certainly awakened interest in the provincial side across Galway and beyond. The players have been unreserved in their praise of Bradley but push as you might, he flatly rejects the invitation to in any way bask in the sunshine of these weeks.

"I really don't think this is about me. Coaching a team is a job and part of that job is getting an improvement. We are doing that and it has been a reasonably successful year. The players have worked very hard for that and as well as that, people like John Fallon and Gerry Kelly have made an incredible effort to raise the profile of Connacht rugby. In addition, we have a schedule with around 34 games this year so that adds to the visibility and keeps us in the mind's eye."

All through the succession of results achieved in the Challenge Cup - most notably a victory at Pau, a notoriously hostile ground for visiting teams - Bradley has maintained a line in understatement. Never too low when his team has failed to close out winnable games, he is similarly reserved after performances that have impressed the Irish rugby fraternity.

Somehow, he has managed to transform Connacht's precarious status, and the fact it is the poor relation of the other three provinces, into a rallying cry. The togetherness and sense of cause within the team are highly evident. They rarely get blitzed in games and even in their last game, against the Ospreys, they pulled back a 21-7 deficit to win.

"That was pleasing but there was more to it than meets the eye. We opted to play against a wind in the first half and shipped a few scores but it was a controlled enough performance and there was no need for us to panic. So it was pleasing to win it but not just in the context of the Challenge Cup. Like, all our games matter individually and we can't really afford to be anything less than fully focused on each."

Because of that, Bradley treats the two-legged contests of the Challenge Cup as distinct entities. The plan on Sunday is to approach the game in a certain manner and then readjust if needs be before the return game at the Sportsground.

"We have plenty of information and film of Harlequins and I suppose we think we know them but you can never be fully sure until you meet. They are very fast obviously and like to move it through the back line and I expect they will try to create as loose a game as they possibly can whereas we will try to keep it tighter."

Bradley admits he is looking forward to visiting the Stoop, a ground with a terrific atmosphere, and says the team has been encouraged by the number of fans travelling. Ultimately, though, the hope is that the tie will be decided back on the heights of the Sportsground two weeks later. There is already eager anticipation of Sunday 25th, with festive and corporate functions planned around the game. The atmosphere could not be more different from last year.

"Yeah, I think Connacht has had a good side on the political front. We just have to try and keep it going on the field. I mean, we have a tough Celtic League game against Ulster before Harlequins come over here."

In fact, all of Connacht's remaining games are against the top echelon of the Celtic League. Bradley wouldn't have it any other way: "You want to play against the best. Sure the only weak team in the Celtic League is Connacht. And we can't play them."